That One Summer (Summer, #3)

by C.J. Duggan

Loving Chris Henderson would be wrong. Diabolically disastrous. I mean, what is there about him to love? He’s moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak, and that’s on a good day … but there was one achingly obvious fact that haunted my every thought, every minute of every day …

He sure could kiss.

As the countdown to the new millennium begins, there is one thing everyone agrees on: no one wants to be in Onslow for New Year’s Eve.

So that can only mean one thing: road trip!

No longer the mousey, invisible, shy girl from years ago, Tammy Maskala is finally making up for all those lost summers. A new year with new friends, which astoundingly includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson.

She likes her new friends (at least most of them), so why does she secretly feel so out of place?

After chickening out on the trip, a last-minute change of heart sees Tammy racing to the Onslow Hotel, fearing she’s missed her chance for a ride. The last thing she expected to meet was a less-than-happy Onslow Boy leaning against his black panel van.

Now the countdown begins to reach the others at Point Shank before the party is over and the new year has begun. Alone in a car with only the infuriating Chris Henderson, Tammy can’t help but feel this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. But when the awkward road trip takes an unexpected turn, Tammy soon discovers that the way her traitorous heart feels about Chris is the biggest disaster of all.

Fogged up windows, moonlight swimming, bad karaoke and unearthed secrets; after this one summer nothing will ever be the same again.

• ISBN10: 1494301407
• ISBN13: 9781494301408
• Publish Date: 20 December 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 348
• Language: English

Reviews

[lizarodz]

I LOVE Duggan’s Summer series! It’s one of the best YA series around, you can find the reviews for the first two books here: The Boys of Summer and An Endless Summer . That One Summer is Chris and Tammy’s story and it was awesome!

I think this is my favorite book in the series because I can easily identify with Tammy the best. Tammy is shy, a bit OCD, a worrier, a loyal friend and she gets migraines (just like me!). She reconnected with Amy on the previous book and is now a regular at the Onslow Hotel, even if she doesn’t feel like she fits in yet. Now, Chris is always scowling and broody, but I have a soft spot for him. He is so strong, has a quiet self-assurance, he is a great friend to have on your corner and very considerate. I just love him, even if before That One Summer, he was a big mystery. Who would know that he would turned out to be such a romantic?

What can I say about the Onslow Boys? They are all amazing, handsome, caring, loyal, (*keep inserting here all the good adjectives you can imagine*)… This group of friends, now with the addition of the girls, is one that I would love to have been a part of as a teenager. I long to see what would happen next.

The story is so funny! Tammy gets in such amazingly hilarious situations. She’s athletic, but sarcastically she’s also a klutz. The plot is simple, but not boring at all; I always love a good road trip. I also enjoy Duggan’s writing, it’s easy to read, even when it’s filled by Australian regionalisms.


Overall, That One Summer is my favorite book of the series so far. I can’t wait to read Ringer’s story next.

[Angie]

That One Summer is the end of the series, which means it's time to party like it's 1999! Actually, the characters are going to party like it's 1999, since the book takes place during New Year's week before the turn of the millennium! This book wasn't quite as 90s retrotastic as the previous one, but it was still fun to reminisce about Y2k. This time we're witnessing the falling in love of Tammy and Chris, Amy's BFF and cousin, respectively. It all starts with some fun and games on Christmas, followed by an impromptu road trip for New Year's Eve. The trip doesn't go quite as planned, but it turns out better than any of them had anticipated.

I really enjoyed That One Summer. It's so much better than the other two, which were still good, but this one was just more fun. Maybe it was because we got away from the Onslow Hotel for a while and got to see a few new places, including a very interesting little town in the middle of nowhere where hijinks ensue! Of course, Tammy and Chris are thrust together in his van, when the others leave early and without them. This allows for some bonding, which was the plan, since Amy and Company are playing matchmaker. Obviously their plan works, even though Tammy and Chris pick up on what they're doing, but there were already some feelings there to begin with.

I liked that Tammy and Chris are different from the rest of the group. Her more so then him though, since he's an official Onslow Boy. But he's a bit moody and somewhat of a mystery. He's also much more serious than his friends, but he does know how to let loose. Tammy, on the other hand, feels like an outsider. She's only connected to the group through Amy, so she's not as comfortable on their trip. It also doesn't help that she stumbles upon a secret and has no clue what to do with it! That makes up a little side plot that led to some drama, but nothing major. The focus is very much on Tammy and Chris.

I think That One Summer was a great way to end these series! We get to see all of the couples together while a new one was forming, and the New Year's Eve setting felt like great closure. There was another romance blossoming towards the end between Ellie and Adam, which will be the focus of a spin off. They've been friends forever, so it'll be cute to watch them become more.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Kelly]

I demand you tell me where Onslow is located Ms Duggan. I love this series, being transported back to the 1990's in Australia when I was that age, just magical. As always, just brilliant.

Review to come.