Book Review: The Boys of Summer

 

The Boys of Summer (Summer #1) by C.J. Duggan

Kindle Edition, 321 pages

Published December 17th 2012

 

(Goodreads synopsis) 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.

 

This book was pretty fun to read. It takes place in a tiny town. Tess wants to spend her summer with her best friends so she gives in and takes a job with Adam and Ellie at the Onslow Hotel. Adam doesn't stick around long but his part in the book is still really awesome (LOVE HIM!) The Onslow Boys are the guys that all the girls (especially Tessa and Ellie) are crazy about. They are really funny and of course they are all hot. The guys are always playing pool at the hotel so the girls make their way into becoming "good" friends with them. Toby has a girlfriend which drives Tessa nuts. Ellie is just plain boy crazy. She comes off as a hoe bag but she has some serious secrets.The girls spend their summer hanging and falling for the Onslow boys. There were a few times that I thought Tess was going to fall for Chris or Adam which would have made things interesting. 

Next to Adam, Seth was my favorite character. He was so funny and constantly up to trouble. Even though he was a huge flirt, he really cared about his friends and defended them (a little overboard at times).

The one thing I really didn't like was how immature Tess was. For all the things that she did, she did way too many things that she was mentally too young for. Toby should have been able to see how young she was. I know age is just a number but there's a difference from a 16 year old acting older or even her own age compared to a 16 year old acting/thinking like a 12 year old. Other than that I don't have any complaints.

Team Adam!