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 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.
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:
*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Boys Of Summer by C.J. Duggan in exchange for an honest review. We thank C.J for the book!
I was really looking forward to reading author C.J. Duggan's The Boys Of Summer. A typical summer book, it was a nice and light hearted read that was all about planning to make the oncoming summer a memorable one and enjoying it to the fullest with the additional sprinkle of some pretty unexpected and sweet things. Tess McGee and her best friend Ellie set out to make the summer they have going on the best summer of their lives by introducing the Operation Go With The Flow plan and they have the time of their lives putting it into action.
While I really enjoyed this story about first love and summer flings, I had some problems with the protagonist, Tess McGee. I remember laughing at my buddy Tanja when she said that these kids are young and they eventually grow up in her review of the book. Now I know how right she was and what she meant. Tess was a nice, regular girl overall, but God! She acted like everyone around her lived a happening life when in reality, her life was far more happening than theirs with all the boys all around her. I could totally understand her confusion, dilemma and excess thinking about boys. But at a certain point, when she began lying to her parents and changing which was more like going with the times for her, it got too much. Also, I really didn't see the point in her being so concerned about her young age when in the end, she ended up doing what she wanted anyways.
Tess takes up a summer job with her best friends Adam and Ellie at the Onslaw restaurant where the Onslaw boys frequent. Adam and Ellie were fabulous best friends! While Adam added a lot of fun and humour, Ellie added lots of drama and girly gossip and all these went into making The Boys Of Summer an entertaining read. I loved the friendship between Adam, Ellie and Tess. They had their share of fights and misunderstanding but they got through it all smoothly.
The Onslaw boys were really quite typical but totally swoon worthy at the same time. They were funny, kind and smart. Tess' love interest Toby was really good and the two, with a lot of fanfare and flourish, grew to be nice couple.
While I really enjoyed this story about first love and summer flings, I had some problems with the protagonist, Tess McGee. I remember laughing at my buddy Tanja when she said that these kids are young and they eventually grow up in her review of the book. Now I know how right she was and what she meant. Tess was a nice, regular girl overall, but God! She acted like everyone around her lived a happening life when in reality, her life was far more happening than theirs with all the boys all around her. I could totally understand her confusion, dilemma and excess thinking about boys. But at a certain point, when she began lying to her parents and changing which was more like going with the times for her, it got too much. Also, I really didn't see the point in her being so concerned about her young age when in the end, she ended up doing what she wanted anyways.
Tess takes up a summer job with her best friends Adam and Ellie at the Onslaw restaurant where the Onslaw boys frequent. Adam and Ellie were fabulous best friends! While Adam added a lot of fun and humour, Ellie added lots of drama and girly gossip and all these went into making The Boys Of Summer an entertaining read. I loved the friendship between Adam, Ellie and Tess. They had their share of fights and misunderstanding but they got through it all smoothly.
The Onslaw boys were really quite typical but totally swoon worthy at the same time. They were funny, kind and smart. Tess' love interest Toby was really good and the two, with a lot of fanfare and flourish, grew to be nice couple.
Author C.J. Duggan's writing had a nice flow to it and she made Tess' voice seem so real and natural. I really enjoyed The Boys Of Summer. What you feel as your first love becomes a summer fling and your summer fling actually ends up being your first love and that's probably the sweetest thing that could happen and the book leaves you with an epilogue that makes you smile. Keep this book in mind for when you're on the lookout for something light, fun, flirty and enjoyable.
RATING:
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Let celebrate this day as the day when someone understood complicate me! :D But really I'm glad that I wasn't the only one who got annoyed with mc. I mean she was good at the start but then later, simply no. Great review Sarika :)
ReplyDeleteHappy someone understood you day! :P The MC really got my nerves at times but the book was nice overall. Thanks, Tanja! :)
DeleteEhh yeah, Tess sounds a bit annoying. I'm not surprised that your found her to be a bit irksome! But overall, I'm glad this turned into quite the fun summer read! It really does sound ideal for the season. Actually, I haven't really been reading these light-hearted, easy books so far yet this summer. So I would like to read more of them! Thanks for the rec, Sarika - and really great review!
ReplyDeleteIt was a really enjoyable read, Aylee, save for the rather stupid MC. Ah, you have to give one of these breezy reads a try this summer (although it's monsoon here now). Thank you! :)
DeleteYes, Tess was a pain at times and glad you agree! Haha, I think you mean Chris, but I wanted her to up with Adam, Chris' brother and her BFF. Thanks, Aman! :)
ReplyDelete