The Australian

2.75-3 StarsHe was the most astonishing, extraordinary human being. All his imperfections, his scars, his need to control, his lies, were somehow assembled in such a way, to me, that made imperfect sense. He was a logical disaster.I have to admit I really struggled with my rating on this book. While there were parts of it I really liked, there were also quite a few parts that didn't really work for me. But this is a personal taste issue and not necessarily something that was wrong with the book, [...]

Definitely not for me.I rarely read books with stories set in Australia because as much as I like that place (beach and hot men), I can't really get into the lingo and culture.The heroine also talks weirdly. Not in a robotic and logical way that characters with social issues usually does, but in a totally archaic way." I'm sorry to inform you I cannot accompany you as I do not know how to swim."******"Incorrect on all counts,"I informed him. "I have never had any of those. But I do not believe m [...]

Charlie Sykes is what others would call an odd duck, to her it logically doesn't make sense as she has no feathers. Charlie takes everything literally, she analyzes and spends a lot of time in her head making a well thought out decision. When she is hired by hotelier Jace Knight, she is well aware of his reputation with his employees. As Charlie does with every aspect of her life, she lays it out why she is certain they would not work well together. For the first time in his life Jace is complet [...]

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I love it when I read a book and am totally surprised by what I discover in between the pages. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, which has totally unrelated characters and can be read on its own, so you know I was really excited to read this book. My excitement and eagerness was totally justified.I devoured the book. That's the only explanation I have for how fast I read it. It was like the only speed I had for reading this book was supersonic. The story was that compelling and s [...]

This is the complete review as it appears at my blog dedicated to reading, writing (no 'rithmatic!), movies, & TV. Blog reviews often contain links which are not reproduced here, nor will updates or modifications to the blog review be replicated here. Graphic and children's reviews on the blog typically feature two or three images from the book's interior, which are not reproduced here.Note that I don't really do stars. To me a book is either worth reading or it isn't. I can't rate it three- [...]

#Omigah! I want this sooo HARD!!Charlie Sykes relies on her high IQ to navigate the bafflements of life including people’s incessant irrational behavior—just barely. When her mother passes, she moves to Sydney, Australia, where she intends to pursue the conventional rites of passage every young American girl deserves, namely, landing a fulfilling job, finding a home to call one’s own, and partnering with a caring life mate.Mr. (Jace) Knight, international hotelier and reputed playboy, has [...]

Engaging read. Stayed up late to finish. The first half good. The middle a bit dull. The ending good.Hero is badass former mafia. Heroine is an analytical genious who flees to Australia after her mother dies. The hero and heroine really connect. I enjoyed their differenceshe a street smart Aussie and her a smart American who isn't good at emotions. I look forward to reading more from this author.

x stars.This review also appears on Pretty Sassy Cool.I liked The Australian a bit more than I liked The Frenchman.Following the death of her drug addict mother, Charlie Sykes sells off their trailer and heads to the land down under to start fresh. She's practical to the point of driving people away and finds herself lonely. After a few weeks in Sydney, Charlie finally lands a job, working as a personal assistant to self-made billionaire Jace Knight. She's up front about her strict convictions f [...]

I think is not a secret that I am a huge fan of Lesley Young, I love her books, her writing and herself as she is an amazing person. I had the amazing privilege of reading The Frenchman a while ago and I was utterly thrilled with the new direction she took as an author. I thought she couldn´t surpass her previous books but I was wrong because she did it again. I was completely knock out when I started reading The Australian, I was hooked from the very beginning!The Australian is a book full of [...]

GENRE: RomanceTHEME: Erotica, ContemporaryRECEIVED: AuthorBLOG: seeingnight/REVIEW: After reading The Frenchman I couldn’t wait to dig into the next installment. Lesley Young has a way of creating intense bad alpha males and making the readers fall for the guy. Yes, they are normally overbearing and secretive but they are sexy as hell and have a soft spot for sweet girls. This bad boy is even more intense than the first and in all the right ways. The Australian follows quirky Charlie Sykes, a [...]

5 stars / 3 flamesI don't give many 5-star reviews (only 5 out of 125 books to date this year). So you know when I do give a 5-star, I really enjoyed the book. And I really really enjoyed this book, mainly due to our quirky female lead character, Charlie Sykes. She is my favorite female character of the year so far. Charlie suffers from Pervasive Development Disorder which seems a bit like Asperger's to me. She has trouble with social clues and deciphering emotions. This makes Charlie a very lit [...]

Check out more of my reviews on my blog gemmareadstoomuch4.5 StarsThe Australian is book #2 in the Crime Royalty series, I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy of this book to read for Gemma Reads Too Much.I LOVED The Frenchman so I went straight onto The Australian with seriously high expectations.Well The Australian is a completely different kettle of fish but it’s equally brilliant.Charlie, god what to even say about Charlie??? Well she’s basically the female Sheldon Cooper!!! She’s soc [...]

Charlie Sykes needs to leave the past behind and Australia is just the place to start fresh. Now all she needs is to find a job and place to live. The only problem is that it's not so easy when you take everything literally, are brutally honest, and struggle with social interaction. Things finally start coming together for Charlie when she applies for a position at Jace Knight's company. Unfortunately for her, things begin to get complicated just as quickly as they came together. Charlie is forc [...]

I love me some bad boy romance, but crime romance? That is a new one for me, however like a trooper, i delved in and emersed myself in all things Jace Knight (such a tough job! ;) ). We meet Charlie as she has fled her home, and is just about to take her first interview, as an assitant to Jace Knight. Charlie is not entierly sure about the job, as she was never given much information and its not a field she has experience in.Charlie is socially awkward, she says what she thinks and takes most th [...]

Charlie is crazy smart and has a good head on her shoulders. After her mom dies and she deals with it, she then moves to Australia. Yup, up and moved and hopefully she can create a life, get a job, a nice place, and everything else. Oh and she moved without a real plan or anything, so for a smart person, it wasn't such a smart idea. Somehow it all works for her and its a good thing too, since I wasn't sure if I was going to like her much. She is a good character overall, but there were a few mom [...]

5 Massive StarsQuite possibly the best book I've read this year I could not put it down. There is so much mystery and unknown that is played up in the story. I need me some more Jace Knight I loved him!!! Charlie too, but she was a bit frustrating at first at her lack of common sense, but as the story progressed, we really saw her develop and change. Is Jace into illegal activities? Does he know about what is going on with Charlie? Oh the farther you get, the harder it is to put down!!!Not to me [...]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked ReadsI really enjoyed the first in this series - The Frenchman - and this one is also a hit with me. They are standalone, but really they are both good reads, so do check out the first when you can. It is very difficult to write convincingly from the viewpoint of someone who has emotional blind spots, but I think Ms Young did a very good job. I found I had to read much more slowly than I normally would, as the expected outcomes di [...]

This story follows along the lines of the first book The Frenchman, onlyit takes place in Australia.There is plenty of action and intrigue along with the quirky way Charlie is written, whichgives an endearing quality to her. I found myself laughing at how she rationalizes situations.Jace is just the ultimate alpha male without being overdone.Combined with plenty of Aussie slang, the book really captures the spirit of Oz.Overall Jace and Charlie are the perfect couple that compliment each other.D [...]

I felt like cheering for Charlie. It seem the more you read the more she was attempting to come out of her shell. Okay story line was a bit far fetch but intriguing just the same. I truly believed until almost the end that the ASIS agent was a load of crap. His idea was a business card. That was nice twist. In the end i was happy I finished the entire read.

Loved the frenchman. This female lead was just not my type but I can't wait for the next one

I loved "The Australian"! I rarely give five stars- but the author just delivers such unique, strong stories within the genres I love. Yes- there are definitely romance-genre tropes, but she uses them cleverly, and often subtly turns them on their head. Take our heroine Charlie, for example, she should be the prototypical romance heroine cliche, she's unbelievably gorgeous yet unaffected by her looks, she's naive, innocent and a virgin- yet a total sexpot and wild woman for the right guy. This s [...]

Charlie Sykes is a beautiful young American who decides to start a new life in Australia after the death of her mother. The highly intelligent and overly literal 24 year old becomes the personal assistant to Jace Knight - a hotelier with a penchant for seducing women. But his playboy reputation is the least of Charlie's worries when she is informed that his business may not be as above board as it seems. So begins the struggle between doing what she must to maintain her safety in her new home - [...]

MY REVIEW! 3.5 STARSThis was my first book from Lesley Young so I wasn't sure what I was going into but excited too! Charlie Sykes is leaving her old life behind and is going to live a dream life over in Australia. If only if it was that easy. She is hoping to get a job to keep her going in Australia and that job just might be as Jace Knights personal assistant. Jace Knight's name is on everybody's lips. Everyone talks about him everyone seems to know him and everyone wants him in one way or ano [...]

The Australian was a book that surprised me and left me wanting more. It was written like a intense romantic spy movie, one of my favorite kinds of movies, and plunges the reader into a world where you never truly know what is happening as you go along. The Australian presents two very different characters- Charlie, the naive yet brilliant woman and Jace, the alpha hotelier with a past as grey as they come. You put these two characters together, coupled with Jace's past and present ventures, and [...]

This book was an interesting read. The main female character Charlie, is highly intelligent but it hinders her socially. She is extremely literal, she has trouble reading social ques, she is not good with emotions (hers or other peoples), and questions everything. The main male characters Jase is a wealthy business man. Jase is immediately intrigued by Charlie. She says what she is thinking and is blunt. She makes it clear that they will not be sleeping together. Jase has a past that he isn't al [...]

Charlie is a young lady that has just dealt with her mother dying and has decided to pick up and move to Australia for a new start. She has no other family and just a best friend back in the states that she talks to, so moving to Australia is not a big deal for her. Charlie takes her cat with her and that is her most prized possession. Charlie finds a small place and finds a job without too many problems when she gets to Australia. Charlies new boss may be another issue all together for her beca [...]

Charlie Sykes needs to leave the past behind and Australia is just the place to start fresh. Now all she needs is to find a job and place to live. The only problem is that it's not so easy when you take everything literally, are brutally honest, and struggle with social interaction. Things finally start coming together for Charlie when she applies for a position at Jace Knight's company. Unfortunately for her, things begin to get complicated just as quickly as they came together. Charlie is forc [...]

Interestingly, different kind of a story. The whole book is told in first person, from the heroine's point of view. Charlie is not your typical heroine, or even a person, with her inability to feel emotions, lie, hold her opinion of something, communicate, small talk, and so many other things, making her rather awkward socially. But Jace seems to be intrigued by her, understand her quirks, and accept them. He is likable, attractive, caring, and accepting man, who has had past in the criminal wor [...]