I'm sharing about this enemies-to-more YA romance today. I loved this book so much! It was exactly what I needed to pick up and I loved every minute! Read my review below...
Better Than Revenge
By Kasie West
Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Audiobook, Paperback & eBook, 320 Pages
December 31, 2024 by Delacorte Romance
Summary
A swoony new romance from the author of Sunkissed! When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.
Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost. Includes an author Q&A!
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?
(Affiliate links included.)
My Review
BETTER THAN REVENGE is about a girl who has worked for years to earn a spot on her high school's podcast team only to have her boyfriend, who previously never showed any interest, decide spur of the moment to try out and ends up getting the spot. What follows is a break-up and then revenge plot with plenty of angst, banter, a memorable motley crew of friends, and a fun enemies-to-more romance. Highly recommended to YA contemporary romance readers!
Read this book if you like:
🩷 Enemies-to-lovers stories
🩷 Great characters
🩷 A unique and lovable friend group
🩷 Sweet swoon-worthy romance with lots of fun banter
🩷 Sports
🩷 Payback with a conscience in the end
🩷 Family, especially a sweet grandma in the early stages of Alzeimers
🩷All the feels
🩷 A perfectly tied-up ending
I've been a fan of this author for a long time and this book reminded me why. It was full of the great characters, genuine emotions, teenage sarcasm, banter and swoon-worthy romance that this author does so well! I was smiling and laughing and angry and disappointed and sad and swooning... on repeat. The angst wasn't too strong that I was rolling my eyes all the time or annoyed either, which is a delicate balance as a writer to do. West did it very well. It helps that I tend to love enemies-to-more plots, which this definitely was. She also made the chemistry spark between her characters while creating these sweet moments when Finley or Theo would bring up memories along with moments when Finley and Theo were feeling each other out. Theo was so aware of Finley, but the author weaved through those moments without telling the reader what to think about them. There was plenty of humor as well. Definitely all the feels in this one! I enjoyed this story so much that when I saw I was two-thirds through, I got sad thinking about the story being over soon.
I wouldn't have loved this one so much without loving the characters. I loved the tie-ins with Finley's grandma and the quest to find her art deco surfboard. I adored Finley's group of friends with all their dynamics. I also loved Finley and how everyone interacted. She did have some rough moments, but I completely understood how she felt and how wrong her ex was for what he did and how he acted about it. I also liked how the author made Theo a bit of a risk. Finley thinks she knows all these things about him, and he acts and says certain things at school that can back that all up. It was a bit unknown if Theo was trustworthy or if Jenson would get his act together (I was definitely cheering that Finley believe in herself and not go back to Jenson). I know how I wanted it to end, but the author could have gone a couple of different ways. Thank goodness we agreed on the way it went!
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was an entertaining and fun read from beginning to end! I loved the characters, all the different elements, all the feels, the romance, and the way this story made me smile. A must-read for YA romance fans!
Content: One student flipping off another, references to a gay couple (nothing detailed and very sweet). Would definitely consider this one clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through TBR & Beyond Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Tour Schedule
Follow the tour here.
Are you a YA romance reader? Have you read any of Kasie West's other books, and if you did, do you have a favorite?
No comments
Post a Comment
I love comments! I try to read and reply to them all. Feel free to agree or disagree and generally share your thoughts with me.