✯REVIEW:✯ The Replacement Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts

The Replacement Crush
by Lisa Brown Roberts
Release Date: September 6th 2016 by Entangled: Teen
Pages: 400
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult
Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

True love can’t be strategized.

After book blogger Vivian Galdi’s longtime crush pretends their secret summer kissing sessions never happened, Vivian creates a list of safe crushes, determined to protect her heart.

But nerd-hot Dallas, the sweet new guy in town, sends the mission and Vivian’s zing meter into chaos. While designing software for the bookstore where Vivian works, Dallas wages a counter-mission.

Operation Replacement Crush is in full effect. And Dallas is determined to take her heart off the shelf.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

My Review:

Having read previous books by the author before, I was really excited to read The Replacement Crush, the cover and the synopsis had me all over the book!

It's a start of a new year, in this case it's senior year for Vivian Galdi and her friends, and after having the summer of a lifetime she is excited to go back to school. Yet after spending the summer having kissing sessions with her longtime crush, she is surprised to find that her “crush” has decided to ignore their summer together for a new girl altogether. This completely destroys Vivian and that is enough to get her to plan The Replacement Crush in which she would focus on guys who she has little interest in, in order for her to not get her feeling hurt again. Little did she know that her plan was going to change her life forever. This all happens after a new guy in town shows up at her school, and when her mom decides to hire him to work at her bookstore. As the two start to spend time together, Vivian starts to realize that her plan might just be working too well, and if she wants an relationship she will have to change the course of the replacement crush before it's too late.

I really enjoyed reading the book, from the characters to the plot, Roberts did an amazing job creating a realistic story line that's very reminiscing of a typical teenager. Vivian is smart, outgoing, and seems to know what she wants. Her mom's love for books has made an impact on Vivian's life as she is also into books and has a book blog as well. Between going to school and doing all your typical extracurricular activities, she also has a job at her mom's bookstore. It is in that type of environment that she is surrounded by so many stories (romance stories) that have made her a hopeless romantic, so when her crush finally notices her she ignores all the warning signs of the playboy that is her crush and goes against her mom's back to hide her “relationship.” Surrounded by her group of friends who all have very distinct personalities, Vivian has their support, but do not necessarily agree with her going out with the school's playboy. With that said, when she meets Dallas, there is chemistry between them that is undeniable and even Vivian knows that. But sticking to her plan is what she wants to do, and not even the nerdy/hottie Dallas can change her mind.

On the contrary, Dallas is cute, funny, smart and can also play the cello. Definitely the guy who is too good to be true! However, he seems to be mysterious as well which made them that much more intriguing. I loved the way they both seem to be in-tune with each other, they has inside jokes and flirted with each other. Their relationship is very obvious, but it takes Vivian a while to realize just how much her plan was working against her from the very beginning. Anyway, there is a sensitive scene towards the end of the story that might turn readers off a bit, but it's part of the story and it all works out in the end. The ending is so cute, it will literally leave you wanting for more! I would highly suggest reading this book and any other book by the author, you will not regret it. :)

***ARC provided by Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.***

My Rating:

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Review: Paper or Plastic by Vivi Barnes

Paper or Plastic 
by Vivi Barnes
Release Date: February 3rd 2015 by Entangled: Teen
Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult, Teen
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N
Author's Links: Website, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook

Welcome to SmartMart, where crime pays minimum wage...

Busted. Alexis Dubois just got caught shoplifting a cheap tube of lipstick at the local SmartMart. She doesn’t know what’s worse—disappointing her overbearing beauty-pageant-obsessed mother for the zillionth time…or her punishment. Because Lex is forced to spend her summer working at the store, where the only things stranger than the staff are the customers.

Now Lex is stuck in the bizarro world of big-box retail. Coupon cutters, jerk customers, and learning exactly what a “Code B” really is (ew). And for added awkwardness, her new supervisor is the totally cute—and adorably geeky—Noah Grayson. Trying to balance her out-of-control mother, her pitching position on the softball team, and her secret crush on the school geek makes for one crazy summer. But ultimately, could the worst job in the world be the best thing that ever happened to her?
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Review:

Paper or Plastic was just a cute romantic read that will leave you wanting for more. 

From the very start I was intrigued with the synopsis, it sounded very promising, and it did not disappoint at all. Every single character is put in the same setting, and as readers we get to see and learn their stories as well. SmartMart is widely known for its employees, and for the events that happen there that others would find laughable. When Alexis Dubois is caught shoplifting, she only has one option if she does not want what she did in her permanent record, and that is to work there for the time being. She immediately regrets what she did, but her overbearing mother is not about to let that do until Alexis learns her lesson. What her mother does not know is that Alexis is so tired of being “perfect” that she wanted to challenged her mother, and what she got out of it was a summer job. What she also did not realized that she was about to learn just how real, and loyal everyone at SmartMart really is. 

Noah Grayson has his own problems to worry about. Even though he is smart, his reputation at school makes him nonexistent. Everyone blames him for what he did to Alexis best friend, and non one wants to be associated with him. Working at SmartMart has giving him the experience that he needs for a job, as a supervisor he knows everyone in the store, and everyone seems to like him there. It becomes a home for him, one that he is proud of. But being surrounded with so many characters in the work force, he is bound to see just about anything that could happen in the store. But when he finds out that Alexis Dubois is about to be his co-worker, things slowly start to spiral out of control when he finds out just how much he really likes her. As the two start to spend time together at work, sharing meals together, it is evident that they both want to be something more than just friends. But what is keeping them apart can hurt Alexis friendship with her best guy friend, and that is something that she is not so sure if that is what she wants. 

I absolutely loved the secondary characters in the book, they are all well thought out, and their stories are the ones that bring a little extra to the story. I enjoyed reading about Alexis work at SmartMart, it was entertaining to see her working with her co-workers. There is one employee that likes to play tricks on the customers, and other employees as well that I just found hilarious! Her interaction with Noah Grayson is sweet. He cares for her, and they have a lot in common, since their mothers are into beauty pageants and so Alexis and Noah's little sisters end up in competitions. Noah is one of those characters that has been through a lot, having an abusive dad is what drives him into working ten times harder than others just to maintain his mother, and sister. Whereas Alexis does not have a live like that, she does worry about her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. So they both suffer emotionally, and that is just one of the reasons they fit well together. Overall, I enjoyed reading Paper or Plastic, it was a cute read that I highly recommend. :)


***ARC provided by Entangled: Teen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

Rating: 4.5/5

 

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ARC Review: How (Not) to Fall in Love by Lisa Brown Roberts

How (Not) to Fall in Love 
by Lisa Brown Roberts
Released Date: February 3rd 2015 by Entangled: Teen
Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N
Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Covington never had to worry about money or where her next shopping spree was coming from. Even her dog ate gourmet. Then one day, Darcy’s car is repossessed from the parking lot of her elite private school. As her father’s business hit the skids, Dad didn't just skip town, he bailed on his family.

Fortunately, Darcy’s uncle owns a thrift shop where she can hide out from the world. There’s also Lucas, the wickedly hot fix-it guy she can’t stop crushing on, even if she’s not sure they’ll ever get out of the friend zone. 

But it’s here among the colorful characters of her uncle’s world that Darcy begins to see something more in herself...if she has the courage to follow it.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

My Review:

How (Not) to Fall in Love is a coming-of-age story of a girl that found her true self in the least likely of places. 

Darcy Covington has it all, money, a famous father, and a mother who enjoys the richness that money can buy. But that soon changes the minute her famous father disappears from their lives. No one seems to know where he is, and his company is going bankrupt. Not knowing what to do, she faces the backlash of the media, and the stares of her classmates. It all seems to be falling apart for Darcy, and her mom. She wants her dad back, and with the company taking everything away, she needs to find a way to make money in order to support herself, and her mom. But help comes when she least expects it the minute her uncle, Charlie, offers his help. As a thrift shop owner, Charlie, does not have a lot of money, and that is one of the reasons why his brother, Darcy's dad, completely ignored him for years. Yet, Charlie's personality is one that offers comfort, and laughter to Darcy that she questions why her dad prevented her from seeing her uncle all this time. 

As she starts to spend more time with Charlie, Darcy meets Lucas, a rather charming and handsome guy that works for her uncle. Not wanting to deal with anything that can distract her from finding her dad, she tries her best to stay away from Lucas, but she soon realizes that Lucas might not want to stay away from her after all. There are secrets that they both have, as well as things in common, and the more time they spend together, the more Darcy starts to learn about herself and what's truly important in live. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, the character development was on point! I liked how Darcy and Lucas's relationship took its own time to development without feeling forced at all. They both had to face challenges, but everything is well wrapped at the end. I did, however, had an issue with just how fast the ending was. It felt a bit rushed right at the end, I really would have liked to see a little bit more of Darcy's relationship with Lucas. Needless to say, everything else in the book worked for me. The story is well-written, and the characters are relatable. The story as a whole felt real, and that's what kept me from stop reading it. Now the characters do have their distinct personalities, Lucas is sweet, handsome, and helpful. He is one of those characters that I would love to meet in real life, and his little sister, Pickles, is hilarious. I love the interaction that they have, it shows just how much he truly cares for those around him. On the other hand, Darcy is not stuck up by any means, maybe a little bit in the begging when she gets her car taken away and she is worried more about the embarrassment that has caused her. But she does change over time, she learns to be brave, and accept her new life. She doesn't give up, and at the end, she proves that she is willing to do anything to keep her family together. Overall, I highly suggest reading this book, it will not disappoint. :)

***ARC provided by Entangled: Teen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

My Rating: 4.5/5

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✎ Book Trailer Reveal: Deviate by Tracy Clark {GIVEAWAY!}

Book Trailer Reveal

Deviate 

by Tracy Clark

Release Date: March 3rd 2015 by Entangled: Teen

Series: The Light Key Trilogy #2

Pages: 356

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Kobo

Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

Learning the truth about herself was just the beginning.

Tormented after a daring escape, Cora Sandoval must find a way to stop the Arrazi from murdering innocent people and from violating, using, and killing the Scintilla for their powers. She must also accept one bitter betrayal.: Finn Doyle—the Irish boy who has both a piece of Cora's heart and soul—is Arrazi...

On the verge of extinction and sought by those who would either consume or destroy them, Cora and the remaining Scintilla survivors must solve the mystery of The Light Key. If they fail, the truth will stay buried forever and mankind will pay the ultimate price.

No longer will she hide.

No longer will her loved ones be hunted.

And she will have her vengeance...even if she shatters her heart in the process.

About Tracy:

Tracy Clark grew up a "valley girl" in Southern California but now resides in her home state of Nevada with her daughter and son. She's an unapologetic dog person who is currently owned by a cat. She is the recipient of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Work in Progress Grant and a two-time participant in the prestigious Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program and now serves as Regional Advisor for Nevada SCBWI. Her debut novel was inspired by her enchantment with metaphysics as a teen, seeing it as the real magic in life. Tracy is a private pilot, and an irredeemable dreamer. 

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