A one night stand turned unplanned pregnancy is usually right up my alley but I found Mayson and Holt's story to be a bit forgettable.

Though the story was quite simple and even predictable...Addison Fox makes it better with her good choice of words. She really knows how to put it at the right place and at the right time. The only problem is, I can feel that there is still something missing? Like more swoon worthy moments ? Or perhaps more drama? Or I'm looking forward for something more from Holt and Mayson?

The ending was cut short. Like everything was resolved too fast. Maybe it's just me, expecting much from this book. How I wish it would be a mind blowing.. giddy fest kind of ending. Nevertheless, it was still a good and sweet story .

I loved this book! Super cute. Will recommend for sure! This book was exactly what I didn't know I was looking for!

I was really excited about this title. Unfortunately, my reality was that I couldn't connect with the hero. I wanted to, but there was something about him that left me questioning the appeal of him as a romantic partner.

As always, I look forward to the next title and appreciate the opportunity to read this one.

Laura

merger to marriage is a pretty traditional category romance. the leads, mayson and holt, meet-cute in the hotel lobby of a wedding reception they are both attending. but their crazy sexual chemistry has them ditching the wedding and heading upstairs for one night of passion.

two months later their paths cross at a weekend getaway with friends and family. mayson is tired and nauseated and hungry and emotional, which if you read romance novels means that she is pregnant. she tells holt who reacts poorly but then rallies. he starts pushing for marriage and mayson is not convinced that's a good idea. her parents were not a good match and she doesn't want to subject her kids to living with parents in an unhappy marriage.

they talk about business arrangements and talk about passion, but they both forget to talk about love even though it's pretty obvious that they are both in it long before they are willing to accept it. there's some extra drama around their backgrounds but it doesn't really take away from the main story. all in all an enjoyable quick read.

**merger to marriage published on may 13, 2013. i received a digital copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of those second chance romances that give you the feel goods as you read. This author is a good one because she does know how to bring the romance to life using her characters to do it. This one centers around Mayson and Holt with you connecting with the story right away. You sink into it wondering where you will be going with these two who have a few things to do. It is one that you can breeze through enjoying every minute of it. Nice way it wraps up too.

3 board/bored CEOS
this .....didn't work
it totally should have worked!!!
it had the makings of a perfect like HEA.

Girl meets boy under a fake name ..night of hot sex...
both get starry eyes with memories
girl finds out she is pregnant
boy asks her to marry him
they suck as adults...
don't have kids when you both are immature

I wanted my perfect HEA not this emotionless merger.
the two MCs didn't have any steam/angst/lust/intensity
it would have worked better if they hated eachother truly instead of try to show the other one how much they "work"
so you are good at kissing.. and apparently at making babies...anything else?!!!

Mayson is the youngest of the McBride sisters and the creative genius behind the success of the sisters enterprise. When Mayson dumps that glass of oh so sumptuous glass of expensive Bordeaux
on her bridesmaid gown at Keira and Nathan's wedding she dashes upstairs to change, happy she packed an extra dress and dashes back to reception hoping to snag a glass before they run out. There she runs into Holt literally when she catches her heel opening the door and he saves her from face planting on the reception room floor. Armed with a spare bottle of the Bordeaux Holt talks Mayson into sitting outside the main room for a nice quiet conversation and a glass of the coveted wine. He's a best friend of the groom. Turns out Holt was the giver of the gift of all that wine. Too bad he missed the wedding and half the reception due to a business meeting.
Mayson introduces herself as Elizabeth for whatever reason, and after some halfway intelligent conversation Mayson invites him up to her room. This is so unlike Mayson but a what a girl wants....
They have incredible chemistry and spend the night together. There isn't any word about their parting, just that the two of them spend the next few weeks thinking about each other, Holt even asking Nathan about an Elizabeth only to come up with no information.
When Keira and Nate have a party at his house in Newport Mayson and Holt meet again. This time she tells him who she is and then drops the ultimate bomb. She's pregnant. Of course he reacts poorly and doesn't know what to make of the whole situation other than a damn business deal when he finds out that she's close to a client he's been trying to sign.
Holt didn't have the best upbringing and his mother appears back in his life just before he meets Mayson which has him on edge. He's spent much of his career trying to make good in a discreet way the unthinkable actions of his mother. His mother threatens Holt's well being and Holt's just unsure enough to let her steamroll him to a point. He's firm on one hand and a puss on the other.
Since he's offended Mayson in so many ways, about the whole pregancy-marriage thing to the point I lost count I grew very very tired of Holt and his self serving crap. Mayson had enough on her plate with the business, a father who didn't give a shit about the three girls or their mother and now a man who she didn't know wanting to marry her, or not on any given day I really did feel for her. She slaps those boundaries down and refuses to budge. Push comes to shove when Holt conveniently and without asking her invites this client he's trying to hook, who he knows is fond of Mayson out to dinner. Mayson is livid and lays into him. Mayson makes it clear she'll do this once and then she's done with him and doesn't want to marry him. Not ever. Close but yet so far eh Holt? You ass.
Things go south and dinner and back at Mayson's apartment things are said, mainly by Holt that he can never take back. He solves Mayson's problem when he grabs his jacket and walks out. Mayson is upset but Holt is a mess. He deserves every tiny piece of shit he gets. Getting the feeling I don't like Holt? Good!! He turned my stomach.
After getting punched in the face by Nathan for what he did, the two of them coming up with a plan to be rid of his mother and the past that haunts Holt. In a few days things are lined up he sees his mother get her just desserts. Didn't change my feeling for him at all though. I just didn't like the guy. I read book one and three when they were released. I suppose there was a reason I passed on this one.
Taking Holt out of the equation it's a good story, I love the sisters and the plot line of the three books.
Addison writes a great story and this series is no exception.

**arc from NetGalley and Entangled in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in my review are my own**

Overall I liked the plot of the book but was kind of disappointed with the amount of chemistry that the main characters lacked. Mayson and Holt meet at her sister's wedding and they have a wild night together. They separate but wind up back together when they figure out 1 + 1 = 3. A good tidy ending to the book

I always enjoy a surprise baby plot. That part of the plot gets resolved rather easily with the heroine, Mayson, and the hero, Holt, coming to a mature commitment to working together when she turns up pregnant after their one-night stand.

There is a sub-plot about Holt’s mother and his fears that his mother’s criminal past and present will threaten his relationship with Mayson. That would have been interesting if the author had done more with that, but it’s all wrapped up relatively quickly and easily and mostly out of the picture. That just seems unfair to the reader. Why have this build-up and plot development if you’re going to solve in in a page or so?

The lack of real plot development is what made this rather a meh read for me.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Please note: I received a copy of MERGER TO MARRIAGE via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

MERGER TO MARRIAGE gets 5 stars and here is why:

It’s a fresh take on the familiar unexpected baby trope. When Mayson and Holt hook up, it’s clear their different backgrounds and crazy families make a relationship impossible to pursue, except for the chemistry that sparks between them. Ms. Fox delivers a page-turner with hella-hot guys, savvy girls, and chemistry that lights up my kindle! If you like contemporary romance with a splash of sexy, this book is for you. Highly recommend!

This second book in the Boardrooms and Billionaires series can definitely be read as a standalone. I haven't read Tempting Acquisitions yet but after reading Mayson and Holt's story, I definitely want to.

Mayson and Holt meet at her sister's wedding but since neither knows who the other is, they think they will never see each other again after their one night stand. When there's more to their encounter than just one night together, they have to figure out how they are going to navigate an ongoing relationship. Holt's suggestion is a marriage that will benefit both of them. Mayson's suggestion made more sense to me: co-parenting and seeing where their relationship goes.

This story was sweet and relatively drama free. Mayson and Holt were thrown into an unexpected situation and while some of the outcomes were crazy to me, I loved how they handled everything that came their way and fixed it when they didn't do a great job of it the first time. I'm definitely adding the rest of this series to my TBR.

*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

Mayson and her sisters have poured everything into the family business and it's finally paid off. The magazine is in the clear and expanding successfully and her oldest sister has not only derailed a take-over, but found a partner and love along the way.

At the wedding, Mayson meets Holt and for one night, she gives in to their blistering chemistry. That one night of wild abandon comes with consequences neither expected, when Mayson finds out her amazing night with Holt resulted in an unplanned pregnancy.

Holt has done everything in his power to make something of himself and to distance himself from the taint of his ruthless con-artist mother. For years he's kept himself closed off from others but Mayson and the baby, it feels right to him and they become his top priority. Marriage would keep them both close and if his mother ever came after him, legally they would be protected by his name. But love isn't in the cards form him and Mayson refuses to enter into such a business like merger for the sake of the baby.

This had a couple of interesting turns and uncliche reactions. For example, with Mayson and Holt first meet, Mayson wanted to shed her responsibilities and just be a normal girl having fun. So she presents herself as Elizabeth and although Holt feels annoyed that she kept her true identity a secret from him and only revealed the truth because of the baby, he doesn't over dramatize it. He admits to feeling put off by her lie but doens't hold it over her head. She also doesn't give excuses for why she did it, she owns up to her mistake but also doesn't let it blow out of proportion. They were very mature about the whole thing which is something you don't see very often in romance. This is usually used as a plot device to make up unnecessary drama.

The second I was pleasantly surprised is the baby news reveal. It wasn't completely drama free but the author manages to make it realistic and understandable. Holt is surprised to find Elizabeth/Mayson still as intriguing and alluring as before but the bomb of the pregnancy freaks him out and he spews the uncertainty and fear he initially feels out and it hurts Mayson. But again, it isn't drawn out or angsty. He realizes his mistake almost immediately and reaches out to Mayson to talk it over and work things out. Like adults!

Even with these nice and refreshing changes, this was still just an okay read. Aside from that first meeting, the chemistry fizzled. The conflict that Holt has between the old timer, Teddy and than again with his mother was interesting but it felt like more page time was devoted to that, than the actual couple.

Would I recommend? For the safety gang looking for an easy read, this one might be a good option. Just dont' expect an epic or impressionable read.

What a nice surprise this book was. I was expecting the usual unexpected baby trope but this one packed quite a few more punches. Mayson and Holt definitely come from different families but where one family's problems are blatant the other's are hidden but no less painful. Due to their family issues they both have trust issues yet they don't let this come between them. They work to accept each other for the sake of their little surprise.

I highly recommend this one.

“A few moments of madness don’t make a lifetime.”

When it comes to books like Merger to Marriage, I’m always happy to spend a couple of hours partaking. Light. Mostly happy. Fun. And warm.

All good things. All good reasons to read. This book isn’t anything overly memorable or groundbreaking, but it’s a well-written take on the Oops Baby trope. I liked a lot of things about this book—the fact secrets weren’t dragged out too long, the necessary apologies, the relationship between Mayson and her sisters.

I didn’t always feel the connection between Holt and Mayson, but I didn’t NOT feel it either. It was believable and likable; I fell into their story easily enough and enjoyed the trip to happily ever after. There were a few things that might have been built on—or maybe make more since if you’ve read book one, which I haven’t—that could have bolstered this story a little, but altogether, Merger to Marriage is sweet and sexy enough to make it an fun way to spend a couple of easy hours.

“Long before I even knew I was looking, my heart knew you. Knew I was waiting for you.”

~ 3.5 STARS ~

A refreshing take on an overused romance tale. Sometimes when I read books like this, I get the same story over and over, or the actual story its self is so unbelievable, not even the steamy scenes can save it. This book was a nice change from the everyday mundane.

We follow characters that have depth and a back story. Characters that feel and love. I really enjoyed this read.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

A chance meeting between Mayson and Holt at her sisters, leads to a memorable night. But that night leaves her unexpected consequences. Consequences that will bring about changes. How will two virtual strangers handle these changes ?
This was an easy read. It was enjoyable and just seemed to flow. I liked the fact that Mayson goes for what she wants and doesn’t give in to Holts reasons for marriage so easily. I throughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Camryn’s story.
I have voluntarily read and reviewed this ARC from Netgalley.

Merger to Marriage is a kind of dull story. When Mayson and Holt share a night of passion, they figure they'll never see each other again after. But, why wouldn't they? After all, Holt is Mayson's brother in law's close friend, small world and all that. This is just the first problem I had with this story. Of course the two would run into each other again if they have such a close association. The second problem? Their chemistry isn't very strong, not during their first night, and not after, when they're trying to figure out how to make her pregnancy work in their new non-relationship.

When Holt sees the woman again with whom he had shared a night he couldn't get out of his mind, he's excited. So is she. But, a short time later when they find she's pregnant, how will they co-parent? Will they strike up a relationship of convenience? Or do what the rest of the modern world does when faced with a surprise pregnancy and they aren't in a relationship with each other - become single, but hopefully cohesive co-parents together? I feel as if they should have done the single but cohesive co-parent thing together, rather than attempting a relationship, because as I said, their chemistry wasn't strong, certainly not strong enough to maintain a relationship.

But, there are other things in their way to an HEA other than their lack of chemistry. Holt's got a secret in his past (and present) that he decides not to share with Mayson, with anyone really, and it's a big secret. When Mayson finds out he didn't share, and that he elected to use her for his own purposes to help close a deal with one of her family friends? Yeah, that didn't help matters.

Really, this story had great potential. The premise is a tried and true trope. It's just that the execution is lacking and the characters, while likable, just weren't all that interesting and they lacked the strong, true chemistry needed to forge, and maintain, a lasting relationship.

Merger to Marriage, (Boardrooms & Billionaires 2) Addison Fox



Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) , Romance

Some books I love, others not so much even though its clear other readers adore them. This is one such read.
I found the story was OK but kind of bland. Mayson was nice, her sisters were nice, Holt was nice, his friends were nice...you get the picture. His mother was a first class b itch, and I'd like to have seen more of her but...

I really didn't feel any chemistry between Mayson and Holt, they respected each other as business individuals but that was it. No love, no lust, the most I can feel between them is a faint like, and that doesn't work for me in a romance read. I want to feel they just can't keep away, they have to touch, caress, kiss all the while ( well, within reason ).

I only read this yesterday and I'm having a hard time this morning actually recalling what happened. It just wasn't a read that made it for me, although of course its perfect for others. I need drama, angst, emotions and plots that make me feel will things work out, are there just too many things against them, scenes where it's the couple v whatever plots can tear them apart. This book, well I didn't get any of that.

I hadn't read book one, though they're stand alone reads so that wasn't necessary, but might have made some events clearer.
Its perfectly written, just the the story itself just isn't one for me. It might be perfect for you if you're looking for a light and easy, innocuous romance, me – I need a bit more. Horses for courses and all that...

Stars: 2.5/3, it was a story that was a forgettable read for me, but which will be perfect for other people. You choose.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and publishers

Holt's and Mayson's marriage is the one that almost didn't happen. Holt is up front and truthful with Mayson from almost the beginning about his secrets. He keeps it from everyone else though, just trying to make up for it the only way he knows. I liked that about him. Mayson was a little wishy washy at times, but we can always blame that on the pregnancy hormones.