The Marriage Merger by Jennifer Probst

Synopsis from Goodreads: Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy,wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.
Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?Number of pages: 387

My review: This is the fourth book in the Marriage to a Billionaire series and I have not read the first three books. But I realized you don't need to! It's sort of like some of the Nora Roberts books where there are references to other characters and you find out who is together and married, but doesn't give away any major plot details from their previous novels. I mean you pretty much know that everyone ends up together.

Okay so this book was totally awesome. Really got me out of my reading slump and I finished it in about 2 days. It was very steamy and a bit erotic so I would definitely wait until college or you're over 18 to read this one. Nontheless I really enjoyed it.

I never felt that it was too long or that the story was unrealistic (well maybe only once). The story just flowed so nicely and everything worked well together. The writing was pretty simple so you can fly through this without any struggle whatsoever. 

Sorry this is such a short review but I gotta run to do homework! Definitely check this out though!

See you soon,

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The 100 by Kass Morgan

Synopsis from Goodreads: In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.
Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013
Number of pages: 277
My review: Hmmm. Lot's of conflicting emotions over this book. For the first 100 (no pun intended) pages I was bored with the story. But after that things really started to get rolling.
I also had some problems with a few other things, namely; too many switching viewpoints between characters. I was so confused as to who was who, and only started to really grasp it towards the middle/end of the book. But maybe that's my own incompetence.
Also, the names of the characters were all weird so this sort of aided in the not knowing who is who debacle.
Another thing I wasn't a fan of was the fact that there was constantly the switching between present day and then events from the past. I felt it just made everything more confusing. However, I understand and appreciate why it was written that way. There adds more mystery and more for the reader to keep guessing over until the end of the book. Which brings me to my next point...
The ending! What the heck! Such a cliffhanger! I want to know what happens next right now and the book hasn't even been published yet! So unfair.
There were some things I did like though! These include:
Clarke. She is such a badass and is definitely one of my all-time favorite characters. She's so smart! You don't find that very often in YA fiction, and she does what she wants. When her man treats her like crap she has no problem saying "see ya" and doing her own thing for awhile.
Also, I love the premise of the story. Just awesome. And the romance? Hello, love that!
After the staring at the cover for awhile though I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I like it, but then again I don't. Maybe it's the white background.
Anyways, if you're a fan of Across the Universe by Beth Revis then I would definitely recommend this. And give the book a chance it gets so much better towards the middle/end.
See you soon!

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Agent Colt Shore: Domino 29 by Axel Avian

Synopsis from Goodreads: When an ordinary kid learns he’s the heir to a secret agent dynasty, F.A.L.C.O.N puts him on a case to protect a famous rock group and find a missing journalist. Before he knows it, Colt Shore has gone from body guard to rock star to full-fledged agent when he learns that a human trafficking ring plans to kidnap a group of teenage girls. It will take more than his ingenuity and skills and a couple of cool gadgets to protect his new friends and rescue the captured girls before it’s too late.

Number of pages: 370
Release Date: May 15, 2013
My review: This book was such a great surprise for me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite books of 2013! Agent Colt Shore had it all; action, adventure, secret agents, cool gadgets, and a really great plot to top it all off.
Right from the start we are thrown into a world where there is a high school set up for secret agents in training for a company called FALCON. But, unlike other YA books where the characters are placed into this school and they have to go through the whole "who am I? I'm not a *insert type of person here including but not limited too; vampire, werewolf, etc.* No, Colt knew from the start that he was an agent in training which I really liked. Of course there were secrets here and there that were revealed and that definitely made the book all that more interesting.
As Colt begins his adventure, and right up until the end, I liked how we kinda of got a history of the different places he was going or a connection to real life events that had transpired in different places of the globe. This made me a lot more interested and curious about the real life issues going on in these settings and often I'd set the book down to do my own research, which was way, way, cool.
Agent Colt was one of those characters that I felt an immediate liking to. He was level-headed and wise despite the fact that he was a 15 year old newbie in his field, but he just had this aura about him that drew you in.
Also, often with books like this about secret agents and adventure and stuff you feel that the characters get too lucky, but I didn't feel that way at all. All of the obstacles that Colt had to overcome sounded reasonable and like something that could happen in real life.
Overall, it was just a really awesome and fantastic book. I can't express to you how good it was. Of course, once I finished the book all I could think was, when is this going to be made into a movie, and when is there going to be a sequel?

Here's some more info about Agent Colt Shore: Domino 29 and Axel Avian, the author!

axelavian@gmail.com – write and say hello or ask questions .

AxelAvian.com – Come and browse the site for more on locations and characters in the book. PLUS - a challenging Android and iphone game ap called Agent Colt Shore: Falcon Academy on the website to be released on May 15^th as well.

AMAZON Hour!! – Buy the book May 15^th before noon on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Colt-Shore-Domino-29/dp/1933608528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367417773&sr=8-1&keywords=agent+colt+shore+domino+29

Check out Axel’s latest YouTube installment of “Regular Guy Spy” where he answers reader questions about his mysterious past as a secret agent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBtoIQ8O_zI

You can follow Axel on Instagram!!

The publishing company is running a Fan Fiction writing contest with some great prizes: write another chapter of Agent Colt Shore using one of the characters from the book and submit to Karen.lee@arundelpublishing.com

Want to win the book for yourself? Enter below! We have five books to give away!

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See you soon!

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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Synopsis from Goodreads: Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.
When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

Release date: June 11, 2013
Number of pages: 403

My review: Honestly, I have a couple of different emotions about this book. I read it while reading a few other books because it is just a massive hunk of a book (you know the type, big book but tiny writing), but also because there were some spots that were a bit slow for me. The first 100 pages were awesome; a lot of backstory which made me really care for or understand the characters later on down the road, and I liked how the switching viewpoints was set up. Sometimes when books switch the views on different characters I am left feeling a bit confused and dizzy, but Crazy Rich Asians did it where it wasn't switching all over the place and each character had their fair share of speaking time throughout the novel.
The next 100 pages (so around the 200 range) were pretty good, lot's of name dropping and finally more of the characters and families get to interact, especially Rachel being introduced to a large majority of Nick's family. Also more thrawting and scheming comes out which always makes a book more exciting!
Then the 300 page range. Oh my goodness. It seemed to drag on a little too long. The story was good I just felt that it wasn't going anywhere fast. Often in cases like this I'll say something like it could have been taken out, but honestly it's probably better left in otherwise the ending would have felt weird or sort of rushed (which it already kind of was but I'll explain that in a minute).
The last 100 pages were pretty awesome. A LOT more drama started happening and the ending story about Rachel and her mom made the whole book worth it. That story in itself could be a novella or companion novel for this book!
The characters themselves were pretty cool. Nick and Rachel are a good couple; you can totally see how they are compatible, even if Rachel is sometimes a little TOO goody-two-shoes for my liking (although she does have her moments of outburst which made me laugh).
Nick's family; pretty much all jerks, except for a couple cousins or uncles and aunts here and there. His mother is pretty awful although his dad seems super cool. Astrid, one of Nick's cousins is honestly such a chic and cool character. I loved her little side story and I was rooting for her from the very beginning (dare I say it, more than Rachel?). Rachel's family, which is just her mom, total sweetheart. Loved her!
Another cool thing about the book was when it discussed Asian cuisine or used some phrases that were in different languages it left little asterisk and at the bottom of the pages it explained everything for you. Some were really short one sentence things, but some asterisk were pretty long and took up almost half the page. You're sort of getting a mini-history lesson with some of the things the author included.
So, in conclusion, it wasn't completely awesome but it wasn't a let down either. I gave it a solid four stars on Goodreads and I would definitely recommend you check this out for yourself when it comes out. Warning though; if you don't like name dropping or rich people flaunting money, don't read this. You'll hate it.
See you soon!

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Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: A hilarious new novel from Elizabeth Eulberg about taking the wall out of the wallflower so she can bloom.

Don't mess with a girl with a Great Personality.

Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, funny...but she's never been one of those girls, the pretty ones who get all the attention from guys. And on top of that, her seven-year-old sister, Mackenzie, is a terror in a tiara, and part of a pageant scene where she gets praised for her beauty (with the help of fake hair and tons of makeup).

Lexi's sick of it. She's sick of being the girl who hears about kisses instead of getting them. She's sick of being ignored by her longtime crush, Logan. She's sick of being taken for granted by her pageant-obsessed mom. And she's sick of having all her family's money wasted on a phony pursuit of perfection.

The time has come for Lexi to step out from the sidelines. Girls without great personalities aren't going to know what hit them. Because Lexi's going to play the beauty game - and she's in it to win it.

Number of pages: 261

Release Date: March 1st, 2013

My review: I finished this book in only one day because it was THAT fantastic! The first book I read from Elizabeth Eulburg was Prom and Prejudice and I gave a raving review of that book so when I heard that she was releasing another book, I just had to get my hands on it! So, as you can imagine, the day that Netgalley informed me that my request had been approved to read it, I was ecstatic! 

Anyways, the synopsis does a pretty good job of summing up the story, but once you start reading you realize it has so much more depth than it lets on. Lexi is one of those characters I instantly took a liking to because she knew exactly what she wanted in life, she tried not to take anyone's crap, and she had two of the coolest friends, Cam and Benny, I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in a book.

I really appreciated how as the story progressed she was able to stand up for herself, and this caused her to be a really wonderful (and NOT weak) central female character. I just hate when female characters seem to depend too much on boys or don't have a single thought of their own.

The friendship between Cam, Benny, and Lexi was hilarious and I actually felt a deep connection with them. Their friendship sort of reminded me of the kids from that old TeenNick show "Unfabulous". (Click the picture here to see what I'm talking about) Also, their friendship lasted through the book, it wasn't one of those friendships where the main girl abandoned them after she found a guy, or something. Cam was always saying hilarious statements and even though they were funny they also had a deep sense of truth in them. 

I loved to see the development Lexi went through regarding her family issues, her sister Mac's pageant fiascoes  her friendship, and the way she discovered how important image is to people. This book was on my top books of 2013 that I wanted to read and I'm glad I was able to read it because it was so refreshing and an absolute page turner! (No pun intended) I would definitely recommend you checking it out!

See you soon!

Paige

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Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 320
Release Date: March 5th, 2013
I know any review I write will never do this book justice because it is so completely and fantastically awesome! I was enthralled from the very start where we meet a girl who has just survived a plane crash but has lost all of her memories. As she waits in the hospital to see if anyone will come forward to claim her, she is told that her name was never on the list of passengers for the plane...so why was she at the crash site? Who is she?
A handsome boy comes and visits her while she is still in the hospital and he delivers cryptic messages saying that she needs to leave and that he wants to take her someplace safe and hide her from the evil people. This only adds more confusion to the missing girls identity, who has been nicknamed "Violet" by the hospital staff due to the color of her eyes. Violet decides to keep quiet about meeting the boy and is soon ushered into a temporary foster home.
Once there, she begins to rebuild her life and figure out exactly who she is, where she came from, why she wasn't on the plane, and who that mysterious boy was. 
This book was so action packed that I couldn't put it down! I flew through this novel in a matter of days and would've probably been even faster if I didn't have school to worry about. I highly recommend that everyone go out and buy this book immediately once it hits shelves everyone because it is amazing. You can obviously tell there was a lot of plot development (it wasn't all just thrown together) and that Jessica Brody put a lot of time and effort into this novel.
This being the first book I've read by her, I can't wait to go pick up some of her other works! Hopefully they are all as good as this one! I think there might be a sequel (but obviously not for a long time since this one hasn't come out yet) but if there is I will definitely be buying it as soon as possible. I could also see this book being turned into a movie because it is just so well done and if a movie were made about it, I could see how it would rack up a lot of revenue.
Overall, a fantastic read and I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of this year it's one of my top books of 2013!
I'm having a giveaway of a sneak peek pamphlet of this book (and some bookmarks) so if you want a chance to win that click here!
See you soon!
Paige
P.S. Thanks so much to Goodreads and Farrar Straus Giroux Publishing for hosting the giveaway of this book and for sending it out to me!

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December and January Haul

Here are all the books I got in December and January (there's quite a few so keep in mind this was over a two month period!)

From Barnes and Noble: 
Monster High #2: The Ghoul Next Door by Lisi Harrison (hardcover)


Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (hardcover)


From Amazon.com:
Maximum Ride #7: Angel by James Patterson (paperback)


The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (paperback)


From Half.com:
House of Night #2: Betrayed by P.C. and Kristen Cast (hardcover)


House of Night #3: Chosen by P.C. and Kristen Cast (hardcover)


From PaperBackSwap.com:
Last Seen Wearing by Colin Dexter (paperback)


Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie (paperback)


Shakespeare's Sonnets Edited by Stanley Wells (paperback)


Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie (paperback)


The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (paperback)


The Runaway Dolls by Ann M. Martin, Laura Goodwin, and Brian Selznick (paperback)


From the $1 local used bookstore:
No Fear Shakespeare: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (paperback)


Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (paperback)


Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (paperback)


Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld (paperback)


Midnighters 2: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld (paperback)


Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel (paperback)


Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (paperback)


The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie (paperback)


Dead Mans Folly by Agatha Christie (paperback)


Murder Is Easy by Agatha Christie (paperback)


Dead in the Clouds by Agatha Christie (paperback)


Towards Zero by Agatha Christie (paperback)


Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (paperback)


From the $1. 99 Goodwill Bookstore:
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (paperback)


Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers (paperback)


Switched by Amanda Hocking (paperback)


Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (paperback)


Bite Me! by Melissa Francis (paperback)


Received as a gift on Christmas: 
The Fame Game by Lauren Conrad (paperback)


Won as a giveaway on Goodreads:
Wolf Dawn by Susan Cartwright (paperback)


Upload by Mark McClelland (paperback and signed by the author!)


Unremembered by Jessica Brody (paperback ARC)


NetGalley books received for review:
Entangled by Nikki Jefford (ebook)


Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulburg (ebook ARC)


What did you get this month? 
See you soon!
Paige

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