ARC Review: On the Fence by Kasie West

On the Fence

Author: Kasie West

Source: ARC provided for review

My rating: 5 stars

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can out-run, out-score, and outwit every boy she knows--including her long-time 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 a chi-chi 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 pick-up 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.

 

With realistic characters, an amazing love story, a well developed plot and an addictive writing, On the Fence is one of the best contemporary books of this year.
Kasie West did it again.

On the Fence is about family, about friendship, about partnership among the family. About growing up and falling in love for the first time.
The main character, Charlie, is one of the strongest girls without super-powers, or super strength that I’ve met. She is smart and natural. She is young without being childish.
Charlie’s family is unique and supportive. They’re a team, they’re lovely and loyal.
Her father and brothers are a strong force in this book.

Braden, the love interest was part of the family. That made the romance more complicated and at the same time, more genuine. It developed slowly but fluid. It was cute and honest.
And hey! They’re best friends! What’s better than that?

Katie West knows about romance. She knows how to catch in paper that spark of first love. She writes an amazing love story without the annoyance of a complicated love triangle. She lets her characters explore and find their way around the right choice.
The writing of this book was fast-paced and addictive.
I loved every little thing about On the Fence.

It’s not a secret that I’m a huge fan of Kasie West, in fact, she was my favorite author of last year.
The Distance Between Us is my favorite contemporary book and now On the Fence is on my top ten favorites.

You see… there are stories that are sweet without being cheesy. There are family dramas that aren’t dramas at all. There are love stories that aren’t the typical cliché.
And On the Fence by Kasie West is unbelievable sweet without being that sweet. And I know that this is mess. This book was a mess, a very good, very natural, very awesome mess.