This was a very cute story. I would definitely recommend this book to YA readers. This book had great life lessons, and the romance was very sweet. This would be a great book for a younger audience, but I did not find it boring as an adult reader.

I really enjoyed the romance element to this book, it had that concept that I was looking for and enjoyed about the genre and still be something new. The characters worked with the story and I enjoyed how well everything flowed together. Kasie West has a strong concept for the genre and enjoyed how everything worked together. It uses the sports element perfectly and was glad that the romance was realistic.

Finley has waited for years to try out for her high school’s podcast. The spots only go to seniors and she has been preparing for years, including recording her own podcast with her grandmother. It’s her way of collecting her grandma’s life story before Alzheimer’s robs her of her memory. The big day of tryouts comes and her football kicker boyfriend Jensen shows up to audition for the spot without telling Finley. He uses one of her ideas to audition and ends up getting the on air spot she worked so hard for. In addition, he accidentally admits to the entire school over the loudspeaker that he didn’t think she would have been a good choice for the podcast anyway. So she dumps him and she and her close group of friends Deja, Max and Lee plot their revenge. The idea they come up with is for Finley to partner up with Jensen’s nemesis , super cute, injured former kicker, Theo. The plan is for Theo to help Finley train to be the next kicker for the football team and take the spot from Jensen. Theo hates Jensen, blaming him for his injury, and has had a crush on Finley (unbeknownst to her) for a while. The development of their friendship and more was great. There is also a side plot where they are investigating one of her Grandma’s stories to see if they can find a sentimental artifact for her that is really cute. In the end, Finley needs to decide what she really wants for herself and how she will reach those goals. This is my third Kasie West book and it is my favorite.

I devoured this sweet rom-com filled with morals and banter. The main characters had a chemistry that melted together and their banter was on par! I highly recommend!!

**3.5 STARS**

I haven’t read a Kasie West book in awhile! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Finley is out for revenge because he boyfriend took the podcast spot at school that she was trying for. I didn’t blame Finley at all for her revenge plot because her boyfriend, or should I say ex, was really a jerk. Throughout the whole book he was taking her ideas, making her feel like she wasn’t good enough and that sucked a lot. But I liked her journey with trying to figure what she wanted to do after her dreams were crushed and making things right in the end.

+ One of the cutest things in this story though is Finley’s relationship with her grandmother who has the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. Finley does a podcast interview with her throughout the story and I love how it’s how she bonds with her grandmother and shows off her talent with podcasting and interviewing people.

+ Finley’s friends are really the best. They are with her even when this revenge plot goes into uncharted territory and when she messes up sometimes they don’t shut her out but they work it out. I loved Max!

+ The romance between Finley and Theo (her ex’s rival) is really cute. Theo is the popular guy with a reputation. Theo and Finley have really good chemistry when it comes to being rivals, then friendship and then into a romance. I like how they pushed one another to be better. I thought the way it paralleled somewhat with her grandma’s romance story was super cute!

Dislikes:

~ I did not like Jensen. And Finley wasn’t perfect, especially with her desperately wanting to get back at him so bad – but I can understand where she is coming from. Jensen, not so much, he was just a jerk.

Final Thoughts:

This story has heartfelt moments between family and friends and there is a cute romance Theo and Finley. It’s a quick read and teens and young adults will enjoy this one, especially if you have read other books by this author.

'Better Than Revenge' is such a joy. It's a perfectly balanced romcom with enough romance to have me planning their future wedding alongside comedic moments that had me audibly giggling. Finley and Theo's relationship arc is so immensely satisfying with top tier rhythmic banter as well as their deeper connection. Intertwining Finley's passion project podcast interviewing her grandma with Finley's own emotional development really brought a lot of depth to her. While the podcast may seem low stakes to some, it's so evident how much weight it holds for Finley and her entire family reminding us all about how time really is fleeting and magical all at once. A book so good I kept putting off finishing it, as I didn't want it to end.

Katie West has been a go to romance author for me for years. This one was just as cute and sweet as the others. The characters are swoony and fun with emotional moments mixed in. Another hit from this author!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of Better than Revenge! What happens when your non-podcast loving boyfriend steals the host position from you, then proceeds to break up with you? Become friends (or maybe more) with his nemesis, of course! First off, I love the Taylor Swift references throughout the book - it was a nice little easter egg. Even though this book was more about Finley and Theo's relationship the story line with Finley's grandma was a bit more captivating - every story she told left me wanting to hear more. I absolutely loved Finley's growth as the story develops - from sad and upset to vengeful to self-discovery - it was relatable and heartwarming to read. It was also nice to see how she changes her views toward Theo. Overall, an adorable, funny, high school drama quick read that makes me want to read more of Kasie West's books!

This was such a cute read! I loved the relationship between the characters and the banter. I love Kasie Wests writing so much.

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.