I recently read Sunkissed by Kasie West and loved it, so this week while I was sick and stuck in bed for most of the week, I decided to read some more of her books.
Long story short, I read three of them and I’m in love.
Her books are easy to read (I mean it, I read two in the span of one day), her characters are easy to love, and they’re all clean. No sex and no swearing. One reviewer called her books “comfort food” and I couldn’t agree more. Kasie West writes comfort books!
So here are the three books I read, which ones were my favourite, and a little review of each so you can get reading!
Borrow My Heart
Book Title: Borrow My Heart
Length: 269 pages
Genre: Romance, YA, Fiction
My Rating: 4.5/5
My Age Rating: 11+
Content Notes: Clean, just kissing, no strong language, emotional themes, abandonment
Synopsis:
Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.
Asher is cute, charming . . . and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he’s waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing.
It’s not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she’s not who she says she is? Wren’s not so sure. . . . After all, rules exist for a reason.
Review:
This book was so cute and I enjoyed it so much. It had a fake dating (kinda?) trope that I loved and the cutest setting, a pet shelter.
The love interest was adorable and so sweet. He gives the best hugs, and I now have a brand new requirement for my future boyfriend. Amazing hugger. It’s non-negotiable.
I loved that the main character had this big list of requirements for her perfect guy and then fell for someone who barely checked any of them off. It’s a good reminder that you can’t always plan the unexpected, and that sometimes it’s better to just see how things fall instead of passing up something good because it doesn’t fit your checklist.
The writing was fun and easy to read with just the right amount of humour, but it also handled some heavier stuff really well. The main character’s mom walked out on her family when she was young and never really made up for it., but Kasie West wrote about it in a way that just made me love the main character even more.
The animal shelter setting was such a fun touch too. The cute factor was through the roof, and also surprisingly emotional at times.
Overall I really loved this book, and that cover? I’m going to need my own copy just to stare at it. It’s totally worth it!
Better than Revenge
Book Title: Better than Revenge
Length: 300
Genre: Romance, Ya, Fiction
My Rating: 4.5/5
My Age Rating: 11+
Content Notes: Clean, just kissing, no strong language, emotional themes, dementia and memory loss, betrayal/cheating
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school’s podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she’s left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost.
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen’s spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen’s cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can’t let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?
Review:
Okay so this one was probably my favourite of the three. The writing was sweet and funny but also packed with emotion, and I loved the love interest so much.
I really liked that the ex didn’t cheat on her in the typical way. Instead he did something he knew was wrong that ended up taking away something she’d worked really hard for. I won’t spoil it, but it made the revenge plot feel really satisfying.
And the grandma? My absolute favourite character. She was so sweet, full of little words of wisdom, and she shares pieces of her own love story throughout the book. The fact that she has dementia makes her character bittersweet, but in the best way.
If there was one thing I would change it would be that two of the best friends were gay. I actually really liked both of their characters and I laughed every time they opened their mouths but I just felt it was unnecessary for them to be gay. Honestly, the story would’ve been just as good, or better, without it. Other than that the book was completely clean!
Overall this was my favourite of the bunch. Witty humour, sweet romance, and a clean revenge storyline that actually delivered. I loved it.
Places We’ve Never Been
Book Title: Places We’ve Never Been
Length: 320
Genre: Romance, Ya, Fiction
My Rating: 4/5
My Age Rating: 11+
Content: Clean, just kissing, no strong language, secrets, cancer, emotional themes
Synopsis:
Norah Simons’s summer road trip is going to be absolutely perfect. She’s leaving California for the first time in her life. She’s interviewing at her dream college (the place for future video game animators). And she’s reconnecting with her childhood friend, Skyler Hutton—the boy who taught her to draw, the boy she’s never forgotten about after all these years. What could go wrong?
Cue the RV filled with three siblings, two moms, one bathroom, and years of memories, and suddenly this trip isn’t quite the vacation Norah was hoping for—especially when Skyler makes it clear he would rather be anywhere but here. But Norah isn’t one to give up without a fight. And as the families travel from desert heat to mountain vista, sparks begin to fly between these two ex–best friends—after all, friendship doesn’t just fade away. Does it?
Kasie West delivers another romantic and heartfelt story of family, first love, and how expanding your horizons can take you places you’ve never dreamed of.
Review:
Okay so this one was my least favourite of the three, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t amazing, so don’t write it off yet.
The RV road trip setting was so fun and added something I haven’t really seen in many books. Traveling meant new places and new adventures constantly, which kept things exciting.
My favourite character was easily Willow, the best friend. I loved her so much.
Norah was fun and I did grow to love her, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t really get the whole “girls can be gamers too” thing she had going on. I understand it’s hard being a girl in the gaming world, but she kept getting offended or assuming people were doubting her even when they weren’t. It felt a little forced and repetitive after a while.
Skyler was cute and I liked how he warmed up as the story went on, but he was kind of a jerk for a good chunk of the book. He has his reasons, which you find out as you read, but still. Come on, Skyler.
Overall I really loved this book and would definitely suggest it, especially as a road trip read! Unless you get carsick, in which case, word to the wise, don’t look down for more than ten seconds at a time unless you want to regret it.
Final Thoughts:
I hope you’ve got some new reads up your sleeve now and are ready to laugh a lot, scream at the characters when they’re being absolute disasters (it happens), and kick your feet when they FINALLY kiss.
Happy Reading,
Ava
If you want your own copy’s of these cute and clean romances, clink the links below!
I loved how you did a 3-book review in this post. Finding an author you love is such a satisfying feeling.