Monday, February 24, 2014

Review- That One Summer by C.J. Duggan

Goodreads Summary:

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.


Summer series: 


REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of That One Summer by C.J. Duggan in exchange for an honest review. We thank C.J for the book! 

I was pleasantly surprised by That One Summer since it turned out to be a pretty fun and nice read, especially when compared to the first two books of C.J. Duggan's Summer series, The Boys of Summer and An Endless Summer respectively. The cover of this book, first and foremost, is the prettiest cover in the series! I love the naughtiness it portrays and it fits the characters perfectly. 

The reason why I really liked this book is because, unlike the first book protagonist Tess but a little similar to the second book protagonist Amy, the protagonist in the third book, Tamara Maskala, even though she had her share of emotional outbursts and petty misunderstandings, was a matured and smart girl. We had met Tammy in the previous books and even though I don't remember much about her personality from before, what I read in her own words in this one made me like her. She was great to have around and it was a joy to read from her funny and sensible point of view. 

Tammy's love interest in That One Summer is the very cool, mysterious, moody and utterly sexy Chris Henderson. Even though I liked Toby and Sean from the first two books, I like Chris the most. He could be cute when he wanted, charming when it was needed, smart-ass when he was in the mood and sweet when he was himself. I really liked getting to know him, but I felt that somewhere, there was something hiding underneath his cocky, quiet and stoic exterior which wasn't taken up at all. 

It was amazing to see the silent chemistry between Tammy and Chris which started from the very beginning and there were just enough sizzling scenes to add spice. The two didn't have any issues or problems, individually or together, but then again, that's what summer books are about. They're about having a blast and unexpectedly stumbling upon something that could possibly be everything. And it fit the two lovers perfectly. 

In That One Summer, the Onslow Boys plan a New Year trip for themselves which, by some silly turn of events even has the girls on it as well. I enjoyed reading about all the people we've met in the previous books and it was nice to have updates on them and their relationships. From Tess and Toby to Amy and Sean to Ellie and Adam, it was lovely to see the gang together and ending the year 1999 and welcoming the new millennium on a confused, romantic and fun filled note. Honestly, this book wasn't as dragged as the previous books in the series which made it a fantastic read that was packed with fun.

RATING:


2 comments:

  1. I recall you liking the first two books, so it's great to hear that this one topped them both! I love it when that happens. I feel like this would be a series best read in the summer! Obviously because of its name, but also because you describe it as fun and that's generally what I look for in summer reads.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, this series is really fun for summer reading. Thank you, Aylee!

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