Release Date: December 17, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 349
Series: Summer #3
Review Source: eBook for review through Xpresso Tours
Synopsis: (from 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.
I very much enjoyed the first two Summer novels by C.J. Duggan, and this third book was no exception. I love the Australian setting of these books. They have a total Aussie feel to them, with the slang and everything. I really feel like the setting makes these books all the more interesting, especially for me, as a non-Aussie reader.
That One Summer can definitely be read as a standalone, but I think you get even more out of it when you’ve read the previous books. You’ll enjoy the secondary characters all the more by getting to know them as the protagonists of the first two novels. The book starts off at the Onslow Hotel, which factors hugely in the previous books, before the characters go on a New Years road trip (keep in mind that December is summer in Australia).
If you have read the previous books, you’ll be interested to know that this book features Amy's friend Tammy, and Chris, the serious bartender. I've kind of adored Chris since the first book, so it was awesome to see a different side to him. There were things he did for Tammy that were so thoughtful and sweet. I like it when the hero is a nice guy, and that was definitely the case here. Tammy is a great character too, someone who benefits greatly from the relaxation the trip provides.
The romance overall was a bit slow, considering it was obvious that they liked one another from almost the beginning of the book. I found myself asking “Why aren’t they doing anything about it?!” While this was a bit frustrating, on the other hand it was nice to see two characters take their time and get to know one another more, making sure that their attraction was something real. The scenes of Tammy and Chris getting closer and closer, spending time together, were really sweet.
This was a fun and different type of road trip novel. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read about a road trip set outside the United States, so that alone made it great. It was also cool to have the group element at the campsites, because it added a lot of the books, while still having scenes with Tammy and Chris alone while driving. Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
The Cover:
It's simple, but cute enough.
Rating:
[4/5]Purchase Links:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | iTunes
About C.J.:
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.
Where to find C.J.:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
GIVEAWAY:
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Great review, Ashley! I have not read this series but I love companion series that feature glimpses at the couples we met in other books! It's kind of nostalgic and neat to see what they're up to :) I would def. like this, me thinks!
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