The third standalone novel in CJ Duggan's HEART OF THE CITY series - a very sassy, super sexy New Adult romance from the internationally bestselling author of the SUMMER and PARADISE series.
Like so many of her university friends, Kate Brown is London bound, but unlike her friends - who had the chance to enjoy the beer, sights and attractions of the UK - Kate is instead visiting her grandmother (who may or may not be the devil).
Wanting nothing more than to be a normal, independent twenty-something living it up in ol' London town, Kate finds herself a prisoner in her grandmother's Kensington terrace, daydreaming about the holiday that could have been. But when Kate is almost run over by posh,smirking playboy Jack Baker, it leaves her wondering if being out and about is such a good idea after all, especially when she catches herself laughing at his jokes.
One thing Kate knows for sure is that she has to avoid Jack at all costs. But with her balcony facing his, you can pretty much guarantee Kate's London adventure is going to be anything but boring . . .
PRAISE FOR CJ DUGGAN'S PREVIOUS BOOKS:
'I loved this book - it's the perfect beach read.' Flying Through Pages
'I loved every moment . . . C.J. is a born storyteller that breathes a realism into her characters and situations that we've all found ourselves in.' Diva Book Nerd
'PARADISE CITY is the same brand of feel good, fun and sexy romance that I have come to love from this author' Book Briefs
'I love Duggan's writing and PARADISE CITY was a hoot. I cannot wait for the next book! Is it August yet?' Reading With ABC
'Duggan's writing is addictive, and I really didn't want to put this book down.' Escape Into Words
'PARADISE CITY is going to be on my mind until I can get my greedy eyes on PARADISE ROAD. I need that book yesterday!' Book Cat Pin
'A fast paced fun read with so many steamy situations.' Dreamy Addictions
'Guaranteed her readers will come back for more.' My Guilty Obsession
'Drama, deception, love and a little mystery . . . the ending left me hungry for the next book! I can't wait for PARADISE ROAD!' Paranormal Tendencies on Goodreads
'A bit of HOME AND AWAY meets PUBERTY BLUES feel about the novel makes is a great read for older teens and YA. I will be desperately waiting for part 2 in September.' Samantha on Goodreads
'Again Ms Duggan had created a winner. Paradise City was a perfect introduction to the series and characters. I was left needing more and it had so much laugh-out-loud fun. This really did have everything from intrigue to addiction, realism of high school antics, steamy sizzles and fast paced readability. I am certainly hooked and desperately want more of all these characters. I highly recommend this to all new adult readers, fan-bloody-tastic!' Turner's Antics
'This is my first taste of Duggan's work and it won't be the last ... It's a story that will have you coming back for more.' Sassy Book Lovers
'convincing and authentic ... Perfect for fans of Abbi Glines and Anna Todd, PARADISE CITY is a fun and exciting read about love, family and surviving high school.' Fictional Thoughts
CJ Duggan is an internationally best-selling author of contemporary Young Adult and New Adult fiction. From small town dramas to big city dreamers, CJ’s coming-of-age tales are filled with hope and heart, and told by relatable protagonists with strong Australian voices.
A proud Yorta Yorta woman, CJ lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales. When she is not writing you will usually find her rearranging knick-knacks in her home office, or plotting the next weekend escape.
If you love ceramic owls, dusty-pink decor and old typewriters, then CJ wants to be your new best friend.
It had its moments. Although the novel felt pretty mild, lacking any grit. Also, the romance aspect felt like a mix of insta-love but somehow also slow paced???
London Bound is the 3rd book in CJ Duggan’s Heart of the City series. All books are standalone and can be read in any order! Love how they are all set in different cities around the world.
Great characters but Jack and Vera are my favourites. Nana Joy, well, I can’t make up my mind if she is a mean, nasty witch or just a cranky old grandma. A good, light-hearted, romantic story, nonetheless.
This is the third book in a series set in different capitals around the world. Although this can (and was) easily read as a stand-alone novel, I don't know whether I would have gained some background into the characters if I had read the previous books.
Kate Brown is an Australian who has been given the chance of a lifetime to come to London to stay with her maternal grandmother, Nanna Joy in a swanky house in South Kensington. Unfortunately the reality is somewhat different from her dreams: her grandmother is cranky and doesn't let Kate out of the house for fear of murderers and rapists. The mysterious, hot, sexy guy next door, Jack Baker, nearly killed her with his car and they have had a hate-hate relationship ever since which doesn't improve when Kate makes a fool of herself in the local pub.
Kate's passion is for fashion (I'm a poet and I didn't know it!) and when she discovers that her Nanna has two rooms full of vintage fashion, jewellery and handbags her life is complete. She decides to expand her blog into a vlog called 'Kate on the Thames'.
I am always hypercritical about books set in London and there were a few issues with this (Kate refers to the Thames River whereas it is ALWAYS the River Thames, or just the Thames) but mostly I just finished the book feeling a bit meh. I didn't understand why Jack liked Kate so much or why Nanna Joy was such a curmudgeon. I didn't 'feel' the romance blooming between Kate and Jack and therefore it all felt a bit rushed. There were incidents, like Kate meeting Jack's friend in the pub, which seemed irrelevant to the plot or as though they were intended to be part of a plot that didn't materialise. I didn't even feel that Kate was Australian - there was nothing to distinguish her speech from anyone else.
Overall, this was a pleasant enough read but it didn't really work for me.
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
London Bound is a sweet, slightly steamy read. Kate leaves her home in Australia to live in England with her inappropriately named Nana Joy. England is nothing as she had been expecting. She thought she was going on an adventure, but what she got was living in her nana's home, being repressed and bullied by her. On her first day, she meets, or rather, is almost run over by, her new neighbor Jack in his flashy Aston Martin. He's arrogant and unapologetic, and it's just one more nail in the coffin of the dream of what she had though was going to be a fun adventure.
When she starts to get out more, by conspiring with her nana's sweet caretaker, Vera, she sees Jack again at a local pub, and she is flustered to realize that she just might be attracted to her mysterious, arrogant neighbor. As her time in England goes on, she discovers a secret room at her nana's, she starts up a friendship turned relationship with Jack, and finally finds herself with a career, writing her 'Kate on the Thames' blog. She starts standing up to her bullying grandma, discovers that Jack is actually a sweetheart, and finds herself along the way.
I really like London Bound: it's sweet, got some sexy moments and Kate and Jack are adorable together. The only note I didn't like in London Bound is Nana Joy. She's a terrible grandmother throughout most of the book, with no reason given to explain her grumpy, cold attitude. I like that Kate finally stood up to her, and that Jack charmed his way into her graces, and stood up for Kate while doing so. All in all, a 4 star read!
I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.
Oh, how I've enjoyed the Heart of the City series! Each book has been unique, set in different cities around the world. And each character has a different feel too, even if the girls are all Aussies! I've been swept away with each storyline and the fantastic writing style of the author. If you haven't tried C.J. Duggan's work, you should do so now!
Poor Kate, I really sympathised with her, travelling so far away and basically being held as a prisoner due to an overprotective Nana! I could see she just wanted to spread her wings, and she grabbed onto anything that she could that interested her. I liked that she ran her own blog and was passionate about fashion. But the most amusing part of the book was watching her with Jack Baker... the guy that almost run her over.
It was good to see Jack and Kate together, despite him being a little closed off about who he was. He seemed relaxed around Kate and enjoyed her company, where as Kate found him to be annoying to begin with. Each time they were together, I could see the attraction building and that Jack seemed to be trying to get Kate to like him. I especially loved the way that Jack was able to transform Kate's Nana Joy into a swooning girl! She had not one bad thing to say when he was around! When they realised they had more in common than they thought, their relationship became a lot easier and it was sweet to see them let down walls and give in to that attraction.
I find C.J. Duggan to have a light and intriguing writing style. The characters are easy to relate to and I feel like I'm right there experiencing everything they see and do. Kate and Jack were an interesting couple and were vulnerable in their own ways. They were afraid to let anyone too close but had determination to succeed at anything they put their minds too. Now that this series is finished, I'm eager to see what C.J. Duggan will publish next!
The plot wasn't as interesting as the others, and was a little bland but I still enjoyed it and finished the book in a few hours. It ended quite abruptly and felt like it was missing something, but I'd definitely recommend this series.
This is the third book in the Heart of the City Series, but each book can be read as complete standalones. All of the books follow a young Aussie woman as she heads off to a major city in another country … and finds love there.
What Fed My Addiction:
London! These books will give you a sense of wanderlust as you head off to a foreign locale. I’ve never been to London, but this book introduced me to many local spots that I’d love to see someday. I got a good sense of the city because Kate was so excited to be there—even though she did spend a lot of time sequestered at her grandmother’s house at first.
Kate finding her voice. Even though Kate’s in the city of her dreams and has the perfect opportunity to flourish as a travel and fashion blogger, just like she’s always wanted, something major is holding her back. And that something is named Nana. Kate’s grandmother is often more than a little horrible—her expectations are impossible to live up to and she’s so controlling that Kate doesn’t feel like she has any life at all. For a lot of the book, Kate lets Nana kind of walk all over her, but it’s partially because she’s just plain afraid—afraid of breaking out of her shell and afraid of taking chances. It’s almost like she uses her Nana as a crutch, an excuse for not reaching for her dreams. So, I really loved watching her blossom and find her passion, her confidence and her voice. I also loved that even though Kate fell for Jack, it didn’t seem like her confidence or her newfound strength came from him (a common trope). Instead the romance and Kate’s professional developed mostly separately (which isn’t to say that Jack didn’t encourage or help her, but it didn’t feel like the implication was that she suddenly had strength or success because of him, which I appreciated.)
#TheJackBakerEffect. Okay, so I will confess that this is a marketing term that someone came up with, and I normally wouldn’t include random hashtags in my reviews—but in this case, it really fits. Jack Baker really does have some sort of magical effect on people. He even manages to get sour Nana eating out of the palm of his hand. I was a teensy bit worried at the very beginning that Jack was going to be too arrogant for me, but he won me over surprisingly quickly, and soon I was enchanted as all of the characters else seemed to be (well, okay, it definitely took Kate a little bit longer to get there, but she was being purposely stubborn when it came to him).
What Left Me Hungry for More:
I so don’t get fashion. I have to confess that fashion isn’t really my thing, so Kate’s awe of it went right over my head most of the time. I wished that maybe we’d seen a little bit of Kate’s blog (actually a vlog)—maybe I would have understood more what she was gushing about.
This steamy romance is sure to draw you in … and to infect you with a bit of a travel bug too. You’ll be yearning to head to London, and maybe to meet a Jack Baker of your own. I give this book 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
London Bound is the third installment in "Heart of the City" series. It can also read as a standalone title as none of the characters cross over through the series.
Katherine Brown aka Kate is from Australia and has flown to London to stay with her Nanna Joy. Kate is a writer of a blog which is named "Kate on the Thames. She writes about Beauty, Fashion and Travel. In the three weeks Kate has been in London she has felt like a prisoner in her own home as Nanna Joy feels that the streets are once not what they used to be and would rather Kate stay inside. With this Kate has had no inspiration to write on her blog. Kate has the whole entire top floor of the house. She has access to everything on this floor, except for one room and is not allowed to open this door. One day while Kate is looking for an umbrella, while Nanna Joy is out with Vera her carer, she decides to open this door and stumbles onto something that takes her breath away. This room is beyond her imagination and just may have everything she needs for the inspiration to starting writing on "Kate on the Thames". Mr Jack Baker is everything you would imagine in tall, dark and handsome among many other swoony traits. Jack is Kate's next door neighbour and seems very intrigued and knows how to rub her the wrong way. Jack Baker is very mysterious with what he does, while Jack dresses and drives an Aston Martin and very James Bond... Jack and Kate meet on the very first day of her arriving in London and nearly gets hit by Jack's Aston Martin. Then they run into each other at a pub which gets Kate all flustered over seeing the mysterious Jack Baker. Over the next few weeks Kate and Jack become friendly and leads into a friendship over the terrace of each other's homes. Kate spends the day in the mysterious room of Nanna Joy's home which has her with so much excitement and has to share it with someone and the last person she thought Kate would share it with is Mr Jack Baker. Jack is overwhelmed with what Kate has created which is his speciality.
"Kate on the Thames" has caught the attention of "London Bound" which is owned by none other Mr Jack Baker...
WOW what I would do to be in Kate's shoes right now with end full Contour and and to be in London. C.J. has written such a beautiful story that it makes you fall in love with London along with Beauty, Fashion and Travel. C.J. has written this story just like what Kate has achieved with "Kate on the Thames".
"C.J. on London Bound".
For all love of Beauty, Fashion and Travel and to follow your dreams this book is for you. For me it was for Travel but to be given the chance to come across anything like the Fashion Kate has at her fingertips would be a dream come true. But for now I will take the travel.
You received this ARC provided by the author/ publisher in exchange for an unbiased opinion. No type of compensation was made. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher.
This is the 3rd standalone book in this series. A cute billionaire romance with an up and coming fashion blogger.
Summary: Like so many of her university friends, Kate Brown is London bound, but unlike her friends - who had the chance to enjoy the beer, sights and attractions of the UK - Kate is instead visiting her grandmother (who may or may not be the devil).
Wanting nothing more than to be a normal, independent twenty-something living it up in ol' London town, Kate finds herself a prisoner in her grandmother's Kensington terrace, daydreaming about the holiday that could have been. But when Kate is almost run over by posh,smirking playboy Jack Baker, it leaves her wondering if being out and about is such a good idea after all, especially when she catches herself laughing at his jokes.
One thing Kate knows for sure is that she has to avoid Jack at all costs. But with her balcony facing his, you can pretty much guarantee Kate's London adventure is going to be anything but boring . . .
I enjoyed this book. I will definitely add CJ Duggan to my fav authors. Can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Oh why did I wait so long to read a book by this author!!! I loved this one, especially Kate. Kate is an Australian who had come to London to live with her Grandma Joy. She loves fashion and is trying to write her new Blog "Kate on the Thames". However she is bogged down by her difficult grandmother and the irritating neighbor Jack Baker. I loved her inner thoughts and her conflicts. She wants to do so much, has a lot of ambition but the circumstances are holding her back. Then there is her budding friendship with Jack Baker. Jack Baker is a charmer. He's rich, handsome and strong. Their chemistry is off the charts but so soft and subtle. I loved the banter and their moments on the balcony. I have to go and read the first two books coz this author is absolutely amazing. *~*~*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange of an honest review*~*~*
This is the 3rd standalone book in the Heart of the City series, and I think my favourite so far. It's still predictable and occasionally cheesy, but I felt like the relationship progression in this one was a bit more believable, and Jack wasn't presented as a completely arrogant rich guy for half the book, which was nice compared to the first 2. I mean he was still rich, but I felt like he and Kate actually clicked, unlike some of the other couples (especially the one in New York Nights). I think part of the reason I enjoyed this book a bit more than the previous ones was because London will always hold a special place in my heart, so I really connected with Kate's dreams about visiting the city and her excitement at exploring- even if she basically only saw a bit of Kensington during the book. All in all, an easy, fun read perfect for summer!
London Bound is the third book in CJ Duggan's Heart of the City series and I totally read this one first. But that's okay, because it's a standalone! Kate is a young Aussie woman who has decided to have a holiday in London, only to find herself trapped in her nana's home and a sexy neighbour whom she is attracted to (and wishes she wasn't). I was frustrated with her at times, and I wanted to yell at her to "toughen up and stand up for yourself, girl!" This is a good thing! I like a book that gets reactions out of me like that. Jack is smooth, classy, intelligent and sexy. I swooned so much for him. This is a fun, fast paced story and the fact that it's set in London is an added bonus (this chick LOVES London). 5 stars.
this is a first read for me by this author and i was hooked from the first chapter, i definitely got hooked on the jake barker effect. jake and kate are so funny and swert together, i swooned over and over in this book. i have now one clicked the rest kf the series, london bound is the third standalone in a series of standalones.
mmm... nope! I didn't love this one as much as previous ones.
Don't get me wrong, I love London, but anything truly London was missing from this book. One walk to Kensington Palace does not make a book about London.
I found Kate really annoying and I didn't believe the romance between her and Jack. It just seemed to pop out of nowhere. All in all I found this book below average.
Kate (Katherine) Brown is bubbly and enthusiastic. Her hobbies are handbags and shoes, fashion, places, overall glamour, and she would love to turn her hobby of all things fashion and travel in to her dream career. Blogging. Travelling around the world. Living the highlife. When an opportunity to move in with Nana Joy, her mother’s mother, in London, rent free arises, Kate jumps at the chance. Who wouldn’t? From the moment Kate arrives at Nana’s and meets the almost soul destroying woman, she wonders if she has made a huge mistake but tries to remain optimistic. Nana Joy is strict and bad tempered and Kate is not sure she will be able to take very much of her verbal abuse and may have to leave her blogging dream behind and return home. Jack Baker and Kate don’t get off to the smoothest of starts with him nearly running her over in his posh Aston Martin and not affording her with an apology. He makes Kates blood boil. He is cocky. He is arrogant. He is……frustratingly gorgeous and sexy. He seems a little young to be able to afford the car he drives around in and to own the property next door to Kate’s Nana’s house. Jack Baker is quite aloof, he remains a man of mystery for a while in the book. He’s all sexy with his smirking and smart comebacks to Kate. He can handle Nana Joy, she’s practically a puddle on the floor when he is around, so despite us gradually learning more and more about Jack, you are still, from the very beginning lured in by the #JackBakerEffect. The discovery of a secret room at nana’s and an encounter with Jack down the local pub after a disastrous trip to try the English fish, chips, mushy peas with a cider tradition, has hope soaring for Kate that maybe things will work out for her after all. Is she just being optimistic though? Is nana Joy really going to allow Kate to have a life? And do we learn….. Just who is Jack Baker? I loved reading a story that is based somewhere that I actually know, somewhere that I have visited. This only highlighted even more the images created in my head from Cj’s Creative writing. And I can indeed verify that a traditional Fish and chips down the local is pretty damn awesome!! It made me think of some of the things over in the UK that tourist’s love that I completely take for granted and made kind of proud to be able to say I live here. So London Bound is a quick read I would say. You are instantly hooked and fly through it. Flawless writing yet again from Cj. It is again written from the female point of view, which helps maintain the mysteriousness to Jack Baker, but despite this, after each appearance from him in the story, you are definitely left swooning and wanting more. I thought London Bound was quite a cute story, in a sexy way ha ha. You definitely experience some anticipation throughout the story but I also found myself giggling in places to. I know most people will probably dislike Nana Joy and how she is towards her granddaughter, but I love old people. I find grumpy grandparents hilarious but I always felt there was something more from Nana Joy, like maybe it was all a front. She also wasn’t resistant to the #JackBakerEffect. I think no one could be immune Again the third book in the Heart of the City series holds the Aussie elements. Kate has moved from Australia and the gardens near to where Kate and Nana live are called the Onslow Gardens. I actually ended up googling this to see if it was real. Indeed it is. ( This now has made me want to re-read The Summer Series ) I won’t lie, I wouldn’t have complained if Jack had of featured a little more in the story, but I was still completely satisfied with what we were given. Overall a fun plot with well developed characters and insightful writing that leaves you feeling enchanted and wanting more. If you love a romance read, that sucks you in and has you fantasizing of following your dreams, encountering a successful, sexy man and immerses you in a beautiful setting, then London Bound is the book for you.
Kate's London experience wasn't like she thought it was going to be. Instead of exploring the sights and starting her career as a style blogger, Kate finds herself at her grouchy grandmother's beck and call only leaving the house to run errands. To make things even more complicated, Kate's new neighbour confuses her with his odd behaviour but he might be the key to making the most of Kate's English adventure.
London Bound as a book had so many elements I love to read about but it just missed the mark for me. And not just because I wanted the title to rhyme with the other Heart of the City novels (London Sights? To be followed up with my imagined sequel Vegas Fights ;) ). I loved the European setting and quirky characters. The romance is lovely complete with a unique meet cute and dashingly handsome leading man.
But Kate's problems didn't feel authentic to me. I did not believe Kate as a 25 year old. Despite having being an adult for years, Kate is fairly immature and I had a hard time sympathising with her. She came across as materialistic, petty and childish when it came to her interactions with her grandmother. I felt like the only reason why she was aged 25 rather than 18 was so she was a more appropriate match for Jack. Had Kate been just out of high school her behaviour would have made much more sense to me. I would have understood her relationship with her grandmother and her dreams of blogger grandeur.
So I decided to read this book imagining Kate as fresh out of school rather than full-fledged adult. And I enjoyed it so much more.
Kate's relationship with Jack was adorable to read. He may be the boy next door but he's from a completely different world from Kate. She doesn't think she has anything in common with him but when their paths keep crossing, Kate finds herself attracted to the suit clad, sports car driving mystery man. Their banter is fun and sexy at times with their chemistry being present from their first in-book interaction. I looked forward to any time Kate would bump into Jack and was never disappointed.
Over the course of the novel it was great to see Kate find success with her business endeavours as well as find some sort of relationship with her grandmother. But I did feel some of that development happened in spite of Kate's actions.
Overall London Bound is an enjoyable read. Whilst this book was my least favourite in the Heart of the City standalone series, it is sure to please CJ Duggan fans. Cheeky leading lady, dashing love interest, family complications and a fun setting - this book does have it all. I just think that in terms of character age and their behaviours, there was a bit of a disconnect.
Instead of enjoying London like her friends -- sightseeing and having a good time, Kate Brown is stuck living with her grandmother; a woman that would rather Kate stay at home then actually go out and have fun. Meeting Jack Baker is the highlight of her trip, no matter how annoying he is. Can Jack show her a good time, or will his secret keep them apart?
The first two books of this series are wonderful reads, and this one was just as good, because of the main characters back stories and playful banter; the fast-paced plot that never failed to entertain, even when a certain secondary character got a little unpleasant; and the way this story ended that took me completely by surprise. The way this story started had me feeling sorry for the heroine, because her grandmother is a total killjoy that says whatever she wants, no matter how hurtful to the other person. Although it seems that she only has a problem with Kate. Is that because the heroine's mother didn't have a good relationship with the woman?
As for the dialogue, I loved every moment where the characters interacted with each other, especially Kate and Jack or the heroine and Vera, one of the secondary characters that encourages Kate to have fun. Since what her grandmother doesn't know won't hurt her. But what I liked most of all about the dialogue is the teasing banter between Kate and Jack. He likes to say things that might embarrass her, so of course, I couldn't wait to discover what he'd say whenever they were together?
Both the main characters were riveting, as Ms. Duggan penned such good chemistry between these two. Moreover, I loved the heroine's enthusiasm when it came to her hobby, which turns into so much more throughout this story. Then there's the relationship she has with her grandmother. I was hoping at various moments that the heroine would finally say something about the woman's attitude, and I loved the moment that she did, even though Kate's words were a little harsh. While the hero, he's smart, confident and I loved how he won over Kate's grandmother with his charming personality. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible, and yet, he managed to with little effort at all. He's also kind and I liked how he helped the heroine with her hobby, although his secret concerning her hobby and the opportunities it brings to her threatened their growing relationship, if they were to get their happy ever after.
Overall, this third book in Ms. Duggan's Heart of the City series was another delightful read that I could not put down because of the banter between these two that made for really strong chemistry that just kept building until they were ready to give in. The way this story ended took me by surprise, because of Jack's secret. How could he let Kate find out the way she does? However, in saying that, I liked how he made things right and more so what Kate's grandmother does for her. What a wonderful surprise when Kate assumed the worst. I would recommend London Bound by CJ Duggan, if you enjoy New Adult Romance or books by authors Emma Hart or RC Boldt.
*** I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. *** I promise an honest review so here it is.....
This is the first book I've read in this series and it can be read as a standalone. I've never read anything from this author before so I was excited to start this book. It was an okay read for me. Kate was no at all what I expected because I just for the life of me, I could not understand how she could let her grandmother control, insult, degrade and embarrass her and just sit there and take it. Where was her backbone? I swear she must have lost it somewhere on the flight or on her trip to her grandmothers house. There was no way her grandmother or Nana, as she called her could be redeemed in my eyes; I truly disliked her. However, I really enjoy Jack. He was sweet, caring, handsome and funny. The story seemed to flow slowly to me so I really enjoyed the parts of the story that included Jack because it always brought a smile to my face. I'm glad I was give the opportunity to read this book and I'm not against giving another book from this author a try. Just because this one wasn't great for me doesn't mean I shouldn't give another one a try.
For some reason, the story didn't really stick with me. I can't put my finger on why exactly. It was pretty hard for me to get into this book in the beginning and take my attention. I found it lacking in a really good character development and story, I wanted to like this more but it bordered on the ridiculous when the plot was Kate on the Thames and more the half of the book was wasted on her blog It seemed that I kept waiting for the story to really pick up. Kate has no backbone, she let other people manipulate (Her Nana) and is childish, continuously overreacted. It was really frustrating. I only finished it because I hate not finishing something.
London! Australian Kate Brown has dreamed about it and now she’s there London is tantalisingly close. If only she can escape the ‘it’s for your own good’ clutches of her grandmother who seems to want to occupy every minute of Kate’s day. Fortunately, handsome neighbour Jack Baker finds Kate intriguing and wants to know her better in spite of the unfortunateness of almost running her down. While I found this an enjoyable read, for me it didn’t have quite the pizzazz of Paris Lights. It ended so abruptly that I turned the page expecting more and was nonplussed to discover it had ended,
These books are such easy reads and they’re always enjoyable. Jack has been my favourite love interest so far in the Heart of the City series. The only thing that bothered me that was like barely any conflict in this book??? Like the whole Jack keeping that secret was resolved so quickly and same with the conflict regarding her Nan. It wasn’t dragged out which was fine I guess because the main conflict was probably present through with Kate not being able to do the things she wants and with her Nan constantly being rude to her but I guess it was kind of weird there was no crescendo of sorts.
This series is cute, funny and really enjoyable. All 3 have been such fun. Having traveled to these cities, I love the stories based around the landmarks. I get such joy from thinking "oh I've been to that exact building/river/landmark!!" I'm waiting for the next two books to be released, and have pre purchased on Book depository! so excited!!
Another brilliant read from CJ Duggan. Take a trip to London and experience the 'Jack Baker Effect', you won't regret it. An honest story of an Aussie in London with an authentic Australian voice and sparks that will have you devouring this read in one go. Love, love, love!
Not CJ Duggan's best book. It was quite fluffy and straight forward, and the plot was quite predictable with no real complications. I did enjoy the characters although sometimes Kate jumped to immature conclusions. An enjoyable read from a good author.
Another day, another CJ Duggan novel finished. I wholeheartedly love this author and this series and I did really like this story! While I do prefer the other two previous stories better I did like London bound a lot and would definitely recommend it :)
Ohhhh I liked Jack! Great book. I also really enjoyed Nana Joy and the different relationship it added to the story. Good writing, great chemistry and likeable characters.
Was it predictable yes, was there a twist yes. Was there a villain very definitely yes. All In all it was a cheesy story. But you know once in a while you need a story you can lose yourself in. This Author definitely does that.