Villain by Samantha Young Blog Tour

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...

Book 1.5
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“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.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Nadia is surrounded by men who only want to talk with her because of her appearance. Despite her brain, men don't see her. Her boss is a tool and gross – he's also trying to get her to do things that would morally corrupt her, and even though she wants to tell him where to stick it, she can't lose her job. When push really comes to shove, she knows she'll have to stand up for herself.

Then you have Henry. He is a lot like all of the men in Nadia's life – quick to judge her based on her looks. When he sees her with her boss, despite thinking there was something bad going on, he doesn't really step in – he wants to see what's going on and whether or not he can use it against her.

Henry realizes that he's being unfair to Nadia – he realizes that he let bad things happen to her because he was being spiteful. He needs to make amends, but she will have nothing to do with him.

When Nadia's truth comes out, Henry and Nadia have to navigate family and friends, jobs and society. Will their love be strong enough or will they both need to go their separate ways? I wish that Quentin's situation was more discussed – it felt very cut off.


Dawn – ☆☆☆☆
When this book was announced, I was so excited as Hero is my favourite Samantha Young book and this book did not disappoint.

This is Henry and Nadia's story and it was full of ups and downs.

Nadia is hiding a secret and she is put into and awful situation that has Henry Lexington storming into her life.

Henry is a Lexington and is supposed to act a certain way, that is, until he meets Nadia Ray. The banter between the two of them was fun to read, there were serious moments, sexy moments, and a lot of anger from Nadia. Henry was a favorite of mine from Hero, so I am glad he got his own story. I really hope this isn't the last we see from these characters as I really enjoyed both books.

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.

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 Hero. On 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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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Villain (Hero #1.5) by Samantha Young to read and review for this tour.