Thursday, December 7, 2017

The Villain by Samantha Young









The sexy and emotional companion novella to the New York Times bestselling romance HERO.
 Nadia Ray is not just a broadcast meteorologist. She’s Boston’s morning television It Girl. Successful and independent, she’s put a past she’s ashamed of behind her and is forging a future she can be proud of. However, when her new boss discovers her secret he blackmails her, intent on using Nadia’s popularity to make them the number one morning show in Massachusetts. He wants her to be part of uncovering the city’s biggest scandal – a secret billionaire Caine Carraway is hiding.
Soon Nadia is thrown into the path of Caine’s best friend: sexy, wealthy bachelor Henry Lexington. But she doesn’t encounter the dashing high society gentleman Henry is purported to be. Instead she’s faced with an insulting and defensive villain who misjudges her at every turn.
When Henry finally realizes the truth, and decides to make amends, Nadia wants nothing to do with him. But she underestimates his determination and charm and soon they find themselves embroiled in an intense, passionate affair.
An affair Nadia knows must come to an end before their feelings grow any deeper and he discovers her secrets.
After all, Henry Lexington isn’t the only one who played the part of a villain once…




4.5 Stars
Review by Lisa Kane

I was a big fan of Samantha Young’s Hero, but always wondered if Henry Lexington, Caine Carraway’s best friend would ever get his own story. The wait is over!
Nadia Ray is a broadcast meteorologist. But her curves and vivacious personality have somehow turned her into Boston’s Pin-Up Girl.

But Boston liked my curves. I was “WCVB’s Weather Pin-Up Girl.” The attention was a little daunting at first, and truthfully I was at war with myself over it. Part of me got a huge confidence boost from it, and the other part of me was uneasy that they were focused on my appearance.

Nadia has always had issues with her looks-although most men have appreciated her curvy body, she’s had her share of dates suggest she switch from burgers to salads. Her boss, Dick (this guy is aptly named!) is constantly throwing out lewd jokes about Nadia and disgusting suggestions about improving ratings while dressing her in a bikini for her weather forecast.

“Fantastic. Let’s get you to the beach next week in a bikini for Monday’s weather report.”

But Dick knows some things about Nadia and in an attempt to have her dig into Carraway’s past he doesn’t hesitate to use what he knows. Nadia pokes around into Caine’s history, discovers things that aren’t public knowledge yet and ends up poking a sleeping bear otherwise known as Henry Lexington.

Henry may have the reputation of a charming, brilliant millionaire who attracts women like bees to honey, but he is as hard as nails and as ruthless when someone he cares about is threatened. His first encounter with Nadia leaves her furious and shaken.

“Don’t think seduction will work here,” he bit out, starring at my mouth, surprising me because seduction was the last thing on my mind. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not swayed by every pretty face I see.” He pushed off the wall and stepped back. “You will bury this story or I will bury your career.”

Nadia’s real intentions soon come to light and Henry realizes his mistake. Nadia might be attracted to him, but she’s not about to let him into her heart. Her bed-now that’s a different story!

“I don’t particularly like you. In fact, you have become one of the villains in my story so far. I don’t want to date you and I doubt very much that you are interested in dating me. However, I also doubt that you feel so guilty about your treatment of me that you merely want to turn around my opinion of you. No, sir. I’m here because you’re attracted to me. That’s okay because apparently, I’m attracted to you too. You’re hot and it’s obvious but I can’t deny it.”

How can you not love this woman?

Villain is a hot read with a heroine who has no problem expressing what desires she want fulfilled and how she likes it. Henry is a man almost confused as to how he has fallen so hard-the man who never gets serious about a woman finds himself totally smitten by her. But Nadia’s secrets are big ones and Henry’s world consists of high society money and powerful people who thrive on bringing others down. Will she be his downfall?


“With you, it’s always making love.” 







“I need to apologize,” he said to my back as I hurried into my sitting room. My shoulders hunched to my neck at the words. I couldn’t look at him.
What did he want me to say? That it was okay?
Because it wasn’t.
No one, no matter what, should have to be subjected to what that woman said to me.
Henry’s mother!
He was in Cloud Cuckoo Land if he thought this, whatever this was between us, could ever work out when his mother thought so little of me.
“Just go,” I snapped, not looking at him.
“No,” he said, his tone stern. “Not until you turn around and look at me.”
I shot him a glare over my shoulder. “Satisfied? Now leave.”
Instead of leaving, he studied my face, softening as if he understood what was going on behind my fury.
But he didn’t understand.
“I cannot apologize enough for what my mother said to you. Frankly, right now I’m ashamed I share DNA with the woman. That was the reason I was avoiding her. She’s … bad with the women I date normally, even the ones she’s set me up with. No one is good enough. Usually, it’s merely irritating, but I didn’t want to subject you to her. And if I had known how goddamn low she’d sink tonight, I never would’ve put you in that situation.”
I heard his words, but I couldn’t feel them. I couldn’t feel the anger and worry in them that I’d later remember. In that moment, all I saw were the flowers peeking over the top of the trash can behind him. Flowers that had arrived at my apartment earlier that afternoon. Flowers that meant he’d found my home address. Flowers that taunted me, saying, “You can’t be angry at Penelope Lexington when you know she’d feel smug with satisfaction if she ever discovered the truth.” She’d feel vindicated in her opinion of me.
Worse would be how Henry would react if he knew the truth. How he’d never look at me the same way again. He’d never look at me in that way that was getting under my skin, becoming an addiction, despite all the defenses I’d tried to put up against him.
A chill shivered down my spine.
“Nadia, what can I do? What—”
“If you’re not going to leave,” I turned around to fully face him, “then we might as well get this over with.”
Henry watched with narrowed eyes as I threw my purse on the couch and then removed my earrings. “What are you doing?”
Cold, toneless, I reminded him, “Our arrangement is almost over. A deal is a deal.”
“A deal is a deal?” The muscle in his jaw twitched, his eyes flashing. “You’re going to fuck me like some martyr?”
“Well, I’d prefer it if you leave but I don’t welch on a deal.”
“Nadia, don’t hide from me.” I could hear the barely contained fury beneath his words and in a twisted way, I reveled in it. I wanted his anger. I wanted to force him to walk away and walk away for good. “Talk to me.”
I scoffed. “Why do you keep trying to make this more than it is? You wanted to slum it with the local weather girl. I wanted to get laid because it’s been a while. You just happened to be there and I’ve heard you’re good. That’s all this ever was. And I’m not one of your uptight society princesses who needs to be assured you want more from me than a dirty fuck.”
“Nadia …”
I didn’t heed the growl of warning in his voice. “Let me make it clearer,” I hissed out, all my rage at myself redirected at him like I knew and feared would happen. “I don’t do relationships with spoiled rich boys who run away from their mommas. I’ll let a rich boy fuck me for the hell of it, but rest assured when I do let someone in long-term, it’ll be a man.
Not even a second later, Henry crossed the distance between us, one hand tangling into my pinned-up hair, the other around my waist. He yanked me roughly against him before I could blink and slammed his mouth down over mine in a hard, punishing kiss.




About Samantha Young:


Samantha Young is the New York Times,  USA Today  and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows.  Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us was published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook & hardback June 2017. Play On is an adult contemporary romance and the first in a brand new series set in Scotland. Villain is a companion novella to the New York Times bestselling romance HERO.


Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for HeroOn Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.
Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.




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