Monday 27 April 2015

Review + Giveaway - Paradise City (Paradise #1) by C.J. Duggan




I'm pleased to be able to participate in the book tour for Paradise City by CJ Duggan, published by Hachette Books Australia and due for release on the 28th April.


Paradise City (Paradise, #1)Author: CJ Duggan
Series: Paradise
Pages: 363
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Release date: 28/04/2015
Buying links: Amazon / iTunes / Kobo / B&N / Google

Synopsis (Goodreads)

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, excitingdoesn'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? 

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of C.J Duggan’s Boys of Summer series so I was more than excited to start on her new series, Paradise City which I’ve got to say was fantastic and set in Australia!

Our MC is seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson, I was a little judgmental initially and thought being from a rural Australian small town she’d be naïve and sheltered but I instantly liked her, she had passion and wanted to experience life; especially the life she thought she’d get with her cousin in Paradise City.

When Lexie arrives in the city to stay with her relatives, she expected to be greeted in a loving way from her cousin who is similar in age but Amanda was hateful and mean and more or less left her to her own devices, I wasn’t a fan of Amanda at all – she grated on my nerves that one too many times unfortunately.

Lexie gets to experience many firsts – sneaking out at night, hanging out with the local beach bums and getting involved with the resident bad-boy Luke Ballantine, I quite liked Luke, I thought he was charming, sexy and a little mysterious so I am more than eager to learn more about him, especially his strained relationship with his brother, cheeky Dean Saville who I don't trust at all.

C.J Duggan makes you feel all of the emotions in Paradise City – I laughed, I got mad and my heart ached but in the end it all came together in a way that worked and leaves you anxious for the next book and an eventual HEA between Lexie and Luke.

What I felt this story lacked was the sweet friendships that this author usually excels at, we have some interesting secondary characters but none besides Dean who I think has ulterior motives with Lexie stand out.

C.J Duggan’s writing is entertaining and her story-lines are engaging, the boys she writes are swoon-worthy and her female leads are wonderful. The ending of Paradise City left me shocked and after reading the blurb for the next book I am a little nervous about the direction in which this series will go.

Super excited to read Paradise Road, which has an anticipated August 2015 release date.

Thank you to Hachette Australia for the opportunity to read and review Paradise City.  


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.

The 'Summer Series'
The Boys of Summer (December 2012)
Stan (October 2014)
An Endless Summer (July 2013)
MAX (TBA 2015)
That One Summer (December 2013)
Ringer (March 2014)
Forever Summer (TBA 2015)

o   Twitter: @CJ_Duggan & @HachetteAus
o   Instagram: @cj_duggan & @hachetteaus    





Giveaway – 1 x signed paperback of Paradise City

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3 comments:

  1. I have read the first book in her others series, and I enjoyed it. I didn't know she had a new series out, I am a touch disappointed to hear that she doesn't quite nail the friendships, but I am sure it swill still be a good fun read.

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  2. I've seen many positive reviews on this novel, it's on my TBR already - I hope I enjoy it as much as everyone has xD The title sounds fascinating. Benish | Feminist Reflections

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  3. I liked one book I've read by this author and I'm looking forward to reading this one. I'm so glad it was able to evoke all kinds of emotions in you, Sharon. Those are always the best sort of books. It's a shame the friendship didn't form part of the book.
    Lovely review!

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