This was not Samantha Young's finest effort, unfortunately. And it's really too bad with the adorable cover they gave it (so much better than her others). I normally really enjoy hate-to-love romances. And if one half of the hate-to-lovers is a Scot, so much the better! But Caleb was just mean, and not in any really redeemable way. He was mean and he hurt Ava repeatedly and in ways that ended up being beyond the pale for this reader. The novel might have benefited from dual POV so we could have attempted to gain more sympathy for Caleb's character earlier on. As it is, I couldn't condone this romance.

Thi9s was a hoot. The opening with these characters crossing paths and not in a "Good Way" then transitions into sexy intense times and then into a real relationship. Samantha Young brings much to the table in all of her books and this will not disappoint.

I devoured this book in one sitting. Fight or Flight was so good and pulls you in from page one. Samantha Young has a way of writing a story and pulling you into the story. This has been added to my top reads of 2018.


Caleb and Ava meet at an airport and immediately loathe each other. They become quick enemies without even knowing each other. This book is packed with angst and heartbreaking moments. You will fall in love with these characters. If you are looking for a good enemies to lovers story this one is for you. I highly recommend this book.

<i>Fight or Flight</i> follows very common romance tropes, so, if that's your jam, then you may like this more than I did. It's got the alpha hero, complete with an accent (a Scottish brogue that means his dialogue is eye-rollingly full of tae, dinnae, and cannae), tattoos, the wealth, and the commitment phobia. The heroine, Ava, is super beautiful, but she doesn't like being so beautiful because everyone judges her on her looks, and she feels like men find her personality boring because of the tragic, dramatic pain of her past.

Both Ava and Caleb have the requisite tragic backstories, which I'll talk about a bit more in spoiler tags in a moment. By and large, I liked the romance okay for most of the book, though it never came close to covering any new ground. After reading a bunch of excellent, diverse romances, this serving of white bread was not especially satisfying. Their hatred of each other never made that much sense given both of their shown characters later on, and it's pretty gross that he was a dick to her because he wanted to bang her so badly. Edward Cullen much?

There are a few things that bothered me about this book though, most of which happen later on in the book, and they're mostly spoilery so I'm tagging it all.

<spoiler>1) Violence against women is used as a plot device several times, and, while that's common, it's not something I like to see without a book really dealing with it. Ava was nearly sexually assaulted as a teen, which led to her first relationship that ultimately becomes the tragic backstory when he cheats on her. Ava was nearly sexually assaulted by a man when waiting for a train, only to be rescued by Harper, who then becomes her best friend. Harper's physically attacked by her boyfriend when she breaks up with him, leading to a closer connection between Eva and Harper, and ultimately encouraging Ava to take a chance on her feelings for Caleb. I'm really uncomfortable with the undercurrent of violence on women bringing people closer together; I'm sure it wasn't intended, but three circumstances of it are hard to deny.

2) Caleb's a shit to Ava repeatedly because he's uncomfortable with commitment. He specifically uses her greatest fear against her, and it's garbage that she stays with him after that tbh. Ava had been commenting on how unhealthy Harper's relationship with Vince seemed (something that's proved to be correct - see the assault above), but Harper's similar concerns about how unhealthy Ava and Caleb's relationship is end up falling by the wayside.

3) The reason that Caleb is so resistant to commitment and hated Ava so much initially is because of his ex-fiancee Camilla. They got engaged after she got pregnant, and he was so excited to become a father. She had an abortion behind his back. He had this to say about it.
<blockquote>"I asked her why. Why did she do it behind my back? And she told me it was because she was afraid of what it would do tae her physically and emotionally. She said she still wanted tae have kids but later, when we were older, and even then she wanted tae get a surrogate and employ a nanny. Have you ever heard anything like it? That someone could be so vain, so selfish, so cowardly, she'd kill the life inside her without talking to me about her fears."</blockquote>
Fuck this shit, quite honestly. This reads like anti-abortion propaganda, and absolutely nothing about what he says is challenged at all. There's nothing wrong with Caleb wanting a child or being mad that his fiancee aborted the child without speaking to him first and certainly for her decision to lie about what happened. However, there's nothing selfish in a woman wanting a surrogate because she doesn't want those physical or emotional changes that come with childbirth. And there's nothing selfish about realizing she's not in the place right now to raise a child. I don't ever want to feel preached to in a romance novel, unless the message is for tolerance. It's disgusting to have a secret message against women's right to choose what to do with their own bodies in a genre FOR women.

4)Because this romance novel hits all the traditional elements, there are some disparaging remarks about women to round things out.
<blockquote>"You're the kind of woman a man marries. You're not the kind of woman he casually sleeps with."</blockquote>
To be fair, Ava responds that this is "chauvinistic crap" but the guy she's talking to responds with an argument to that, and that part is not challenged. Fuck. This.</spoiler>

Until the end, this book sat solidly in three star territory, but ultimately I have no respect for what this romance novel chose to do. I recommend this romance only to more conservative readers or those who enjoy traditional romance tropes.

This was a super fun, sexy, sensitive, and sweet read. Ava and Caleb meet in a rush to get out of Arizona. Caleb starts off as a real jerk by cutting in front of Ava to take the last first class seat. Well, Ava just can't get away from Caleb in this airport because as they are waiting Caleb steals the last seat in an eatery and cuts the line to get coffee before the flight. Ava and Caleb butt heads all the way to a one night stand while they are waiting for flights to get back to Boston. Once in Boston fate just will not leave them along when a mutual friend attempts to match make them. Fun and sexy times are had by all but they are both holding on to secrets. I really enjoyed this story; however, I did find some of the wrap ups to quick and skimmed over. I would love a spin off for some of the other characters.

This specific video review will be included in the December 2018 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

*I AM A PART OF SAMANTHA YOUNG’S REVIEWER TEAM AND WAS PROVIDED AN E-ARC OF THIS BOOK. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY HONEST OPINION*

Samantha has always had a way with words, and for Fight or Flight, she continued to shock us readers into our graves. This book had heartbreak, cringe (the good kind!), romance, relatability, and so much more.

This book was HOT, to say the absolute least.

Getting addicted was no surprise, and it was bound to happen.

Ava is a character that we all know and relate to. She’s been hurt once before and isn’t willing to risk another chance. But that little risk happens to mutate into something uncontrollable, something that she can’t deny: Caleb Scott.

A little side note to our protagonist/antagonist’s name: He’s Scottish, and his last name is Scott. I don’t know if that was intended or not, but it did get a little giggle out of me.
This book brought out emotions that have been well dimmed over the past few weeks, and I was so excited to find myself falling into that reader-is-going-to-die-from-not-getting-enough-of-the-book-to-read phase.

One of my favorite quotes from this book was during a scene where Ava was being sought after by a group of pigs, as I have taken to calling them.

"There was this obnoxious misconception that women only dressed well to attract a mate... some of us were just obsessed with clothes, shoes, and makeup and liked to look good... for ourselves. Shocker."

This quote really stood out to me. In this day and age, we have movements like #MeToo, which pushes all sexual violence victims (ie: assault, harassment, etc.) to not be ashamed, to share about their stories if they’re comfortable and safe enough to do so. I have unfortunately been added to the list of people—though thankfully nothing as awful as rape—and quotes like these really matter to me, as I am still dealing with it.

Though this book doesn't really dive into anything really related to this topic, I couldn't help but highlight this quote and bring it up.

Now, some of you may be wondering why I chose to use paper planes instead of actual planes, as the characters in this book had many adventures on planes throughout the story. And the reason behind that is that, while reading, I found myself humming to the tune of Jon Bellion’s Paper Planes song. One of the lyrics in particular I felt could really match up to this book, and it goes like this, “But love came like a hurricane and we were just a paper plane / I know we tried to fly away, yeah /But we were just a paper plane…”

I hope that didn’t spoil anything.

While I loved just about everything in this book, there was one problem I had with it: waaaayyy too wordy. I know books are supposed to have lots of details and be super out there, but for a lot of the dialogue, the characters were talking up to seven sentences at a time. And while I found the details to be great, I also found myself skipping over some of it just because of how lengthy and wordy it was.

Though I will say—Samantha, once again you have stunned me with this book. I loved the characters without a second’s hesitation. They were well developed and coordinated, and everything mushed together as it should. The plot was well thought out and written, and I did enjoy shedding a few tears. Tissues are for the weak! Let them dry, people!

All in all, I give Fight or Flight by Samantha Young 4.5/5 stars. I do still highly recommend this book and congratulate Samantha on yet another release. This beautiful thing deserves love and attention, people! Go buy it and don’t let it sit on your shelves. I WILL BE WATCHING YOU!

Ava is having a nightmare of a week. First there was a dreaded return back to her hometown (where she VERY clearly wasn’t wanted). Then a volcanic eruption in Europe threw up enough ash into the air that flights in America have even been grounded. Finally, just as she thinks she might be able to get back home to Boston – and even score an upgraded seat in first class – a monstrous brute of a Scotsman not only insults her, but also steals that coveted seat. When a layover leads to jumping into bed, they agree it was a one-time thing. However, Caleb seems to have a knack for popping up in Ava’s life and now his business trip to Boston looks like it’s becoming a permanent stay.

Back in 2016 I randomly grabbed the audio of Echoes of Scotland Street and enjoyed it, but didn’t pick up another of Young’s novels until I received a copy of Fight of Flight. This book was such a fun, fluffy way to pass a not-so-fun-and-fluffy week at work: the banter, the secondary characters, it was all great. While this does seem to be a standalone, there’s definitely a chance for a follow-up focusing on another couple in Fight or Flight and I would be a-okay with that!

I loved this novel; it was the perfect distraction from the gazillion research papers I need to grade and all of the other responsibilities that my weekends usually require...I mean really, who needs clean laundry or food to eat?!!



This novel reminded me of the first things I ever read of Samantha Young--On Dublin Street --a more grown up, set in America, less tortured soul version. Caleb Scott was the most delicious alpha male (and to be fair had a mild case of tortured soul syndrome but I loved that about him!) and Ava Breevort was the perfect counterpart--strong and unwilling to stand for bullshit; I loved them together. Their enemies to lovers was so much fun to read and I found myself getting caught up in their backstories and their foolish pact, that let's face it, we all knew was bound to blow up. I loved how they ended up together at the end and what it took to get them there and I'm very, very selfishly hoping that this novel turns into the first of many spin-offs!

I adored this! I give romances thumbs up if they make me physically feel the tension in my chest during an interaction between the main characters. This book did it in spades. I haven't had much of an attention span to read lately, but this book kept me up late and I finished it in one session. I hadn't read anything by this author before, but I definitely will again.

Fight or Flight is a mix of romance, humor, and crazy - but in a delightful fashion! Readers are boarded on a quirky journey between two people who only seem to have sarcasm and rude comments in common. Several chance encounters bring Ava, a hard-working 30 year old interior designer, and Caleb, her sexy, Scottish 'nemesis' closer together. Young provides readers with endless entertainment with light banter, romance, and a splash of serious issues. Topics such as domestic abuse and abortion seem sudden, even with the build up, perhaps due to the severity of the subjects. Overall, Fight or Flight is a novel that will have you laughing and crying in the best ways possible.

Scottish men and a romance? I'm in. I have recommended this to patrons and they loved it. The characters were fun, the plot breezy.

Reviewed by Quinn for TBB Sisterhood:

We’re all afraid of something, sweetheart. It’s up to us whether we stay and fight that fear… or whether we run and hide from it.

Do not let this cover fool you into thinking that Sam Young wrote this cute and fluffy romance between two people that had an adorable meet cute and promptly fell in love.

This is an elusion.

What really happened was I fell down the rabbit hole that is addictive reading like something I haven’t experienced since reading Hero for the first time. I remember a friend recommending Hero to me, so I stupidly started late on a Friday night before I had to get up early the next day.

Take my advice; don’t do that with any novel by Sam Young, but especially with Hero…and now Fight or Flight.

Just like with Hero I had to go hide my Kindle in the backseat of my car in order to prevent myself from staying up into the wee hours of the night to devour it as I would’ve wanted to. The sacrifices we make as adults.

Here’s the verdict: This book became an instant addiction. Sam has this incredible ability to pull me into these characters immediately. I become obsessed with their interactions, their hatred and attraction to each other. I wanted to know what Ava was recovering from and why Caleb was such a gentleman to everyone EXCEPT Ava. The layers between these two were so thick!

The complexity between Ava and Caleb keep you tethered to them so tightly. You see how both have their faults, how they both have been wronged and hurt in their pasts, and you can’t help but want to rally for their happiness together!

Sam does emotion like it’s her business. She is one of the only authors that I allow to hurt me in order to heal me. No one can get me like Sam Young can.

Now I know that I haven’t actually got to the part that I explain what the book is about…and honestly I don’t feel it’s necessary. What’s necessary is to try to convey how amazing Sam’s writing is. I will never turn away from her. Her books are what I look forward to every year, and Fight or Flight is definitely a highlight to my 2018. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my 100th book of the year then by devouring Sam’s latest, and best book of 2018.

You’re the first person I’ve ever wanted tae belong tae, Ava. The first person I ever wanted tae belong tae me.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a really satisfying read. It is based on a great premise and even if every romance reader will be cheering them onto love, the getting there is so much fun. I laughed so many times at little amusing scenes which were just so perfectly described. I spent a lot of time with a cheery grin on my face and a lot of the rest wishing I were Ava... lucky girl!

From the reason Ava is in Arizona to her flaky parents, the lack of manners to the fear of flying, the fraud to the younger brother, it just all works together so well. It is a good, long book, with plenty of lust, and against the rules a growing romance. We are swept along in Ava's life and get her side of the story all the way through. I have to admit at times I was really curious to know what Caleb was thinking, but it was fun to work it out, rather than be told it directly. It ensured that we were just as in the dark as Ava was about his true desires and intentions – well, some of his desires he made well and truly known to her by his actions!

I hope that Harper gets her story told as I enjoyed her creative temperament, and her dream of a dessert bar was very appealing.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
When Ava and Caleb first meet it is a bit of hate at first sight. I wasn’t really fond of Caleb and I was hoping we’d get his point of view because I wanted to know how he was feeling and honestly, I was hoping his point of view would show him in a better light to explain his rudeness. But the story is told entirely from Ava’s point of view and I had to be patient and learn about Caleb and the kind of man he is when Ava did.

Parts of this story are really fun and hot, always a good combination. I love in the beginning how they keep running into each other. But there is so much more to this story than the whole enemies-to-lovers thing. Ava and Caleb were realistic and had depth. They are both more than just what you see on the outside and we are given time to get to know the characters and truly learn about them. They we not perfect, they had been hurt, and they were just doing the best they could.

Fight or Flight is a wonderful story. I laughed and cried with these characters. I was so proud of Ava. Her journey and the emotional strength she shows is inspiring, especially toward the end of the story when things aren't going her way. It was just beautiful to see two people who in the past had been hurt by the ones they love the most, be brave and give love another try.


Dawn – ☆☆☆☆
Well I really enjoyed this book.

Ava just wants to get home after attending her friend’s funeral; the problem, there is only one seat available on the flight. That's where Caleb comes in, he manages to bag the last seat on the flight.

Caleb is pretty awful at the beginning, which makes Ava not want to deal with him; however, fate has different ideas as these two keep getting thrown together.

As I said, Caleb comes across as a horrible person but as the story unfolds, we find out more about him and my views of him changed.

The chemistry is pretty hot between the two of them.

I liked that both characters had depth that we got to learn throughout the book.

In the end, I finished this book with a big smile on my face.

Thanks Netgalley and Berkley for my copy of this book!

I love a good "enemies to lovers" story and this one didn't disappoint. I was a little nervous at first because I did not like the way Caleb's accent was written. Well really, I didn't like Caleb at all. Once I got past all of that and warmed up to Caleb (for the most part), I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Ava and her backstory because it really helped show why she is the way the is. And, although I didn't hate him in the end, there were many times I wished Caleb was just slightly less macho and rude. Overall, this was cute, sexy, quick romance read that I would definitely recommend to fans of the genre.

Okay...so before we begin. I'm not a normal romance reader. I don't care if the characters get a happily ever after. I don't care if they end up stabbing each other (well I probably would give an extra star for that). I HATE the twisty turny stuff that happens in romance books before the hero gets the girl. I totally just read them for the porny parts.



I have no shame either.

I do however, like for them to have SOME kind of plot going that doesn't make me go eye twitchy. This one does have that. AT TIMES
And it has a hot Scottish dude.



I know right?!

SO anyways, this book reads actually just fine. I completely had a good time reading it and against all odds I liked the female main character. Even though she is kinda a privileged little thing. She meets hot Scottish guy on a plane and they end up doing the bangy bangy. EVEN though they hate each other.
Oh and the hate each other and bang anyways? That's one of my favorite romancey storylines. So I'm all good here.

Then the universe keeps throwing our couple together because you know it must be fate. *gags but keeps reading it anyways*

We then find out that dude is one of those that just can't be in a relationship but is okay with the sexuals.


Ava, our fearless heroine is fine with that because she has a past that hurted her heart and she is a strong woman.

Now I'm gonna say why this all didn't work for me. Lover dude? He an asshole. Not just an alpha man asshole...I'm talking major asshole. So every time I thought "well maybe I can like him some" he would have a line that made me want to throat punch him.
And then his whole 'why he was so broken' reason. Nope. Nope. Can't do it.

But does this deter our heroine? Who I actually liked? Nope. She is a pretty decent character-who even with her privilege..didn't turn out so bad. She works hard. Has an amazing friendship (Best part of the whole dang book) and can stand on her own.
She just throws it away (in my head) to grovel for that asshole.

She shoulda just banged him and walked away. Why don't romance books just do that? That would be an awesome twist after the guy was a butthole.

Three stars. One because I did like the woman. One for the bestie friendship and one because I read the whole dang thing.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Thank you Berkley Romance for allowing me to review Fight or Flight! Full review will be posted shortly.

This book was like taking a vacation! What a perfect *beach read*. I read it on a long car ride to round 1 of a family thanksgiving and ended up staying awake until 2 am after we got home just so I could finish it. The drama was like candy and I really enjoyed it. It makes me want to book a flight ASAP and hope my seat mate is a tall, handsome Scot. One can only hope, right?

Loved, Loved, Loved. In terms of Romance novels, this one is practically perfect. Sexual tension, hot sex scenes, great characters, witty banter and of course bittersweet heartbreak. Also, happy ending. Please tell me there will be another story, this time with Jaimie and Harper?! Pretty please, Samantha Young?

his book was sooooo good. It was everything my booksoul needed. It had a meetcute, the perfect amount angst and romance and is everything that makes Samantha Young a favorite! Fight or Flight is a serendipitous romance between two opposites. After a chance meeting on an airplane, this Scot and American cross horns. Tempers flare when the Scot keeps throwing roadblocks on her quest to make it home. Ava has had to go through a traumatic event and doesn’t need a stranger to add to her burden. However, sparks fly in enclosed spaces and Ava takes off on a flight that changes her life.

Fight or Flight

The banter, the push and pull and the surprising mystery made it into a perfect cake of romance. These ingredients entice you into a story of sex, love and new beginnings. Ava hints at a mystery in her background that I was so ready to unravel! I liked the dynamic of Ava and Caleb as they navigate these treacherous new waters. There’s also depth to this story as we explore the pasts of both of these character. What seems like still waters are actually very deep lakes and I could not wait to know more!



If you enjoy books that mix sexual tension with banter and touching moments, make sure to check this out! There were many side characters in the book that were introduced that I am dying to see if they will also have a book. I need more!



“We’re all afraid of something, sweetheart. It’s up to us whether we stay and fight that fear…. Or whether we run and hide from it”

Tags: contemporary, enemies to lovers, romance

Sadly I had to put this one down and not finish it. I'm really sad about this because I loved the idea and heard great things, but the characters were just not for me. There was too much I wasn't a fan of personally that it just wasn't worth continuing. Although I can see why so many loved it I'm bummed I was not one of those people.