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.

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   https://www.facebook.com/CJDugganAuthor  &  https://www.facebook.com/HachetteAustralia  

o   Twitter: @CJ_Duggan & @HachetteAus

o   Instagram: @cj_duggan & @hachetteaus    

o   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5779034.C_J_Duggan

Giveaway – 1 x signed paperback of Paradise City

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

Hi everyone, today I am pleased to be participating in the blog tour for That One Summer by C.J Duggan hosted by The Three Bookateers!

To see the full tour schedule click HERE

Author: C.J Duggan

Release Date: Dec. 17, 2013

Series: Summer
Genre: New Adult - Contemporary Romance
Pages: 321
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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 and 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 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.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I loved the first two books in the Summer series, The Boys of Summer and An Endless Summer so I was eager to read Chris and Tammy’s story in That One Summer.

Tammy Maskala feels like a bit of an outsider when it comes to the Onslow gang, introverted and lacking in confidence she is Amy’s best friend who likes to blend in to the background but as we get to know her we find out what a sensitive, sweetheart she is.

Chris Henderson has always been a bit of a broody mystery with attitude but I have always been intrigued by him; we haven’t learnt a lot about this smexy bartender in the previous novels besides that he is a bit of a controlling grouch so I was pleasantly surprised to learn a lot more about him. He was actually quite charming and extremely caring towards those closest to him which isn’t what I expected, I found myself really liking his character.

The story-line follows the close knit group as they decide to celebrate NYE out of Onslow with a camping trip. The road trip to get there is where the most fun happens as Tammy and Chris travel together and get to know one another on a different level, it was at times quite intense but hilarious at others, CJ Duggan writes great witty one-liners and entertaining dialogue, it flowed naturally which I enjoyed and the slow build-up to the romance I found to be really sweet.

I think we learnt a lot more about the side characters from the previous books on a deeper level in this installment, this is something I felt was previously lacking so it was nice to get additional tidbits and to carry on their stories which really showcased the amazing friendships this group share; I was surprised by the tension between Toby and Tess. I have always loved Adam so I am really eager to read his and Ellie's book which is up next.

I adore this series, it comes without the unnecessary drama and trouble you tend to find in NA novels; being an Aussie the setting is always wonderful as is CJ Duggan’s writing which had me mesmerised from the very first page.

Overall, That One Summer is a wonderful addition to the series that shows us amazing friendships, sweet romance, lovable characters with a satisfying HEA.

The Summer Series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/92873-summer

The Boys of Summer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13562232-the-boys-of-summer

An Endless Summer: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16301141-an-endless-summer

BUY LINKS

      Amazon Links:

Australia     |     US     |     UK     |     Canada

Apple (iTunes) Links:

Australia     |     US     |     UK     |     Canada

Kobo

Excerpt:

“Guess we better not muck around then.” Even in the night-time shadows I could tell that amusement lined his face; I could tell simply by the way the words had fallen off his tongue. They were tauntingly suggestive.

If he thought it was funny to make me squirm under his penetrating stare, well, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

I lifted my chin. “Keep dreaming, Henderson. I’m not skinny dipping,” I said proudly. “I don’t care how secluded this place is.”

The light of the moon illuminated the brilliant flash of Chris’s toothy smile. “More’s the pity,” he said. “To be honest, I’ll be amazed if you even get in.” He walked right up to the edge of the pool.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I said quickly.

Chris stretched his arms to the sky. “You just don’t strike me as a girl who gets out of her comfort zone much.”

Comfort zone? My entire summer had been spent out of my comfort zone. This whole trip had been massively out of my comfort zone. But I had done it. Against all my better instincts, here I was. I had even been prepared to potentially do something last night with Chris that was completely out of character. I had wanted him to kiss me – everything in my body language had screamed as much at him. He would have to have been blind not to have understood that much last night, but he had known. Of course he had. Why else would he have spun around so fast other than to avoid me?

I felt not so much the burning of humiliation rising in me, but more the burning of anger.

He didn’t know anything about me. So what if I didn’t want to go skinny dipping? Just because I had some safety-related questions over the creepy, poorly lit, abandoned pool, I was a girl who never pushed the boundaries?

That never went against the grain? F*ck you, Chris Henderson.

My brows narrowed and all of a sudden I hoped that I was illuminated well enough that he’d see just how angry his statement had made me.

I pushed past Chris, my feet slapping angrily against the cool, wet concrete as I glanced out toward the massive pool.

“You don’t have to, you know,” Chris said, looking uncomfortable. “I just thought that it was kind of a cool place to bring you after a long trip.”

Oh, now he was trying to be nice and supportive? Underneath the glow of the pool light, I stood close enough to count all the different shades of brown in his eyes, eyes that ticked across my face as if trying to solve the mysteries of the universe through me. Then they lit up, as if at that very moment he had realised what my determined, serious gaze meant.

“Tammy, wait …”

It was too late. In an act of defiance, as he reached out toward me, without a second thought I dived into the water.

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 (2012), An Endless Summer (2013) and the highly anticipated, soon to be released That One Summer (2013).

For more on C.J and ‘The Summer Series’, visit www.cjdugganbooks.com

Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads

INTERNATIONAL RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

As part of the tour, there will be an international tour wide giveaway. Prizes include

1.       ONE WINNER will receive a SIGNED PAPERBACK copy of the ENTIRE SUMMER SERIES

2.       THREE WINNERS will receive EBOOK copies of the ENTIRE SUMMER SERIES

3.       FOUR WINNERS will receive an EBOOK COPY of THAT ONE SUMMER


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Review: The Boys of Summer (Summer #1) by CJ Duggan

The Boys of Summer

Author: CJ Duggan

Series: Summer

Pages: 321

Amazon

Release date: 19^th December 2012

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

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 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 Tess, 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 one boy she has never been able to forget. It will be a summer she will always remember. Warning: sexual references, and occasional coarse language

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

A very BIG thank-you to my wonderful blogging friend and awesome author Marie Landry for sending me a copy of The Boys of Summer by C.J Duggan. I can’t believe I hadn’t picked up this book earlier.

Set in the fictional Aussie town of Onslow, The Boys of Summer follows the story of seventeen year-old Tess McGee who has been convinced by her best friends Ellie and Adam to take a job at the Onslow Hotel over the summer break, initially hesitant because she is socially inept she soon realises this is the place to be – with them and a group of older boys nicknamed the Onslow Boys her summer becomes quite the adventure.

There were so many things I loved about Tess, she was quiet, handled a taunting ex with dignity but there were also things that made me cringe but were also realistic for her age; she had a huge crush on 22 year-old Toby Morrison and was a little too full-on with him I think, I wish she would have let him chase her and make the effort so I felt her actions were too much and caused unnecessary miscommunications.

Toby was quiet and seemingly reserved, he did have a girlfriend at the beginning of the book but you could see the chemistry he had with Tess; I would have liked more page time with him to get to know him a little more or for him to show more outward emotion but I didn’t feel we got this.

All of the Onslow boys were wonderful but real stand-outs were Sean, Chris and Stan; I adored Sean’s wit and humour – he broke the bro code but he was sweet and quite charming; Chris was broody but intriguing and I found Stan really sweet. They were a pretty swoon worthy cast. I’m also hoping Adam gets his own book, he was an amazing best friend as was Ellie.

The Boys of Summer is beautifully written with many topics which are true to life and believable and I love the Aussie setting and CJ Duggan’s descriptive details, the flashbacks to music I grew up with had me humming along which I thought was great.

Overall, an entertaining read and a great start to the Summer series.

 

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

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