Let me start by saying that I usually have no trouble finding something I dislike in books, even in the ones I rate 5 Stars. However, I cannot find a single thing I dislike about this book. Kasie did a beautiful job of creating characters that I immediately fell in love with. Each character is a bit quirky and you can't help but want to be their friend. The story progresses at a nice pace without leaving out any details. The way the scenic description are written from an artist's view makes you feel like you are there for every geyser, river, mountain, & bison. I left this story wanting to pack up and hit the road...preferably with another book featuring more time with these characters I loved so much.

You know when you are reading and you just have a smile on your face the entire time? Well, this was that book for me. Kasie West is by far one of my favorite YA authors, so when I saw that I was approved for this ARC on NetGalley, I was so excited! And this book did not disappoint!

Norah hasn't seen her childhood best friend Skyler in three years. So when their moms decide to plan a three-week road trip with their families, Norah is excited. But everything isn't as Norah was hoping for when she sees Skyler.

I loved Norah and Skyler! Norah is a little awkward at times, but Skyler always liked that about her when they were kids. I loved learning about their friendship when they were younger as well as seeing how they navigate each other while they are older.

This was a very well written story. When you feel the things that the character feels, you know it is powerful. I have butterflies in my stomach when I was reading Norah and Skyler's first kiss. That's how you know this is an amazing book.

If you haven't already read this book, go order it now! It was an amazing and very well written story!

This was a really cute book! My first from Kasie West but it was a feel-good kind of story. Who doesn't love a good road trip romance? The climax was anticlimactic for me and the resolution didn't feel earned. The character development also wasn't really there. Overall, a cute second chance romance! Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this wonderful book.

Kasie West has done it again. This book is so good. What a great storyteller. Norah and her childhood best friend Skyler are going to embark on a 3 week cross country tour with their siblings and their mothers. Skyler and Norah haven't seen each other for several years and things could be weird.

This is a sweet story of family, dealing with challenges, making life time decisions, and reconnecting with friends.

Places we've never been was a cute YA romance, friends to enemies to lovers and second chance. They go on a family road trip together. I liked the dynamics between the characters. The secrets reveals didn’t really impress me and were kind of a let down. I like the writing style of this book and could relate to the main character. There is a gay character but it feels like we don’t get much of him. Would recommend if you just want a cute YA romance read.

I loved the way this story was written, but I found the plot generally anti-climactic. I appreciated that the story was a bit of a self-discovery journey for our MCs, but I wasn’t left with a sense of accomplishment or finality at the ending. It felt like nothing of major significance happened. The whole story was slightly un-eventful.

I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and Random House Children’s in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. I really enjoy Kasie West’s books and this one is no different.

This book revolves around a RV road trip between two families who have been very close, but have not seen each other in 4 years. Norah is excited to see her former best friend, Skylar, as their relationship has changed when he had to move away. She realizes that in their years apart, they have changed and that there are some secrets going on within each family and friendships.

This is the perfect book to read on an afternoon when you need a break and want you read something that is well-written and has heart.

I always like Kasie West's books, so I'm not surprised that I liked this one so much. The characters are realistic and have good chemistry. I like that there are family and friend dynamics and not just a focus on the romance. I didn't like Norah's mom for part of it, but I guess by the end I sort of understand her.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Kasie West is one of my go-to authors when I want something sweet and fun. She writes lighthearted Young Adult novels that deal with some issues of growing up while having a bit of romance on the side. She doesn't add unneeded angst and her books don't delve into soap opera style drama. The characters are more relatable every day kinds of people you might meet or know.

Since I read every book that is released by this author I was delighted when I was chosen for an Arc to review. This book is just what is needed when you want to chase away the cares of this world and escape for an afternoon. True to form this book is lighthearted though barely touches on some slightly deeper topics.

The book also involves a road trip which is always extra fun for a summer book. Two families that haven't seen each other since one moved away about 4 years prior set out on an RV trip. Norah is especially excited because she can't wait to reconnect with her former best friend Skyler (until he moved away). Unfortunately, the trip doesn't meet her expectations and she must reconcile the boy on this trip with her former friend. They both have changed and yet not and she doesn't understand his antagonism. The story is also about family dynamics and friendships of different sorts. It's also just entertaining to envision a family summer road trip.

The book isn't particularly novel or unique. It doesn't explore new territory which suits me just fine since that's not why I read these books. Instead the book is like a warm blanket on a cold day or your favorite comfort food. It goes down easily and warms your soul. I like that I was able to share West's books with my daughter when she was in middle school because you won't get edgy language or situations in her books. About the worst you get is a reference to flipping somebody off. This makes them good books for younger audiences just getting into longer books. However, my daughter has also enjoyed them as she got older if she just wanted something cute and sweet that was a fast read.

I enjoyed this book as I figured I would. I like the resurgence of a slightly sarcastic heroine because my humor can relate. I know my teen self would have connected to feeling a step apart from others and thinking people found me a bit odd. That's a universal feeling for many teens. This book deals with coming to terms with who you are and want to be and then getting comfortable in your own skin. Oh, and also romance!

I didn’t want to put this book down, even though I was reading it in the most annoying way possible (advanced PDF copy on my phone). I had a lot of fun with the road trip aspect. The plot felt like it moved at a great pace, not too fast, not too slow, and it wrapped up in exactly the way I’d hoped. I tend to stay away from YA romance these days because they are often filled with tons of drama that simply annoys me, but I couldn’t resist a National Park road trip. It ended up working out well because the drama was relatively low. I appreciated the use of internalized worries versus actual teenage ridiculousness. The maturity level was high enough to be tolerable, but still believable for 17-year-olds.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The setting was great, I enjoyed the romance quite a bit, and the family relationships in here were top notch. There’s a little mystery throughout, as well, to keep you reading. I definitely recommend for YA Contemporary romance fans and even those who generally get annoyed by them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Norah and Skyler were the best of friends until he moved to a different state and they slowly drifted apart. Now, four years later on an RV road trip with their moms and siblings their forced to figure out what went wrong and try to find their friendship again.

This book was the sweetest!! I know i love a book when i have tons of bookmarks in it!! It was so good!

Norah's character was so fun and i loved her "girl power" vibes. She was such a likable person and learned to trust herself.

There were so many sweet moments and lots of family dynamic issues talked about. I love all of the places they visted and the detail of all the events. It's hard to find a book where i like all the characters!!

Not my favorite Kasie West I’ve ever read but not my least favorite either. Some of the pacing seemed off to me in this one, but the characters were interesting to read about.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the ARC.

Places We've Never Been was a fun and feel-good read about friendship, love and family. I loved the road trip setting and learning about new places as the two families visited them. I wouldn't have minded a little more insight into the characters, but I appreciated the focus on the various dynamics and it was nice to see all the relationships develop over the course of the trip, especially Norah and Skyler's (obviously). The ending was a little dry, but it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. I really had a good time reading it. 3.5/5 stars!

I’m so excited to have been selected for this ARC! Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Kasie West. The opinions reflected below are my own.

Kasie West books are summer vibes to me! They are endless nights, open opportunities, and the right amount of teenage hormones to bring me back to my own summers 10 years past…ok 15 but who’s counting?!?

Like all other works by the lovely Ms. West, I loved this book! From the pastel cover to the second-chance-childhood sweethearts trope to the road trippin’ theme, I was hooked from the beginning.

What I liked about the book:
1. Like most Kasie West books, the writing is fantastic. It has an easy flow, it’s entertaining, and it has just the right amount of spunk. She could literally write a manual on how to install a car stereo and I would read it.

2. Similar to the writing, all Kasie West books I’ve read (and there are a lot!) have a great vibe to them. They have this way of transporting me back to high school me, all “the world is my oyster but I also think I’m super awkward and no one understands me”…good times!

3. I love the characters so much. I think the people I liked and identified with the least were the parents. I felt a lot of the “kids” were very mature for their respective ages, but the parents made some lowkey bad decisions at various points.

As a big nerd, a total overachiever, and an awkward duck who wants to take down the patriarchy, high school me really identified with Norah. I especially appreciated her thought process. Unlike most romance/NA/YA books, Norah didn’t take her mom’s terrible advice about letting Skyler go for his own good, which made me very happy. That never works out and I’m glad Norah didn’t go this route like I expected her to.

Skyler was cute and likeable. I understood why he acted standoffish at first. But he also just let stuff roll off his back after they dug up the truth, which I really liked. He was sweet and reminded me very much of what a first serious boyfriend should be.

I really loved Paisley and Willow. They were both so funny in completely different ways, and they played their roles so well! Paisley is a straight shooter, which is even more hilarious because she’s like 13 years old. Willow is fantastic and totally reminds me of the edgy cool girl that hung out with everyone in school, regardless of status.

Ezra was…a nineteen-year-old older brother. And he played his role perfectly.

4. There was no real third act romantic drama and I loved that. Usually around the 80% mark of a romance book, we have some sort of breakdown between the couple that is super annoying…..thankfully, Kasie did not do that to us. This couple already had too many years apart due to bad communication, no reason to bring it around again.

5. As a Cali girl, I loved the setting and the road trip stops along the way.

What didn’t do it for me:
1. I wish we had more insight into Skyler’s relationship with his dad. It seems like such a defining part of his personality, but it is really glazed over.

2. So, Austin was another character. You see I didn’t mention him above as one of the characters I liked. That’s because he was basically thrown in here as a diverse character (he is gay) and he wasn’t really talked to or about a lot. I wish we had more interaction between him and the main characters, or even just shenanigans between him and Ezra. I feel this was a wasted opportunity for who could have been another great character.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for allowing me to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kasie West's books are always a hit or a miss for me. I do like her books and believe they are great for this generation of teenagers. I feel like Kasie West just gets it and what's going through their heads during weird times in a teen's life. While reading her books, I'm reminded of when I would read Sarah Dessen novels though I do believe Dessen's books have a little bit more substance.

Places We've Never Been was a slight miss for me. This was an average teenage story. It wasn't bad, but neither was it great.

I did like the story and the author's note at the beginning. It was an overall really cute and fluffy read. A book I would definitely take with me to the beach or sit outside during a sunny day. I do recommend this book to West lovers who enjoy her other works.

3.5 stars

This book is a sweet one!
Ex-best friends turned to enemies…then into a sweet little teenage romance. What’s not to love?

This story follows two families on a RV road-trip with a group of teenagers. There are several secretes and fun times along the way. I really enjoyed the ride!

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at around 20%, which is rare for me. The writing style felt very dry and I just wasn't enjoying myself at all throughout the portion of the book that I read. I am giving this book two stars because I could see a younger teenager (13-16) possibly enjoying it. Seeing as though I did not finish it, I cannot confidently publish a full review of this novel.

Thank you netgalley! Even though I am 30 I still enjoy a YA book from time to time. This road trip romance was truly sweet and hit all the marks. As a fan of to all the boys ive loved before, this book reminded me of that in certain ways. I felt connected to Norah and Skyler and enjoyed watching their friendship/romance blossom. I found it to be realistic and at times i was transported back to my 17yr old self. I wish we got to learn a little more about their families, particularly about their moms are suppose to be life long best friends. But other than that i really have no complaints.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Quick Synopsis: Artist and aspiring video game creator Norah can’t wait for the 3 week long RV trip with her family. Especially because her childhood best friend Skyler will be there with his family, and it’s been years since she’s seen him. To her surprise, Skyler isn’t nearly as happy to see Norah, and seems uninterested in rekindling their friendship. Will the trip be a disaster? Or the start of something amazing?

My Thoughts: Kasie West never — and I mean never — disappoints. I’ve read everything she’s written, and her books are always a sweet, welcome escape. Norah and Skyler were such a great pair, and there were some fun side characters as well. The author is good at keeping you guessing about some things, and she writes the best friends to lovers trope flawlessly! This book definitely made me want to hop in an RV and take a road trip. Super cute, quick read.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me an eARC of Places We’ve Never Been!

"Love is a pretty powerful thing."
"It doesn't take away all of life's disappointments, but it can provide a nice place to fall."

GAH!!! This was totally CUTIE!! Sweet and swoony!


Readers are going to want to go on a summer long RV trip. Norah & Skyler. Fluttering in your stomach and the racing of your heart. He washes her feet!! I LOVE THEM! Skyler and Paisley's sibling dynamic is totally endearing. The conflict was PERFECT! You *think* you know what's going to happen but you don't and Norah and Skyler handled it SO well! Places We've Never Been is the perfect summer book! Get it on sunny season TBR.



✨ THINGS and STUFF ✨
-childhood best friends
-enemies to lovers
-second chance
-family dynamics
-road trip
-girls in gaming (Mario Kart)
-sarcastic remarks
-"Bighorns"
-flashback memories
-his thing is HUGS 🥺
-friendship bracelets
-Coke freeze
-#IsThisAKissingBook: young adult, 16+. "He kissed me. I kissed him back, pulling on the front of his shirt to bring him closer."

Thank you Delacorte Press for an advanced copy!

🎶 Song: Canyon Moon by Harry Styles 🎶