ARC Review: By Your Side by Kasie West

By Your Side

by Kasie West

My rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC provided for review, thank you!

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

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?

***

I’m a huge fan of Kasie West. I’ve loved all of her books, ALL OF THEM. That’s why when I got the chance to read By Your Side I did it right away.

Sadly, I didn’t love this book as much as the previous ones. I liked it, yes, because it’s a Kasie West book and Kasie West characters. They were cute, the dialogues were fun and the family dynamic was lovely.

But… aside from the other Kasie West books I felt like By Your Side was a little cliché.

For starters, I was really disappointed that this wasn’t a bookish romance. I know this is my fault because I assumed it was, since Autumn and Dax were trapped in a library. But most of the time they were there, they only talked, watched TV… I don’t remember if they did more than that. But no love for those poor books.

I liked Autumn and Dax, they were good characters and I think their struggles were realistic and well portrayed (I don’t know for real, I just can compare with other books I’ve read).

My problem, however, was not with the characters. I don’t know how to explain it, I just didn’t feel the emotional connection I felt when I read her other books.

I didn’t like the cliché of the rich girl and the loner bad boy. I didn’t like Autumn friends, or the almost-love-triangle. And to be honest, I found it a little boring.

Now I have to say that I read P.S. I Like You as soon as I finished By Your Side. I LOVED P.S. I Like You, I loved the cute and fun plot and every one of the characters. Sadly I can’t say the same about By Your Side.

I’m not saying this book is bad, because it isn’t. It just wasn’t for me.  If you love Kasie West and her books you’re probably going to love this one.