- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Paperback - Pages: 352; Kindle Edition - File Size: 849 KB | Expected Release Date: February 3, 2015 | Publisher: Entangled Publishing : Teen | Obtained: Entangled Publishing
"Paper or Plastic" by Vivi Barnes
Author's Book Description : 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?
My Book Review : 4 out of 5 stars! A girl tries to steal lipstick from SmartMart and is caught. As punishment, as well as to teach her responsibility, her mother gets the manager to hire her for the summer, much to her dismay. Overtime she finds that SmartMart is better than she perceived, most of the employees are really nice, and there is one hot assistant manager who is more than nice in getting to know. Yet, with life at home getting more difficult and the hot assistant manager actually being her best friend’s enemy will she be able to follow her instincts/her heart or will her fears about what everyone thinks get in the way?
Even though at times I wish Alexis (Lex/Lexus) was more forthright to her friends and Noah, I liked how this novel progressed from Lex being snobby to her putting effort into getting to know all her employees to her overcoming her previous misgivings. In addition, the trouble that Lex deals at home with her Grandmother and her mother made her a more complete character, which helped me like her as a character more. Together Noah and Lex are opposites that seem to balance one another out. They’re the definition of “living on different sides of the track” yet in some ways they help the other one stay grounded.
While I liked the buildup of this novel and its surprising twist at the end, I’m not sure what to make of its ending. I say that because while I thoroughly enjoyed Noah & Lex along with their novel, I was expecting/hoping for more. Mostly this novel left me with more questions than answers. Furthermore, it makes me hope that there will be a sequel written so I can see how Noah and Lex’s sweet unlikely relationship works out once school starts up for them.
Overall, I recommend this novel to those who are looking for a “clean” contemporary YA romance to read!
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Book Teaser(s) :
The cutest little girl with dark ringlets twisted in yellow ribbons and the same big blue eyes gripped her mother’s leg, her face buried in her skirt.
“And this is Belle, my sister,” Noah said, patting the little girl’s hair fondly. “She’s three years old. Belle, this is Lex.”
“Hi, Belle,” I said softly, smiling at her. Belle peeked around shyly. “Your name is like a princess, just like my sister’s.” I pointed to the walking pink fluff that had emerged from the dressing room and was now twirling around in front of a huge mirror. “That’s my sister, Aurora.”
My mother gave us a quizzical look as Adrienne and Belle wandered over to a clothes rack, but she didn’t say anything.
Noah tilted his head as he watched his sister squeal over a yellow cupcake dress. “What’s up with parents naming their kids after princesses, anyway? It’s like they planned for all this, you know?” He waved his hand around the shop.
I nodded, but my stomach flipped. I hoped he never learned that my middle name was Jasmine. ~ within Chapter 8
“Everything okay?” I asked him.
His friendly eyes became guarded, but he nodded. “So you’re back to work on Monday?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Yeah.” He reached out and twirled my long blond strands around his fingers, a half smile forming on his face. It was such a familiar yet sexy gesture. It made me want to throw my arms around him and kiss him, and screw what my mom would think.
“Come on, Alexis, time to go,” Mom called from the car. Not helping here, Mom.
I took a deep breath. “If my mom wasn’t looking, I’d kiss you.” The words were bold—maybe it was too much. I had to remind myself I made the first move earlier.
His smile deepened as he placed my hair back on my shoulder, his fingers grazing my collarbone as he pulled away. “Your mom won’t always be looking.”
Oh, sigh. ~ within Chapter 19
For more information on this book and/or any other books by Vivi, then please check out her
website.
