Every book that I have read by Kasie West, I have loved. My personal favourite is the Distance Between Us. I've read PS I Like You dozens of times. All in all, Kasie is an amazing writer. I was overjoyed to have the opportunity to get Sunkissed as a voluntary review copy. I loved the characters, setting and everything about it. I couldn't put my kindle down! I hope that I'll get the chance to read more of Kasie's new books. Besides that, this book is in my top favourites.

A cute, contemporary YA summery read. This is the first Kasie West book I have read, and as a 50 year old, I say it won't be my last. It's a perfect summer read for any teenager, or anyone that likes YA contemporary. I loved the camp setting, the newfound friends (and more than friends), and the family connections with the parents present in the story and in Avery's life.

I've always been a fan of Kasie West and her newest release is up there as one of my favourites! I loved the storyline, the characters and the outdoor camp setting. The growth in Avery's character was really enjoyable to witness and I thoroughly enjoyed her relationships with her sister, parents, friends and Brooks. It has Kasie's signature writing style and cute, swoony moments mixed with a Dirty Dancing vibe, that make it the perfect summer read!

I was in a bit of a slump and looking for a quick and fun read to get me or of our and this one friend. It's cute, fast paced, and perfect for what I wanted.

Avery is going away with her family for the summer. Since her parents are teachers, they get every summer off, and every summer they take Avery and her younger sister Lauren camping for vacation. But as this is the summer before Avery’s senior year, and her parents feel like it’s their last summer together as a family, they booked them a place for the entire summer at Bear Meadow, which has every summer activity they could think of. It has everything, really. Everything except for wi-fi.

But maybe that’s a good thing. Right after Avery and her boyfriend Trent had broken up, her best friend Shay had kissed him. On the way up to the camp, Shay had texted Avery, trying to apologize, but Avery wasn’t ready to hear about it. Maybe having some time away will help Avery feel better about her best friend.

Right away at the camp, Avery has another guest spill hot coffee on her, so an employee grabs a staff shirt for her to change into. Then when she’s walking back to the lobby where her parents and sister are, Avery stumbles into a band rehearsal and meets Brooks. He mistakes her for a fellow staff member and invites her to watch them rehearse again the next day. But when she shows up to try to set the record straight, he gets upset and walks away. She finds out that staff aren’t supposed to make friends with the guests. But Avery finds herself falling in with lifeguard Maricela.

Meanwhile her sister, a prolific online video producer, decides she wants to make a documentary about the band. They’re practicing for a competition at the end of summer, and since Lauren can’t post online all summer, she decides to film the band and edit the footage in a long-form documentary. It’s been her dream for a long time, like Brooks has a dream of winning the music competition. Which makes Avery ask herself what her dream is. Is she working toward a future that excites and inspires her, or is she just moving forward toward the dream her parents have for her?

The weeks go by, and the sisters get to know the band members better. When Brooks talks about trying to write a new song and throws out a few of his lyrics, it’s Avery who has an idea for the next line. They start spending time together finishing the song for the competition. But then the lead singer is injured and gets sent home for the summer. When the band breaks up, Brooks has no one to sing his new song. Avery can sing, but she has crippling stage fright. Is this her opportunity to take a chance and create her own future? Or will she stay quiet, play it safe, and not risk making a fool of herself?

Sunkissed is a sweet summer rom com about one young woman’s journey to figure out who she is and what she wants. Author Kasie West has created characters that resonate with their humor, their kindness, their uncertainty, and their willingness to take risks. Avery’s journey in this novel is one we’ve al known at some point in life, having to choose between what others want for you and what you want for yourself. Watching her grow into her strength and into her own voice is what gives life and soul to this story.

Sunkissed is a perfect summer read, charming and fun without being too deep or too sad. There is a lot of tension, a little kissing, bonfires, a giant Slip’n’Slide, new friends, old friends, plenty of snacks, laughter, and a little bit of sunburn. What more could you need?

Egalleys for Sunkissed were provided by Random House Children’s (Delacorte Press) through NetGalley, with many thanks.

To be honest, I had no idea Kasie West was a huge name in the contemporary romance scene. It was after reading this book that I got to know about her. Sunkissed starts off as a very clichéd summer camp love story. But by the time I reached the middle of the book, I was so floored by the cuteness of the book.

Avery is a very relatable character, and her dynamic with her sister and her family even more relatable. Sunkissed a meet cute story about a girl who fears changes and an enigmatic yet serious-about-life boy. The friendship to lovers trope is just so sweetly portrayed here. And it's not just about a girl and a boy. This book shows wholesome friendships, Brooks bittersweet back story and his bond with the band members, Avery's relationship with her sister and her family, and how everything comes at play together to help Avery gain her confidence and become a person who learns to take risks.

I loved every little moment in this book. The summer camp activities and the two sisters' very opposing attitudes towards it, the sly moments when both of them sneak out with the help of the camp employees to meet Brooks' band - Lauren to make a documentary and Avery to get closer to Brooks, and everything about this book is so warm and sweet. It definitely is a must recommend for contemporary lovers.

JUST THE CUTE SUMMER ROMANCE I NEED!

Considering that this would be my third Kasie West book, my heart is absolutely leaping with joy that I can get a breather with the fantasy, sci-fi, and hard-hitting books I’ve been reading.

Sunkissed is the perfect summer read, reminiscent of the times when we actually get to go out and explore the world. (Something I definitely miss!) Considering that it’s summer in the Philippines right now, the setting of this story is really just the perfect one to pick!

Indeed, Kasie West hits the right notes for people who seek something light, fluffy, and sweet.

This book is more character-driven, instead of the plot, but that’s okay with me. We spend time with Avery and her family as they go on a summer trip to a camp. The trip is especially important since she’ll be off to college soon and need the ultimate family bonding hangout before life changes. Additionally, she found her best friend kissing her boyfriend — so this trip paved the way for her to gain an escape.

A bonus point, of course, for my love-loving heart is that we have a hero — who is a musician! Just the right one to capture my heart. Avery and her vlogger sister spend time with the in-house band and the dynamic between them all is so cute.

For some reason, this book felt like a more innocent version of Dirty Dancing and I saw a handful of reviewers who felt the same thing! Especially when the moment Avery embraced herself, braved what she wants to do, and step outside of her comfort zone, that was a little Dirty Dancing moment if I’ve ever seen one!v

Cute, summery romance that's heavy on themes of family and self-confidence. Avery and her family are headed to an upscale summer camp. Avery's not unhappy to go, as her best friend just hooked up with Avery's ex. Avery's younger sister Lauren, an aspiring vlogger, is annoyed at the camp's lack of wifi. When Avery meets some camp employees and joins their band, she boosts her self-confidence and improves her relationship with her sister.

While some older readers of YA might enjoy the (very slight) Dirty Dancing vibe, I think Sunkisses is a great choice for younger YA readers of YA fiction, who will swoon over the sweet romance.

I received a complimentary copy of Sunkissed from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.
I laughed, cried, and experienced every emotion in between. Kasie West’s depicts teenage Avery’s summer of self-discovery—from people pleasing to fulfilling her own wishes. It doesn’t hurt that a cute, guitar playing band member, Brooks, takes the journey with her. My only regret? I wish there was more!

(I read it in less than 24 hours... You know, because I had to sleep at some point!)

Avery has always walked the path of the least resistance. She colors within the lines and does what is expected of her. But when she has a falling out with her best friend and a whole summer away at family camp she starts to question what she's been doing with her life. Spurred on by comments made by her father, Avery commits to having the summer of her life and pushing herself outside her comfort zone. Her sister Lauren is there to keep her company and to point out when ceramics may not be fulfilling Avery's goal of "trying new things."

What, or who, really pushes Avery out of her comfort zone is Brooks, a member of the camp staff and member of the band who plays at dinner every night. Brooks is his own summer mission - to win a Battle of the Bands. It's too bad members keep leaving his. He's on the verge of giving up everything when Avery realizes she might be able to help him...if she could just make herself do the thing she dreads most.

This was a fun, light, perfect for the beach (or camp) read. The characters were fun and Avery and Brooks had nice chemistry, although many of the characters seemed a little flat. Still an easy read I'd recommend for someone looking for some summer love.

Another adorable friends to lovers romance by one of my favorite go-to YA authors! This one is a little slower paced, but has all the angsty teen movie moments I have come to love from West. A perfect vacation book about a laidback music lover falling for the camp musician/employee!

Avery is forced to spend her summer in the woods with her family. But she isn’t too upset about the prospect of leaving her friends behind because of an awkward fallout with her best friend. Even though Avery is nowhere near ready to date again, she can’t help but fall for Brooks, the stoic musician with good hair.

This reminded me of a more PG version of Dirty Dancing. Avery and Brooks are forbidden to have a relationship, but find themselves sneaking off to write lyrics together. While I didn’t really connect with Avery, this was still a super cute, easy read with lots of summer vibes! Definitely the perfect beach read with all the elements of first love and vacation shenanigans!

Kasie West has this perfect way of crafting a low stakes atmosphere that simultaneously keeps the reader invested in the plot and the development of the character. For this reason, I always reserve my summers to catching up on her latest releases and with Sunkissed she did not disappoint. I wanted a funny, relatable, easy to love character who grows in her understanding of herself and that is exactly what I got in Avery!! I also wanted a fun summer getaway from the stress and troubles of my own circumstances and Kasie delivered once again, giving me a beautiful, relaxing, and lively camp scene with cute and hilarious staff members that I found myself wishing were my friends in real life.

Brooks, in all his musical glory, was both the man of my dreams and a moderately realistic portrayal of guys my age. Once again, Kasie designs a love interest of epic dreams that follows me into forever. While all of this is true, I would have liked to see how Avery’s growth impacted her college decision, and while I understand that this was the summer before her senior year, and she didn’t technically have to be too urgent about knowing what school she would choose, I do think a slight indication of that would have been a nice way of completing her journey with us readers. The final concert scene was amazing though, and the lines Brooks and Avery sang to each other were just soo swoonworthy.

Reading Kasie’s books I am always reminded of why I love YA contemporary in the summer. It’s really just the best time for it. Music, sisterhood, fun in the sun, and new beginnings; what more could you want in a book? Though Kasie tends to write her stories in a bit of a bubble, separate from a lot of the tensions of race and sexuality we exist in, as a young Black woman I can’t help but want to fall into the carelessness of it all sometimes. I can’t help but offer a wish to the new moon that for a moment, I could be as carefree as all her characters have the luxury of being. Reading Kasie books though, for just a second, I can be.

“But sometimes we start to change, grow, and the box begins to get small and cramped. And yet we fight to stay inside because the walls are high and climbing out seems harder than staying.”—Chapter 34
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Hate to love story. Slow burn romance. Summer Camp. Family holiday.
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I really enjoy this book. It starts with slow pace to 'can't stop reading' feeling. Kasie West always make me feel happy after finish read her book including this one. I like how Summer Camp place has been described, also family interaction although only a little bit told in the story. Ah... I miss family holiday so much.
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I can relate with main character's conflicts. I understand how she felt when it happened. So many options but we can only choose one. 🤔 I hope for more extensive ending or maybe this one will have the sequel. 😉
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If you looking forward to read a light, fun, and cute romance which is wrapped in Summer time, you can try read 𝑺𝑼𝑵𝑲𝑰𝑺𝑺𝑬𝑫. 😎

An oh-s0-cute summer camp setting-- add this to your summer reading list NOW! A sweet summer romance well-done (again) by Kasie West.

This was such a fun, sweet summer read! Packed full of charming characters and inspiring messages, this won't be one to disappoint Kasie West fans, and anyone new to her books will certainly fall in love with this adorable contemporary.

The summer vibes in this book were brilliant. If anyone is looking for a cute romance for this summer (or anytime, really), this is it, folks. Sunkissed gave me all the feels. The summer swoon-worthiness of this book is off the charts, and there was a lot of contented sighing and giddy smiling from me while reading. This book was packed full of feel-good moments. It was the perfect blend of romance, adventure, and self-discovery, paired with warm sunshine and sweet guitar music.

Next, let's talk about the main character, Avery. From the first page, I easily identified with her: she was the good, obedient daughter who shied away from conflict, didn't rock the boat, and, in general, hadn't changed much over the years. She wasn't very interested in trying new things because she already knew who she was and what she liked...right? Except Avery comes to realize that she really doesn't know who she is, so she sets off on a summer adventure to try new things and discover her true self. Avery's character called to me so strongly because she's so similar to me. While I read about her, I was constantly thinking, "This is me, but as a book character!" It was a really fun experience to read about a character whom I identified so closely with. She also had a very inspirational character arc throughout the course of this book. It was a delight to read about her!

I really enjoyed reading about Avery's relationship with her sister, Lauren, and how it evolved throughout the book. It was heartwarming to see them grow to understand and respect each other's perspectives, becoming closer over the course of the summer. It was interesting how Avery and Lauren were so different from each other, and I feel like Lauren's more outgoing nature was really beneficial in helping push Avery out of her comfort zone. I also appreciated seeing Avery's relationship with her parents change throughout this book, especially in regard to her being more assertive and willing to show her parents her true self.

The romance in this book was so cute! I absolutely fell in love with the romantic interest, Brooks (and isn't that name both adorable and hot??). The romantic development between him and Avery was beautifully paced. That slow-burn was written so well, sprinkled with so many flirty, adorable moments. There were also some important conversations interspersed that helped solidify their relationship. Plus, their music collaborations and the eye contact and romantic song lyrics and ahhh I can't even, it was too cute. ​In conclusion, this was definitely my favorite Kasie West romance I've ever read!

That's all for my review of Sunkissed by Kasie West! I absolutely adored this book and highly recommend it! It's the ideal summertime read. I gave this book 4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨. Thanks for reading!

Another Kasie West book to add to my favorites! This time, we are introduced to Avery Young. Her main focus is her music right now as she and her family are headed to a camp for the entire summer. With no internet, it should be picture perfect so she can avoid her ex-best friend and her ex-boyfriend, who have ended up together. But when she is introduced to the staff, especially one boy in a band, it may not be so picture perfect as she expected. At least, not in the traditional sense.

I jumped at the chance to be a part of this tour because I adore Kasie’s books and the romance she creates. It’s the perfect amount of cheese and tension and Sunkissed was no different.

Though there is the romance, an important part of a Kasie West novel, we can’t forget the character arcs present. We have Avery and Brooks to build that romance and connection, but we also have Avery and her family and even Brooks and his family. This helps to bring that connection they both have – the tension in their family as they struggle to rebuild the bond they used to have.

The secondary characters didn’t feel like background people, characters that don’t really matter. I really liked the presence they held in the story and, to me, they were also the nudge that both Brooks and Avery needed to take that step for their character arc to grow like it needed to. Nothing in the story at all felt like it wasn’t necessary, which is always a plus!

It might be my pregnancy hormones, but the tension in some parts between Brooks and Avery made me tear up a bit. I believe this happened with another of Kasie’s books a few months ago, actually. Either way, I adored Kasie’s new book and I can’t wait for the next one!

I feel like Kasie West is starting to become an auto-buy author for me. Her books leave me feeling good and swooning all day long! I love West’s writing style and I always feel like her characters are so relatable and lovable. The characters in Kasie West’s new book, Sunkissed, are not the exception.

I think this book is the perfect summer read—especially in the middle of this pandemic! If you like young adult romance, I am sure Sunkissed will steal your heart. This contemporary read is being compared to the movie Dirty Dancing because of the combination of a summer family trip, an annoying little sister, and the love interest in the camp.

The main character, Avery, was betrayed by her best friend and her boyfriend. Even though she’s not too thrilled about going to the camp with her family, it turns out to be a great distraction to recover from her heartache. Music is an essential part of the story! The author shows this when Avery meets Brooks; he is part of a band that performs at the camp and he is the one who mainly incorporates music into the story. Although romance is the main subject in this book, we also get to see family relationships, which was another one of my favorite parts of Sunkissed.

Avery and her sister, Lauren, made me think of the different stages of interactions in my relationship with both of my sisters. This is why I say Kasie West’s characters always feel relatable. Not every author can achieve that! Besides their relationship, you get to see them learning and growing within the story. So if you are looking for a great romance that includes family relationships, be sure to check out Sunkissed!

Avery Young and her family are spending the summer at an off-the-grid camp resort, which turns out to be the perfect escape from finding out your best friend kissed your ex. Avery is all too familiar with running away from her problems, and avoiding any confrontation. But now, she’s tired of being walked all over, and wants to use the summer to find herself, and not the person people expect her to be. Luckily for her, one of the camp employees, Brooks, the guitar player of the camps band, needs her help too. He knows the camp inside and out, so in exchange he will help her try new things. But working with Brooks shows Avery everything she could have if only she is brave enough to go for it.

I read my first Kasie West book in 2014 and my second one not long after, so it is hard for me to even contemplate that 2021 me received an eARC of Sunkissed for this tour. But if I have learned anything, it is that West never disappoints! Sunkissed was everything I could have hoped for in a contemporary at the start of summer break. I think I reached a record in how quickly I read it in one sitting because of how hooked I was. I decided while reading this that West is a master at dialogue. The flow of conversation was always so perfect: the timing, the play on words, the jokes, everything! In general, the timing as a whole was perfect too! Just the right amount of slow burn where other contemporary books tend to rush. This book is literally a bundle of pure joy disguised in pages and ink. I loved the characters so much! I especially loved the sister relationship portrayed with Lauren and Avery. The drama factor was next level too, I was so on edge as to how everything was going to wrap up at the end.
The Dirty Dancing vibes were immaculate! I cannot express how happy I was with the love interests development, from the meet cute, to the banter, to the deal, to the festival. Avery’s coming of age story was easy to connect with and relatable to a lot of us. Brooks’ initial brooding outside opens to reveal a much deeper soul. I finished the last page with a huge smile on my face, all thanks to the magic Kasie West creates with her stories. I highly recommend this for all your summer TBRs!

Rating: 4.8/5

The story revolves around Avery Young who spends her summer at an activity camp with her family. She had recently broken up with her boyfriend “Tent” because her best friend “Shay” kissed her boyfriend and she never expected this from her best friend.
The story starts when Avery meets Brooks at the activity camp. He was a sort of member of the staff and works as a lead guitarist. His band plays every night at the dinner. At the camp, Avery made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun.

As far as the writing style is concerned, I loved it and I could totally relate with the characters and I felt as if I am a part of their life. I have never read any book that takes place at a camping resort and I think that is why I loved the plot. I really liked how the character of Avery progresses in the story. We see her as a teenager who was betrayed by her boyfriend and best friend. Avery is a kind of girl who doesn’t perform tasks by stepping out of her comfort zone but at the camping resort she made a lot of friends and she was successful in achieving what she thought was out of her reach. (I am not gonna give any spoilers but you should def read this book. It was very cute)

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟓 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝
– The book was soooo fast paced and the characters felt so real to me.
– It is perfect for those who are into Romance and Young adults.
– This will definitely help you overcome your reading slump.
– It is a perfect summer read and I felt that the storyline was really cute.
– The chapters were short and that is the reason why it took me just a couple of days to finish the book

Kasie West reminded me how much I enjoy a YA read. This one had the perfect pace with wonderful characters. I especially enjoyed that the parents were included, but not intrusive. The sisters relationship was realistic. The romance happened at a natural pace of progression.

I enjoy strong woman characters at the center of stories. Avery may not have started out strong, but she grew during her whole summer at camp. It was great to see her figure out who she was, what she wanted and how to get it without stomping on anyone else.

I would recommend this to any teen and the parent would enjoy reading it too.