Mini Review: Paradise City by C.J. Duggan

Paradise City
(Paradise #1)
Author: C.J. Duggan
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Hatchette Australia
Source: Hatchette Australia
Review by: Nahomi

There's bound to be trouble in Paradise . . .

When her parents decide a change will be good for her, seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson never expected they'd send her all the way to Paradise City. Coming from a predictable life of home schooling on a rural Australian property, she's sure that Paradise will be amazing. But when she's thrust into a public school without a friendly face in sight, and forced to share a room with her insipid, hateful cousin Amanda, Lexie's not so sure.

Hanging out with the self-proclaimed beach bums of the city, sneaking out, late night parties and parking with boys are all things Lexie's never experienced, but all that's about to change. It's new, terrifying . . . and exciting. But when she meets Luke Ballantine, exciting doesn't even come close to describing her new life. Trouble with a capital T, Luke is impulsive, charming and answers to no one. The resident bad-boy leader of the group, he's sexier than any boy Lexie has ever known.

Amidst the stolen moments of knowing looks and heated touches, Lexie can't help but wonder if Luke is going to be good for her . . . or very, very bad?

3 stars out 5 stars

         I love C.J. Duggan's stories but I have mixed feelings about Paradise City. I like the premise of the story and it was a decent read; but I found it difficult to get through because of the main character's voice. Gosh it was just so annoying especially in the beginning! I will say that I get where Lexie is coming from and that as the story progressed her voice got less annoying. Although I still found it really difficult to get through because I couldn't relate to Lexie.

         The story was good. I liked the setting and the supporting characters.  But there weren't any characters that I got attached to. Luke, the love interest was nice but not my cup of tea. There was a lot of drama going on and there were points in the story where I physically had to put the book down because I was so embarrassed for Lexie. Some of the situations she got herself into holy hell... By the end of the story I was cheering for Lexie survive the year and get her happy ending.

          Although I couldn't relate with Lexie and I found her voice annoying; I still want to know what happens to her after the book ended. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, nothing too terrible though. Lets see what C.J. Duggan has in store for Lexie next.

Blog Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway: Paradise City by C.J. Duggan

Hello Swooners!

I am so excited to have C.J. Duggan here today! She is the Author of The Summer Series, and is here today to answer some questions about her new book Paradise City! I can't wait to see what she has to say.

What inspired you to write Paradise City? 
I really enjoy writing books about wallflowers and underdogs. Paradise City is heavily based on a journey of self-discovery and the fear of the unknown. I wanted to set it in a rich, vibrant city setting after having holidayed in LA and the Gold Coast; I just loved the vibe of these places. And although Paradise City is set in a mythical location in Australia my experiences from my travels drew heavily on the inspiration behind Lexie’s story.

Are there any characters that were difficult to write?
It was particularly difficult to get into a certain male character’s head because he was naturally guarded, so it took some prying to work him out; he is still quite elusive to me, which I kind of love.

Did you identify with any character specifically?
I think at the crux of it Lexie personifies those anxious, uncertain years of youth that I think we can all identify with in some way. I really like her wit and her strength, I would like to think I have something in common with her. She was a very cool character to write.

What was the best part about writing Paradise City?
Pushing the envelope on anything I had ever written before, creating a new world with new characters, gaining new readers and having a flow-on effect from the Paradise series to the Summer series and vice versa. Paradise City is a lot grittier, sexier than anything else I have created, and I had an absolute blast writing it.

Were there any scenes that you found particularly difficult to write?
There were a few curly scenarios that were difficult to write, whether it was just a bump in the story line I had to figure out, or something that affected the character directly. But the difficult scenes are so important and needed, so it’s a justified difficulty.

Why did you choose Red Hole and Paradise City as the setting of this story?
I like the idea of setting my stories in a mythical Australian setting, being able to allow the reader the freedom to imagine it as they would like it to be. I often get emails from people who tell me that they grew up in a place just like ‘Onslow’ and I think that’s great. I love that dusty, rural Red Hill (Red Hole) or Paradise City could be the next mythical place that people connect with on some personal level. As for the names, I needed to choose something to reflect the complete polar opposites of the worlds. Red Hill and all its dusty, remote nothing to Paradise City with its coastal, urban setting filled with tourists and chaos: it had to be the ultimate culture shock for poor Lexie, even though Paradise is not all it seems.

There are some really awkward moments in Paradise City, did you ever cringe while you were writing them?
Completely. I would quite often think, “Oh no, what now?” Writing Lexie’s story definitely kept me on my toes; I really never knew what might happen from one minute to the next and I loved that.

What is your favourite moment in Paradise City?
Anytime Lexie found her voice are always fond moments for me, and anything to do with banter – it’s all about the banter. 

 If you were on a deserted island and could choose one of your book characters to be there with you who would you choose to be stranded with? 
Hmm, maybe Ballantine? He could teach me how to surf.

What do you want the readers to know before they start reading Paradise City?
Paradise City is quintessentially Australian, heavily focused on family, friendships, love and pushing the limits. A sexy, sassy and witty character novel with plenty of twists and turns. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us! Please check out Paradise City which will be in stores April 28. You can enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a singed paperback of Paradise City! For more information about C.J. Duggan and her books check out her Website!

Paradise City (Paradise #1)
Author: C.J. Duggan
Expected Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Hachette Australia Books
   

When her parents decide a change will be good for her, seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson never expected they'd send her all the way to Paradise City. Coming from a predictable life of home schooling on a rural Australian property, she's sure that Paradise will be amazing. But when she's thrust into a public school without a friendly face in sight, and forced to share a room with her insipid, hateful cousin Amanda, Lexie's not so sure.

Hanging out with the self-proclaimed beach bums of the city, sneaking out, late night parties and parking with boys are all things Lexie's never experienced, but all that's about to change. It's new, terrifying . . . and exciting. But when she meets Luke Ballantine, exciting doesn't even come close to describing her new life. Trouble with a capital T, Luke is impulsive, charming and answers to no one. The resident bad-boy leader of the group, he's sexier than any boy Lexie has ever known.

Amidst the stolen moments of knowing looks and heated touches, Lexie can't help but wonder if Luke is going to be good for her . . . or very, very bad?

Giveaway:

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About the author:

C.J Duggan is a number one internationally bestselling Australian author of seven independent titles of her popular New Adult Summer series. In addition to her chart-topping indie novels, C.J is set to publish two titles with Hachette, Australia with her brand-new Paradise Series in 2015 (Paradise City and Paradise Road).

C.J lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn't writing books about swoony boys and 90s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Instagram

Follow the Blog Tour:

Book Blitz - Stan by C.J. Duggan

Stan (Summer #1.5)
Author: C.J. Duggan
Release Date: October 26, 2014
Publisher: C.J. Duggan

I had plans, big plans, but all that changed the night Bel Evans darkened my doorstep.
Stan Remington is the go-to man. What he doesn’t know about Onslow means one of two things: it doesn’t exist or it hasn’t happened yet.
And when it comes to Onslow, for Stan, being an only child means a guilt-riddled sense of duty to help out at his parents’ caravan park every summer of his life: same old town, same old story.
Until Belinda Evans.
The wild and insipid doctor’s daughter who spends summer holidays with her family at Remington’s Caravan Park, but she’s not Stan’s problem; that is, until she sabotages his planned weekend escape. Now Stan finds himself not only caretaking the caravan park on his own, but responsible for Bel as well.
Just the two of them. Under the one roof. For one long, long weekend. In a world built by mundane routine and small-town boredom, this summer promises to be anything but boring.

About the author: 

C.J Duggan is an Internationally Number One Best Selling Author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn't writing books about swoony boys and 90's pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos. The Boys of Summer is Book One in her highly successful New Adult Romance Series.

Author Links: Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Website

Book Blitz organized by: Xpresso Book Tours

Cover Reveal + Giveaway - Stan & Max by C.J. Duggan

I am in LOVE with the covers for the novellas for the Summer Series. I can't wait to read these babies!

Stan (Summer Series #1.5) by C.J. Duggan

Expected Release Date: December 2014

Publisher: C.J. Duggan

Links: iTunes / Goodreads

Synopsis:

I had plans, big plans, but all that changed the night Bel Evans darkened my doorstep.
Stan Remington is the go-to man; what he doesn't know about Onslow means one of two things: it doesn't exist or it hasn't happened yet.
And when it comes to Onslow, for Stan, being an only child has meant a guilt-riddled sense of duty to help out at his parents’ caravan park every summer. Same old town. Same old story.
Until Belinda Evans.
The wild and annoying doctor’s daughter spends her summer family holidays at Remington’s Caravan Park, and normally she’s not Stan’s problem. But then she sabotages his planned weekend escape. Now Stan finds himself not only caretaking the caravan park on his own, but also responsible for Bel.
Just the two of them.
Under the one roof.
For one long, long weekend.
In a world where mundane routine and small-town boredom is his norm, one weekend changes every element of his world to anything but boring.

Max (Summer Series #2.5) by C.J. Duggan

Expected Release Date: December 2014

Publisher: C.J. Duggan

Links: iTunes / Goodreads

Synopsis:

Max Henry thought he’d left the dusty flats of Ballan behind, but when the past slams into his present, suddenly there is no escaping – even if he wanted to.
Melanie Sheehan didn’t set out to be a liar, but her last lie landed her in big trouble. Now Mel must suffer a harsh consequence – she’s not allowed out of her father’s sight.
No friends, no parties, no life.
Since impeccably good behaviour is now all she’s about, her dad, renowned Ballan local ‘Bluey’ Sheehan, is about to finally cut Mel some slack. The catch? While he heads out of town on business, she has to stay at the Onslow Hotel, and he’s entrusting Max Henry, the eldest son of Bluey’s best mate, to look out for her.
He just doesn’t know it yet.
Max, the new head barman at the Onslow Hotel, is the one boy Mel has been crushing on since forever. At a time when Mel plans to go on the straight and narrow, she is about to tell the biggest lie of all. Will Max be able to handle the fiery farm girl or should he be considered the last boy in Onslow to trust?

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About the Author:

C.J Duggan is a Number One Best Selling Australian Author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn’t writing books about swoony boys and 90’s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.

The Boys of Summer is Book One in her international best selling New Adult Romance Series.

The 'Summer Series':
The Boys of Summer
Stan (Summer Novella)
An Endless Summer
Max (Summer Novella)
That One Summer
Ringer (Summer Novella)
Forever Summer 

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Cover Reveal organized by: Xpresso Book Tours

Review: Ringer by C.J. Duggan

Ringer (Summer # 3.5)
Author: C.J. Duggan
Release Date: April 2, 2014
Publisher: C.J. Duggan
Source: Gifted by Author
Review by: Nahomi
Links: Amazon / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

They say it’s the quiet ones you have to worry about, and she was quiet, very quiet—when she wasn’t busy despising me with a burning passion.
Ringo ‘Ringer’ James has a no-strings-attached policy.
Love them, leave them, and remain the eternal bachelor. 
After a summer in which every one of his mates has succumbed to settling down, or so it seemed, Ringer is on the lookout for a quick exit. Having had enough of the stomach-turning love fest witnessed over the past three months, Ringer jumps at the opportunity to help out his mate, Max, by heading to Max’s dad’s property for a working holiday. 
It’s just what he’s looking for. A remote, dusty homestead in Ballan, with only hard work, a cold beer and a comfy bed to worry about – no women.
Until Miranda Henry.
The privately educated daughter of his boss has returned home from overseas and things are about to get very complicated, very fast. As summer draws to its end, Ringer is about to learn that sometimes attraction defies all logic, and that there really is such a thing as ‘enemies with benefits.’

*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

I was excited when I was offered the opportunity to review Ringer by C.J. Duggan. I am a fan of her Summer series and of her writing, so I jumped at the chance to read this novella and I wasn't disappointed. I fell in love with the characters and the story line.

This story was written from dual points of views. In this novella we are introduced to Ringer and Miranda who are two complex characters that have chemistry. I would like to call it love hate but there isn't much love in the beginning so to speak. But there is a lot of pranks and shenanigans that does happen which made the book that much better.

Ringer is a bad boy in the sense that he's known for sleeping around and not liking commitment. He's hot and needs an attitude adjustment, but he is like a teddy bear on the inside. I love that he is willing to push right back when Miranda gives him shit. I really enjoy Miranda's character, she seems all high strung but in the inside she's nice and cares a lot more than she lets on. Miranda and Ringer are perfect for each other and their pranks had me laughing all night long (cause of course, I couldn't put it down until I finished).

There were, however, some parts where I wanted to wring Miranda's neck, but other than that I felt that Ringer was a great read. I found it was funny, and quick paced, just what I needed at the time. This is the perfect read if you want to read a romantic comedy, don't put it off any longer.

About the Author

C.J Duggan is the number one bestselling Australian author of the Summer Series! C.J lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn’t writing books about swoony boys and 90’s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos. Novels in the Summer Series includes: The Boys of Summer (December 2012), An Endless Summer (July 2013), That One Summer (December 2013), Ringer (March 2014) and the highly anticipated, soon to be released Forever Summer (July 2014).  Author's links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Blog Tour Stop: Review: That One Summer by C.J. Duggan

That One Summer (Summer #3) By: C.J. Duggan
Release Date: December 17, 2013
Source: Gifted for Blog Tour
Reviewed by: Nahomi
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

*I received copy of this book for a blog tour but it did not influence this review in any way.*

My rating: 4.5 stars out of  5 stars

Synopsis:Loving Chris Henderson would be wrong. Diabolically disastrous. I mean, what is there about him to love? He's moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak, and that's on a good day... but there was one achingly obvious fact that haunted my every thought, every minute of every day...He sure could kiss.
As the countdown to the new millennium begins, there is one thing everyone agrees on: no one wants to be in Onslow for New Year's Eve.
So that can only mean one thing: road trip!
No longer the mousey, invisible, shy girl from years ago, Tammy Maskala is finally making up for all those lost summers. A new year with new friends, which astoundingly includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson.
She likes her new friends (at least most of them), so why does she secretly feel so out of place?
After chickening out on the trip, a last-minute change of heart sees Tammy racing to the Onslow Hotel, fearing she's missed her chance for a ride. The last thing she expected to meet was a less-than-happy Onslow Boy leaning against his black panel van.
Now the countdown begins to reach the others at Point Shank before the party is over the new year has begun. Alone in a car with only the infuriating Chris Henderson, Tammy can't help but feel this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. But when the awkward road trip take an unexpected turn, Tammy soon discovers that the way her traitorous heart feels about Chris is the biggest disaster of all.
Fogged up windows, moonlight swimming, bad karaoke and unearthed secrets; after this one summer nothing will ever by the same again.

      I absolutely adored this book! It is a great read, full of summer fun, good looking guys, and a great set of characters that pull you in. C.J. Duggan does a great job of pulling me into her world and making me experience the world through Tammy's eyes. I loved the concept of the book and thought it was executed very well.

Tammy our main character is really an anxious person. She plays it off very well in the beginning; but as the story progresses she is so very stuck in her head and full of anxiety, that she works herself into a corner. There were times that I wanted to shake Tammy and tell her to relax. Other than that I found that she was a great character who was just trying to find herself and her place among her friends.

*Le Sigh* Chris is tall, dark, handsome and brooding. I love his character, he is thoughtful, and sweet. I have officially added Chris to the list of my book boyfriends. The only thing that bothered me was that he doesn't say much. I also got a little whiplash from his mood changes. Besides that I absolutely adored Chris and he had me swooning left and right. It wasn't the big gestures but the small detail and how he paid attention that got me hooked. 

The pacing of the story was just right I never felt bored and bogged down. The dialogue and the characters kept me interested in finding out what would happen next. Chris and Tammy are perfect for each other and the chemistry between them made the story more interesting. I am happy that I read this book. It was exactly what I needed to keep my mood up during a difficult situation. It was an easy read that left me feeling great.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here.

About the Author

C.J. Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series. For more on C.J. and 'The Summer Series', visit www.cjdugganbooks.com                                                                                    

       

                   Author Links: Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter

Book Blitz - That One Summer by C.J. Duggan

That One Summer (Summer #3) by C.J. Duggan

Expected Release Date: Dec. 17, 2013

Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Blitz organized by: Xpresso Book Tours

Links: Amazon / Goodreads / iTunes (US)

Synopsis:

Loving Chris Henderson would wrong. Diabolically disastrous. I mean, what is there to love? He's moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak, and that's on a good day... but there was one achingly obvious fact that haunted my every thought, every minute of every day...

He sure could kiss.

As the countdown to the new millennium begins, there is one thing everyone agrees on: no one wants to be in Onslow for New Year's Eve.

So that can only mean one thing: road trip!

No longer the mousey, invisible, shy girl from years ago, Tammy Maskala is finally making up for all those lost summers. A new year with new friends, which astoundingly includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson.

She likes her new friends (at least most of them), so why does she secretly feel so out of place?

After chickening out on the trip, a last-minute change of heart sees Tammy racing to the Onslow Hotel, fearing she's missed her chance for a ride. The last thing she expected to meet was a less-than-happy Onslow boy leaning against his black panel van.

Now the countdown begins to read the others at Point Shank before the party is over and the new year has begun. Alone with only the infuriating Chris Henderson, Tammy can't help but feel this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. But when the awkward road trip takes an unexpected turn, Tammy soon discovers that the way her traitorous heart feels about Chris is the biggest disaster of all. 

Fogged up windows, moonlight swimming, bad karaoke and unearthed secrets; after this one summer nothing will ever be the same.

Excerpt

Chris leaned forward to lower the music, but it was too late now; there was a ringing in my ears.He had nice hands, tanned by the sun, tidy fingernails; he could totally be a hand model with hands like those. If you were going to notice Chris and like him, his hands would probably be the first thing that would draw you to him, seeing as his face was always an intimidating scowl. It wasn’t the first time I had noticed his hands – there had been countless times he had served me a drink at the bar, or handed me change and I had noticed how nice they were. The second thing I noticed about Chris (if I was noticing things) was his shoulders. They were so square, so symmetrical; he looked like he was a swimmer. He had great posture, even when he stood behind the bar between customers, with his arms folded – his stance was straight, proud, and expectant. Yep! Your eyes would trail from those hands to those shoulders and usually be met with a piercing flick of the deep brown eyes that would cause you to quickly look away, or caused me to, anyway. He had been pretty intimidating in the beginning, but as time wore on I just found him downright rude, no matter how lovely his hands and shoulders may be.

“What are you staring at?” Chris’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

Oh crap! Was I staring?

I snapped my head away to look out of the window. “Nothing.” 

“They’re not that white, are they?” he said.

My attention moved from the window to Chris again with a confused frown.“Sorry?”

His head tilted downward as he shifted his leg a little to expose … a kneecap.

I smiled. “You’re wearing shorts?”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised.” He lowered his leg.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you in shorts before.” My eyes trailed over his tan cargos; it seemed that in line with nice hands and shoulders, Chris had nice legs. Okay, best not to stare, I thought. But then something grabbed my attention.

“You have impressively tanned legs for someone who lives in Levi’s,” I mused. “You don’t sun-bake in a pair of budgie smugglers on the weekends, do you?” That would just be too much.

Chris burst out laughing, so loud and abruptly it caused me to flinch at the unexpectedness of it. Laughter from Chris was as rare as seeing him in shorts.

“Budgie smugglers?” he asked.

“Yeah, you know, Speedos, Y-fronts,”

“I know what they are, Tammy, and the answer is no, no I don’t do that.” He grinned, concentrating on the road.

I took a moment to study Chris, not out of the corner of my eye this time but to unapologetically study him. I wanted to fully absorb the rarity of his smile, of his good humour, because let’s face it, it would probably be the first and last time I saw it.

I curved my brow. “So exceptionally tanned legs but no weekends spent in budgie smugglers, eh? Curiouser and curiouser,” I smirked.

Chris coughed. His face flexed back into those familiar stern lines as he straightened in his seat. “Tamara?” 

I cocked my head. “Yes, Christopher?”

His lips twitched as he fought not to smile. “Stop staring at me.”

About the author:

C.J. Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia.

The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance series. 

For more  on C.J. and the 'The Summer Series', visit www.cidugganbooks.com.

Author Links: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Cover Reveal - That One Summer by C.J Duggan

That One Summer (Summer #3) By: C.J Duggan

Expected Release Date: 2014

Publisher: C.J Duggan

Cover reveal organized by: Xpresso Book Tours

Links: Goodreads

Summary:

Loving Chris Henderson would be wrong. Diabolically disastrous. I mean, what it there about him to love? He's moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak, and that's on a good day... but there was one achingly obvious fact that haunted my every thought, every minute of every day... 

He sure could kiss.

As the countdown to the new millennium begins, there is one thing everyone agrees on: no one wants to be in Onslow for NewYear's Eve.

So that can only mean one thing: road trip!

No longer the mousey, invisible, shy girl from years ago, Tammy Maskala is finally making up for all those lost summers. A new year with new friends, which astoundingly includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson.

She likes her new friends (at least most of them), so why does she secretly feel so out of place?

After chickening out on the trip, a last-minute change of heart sees Tammy racing to the Onslow Hotel, fearing she's missed her chance for a ride. The last thing she expected to meet was a less-than-happy Onslow boy leaning against his black panel van. 

Now the countdown begins to reach the others at Point Shank before the party is over and the new year has begun. Alone in the car with only the infuriating Chris Henderson, Tammy can't help but feel this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. But when the awkward road trip takes an unexpected turn, Tammy soon discovers that the way her traitorous heart feels about Chris is the biggest disaster of all.

Fogged up windows, moonlight swimming, bad karaoke and unearthed secrets; after this one summer nothing will ever be the same again. 

About the author:

C.J. Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia.

Author's Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 GIVEAWAY

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Blog Tour Stop: Review + Giveaway - The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan

Welcome to my stop on The Boys of Summer blog tour hosted by YA Bound. Click HERE to check out the full blog tour schedule!

The Boys of Summer (Summer #1) 
By C.J. Duggan                              
Release Date: December 17, 2012
Publisher: C.J. Duggan
Source: C.J. Duggan and YA Bound for Tour Stop
Reviewer: Daisel T.
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Daisel's Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: It seemed only natural to nickname them the 'Onslow Boys'. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week's work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto to their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn't help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him...Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn't relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.

To Tees, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed 'The Onslow Boys', who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess's summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the boys she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember.

Warning: sexual references, and occasional coarse language.

          When my friend told to read this book for her, I was like "sure, why not?" and I am glad to say that I loved this book. I swooned, I cried, I laughed and I swooned some more. I literally stopped everything that I was supped to be doing (including 8 hours of work and cooking at home) but it was well worth it.

Tess is tormented by her ex-boyfriend and so she tries to avoid any situation that would put her in the spotlight, so she lives her life in the shadow of her best friend, Ellie. She is looking forward to a summer full of plans with her friends, having fun and relaxing under the sun. When Adam, Tess male best friend, begs her to work with him at his uncle hotel, she never imagined that her life was going to take a completely different route than what she had originally planned.

As she begins working in the Onslow hotel as a waitress, she meets a group of older and hot guys known as the 'Onslow Boys' and her summer begins to change. She starts spending a lot of time with them and she becomes more confident and open. Tess gets the opportunity to spend time with Toby Morrison, aka the boy she has had a crush on since 7th grade. They find that they are both attracted to each other, however, becoming more than friends with him is not that easy.

This book had me laughing and smiling throughout its entirety. It was a fun read and I enjoyed the way it was written. The characters were unique and believable, there wasn't a lot of dram and it was an easy read. Perfect for summer! Everything about The Boys of Summer was fantastic. C.J. Duggan did an amazing job with this story; she was able to capture all the excitement of new adventures with new and old friends and the emotions of falling in love for the first time. The last chapter did leave me curious about what happens next and I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel.

I would recommend this book to anyone and to entice you, here are some of my favorite parts/quotes from the book. Enjoy and happy reading, Swooners!

"That's the thing. I've never met anyone like you, Tess. You think you're no one? You're so wrong. So wrong. You stand in a room with the Angelas, even the Ellies. None of them can compare to you. I remember when you started working at the Onslow, I couldn't keep my eyes off you. You were so terrified. You weren't full of yourself like other girls. Every time you walked into the bar, you were like a breath of fresh air. Even Angela was a bitch to you, you rose above it. You made me see the difference in people. You're not a nobody, Tess, you're a somebody." - Toby

~B&S~

"Did she really babysit you when you were young?" I whispered to Adam who was helping me frantically to polish cutlery.
"She sure did," he sighed.
"That is the scariest thing I have ever heard," I said. "I didn't know your parents hated you."
"I guess when you have three boys, you need the Terminator for the job." - Tess and Adam.

~B&S~

"The full-figured lady sported a grey bob that was immaculately kept in place. No, really, it didn't move; there must have been a full can of hairspray on there. She was clearly highly flammable." - Tess

~B&S~

I arched a brow."Rescue many damsels in distress?"
A crooked grin formed on his lips, but he didn't meet my eyes. "Every day! It's a tireless job." - Tess and Toby

~B&S~

"Like I said," Adam continued, "the male species isn't as complicated as you think, so just go with it and do your own thing." - Adam

About the author, C.J. Duggan:

C.J. Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia.

The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series.

Links: Website / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook

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