This was my first ever Kasie West book, and I picked it up when I was in probably my worst reading slump all year. I have to give Kasie kudos for the fact that I read the entire thing in one sitting and it managed to pull me out of my slump! It was a really cute, fast, and fun read, which is all I expected when I went into it, honestly.
→ what i liked ←
• Abby’s family is pretty precious. We see some surprising anxiety and agoraphobia rep in her mother, but the star of this book for me was her grandpa, who is kind, witty, and absolutely hilarious.
• Despite being pretty clueless as the best friend/unrequited love stereotype, Cooper is an enjoyable enough love interest. He’s flawed for sure, but I mostly really liked his banter with Abby, and there were some tender moments that bordered on turning me into a pile of goo (like when he’s sick, and wants only Abby to take care of him – precious).
• I’m such a sucker for the best-friends-turned-lovers trope, and I always have been. While this isn’t the best portrayal of that trope I’ve seen, it was a pretty damn good one, and I appreciated that it wasn’t as happy and cutesy as they are in a lot of fluffy contemporary titles.
• The entire focus of the book isn’t just on Cooper; a surprising portion of the story focuses on Abby’s art, or even her blossoming friendships with other people, which was nice and added some three-dimensionality to the story.
→ what i didn’t like ←
• Cooper’s cluelessness borders on being a jerk from time to time, and when coupled with his arrogance, it was a little frustrating.
• Abby is honestly a pretty mediocre narrator; I never felt like I was particularly rooting for her (just the romance itself), and I wasn’t always fond of how she treated other characters.
• The ending felt very rushed and way too tidy; the way things unraveled should’ve lent to a slightly less “no loose ends” HEA, in my opinion. I feel like the book could’ve been improved dramatically by a certain event happening a few chapters earlier.
• ***SPOILER:*** Like I said, I love the best-friends-turned-lovers trope, but I hated how convenient it felt that Cooper had no idea he loved her until she gave him the silent treatment. It made the entire HEA feel super unrealistic and I kept thinking to myself that, if he took her for granted so long and couldn’t even give a good reason for recognizing his feelings, beyond just “I missed you”? Boiiiiii that is not gonna last long, lemme tell ya. ***END SPOILER***
→ final thoughts ←
Was this book mind-blowing? Definitely not. It’s honestly more of a 3.5 for me, but I felt like it was fair to round up to 4. That said, would I pick up another book by Kasie West? I can’t say I’d rush to the store to grab all of her titles, but if I was in another slump and needed a cute, fluffy contemporary to pull me out of it, yes, I would definitely reach for another Kasie West book.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Jessica @ Strung out on Books
December 25, 2017This sounds adorable! I’ve read a few of Kasie West’s books, and they’re all good but not *great*. I always feel giddy and happy at the end, but I also feel like there’s something missing. Great review!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
December 25, 2017Thanks, Jessica! That’s such a good way of putting it – good, but not *great*, haha. I would read more by her, but I’m not sure I could picture myself 5-starring anything.
Anonymous
March 28, 2024I’ve read a couple of books by Kasie West in the past 3 or 4 months. They are definitely something to make you feel better. They are probably a 4.5 for me. Mainly just because the books I’ve read but I can’t wait to read more!
Destiny @ Howling Libraries
April 27, 2024I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them!! I liked the books I’ve read by her in the past, I just don’t reach for YA contemporary romance anymore sadly. If I ever get back into it, though, I know she’s going to be one of the first authors I go for more books from!