On the Fence

...but definitely not my last. Way back in 2017, I was looking for something to read. I was outgrowing fantasy and realizing that my interests lay more with non-magical girls with real-life problems than wizards and dragons and princesses. I was starting to branch out into the YA Contemporary Romance world but found a lot of books lacking. Cliché, one might say. Sure, I enjoyed them, but they didn't really connect with me. Enter ON THE FENCE. From the moment I picked up this book, I fell in love with Kasie West's writing. Is this book perfect? No. Can I tell how much Kasie has grown as a writer since she wrote this one? Yes. But do I still think ON THE FENCE is pretty much flawless? Absolutely, one hundred percent yes! Kasie West is the master of so many things: light banter, a well-rounded cast of lovable characters, a plot that keeps you on your toes, perfect pacing, and swoony romances that could make even the most hardened cynic believe in love again. This book has all of those things. It's classic Kasie West. I'm a sucker for both the friends-to-lovers trope (especially when they grew up as neighbors), and Kasie does it so well. Charlie and Braden are absolutely precious and adorable together. I think the best romances are built on friendships, and ON THE FENCE is proof of that. Also, Kasie is great at writing fun, breezy stories with enough depth to keep them from being too fluffy. I thought she handled the deeper elements of this story incredibly well. She also wrote Charlie in a way that made it clear she wasn't like other girls but not in THAT way. As in, she wasn't a pick-me. She didn't understand other girls, but she didn't put them down. Charlie is definitely one of my favorite Kasie West protagonists, and I enjoyed her coming-of-age journey so much. I reread this book once a year, and it never feels to make me swoon. All of Charlie's brothers are great (though Gage is the best). This story is wholesome, adorable, and a masterclass in YA Romance. If you're on the fence (ba-dum-tsss) about buying this book, don't be! I love it so much and couldn't recommend it enough.

I bought this book when it first came out but it was sadly sitting on my shelf ever since. Granted it hasn't even been a full year sitting on there when some books have been there 5+ years, but I really wanted to read this book. I've just been so swamped with review books that I just wasn't able to get around to it yet. I was able to read all my review books before the year was over though so I could start the new year out on a clean slate. For Christmas my wonderful boyfriend went to the book store to pick me out some books, he came across this one and said it sounded just like us growing up. He was in fact my Braden. I was shocked that he spent so much time reading the blurbs on the back. He did happen to look at my shelf and see that I already owned it but told me the story anyway and let me go trade it in for something else. It was still so sweet I knew it would have to be read in January. This book was amazing. It reminded me so much of myself that I felt very connected to Charlie. I never worked in a clothing store or anything, but I still had 2 brothers that I played with all the time as well as my now boyfriend, TJ. We were always outside playing one sport or another that I too felt like one of the guys. I didn't think any guys would want to date me, so I was definitely shocked when I found out TJ has loved me since we were little. This book was just the same. I really liked Braden as a character as well. He had a good personality to him and was a genuine guy. He wasn't a guy who acted like he had something to prove. He didn't come across as a guy who slept around a lot and used Charlie to become more good. He was a good guy and stayed that way through the whole book. I think what made this book as fun as it was though, was the brothers. You have a lot of serious aspects coming from the aftermath of what happened to Charlie's mother. You also have her trying to sort out her feelings as well as Braden. The brothers were all goofy and gave it a fun feel to the book. It cut some of the harshness that arose from all the seriousness and gave it a comedic feel without being too off the book. It all worked together perfectly. I sat down to read a few chapters before bed while I waited for my other half to get home. Needless to say, I devoured it in one sitting. I wasn't able to put it down so just decided to settle in for the long haul and knock it out. The book is set around Charlie's house as well as the park to play some sports as well as her new job. It is very easy to follow. I enjoyed picture Charlie as well as her brothers and Braden. I loved the love that is in this book. Not just a romance that blossoms in the story, but also the love between the brothers and Charlie. They love her so much and would do anything for her. You can feel all the emotions for everyone pour of the pages after each one you turn over. It has been a while since the actual emotions of the book were able to affect me so much, but this one definitely captivated me from the first chapter. This book was so heartwarming, there is no way any one could put it down once they started. I can see this being good for younger readers as well as older. There is no sexual context throughout the book, so it is definitely safe for a younger audience. They can connect with the characters just as much. If you haven't read this book, I definitely think you need to go out and get your own copy ASAP!

Be still my heart. Be still. First Question: Why haven’t I read any of Kasie’s contemporary novels before? WHERE HAVE I BEEN? Second Question: Why didn’t you guys shove these in my face earlier? Okay, enough questions. A couple months ago, I won a giveaway where I was lucky enough to win signed copies of On The Fence, The Distance Between Us and The Fill In Boyfriend. I decided to start with On the Fence for my first taste of Kasie West and I absolutely loved it. I knew this was going to be good from the beginning. You know when you just have that feeling that a book is going to be good, that’s exactly how I felt when I started On The Fence. It was the perfect book to start the summer off with. It was fast paced, cute, fluffy and had me smiling like an idiot while I was reading. I loved this so much. Charlie is our main character and she’s so much like me. I use to play basketball and I’ve always loved watching sports to the point that I get emotional. It was nice to read about a girl who was a tomboy with a bit of girly girl. I could definitely understand slowly transforming from the athlete to girly girl. I just had trouble with some of the choices Charlie made. Braden totally melted my heart. I think he owned it from the beginning. Seriously it was that fast and I just realized I didn’t get a full picture of what he looked like, I was in love with his personality more than his looks. I loved the getting to know you game, that was so creative and so cute. It also was so adorable to see how Braden and Charlie connected and how much he paid attention to her. I loved the writing so much, it was fast paced but with a slow burning romance. I really liked how their relationship grew from the beginning to the end. It was cute, fluffy and everything I love about a summer contemporary novel. If you haven’t picked this up yet, DO IT.

I'm not going to lie, I am a sucker for friends who turn into lovers, especially when it comes to the boy next door. What I like about how Kasie's has approached this is that Charlie hasn't been secretly pinning away over Braden, but their romance is something that occurred after these two begin late night chats between their fence. Kasie's mother died years ago and growing up in a house with three brothers and her dad has left her a perpetual tomboy. She loves sports and all "guy" things and avoids anything "girly." (We're talking stereotypically here, don't start coming after me with pitchforks for not being PC.) It's not until she gets a job in a new age clothing store, and becomes a weekly makeup "model," that she starts to wear more feminine outfits and wearing makeup. Part of me feels bad for Charlie because as she is learning who she is and that she has likes outside of sports, she is hiding the new clothes and makeup from the guys in her life for a variety of reasons. Not that I can blame her, there is one scene where the guys talk about whether the girl whose disc golf frisbee they found is "probably a dog. Some aggressive, burly thing." Charlie is your typical teenager, trying to navigate through the rough years and figure out who she is while trying to appease those around her. She doesn't want her brothers to mock her for wearing dresses and makeup and she doesn't want her father to be angry about it or feel bad that he cannot do more for her in terms of feminine issues (makeup, relationships, periods, all that good stuff that comes with being a woman). At the same time, Charlie is dealing with night terrors about the night her mother died and her lack of being able to sleep is what brings her outside in the middle of the night, leading to her chats with Braden that serve to deepen the relationship between the two. Charlie's brothers are just that . . . Charlie's brothers. They're over protective in the way that older brothers are and sometimes treat her as if she is a fragile doll when she is in fact stronger than any of them realize. We do see a lot of interaction between the group, but it's really Gage we get the most from. I wish we got to see more interaction from her two other brothers, but at the same time the, Charlie states that she and Gage are the closest so it makes sense that we see more from him than from Jerom and Nathan. The romance aspect of On the Fence is cute and innocent. There is the misunderstanding troupe that is found in all books of this nature, but it's a more believable misunderstanding and not one of the "that girl you saw me with was my cousin" type misunderstandings - which always cause me to roll my eyes and wish the characters could just grow up. Kasie West is one of those authors whose books you can easily read in a day. They're fun, lighthearted, and full of super cute romance. She was able to accomplish this with The Distance Between Us and once again with On the Fence. A perfect summer read for when you're on the beach, by the pool, or just hanging out in the hammock.

I was a big fan of Kasie West’s previous novel “The Distance Between Us” and was really looking forward to another contemporary romance of hers that I could get swept away with. While I did enjoy this book and would rate it solid 3.5 stars, there was something missing for me. Before I get into my thoughts I just want you guys to know that, yes, I did enjoy this book. It was a great contemporary romance that had some wonderfully touching moments and there were parts of the story that were intimately familiar to me. Unfortunately, I just found West’s writing to be a little too surface level for me to connect to the characters and in turn, to the story. Charlie’s character is a refreshing change of pace from a lot of the female characters in young adult contemporaries out there today; she’s an athletic, no frills kind of girl who spends most of her time in the company of her brothers getting roughed up and dirty. It’s when we get a glimpse of Charlie’s demons that we start to understand that there is much more to her than her tough exterior. Charlie’s recurring nightmares clue us in early on that she struggles with some pretty heavy stuff. She lost her mother when she was young and has spent her time mourning that loss and being fiercely protective of her mother’s memory. She finds an outlet to this pain and frustration through running, but at what point does the physical act of running become the emotional act of avoiding her problems? That’s where Braden comes in; most of her life he’s been the guy next door who’s more a brother than he is a neighbor. But thanks to their late night talks at the fence, things begin to change between them and she realizes that their friendship may go deeper than either of them realize. Braden helps Charlie to open up and discover the feelings she’s been holding inside and remember things that had long since been forgotten. I really enjoyed their relationship and felt like Braden was exactly what Charlie needed, but I really would have loved to see West delve deeper into the new relationship the two were forming. Oh, and a little more swoon would have definitely been appreciated. What can I say? I’m a sucker for swoon! I do have to say that the one relationship I found myself connecting with the most was the relationship between Charlie and her father. There was one passage in the book in particular that really struck me: “He was my childhood. My Life. I remembered him at every important event, every unimportant event.” Out of the entire book this passage moved me the most, since it reminded me so much of my own relationship with my father. My parents divorced when I was only 2 years old and my father had custody of me. For as long as I can remember he was the one who was always there; his influence colors every corner of my childhood and I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without his guidance and wisdom. I related so closely with the relationship Charlie had with her own father and honestly, their relationship was my most favorite of the whole book. This book was a what I would consider an “in between” book, something that I would read while in the midst of a book hangover to get me back on track, or as a quick read for an afternoon at the pool or beach. It was a perfectly enjoyable read but, for me, I would have loved to see a little more character development to really connect me to the story.

The Distance Between Us is just as superbly written and a definite favorite in my house, so when On The Fence came out, I preordered it. Skye from “Distance” makes a few cameo appearances in this one and it was great to see her again. Kasie West’s books are YA with no profanity, some non-descriptive kissing but no sex. The main characters are fantastic and the romance is so sweet. Charlie, a girl, is 16 and lives with her three older brothers and her policeman father. Her mother died when she was 6 in a car accident. The boy next door, Braden is like a brother and is best friends with Gage, the brother closest to Charlie in age and confidence. Charlie is a TOMBOY who is excellent at soccer and football and whose brothers adore her and include her in everything. When she gets one too many speeding tickets and frustrates her dad, he makes her get a job and a transformation happens in her life. She starts meeting girl figures that make her question who she is. Her boss is a motherly, new age type named Linda who can read her “auras” and understand what and how she is feeling. She meets a make-up artist, Amber who uses her as a model and introduces her to feminine living and she meets Evan a boy who doesn’t know her as a tomboy and who seems to really like her – or at least the girlie girl she has become when working at Linda’s store. But Charlie is also having nightmares and intimate talks with her brother’s best friend Braden at the fence most nights and is starting to feel confused and scared. Secrets have been kept from Charlie and in the midst of them unraveling, she is living in two realities: Charlie as the tomboy and Charlie as the pretty girl on the sidelines. She wants to be accepted, but does she want to change completely? Does she have to? Can she embrace some of the changes and not others? Who is she really and who does everyone want her to be and why can’t she remember anything about her mother? I love Kasie West’s writing style and her clean YA books. All the girls (4 daughters) in my family fight for their turn with Kasie West books and reread them many times. I will be reading more from her in the future. If you haven’t read Pivot Point and Split Second, you need to. Would I/Did I buy it? Yes, totally worth it! Would I read it again? Yes Would I recommend it to friends? Yes

Lately it seems as if all of the young adult books I have been reading are full of teens who have the most melodramatic lives ever. If there is a problem facing the teens of the world, the teens in these books deal with all of them ... ALL of them. So much drama. So much angst. To a certain extent I don't mind books that deal with real life problems faced by young adults, but there comes a moment where it all becomes too much and I just want a story about a (relatively) normal teen with average every day sorts of problems that aren't necessarily movie-of-the-week in nature. And that is why On the Fence by Kasie West was so refreshing to me. I LOVED this story so much. Charlie is a tomboy who has grown up with older brothers and a neighbor who basically falls into the brother category as well. She is being raised by a single father after her mother died in a car accident when Charlie was only six. All she has known her entire life is the world of sports and boys. That has never been a problem for her or her brothers, but things start to change when she is forced to get a summer job at a boutique to pay off a speeding ticket and is introduced to a world of fashion and makeup and flirting ... things she has never cared much about to this point in her life. Charlie's life is thrown a bit upside down by this new life, and she struggles to figure out exactly who she is. Is she a sporty tomboy play acting at the "girly" stuff, or can there be room in her life to have a little of both sides in her personality? Through it all she is also battling debilitating nightmares related to her mother's death. Unable to really talk about her confusions and fears with anyone in her family, Charlie finds comfort in talking with her neighbor, Braden, through the fence that divides their two houses in late night conversations that are so wonderfully written. You could feel the connection between these two characters and see exactly how Charlie could fall in love with her "brother," Braden. What I loved: Charlie's relationships. Oh how I loved the way that Kasie West wrote the relationships of this novel! The banter between Charlie and her brothers seemed authentic and fun. You could feel the love within this family. Charlie's relationship with Braden was well written as well. It was obvious that there was a level of familiarity in their relationship that stemmed from years of hanging out in the same house. These were two best friends who really did know each other well. Not only was that familiar part of their relationship written well, but Kasie also brilliantly showed the transition of Charlie's feelings from the brotherly/friend zone to a more romantic bend. I felt Charlie's struggles as she stressed about how her newly discovered feelings might ruin the great friendship that she had with Braden and as she tried to figure out how to maneuver herself in this new world where she loved him, not knowing if he loved her in return. Even beyond the inner circle of relationships in Charlie's life, the newly formed relationships Charlie forms with Skye and Amber and Mama Linda are well written. I loved seeing Charlie discover a new side to herself as she worked in Linda's shop and interacted with Amber and Skye. Charlie. What a great main character for this story! I loved being in her head. She wasn't a perfect person. She made plenty of mistakes in this story, but she always seemed genuine. Because I could relate to her confusion as she dealt with new feelings and new ideas of who she might be I was never really irritated with those mistakes. I really appreciated that she was always willing to eventually recognize her mistakes and try to make things better. It was easy to root for her to find happiness with Braden because it was so obvious how good the two of them were together. I love it when a book makes me feel so much as I root for two characters to make things work. I highly recommend this book for those interested in a cute, fun romance where the best friends end up together. It is a story about finding out who you are and having the strength to be genuine in all your relationships. Loved this one. Five stars!

I liked her other book better “The Distance Between Us”, but I still enjoyed this book. The first part was a little slow, I can’t remember why. But I loved a scene at 42%. I kept thinking about it. And from that point on the book was very good. Although I was disappointed with the reason for the big misunderstanding. Charlotte is 16 and 5'11". She never wears makeup. She plays tackle football with her 3 older brothers and she’s their equal. She’s a top athlete in several sports. Her mother died when she was 6 so she has no female influence. After getting three speeding tickets, her father forces her to get a job to pay for them. She knows nothing about clothing and makeup but gets a job in a clothing store. One of the makeup vendors puts makeup on her and takes her to a bar with another girl. Some cute guys talk to them. I loved that scene. That’s the scene I mention in the previous paragraph. This is a teen romance book. The happy ending is boyfriend/girlfriend - not marriage. The characters are in high school. CAUTION SPOILER: A guy likes her but lets her think he doesn’t. Somehow that didn’t work for me. END SPOILER. DATA: Narrative mode: 1st person. Story length: 293 pages. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: current day northern California. Copyright: 2014. Genre: teen romance, YA.