Monday, June 1, 2015

Book Review: The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West (@KasieWest)


The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Published: Harper Teen

My Rating:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.
The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.
Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

I don't know why I don't expect myself to love a Kasie West book from the moment I purchase it. I loved The Distance Between Us. I adored On The Fence. And I pretty much devoured The Fill-In Boyfriend. And to quote one of my favorite movies, It Takes Two, "It was that can't-eat, can't-sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over- the-fence, World Series kind of stuff."


Just as it says above, Gia was dumped by her college boyfriend, Bradley. Not just the night of prom, but right outside of it. I'm not sure how I would have handled this situation. Maybe cried like a baby or went in and acted like none of it happened. But Gia is not me and she was a little more inventive. Enter stage left, Fill-In Bradley, or FIB. It is already established that I have a thing for nerdy hot guys. And FIB is one hot nerd. 


So, FIB helps Gia out and the whole time I'm reading, I'm waiting for the train wreck to happen. Edge of my seat kind of stuff, waiting for this plan not to work. The problem is, it works too well and I start hoping that every chance Gia and FIB (I'm not spoiling his name) get, that they would flirt. But what's a good unexpected love story without some drama? Enter stage right, Jules. She is the newest girl in Gia's friend group and the one that kind of forced her hand into this lie. I know that lying to your friends the way that Gia did was a little extreme but every time I saw Jules on my page, I wanted to hiss at her like my cat. I've dealt with girls doing the whole alpha, power trip and it isn't fun. Thinking you are going to be ousted by a group of friends, isn't fun. 


I can go on and on how funny and cute this read was. Kasie knows how to make her characters believable yet not so much that leaves them feeling boring. None of the ones in this were perfect which I also equate to boring times. This was more than just a love story about a girl and a nameless boy. This was a love discovery with ones self.


4 comments:

  1. Ahhhhh this one sounds so good. I haven’t read any of Kasie West’s books but I can’t wait to start this one :D Glad you liked it and great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you! You should really read her stuff. She does YA Contemporary right.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I keep telling myself I'm going to buy this one. I wasn't too keen on On The Fence but I'm definitely willing to give her another try!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think you should! I couldn't believe I read this in one sitting. The ending though, could make anyone a little peeved.

    ReplyDelete