This was a really cute and new premise for Kasie West. Wren sees a cute guy in the coffee shop. After seeing that he is being stood up by a girl he met online, in a random burst of courage, decides to pretend to be the girl he is waiting for. This of course creates quite the web of lies. Is he really falling for her or for the girl he thinks she is? A fun fluffy read about courage, both the courage to stand up and jump in feet first and the courage to tell the truth before things come crashing down.

Kasie West has done it again. I keep expecting to read one of her books and be greatly disappointed…but with everyone that I read I’m more and more blown away by her talent. She is an expert storyteller and knows how to spin a tale that you can’t put down until it’s done! And even then you’re left wanting more.

The only disappointing thing about her books is that each one seems to have minor content issues. I was hoping this one would be different since I got through a large portion of the book without anything, but then there were a few things. (See my Goodreads review for content issues.)

I’m so in love with the characters! I loved the dynamic that Wren and Asher made. Wren with her walls and closed offness, and Asher with his openness and friendliness. They were the sweetest!! It created a perfect setting for the theme woven throughout! Ack! I could ramble on and on about how perfect this book was but I should probably stop there. XD This was simply stunning though. (And Wren working at the shelter was just the perfect bonus because who doesn’t love all those cuddly animals?? And the Bean Games were ingenious!! And when Wren accidently had dairy… XD Okay, okay. I’ll stop. But this book is so amazing!)

*Please note: I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ;P

Super short and sweet. I would suggest for younger YA readers. This one just read a bit younger than other KW books.

Borrow My Heart is the newest YA rom-com from one of my favorite authors of the genre, Kasie West. When Wren, who has trouble trusting people after her mom left, is in the coffee shop one day, she sees Asher and his friend awaiting the arrival of a girl Asher has been talking to online. Understanding instantly that Asher has been catfished and noting that his friend plans to make a video of his humiliation, Wren decides to step in pretending to be the girl from the Internet. Though she is quickly able to reveal her actual name, she can't seem to find the right time to tell Asher she's not who he thinks she is. As she and Asher get to know each other, and he helps her with her work at the local animal shelter, Wren realizes she actually likes him. Unfortunately, there is something she doesn't know about Asher's take on their relationship that might doom it to failure.

This book was a delight. The writing is excellent, especially the dialogue, and Asher is such a nice guy. Wren's struggle to deal with her mom's abandonment, and the difference of opinion she has with her sister about the situation felt so believable, as did her concern that the pit bull she loves, Bean, will never find his perfect home. I also enjoyed the funny moments that arise because Wren hasn't revealed her true identity, such as having to fake her way through a game of Dungeons and Dragons.

A lot of times, I'll read YA and feel that it's not really appropriate for teens, but that's not the case with this book. This is a really sweet love story with believable teen characters and nothing that worried me as a mom. Fans of Kasie West will not be disappointed with this latest addition to her bibliography.

This book was a miss for me. I just couldn’t get behind the plot. I understand the thought behind pretending to know her but it wasn’t for me.

Kasie West is an auto buy author from me so I was very excited for this new book. I thought the synopsis was interesting and couldn't wait to see where this adventure took me. Wren is a wonderful character and I LOVE that she's a list writer (I am too), but the reason for it sucks. In a way, her mom leaving forced her to start her list writing and make sure that everyone is taken care of. I think this is one of the reasons she helps Asher, a stranger whose friends are making fun of him for being stood up at the local coffee shop.

Asher was great for Wren. He brought her out of her shell and was very supportive. I liked the dynamic between them, but it was eventual that the secret that Wren wasn't the girl he thought he was meeting at the coffee shop. I liked how this played out and thought it was handled well. Another great read from Katie West.

Kasie's books are always like a warm hug and this was no different! I love a sweet YA book with heart and this one definitely delivered!

So lesson learned. Don’t read a book with pet adoption. Because you WILL cry. Seriously loved this book despite it making me cry. I loved Bean so much. I also really liked the entire story. I felt like the characters were very realistic and you could see their growth. I honestly loved everything about this book. A sweet romance. Funny. Emotional.

Kasie West is one of my top tier YA Romance authors. She writes stories that are fresh, fun and full of feelings, all while keeping things age appropriate for her intended audience. As a mother, I love having reliability built into the content my kids are reading. Borrow My Heart is the first book of West's that I've read in a few years. I was so happy to get to read this and even happier to see that she has not wavered from style.

In Borrow My Heart we are treated to a catfishing scheme, a hardened hearted heroine, and a lovable yet not so loving picky pooch. I loved the character development and evolution. West always gives you a full story with characters you can imagine in real life. If you haven't read one of her books yet, what are you waiting for? Borrow My Heart is as good as all the rest, what a great place to start.

I received an ARC of Borrow My Heart from Random House Children's via NetGalley and I'm choosing to leave this review voluntarily.

Pets, D&D, and real life!
17yo Wren is waiting for her friend Kamala to finish her shift at the coffee shop when Asher and Dale arrive to meet a girl that Dale assumes is catfishing Asher. Dale wants to document Asher’s disappointment when the girl doesn’t show up but Wren steps in and pretends she’s the girl that Asher is waiting for, in hopes of sparing him the humiliation. Wren and Asher hit it off and she actually starts to like him. He shows up later at the animal shelter where she works and the dog that hates everyone except Wren ends up liking Asher too. The charade keeps going until Wren is afraid to tell Asher the truth because she likes him and it’s mutual.
Likes/dislikes: An absolute delightfully fun read. I like how Wren had to deal with real life issues because of her mom abandoning them when she was ten and having to work with trust issues by learning to set up healthy, realistic boundaries. Bean is the funniest dog.
Language: G for no swears.

Such a cute read! Loved the story line, characters, animals in the story. Was a fast read that was totally worth it!

This was a decent story, but I didn’t like it as much as previous Kasie West books. I didn’t like all the dragging of feet to confess what they did or didn’t do. But I did like that the author made a statement about social media and how harmful it can be if used incorrectly- good point for teens to learn.

Borrow My Heart

This was such a cute read that exceeded all my expectations. Being a teenager is hard enough but add in complicated family relationships, social media, and lovable dogs and you have a wonderful and heartfelt story that I couldn’t put down. A cute read for all.

I received this work as an advanced review copy and give my honest feedback voluntarily.

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

My Review:

I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review and place on this blog tour – thanks!

Before I start my review, I just have to get this off my chest – there are cats on the cover of this book and very one instance of kittens in this book. I felt betrayed, bamboozled, made to enjoy a book where the main animal is a dog?? Truly astonishing…

Jokes aside, this was my first Kasie West book! It feels odd to say, considering I know she has been a YA contemporary staple for ages, but I have never had the inclination to pick up one of her books before this one. The cover, in all its cuteness, was the first thing to draw me in, but the story itself is one that I certainly enjoyed.

This book did have some flaws, a la catfish plot and subsequent “plot twist”, but I won’t get too into it because it spoils the ending of the book. What I will say is this, that I wish there had been more concrete resolve and development. I feel like forgive and forget was not the right approach in this circumstance, even if it was for a *really* nice guy.

Moving on, I loved Wren and her sarcasm and cynicism. It wasn’t done in a way to make her “not like other girls,” but as a coping mechanism that those she chooses to let in are able to see past. I enjoyed her development through the book and how it almost mirrored that of Bean, the most lovable fictional pit bull. It was just very heartfelt to read.

I really enjoyed the relationship West developed between Wren and her sister Zoey. I wish we could have seen more of that resolve, but I was appreciative of what we did get to read. I love a good sister relationship in books and I was happy to see the two of these girls work things through.

All in all, this was a very cute book. It was short, and a perfect summer read, if I do say so myself. Old fans and newcomers to West’s books will surely be thrilled when they pick up Borrow My Heart, its just petacular!

Borrow My Heart releases June 13th, 2023

This book was so cute and fun and made me want to go adopt a dog immediately. This was a fun storyline with fun characters and I would recommend for anyone wanting a light summer read.

A cute, fun read. Of course, if there are animals in the book it's a must read! I really enjoyed the likeable characters and the story. Would like if there was another book after this one!

Quick Summary: A must love dogs/unbreak my heart YA romance

My Review: Borrow My Heart by Kasie West is a contemporary YA-ro that is totally relevant and hugely realistic. It is a sweet story that deals with family, relationships, social media, boundaries and life choices.

About the Book: When Wren steps in to save Asher from public ridicule, little does she know just how far her deception will take her. Soon, she finds herself in head over heels. When she becomes the subject of great attention and is viewed in a negative light, the relationship she has with Asher takes a massive hit. How will she choose to respond going forward?

Asher always seems to want to set things right. When he is put in a position of being played, his friend fires all cannons in his direction. He is surprised and delighted by the actions of Wren. Things progress in a positive manner and everything is looking fantastic...until it isn't. Will the choices he makes change what he has with Wren?

About Bean: Bean is a smile and a thank you. He charmed the socks off me.

My Final Say: This story was communicated so well. There was a lot to it. Under the surface layer, it got very real. There were several emotional hits that choked me up (I did not expect that.). Readers who enjoy socially relevant YA reads that have an edge as well as a light-heartedness will appreciate this book.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA/T and up
Other: This would make a good YA Book Club read.
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Random House Children's, Delacorte Press), and to NetGalley for making this work available for review in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own.

* A Goodreads review and an Amazon posting have been shared.

Wren and Asher meet at a coffee shop, but Asher thinks they know each other online. They develop a friendship and it turns into more, as Asher slowly gets Wren to open up to him. I loved the animal shelter and the oh so lovable Beans, the dog Wren was trying to get adopted at the shelter she worked at.

One thing I liked about this is the social media aspect. I think it's something important to talk about with teenagers today. How impactful it can be both positively and negatively. However I do think the conflict that happened related to this was wrapped up way too quickly and I wanted a little more resolution personally.

Borrow My Heart was a fun and quick read and I recommend if you love dogs and the grumpy sunshine dynamic.

Was really enjoying it but then things went downhill😞

Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Borrow My Heart is a fun YA summer contemporary that follows Wren, the girl who is all about control, until she sees Asher in the midst of being humiliated when the girl he met online ghosts him in front of his best friend. Wren decided to save him, pretending she is the mysterious online girl and while she stops the humiliation, Asher believes her too. Worst of all, Asher is nice and gives great hugs and suddenly Wren doesn’t want to tell the truth and lose him forever.

This one takes fake dating to a new level! I was was very pleasantly surprised at how the catfishing plot played out and wasn’t used through the entire book and the reasoning for the inevitable breaking point of the romance. In fact, I really wasn’t expecting the plot twist at all, turning what might seem like a predictable light romcom into a surprising and emotional contemporary tale. I really enjoyed all the animals and the Bean Games. I also was impressed by how emotionally affected I was by the family drama subplot and seeing how Wren’a broken relationships with her mom and family developed through the story. If you want an easy to read, light romance, with a touch of emotional damage this one’s for you!