Until Fountain Bridge by Samantha Young Review

Until Fountain Bridge by Samantha Young is an On Dublin Street novella that was offered as part of a promotion if you pre-ordered Down London Road. If you missed the promotion, the book will be released June 18th, and let me tell you, it’s worth the wait! Though Samantha has it in the reading order before Down London Road, I see no reason why you would want or need to wait for this to read Down London Road, since it is told mostly in flashback.

Until Fountain Bridge is an 80 page novella featuring Ellie and Adam. Oh how I wish they got a full length story! I fell in love with both characters in On Dublin Street, and this little novella kept me crazy about them. It begins 3 months after Ellie moves in with Adam, and they are unpacking boxes of her old diaries. Then their long history unfolds through a series of Ellie’s diary entries beginning when she was 14 years old and first crushing on Adam.

“I want to read about it,” he replied softly, the solemnity in his tone bringing my head up, my eyes to his. They glittered at me, full of tenderness and emotion that never failed to make me breathless. “I want every piece of you. Even the stuff I missed without even knowing I was missing it”

What a clever way of writing this story, and it was done so well, going back and forth from present to past. Through the diary entries that then fading into the actual flashback, the reader felt everything along with Ellie. Her teenage angst and heartbreak were so real, you were able to really experience it with her.

“I was Ellie, Braden’s little sister. To Adam I would always be Braden’s little sister, and that meant I was off limits.”

But as the years went on, and the sexual tension increased between them, Adam still kept her at arms length one minute, while leading her teenage heart on the next.

“I moved my head a little bit closer and our lips brushed, infinitesimally. Still, that slightest touch sent a bolt of lust straight through me.
Adam made a sound in the back of his throat and I swore he was about to close the distance between us…”

We also got to see the romance with Joss and Braden through Ellie’s eyes, and it was wonderful going back to scenes from On Dublin Street and seeing it through a different perspective. I had just finished my On Dublin Street re-read (loved just as much the second time) and at no time did it become repetitive.

Likes:

I loved the characters before the book even started, and loved them more after.
The sweet, angsty teenage yearning was portrayed beautifully.
We got to see their whole history progress throughout the book.
A unique way of flashing back that worked perfectly.
Seeing scenes from On Dublin Street through new eyes.
Brought out the tears.

Dislikes:

This would have been a perfect full-length novel. I wish it was.

Rating: 4.5 Stars 3.5 Heat

Until Fountain Bridge was a lovely little novella. Samantha Young was able to tell the story in only 80 pages and it was told beautifully. Since we already know the characters from On Dublin Street, the length was not as much of a problem as it would have been if we had to meet all new characters. It was a great read!

“It’s painful to read how my stupidity I hurt you at the time, but I like being inside you head. I like knowing that while I was struggling with the fact that I had fallen in love with my best friend’s little sister, she loved me back more than I could ever hope to deserve.”

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