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krowell03's review against another edition
3.0
definitely a book i should have read in high school lol but it was okay…
ashurq's review against another edition
4.0
Gia has the perfect boyfriend–Bradley. Unfortunately, he decides that the best time to breakup with her is in the parking lot right before Prom. Gia’s friends already thought she was lying about him, so if she shows up to Prom without a date, there’s no way they’ll believe that he was ever real. That’s when she sees him in the parking lot. She makes him a deal–pretend to be her date for the night and she’ll owe him. If he needs a fake date in the future, she’s his girl. What could go wrong?
Kasie West is back in my good graces. After On the Fence, I was really on the fence about her (pun intended). I really liked this book. I thought the characters were interesting and mostly realistic. Gia’s not very likable at first, but I think that’s the point and she really grew on me as the book progressed and as she develops as a character. I liked Bec A LOT. I tend to like characters like her and I’m not really sure why…maybe because they act as a good contrast to the typical protagonist in these stories. Hayden seemed like a good guy and I was happy to finally see a “good guy” love interest as opposed to the “bad boy” one. The last character I want to talk about is Jules. What even is her problem? That’s really one of the main things that bothered me. I just didn’t understand her motivations for anything. Why is she on Gia so much? I think they tried to explain this in the book, but it was just really never made clear to me.
As far as the plot goes, we all know what’s going to happen, but that doesn’t make the story any less enjoyable in my opinion. In fact, I think it actually keeps the reader in suspense a little bit. We know what’s going to happen, but not when or how. I still liked seeing the different stages play out. I liked how West uses Gia and Hayden’s families to contrast each other and help with the character development. Overall it was a quick, clean read and I found the resolution really satisfying.
Overall Rating: 4
Language: None
Violence: None
Smoking/Drinking: None
Sexual Content: None
Kasie West is back in my good graces. After On the Fence, I was really on the fence about her (pun intended). I really liked this book. I thought the characters were interesting and mostly realistic. Gia’s not very likable at first, but I think that’s the point and she really grew on me as the book progressed and as she develops as a character. I liked Bec A LOT. I tend to like characters like her and I’m not really sure why…maybe because they act as a good contrast to the typical protagonist in these stories. Hayden seemed like a good guy and I was happy to finally see a “good guy” love interest as opposed to the “bad boy” one. The last character I want to talk about is Jules. What even is her problem? That’s really one of the main things that bothered me. I just didn’t understand her motivations for anything. Why is she on Gia so much? I think they tried to explain this in the book, but it was just really never made clear to me.
As far as the plot goes, we all know what’s going to happen, but that doesn’t make the story any less enjoyable in my opinion. In fact, I think it actually keeps the reader in suspense a little bit. We know what’s going to happen, but not when or how. I still liked seeing the different stages play out. I liked how West uses Gia and Hayden’s families to contrast each other and help with the character development. Overall it was a quick, clean read and I found the resolution really satisfying.
Overall Rating: 4
Language: None
Violence: None
Smoking/Drinking: None
Sexual Content: None
abbyrosereads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
arbea's review against another edition
3.0
I could not put this book down for some unknown reason! I liked the fact that the main character is popular as it's not the usual underdog story. Also, I liked the mystery it held even if it was the slightest detail like a name. Although I did enjoy the book, in reflection, I feel like it was quite and average book. Good but average.
thebookberrie's review against another edition
4.0
Cute! Just an all around cute contemporary read.
When Gia gets dumped by her boyfriend in the parking lot before her prom, she freaks. Her boyfriend lives several hours away and her friends never met him so they quietly question his existence. Going into the prom without him would just prove it to her friends, and her frenemy Jules that he was never real. Thankfully Gia manages to get a boy she doesn't know to pretend to be her boyfriend for prom. It turns out the fill-in date is an interesting guy and Gia can't stop thinking about him. After she tracks him down, they aren't done with their fake relationship, even though Gia wouldn't mind it being a real one.
Also Gia's parents? Not very good. They were cardboard robots who were pointless and had no character. Her brother at least had some but I didn't like him anyway. It was just kind of bizarre really.
But for what this book was about and why I was reading it, I still had fun. I was smiling and enjoying all the fluff and I liked this book so much more than I did the last Kasie book I read, [b:By Your Side|30256248|By Your Side|Kasie West|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472078174s/30256248.jpg|45813875].
When Gia gets dumped by her boyfriend in the parking lot before her prom, she freaks. Her boyfriend lives several hours away and her friends never met him so they quietly question his existence. Going into the prom without him would just prove it to her friends, and her frenemy Jules that he was never real. Thankfully Gia manages to get a boy she doesn't know to pretend to be her boyfriend for prom. It turns out the fill-in date is an interesting guy and Gia can't stop thinking about him. After she tracks him down, they aren't done with their fake relationship, even though Gia wouldn't mind it being a real one.
I wanted him to like me because as much as I'd tried, I could no longer deny the fact that I liked him.This book, it's just so silly but it was cute so I liked it. Gia at first is pretty awful. She's snobby and only cares what her "friends" and everyone else think about her. I'm glad as the book goes on she grows as a person, making new and more meaningful friendships while the truth ends up crashing around her. Her friendship with Bec was a highlight for me, while her "friendship" with Jules was the worst thing. I thought there would be a deeper meaning to why Jules was the way she is but no. She was just there to be annoying and "steal" Gia's friends. Even though you can't steal a person and their choice to leave you is their own.
"Well, if you're a mess then I'm a natural disaster."The romance between the fill in boyfriend and Gia was down right adorable and they were so good for each other! They were funny, cute, and I loved them even when it was such drama and they were taking forever to talk about their feelings.
"The cutest natural disaster I've ever seen."
Also Gia's parents? Not very good. They were cardboard robots who were pointless and had no character. Her brother at least had some but I didn't like him anyway. It was just kind of bizarre really.
But for what this book was about and why I was reading it, I still had fun. I was smiling and enjoying all the fluff and I liked this book so much more than I did the last Kasie book I read, [b:By Your Side|30256248|By Your Side|Kasie West|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472078174s/30256248.jpg|45813875].
nhi_nguyen's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely love Kasie West and she did not disappoint me with this book. It wasn't her best novels, but I still like it anyway. I just feel that there was more problems that needed to be fixed before the ending. But I still loved it anyway.
nhi_nguyen's review against another edition
4.0
*4.5
Kasie West writes such amazing books...but sometimes they're not very memorable. This wasn't one of my favorite books by her but I still loved it anyway. The first time I read it, I thought that there were still things that needed to be wrapped up. But honestly, I think the ending was perfect. Gia is not a type of person I read often. She's bold and confident with a tough layer, but also very insecure inside. It's quite refreshing. The romance was absolutely adorable...which isn't surprising considering it's a Kasie West book! Can't wait to see more of what she comes out with in the next coming year!
shakgraph's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Kasie West novel, and I really enjoyed it.
I like how the story starts out with Gia at the prom, getting dumped, and then meeting Hayden. I liked that Hayden seems very bookish at a first glance. Then we find out he's an actor(I didn't see that coming) Hayden being an actor made the story so much fun! I couldn't tell whether or when he liked Gia(he was a good actor).
I liked that as the story moves you learn how other people have seen Gia, from Gia's perspective. After Gia meets Hayden, she comes to the realization of how she treated people when she tried to come out of her box. Gia was the most dynamic character. I wasn't expecting that change and it was refreshing.
I really liked Bec. She was the most fun character. It was nice to see Gia form an honest friendship.
Gia and Hayden were cute. I thought it was funny that Gia was, at first, ashamed with herself for liking him. Even though he wasn't her "type" she still went out of her way to dress up and all that. Plus, Hayden acting as a loving boyfriend he was TOO good! It was cute.
I DON'T LIKE JULES!
I enjoyed Kasie West's writing on the relationship Gia had with her family. It was relatable to me, how her family never confronted any tough topics. It isn't healthy, it hurts. I liked the small resolution that got made. It was realistic and it tied up that part of the story enough for me.
I like how the story starts out with Gia at the prom, getting dumped, and then meeting Hayden. I liked that Hayden seems very bookish at a first glance. Then we find out he's an actor(I didn't see that coming) Hayden being an actor made the story so much fun! I couldn't tell whether or when he liked Gia(he was a good actor).
I liked that as the story moves you learn how other people have seen Gia, from Gia's perspective. After Gia meets Hayden, she comes to the realization of how she treated people when she tried to come out of her box. Gia was the most dynamic character. I wasn't expecting that change and it was refreshing.
I really liked Bec. She was the most fun character. It was nice to see Gia form an honest friendship.
Gia and Hayden were cute. I thought it was funny that Gia was, at first, ashamed with herself for liking him. Even though he wasn't her "type" she still went out of her way to dress up and all that. Plus, Hayden acting as a loving boyfriend he was TOO good! It was cute.
I DON'T LIKE JULES!
I enjoyed Kasie West's writing on the relationship Gia had with her family. It was relatable to me, how her family never confronted any tough topics. It isn't healthy, it hurts. I liked the small resolution that got made. It was realistic and it tied up that part of the story enough for me.
darthvale's review against another edition
4.0
Ero un po' indecisa sul voto ma, poiché la storia mi ha preso davvero molto gli ho dato 4 stelline!
Un libro piacevolissimo che si legge in una giornata. Lo stile dell'autrice mi è piaciuto ed ho apprezzato particolarmente come abbia descritto le scene dei viaggi. All'inizio, magari, può sembrare un libro un po' stupido ma alla fine ci fa anche vedere degli aspetti dei ragazzi di oggi di cui, di solito, non ci rendiamo conto. Ho apprezzato molto i personaggi e, in particolare, Hayden che mi è stato simpatico da subito! Mi aspettavo di più dalla fine ma, tutto sommato, sono stata soddisfatta di questa lettura.
Un libro piacevolissimo che si legge in una giornata. Lo stile dell'autrice mi è piaciuto ed ho apprezzato particolarmente come abbia descritto le scene dei viaggi. All'inizio, magari, può sembrare un libro un po' stupido ma alla fine ci fa anche vedere degli aspetti dei ragazzi di oggi di cui, di solito, non ci rendiamo conto. Ho apprezzato molto i personaggi e, in particolare, Hayden che mi è stato simpatico da subito! Mi aspettavo di più dalla fine ma, tutto sommato, sono stata soddisfatta di questa lettura.