Friday, May 15, 2015

The Fill In Boyfriend ♥ by Kasie West Review

Friday, May 15, 2015

The Fill In Boyfriend
Kasie West
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  • Publisher: HarperTeen (May 5, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-13: 978-0062336385
  • Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
  • Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles
  • Source: Personal Physical Purchase

  • Synopsis: When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable…convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. The task is simple: two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. The problem is that days after prom, she can't stop thinking about her fill-in boyfriend. 

  • But can Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship? Smartly observed and wonderfully romantic, Kasie West's talent shines in this tale of one girl's unexpected quest to find love…and possibly herself.

  • Gia Montgomery's boyfriend Bradley breaks up with her in the parking lot of her high school prom. She is left stranded with no boyfriend and no ride home, so she asks a guy who is waiting to pick up his sister from the prom to be her fake boyfriend. Gia is afraid to destroy her friendship so she chooses to lie and saves her face. The thing is there is another new girl in Gia's circle, Jules. Jules despises Gia and claims she is lying about her boyfriend Bradley. She hates Gia because she is popular and the leader of the group, Jules wants that spot. Furthermore, Gia is insecure, she loves her friends but deep down she doesn't trust them enough or know that they will believe her. The mystery guy is to be her pretend boyfriend for two hours and break up with her so her friends don't see him ever again. So, what happens when Gia starts falling for the fake boyfriend? Will her friendships be destroyed with her lies?
  • Previously, I had read Kasie West's On The Fence, and I DNF'ed it. I feel I might have judged the book too quickly because I really loved The Fill In BoyfriendThe Fill In Boyfriend sounded like a cliche novel when I picked it up. However, it's much more than a cute, fluffy romance novel for the summer. It is a slightly intense self-discovery novel with romance. It's also about drama, family, friendship, and conflict. I kind of got teary at two parts in the novel which just made me want to scream or go awe. This novel is not about popularity - it's about loneliness and insecurities. It's about having a "perfect life" but it doesn't seem perfect to you. It's a fantastic novel that one could read in just one setting, more novels like this please! I have a secret fascination with couples who pretend at first, but then they actually fall in love, it's too cute.
  • Gia Montgomery is popular, and she's quite immature. She seems senseless, shallow, and conceited but then again she is just a teenager. She's like one of the Queen Bee's at school except she's more nicer. She doesn't criticize anyone, but neither does she defend people who are bullied. She would be a part of the bystander effect who laughs just to fit in. Her character is actually fantastic, I'm sure many readers would love a heroine who raises her voice, however, realistically, many people usually don't. The great thing is she does reach character growth eventually. I find reviews criticizing her immature mistakes a bit harsh because at one point everyone has made immature mistakes in their life, the point is to never do them again and learn from them. You have to screw up in order to grow up don't you? I can't think of a single person who's never made a immature mistake and has been wise since birth. 
  • The Fill In Boyfriend's name is kept mystery until more than 30% into the novel. I actually loved the surprise and the name - it does spoil the mystery factor of his name if reviews mention it, even the premise doesn't mention it. I'm just glad I went blind into this novel. The romance is amazing though, I was rooting for both of these characters - I so ship their romance. The male lead is a bit dorky and awkward which is something unique, he is quite cute but he's not emphasized as drop dead gorgeous as most books do. It's realistic, and many people can relate to this novel.
  • Overall, this novel did surprise me. It deserves all the hype it has received because ultimately it has a great message in the end. Being true to yourself. Kasie West does a wonderful job on exploring families and conflict in them. Gia might seem like she has the most perfect family, but they're flawed. It's a swoon worthy novel with several cutesy moments, I giggled and laughed at several parts. I also cried with the characters, and if a book can tear me up, then it's definitely meant to be. A flaw in the novel is when Gia actually slaps one of the male characters because she is insulted, I don't accept violence unless it's self defense or a duel. I do wish there was more insight into Jules story. We never actually get to know if karma hits her or not. It would be interesting to read her story in the future. Furthermore, it's not a perfect novel, however, The Fill In Boyfriend is one of the best young adult novels that I would really recommend. This is being added to my favorites, Kasie West has a new fan now.
Recommended for fans of The Truth about ForeverThe Distance Between Us, and On The Fence.

Thank you for reading this! Leave your blog links in the comments & I'll be sure to check them out & stop by :) Stay in tuned pretty creatures..

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” —Nora Ephron 
femmmefatalee@gmail.com


64 comments:

  1. When I saw this one I originally wrote it off as cliche and wasn't really intending to read it, but maybe I am missing out on something here! Because although the fill in boyfriend idea might sound a bit done already the rest of it sounds great. And I love when a character goes through a lot of development and self-discovery like it seems Gia has done!

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    1. Yes, it sounds quite cliche but the actual story is quite lovely - I hope you enjoy it Olivia :)

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  2. I am glad to hear this one is realistically teen. C'mon, we all went to high school. Teenagers are rude and generally like that evil cat that everybody is slightly afraid of but still thinks is cute. I personally love a heroine who sticks up for the underdog, but I also realize that 99% of teenagers see bullying but rarely reports it. I'm glad she grows as the novel progresses. I've had my eye on this awhile, thanks for sharing your review. I think I will definitely like this :D

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    1. I'm so glad you could agree with my point Sarah, at one point everyone has made immature mistakes. I hope you enjoy it as well :)

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  3. I've heard good things about this one, I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's definitely going on my TBR list :)

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    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have :)

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  4. Yay!! I'm so glad you loved this one. It sounds wonderful!! I recommend West's The Distance Between Us which is also quite swoon-worthy. I'm glad this book has some self-discovery in it, and yay for dorky love interests. They're adorable ;) Lovely review <3

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    1. I've heard The Distance Between Us is pretty fantastic as well, I have bought the copy so here's to hoping it's just as good :) Thank you Rachel <3

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  5. This is actually really awesome news because I tried to read Kasie West's other books BUT I JUST COULDN'T GET INTO THEM AT ALL. As in, even her fluffiest book then just didn't work on me. To see that you had the same dilemme with her previous books and managed to love this one a lot really gives me hope. I really should give her another try this time! Crossing fingers that my heart will find itself here, too :)

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. I tried reading her book On The Fence but I couldn't get into it either, maybe we didn't try hard enough? Her writing is definitely amazing for this novel though, so I do look forward to checking out her previous books now! I think you might just like it Faye :)

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  6. I have never read this book, but now I most DEFINITELY will. I am intrigued with the character of Jules....she seems quite insecure, Yet desperate to hide it?
    So to summarise: TBR list has been updated. SO adding this to TBR pile!

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    1. I think you should give it a go, I thought it was a beautiful book.

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  7. Kasie West has this... style to the way she writes. It's almost like we're able to connect to every word, no matter our personalities. I tend to not like contemporary because sometimes, the girls/guys are really whiny and self absorbed but Kasie has this amazing way of breaking cliches and showing us readers the real meaning of realism [because unfortunately, somewhere it got lost in the midst of cliches and guys with 8 packs.] I didn't know the name of the guy was a mystery but now I'll be keeping that in mind while I read.

    Awesome review, Benish!

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    1. You make an excellent point now that you have brought it up, Kasie West does seem to break the cliche concepts. Thank you Nova! ♥ I hope you enjoy this novel as much as I have :)

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  8. I am not a huge contemporary YA romance reader and despite everyone loving The Distance Between Us by the author, it was a 3-Star read for me. But your review got me really interested in this book Benish! I love that we won't know the guy's name until 30% in and Gia does sound real. I especially love this:

    "Her character is actually fantastic, I'm sure many readers would love a heroine who raises her voice, however, realistically, many people usually don't. The great thing is she does reach character growth eventually."

    I definitely agree! It is realistic for a teenager to want to fit in and Gia sounds like a typical teenager who succumbs to peer pressure. The important thing is her character develops for the better. I will definitely check this out now! I love that the love interest is geeky! We need to get more characters like this! Awesome review :)

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    1. Thank you Amir for your thoughts! I'm so glad you could agree with me :) & I agree, we need more dorky and geeky characters. Not every male interest has to be so gorgeous you know?

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  9. I love On the Fence so I think I will this one too. Happy to hear it's not too fluffy. I can't wait to be surprised by who the fill-in boyfriend it.

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    1. I thought this was a beautiful read, I hope you enjoy it :)

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  10. It's not everyday you get to read about a realistic teen character who doesn't wallow in a pity party despite his/her insecurities. Wonderful review, Benish! :D

    Blessie @ Mischievous Reads

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  11. You got my attention with that sentence of living the perfect lif, but it doesn't seem perfect to you. I feel like people often judge others from what they see and while it might seem someone has a perfect life, that doesn't have to be the case. I agree how people seme to judge mistakes of characters a bit too harshly sometimes as sometimes we forget to take into account that they are teenagers and it's natural to make mistakes. And even adults still make mistakes, we aren't perfect. I think the important thing is that we learn from our mistakes. And how original the fill-in-boyfriends name is kept a secret till 30%.This sounds like a fun and realistic book! Great review!

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    1. I agree with all of your points Lola! Gia's mistakes were immature but they weren't unforgivable honestly. Everyone screws up atleast once in their lifetime, the point is to redeem yourself and learn from your mistakes afterwards. I loved the mystery guy factor, it was too cute! Thank you for sharing your thoughts Lola ♥

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  12. Have this one waiting for me on my kindle! IT SOUNDS SO CUTE. After reading your review I need to start reading this one soon. Great review! :D

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    1. You should so pick it up soon! It's a beautiful book ♥

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  13. I totally adored this one too, and I love how Gia wasn't entirely likeable in the beginning while still being likeable (I know, that totally makes sense...) but I mean, yeah, she was a bit shallow and in a bubble, but she wasn't intentionally mean to anybody and she was nice. Jules, however...yeah, I wanted to strangle her so much. I love how "Fill-In Bradley" was the one who made a mistake too, when they started getting close, instead of it being her. Basically I <3 this one so much, my favourite of Kasie West's (which is saying something because they're all adorable, and fun and different ones with the same message of being honest and being who you really are).

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    1. Yes I understand what you mean - her character is very flawed but also true to reality. I think many teenagers are like her in some way, even some adults can be. The Fill in Bradley was sooo cute! I so ship their romance, he's truly one of my favorite male leads in books ♥ Happy to hear you loved this book as well! I haven't read the authors previous books before, but I am giving them a try now - thank you for dropping by Kristy :)

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  14. I'm actually looking to buy this one soon. Glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have :)

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  15. I enjoyed her other books and I need a summery read.

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    1. This is a perfect read for the summer ♥

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  16. YES! The Fill-In Boyfriend is definitely on my tbr list. It looks super cute and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :)

    Janhvi @ The Readdicts

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    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! ♥

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  17. I really, really want to read this book. I'm not a big contemporary girl but this just screams awesomesauce! So glad to hear you loved it because I hadn't heard much feedback on it yet.

    Dreams @ Once Upon A Dream Books

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    1. This was actually a very wonderful novel, it's not perfect but it's a beautiful book! You should give it a go sometime soon ♥

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  18. I love that there is more to this story than a light, and fluffy romantic read. This sounds like it had everything; family, drama, self-discovery, and if it made you cry, emotionality as well. I've only read one book by Kasie West, but now I'm adding this one to my TBR! Thanks for sharing!

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. I really did adore this novel, you welcome Lindy! I hope you enjoy this book ♥

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  19. I am so pleased to see you enjoyed this and that it is so much more than a cute, fluffy romance. I am a huge fan of Kasie West so I'm really keen to read this.

    A lovely review! Sharon - Obsession with Books

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  20. I have enjoyed her paranormal books more than her contemporary ones, but I have a secret love for fake boyfriend plots, so I'm excited to try this!
    Jen at YA Romantics

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    1. I agree, I have a secret fascination with fake boyfriend plots as well lol!♥

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  21. I'm glad to read this one was quite different than you expected it to be. I love books that are like that! The book does sounds so good and I know that'll have to pick this one up! I also do love the sound of the male lead. :)

    Wonderful review!

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    1. Thank you Magen, you should defo. give this one a try soon. I think you might just like it :)

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  22. Oh girl! Glad you liked this one! I want to rush out and get it now! I am glad the fill-in's name is not revealed straight away... gotta have a bit of mystery!

    Naomi @ Naomi’s Reading Palace

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    1. yes, the mystery factor does hype you up, it's an amazing book ♥

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  23. Yay! Now I'm even more excited to read this one, Kasie West can do no wrong. I love, love, love that it deals with more than just romance but family and coming of age and character development! Ahh, can't wait!

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    1. I really hope you like this one Alise! ♥

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  24. I enjoyed On The Fence, despite the issues I found with it. It was a bit TOO cliche. This sounds incredible though, your review has me super excited to grab a copy. I love coming of age stories with the emphasis on family. And the romance doesn't sound too bad either. Wonderful review Benish, loved it! <3

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    1. I didn't like On The Fence when I first read it but I do want to give it another go now, this book was very beautiful though! ♥ You should so get your copy soon, I think you might just fall in love with this read. Thank you Kelly! :)

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  25. Oh wow! This sounds like just my kind of book! Great review!

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    1. Thank you Karen, I hope you enjoy it!

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  26. I have seen a LOT of love for ON THE FENCE, but this is the first review for THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND that I have read. I don't usually read cutesie contemporaries (or contemporaries at ALL, really), but I have to say that Kasie West is an author I would probably go to if I was in the mood for one. It sounds like she managed to weave great life lessons into cute storylines, and what is better than that?

    I hope I like this one as much as you if I get around to reading it! I have a copy of On the Fence on the way, and I hope I don't want to DNF XD

    Lovely review, Benish ^.^

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    1. I think you should read this book before reading On The Fence :) I read her other book before and I end up DNF'ed it, I still want to give her other books another try now. I so hope you enjoy The Fill In Boyfriend! ♥ Its more than a cute contemporary novel, it's slightly more intense than other books - I hope you enjoy it as much as I have Chiara :)

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  27. Yay! I adore this author and can't wait to read this one. So happy to see those five butterflies!

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    1. I think you might just love this one then :)

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  28. I just read a negative review for this story, but your review makes me want to read this! I certainly agree that we were all immature at one point or another in our lives, as teenager or maybe even grown up for some, lol! I like that Gia experiences character growth here. I'll try not to read the fake boyfriend's name if I see another review. I don't want the story spoiled. Lovely review, Benish! :)

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    1. I think you mean Aimee's review? She does make pretty valid points although I personally loved reading this book ♥ the concepts sound so cliche, but the author does break out of them eventually. It's one book I would totally recommend checking out! ♥ The mystery guy aspect was one of my favorites of the book, Thank you Rachel :)

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  29. I LOVED this one! I haven't seen a negative review (though I see Rachel has, so I'm curious), and I love Kasie West, so I had a feeling I would love it. I read it a while ago but I've reread it since! Which is pretty rare, I generally don't have the time. I'm so glad you enjoyed this book! I can't wait to read more from Kasie - her five published books are awesome!

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

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    1. I've seen one negative review of Aimee's though, it's one book I honestly did love though ♥ I was quite surprised on how good it actually is and the powerful message it gives off is wonderful as well. ♥ I have yet to check out the rest of her books though! :)

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  30. Great review, I really want to read this! I love when a book can be cute and fluff filled but also have a more serious core. And I so agree, the "pretend to be in love and then accidently fall in love " trope is one of my favorites!

    Mandy's Books and Beauty

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    1. Yay! I'm so glad you could agree, I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one with the pretend couple fascination :) I do hope you enjoy this novel though, it's one I would really recommend! ♥

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  31. this book is everywhere now! I just got it on my Kindle so I'll see how I like it soon :) Great review, as always <3
    Agata @Vanilla Reads

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    1. Thank you Agata ♥ I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

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  32. So happy you loved this! I love Kasie West so much :)

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