Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren't his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.
Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they're on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…
MY REVIEW: 
Hero by Samantha YoungMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hero by Samantha Young is a 2015 NAL ( Signet) publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
No one writes angst and conflict quite like Samantha Young. I had heard so much about On Dublin Street I had to read it to see what the buzz was about. I'm not a big New Adult fan per se, but I was really impressed by this author and have made an effort to keep up with her work.
For many girls their father is their hero. Alexa Holland was no exception to that rule. However, she will have her heart broken when she discovers her father is no hero. In fact his affair with a married woman that eventually leads to her drug overdose death has left a young boy without a mother. His name? Caine Carraway. If anyone hates her father more than Alexa, it's Caine. When Alexa and Caine come face to face it's not pretty. When Caine causes Alexa to lose her job, he hires her as his PA, but it's obvious he intends to make Alexa pay for her father's sins.
The tension between these two is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Caine is one tightly controlled guy and Alexa is hot tempered and emotional causing an even hotter clash, one that builds and builds and builds to an almost unbearable pitch. But, once things finally boiled over, Caine still can't seem to relax. The classic push- pull, love-hate situation ensues. One minute these two are hot and heavy , then next Caine is distant and moody or over the top jealous causing Alexa more hurt and pain. This was kind of fun for a while, but it went on entirely too long. In fact it got to the point I thought maybe the author had gotten bored with it. But, then the story took a sudden and unexpected turn and got a little more interesting and ended up becoming quite tense and riveting.
I found Alexa's family dynamic incredible. She was riddled with guilt about her mother's death, confused by her grandfather's relationship, the only family member she has any kind of contact with, but one that must be on the down low. Her feelings of empathy for what Caine has endured because of her family was admirable, although I certainly understood Caine's bitterness. Caine's neighbor was a delight and so good for both Caine and Alexa. She was one of my favorite characters in the book.
This story is very tightly wound and tense, very emotional with intense sexual energy and high angst. This is classic Samantha Young, her signature is stamped into the style of the story and once more I came away impressed with this authors talent. Well done.
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