It was OK. I wasn't too keen on language and their interaction most of the times but enjoyed the story. It wasn't what I expected at all but it was OK.

I’m glad I kept with this book! I must admit, I almost have up in the beginning because of the male lead Caleb.. He completely rubbed me the wrong way.. Buuut I stuck with it and I’m so glad!

Caleb grew on me and I adored Ava and Harper’s friendship.

This story was sweet, sexy and has substance to it!

An enjoyable read!

**copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I really enjoyed this book. It was brilliantly written with a great cast of characters that kept me turning the pages. Perfect read to escape from day to day life.

I was really invested in Sam Young’s On Dublin Street series, and one of the books has a spot on my top 10, I thought her men were almost 2nd to none but since the end of the series I’ve struggled to get into her other series/standalones in the same way.

Fight or Flight felt like it had more of the On Dublin Street attributes about it that I loved so I liked it more than recent releases.

The story is about American Ava Breevort and Scot hunk Caleb Scott. They start off with an unfortunate encounter and the story goes from there.

Ava is smart, sassy and like all of Sam’s leading ladies has a backstory that makes her a strong character. Caleb is a classic hark back to Sam’s other Scottish men and while I enjoyed that I didn’t enjoy ALL the Scottishness. I’m not sure if it’s the contrast between American and Scottish but the over use of Scottish words just annoyed me to read. He was so rude and abrupt that I honestly couldn’t see anyone acting like that in real life. Some of Caleb’s “charm” had worn off by the end of the book and the story itself is engaging to read

There seems like there is scope for another book for the secondary characters in this book and I would read that.

In truth I wanted to love this book but in reality it had it's problems for me.

3 stars is the middle of the road in rating books for me, it means I neither loved the book nor hated it but I did enjoy my time reading the minority of it.

Fight or flight starts with Ava and caleb meeting at the airport and then being told they have canceled flights due to an Ash cloud. The pair of them do not have an instant connection in fact caleb does everything to get on Avas nerves in the beginning however they do seem to have a hate to love relationship?

OK here's where my problems with this book started the instant caleb started acting entailed and rude, he would not say please or thank you to staff or severs almost like they were beneath him. Yes he then had a past, a background story but that still doesn't give him the right to treat other people like crap so, no I didn't like that. Ava seemed like she cared about this factor in the beginning then suddenly she didn't.

What did I like? I enjoyed how it dove into heavy subjects and it wasn't simply a romance, we learnt things from Avas past that made her who she was today.

Would I read more books by this author? Yes I'd give them a go.

I have so many FEELS for this book! Oh my goodness, Samantha Young..what have you done to me?

Fight or Flight is a story about two people who met in an airport layover under the worst of circumstances. Soon mutual hate transformed into a one-night stand then to being friends with benefits and eventually to lovers forever.

Overall, it was an unputdownable read except for a couple of negative things which are still niggling at me. I loved Ava; she has these amazing qualities considering her past.

Thanks to NetGalley, Piatkus(Little, Brown Group) and Samantha Young for providing me with an ARC !

This book is right up my alley - it's fun, steamy and you can cut the sexual tension with a knife. I was all in from the get-go. 

Ava is an interesting mix of sophisticated and casual, wanting to appear sophisticated for her job and her high-end clients, but more casual when she's off work - at least she becomes more casual as the book progresses. She starts wearing jeans. If that's not casual, I don't know what is. 

Then we have Caleb Scott - a rugged Scotsman with a body like a Greek God. Oh mama! I will say it was hard not to simply picture Sam Heughan in this role as he is without a doubt my favourite Scotsman on the planet. I did find it funny that Outlander was referenced as I was picturing the actor playing Jamie Fraser from the show. But Caleb is more than just a handsome man - he's got some issues he needs to deal with, issues that makes him unable to commit to a woman.
Ava is at first completely put off by Caleb's manners, or lack thereof, but she, and the rest of us reading, can't deny the heavy sexual tension that brews between her and Caleb. When they first get together during the layover, it's almost like they're having hate-sex, but apparently that equals amazing sex. 
And in the way they always seem to cross paths, it's almost like fate is involved, forcing them together. And I'm all for it!
The book is catered to the new adult/adult, but not graphic or explicit enough to be downright erotic, but we are treated to some very steamy scenes throughout. 

The pacing was good. It didn't feel too rushed although it does jump in time a few places, but it's all good. 
Overall, Fight or Flight is a great book if you're looking for a nice quick read (I finished it within a day) that will leave you wanting more. I know I'm down for a sequel!
This is the first Samantha Young book I've read, but if this is an inclination of how the rest of her books are, it's definitely not my last. 

Do I recommend this book?
I do, definitely.
To whom?
To women over 18 who enjoys a sexy Scotsman and all he has to offer *wink wink*

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley.

Fight or Flight,  Samantha Young

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance.

Well, I've read lots of Samantha's stories now, On Dublin Street is still my favourite, she does the Scot guys so well. Usually. This one, Caleb, well, he's a shallow jerk. I was infuriated at his arrogance, his lack of manners, his overall high handed, judgmental self. I almost stopped reading, he was so obnoxious.
Luckily Ava kept me going....I loved Ava, she seemed like a typical “blonde” stereotype, pretty, always well dressed, full make-up, perfect hair, and yet she's so much more. Awful parents, betrayed by her two childhood best friends, yet she's got herself a good job, her own home, and a few good friends. Harper, her best friend, is wonderful and I hope we see more of her in a later book. There seems to be an opening later in the book with someone....

So, I ploughed on and slowly began to understand Caleb, but though he has a past that made me understand why she initially judged Ava, he's human, we all fail and make mistake, he seems to continue to judge her in little ways even when he knows her better.
I did warm to him but I can't say he's my favorite person in Sam's writing. I enjoyed the story but again its not one to really tug at the heart, I felt sad about what had happened to Ava, was sad for Harp when things went wrong for her but it didn't have the huge drama I've come to expect from Sam. Having said that when things did go wrong it was really well done, drawn out over a period of time, lots of angst and wondering, lots of will they make it through ( yes, I know they will but I still need to feel as if the possibility is there that they won't). so many books wrap the break-up and getting back in just 2 or 3 pages and for me that just doesn't cut it. I want my characters to really feel devastated, to really hit the bottom and here both Ava and Caleb do. Ava is so brave when she faces her fears and tells Caleb how she feels, and then gets That reaction, but by now I understood Caleb more and it made me angry but not as furious as it would when I started the book. Even Ava understands why he has that reaction, but she's grown so much in confidence, she's heartbroken but knows that its not her fault, compared to how guilty she felt over Nick and Gem.
Some reviews mention the Scots accent. I hate written dialects for just this reason, done badly they can ruin a novel. I've seen too many Doona, dinna, nay lassie, och the noo etc....and so often they use language that would have been common a couple of centuries back but now, no way. I'm from Norfolk (UK) and we know that when a TV series features folk from here they all speak in some kind of generic Summerzet accent.
If I'm reading a novel and I don't notice the accent, except that it reinforces a characters background, then I know the author has it right. Sam's a Scot, she does that accent well in her writing IMO, it adds to and not detracts from the story.

I'm finding it hard here to put a rating, it started badly for me, but the drama of the ending really was perfect.
I still think the actual story holding things together was a bit flimsy, I felt it wasn't really strong enough to hold the whole novel. Maybe if we['d seen it a bit more in a past time-frame, from Ava's POV it would have more impact, but I felt for her but with the “ horrible folk, awful thing to do but move on now Ava”, rather than being so upset I understood why it coloured her life so much. Sometimes it is tiny things from the past that impact on us, but we need to see just how awful an effect those words or actions were to understand properly.
Stars: Well, hmmnnn...tough one. I think its going to have to be a three, not my favourite of Sam's books.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and Publishers

Three and a half stars.

Ava Breevort is travelling home to Boston following the funeral of her former best friend. Her attempt to upgrade is thwarted by a big Scottish guy who looks like a Viking and rudely pushes in front of her snagging the last seat in first class. Then as if fate is laughing at her, everywhere she goes in the airport he is there, pushing in, being rude. But what starts out as name-calling and dislike soon morphs into attraction. What starts out as a one-night stand turns into more when Ava's client introduces her to a 'family friend' who is stuck in Boston for a couple of weeks due to the Icelandic volcano eruption creating flight havoc - you guessed it, the family friend is none other than the unfriendly Viking, Caleb Scott, and Ava's client wants Ava to show him around the city.

Of course Ava and Caleb both have 'issues', they also have preconceptions about each other, its almost Pride and Prejudice, what concerned me was that Ava seemed deluded when it came to Caleb. In fact I would go as far to say that he was not a nice man. He only appears to be polite to friends, family and people of a higher social status - waitress etc get not a word of thanks - and Ava thinks this is okay. She realises that her ex-boyfriend only ever complimented her on her looks, never on her personality, and yet she thinks it is okay that Caleb only ever compliments her on her body and how it makes him feel - because he's honest about it? I'm sorry I don't see the difference. Also, because this is told from Ava's POV I really don't understand Caleb's motivations - I think if he had been more likable this would have got four stars.

Although there's a lot of brogue it wasn't irritating, probably because Samantha lives in Scotland and therefore understand the natural cadence of the accent and which words to use when. And how refreshing to have a Scottish hero who doesn't wander around wearing a kilt, playing the bagpipes, or owning a Castle!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT is the kind of book that reels you in with an initial feel of light, fun and hateful banter. However, it is not long before this becomes a pretty intense read and whilst I wasn’t expecting that, I was so into the characters and the story, that I welcomed it. This is a book that builds and builds and I am here for all the story development, for ever. In fact, I didn’t want it to end.

Caleb Scot is a vision to behold but an utter, rude jerk of Glaswegian persuasion and being seated next to him on two flights and a number of queues, tests Ava beyond her capabilities. His arrogance seems unparalleled and his inability to emote drives Ava to distraction. Yet, there’s definitely a bubbling of something underneath.

“Seriously. Some omnipresent being is playing with us. No two people can keep bumping into each other like this without the help of some twisted Fate.”

As the story moves to Boston, the characters pan out to include some meddling work friends, family and most importantly one of the side characters I adored, Harper. There’s a depth to this story telling that makes it possible to tell part of Harper’s story without feeling like a distraction from the main event. These elements are what made it a great book.

As I grew to know Caleb and Ava better, I fell in love with both of them for themselves and I cheered for them together. I wanted more than their arrangement and I wanted them both to see their potential as individuals and as a couple. These two had chemistry in buckets, exploding buckets of gunpowder. As Ava began to see the real Caleb, the revelations were pretty, damn good.

“...that sardonic smirk, his fierceness, his surprising gentleness, his honesty. He didn’t say a lot, but it made you pay attention when he did, and moreover, most everything he said made sense. There was a blunt kindness to Caleb that I appreciated and respected.”

FIGHT OR FLIGHT made me read at 2am to finish, it grew to such an intense package, I needed the end and yet didn’t want it. This book deserves every star it earned along the way and Samantha Young was on fire writing this one. It is a perfect stand alone contemporary romance.

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

Great read - the story of Ava and Caleb. Both have been hurt before, so just want something casual. But as they spend more time together will it stay that way and what happens when their feelings get involved?

I am hoping that Harper gets her own book next!