*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

This is my first book by Kasie West and I absolutely enjoyed it! The cover, the premise, the characters, Bean, the writing.... just *chef's kiss*

As a child, Wren had a (what some could describe as) traumatic event. As she grows up, to cope, she creates boundaries in the form of rules and introverted-ness. One summer day she meets Asher, who is the opposite of said rules. That's all I will say so as to not spoil this book.

This book felt so alive to me. As main character Wren was going through the events that happened, the emotions that she felt, I felt. I was living through Wren. Highly recommend it and looking forward to reading other works from Kasie West.

I thought this was a cute read. I really liked the beginning but the book sorta seemed to slow down in the middle. Things didn’t get really interesting until like 70-75% of the book but it was a nice ending. I wish Wren was a more fleshed out besides her one hobby and I would have liked for the side characters to have had more dimension but I enjoyed the premise so much I was willing to let that go. The story was a bit rushed at the end and the forgiveness comes a little too easy but still a solid read I’d suggest others give a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I am totally in awe with the cute cover with the dogs! I usually have been shying away from young adult books lately but when I read the description for this one I had to check it out and am so glad I did because I fell in love with Wren's big heart not only for trying to help out a total stranger but for the love, heart, and soul she put into her work at the local animal shelter. The dogs was just icing on the cake for this incredible read.

This was a fun short read about social media, young love, and the angst of just being a teen tossed with a bit of family drama.

#BorrowMyHeart #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are all my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Borrow My Heart.

I may be biased, but Kasie West is my go to when I recommend YA Romance to my students and this one will be added to my list as well.

There are so many feels in this book.
It's a super sweet story of love and how things are not always what they seem. Wren is super kind and sweet and when she thinks someone is being catfished she has to step in to help. She didn't intend to keep the act going, but falls deeply for Asher, but some things are not as they seem.

Wren's life is complicated. She lives with her dad, because her mom left her family. Wren deals with her pain by making lists and being in control. Little does she know that she truly isn't in control and must deal with the hand she has been dealt.

I love that there are dogs in this story.

Borrow My Heart follows Wren, an animal shelter employee, who swoops in to save the day when she sees a guy, that is most definitely being catfish, about to have his heart broken. Wren and Asher then bond over and team up to get an unadoptable dog, Bean, at her shelter adopted. Omg Bean 😍 Honesty he was my favorite character because he wasn't just a love anybody dog, he was a picky judge if character and I loved how his story was woven into Wren and Asher's. May have had some tears in my eyes towards the end with that sweet pup.

This is a pretty typical West book all summery and full of teen love balanced with a few serious topics. A quick, easy read!

Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.

Asher is cute, charming . . . and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he's waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing.

It's not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she's not who she says she is? Wren's not so sure. . . . After all, rules exist for a reason.

Kasie West is always a yes. Love her writing and great YA romance books! This one was just another in a long list of books I will continue to recommend to my students by this author. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

It was cute but fell flat for me. I felt a minimal connection with the characters, making it less enjoyable. I really enjoyed the plot of this but the characters just didn't connect with me and that the overall reason for my poor rating.

On the surface, Borrow My Heart is a light YA romance novel that has the characters dealing with the negative aspects of social media, catfishing, parental issues, relationships, and helping animals in need.

Wren will tell you that she is a control freak. She has rules for every situation. Her mother left when Wren was a child to go off and do her own thing. Wren's rules make her feel safe. She also loves working with animals and is doing her best to make sure a certain loveable dog gets adopted.

Asher is good with computers and editing videos. He comes from a large family and has a close group of friends.

When Wren overhears Asher being picked on by his friends after being catfished, she jumps in and pretends to be his online love interest. His friends are suspicious, but she goes with it. Soon she and Asher begin spending more time together mainly at the shelter she volunteers at.

This was an enjoyable book that took both characters on their own journeys while also on a journey together. I loved the chapter headings and thought they were very clever and a nice set up for the chapters.

This is the first book in a series. The writing is solid, and I appreciated how the author delt with the real life issues her characters were experiencing. This proved to be an enjoyable, sweet, fast read that is perfect for YA readers.

3.5 stars

I will always jump at the chance to read a Kasie West Book. Just putting that out there to start. 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

Wren has rules for life- especially her love life. But when she hears an attractive guy, Asher. being mocked for being catfished, she decides to jump in and help him save face. Problem is, she can't just leave it alone. Pretty soon Asher has become a part of her life, to include her goal to find a home for one of her favorite dogs at the animal shelter she works at. Together the two of them work hard to make that perfect family match, In the process, most of Wren't rules have to be thrown out the window.

Overall a really cute read. Again, I really enjoy Kasie West and her stories. This one didn't grab me and keep me like some of her others, but it had such a sweet message and was a joy to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall this was a cute read. I think I am just mostly getting away from really really liking books with kids in high school which is why I didn’t score it as high.
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Nevertheless, Kasie continues to be a fantastic writer. Seriously, she comes up with great storylines that can keep you engaged (even if you’re not a fan of the characters ages).
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Even if you’re unsure about this book, I would always recommend giving a Kasie West book a shot. Always.
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🌟🌟🌟/5

Overall adorable cute fast read. I mainly got this book because of its cover. So cute and the story didn’t disappoint.

Kasie West doesn’t disappoint, I have loved all her books and this one is no different. The charterers were so cute and funny, and Bean, such a precious pup.. This was a book one of those books this will be a “must buy”.to have on my shelf.

I needed this book so much. Kasie delivered yet again! The cover was cute, the story was a fun read, and the pages just kept me turning. I recommend it! Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.

Ever since I discovered the fill-in boyfriend I've devoured anything Kasie West has written, and this book felt a little fill-in boyfriend-esque and I didn't know how to feel about that. I feel that I couldn't help but draw parallels and then maybe was let down a little by how this one played out. Still really entertaining, but I felt that Asher wasn't really fleshed out which made it hard to root for them, and the twist wasn't entirely captivating because I didn't buy the relationship quite as much. Wren also seemed a little one-dimensional that it's more descriptive of her being a control freak than actually seeing it in action.

Also, it felt like the family dynamic/drama that I typically adore West for also wasn't fleshed out enough. It was entertaining, but felt somewhat derivative from some of her past work without enough oomph to make it work.

dnf at chapter 13 - maybe this is my own fault. i didn't realize that there wasn't a "send to kindle" option and that i would have to read this arc on my laptop, and unforch that severely limited my ability to get through this book.

however, i think i would still have the same issue concerning the plot. the plot is very focused on a mistaken/hidden identity story line. i underestimated how much of the book was going to be this. at ~45% the guy still doesn't know that she's lying about her identity, and personally, i just really hate that. the mistaken/hidden identity trope can be very interesting, but this was not. she's just lying to this poor guy. and i get that she's "saved face" for him, but i'm allowed to still hate it.

I absolutely loved this book! It was super cute and a great read. I couldn't put it down! I discovered Kasie West years ago but was pumped when I got this ARC! I loved it and flew through it in days! The characters were well wrote and the story was super cute with no plot holes!

This was a cute, quick read. Wren loves the shelter animals, her dad and her bestie Kamala but doesn’t have an easy time making connections with other people. When she sees Asher and his friend Dale in the coffee shop waiting for a girl, she assumes Asher is being catfished and will be embarrassed when Dale films it for TikTok. She pretends to be the girl he was supposed to meet. Turns out that she has a real connection with Asher and now does not know how to tell him that she’s not really the girl he was supposed to meet. Will them end up together? Probably. Is it still cute, with a touch of serious issues (her mom abandoned them, Wren and her sister Zoey have issues)? Definitely.

The story is a perfect example of how good characters and good writing can make up for annoying tropes.

The pointless secrets annoyed me to no end, but I loved reading this despite the lack of communication.

So, while I don't think that there was a good in-universe reason for why it took so long for all the secrets to be confessed, the story was fun and the characters felt real.

Overall, a cute story despite it's use of some of my least favorite tropes. I'll be checking out more from this author!

3.5

After reading the premise of "Borrow My Heart," I was immediately intrigued — I've never read anything with a plot like this! Wren decides to pretend to be Asher's online mystery girl when she's at the coffee shop where the real girl is supposed to meet him, once it's obvious she is not coming. He is getting teased by his friend, and she wants to help him save face and not have to admit he's been catfished! So now, Wren is Asher's "girlfriend" and she is fake-dating him, having to pretend she knows about all their online conversations etc. But, how can this end well if she's been lying to him from the start?

This was cute, unique and had some great characters — I liked the friendships Wren and Asher had, and would love to see more about Kamala and Dale! And we can't forget about the star of the show, Bean the dog! Overall a fun easy YA read if you're looking for something light.