Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt

Aces Up
Author: Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Delacorate Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Rating: 3.5 Stars!
Team: AH! i think both-Cole & Max! 

Seventeen-year-old high school senior Shannon Card needs money. And lots of it. She's been admitted to Wellesley, but her dad just lost his job, and somehow she has to come up with a year of tuition herself. But Shannon's dream of making big bucks waitressing at the local casino, the Collosio, disappears faster than a gambler's lucky streak. Her boss is a tyrant, her coworker is nuts, and her chances of balancing a tray full of drinks while wearing high-heeled shoes are slim to none. Worse, time is running out, and Shannon hasn't made even half the money she'd hoped. When Shannon receives a mysterious invitation to join Aces Up, a secret network of highly talented college poker players, at first she thinks No way. She has enough to worry about: keeping her job, winning the coveted math scholarship at school, and tutoring her secret crush, Max. But when Shannon musters up the nerve to kiss Max and he doesn't react at all, the allure of Aces Up and its sexy eighteen-year-old leader, Cole, is suddenly too powerful to ignore. Soon Shannon's caught up in a web of lies and deceit that makes worrying about tuition money or a high school crush seem like kid stuff. Still, when the money's this good, is the fear of getting caught reason enough to fold? This fun, sexy, recession-proof story is a bubbly summer read with surprising depth—great for fans of Sarah Mlynowski.~Goodreads 

A really cute and fast read! If you liked the movie 21 then you’ll like this book! Even if you know nothing about cards, you can understand it. I think Shannon causes a lot of her own troubles but you can’t help but feel sorry for her! I liked the relationship between Sharron and Robyn- her sister. It reminded me of my relationship with my sissy! I have no idea why Sharron would want a friend like Mackenzie but who am I to judge! Oh! And how exciting for once in my life I was not on a specific team! I liked both guys! (CRAZY RIGHT!) Only problems I had with the book- the ending was predictable and her last name was Card… a little cliché to me.

Favorite Quote: “Until one day in a few weeks, when we’re looking over some equations, I’ll lean in, and Max will say, “I like the way you say ‘x’. I’ve always thought it was really sexy, ever since junior year.” And then I’ll say, “You mean like this? ‘Exxxxxxx,’ ”