Caleb was such a total dick at the beginning and I seriously wanted to smack that guy at first! But there was a definite attraction from the start, in between the all loathing and murderous thoughts. Maybe these two would’ve parted ways just thinking “wow, that guy was a total ass” and “wow, that woman was a shallow, self-absorbed Barbie” but they were thrown together so much revealing the real person underneath all that bluster, changing their feelings of hate into desire. Thinking they’ll only have one night they give in to the pull between them only to find out later their paths are not yet separating.

Their encounter is out-of-this-world good, so when it’s apparent they’ll be around each other more, Caleb and Ava agree to “just sex”, which, of course, ends up leading more complex emotions. Caleb continues to pretend to not want anything more, but his actions say something else entirely, and Ava can’t deny the intensity of her growing feelings. Painful pasts make taking a chance difficult. Ava’s is revealed early on, and boy could I sympathize! What shitty friends! Caleb’s is revealed later on; partly because that’s how the story went, and partly because we don’t get his POV. I really would’ve liked his POV included.

Caleb’s Scottish accent is written in the story and I have to say it was distraction and a bit annoying. I did finally just skim over those bits, and after a while it became easy to ignore. Still, I highly recommend Fight or Flight! It was a lot of fun, clever banter back and forth with plenty of sniping at first, and the irresistible attraction a-brewing was delightfully delicious!

A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me at Samantha Young and Scottish Hero.

Ava just wants to get home, then she's rudely interrupted by an angry Scot.

"Can we just ignore this tiny, angry person and upgrade me now?"

At first Ava and Caleb are annoyed at each other, then they start to realize that they could both benefit from each other.

"Oh, I don't do relationships," I assured him honestly, staring at his beautiful mouth. "They just rip you open and eat your carcass and then leave it there for some other animal to finish you off. If you're smart , you heal and you get your ass up out of those woods and make sure no animal gets the chance to rip you back open. But I'm amenable to having wild animal sex with you."

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Ava and Caleb. I also loved their journey of finding their hearts.

"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. I'm glad you're not going to hide anymore. You have to promise not to hide anymore."

Samantha Young can write heartbreak so well that you felt Ava's pain and anguish. My heart was wrenched at times with Ava.

"Can you hate him for not loving me enough? Because I can't Harper. I can't hate him. You need to do it for me so I don't look back on my life and regret him. Because if my best friend hates him, then he isn't worth my regret."

This book was well written. It captured me whole from the first page till the last page. I couldn't put it down.

I hope this book turns into a series and we get more from Jamie and Harper, since they were both such great characters and their back stories have me so intrigued. I need more.


4 Stars!!

Beautiful, sweet, and exactly what i needed.

Caleb and Ava are amazingly perfect for each other. This author can always suck me in with her stories and this one was, no different. I was sucked in from the first chapter. Her writing captivated me and kept me engaged throughout the whole book.

The relationship growth was amazing to read. Caleb and Ava both have a bitter and heartbreaking past when it comes to relationships. Of course this is unknown to each other, so it makes “relationships” a bitter subject. It makes hating and disliking so much better than like or love. But really, when you find “your person” there is nothing that can change the outcome. No matter the tears, the pain, the lies, it’ll all work out. Right???

We start with a enemies to friends relationship. It slowly but surely grows into friends with benefits. And after much heartache, tears, and slams of my kindle, we get a HEA. A beautiful one that leaves me begging and only hoping that this story will be continued 🙏🏻 maybe Jamie’s story, Harper’s? Pretty please.

Definitely a recommend from me to all you romance lovers

This is not Ava's day as the forces that be are playing a cruel, twisted sick joke on her by insisting on throwing her in with the one person who's currently the bane of her existence? Worse is that they're in an enclosed space with no escape. Short of opening the airlocks, Ava has no choice but to deal with the annoying Scot on her flight who does nothing but push her buttons and treat her rudely. Caleb's impertinence and lack of manners may make her boil but his looks have the opposite effect on her. Ladies, why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we allow the hot, rude guy to still make us lose our reasoning?

Anyway, they hook up for just the one time and then hook up again and so on. It's an arrangement that suits their needs, and hey they're grown ups so why not? But of course feelings tend to complicate things and then there's always one person wanting more and soon they're afraid to address those growing feelings and allow things to get more complicated.

I had mixed feelings about Caleb. That sexy, arrogant thing didn't do it's magic for me for some reason. Ava, however, was far more interesting with a backstory that shows she's been through some deeply troubling stuff and is only now just getting back on her feet. The most compelling aspect of Fight or Flight are the moments of female empowerment and the fierce loyalty between Ava and her best friend, Harper. Their history is touching and they go through a scary moment together which tests their friendship. I'm so glad that their friendship is as heavily featured as the romance, and to be honest I was more emotionally invested in that.

Samantha Young has written some of my favourite books and Fight or Flight has me split. It's been a while since I've been conflicted by a HEA. I'm all about Ava and Harper's steadfast friendship which is on the plus side. I love that their female camaraderie was shown in such a positive light because it's so important for us to see women lift each other up. For me it came down to Caleb, and Ava's choice to be with him. He did show glimpses of compassion and caring which made him redeemable at some point but when push came to shove, he used Ava's past to hurt her and I was livid because of it. I guess you could say I took it personally because it shook me hard how he treated her. Considering how much she was devastated by her past and how long it took her to overcome it, I'm not sure it's something that I myself would've been able to forgive as easily. Obviously, it's a matter of personal opinion so while the ending didn't resonate with me, I'm sure there are readers who loved it.

~ Bel

I really wanted to like this book, but there were a few things that just made it impossible. First, the relationship is just incredibly toxic. The way he talks to her is quite horrifying and really can't be justified by anything that happened to him in his "troubled past." His past, the whole reason he can't trust women, was really poorly handled. Also! There is a TRULY heinous moment where they start having sex, Ava realizes he's not using a condom, tells him to stop and put one on, he pouts and KEEPS GOING for a couple seconds, she insists again, and only then does he stop. Not a great model of consent! Good god. There's also a moment that I think is meant to humanize him where she starts crying during sex because she feels like he's treating her like an object. He stops, which is, of course, good, but like....that's the bare minimum! You made her felt like that in the first place! All in all, a very frustrating book. Though I did like the female characters! This book could have been great.

I love a book with good banter between the lead characters and this book had it. I am a huge fan of Samantha Young and she continues to amaze me with her ability to write these stories that seem like they are going to be a light fun read, but really have depth and heart. This book is no exception. I loved Caleb and Ava and the secondary characters were so amazing! Great story and great characters, loved it!

The blurb for Fight or Flight had me instantly enraptured. I love a good enemies to lovers romance, and I honestly couldn't wait to read this book by Samantha Young. This is my first read by her, and while I really enjoyed her writing style, this book was just okay for me. So i will proceed to tell you why I did like this book, and why I didn't , without giving spoilers away.

In my opinion Fight or Flight was well paced. It flowed well. I also really liked the heroine, Ava. She was an amazing friend, and also really responsible when it came to basically everything in her life. She bossed up to her mistakes and learned from them. She is the 30 year old woman who dresses like a super model and walks with her head held high, but loves food just like the average girl.


The things I didn't care for, was first and foremost, the hero Caleb Scott. He was an absolute nightmare in my opinion. He was rude and condescending, with no regard to anyone else's feelings. I literally felt like he was just a big bully that never redeemed himself. I also felt like there was a lot of information missing about Caleb when it came to family and friends and even his past relationships. Not only that, I legitimately just got bored with this story. To me it felt like the scenario remained the same, that they both the hero and heroine said the same thing over and over maybe just worded differently.

Overall, I really wish I could give this book more stars but I just can't. This book will not deter me from trying something else from this author. I am sure more people will like it more than me, so for that I would give it a try.

Fight or Flight is utterly compelling. A story of judgments based on first impressions, the projection of past experience onto another person, the clouding of perception because of the previous life experiences alongside the way in which past events can define the person we become. Not only does the plot contain all of the aforementioned elements it is multi-layered to include fate and destiny, but family, friendship and forgiveness 💘 Fight or Flight is also an acknowledgment of Samantha’s writing talent and ability to ingeniously control so many elements within a story.

Ava has had a turbulent few days and is looking forward to returning to her orderly life where she is able to control the elements in it to the best of her ability. However, fate has other plans for her when a certain hot yet arrogant Scotsman, Caleb, keeps getting thrown into her path. There is no denying the explosive chemistry between Ava and Caleb, resulting in a very out of character encounter for Ava!!!!

The rendezvous has a lingering effect on both Ava and Caleb, an unforgettable memory which knocks both parties plans for the future out of line.

The past has a significant hold on both Ava and Caleb, defining who they are and the way in which they view relationships. The reasons behind their barriers are revealed slowly throughout the plot adding to the tension within the story. As each puzzle piece falls into place there is a greater understanding of the characters and also the understanding between each of them.

I absolutely loved the emotional breakthrough within the narrative, even though more than a few tears where involved along the way 😢 It reinforces the certainty of the past not defining the future, only the individual can control which path they take 💕

The peripheral characters are also phenomenal adding additional tiers to the plot and I am hoping each will get their own story – Harper, Leo and Jamie to start PLEASE 🙏🤞 Although I also desperately need the other books in the Hart’s Boardwalk series!!!!! NEED DESPERATELY!!!!!

If you get the chance check out Penny Reid’s review of this book on Goodreads – she puts it all so eloquently and succinctly 💘💖💓

This is an "enemies to lovers" trope romance novel. It is a compulsive read and I didn't want to put it down. Ava and Harper's relationship was great. I was a little let down by the abortion sub-plot though. I wish that the characters would have discussed it a bit more and maybe not vilify the woman for getting an abortion in general. There was plenty not to like about the Carissa character, and I saw her getting an abortion was a result of her character flaws, and those were the bigger problems. We got so much information about Ava's background and how she was betrayed, I just wish we go that much depth from Caleb's story. Also, the ending felt a little rushed. I wished Ava made Caleb work a bit harder to get her back.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Fight or Flight, and I'll watch for more books from Samantha Young in the future.

There is just so much to love about Samantha Young’s latest contemporary romance, Fight or Flight! It has that classic Sam Young feel… you know… that one where you are taken back to a HOT SCOT with a dirty mouth and a sexy AF look! Yeah, that one. And while this book has nothing to do with my beloved On Dublin Street, nor does the plot resemble anything like it, it still gave me that sense of home. I absolutely adored these characters and just could not read fast enough once it really got going. No one writes contemporary romance quite like Ms. Young and simply said… Fight or Flight does not disappoint.

“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.”

This novel is witty, sexy, angsty, and a whole lot of HOT! Ava and Caleb’s story is unique, they are two very flawed characters with extreme trust issues, however, their insane chemistry, charming banter, and off the charts sexy times… make it impossible not to but fall in love. Both characters are well developed, and while it did take me a bit to warm up to Caleb, once I did, he absolutely had me swooning. Never have I wanted to be in a man’s head, more than here. The primary characters are fantastic, the secondary characters, especially Ava’s BFF Harper are too, and by the end of the story I was left satisfied, yet with a gaping hole in my heart because I truly hope that we’ll see more. Harper’s story has to be told… finger crossed! Bottom line… READ this BOOK!

The main character, Ava and the male love interest meet at the airport trying to get to a first class seat. They argue over it but the flight ends up getting cancelled. The next flight they take, they are seated together and that is when their relationship begins. As their "Friends With Benefits" relationship escalates, they begin to have real feelings for each other and things take an unexpected turn.

I thought this was such a fun book! I couldn't put it down and I think it may have cured my reading slump! It wasn't the sort of book I was used to reading, it's actually one of the first books I have read in this genre. I loved reading about the jobs, somethings, however were better left out of the book. But overall I thought it was a solid book.

I did not like a few of the tropes hidden in this book. There was one with the male character having a bad past so he has to end up acting rude and all to other people. He ends up taking everything out on other people. I didn't like how demanding he was either, he felt very protective yet he wasn't and became an annoying character.

However, I thought this book was just super fun and didn't require much thinking, which I really enjoyed. Thank you for giving me a copy to read and review!

This was a fun, sexy read about two people who meet in an airport, hate each other — and then fall into bed and have to deal with unintended consequences. I enjoyed it, although there is a lot of toxic masculinity going on and the hero is pretty Neanderthal-ish at times, which took me out of the story. The over-the-top writing of the hero's Scottish accent also struck me as unnecessary (and inconsistent). But the chemistry between the two was palpable and the supporting characters were well drawn. The relationship between Ava and her best friend Harper was great, and I really enjoyed how they supported each other.

I have been a huge fan of Samantha Young for years. Her books are always well-written with a great story and characters, and "Fight or Flight" is no different. I loved Ava and Caleb! Their story was both fun and heartwarming. We were introduced to a lot of new faces in the book and I really hope we hear more from them! I definitely recommend this book to lovers of contemporary romance!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I have really high expectation for this one. The premise is so interesting (Enemies to lovers romance? YES, PLEASE). Samantha Young is one of my favorite author, I've never given her novel rating below than 4 stars! However, I'm quite disappointed with this for few reasons.

I'm going to start with what I like first:
1. The main character - Ava is a strong female character. Her best friend - Harper is a bad ass character too. I really adore their friendship.
2. Enemies to lovers romance (of course).
3. The cover is gorgeous.

My problem with this book:
1. I hate the male main character - Caleb Scot. Alpha male, successful career, possessive - when will author get tired of this? Because I hate it. I usually can look past the character flaws when the author developed the story (or their past history), but nope. Nope for Caleb "bastard" Scot. I think his past is not fully developed, that is why I'm having a hard time looking past his flaws.
2. I can only see Ava & Caleb connection through their sexual desire (70% of their activities is sleeping with each other, sooo). Nothing else. I can't really feel the love.
3. The freaking ending of the book. [SPOILER ALERT] Ava was really mad with him for rejecting her and because he said something that really hurts her. But, when he surprise her by secretly booked a plane seat together (it's supposed to be sweet as this is how they first met) and then apologize to her, she immediately forgive him and proceed to have sex with him in the plane's toilet. Really? What the hell.
4. The weird spelling of the Scottish accent.

Thank you to Penguin Random House & Samantha Young for providing a copy for an honest review.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free ebook via NetGalley! FIGHT OR FLIGHT by Samantha Young was such a delight to read! This enemies-to-lovers story (aka my favorite romance trope) is fun and sexy while still being thoughtful. I read it during midterms week, and it was the perfect escape. I also really appreciated how the romance wasn’t the absolute center of the female protagonist’s life — she has a successful career and meaningful friendships, which all play an equally important role. And for any Outlander fans out there—her romantic interest is Scottish...need I say more? Definitely check this one out, it’s a gem.

Fight or Flight is one of the rare books that made me laugh within the first few chapters. I adore hate to love stories so I was cheering for Ava and Caleb from page one.

I loved how both the characters really developed over the course of the book. They both had backstories that were understandable and you could see how their past had shaped who they are in the present. I’d love for a companion novel focused on Harper as well!

Wow! I'm such an emotional mess right now. My bestie could not have said it better, "Who knew this cute cover held so much angst underneath it 😭😭". I've read enemies-to-lovers romances before, but this one was on a whole other ballpark. The hero was a bastard Scot. You either loved or hated him, but the beauty of him was the mystery that lurked within. It didn't even matter that he didn't get a POV because Samantha Young gave enough away about him that made you ultimately crave him in a sense.

From the moment these two cross paths that one fated day at an airport and then being stuck on the same flight to Boston, it's just pure hatred of the other and as the story progresses the chemistry and attraction is off the charts! The rules were clear... Things were to be kept casual. Soon a friendship blossoms and then of course, the heart is a treacherous thing. Feelings begin to grow and you can imagine how that goes.

Oh, Samantha Young! Why it has taken me this long to read this woman's words is beyond me. I just know it won't be my last. She gave us two very different characters with flaws and hurtful pasts. I could see why many didn't like Caleb, but I loved the big brute! He is the very embodiment of mixed emotions. He wasn't hurtful to be cruel, he did it because it was a defense mechanism to protect his own heart. Thank God he saw the error of his ways. Ava should have made him grovel a little more, but can you blame the girl 😝

Sexy, fun, and wonderful! This book was fantastic!! I seriously couldn't get enough. Bonus was the beautiful friendship between Ava and Harper 💜.

I'm crossing my fingers for a book for Harper and Jamie!

What happens when you encounter a stranger who is rude and doesn't seem to have any manners in an airport when you are both stuck there due to flight cancellations. You end up continuing to run into each other until you end up getting to know each other, not sure if you really like him but then end up having a one night stand! This is what happens to Ava Breevort and Caleb Scott. Oh, by the way, Caleb is Scottish and has the swoony accent.

When they both land in Boston, Ava and Caleb went their separate ways but somehow fate brought them back together. They decide to have a casual relationship since Caleb is only in town on business for a couple of weeks but things never work out as you have plan. The two of them get to know each other better and find out about some of each other's past. But both of them are scare of relationships and commitment and seem to agree that they don't want these things.

When Caleb is promoted and moves from Scotland to Boston, he and Ava spend quite a lot of time together and what they really have is a relationship! When they realize what has happened, they are not sure what to do. They each must deal with their tragic past and hopefully get through it and build on their own relationship!

Great story with humor, sarcasm, painful pasts and a sexy Scot!

I am so on the fence with this one. I loved it, yet it also annoyed the ever living fuck out of me. And the 3 star rating I'm left to give is killing me since I was highly anticipating this one. I expected so much more than what I got.

Let me start with Caleb, he's one of those men you are either going to hate or love. Not sure there is much of an in between with him. He was a Grade A douchecanoe. He had a few redeeming qualities. He was hot. He was Scottish. He had a magic dick. He was hot. He had an amazing accent-which was Scottish. He again had a huge, magic dick. He was hot. Do you see a pattern? Everything about his demeanor and wrong doings was easily forgiven due to this.

Now here's the kicker. As much as he annoyed me I kept flipping those pages. Looking for some form of redemption. And he did find a smidgen of it. But not enough for a full blown oh my gosh, I need me one of those! Nope, Caleb can keep his hot Scottish ass right where he is. All the girls can have at him. This is one magic dick that isn't making my list of book boy friends.

Such a shame, too!

I adored the hell out of Ava, even when she would let the magic hypnotize her. She was sassy and kick ass, until those moments she wasn't. I wouldn't say she let everyone walk all over her, per se. But she did back down to Caleb quite a bit after they started their "friends" with benefits. I missed that first girl I met at the beginning. The one who gave as good as she got. I wished for her to come back a couple of times.

Her best parts were with Harper. And a few here and there with the Bastard Scott. But with Harper she was everything right. The best kind of friend a girl could ask for. I lived what the two of them represented. #girlfriendgoals.

I am absolutely looking forward to Harper and Jamie's story! Well at least I hope they both get one, preferably together!

2.5 stars for Ava and Harper's friendship!

I finished this book a while ago but I had sat on my rating and review for days because I am honestly conflicted. On the one hand, Fight or Flight was compulsively readable. It was well paced and well plotted with great dialogue, and the chemistry between Caleb and Ava was undeniable.

That said, I thoroughly disliked the hero, Caleb Scott. I don't care if he's the hottest thing in the universe but his motivations did not wash. It was a measly excuse for his behavior, and considering he did not grovel did not endear him to me at all.

Listen, I'm all for an asshole hero. But Caleb wasn't just an asshole. He was cruel and mean most of the time. And the reason for his behavior was utterly ridiculous. I can get behind an asshole hero if I can understand his motivation. To be fair, we were given the reason for his actions. My problem is that I wasn't on board with it. I found his motivation shallow and a cliche. Like yeah, your ex-fiancee lied to you but is that a good enough reason to treat the heroine horribly?

I didn't think so. It's a motivation that's been done to death. And when you consider his age and the fact that Ava has nothing to do with his ex, his reasons doesn't hold up even more. I probably would've been more forgiving if Caleb had done emotional labor throughout his relationship with Ava. But he didn't, despite being the one in control. What I mean is, he was the one who always sets the parameters. He decided to be friends with Ava but only on his terms. The moment she pushes for emotional connection he runs the opposite way. It was exhausting. And the way he doles out his attention and his affection made me uncomfortable because it raises so many red flags for abusive behavior. I know, I know. This is fiction but that doesn't mean I have to accept it or be comfortable with it.

(view spoiler)

Like I said, I just found his behavior irrational and unfair to Ava. She has nothing to do with what your ex did. There's no reason to punish her because she made you feel things. And no one even called him out for his irrational behavior. Everyone including heroine kinda accepted it and excused him for it. Yeah, yeah. He was hurt and all but how is that the heroine's fault again? And the whole, "I'll be mean to you so you won't fall in love with me" made me roll my eyes so hard. It's so cliche and only works if your character is like 12 years old or something.

So yeah, ruined it for me. The best bit of this book is Ava's friendship with Harper. These two girls are the best. I enjoyed their interactions more than I did Caleb's. Samantha Young has consistently written complex female characters and friendships, which I loved. And despite her unfortunate attraction to Caleb, I actually liked Ava a lot. She remained resilient despite being abominably by the two men she'd chosen to give her heart to. She deserved better than Caleb.

But that's just me. I'm getting old and cranky and annoyed at man babies who can't get shit together until the last minute and doesn't even grovel. Ava was too good and deserve better is a hill now and I still sit on this hill with other readers who thinks the same. Lol.