*Hey lovelies today is my stop on the That One Summer blog tour. It may not be summer just yet but this series is sure to warm you up and take you on an Australian adventure! Below I've shared my thoughts on this amazing NA romance*
(Summer, #3)
Release Date: December 17th, 2013
Genres: New Adult Contemporary Romance
My Review: (4.5/5 stars*)
Every time I read a novel by Duggan I fall in love all over again. The characters, the Australian setting, and the humor are always on point. When I grab a book I am looking to get lost in it - that's what happens with the Summer series! That One Summer is an absolute hit!
It centers on Tammy Maskala who is brought into the picture in An Endless Summer as Amy Henderson's BFF from high school. She lurks on the fringe of the Onslow boys group, very much unsure of how she fits into it. She appears shy but inwardly she's sassy and full of spirit. Her thoughts are laugh-out-loud funny, and Tammy's always finding herself in the most hilarious of situations. I loved Tess and Amy but I feel like Tam has the perfect cross-blend of their personalities and she's such a great character. On one hand she's more to herself like Tess was and on the other she can be outgoing like Amy. I wasn't expecting such an instant likable heroine in the way that the others were but that's exactly what she was.
That One Summer is set right after the events of An Endless Summer, told from Tammy Maskala's POV. When I heard it was going to be her whose story was next I was a little confused. That confusion was soon replaced by how-could-I-even-doubt-the-choice. Her story is refreshing because her only tie to the Onslow Boys is Amy, and it made the awe over them feel new again. Toby and Sean were the obvious eye-candy of the gang, as well as favorites. Chris Henderson is someone who sort of slipped under the radar for me. As an Onslow boy he didn't leave the biggest impression because in previous stories he always just seemed like the grumpy bartender and Adam's older brother who didn't have much to say. However, in this novel his character is brought to the forefront with a compelling story all his own. Tammy brings out another side of him that we never got to see before. This side is outgoing, compassionate, and sexy. Who'd have thought those qualities were hiding under his sullen mask? Not me! Chris and Tammy are the pefect match. They get put in awkward situations and roll with it, and all the things you'd think would draw them apart actually brings them together. I thought they had such a sweet developing relationship, and I loved it.
It's Summer again in the town of Onslow, Australia and it's nearing the new millennium. The Onslow boys are back and ready for an unforgettable adventure—a road-trip without the girls. Amy Henderson puts a stop to that when she makes her recently reunited best friend Tammy Maskala intercede. Onslow is the last place the girls want to ring in the New Year so they crash the Onslow boys' plans and join them on the road, but they hit a few bumps along the way. Tammy has always felt like the outsider of the group, hanging out on the sidelines and never truly feeling like one of them. That all changes one summer when she gets up close and personal with one of the Onslow boys—Chris Henderson. Chris is the broody bartender who says little and seems to have a permanent scowl on his face. It's only when Tammy gets left behind by her friends Chris steps up to drive her to their New Year's destination, and that's when Summer really starts to heat up.
All of the fun-loving Aussie boys are back! Couples Tess and Toby, Amy and Sean, even Adam and Ellie return along with the rest of the Onslow boys. It was great to see them all together again, and they each got their own small story-lines too. I enjoyed the surprises and turns taken. Tammy has a lot going on inside and seeing Chris ruffle her feathers and vice versa was adorable. The difference in setting gives a refreshing and welcome change. I wouldn't have minded it being set at the Onslow Hotel again, but I'm glad there was other locations to visit.
That One Summer is total fun! From the first page to the last you'll want, crave, and need more. It has a swoony romance, drama, comedy, and characters you won't want to let go of. C.J.'s fictional town of Onslow and its residents will live in your imagination for books to come. Never have I been so eager for the next novel Duggan writes! The Summer series is outstanding, and readers who love their NA romances should buy it today!
Synopsis:
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.
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The Summer Series
The Boys of Summer (#1)
An Endless Summer (#2)
That One Summer (#3)
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~Author Bio~
C.J. Duggan
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
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~Giveaway~
INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!
Prizes:
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
