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Format: Kindle
Publishers: Hachette Australia
Published: 28th April 2015
Pages: 336
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance,
Main Characters: Lexie, Luke
Date Read: 11th April - 16th April 2015
Date Read: 11th April - 16th April 2015
Rating Given:
Synopsis:
There's bound to be trouble in Paradise . . .
When her parents decide a change will be good for her, seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson never expected they'd send her all the way to Paradise City. Coming from a predictable life of home schooling on a rural Australian property, she's sure that Paradise will be amazing. But when she's thrust into a public school without a friendly face in sight, and forced to share a room with her insipid, hateful cousin Amanda, Lexie's not so sure.
Hanging out with the self-proclaimed beach bums of the city, sneaking out, late night parties and parking with boys are all things Lexie's never experienced, but all that's about to change. It's new, terrifying . . . and exciting. But when she meets Luke Ballantine, exciting doesn't even come close to describing her new life. Trouble with a capital T, Luke is impulsive, charming and answers to no one. The resident bad-boy leader of the group, he's sexier than any boy Lexie has ever known.
Amidst the stolen moments of knowing looks and heated touches, Lexie can't help but wonder if Luke is going to be good for her . . . or very, verybad?
I requested this from netgalley and was then asked by the publishers if I wanted to take part in a blog tour so I thought why not.
The cover I kind of like as I like the feel of it which reminds me of parts of the story which I always like in the covers. I love the brightness of the cover as I think it makes it look eye catching.
When I first started this book I just couldn't get into it as it wasn't capturing my interest so I would find myself easily distracted and kept having to go back to read sections that I had missed and because of that it felt like it was taking too long to read when in reality it only took me about five days. There was a lot of cringe worthy moments in this book especially near the beginning, which was mainly all those nightmares that we have as children attending a new school had happened to her, this would have been good if it didn't all happen to Lexie but it was too much to happen to her that I didn't find believable. Even though there was a lot of cringy moments it still felt like nothing of interest happened and I found myself disinterested. The romance side of the story was completely unbelievable as I didn't believe either of Lexie's or Luke's feelings where genuine. There was moments towards the end of the book that started to improve for me and it has made me want to read the next book just to find out what happens next.
I'm not 100% sure about most of the characters but there was a couple that I did like. Lexie started of as a likable character as she was sweet but she was very naïve to the point where I would think to myself she did not just believe that?! Luke I didn't like in the beginning as he was annoying but about halfway through I started to like him as he seemed sweet but then there was moments that I would not like him again towards the end. My favourite character had to be Boon as he was so funny I would have liked more from his character. Amanda had so many different personalities that it was hard to keep up with her.
Overall I wasn't a fan of this book but there was enough times that I liked to make me want to read the next book but I won't be in any rush to read it.
Author Bio
C.J. DUGGAN is an internationally bestselling author who lives with her husband in Mathoura, a rural border town of New South Wales. Her self-published Summer series has sold over 180,000 copies worldwide, and PARADISE CITY is her eighth book, and the first in a new series of New Adult romance. When she isn't writing books about swoony boys and 90s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.
