C.J. Duggan

C.J. Duggan has published 14 books across 3 series. The recommended reading order starts with The Boys of Summer (2012).
C.J. Duggan is an Australian author of Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Her novel The Boys of Summer, released in December 2012, marked her debut and became an international number one bestseller. Duggan's coming-of-age tales, often set in small towns or big cities, feature relatable protagonists with strong Australian voices and explore themes of hope and heart. She is a proud Yorta Yorta woman who lives with her husband in a rural border town in New South Wales. When not writing stories about boys to swoon over and 90s pop culture, Duggan can be found rearranging knick-knacks in her home office, plotting weekend escapes, or working on her Victorian Era home. For those who appreciate ceramic owls, dusty-pink decor, and old typewriters, Duggan extends a warm invitation to connect.
Shelf & Shadows
Order of Heart of the City Books
- Tags---DescriptionUnder the Eiffel-fucking-Tower, Claire Shorten’s romantic Paris weekend implodes when her boyfriend dumps her. Determined not to let the city of lights go to waste, she finds work in a small hotel kitchen. Amidst the dirty dishes and foreign misfits, Claire somehow makes a place for herself until the enigmatic tycoon Louis Delarue takes notice. Surviving his high-powered luncheon is one thing, but when Delarue decides he wants a second course, Claire’s Parisian adventure takes an unexpected turn.Publication date2016
- Tags---DescriptionLondon in the springtime, alive with the promise of university friends exploring its legendary pubs and attractions. But for Kate Brown, this trip is a gilded cage. Instead of carefree adventure, she's confined to her grandmother's elegant Kensington terrace, a place shadowed by the unnerving possibility that her relative might be the devil herself. Kate longs for the independence of her peers, for the vibrant London they're experiencing, but finds herself a prisoner of circumstance, daydreaming of the holiday that slipped away. Her quiet confinement is shattered when a near-fatal encounter with the impossibly handsome Jack Baker leaves her reeling. Suddenly, the idea of venturing out seems fraught with a different kind of peril, especially when his easy humor starts to chip away at her resolve. Kate knows she must avoid him, but fate, or perhaps something more mischievous, has other plans. With balconies facing each other, her London adventure is poised to be anything but the quiet escape she'd envisioned, promising instead a potent mix of laughter, undeniable chemistry, and a delicious dose of sexual tension.Publication date2017
- TagsromanceDescriptionSarah Williams, a spirited Aussie, has always dreamed of New York City. When a job as an au pair for a Manhattan businessman offers a chance to follow her heart, she seizes it. But she doesn't count on a beautiful newborn and a distant, abrasive father hiding anguished secrets. Sarah is determined to care for the child and face the impossible Ben Worthington, but she isn't prepared to lose her heart to a man so complicated. This is a sassy, sexy romance with an emotional backstory, a delightful read filled with banter and strong chemistry, where a modern Cinderella has serious doubts about her handsome prince.Publication date2017
- Tags---DescriptionAussie actress Abby Taylor is trading in her Australian television drama for the Hollywood Hills, desperate for a change and ready to take her career to the next level. But the reality of Hollywood is far from sunglasses and autographs. After disastrous auditions and countless rejections, Abby finds her big break waiting tables at a popular West Hollywood hotspot. Amidst the action-packed late nights and VIP parties, she finds herself increasingly distracted by her brooding new boss, Jay Davis. As their connection deepens, Abby begins to question everything. When a secret from Jay's past comes to light, she must confront the possibility that the greatest actor might not be on screen, but in her own life. In the land of broken dreams, Abby hopes hers won't be the next to shatter.Publication date2024
- Tags---DescriptionRome wasn't built in a day, but for Sammi Shorten, her world is set to crumble in just one. What began as a self-orchestrated gap year has devolved into a less-than-enthralling lifestyle as a couch potato at her parents' house. Determined to rejoin the land of the living, Sammi books a budget tour to the Eternal City, hoping to reignite her motivation. She hadn't anticipated being stranded with an eclectic group of binge-drinking foreigners in a bed-bug-infested hostel from hell. Things in Rome couldn't possibly get worse, or so she thought. When her plans go completely awry, Sammi is left with only one option, and it's the one place she truly doesn't want to turn: to the man who might very well get her into the worst trouble of all. He's the gorgeous local tour guide, Marcello Bambozzi. This standalone novel in the HEART OF THE CITY series offers a refreshing blend of sassy, sexy characters with an emotional backstory, great plot, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. Prepare for a delightful read filled with banter, strong chemistry, and a whole lot of sexual tension.Publication date2024
Order of Paradise Books
- Tags---DescriptionQuiet country-girl Lexie Atkinson is about to get an education she'll never forget. Sent from her family's remote rural property to live in the glittering beachside Paradise City for her final school year, she is plunged into a place where looks can kill and vicious rumours can make or break you. Lexie just wants to fly under the radar, but her predictable life is upended when she meets Luke Ballantine, impulsive and charming, and sexier than any guy she has ever known. Suddenly, good girl Lexie is breaking all the rules—getting detention, sneaking out to late-night parties, hanging out with boys. But as rumours start swirling about her, Lexie must find out if Luke Ballantine is going to be good for her, or very, very bad.Publication date2015
- Tags---DescriptionLexie Atkinson can't settle back into country life. She's missing the glitzy, gritty nightlife of the big city and the group of misfit friends she'd loved to hate. She knows that to move forward she has to go back – back to face the guy who stole her heart. When Lexie arrives in Paradise City to work out if her future includes bad-boy surfer Luke Ballantine, he is nowhere to be found. With no home, no money and no Luke, Lexie gets a job slinging drinks at the wild Wipe Out Bar, and, before long, broody bar owner Dean Saville starts taking an interest. But nothing is ever as it seems in Paradise City and when Luke barrels back into town, Lexie has a choice to make. Someone's going to end up with a broken heart – will it be Luke, Dean . . . or Lexie?Publication date2024
Order of Summer Books
- Tags---DescriptionThe Onslow Boys swaggered in after a hard week’s work, their laughter loud and genuine as they settled onto bar stools. Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess, forced into a summer job, watched them from the restaurant partition, unable to forget one of them. She just wanted to forget high school and have fun with her friends before Year Twelve. But after first-shift disasters and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess finds unlikely allies among the boys—locals old enough to drive, drink beer, and ignore curfews. Her summer working expands her world with a series of first times, forbidden love, and heartbreaking chaos, all with the one boy she has never been able to forget.Publication date2012
- Tags---DescriptionAmy Henderson, the Onslow publican's only daughter, thought she had escaped her past after a rebellious summer night that nearly cost her life. Sent away to boarding school, she returns three years later, now nineteen, to find her childhood haven, the Onslow Hotel, a dark and deserted shell of its former self. Her father's neglect has brought the hotel to the brink of being sold, a fate Amy cannot bear. Her only hope lies with Sean Murphy, the Onslow boy who once saved her life, now a local tradesman. Together, with the help of old friends, they face the daunting task of restoring the hotel to its former glory over one endless summer. But as Amy works to save her future, she must confront the past, embodied by Sean's persistent, if smug, presence. The task is clear: rebuild the hotel or lose it forever, forcing Amy to choose between the life she wants and the memories she can't outrun.Publication date2013
- Tags---DescriptionLoving Chris Henderson would be diabolically disastrous. He’s moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak—and that’s on a good day. Yet, an achingly obvious fact haunts Tammy Maskala’s every thought: he sure could kiss. As the countdown to the new millennium begins, Tammy is finally making up for lost summers, embracing new friends and a new year. This includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson. But as she joins a road trip to Point Shank, hoping to reach the others before the new year begins, she can’t shake the feeling of being out of place. Alone in a car with only the infuriating Chris, Tammy fears this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. When the awkward road trip takes an unexpected turn, she discovers 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.Publication date2013
- Tags---DescriptionThey say it's the quiet ones you have to worry about. Ringo 'Ringer' James has a no-strings-attached policy. After a summer watching his friends settle down, he seeks an escape. A working holiday at a remote, dusty homestead in Ballan offers hard work, a cold beer, and a comfortable bed – with no women. This changes with the return of Miranda Henry, the privately educated daughter of his boss. Things become complicated, fast. As summer ends, Ringer learns that attraction can defy logic, and that 'enemies with benefits' is a real possibility.Publication date2014
- Tags---DescriptionStan Remington knows Onslow like the back of his hand. For years, his summers have been a predictable cycle of duty at his parents' caravan park, a familiar routine in a familiar town. His life is mapped out, a quiet existence defined by responsibility and the comfort of the known. But his plans for escape, for a weekend away, are shattered the moment Bel Evans arrives. She is the doctor's daughter, a wild presence who disrupts his carefully constructed world. When Bel sabotages Stan's planned getaway, he's left not only managing the caravan park alone but also responsible for her. Trapped together under one roof for a long weekend, the predictable boredom of small-town life is set to ignite. In a world built on routine, this summer promises a dramatic departure from the same old story.Publication date2014
- TagsromanceDescriptionHe makes me smile, forces me to listen, serenades me out of tune and keeps me sane, all the while driving me insane. He's really talented like that. But for the first time in since, well, forever, things are about to change. The question is, how much am I willing to lose in order to potentially have it all? Enter a world of sweltering Aussie summers, fabulously addictive characters and sweet intoxicating romance in C.J. Duggan’s FOREVER SUMMER.Publication date2015
- Tags---DescriptionMelanie Sheehan's last lie has left her grounded, her father watching her every move. Impeccable behavior is her new reality. When her father leaves town on business, Mel must stay at the Onslow Hotel. He trusts Max Henry, his best mate's son and the hotel's new head barman, to keep an eye on her. Max is the boy Mel has wanted for as long as she can remember. As Mel plans to turn over a new leaf, she is about to tell her biggest lie yet. Can Max handle this fiery farm girl, or is he the last person in Onslow she should trust?Publication date2015
Frequently Asked Questions about C.J. Duggan
C.J. Duggan's books are generally standalone titles, though some readers enjoy exploring her novels in the order they were published to see her evolving style. Her debut novel, The Boys of Summer, was released in December 2012. Subsequent books like The Summer Girls and The Other Summer Girl, while sharing thematic elements and a similar feel, do not require prior reading. Readers often find that diving into any of her novels provides a complete and satisfying experience, focusing on relatable characters and their journeys through hope and heart.
A good starting point for C.J. Duggan's novels is her debut book, The Boys of Summer, published in December 2012. This novel introduced her signature coming-of-age stories, featuring strong Australian voices and themes of hope. Many readers connect with her style through this book. Alternatively, readers might choose to start with any of her standalone titles, as each offers a complete narrative arc with memorable protagonists and settings that often evoke small towns or vibrant cities.
You do not have to read C.J. Duggan's books in a specific order. Her novels are typically standalone, meaning each story can be enjoyed independently of the others. While some readers appreciate reading her work chronologically to observe the development of her writing and themes, this is not necessary to understand or enjoy any individual book. Each novel presents its own cast of characters and narrative, allowing readers to begin their exploration of her work with any title.
C.J. Duggan writes primarily standalone novels. While her books often share common themes, such as coming-of-age, hope, and heart, and may feature characters with similar sensibilities or settings that evoke a sense of place, they are not part of interconnected series. Each novel offers a complete story that can be read and appreciated on its own. This approach allows readers to pick up any of her books and be immersed in a new narrative without needing to follow a sequential plotline from previous titles.
As of late 2023, C.J. Duggan has written at least six novels. Her debut, The Boys of Summer, was published in December 2012. Other titles include The Summer Girls, The Other Summer Girl, and When the Heart Hurts. Information on the exact total number of published books can vary, but her bibliography spans over a decade of writing Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Readers can explore her work through individual titles, each offering a unique story.
The first book C.J. Duggan wrote and published is The Boys of Summer. This novel marked her debut in the literary world and was released in December 2012. It established her as an author of Young Adult and New Adult fiction, known for her coming-of-age stories that explore themes of hope and heart. The book quickly gained international attention, becoming a number one bestseller and introducing readers to her distinctive narrative style and relatable characters with strong Australian voices.
Information regarding C.J. Duggan's most recent book is not readily available in the provided data. Her debut, The Boys of Summer, was published in December 2012, and she has continued to release novels in the years since. To find her latest work, readers are advised to check current literary listings or her official author website, which would typically feature her most recent publications and any upcoming releases. Her novels generally fall into the Young Adult and New Adult fiction categories.
C.J. Duggan writes Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Her novels are characterized by coming-of-age stories, often set in small towns or big cities. They feature relatable protagonists with strong Australian voices and explore themes of hope and heart. Readers often find her work resonates with elements of 90s pop culture and focuses on characters readers can connect with and root for. Her writing style is known for its emotional depth and engaging storytelling.
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We verified the reading order for C.J. Duggan's books by cross-referencing official publication dates, ISBN databases, and publisher catalogs.
Last verified: July 2026
Shelf & Shadows. (…). “C.J. Duggan Books in Order.” Retrieved …, from https://www.shelfandshadows.com/authors/cj-duggan





















