Review – On the Fence by Kasie West (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 309 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: July 1, 2014
ASIN : B00FOPPF74
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars
“She’s a tomboy. He’s the boy next door.
With three older brothers, Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, has always been more comfortable calling the shots on a basketball court than flirting with the opposite sex.
So when her police officer dad demands she get a summer job to pay for the latest in a long line of speeding tickets, she’s more than a little surprised to find herself working at a chichi boutique and going out with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game. Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with her neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden, sitting back-to-back against the fence that separates them. Braden may know her better than anyone. But there’s a secret Charlie’s keeping that even he hasn’t figured out—she’s fallen for him. 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.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I bought for Kindle. Previous to reading this book I had also read West’s “Pivot Point” series (loved it) and “The Distance Between Us” (liked it).
Story (4/5): This is a cute contemporary romance young adult story about a tomboy, Charlie, who falls in love with her neighbor (who was has been like a brother to her). In addition to this, Charlie is coping with the death of her mother and venturing into new feminine territory when she starts a job at a boutique clothing store.
This was a very cute, fun and quick read. It was the perfect “palette cleanser” between all the fantasy books I’ve been reading lately. It leaves you feeling happy and good for the most part. Unfortunately, I didn’t give it 5 stars because it feels a bit unfinished to me. While the romance part of the story is pretty resolved, the backstory involving Charlie’s new burgeoning career was really left hanging.
Characters (4/5): I really loved all of the characters in here. Charlie is struggling to mesh her tomboy persona and her brothers’ expectations of her, with a need to feel a bit more feminine and embrace some more girly things. Her brothers are great characters too, always including her but a bit over-protective and blind about some of Charlie’s needs. Charlie’s family is so loving and trying so hard to make things work. Of course, Braden was well done too. I love that he reminded Charlie to be herself and not change to impress others.
Setting (4/5): This is mostly set at Charlie’s house and around town. The setting isn’t a huge focus in this story.
Writing Style (4/5): As with other West books I have read, this one is well written and super easy to read. I had trouble putting the book down and, yes, it was a bit predictable but I didn’t mind at all. This is just such a cute book and leaves you feeling happy and thoughtful. I love how West navigated the complicated family feelings, especially in a family missing the mother. I also love how she showed Charlie navigating the complicated terrain of both being a sportcentric tomboy but also starting to bring in some more female friends and just a bit more balance.
My only huge complaint is that this whole thing feels very unfinished and I really wish there was a follow-up book to this one. While the romance is resolved we are left hanging in regards to both Charlie’s sport career and the other career she develops throughout the story. It would have been great to get a bit more resolution. A follow up book would be such a good opportunity to explore how Charlie (and other women) can balance these two areas of life without having to be put into a stereotypical box.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. This was a fun and light and feel-good read. I plan on picking up more of West’s novels whenever I am in the mood for a fun, light contemporary romance. West’s books always have a fun romance but also have a great story to them as well and I enjoy that balance. I would definitely recommend West to those who enjoy YA contemporary romances.
