Books Plus Thoughts #3 - All Things Kasie West - The Fill-In Boyfriend + The Distance Between Us

Every now and again I binge on Young Adult contemporary romance - this happens most often during summer or after I've finished reading a heartbreaking, sad or intense book. Both the Kasie West books in this post I read back-to-back, and both are lighthearted reads. 

1. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Summary: When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley. The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Rating: ★★★★

This one I really enjoyed! It was 100% cute and swoon worthy as well as very much uncomplicated. It is likely that you will close the book with a big smile on your face. Gia doesn't start off as a very likeable character but by the end she sheds some of her immaturity. This is definitely a book to pick up after you've finished some heavy/intense reads. The ending was rather abrupt but I found that to be the case for this book as well as Kasie West's other standalone The Distance Between Us.


GOODREADS

Favourite/Memorable Quotes:

“We rarely find a depth by looking inside of ourselves for it. Depth is found in what we can learn from the people and things around us. Everyone, everything, has a story, Gia. When you learn those stories, you learn experiences that fill you up, that expand your understanding. You add layers to your soul.”

“Well, if you're a mess then I'm a natural disaster."

"The cutest natural disaster I've ever seen.”

2. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop. So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company. She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Rating: ★★★

I did not love The Distance Between Us as much as I did The Fill-In Boyfriend. With this one I had a harder time connecting with both the characters Caymen and Xander. But otherwise it was another really cute read and I was cheering them both on the whole way! Again I felt the ending was really abrupt and slightly rushed - there was a lot more I wanted to find out especially with regards to the revelations that were made near the end.

GOODREADS

Favourite/Memorable Quotes:

“I wonder why some people seem to be born knowing what they want to do with their lives and others - mostly me - have no idea.”

“This is me facing failure. This is me putting everything on the line even though I know I might lose. And I'm terrified. But like you said, anything worth having is worth the risk.”