Monday, July 29, 2013

Review + Teaser Picture - An Endless Summer by C.J Duggan


An Endless Summer (Summer #2) by C.J Duggan


An Endless Summer (Summer, #2)



Goodreads Blurb

Sean looked out over the lake, squinting against the sunlight. He turned to me, his expression sobering as his eyes flicked over my face in a silent study.

“Come on Amy, I saved you once, I’ll save you again.”
I met his stare unflinchingly. “I don’t need saving.”
A wicked grin formed slowly. “Don’t you?”


After a rebellious summer night that almost claimed her life, Amy Henderson – the Onslow publican’s only daughter – is sent away to suffer a fate far worse than any other punishment:

Boarding School.

Three years on, a now nineteen-year-old Amy returns to Onslow for the summer. What once was a cauldron of activity with live bands, hot meals and cold beers, the Onslow Hotel now lies dark, deserted and depressing. All fond childhood memories of loitering on the hotel stairs and eavesdropping on customers’ colourful conversations are in the distant past.

How had her dad let it come to this?

With the new threat of putting the Onslow up for sale, Amy reluctantly turns to a local tradesman for help: Sean Murphy, the very same Onslow boy who saved her life all those years ago. With his help and that of some old friends, the task is clear: spend the summer building the hotel back up to its former glory or lose it for good.

In an endless summer, Amy soon realises that sometimes in order to save your future, you have to face your past, even if it’s in the form of a smug, gorgeous Onslow boy.





*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion/review*

Those who know me, knows that I absolutely LOVE the authors style of storytelling. There's just something there that makes me relate to it and enjoy it. It could be the realistic and down to earth atmosphere Ms Duggan has created or it could be how the characters and it's setting seem to be coming out of the page. Whichever it is, reading this novel got me all warm and bubbly.

So the story starts off with Amy helping her best friend Tammy try and catch Sean's attention. But a drunken night on the beach leads to a deadly consequence of which Amy almost loses her life. But thanks to one of the gorgeous Onslow boys,Sean, Amy gets a second chance at life. But with her parents terrified for Amy's life and her future. They send her off to boarding school. Now 3 years later, Amy decides to return to the place where she was once truly happy. Only to find it anything but the place she once remembered.

When I started reading this novel, I was super excited to see what has happened to our favourite small town of Onslow and to catch up with the characters we first fell in love with. As I started reading this novel, instead of falling hard for Sean like I thought I would, I found him a bit of an arrogant, know it all and a show off person. I guess because I'm still melting from book one and kind of compared him a bit to Toby. But as I kept on reading, I found that underneath all that tough, cocky exterior. Sean's a really great guy. His caring, sweet, playful and all around amazing. And when he cares about someone, you can absolutely see how much he cares. I can definitely see why Amy finds it so hard to resist him. Which is why I found myself falling for him slowly and then BAM! I fell for him deep. I mean how could you NOT find him alluring? He always seem to pop up just when Amy needs him as evident in this:

 "But as I screamed in absolute terror at my impending fate, my fall was broken by strong, steely arms. I fell into him so fast, so violently, I literally heard the air being knocked out of his lungs as we both flew backwards, hitting the ground in a unified "Oomph!""

Amy's such a headstrong, lovable character. I love her sarcasm and her independence and how we can sometimes be able to relate to her as she works hard to restore a memorable childhood place, while keeping her parents out of the loop. She's determined to get the Onslow Hotel up and running like she and the the town remembers it. But she can also be stubborn to ask for help. Luckly for her, Sean's there to offer help and support, even though she'll never admit it. LOL! I also love her journey of self-discovery and just found it fitting in the novel. 

With nearly all the books out there with American references. I absolutely LOVE all the aussie references and expressions featured in this novel. It somehow always manages to put a smile on my face to read some things you know you'll only find or hear here in Australia. Such as: House and Garden magazine. Chook. Tutti Frutti. Macquarie's Dictionary and so much more! (That I just can't remember at this moment hehe)

Some of the things I love that sets the tone in this novel is how the small town goes out of their way to help and support each other. They're like one big family. It's something you don't see very often when living in the city.

I also love the novels surprising twists and turns that I never saw coming. They made me laugh out loud and a bit teary with the possibility that there could be no more Onslow Hotel. They also made me swoon every time Sean and Amy get together and have you know one of those moments ;). I also enjoyed the surprise reunions and how our favourite lovable characters are popping back into Onslow like they never left in the first place. And with all their stress and hard work towards the hotel, C.J couldn't have come up with a better ending than that. It was perfect and something I never saw coming.

With many changes in book two. I know some things that haven't changed. This novels still got C.J's signature humor, romance, drama and the allure of the Onslow town and it's lovable characters. That you will fall in love all over again like it's An Endless Summer. 

So if you absolutely loved the first book, then you won't be disappointed with this one!


*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion/review*











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