Book Review: The Boys of Summer by C.J Duggan

The Boys of Summer

by C.J Duggan

Series: Summer #1

Genre: YA, contemporary, romance

Published December 17th 2012

Source: YA Bound book tours

Purchase: Barnes & Noble * Amazon

Blurb (Goodreads):

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.

My Thoughts:

Unlike other books, I didn't have any expectations from this one. YA Bound is touring The Boys of Summer and I was like, why not? This sounds cool. So I signed-up for the tour for review. Unfortunately, I've been busy with school that time that's why I lost track of my tbr for review so I asked to do a feature post instead. I promised though that I will review this book after the busy-ness of the semester. 

Reading this book was a complete surprise. I was surprised because I don't have high expectations or such. You know the feeling when you see a random thing and you get it but not really wanting it? That's the story. If you would ask me, this book wasn't on top of my list. But since I've been reading a lot of dystopians that time, I grabbed the opportunity so I could taste some contemporary for a while. Little did I know, this isn't just a contemporary romance that you'll feel 'okay' or 'so-so'. You know the feeling when that random thing you got but not really wanted made you fall in love? Made you love it and like it saved some part of you? That's the feeling. I am in love with this book.

I am hesitant about liking this book at first because the main character, Tess, didn't do anything for me to well..like her. But as the story goes on, I picked up the pace and I really feel like I'm in the novel. Like I'm the one lusting--I mean, crushing over Toby. *coughs* One more reaaally good thing is that there is no love triangle. No, not exactly. Yay! Love triangles are satiating. Even though there's a person in "history", it doesn't make it puke-worthy because neither Tess nor Toby has to choose hard between him and him or her and her. This is not a spoiler! I'm just telling you this in case you're wondering about the love triangle thing.

Tess' and Toby's situation got me. It's because I can somehow relate to their story. Crushing over a matured guy with a girlfriend? Oh, I do sound like a school girl that way. No chances. Like, ever. But I'm so glad to know that they had a happy ending (even though I don't think I'll have that with the guy I'm crushing. *sobs* kiddin). Again, this is not a spoiler! You know, of course, that this will eventually have a happy ending right? Now you just have to figure out their whole story. That's not my place to tell. You can grab the book (or buy it first) after reading this review. :P

The Boys of Summer is the perfect contemporary romance summer read. But hey, who says you can only enjoy this during summer? You can enjoy this anytime! It is sweet, sexy, cute and adorable. It made me fall in love and hope for a brighter side of certain suckiness in life. Yes, even that guy I'm crushing on is in a relationship with a girl I don't think he'll ever break up to. (I realized this is the first time I talk about this! Let's keep this between the two of us,  'kay? :D) This book also made me laugh! I think you'll love this too.

P.S I am so glad and excited to hear there's book two! I think it's a companion novel, but who cares? As long as it's something from the same author and same crowd, I'm on. ;)

Rating: