C.J. Duggan

There was a time in my reading life when I was all about the romance, when love interests being the focal point and jealousy/fighting over the heroine would have appealed to me, and when twenty-two year old men hanging out with seventeen year old girls might have seemed as exciting to me as it did to the heroine Tess and her best friend.

What I find at this point in time is that whether the heroine is a teen or an adult, I want more for her than just the romance. I want to see some other goal for her beyond a relationship. Most importantly I want to know her beyond a relationship. I want a strong sense of her personality and her interests. Unfortunately the only interests Tess expressed here were in getting the guy. I came away from this book feeling like I knew nothing about her aside from the fact that she wanted him. Tess and this story had nothing else going on besides her pursuit of him and drawing the attention of nearly every male in her path. At one point in the book a guy tells Tess he’s never met anyone like her and all I could think was, well please, enlighten me, what is she like even, because to me, she was and remained too much of blank slate.

To make matters worse, this guy Tess was so into has a girlfriend and Tess spends much of the book justifying her pursuit of him because the girlfriend isn’t nice to Tess, but who would be nice to a teenage girl who is clearly trying to catch the eye of your adult boyfriend?

The age gap between the teenage girl and adult man isn’t huge, five years, and as mentioned, there was a time in my teens when the prospect of a slightly older guy would have been attractive so if I were still a teen as the intended audience for this book is, it is possible that I would have had little issue with the age gap, as an adult reader, however, the guys came across as questionable for spending all their time with high school girls.

I do read YA with frequency so that wasn’t specifically the issue here, I’m not one of those people who despises or thinks lesser of books centered around this age group, though admittedly I think my age did factor into my response to this particular book in some areas like the age gap and the overall plot (or lack thereof), but I don’t think my response to the characterizations had anything to do with my age, the characters truly did need more depth and definition.

A few years ago I really liked Paris Lights by this author, I’d recommend that one for readers of adult romance, Boys Of Summer, however, for a number of reasons wasn’t the right choice for me, but if you’re in a boy crazy phase of your life you might find this one more satisfying than I did.… (more)

She's Got Books on Her Mind

Tess is teased relentlessly by her ex-boyfriend and his posse. Luckily where she lacks in confidence in telling her ex off, her best friends more than make up in having her back. There is Ellie, the boy crazy, over-excitable, and confidant best friend. And then there is Adam the everybody-loves-him, somewhat silly, and ever sweet best friend. That ever sweet best friend got into her the job from hell that she and all of them have to work on the weekends during summer. Or so she thought. Enter Toby Morrison, her crush since forever, a boy five years older her and wouldn't even see her if she tried. But then he does and her crushing years come rushing back.

Toby is a part of the Onslow Boys group. They are the "elite" boys who were once pretty big in the Onslow community. They were revered and admired. All the girls want to be with them none more than Toby. That's why it isn't strange that Toby is taken by one of the most beautiful girls in their small town. But do the laughs, wide smiles, and glimpses that she gives him being returned or is she just being too much of a day dreamer? Even if they are not returned her summer with the Onslow Boys bring her confidence nevertheless. She is now saying and doing things she never would have before. The only thing that could make this summer even better would be if Toby Morrison was hers.

I'm actually pretty impressed with how well this book went. I don't know what I thought but I didn't think I would like this book so much. At first I was a bit worried about how the book was going in the beginning but just a little more into it and I saw who the characters were. I really liked that the book didn't start in the summer like I expected. There was background on the characters and the story. I didn't see why she was made fun of though. I understood the whole jerk of a boyfriend but the main character, Tess, had the wit and playful humor throughout the book. I guess she faded behind that shadow of her friend for a while but I saw how awesome she was even from the beginning.

I really just loved Tess. There were some little parts where she wasn't behaving very properly by lying about something pretty important and having sex prematurely. I always feel like that makes me sound like such a prude but she hardly spent time with a guy and she was in bed with him. It wasn't as bad as it sounds actually. I just hope that not all teenagers are as reckless as she was. Now I sound like a mother... Anyways I liked the way she was and her attitude for the majority of the book. I really just loved her as a person. I could connect with the story so much better because she was there.

Now Toby was a nice guy but I liked one of the Onslow Boys so much better. Sean? Now I would be crushing on him. I love that he will be one of the main characters in the second book. I can't wait to hear about Sean the Prince Charming (in my eyes). So Toby was really a nice guy but he was taken most of the book. When he got closer to her he wasn't around as much as I would have liked. He matched her silly humor and wit. I really loved all of the good characters banter. It was relaxing in a way. I could feel the new beginning and new bright feeling that Tess was feeling. It just felt... perfect in a way like these new friends with the old were home. Seriously a worthwhile book to read. I am so beyond excited about Sean! I can't wait for him to find the girl who will be his.… (more)

Hollywood Heartbreak is the fifth book in the Heart of the City series, but each book is a standalone so you can read them in any order you like. Hollywood is our next destination to read about young women (I’m not into the term new adult!) falling in love in exotic locales. This time it is Abby Taylor’s turn. She’s a little different to our previous heroines – she’s not in L.A. on a holiday, but here to develop her career further. Abby is an actress who thanks to some nasty publicity has to depart from the Aussie soap she’s worked on. Nursing a broken heart, she gets on the plane to L.A. to take the world by storm.

…Or so Abby thought. After seeing glamorous Instagram selfies, it seems like the L.A. Family (as the Aussie expats call themselves) have it made. But behind each perfect selfie is a lot of editing. Abby’s main rival from Australia has a hot boyfriend (or so she thinks). Abby’s friend and roommate has a gorgeous apartment and high-status job as a makeup artist. So why does she work shifts in the trendy Saloon Bar? Soon Abby learns that Hollywood is a lot of smoke and mirrors and that she isn’t automatically the best of the best. She too, will need to take a day job to keep things afloat financially. That’s where neighbour and owner of the Saloon Bar, Jay Davis comes in. Jay is openly sceptical of the Hollywood lifestyle but incredibly accommodating of his staff going to auditions and the like. He has Abby intrigued.

Abby and Jay’s relationship is interesting to read as it unfolds. It’s not quite an enemies-to-lovers or a friends-to-lovers story. It was somewhere in between for me. Abby manages to do a lot of embarrassing stuff in front of Jay, but he’s openly supportive of her even after mentioning his concerns with the superficial tastes of the L.A. Family. He’s the strong backbone that Abby needs to support her while she discovers her role in the movie making machine. He’s endlessly patient and mature too – a very likeable hero. I liked Abby too. I thought it was great that she already had a career and had the drive to try to rise further. I felt she was more mature than some of the heroines in the other books (maybe you need to be in Hollywood!) but she was also fun and certainly not perfect. (Especially not before auditions or on nights out!)

This is a light, fun read and I look forward to where the Heart of the City goes next (please say Tokyo)!

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C.J. Duggan has been a real find for me as she writes smart, sassy books with a healthy dose of romance. I can rely on her Heart of the City books to transport me to an exotic locale, complete with strong characters and fun times. I must admit to voting for Tokyo as the next setting, being a fan of Japan. But Rome exceeded all my expectations (and yes, I must concede that it is a more romantic destination than Tokyo). When in Rome has a heroine, Sammi, who we can all relate to and in particular, her experiences of budget travel.

Sammi is the sister of Claire, main character of Paris Lights. She’s quite a bit different to Claire though – less adventurous and more of a homebody. Chips and TV are her go to. But one day she decides to get off her butt and books a Bellissimo Tour to Rome, to the surprise of her family. Sammi is determined to nail this travel thing and break out of her rut. On arriving at the hotel though, her dreams are crushed. It’s more of a hostel with bunk beds, shared bathrooms and the entire tour in the one room. (Oh, and bed bugs). Activities revolve around drinking, sex and more drinking. Sammi wants to fit in, but she’s not really good at drinking, nor fitting in with a bunch of strangers (especially when they are as bitchy as high school girls). She finds herself falling in with the mysterious Marcello, who shows her round Rome and picks her up when she’s under the weather. A summer fling? Sammi’s not sure – after all, it’s nearly time to move on. Until she doesn’t. Sammi’s plans are in tatters and there’s only Marcello to ask for help. Can they get it together?

I really enjoyed When in Rome. Yes, Sammi is pretty young and she does make some dumb decisions (most involving alcohol) but she’s honest in her mixed up feelings. She’s also stronger than she thinks, which really shines through later in the book as she grows. I liked even more that the tour and hotel was a dive as it just made for even more realism. The beauty of Rome contrasted with the horrible hostel (definitely not a hotel in my mind!) was great. The food descriptions were pretty darn good too! Some of the tour companions were a more clichéd in their characters, but it made for more drama. I was in this book for Sammi and Marcello. Marcello was a gentle soul, not a stereotype of the hot Italian hunk. I liked how he was revealed as being just that bit different with his career and lifestyle. The banter between the pair was wonderful too – bit sexy, bit shy but with soul and wit. I felt that When in Rome had a great depth of feeling in addition to the holiday romance. It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Sammi, but she got what she wanted in the end.

Now I can’t wait for the next book in March 2018, Hollywood Heartbreak…bet that will be glamourous…

Thank you to Hachette for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

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