Tag Archives: Kasie West

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Review: On the Fence by Kasie West

Title: On the Fence
Author: Kasie West
Rating: ★★★★

On the Fence

I’m not usually a fan of romance novels. They just aren’t my thing. Most of the time. However, there are a few authors that I will read time after time, book after book, because they can actually write romance that doesn’t make me roll my eyes. Kasie West is one of those authors. She is able to create a sweet story that could fall into the cliché and ridiculous. Falling in love with your neighbor? Faking a life to make others happy? I’ve read those. Kasie West, though, makes those plots feel fresh and sweet in her novel On the Fence.

Charlie is the only girl in a house of males. She has three older, protective brothers, a father who doesn’t have the slightest clue how to raise a girl, and her mother died when she was young. When she gets a speeding ticket, she gets a job at a boutique to pay it off and inadvertently falls into the world of dresses, makeup, and other assorted female things. She doesn’t hate this world; she just doesn’t feel like she’s entirely herself in it. She begins dating a boy who doesn’t know her true self, the sports playing, anti-skirt Charlie who’d rather play sports than watch them. Charlie’s late night chats with her neighbor and friend Braden start to mean more to her than she thought they would and she becomes torn between what she thinks she should want and what she actually wants.

I liked Charlie. I’m not as quite into sports are she is, I’d rather watch than play, but I used to be her. I still don’t care too much about what I wear, how I do my hair, or if I’m wearing makeup or not. I enjoyed reading Charlie’s journey as she moves from being comfortable in her own skin, to questioning if who she is makes her worthy, to finally accepting herself again. I could tell that she didn’t feel like herself when she was in the boutique world. She wonders if she might have been like that had her mother lived, but in the end she is who she is and she’s happy with that.

Braden was sweet. He’s not my favorite book boy, but he’s not bad. I did enjoy his relationship with Charlie’s family. He’s already part of it, being a friend of Charlie and her brothers, but there’s possibility for a new dynamic as the story progresses. I only wish we could have seen just a little bit more of the story after the actual end of the story. Not much, but a little bit more. Maybe one more short chapter?

My only real problem with the book has to do with the cover, and that isn’t really West’s doing. The girl in the dress doesn’t represent who Charlie really is. It’s a beautiful cover, but it’s not quite right for the book.

On the Fence is a simply sweet teen romance. It’s not overloaded on the drama, it has amazing character growth, and it’s just a good read. This is definitely a book for anyone who wants a book that leaves them with a smile at the end.

If you’d like to read On the Fence, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Title: Split Second
Author: Kasie West
Series: The Pivot Point Series
Rating: ★★★★

Here’s the amazing thing about Kasie West. She writes books that, on the surface, are books I wouldn’t go for. But she has such fantastic characters and plots that I can’t help but fall in love. They have the perfect mix of tension, romance, and intrigue. There’s always something pulling me into the story.

Pivot Point was about Addie trying to decide which future to take. Split Second is what comes next. Her memory of her Search has been wiped away by Laila. She doesn’t know what happened in the future she didn’t chose, but after her boyfriend, Duke, admits to only dating her for her Searching abilities and her best friend betrays her, she’s not sure why she didn’t go with the other future. When she leaves the Compound to spend the holidays with her father, things begin happening. Her ability grows and she feels an unexplainable connection with a boy from the normal world, Trevor.

Laila also gets to tell her story in this novel. While Addie is busy trying to figure out the developments in her life, Laila is working on figuring out how to restore memories, something Addie revealed she can do and wants done. Laila will do anything for her best friend, taking risks to try and discover the truth. She ropes Conner into her plans, never expecting him to be immune to her charms.

Both stories are wonderfully written. Addie is looking for an escape. Her life is not what she thought it was and 6 weeks away from Duke and the mess that surrounds him sound like just what she needs. Laila is feeling the guilt over her betrayal. She knows it wasn’t completely her fault, but she still feels horrible for causing Addie any pain. Her desire to fix that bridge, through whatever means necessary, is the driving force that makes her act. Each girl has different motivations, but they come together to bend a past and future for them both.

I cannot believe how well West has written two completely different, yet equally swoon-worthy male characters. Trevor and Connor are different people, motivated by different things, and with completely different personalities, yet I fell for both of them. I already adored Trevor, but this book made me love him even more. Connor didn’t have a book history with me, but that didn’t stop me from loving him.

There was one little piece I wish was addressed in Split Second and that’s the only thing that kept it from being 5 stars. There was a piece of information that was mentioned, but never really explored. Other than that, it was amazing. Kasie West is an author I’ll be watching. Split Second pulled me completely under her spell.

If Split Second sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Rating: ★★★★

I was in the mood for a sweet teen romance that would make my heart flutter and my insides melt. The Distance Between Us is just that kind of book. It’s not an epic love story, it doesn’t have any paranormal aspects, and it doesn’t make you analyze every word. It’s just a sweet, wonderful romance about two people coming together and figuring love out.

Cayman has always been there for her mother. She helps run the doll store her mother owns, even taking time away from school to make sure her mother doesn’t work too hard. After being abandoned by her father before she was even born, her mother’s impression of the rich has worn off on her. They just don’t understand what it’s like to struggle, so she doesn’t really give them the time of day. So when Xander walks into the doll store and breaks a few of those stereotypical rich ideas, Cayman isn’t sure how to handle it. Add in Masen, the lead singer for a band and someone her mother thinks is a better match, more her equal, and you’ve got a fantastic story.

I love Cayman. She says it how it is and her sarcasm and dry humor are what keep this book from being too sappy. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, but it’s easy to see that her sarcasm is a way to protect her from having to deal with the unpleasantries of the world. She has a wall up, with good reason, and her humor is how she defends that wall. It was in the moments when she let that shield down, though, that I found myself adoring her. It was easy to see how much she cares for people, even if she tries to stay aloof. This book could have easily fallen into Hallmark movie cheesiness territory, but it was Cayman that kept the novel feeling light and fresh.

Xander is charming and sweet, just what he should be. Even Masen is wonderful. There wasn’t any competition between the two, but I liked how Masen was there to show that Cayman wasn’t going to settle for something she didn’t feel was right. Masen wasn’t there to provide a distraction, he was there to make sure Cayman followed her heart. And her heart led her to Xander. The fact that they started out as friends was perfect. It made the romance feel authentic. They pushed each other to be more than what they thought they could be. They created a base before building a relationship on it. Yes, there were a few trust and miscommunication issues, but in a teen romance, that’s what you expect. They work through them and in the end it creates a stronger relationship.

There is a bit of a twist at the end that doesn’t really help or hurt the novel, but that’s okay. It was just there and I think even without it, the novel would have been just as good. I can see why West added the plot point though, and it does help move the story along.

Kasie West has written a wonderfully sweet novel about overcoming stereotypes and finding that first love. It could have easily become too cheesy to read, but the characters keep it from straying into that territory. They’re real and funny and sweet and perfect. The Distance Between Us is the perfect read if you’re looking for something that will make your heart flutter.

If The Distance Between Us sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Title: Pivot Point
Author: Kasie West
Series: Pivot Point series
Rating: ★★★★

I was a little worried about reading Pivot Point because I thought it had such promise, but it also could end up horribly confusing. Dealing with two futures in one book, alternating back and forth could either be fantastic or horrible. West is a new author and when I read something I’m a little nervous about, I usually like to choose from authors I already know, trust, and a love. Given all that, I decided to pick this book up and finally start reading.

All of my worries were for nothing. As if the feel of the stories being different wasn’t enough, at the beginning of each chapter, West makes it so clear that any possible confusion flies out the window. But like I said, the two futures felt so different that it was easy to tell which future they were in. The story set in the Compound has a tense feel, one that made me feel as though something just wasn’t quite right. Things looked to be too wonderful to be real. With the future outside the compound, things felt a little more relaxed and real. I wasn’t worried about whether or not what I saw through Addie’s eyes was real…even though it was a Search, it was real.

The two boys fit the two teen book stereotypes of boy next door and bad boy well, but just enough is different about each of their roles to make it feel unique. Duke is the bad boy, the cocky guy who gets what he wants and doesn’t really have to work for it. His moral compass is just a little bit off, but he’s also sweet in his own way. There are moments when his cockiness doesn’t get in the way of his character, when it makes him a teenaged boy. Trevor is the boy next door. He used to be the football quarterback, but a shoulder injury has changed his future and he’s not sure where his future will go now. He stands back, lets the relationship with Addie build from nothing before making a move.

Addie is a character I really felt like I could relate to. She’s trying to make her way through high school without drawing too much attention to herself. When she starts her search, it was interesting to see how her personality changes in each future. In one, it was easy to see her lose touch with who she is as she deals with her new life. In the other future, she brightened, becoming a better person because of the people around her.

Pivot Point is one of those books that I wish I had read sooner and yet wish I could have waited. The idea of waiting until the sequel is published to find out what happens next frustrates me. Pivot Point was so much better than I thought it would be that I just want the next book now. Instead, I’ll sit back and wait impatiently with West’s contemporary novel to help me pass the time.

If Pivot Point sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound