I've read plenty of Kasie West books over the years, so I was really excited to check this one out. I really enjoyed the summer camp vibes, even though it was different with the entire family there (vs. kid sleepaway camp). I related with Avery's character in how she was happy sticking to her routine and not going outside her comfort zone, and appreciated that she pushed herself to try something new. Of course it didn't hurt she had the help of a super cute musician! Overall, I enjoyed this cute, YA romance and think it would be a great summer read.

Kasie West is an automatic purchase for both my middle school and high school library.  I love being able to put her swoon worthy books into the hands of my students who love a good love story!  Sunkissed does not disappoint!  Relatable characters, summer fun, and a boys in a band.....what's not to love!

I took a bit of a break from Kasie West's books because her latest ones just weren't really for me but I decided to give this one a try since the synopsis sounded good. The first half I really enjoyed and thought that Avery was a pretty relatable main character but I didn't really like all the drama that was in the second half and it kinda fell flat for me, hence the three stars. Overall, it was a good read but I like a bit more depth in my contemporaries to keep me more interested in them and this one was mainly just drama.

Kasie West is an automatic buy and read author. She always writes the most relatable and charming stories and the romances are always so cute. Sunkissed is no different. I read this in one sitting. Avery and Brooks each have things they are working through and I appreciated how much I could relate to Avery's people pleasing and her journey to recognize and work on it.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Another Kasie West book that did not disappoint! I was a little nervous because the last one I read was not very good but I absolutely loved this one! I felt like I could relate to this one, and I’m sure so many other people can too. I loved how the main character went from being easygoing and not sure about things to knowing what she wanted to do and actually taking charge. It was a good progression that took the right amount of time. The characters were also great. I liked the connection between Avery and her sister. At first it seemed like they did not have much of one, but throughout the book it got stronger. The chemistry between Avery and her love interest was amazing too. 

Overall I’d highly recommend this book to fellow Kasie West fans and Young Adult contemporary lovers.

#Sunkissed
#YARead2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the E-arc copy of Sunkissed. It has a sweet romance and is a great coming of age story.

Plot: I love books that take place in summer, so the moment I saw that Kasie West's (One of my all-time favorite authors!) new book was a summer book, I was so excited to read it! And it not only met my high expectations, but exceeded them. Reading about Avery finding her voice, and finding love was such an enjoyable read!

Characters: Avery was a fantastic main character! I loved that her family played such a big role in the book. Brooks was a great love interest, and when I was a teen, he would have definitely been added to my list of book boyfriends. I liked how friendship played a large role in the book, too!

The Cover: I think it's really cute! (Also, I had never read someone call having a sunburn being sunkissed before reading this book, I like that phrase!)

Overall: Because it's a Kasie West book, I knew I would enjoy it, but I didn't expect how much! This is now one of my favorites by her! If you're looking for a fantastic YA read, I highly recommend this book!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.

This book was *chef’s kiss* - a perfect YA contemporary. Kasie West was my first introduction into contemporary romance and every time I read one of her books I am reminded why I absolutely love to read and love this genre. This book was everything I needed right now and it made me so happy to read it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sunkissed by Kasie West was such a fast, fun read! From the very beginning, I was completely enamored with the characters and their banter with each other. Avery reminded me of myself in that she's more comfortable staying in her box instead of allowing herself to break out of her shell, but she decides that living boldly is not so bad after all. I was swept away to this summer camp, and I wasn't ready to leave these characters when the novel was finished. Another well done novel by Kasie West!!

This book was *chef’s kiss* Perfect YA contemporary. Kasie West was my first introduction into contemporary romance and every time I read one of her books I am reminded why I absolutely love to read and love this genre. This book was everything I needed right now and it made me so happy to read it. 

Things I loved:
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family - there’s nothing I love more than a focus on family in books. Avery’s parents were active in this and I loved Avery & Lauren’s relationship. It was such a realistic relationship to me. 
👯‍♀️ The friendship group was fantastic and hilarious
🚣🏼‍♀️ Summer Camp setting - could you really ask for a better setting for a YA contemporary?
🎼 Music - This was so much fun!
💕 I really just loved it all. If you are a YA contemporary fan, you need to read this book! 

Overall, I’m so incredibly happy I got to read an ARC of this amazing book. It was one of my most anticipated releases and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. 

P.S. I really hope we will get a Lauren book in the future! She was such a fun character 💞

Such a cozy read! Family, friendships, humor, romance, summer camps, self-discovery - Kasie West has done it again! An adorable read that transports the reader to pre-COVID days.

I was excited to read another book by Kasie West, but felt a little let down by this one. This novel is set at a family summer camp, and while this was a great setting, it took so long for the story to ramp up because we had to establish why the family was there, what the place looked like, etc. 

I was intrigued by the main character’s story of finding herself, but wish finding herself had been about more than just finding a boy. I also wish more time had been spent on the main character’s relationship with her sister. 

Overall, this was okay, but not my favorite Kasie West by a long shot.

I finally read one of Kasie West’s books. My students always talked about how great they are and I couldn’t agree more! If you or your students are looking for a sweet YA romance than this book is for you. 

We meet Avery, who was recently betrayed by her best friend and ex-boyfriend, on her way to a summer camp with her family. While checking in, Avery has coffee spilt all over her and goes to switch shirts. On her way back to meet her family, she hears music. There, she finds four boys practicing as a band and one of them named Brooks catches her eye with his confidence. He doesn’t realize she is there as a camper and not an employee which sets a negative tone between them. But will it stay like that?

Such a great coming-of-age story for middle school and up. I look forward to reading and recommending more of her books!

LOVE! This is another classic Kasie West novel.... sweet and entertaining. I can't wait to add this to my classroom library. My 8th grade girls are OBSESSED with Kasie West and I know they will love this one too!

Another romance by West that will be popular with my high schoolers looking for 'swoon' content.  A fun read. Wish it was available in better format though (had to read it from my laptop since it wasn't available on Kindle or on the NetGalley app/reader).

You would think I’d know better than to start a Kasie West book at 8 pm with the intention of only reading a few chapters. Inevitably this leads to thinking I will just read one more chapter and the next thing you know it is 2:30 in the morning when you sigh with contentment as you read the final words. As I thought over the growth of the characters and the issues she tackled in Sunkissed, I knew I had to get my review written up before I’d be able to sleep. As with all of her novels, Kasie West creates very real characters with struggles and personalities that are easy to identify with. In this case, Avery is a girl who has trouble setting boundaries and sticking to them. She is the peacemaker who goes along with others even when she is longing for her own path. Avery’s journey is one that I know will speak straight to the heart of many of the middle school kids that frequent my library. The character development is on point. There were a few jokes and references at the beginning that I didn’t quite get, but Avery’s faux pas when flustered were endearing. The story was a little open at the end and I did wish we could know a little more about where they were going next, but perhaps we will get another glimpse at Avery and Brooks story in a future book?

Kasie West fans will clamor for this California-based homage to Dirty Dancing. Avery just wants an amazing summer before her senior year of high school. Instead, she’s facing a family vacation at a summer camp resort with no internet, no playlist, and no prospect of escaping the corner where she feels stuck. She’s having boy trouble, best friend trouble, and a crisis of self-confidence. When she decides to free herself from that corner, what unfolds is a summer she never expected.
The book has everything you expect from a Kasie West novel – a fluffy, sweet romance, characters with just enough issues to give them a little depth, a few self-inflicted crises, and a main character struggling to come into her own. I didn’t engage with Avery and the other characters as deeply as I have with some of Kasie West’s other characters, and I found the ending a little disjointed. All in all, though, Sunkissed is a cute summer read!

This was absolutely everything I needed when I needed it.

Who doesn't love a sweet coming of age story that will make you smile, melt your heart a little and wish you knew all these amazing characters in real life because, once again, West has made them seem so real. Characters that you have come to care about and most of all, love. 

West has this amazing ability to make outstanding characters that stick with you long after her stories are through. Stories filled with  wonderful friendships and family, with real situations that almost anyone can relate to and mixes them all together to make one heck of a feel good story. 

She is one of those authors that I come to time and time again because I know I will always get a good story. One that will leave me with warm fuzzies and a smile on my face.

When I saw that I'd been approved to read an ARC of Sunkissed, curtesy of Delacorte Press, it literally made my day. From the first page, I was hooked, and I’m so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this wonderful book. 

Sunkissed centers around a teenage girl named Avery and the unforgettable summer she shared with her family and new friends at summer camp. Along with her cell phone reception and beloved music playlists, Avery is leaving behind some intense friend drama when she comes to camp and decides that venturing outside of her comfort zone is the perfect remedy for her problems. She overcomes anxiety, fear, and sadness in a way that is truly inspirational to read about. This story was also incredibly relatable because almost everyone has experienced betrayal and heartache at some point in their lives. Avery’s willingness to confront, address, and move past it made her an admirable character. She made me laugh out loud at times, and hold my breath at others. I sincerely believe that readers will enjoy and cherish this new heroine in the YA genre. 5/5 would recommend; Sunkissed by Kasie West won’t disappoint. 

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Kasie West is a master of YA Romance. 

I loved the summer camp aspect of it and how it reminded me of Dirty Dancing in some ways. Avery's journey with her sister was my favorite part, and I would've enjoyed having more content with the two of them. 

All in all, it was a wonderful escape read. I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the story was great but the ending was rather abrupt. It didn't fit with the rest of the book at all; it was all tied up and finished after the main event in 2-3 pages.