Book Nerds Across America: kasie west

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Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Book review: Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, and Kasie West

Book Summary
What's better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story? Four of them, from some of today's bestselling authors.

From KASIE WEST, a snowy road trip takes an unexpected detour when secrets and crushes are revealed.

From AIMEE FRIEDMAN, a Hanukkah miracle may just happen when a Jewish girl working as a department store elf finds love.

From MELISSA DE LA CRUZ, Christmas Eve gets a plot twist when a high school couple exchange surprising presents.

From NIC STONE, a scavenger hunt amid the holiday crowds at an airport turns totally romantic.

So grab a mug of hot cocoa, snuggle up, and get ready to fall in love...

Flo's Review
This was exactly what I hoped it would be. Four quick, easy-to-read, heartwarming stories full of holiday cheer and fun. Kasie West's story was classic Kasie West, and my favorite of the four. I love road trip stories, so this one was right up my alley and so adorable. I wanted to hug him, I loved his friends and sister, and this was all around so fun to read. The second story wasn't bad. I liked the Hanukkah miracle character (I'm trying to not to spoil it here -- lol). That element made the story for me. The third story....ehhh. I was "Ehhh" while reading it, and I got to the end and was like, "Ok." It might be because I recently watched the Disney/Mickey & Minnie version of the story and liked that one better? The Nic Stone story was deep while also being cute. It made great social points, while also just being fun. A scavenger hunt?! What's not to love?!!? Plus, I've spent so much time in the Atlanta airport, that I could so easily visualize everything that was described.

So if you're looking for a quick, easy, fun holiday read, definitely pick this collection up!

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Book review: Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Book Summary
Can’t buy me love…

Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment—

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun…until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

Of course this book is adorable! -- look how adorable the author Kasie West is!!

Flo's Review
Aww! I love Kasie West! This book was exactly what I needed today. I was worried in the beginning that I wasn't going to like Maddie, that she might be too rigid and uptight for my tastes, but that wasn't her at all. She was smart, clever, quick, and loving. I admired her tenacity to get what she wanted and her loyalty to her friends.

Lucky in Love felt to me like a very honest and realistic portrayal of the what would happen for a teenager (she just turned 18 when she bought the ticket) who wins the lottery. At first, to quote The Lego Movie, "everything is awesome!" Maddie thinks the money will solve her family's problems, and it does seem to for awhile. She makes some fun splurge purchases. But then the honeymoon ends and the reality sets in. Being a millionaire is certainly awesome, but it also brings its own slew of problems.

And now, for the rest of the review, let's dish about Zoo Seth. What a cutie! A perfect match for Maddie and definitely swoon-worthy, book boyfriend material. I pretty much thought everything he said and did was completely adorable. I had so much fun reading Seth and Maddie's relationship and rooting for them!

I finished Lucky in Love in about a day. It was bright and happy. So easy to read, and I didn't want to put it down. So I didn't. If you're looking for a book to put a smile on your face, this is the one.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

By Your Side by Kasie West

Book Summary
In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

Flo's Review
Aww, this was adorable, of course! The progression of Autumn and Dax's relationship is believable because they don't hate each other at first; they are just working off of what they've heard and what they perceive. But then they get to know each other, the friendship develops, and then the romantic chemistry becomes harder and harder to dismiss.

I adored Jeff and found myself thinking at one point, "Aww, I love them both!" But don't worry -- this book didn't have the traditional "love triangle" feel to me. But there were several struggles going on: Dax's life situation, Jeff and his situation, Autumn and her anxiety. The odds were almost against the two of them and so that made this that much more poignant.

I must have skim-read the summary because the plot unfolded differently than I was expecting. This ended up being a good thing, because I don't think a whole book of what I pictured would have been sustainable. This was a fast read; I was able to read it during my travels home from Christmas break.

Kasie West fans will definitely enjoy her latest offering, as will anyone looking for a charming and lovely contemporary YA romance, By Your Side publishes January 31st.

Monday, October 26, 2015

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Jacque's Review:

The Distance Between Us is about a seventeen year old girl named Caymen Meyers. Her mother became pregnant with her at a young age and her parents essentially disowned her. Her father fled before she was born and his wealthy parents paid her mother to keep quiet. As a result, her mother is the only family she has ever known.

Her mother used the money to open a doll store, which has been their life ever since. They live above the store and Caymen helps out whenever she isn't in school. She has learned from her mother's experience and years of warnings to never trust the rich. This is why she was immediately put off when the charming, attractive, and obviously rich Xander Spence entered her store. As their relationship begins to build, she is constantly doubting his motives.

As the story progresses, Caymen begins to realize her mother has been keeping things from her. She begins to question everything she was taught and finally allows herself to live her own life and make her own decisions.

First of all...how could anyone not love Xander Spence? He started out a bit conceited and sure of himself, but underneath the pretty exterior he is very thoughtful and sweet. Caymen, on the other hand, is sarcastic and snarky. While it was funny at times, I felt like she was masking her own insecurities and shortcomings by lashing out at others. Her misguided stereotypes prevented her from opening up to others and expanding her horizons.

I enjoyed the story, but I felt like the fact that Xander is very wealthy and Caymen is poor was a forced subject in the book. Rather than focusing on the feelings, relationships, and events of the story the reader is constantly reminded of the fact that he is rich....and the rich can't be trusted. Caymen constantly feels like she is playing Cinderella and eventually the coach will turn into a pumpkin and it will all come to an end, even though Xander never gives her a reason to believe that is the case.

This is the first book by Kasie West that I have read. Overall, I enjoyed the story and characters and thought the dialog was well written. As her writing evolves, I hope she will give her readers a little more credit and allow them to interpret things for themselves. Not everything has to be spelled out in black and white and certainly not multiple times.

Pivot Point is the next book by Kasie West that I plan on reading. I have read some decent reviews and would love to hear your thoughts on that series.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

On the Fence by Kasie West

Book Summary
For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.
To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Flo's Review
What a cute and fun story! I had started this back when I had a copy of the e-book ARC a year ago. I stayed up late one night reading it because it was going to expire off my Nook and I wanted to finish it before that happened. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it, and the book was gone with me only about halfway through. Fast forward to ALA Midwinter this January when I was able to pick up a copy of the book from the Harper booth. I was on a cruise this weekend and needed something fun and light to read while sunning on the cruise ship deck. On the Fence came with me.

Even though it had been several months since I had read it last, I was able to pick up the story right where I had left off. I loved the relationship between Charlie and her brothers. Being a girl who often finds herself hanging out with just guys and has even heard the comment, "You're like one of the guys!" I could relate to Charlie in some way. But what I really enjoyed about this book was Charlie coming into her own. At the beginning she only sees herself as this tomboy type, but as the story develops she taps into her feminine side and has to learn how to meld the two. There is something almost magical about having these secret conversations in the middle of the night, back to back on the fence. It facilitates an openness and honesty that real life cannot. Charlie and Braden may have gotten to the point where they end up by the conclusion of the story, but it would have taken a lot longer without the fence.

This was my first Kasie West book and I'm ready for more! I have The Distance Between Us on my Nook and a physical copy of The Fill-In Boyfriend, and next time I want a fun read, I'll have to reach for one of those.

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