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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
There were times where I was frustrated with the characters and wanted to shake them but I loved the relationships and couldn't put the book down.
3.5 stars
Caymen Meyers lives above the doll shop that her mother owns and operates, and it's just the two of them, like it's always been. Living in a coastal California town, Caymen sees her fair share of rich people and she knows one thing: rich boys are NOT for her. Except then Xander walks into the doll shop and even the sarcastic and practical Caymen sees there is more to Xander that just money - but that doesn't mean it's not super complicated.
Truth: this is a cute and engaging story that I enjoyed right away and found totally entertaining. Caymen's sarcasm is pretty impressive and she's a smart, relatable character. The doll store setting is something I've never seen before, that's for sure, and I liked that it was different. There were a couple plot twists that kept things interesting and the romance is tender and fun. I did like to think a little bit about contemporary "classist" issues and how those things can affect relationships and life itself.
Also truth: some things drove me crazy. Plot holes, for sure. Sometimes just too cheesy for me. Emotions swing back and forth crazy fast in typical romance novel style, which can exhaust me and make me feel ready for things to just RESOLVE already. Some of the secondary characters felt just too nice and caricatured but I think that's me wanting more from this book than what it is: some fluffy brain candy to just enjoy for the ride and appreciate for what it is.
Caymen Meyers lives above the doll shop that her mother owns and operates, and it's just the two of them, like it's always been. Living in a coastal California town, Caymen sees her fair share of rich people and she knows one thing: rich boys are NOT for her. Except then Xander walks into the doll shop and even the sarcastic and practical Caymen sees there is more to Xander that just money - but that doesn't mean it's not super complicated.
Truth: this is a cute and engaging story that I enjoyed right away and found totally entertaining. Caymen's sarcasm is pretty impressive and she's a smart, relatable character. The doll store setting is something I've never seen before, that's for sure, and I liked that it was different. There were a couple plot twists that kept things interesting and the romance is tender and fun. I did like to think a little bit about contemporary "classist" issues and how those things can affect relationships and life itself.
Also truth: some things drove me crazy. Plot holes, for sure. Sometimes just too cheesy for me. Emotions swing back and forth crazy fast in typical romance novel style, which can exhaust me and make me feel ready for things to just RESOLVE already. Some of the secondary characters felt just too nice and caricatured but I think that's me wanting more from this book than what it is: some fluffy brain candy to just enjoy for the ride and appreciate for what it is.
3.75. I liked this book, read it fast, and from the beginning it trapped me. I can only say that it's not a 4-star because of the ending, it felt cut too short.
I liked Caymen, her worries as a teenager hit close to home and I liked seeing a character who worries about her mom and is "trapped" in her life learn that there are a lot of opportunities for her. Xander was adorable, but he felt too perfect like I had to suspend my disbelief to believe someone like him exists. The book is quick, sweet, and fast-paced. The cast of characters is well constructed, I liked getting to know Skye, Henry, and Mason all with their little quirks.
But like I said, the ending just felt too rushed, there were a lot of loose ends that weren't answered. What happened with Caymen's dad? did she end up going to uni? what happened to the shop? did Xander go to college too? did they end up in a long-distance relationship?
All of these questions made me feel like the main couple may not stay together that long.
I liked Caymen, her worries as a teenager hit close to home and I liked seeing a character who worries about her mom and is "trapped" in her life learn that there are a lot of opportunities for her. Xander was adorable, but he felt too perfect like I had to suspend my disbelief to believe someone like him exists. The book is quick, sweet, and fast-paced. The cast of characters is well constructed, I liked getting to know Skye, Henry, and Mason all with their little quirks.
But like I said, the ending just felt too rushed, there were a lot of loose ends that weren't answered. What happened with Caymen's dad? did she end up going to uni? what happened to the shop? did Xander go to college too? did they end up in a long-distance relationship?
All of these questions made me feel like the main couple may not stay together that long.
Okay, this book is just plain adorable. I think I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading it. The main character, Caymen, has a dry sense of humor that mirrors my own in some ways, so she made me chuckle constantly with her sarcastic comments and her fun way of looking at the world. Seeing this story through her eyes made it so much fun. Caymen definitely is the reason that this book was so enjoyable.
This is a story of two people from very different worlds who meet and eventually seem to be heading toward falling in love. Caymen is a poor girl who works at her mother's struggling doll shop that caters to a wealthy local clientele. Xander is uber-wealthy. Everything about him exudes wealth and privilege. Caymen has always been taught by her mother to distrust and avoid the wealthy, but despite her preformed opinions and some work to push Xander away, Caymen finds that she feels comfortable in her relationship with him. She often rushes to accuse Xander of treating her condescendingly because of his wealth, but in this story it really seems as if Caymen is the one who is judgmental and condescending. Xander seems wonderful in almost every way, but Caymen can't seem to allow him to simply be a nice guy. There has to be some ulterior motive. Scene after scene involves Xander doing something nice and then having Caymen run away when she believes he is behaving as a stereotypical rice guy would behave. But through this story Caymen begins to discover exactly who she is and through this process allows herself the chance to see things as they really are, not as she has always believed them to be.
This story is just a sweet little young adult romance. There is a greater theme of not allowing stereotypes to define those we meet in life, but it isn't really one of those themes that is pounded over our head. It is just there. The only thing that prevented me from giving this a full five stars was that I felt as if the ending was a bit rushed. There were a lot of things going on ... financial problems, the big reveal about who Caymen's family really is, reunion with part of that family, a dangerous but treatable illness, a lifetime of lies, trying to figure out how to make a relationship work with two people from different social spheres. Like I say ... lots of stuff. It all gets neatly wrapped up in about fifteen pages, and yet it isn't really wrapped up. There is so much more that I wanted to know. Caymen's family story ... why they ended up the place they did, why the family stayed away so long, how they are going to deal now ... all of that deserved a bit more time, or at least an epilogue.
Still, with that problem, I still loved this book. It is a super quick read that would be perfect when you need a sweet YA romance to brighten your day. I loved it. Four stars!
This is a story of two people from very different worlds who meet and eventually seem to be heading toward falling in love. Caymen is a poor girl who works at her mother's struggling doll shop that caters to a wealthy local clientele. Xander is uber-wealthy. Everything about him exudes wealth and privilege. Caymen has always been taught by her mother to distrust and avoid the wealthy, but despite her preformed opinions and some work to push Xander away, Caymen finds that she feels comfortable in her relationship with him. She often rushes to accuse Xander of treating her condescendingly because of his wealth, but in this story it really seems as if Caymen is the one who is judgmental and condescending. Xander seems wonderful in almost every way, but Caymen can't seem to allow him to simply be a nice guy. There has to be some ulterior motive. Scene after scene involves Xander doing something nice and then having Caymen run away when she believes he is behaving as a stereotypical rice guy would behave. But through this story Caymen begins to discover exactly who she is and through this process allows herself the chance to see things as they really are, not as she has always believed them to be.
This story is just a sweet little young adult romance. There is a greater theme of not allowing stereotypes to define those we meet in life, but it isn't really one of those themes that is pounded over our head. It is just there. The only thing that prevented me from giving this a full five stars was that I felt as if the ending was a bit rushed. There were a lot of things going on ... financial problems, the big reveal about who Caymen's family really is, reunion with part of that family, a dangerous but treatable illness, a lifetime of lies, trying to figure out how to make a relationship work with two people from different social spheres. Like I say ... lots of stuff. It all gets neatly wrapped up in about fifteen pages, and yet it isn't really wrapped up. There is so much more that I wanted to know. Caymen's family story ... why they ended up the place they did, why the family stayed away so long, how they are going to deal now ... all of that deserved a bit more time, or at least an epilogue.
Still, with that problem, I still loved this book. It is a super quick read that would be perfect when you need a sweet YA romance to brighten your day. I loved it. Four stars!
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little mad at this book for being over. How rude! -
My Take
First things first things first… I LOVE CAYMAN! I like-ish Xander, really liked Skye, I was not particularly fond of Cayman’s mother.
This was a great story! I was pretty hooked as soon as I started reading it. I was even so taken by it that I let my other book rental lapse and now I have to wait my turn to be able to rent the book again. I felt like the story was very well written and I was completely absorbed in Cayman’s struggles with love, life and her mother.
Cayman was just such a fun character. She’s not a typical teenager because she’s very mature for her age. I think I probably love her so much because being an only child of a single parent, I can totally relate to her relationship with her mother.
I felt like the love story wasn’t so much about Xander so we really didn’t get to know him as well as Cayman but I felt like that was ok. Not that there wasn’t anything to know about him, but his issues where trivial comparatively.
The reason I am not giving this book 5 cups of yummies is the ending. It felt…rushed, that’s the best way I can describe it. The whole situation was a lot of build up with very little pay off. It was a little disappointing. I was actually kind of mad at the book for ending. It left me feeling like their just should have been MORE.
On the whole I really enjoyed this novel and I am looking forward to reading more books by Kasie West.
More review at my blog Will Read for Coffee
My Take
First things first things first… I LOVE CAYMAN! I like-ish Xander, really liked Skye, I was not particularly fond of Cayman’s mother.
This was a great story! I was pretty hooked as soon as I started reading it. I was even so taken by it that I let my other book rental lapse and now I have to wait my turn to be able to rent the book again. I felt like the story was very well written and I was completely absorbed in Cayman’s struggles with love, life and her mother.
Cayman was just such a fun character. She’s not a typical teenager because she’s very mature for her age. I think I probably love her so much because being an only child of a single parent, I can totally relate to her relationship with her mother.
I felt like the love story wasn’t so much about Xander so we really didn’t get to know him as well as Cayman but I felt like that was ok. Not that there wasn’t anything to know about him, but his issues where trivial comparatively.
The reason I am not giving this book 5 cups of yummies is the ending. It felt…rushed, that’s the best way I can describe it. The whole situation was a lot of build up with very little pay off. It was a little disappointing. I was actually kind of mad at the book for ending. It left me feeling like their just should have been MORE.
On the whole I really enjoyed this novel and I am looking forward to reading more books by Kasie West.
More review at my blog Will Read for Coffee
Es tut mir leid, aber Cayman ist so ein "I'm not like other girls" - Charakter, dass ich 90% der Zeit beim lesen einfach nur schreien wollte, abgesehen davon ist es zugegebenermaßen ganz cute
Aber jetzt mal im Ernst, wer nennt sich Xander wenn der ganze Name Alexander ist?
Aber jetzt mal im Ernst, wer nennt sich Xander wenn der ganze Name Alexander ist?
Kasie West does some cute novels.
Girl who's really poor falls in love with rich boy. tada.
I liked it all the way up till the last three chapters because there's a deus ex machina kind of ending. So. blah.
Girl who's really poor falls in love with rich boy. tada.
I liked it all the way up till the last three chapters because there's a deus ex machina kind of ending. So. blah.
This is a really cute, fun read. I enjoyed it. For parents: it's also a pretty clean read.