Monday, April 20, 2015

Blog Tour Book Review and Giveaway: Paradise City by C.J. Duggan

Welcome to my tour stop for C.J. Duggan's new series, Paradise City! 







Release Date: April 28, 2015 by Hachette Australia

Series: Book One in the Paradise City Series

Genre: YA Contemporary 


Book Description:

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?





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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)


Website
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For further information please contact Josephine Perry on (02) 8248 0849 or josephine.perry@hachette.com.au

Don't forget to check out all the other stops for the tour!






I have enjoyed Duggan's other series and was intrigued when I saw that she had a new one coming out.
It is always fun to see how an author will shake it up when the genre is slightly different (or very different in some cases) and if truth be told, I was hoping this one might be sightly edgier, grittier than her other.

I liked Lexie immediately. There was just something charming about her small town girl with big dreams attitude.

Her and Luke together were a lot of fun. Their banter and funny moments probably made this book along with some fun and engaging secondary characters that I wish were just a bit more fleshed out, but make it exciting to see what the next book will have in store for them.

I am still somewhat shocked that this ended the way it did however. I wasn't expecting it to be left so much in the air. I knew this was a series but I was seriously hoping each book would end with some kind of conclusion instead of leaving us hanging like this did. Nothing was actually left done. It was all undone, up in the air, and on the edge of a precept. 

However, with an ending like that one, the author is pretty much guaranteed her readers will come back for more.







*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*








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43 comments:

  1. This sounds like a fairly simple romance with likeable characters and a pretty straightforward plot. I have to be in the mood for that kind of thing, but I'll defintiely keep it in mind.

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  2. I've read a few books by this author and really liked them. I'm glad this was a good read, but I'm nervous about the end. I do like the sound of the romance and the banter though!
    Lovely review!

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    1. The end was a cliffie but it wasn't terrible. :)

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  3. This sounds like a good Summer romance read, but I agree those kind of endings make it a bit hard on us readers -even though they keep us coming back for more. (Did you get mad and through the book like I'm tempted to sometimes, lol?)
    Thanks for the great review, Ali :)

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    1. I didn't but only because it was on my Kindle. :P

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  4. I've heard so many great things about this series from Diva Booknerd and can't wait to pick up my own copy. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Not sure I care for the open-ended ending, but I have got to read this for myself!

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    1. I'm sure book two will ties it all up though so it will be worth it. :)

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  5. OOh, is there a cliffhanger Ali? It sounds intriguing. Thanks!

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    1. There is! It was really interesting for sure. ;)

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  6. I don't really mind an open ending, if it makes sense. But leaving too much in the air can get me frustrated :) I guess I'll need to read this one to see for myself where it falls... I like that sound of Lexxie, and especially of her and Luke together :) Thank you for another wonderful review, Ali!

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    1. Since there is another book I don't mind it too much. It's when it's a stand alone that it really frustrates me!

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  7. I'm not the biggest fan of things being left undone in books but I can deal. I think I have some of her other books on my kindle.

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    1. Even if this one isn't for you, definitely try out some of her other stuff, the Onslow boys are amazing. ;)

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  8. I don't mind cliffhangers too much, though this one felt just a tad bit manufactured to me. I couldn't help but think, "Why wouldn't Lexie at least try to fix things?" It seemed like she was just completely giving up. But I was happy when I read the synopsis for the next book because it seems that she didn't give up after all!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I know just what you mean Nicole and I'm glad there is still some fight left in her. ;)

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  9. I always get a bit bothered when things are left in the air in the beginning of a series. Hopefully you'll get more resolution in book two!

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  10. No not a cliffhanger. That is so disappointing.

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    1. I know but..it wasn't so bad but it was bad enough. ;)

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  11. So she just gave you a reason to buy and read book too. Although it is a great marketing story, I do hate cliffhangers

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  12. I liked it a lot, but I'm really torn on some things. Ugh, the cliffy, so wasn't expecting that.

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    1. I know me neither Christy and I know what you mean about some things bothering you. I felt the same way but she is such a terrific writer it is hard not to love even the bad. ;)

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  13. I'm told I'm missing out on CJ Duggan's brilliance. I think I downloaded this book in particular, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. It makes it easy for me to decide. :)

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    1. She is someone you don't want to miss for sure. I hope you like it!

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  14. ahhh..the dreaded cliff hanger....or non ending. I don't like it when books don't end well, because then I dream about them. Sounds silly, but I do. I have to have them tied in a little bow, even if it's until the next book comes out. hehe. Thanks for the heads up :)

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  15. I like when the couple banters back and forth. More fun that way.

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  16. To be honest this doesn't seem like my kind of book, but after reading your review, I'm thinking about giving it a shot. :) I'm a big fan of fun banter between two main characters, so that's definitely a plus. Lovely review!

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  17. It sounds like a good one mainly with such characters like Lexie but I don't know if I would like to have an end like that...

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  18. Well some bits sound great but ahhh I can't handle the clifies especially if they're a surprise like that. So thank ya for the heads up!

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  19. I love the title of this book, it's on my TBR & your review does have me more excited to read it now :) Lovely post. <3 Benish | Feminist Reflections

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    1. Thanks so much Benish, I hope you end up really liking it. :D

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  20. I'm reading this right now and really liking it!! I'm nervous about the cliffhanger ending though. I'm usually not a fan. :-/

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    1. I think you'll be okay with it. Hopefully book two isn't too far away!

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  21. I would prefer edgier too but this sounds enjoyable despite the open-end. I guess this series will focus on the one couple.

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    1. Yeah I don't think it will be like her other one at all.

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  22. Nice review! This one looks really good but probably not something I'm ever going to read. Thanks for sharing :)

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