Paradise City

a really great new adult contemporary romance series, one that I would most definitely encourage that you put on your TBR soon list. (Always YA at Heart on The Summer Series) - (Always YA at Heart on The Summer Series)

a compelling story with a sizzling and very realistic romance. You will get sucked into the world that she created in minutes. This is an author to check out for sure. - (bookbriefs.net on The Summer Series)

A book that gives you goose-bumps, makes you swoon over its incredibly handsome male cast, gets you hooked on the clever plot line and, ultimately, sends you out feeling all warm inside, satisfied and with a wide smile on your face. - (Bookish on The Boys of Summer)

An Endless Summer was the perfect summer read for me. - (New Adult Addiction)

I have to start off by saying what a huge fan of Duggan's Summer Series I am, so I was supper excited to be able to get my hands on Paradise City! Lexie has balls. Not in the figurative sense, but she really knows how to go all in for something that she wants. I mean, home-schooled her whole life, and then getting thrown into Year 11 of high school? Add in moving across the state and living with people you haven't seen in like, 10 years? I wouldn't have fared as well as she did. Sure she got off to a bit of a rough start, but she hung in there; and that's something I really admire about her. Possibly could've done it without getting in trouble so much, but hey, you win some, you lose some. Another thing that I found totally ballsy? The rather full on make-out sessions in public places, especially given she still held her V-card. I felt myself becoming rather protective and motherly towards her yelling things like, 'You put that away, right now, missy!' ...I'm pretty sure my housemates think their living with a crazy person. Duggan has a knack for writing swoon worthy boys that you come to love so much, that by the end of the book, I was jealous of their girlfriends - especially Amanda. I want a Boon so bad! (...That sounded more like a sexual innuendo than intended!) I know I was probably meant to be head-over-heals in love with Ballentine - don't get me wrong, he is totally swoon worthy and in my head looks like a surfer-version of Bellamy Blake (played by an Australian actor, no less!) from The 100 - but the heart wants what the heart wants, I suppose. I can't really remember what point I was heading towards because I got distracted by the mental parade of Paradise City's man-candy in my head... I think it basically had something to do with understanding Lexie's distraction and melted-brain moments she had around the boys. I kinda wish my high school had had boys like that, but since was basically on a farm out whoop-whoop, they probably would've looked ridiculous with surfboards and boardies. :P Duggan doesn't disappoint with adding another swoon-worthy book under her belt. I couldn't put it down, so you should definitely pick it up!

Uniquely Australian, Paradise City was simply brilliant. C. J is a born storyteller that breathes a realism into her characters and situations that we've all found ourselves in. But the biggest difference is, that her books span across the ages. Generations of yesterday, today and tomorrow will relate to not only Lexie, but her plight.