When I saw Kasie West's newest book pop up on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. She has a way of creating stories that bring her characters to life. This one features Finley, who is excited to try out to be one of the hosts of her school's podcast. Unbeknownst to Finley, her boyfriend tries out instead and is named one of the two podcast hosts. In true heartbreak fashion, Finley breaks up with Jensen and seeks to find a way to get her revenge. Along the way, she befriends his enemy, Theo, and works with him on her plot to get back at Jensen. One feature of the book that I loved so much is her relationship with her grandma, who plays a big part in the story, as well. This was such a fantastic book and I cannot wait for it be come out in December so others can love this book just as much as I did!

This was a really cute romance and as someone who had a podcast I really liked that element of it. It was cheesy at times but it was just the right amount that made me smile every time I the two of them interacted with one another. If you are looking for a cute romance I recommend checking this one out. The pacing is good and the characters are really fun to follow.

4 stars. The Romance could’ve been a little more swoony, but that’s generally my complaint about Kasie West. She writes very Contemporary With Romance as opposed to Lynn Painter who feels more Contemporary Romance.
I didn’t care too much about the podcasting/Grandma story and I wouldn’t have as a teen either because my own Grandmother was going through the same thing at the time, so I skimmed a lot of those scenes. The whole premise of podcasting is my liiiiiife!!!! seemed a wee bit unrealistic in the sense that I feel like someone as smart and focused as the FMC wouldn’t have been so singularly focused on something so niche. She would’ve realized that going into journalism or communications would’ve also been a fine and viable option as podcasts might have a shelf life to them, but the general skills she’d need for them are transferable.

It was very cute and I enjoyed my time reading it, but I’m not certain I’d go back and reread it, which is why it isn’t a five star for me.

I’m also low key bummed that the whole thing was a moral lesson about karma being better than revenge. Just once I want the FMC to just get her revenge!!

4.25 stars! This book had me giggling and kicking my feet in the air. I love the witty banter sooo much! It's a good thing I read this book on my kindle because my pen would be out of ink from all my highlighting.

Reading this story feels like eating a warm, gooey cinnamon roll. It's the ultimate comfort experience! There's so much to love about this YA romance, but I have to start with the characters. Finley is such a funny and relatable protagonist! I love how unapologetic she is about what she wants, whether it's being a podcast host at her high school, stealing her ex-boyfriend's spot on the football team, or working with her ex-boyfriend's handsome rival...

And speaking of handsome rivals, can we take a moment to admire Theo? Everyone always talks about trying to find the perfect book boyfriend, and I'm convinced Theo is THE ONE. His witty banter is top tier, and the man knows how to give a rom-com-worthy kiss. But Theo is also so much more than that. He volunteers with a youth program that helps little kids discover a love of football and goes out of his way to help Finley care for her Grandmother. And did I mention Theo is a great communicator? Theo and Finley are really open about what they want from each other, and I am here for it! I'm so tired of the miscommunication trope, which I feel many YA books fall victim to. It makes the romance in "Better than Revenge" so refreshing!

This is the second book I've read by Kasie West, and it's solidified her as an auto-buy author for me. I'm not quite as obsessed with "Better than Revenge" as I am with her other book, "Sunkissed", but it's still one of my favorite YA romances of the year. 4.25 stars and a solid recommendation!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

I have loved every Kasie West book I've ever read, which is all of them, so she is definitely an auto-read author for me, but that also means I have high expectations for her books. And this book didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed the mixture between the podcast aspect and the football training aspect and felt there was a good balance between them. I also really appreciate the personal growth that Finley goes through throughout the book. Looking forward to whatever Kasie West comes up with next.

This is my first Kasie West book -- and as a junior high librarian, I realize now that I should have been reading her LONG before now.

This was a cute, sweet, clean romance between high school students. While the plot was fairly predictable, it was a cute story and there were definitely lessons to be learned.

I'll be purchasing this for our collection when it's released. I have a lot of 8-9th grade girls who would really love this story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author Kasie West for letting me read & review this advanced copy. This was the first novel I have read by the author Kasie West that did not disappoint and was a great four star young adult romance read that releases Tuesday December 31st 2024. This was a book filled with rollercoaster of teenage emotions, high school drama and the struggles of high school that happens; along with a surprising romance. Better Than Revenge is a book that reminds of the great drama romance vibes that the movie John Tucker Must Die gives.

5/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse Children’s for the arc of this book! This book was SO perfect! I loved Theo’s sass, and I loved Finlay and her friend. The dialogue was hilarious, and the storyline with Finlay’s grandma was beautiful! Everyone, check this out when it releases!

I really enjoyed this book! The characters and the plot are very well written and the story was interesting and thought out well. I would definitely recommend this book to my audience and friends.

Better Than Revenge
by Kasie West
4⭐️

This was such a cute YA romance! All vibes, low stakes, high school revenge plot. I read this all in one day, this reminded me a little bit of Lynn Painter's YA romances which are my absolute favorites. I wish certain aspects had been a little more developed like Finley's friends because Max and Lee were basically one person and Deja gave Lily from The Princess Diaries (movie) vibes and not in a good way. I almost always comment that a book needs to be shorter or paced faster but I actually think this could have had a little more book. I love the banter and alliance turned friendship between Theo and Finley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this gifted arc!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6874030802

I originally picked this arc because the cover is so incredibly cute. But the story is definitely cute too.

I’m not the biggest fan of YA romances, but this book was enjoyable from the very beginning. My favorite part was Findley’s relationship with her grandma. The friends were also really enjoyable and funny.

The writing and story are easy to follow, the characters are like able. The romance was sweet. Overall it was a good read.


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was such a cute and fun read that surprisingly tugged on all the heart strings. I just adored the friendship that grew between Finley and Theo and even more so when that blossomed into something more. Finley's podcast with her grandmother was funny and so very touching.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC. "Better Than Revenge" by Kasie West is an engaging story that follows a protagonist navigating the tricky waters of high school friendships and the fallout of betrayal. While the revenge plot is entertaining, it sometimes feels predictable and lacks the depth I hoped for. The character development is solid, and I appreciated how the protagonist grows throughout the story. The romantic subplot is sweet, though it occasionally takes a backseat to the main storyline, leaving me wanting more. However, I found the ending somewhat disappointing. Given that the entire plot centers around revenge, I expected a more impactful resolution. It felt like a missed opportunity to fully explore the consequences of the protagonist's journey.

a sweet enemies to lover's story. loved the characters, read it in two afternoons I enjoyed the book very much.

A sweet enemies to lovers trope with no swearing or content. After Finley’s boyfriend takes the podcasting spot she’d been hoping to get for years, she decides to get revenge by trying out for kicker position on the football team to steal his spot. Theo, who was an enemy before this, becomes her trainer. They of course start to fall for each other. I loved this story, especially the side story of her grandma’s first love, as uncovered in Finley’s personal podcast. Such a cute, fluffy read!

4.5 ⭐️ This book was absolutely adorable and I loved every minute I spent reading it. I stayed up too late finishing it because of how much I was loving it. The characters were so cute and likable. I loved the intertwined story of the grandma and how it played into the ending of the book.

This is the perfect read for YA romance lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

This book was freaking adorable. From start to finish I was so obsessed with Finley and her friends and her quest for revenge. I love how she stood up for herself and her friends were her best cheerleaders and defenders and I loved Theo. I was honestly prepared not to like him at all but he won me over just as well as he did with Finley.
And the plot lines that didn't have to do with revenge, with her grandmother and her first love was so fun and made the whole thing so fun and adventurous and engaging. This was such a good read I devoured it in one sitting!

Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one goal: to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed.
Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost. Includes an author Q&A!
By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?

This was such a fun, quick, adorable YA read!

When I began this book, I was a bit nervous because I thought the writing to be a little straightforward and juvenile for my tastes. However, I soon found myself appreciating the straight-forwardness of the story and loved Finley's directness and the humor it gave to the story! Finley really grew on me; I could absolutely emphasize with her quest for revenge, and I found myself hating Jenson right along with her and hoping that her payback plan was a success.

Loved the inclusion of both podcasting and football. I think West struck a great balance of including these elements without them totally overtaking the story, and I learned a bit more about podcasting than what I went into this knowing, which was fun!

Of course, adored Theo and his hard-shell exterior that leads to a gooey, soft center. The development of his relationship with Finley was well-paced, and there was never much time that went by without an interaction between the two, so I never really got bored of their story or had to skip pages to get to the "good stuff". The plot also tied really nicely back to the b-story about Finley's grandma, which was a sweet inclusion that had me tearing up a bit towards the end!

All-in-all, this is truly the perfect read if you're looking for a quick, heartfelt YA novel with well-fleshed out characters, fun banter, and a classic Kasie West love story!

I really liked "Better Than Revenge." Personally, if I were Finley, I would’ve stayed on the football team and watched Jensen seethe from the sidelines. After the way he completely dismissed her feelings and showed no remorse, he deserved it. However, I’m proud of Finley for realizing that doing something for herself is more important than seeking revenge. Revenge isn’t always sweet. I want nothing but good things to happen to Finley. Finley and Theo’s relationship didn’t really stand out to me. Their chemistry was great and the moments they shared were super cute, however, this story felt more like a self-discovery for Finley. I’m not complaining about it because Finley is very easy to root for. I also really loved the relationship between Finley and her grandmother. It’s one of the highlights of the book.

I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will read anything that Kasie West writes. They are always good reads to me and I really enjoy them. I always know I am gonna go away from them feeling happy. All I can say in this book is grrr to Jensen and I really like the story and her friends. Hearing about her Grandma's life was also very enjoyable.