This was such a cute and funny read!

Finley has one dream and that is to be on her school's podcast as a host but her boyfriend Jenson ( of course a J name) decides at the last minute to not only, audition but uses her idea to steal her spot. Needless to say, Finley is mad and out for revenge.. She decides to team up with his nemesis and try to take Jenson's spot on the football team as the kicker.

I could definitely get behind this revenge plot. Finley has a great cast of supportive friends cheering her on which I am always a sucker for. What can I say about Theo our MMC? He was exactly what I like to read about in an enemies to lovers romance. By the end, I really loved him as a YA book boyfriend.

Although the revenge plot was great, what stole the show was Finley and her own podcast with her grandmother. This unexpected adventure was so sweet and entertaining. I was eagerly reading these chapters to learn more about her grandmother.

This was a quick feel good romance that was funny and had lots of heart. I would recommend to anyone that enjoys a YA romance.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is about a young teen out for revenge against her ex-boyfriend with the help of his rival. Finley has one dream: to become a famous podcaster. When she tries out for her school’s podcast team, her boyfriend Jensen, who has never shown interest before, decides to try out too using one of Finley’s ideas. Hurt and betrayed, Finley and her friends concoct a revenge plot, but they need to find a way to hurt Jensen the way he’s hurt Finley: take his place on the football team as kicker.

Finley is admittedly hurt throughout most of the book. It was easy to empathize with her. This is a position she has been working toward since she was in middle school. To have it taken away from her at the last minute by someone she trusted who used her idea is unforgivable. To add insult to injury, Jensen insults her, not to her face, but through the school’s intercom not realizing it was live. Can’t say I blame her for wanting a little revenge. Then enters Theo.

Theo is a year ahead of Finley and Jensen’s rival on the football team. With Theo graduating, Jensen is a shoe-in for the starting kicker position. But Finley has a good leg on her. With a little help from Theo, she’ll be able to tryout for the team and potentially take Jensen’s spot. Theo is all for helping her, training her during the week and on the weekends. The question is why is he so invested.

While the revenge scheme is the main plot of the story, I personally loved Finley’s grandmother’s story. Finley’s grandmother has been living with her family since she accidentally burned her house down. She has dementia and is slowly losing her memory. While her day-to-day memory isn’t great, she can remember her past the best. So Finley has started a podcast at home, asking her grandmother about her past. A memory about a surfboard linked to a famous local artist leads to more questions than answers and boosts the podcast, making it go viral.

Overall, Better Than Revenge is a sweet YA romance about a young girl navigating her first heartbreak. I enjoyed Theo and Finley’s connection as well as their competitive natures. Finley’s revenge isn’t perfect, but how it plays out is pretty close to it. If you enjoy contemporary YA or are looking for a sweet read to end the year, I highly recommend it.

I have been reading Kasie West books since I was 14 (I’m 20 now) and reading made me feel like I was reading her books for the first time.

I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire time.

This book is no literary masterpiece, but it is cute, fun, and an easy read. And it was exactly what I needed.

Kasie West continues to be my ultimate YA Romance Queen with this hilarious new book full of sizzling chemistry, a little bit of revenge, and a whole lot of self-discovery.

First of all, like ALL other Kasie West books, Better Than Revenge was full of the snarky humor and was just plain cute. Every book of West’s that I’ve read has instantly transported me back to high school full of those big feelings, swoony moments, and banter-filled friend groups. I can’t help but be happy and smiling while reading a Kasie West book, and this one was no exception.

I loved the growth we saw in FMC Finley. Starting out with nothing but revenge on her mind, she grew to recognize that she still didn’t want anything to do with the people who had hurt her, but she also let go of that hate for peace. I loved that the book promoted that the ultimate “revenge” is not really caring at all and allowing yourself to move past the event BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF LETTING SOMEONE WALK ALL OVER YOU! I also really liked the growth she had in putting herself out there and not worrying about making mistakes as much. She lived so much of her life not doing this and continuously trying to “edit” her life, that she wasn’t really living or experiencing life. I think these are such powerful messages and ones that young people likely reading this book will benefit from.

I loved how Finley’s opinion of Theo grew as time went on. From the beginning, she seemed to be sharing Jensen’s feelings about Theo, given that appeared to be her only real contact with him (through Jensen’s stories of him). I loved how as we got to know Theo, as Finley got to know Theo, her mind changed and she actually allowed herself to come to her own conclusions on him, even when it seemed those closest to her still wanted to steer her away from him.

Speaking of, I loved how Theo kept a bit of a closed off exterior but was quick to help and protect Finley whenever it was needed. He definitely fell for her first, which was obvious but made me giddy with each muttered comment he threw at her indicating his feelings from well before they started hanging out.

I also ADORED their meet cute (or rather their second meet cute). Him catching her red-handed in the men’s bathroom doing some vengeful stuff against Jensen was hilarious and adorable!

I absolutely loved the side quest running throughout the book about Finley’s podcast highlighting her grandmother’s life and the search for the stolen surfboard. I especially loved how Theo contributed so much to the search and his grand gesture at the end (shhhhh….I’m not telling you more than that!). I also loved how Finley’s grandmother’s Alzheimer’s was portrayed realistically. She had her good days and her bad days, and I loved that West did not shy away from some of the harder elements of what this could look like to a teenager.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance, and Kasie West for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

4.5 stars!

What a cute, fast read! After her boyfriend steals her idea and her spot as a podcast lead at school and publicly humiliates her, Finley decides to get revenge by getting his nemesis and rival Theo to teach her how to kick for the football team and take his spot. The forced proximity in this one led to the most hilarious and witty banter between the two, and I loved how quickly I was rooting for them to be together. As the two grow closer and help Finley's grandmother, who is suffering from dementia, explore the secrets of her first love on a podcast Finley is orchestrating, they both have to learn about real, healthy communication and that karma over revenge is always best.

The podcast aspect of this novel was especially charming and showed the depths of dementia--the highs and the lows. Theo was a great compliment to Finley, and I enjoyed seeing how they both challenged each other to realize their own flaws and work through them. The grand gesture at the end was so sweet, if a bit unrealistic, and the nod to Taylor Swift through title and dedication will warm any Swiftie's heart. I can't believe this is my first Kasie West. I'll be digging into her back catalogue immediately!

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

I have been wanting to read a book by Kasie West and this was a great introduction to her. I definitely will read more and this is one I will purchase for our school library. I think some of my students would really enjoy it. This book had me giggling and feeling like a kid watching a great romcom. I love the witty banter sooo much! 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. Theo is also so much more than that though and I really liked him, 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. Theo and Finley are really open about what they want from each other, and I am here for it. I really loved the relationship with her grandmother and the podcast in preserving the memories. It was so good and added another great layer to this book.

This will be a solid recommendation once it is in our library.

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital arc to preview.

{ 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 }
by Kasie West
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.

Narrator(s): Jesse Vilinsky
Length: 9h 1m
Source: ALC - PRH Audio
Release Date: December 31 , 2024

•••••••
Absolutely adorable new romance from ya superstar, Kasie West. It has all the makings of a perfect read: a strong, but wronged FMC, a misunderstood, swoon-worthy MMC, a diverse close-knit group of friends, a plot that develops naturally, and a sweet as pie romance that leaves you feeling high on endorphins.

Finley was an exceptionally flawed character, but she was also reflective and owned up to her many mistakes. Theo was such a good male character. He was steadfast and supportive, even when they had struggles. And the friend group? Goals!

The message of the story, the pacing, and the natural development of all things ya were spot on, like usual with this author. I can’t wait for the next!

{I received a complimentary copy of this book. All reviews are my own.}

This book was just a delight. It was light, funny, sweet and full of great characters that were relatable and also full of complexity. I thought Finley was just so fun. I LOVED her pettiness when it came to Jensen, but I also enjoyed seeing her realize how awesome and determined she was even without revenge driving her. I liked her group of friends, but I did think there was some weirdness throughout with Deja that needed more explanation or resolving. I LOVED THEO. Oh my goodness, top tier YA book boyfriend. And I also very much enjoyed seeing Finley and her grandmother connecting over the podcast amidst the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. I thought that was done incredibly well and with such care. I will say and this is never a negative from me, but this is a VERY YA book. The teenagers are teenagering so if that’s not your thing, it might not be for you. However, if you’re like me and LOVE true YA books, I’d recommend it for a funny and sweet read.
PS. I hope that for the rest of his life when he’s in a big rush, Jensen hits every single red light possible on his drive to wherever he’s going.
CW: Alzheimer’s

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Romance for an advanced digital readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

4.2⭐ out 5

Words to describe this book:
-warm hug
-chocolate chip cookies warm out the oven
-wholesome
-cute

I loved this book! It had me hooked from the beginning and it kept me entertained the whole way through. I really enjoyed how Finley and Theo came to be. It was just too cute. In Finley's plan to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend, after his betrayal, she ends up falling for his arch nemesis Theo. Finley slowly warms up to him and realizes that there is more to him than meets the eye. It doesn't help Theo is a gigantic teddy bear and has great ways to show he cares for Finley.

Highly recommend!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

They say that revenge is best served cold, but this friends to lovers proves otherwise.

Better than Revenge by Kasie West is a YA contemporary about two unlikely friends on a journey of self-discovery through podcast shenanigans and general football related debacles. 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. 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?

What I liked most about this book was, the way West handled the topic of Dementia. Especially in the form of how it differed scene by scene instead of being this static background character. Which both in turn hit close to home and created some rather funny moments. The setting was rather dull, but the character of Theo. Overall, I will read anything and everything by Kasie West, and this title isn't one to miss.

Finley has been waiting to try out for one of the two host spots on her school's podcast since seventh grade, but on a whim and her idea, her boyfriend steals her dream right from under her. After that and some rather rude and public criticisms about her hosting abilities, they are so over. But Finley isn't happy, Jensen is living her dream and she wants to take away his. So, she decides to steal his starting spot as the football team's kicker and enlists the help of Jensen's nemesis, Theo, to help her. And what is better than revenge..?

A fun, lighthearted read! The MCs had great banter and easy chemistry! I know "revenge isn't the answer", but I do hate when someone who wrongs you seems to still have all the good karma. I loooove how all her friends encourage her to get revenge and let her feel her hurt. Sometimes, you need to take the low road for a lil and I love friends who support what their friend needs. I did lowkey think something was going on with her one friend. And hearing her learn her grandmother's story was so touching!

A cute revenge romance that gives how to lose a guy in 10 days vibes!

Rating: 4/5
Spice Level: 0.5/5

The thing I've come to love about Kasie West is that I know she's going to deliver a super sweet, PG YA romance. They may not be the hardest hitting. They're not breaking new ground. The problems are easily avoided with communication, but isn't that true of a lot of high school problems? Her books are sweet, and I feel safe in knowing they aren't going to offend anyone in the tumultuous library world.

What a fun story! Finley is determined to seek revenge on her boyfriend (now ex) for taking her dream spot on the school podcast from her. He auditioned on a whim, with one of her ideas. She seeks the help of his arch nemesis and football teammate to take his spot as kicker for the football team. It turns out she has a hidden talent for kicking the football. Yet, achieving this goal, doesn't feel as good as she thought it would. She learns a lot about herself along the way and might even find love in the most unlikely place.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

A cute concept. There was a bit too much drama for my liking. At times this book was difficult to continue reading and hold my attention.

Short and Sweet Review

Finley has known she’s wanted to be a podcaster and a famous one at that. Her school is having auditions for the school podcast and all is going well until Finley’s boyfriend Jensen also auditions and takes her spot. Now Finley is without a boyfriend and feels slighted, and she’s looking to get revenge. Finley enlists Theo Torres to help her become the new kicker for the schools football team and take Jensen’s spot. The more time Finley and Theo spend together, makes Finley reconsider her revenge and focus on love.

Better Than Revenge, was a cute contemporary romance. We meet our main character Finley who dreams of being a famous podcaster, she has her own podcast where she interviews her grandma but she only has two listeners. When she auditions for the school podcast she’s excited until Jensen steals her thunder and her ideas and ends up having a hot mic moment. Finley has very supportive friends, Deja, Max, and Lee who help her come up with her plans for revenge. Eventually they decide that taking the kicker position from Jensen is the best way and somehow Finley gets Theo Torres to help her. Theo used to be the kicker until he got hurt and Jensen got the position. This whole book is cute and I loved seeing the different aspects of Finleys life. We get to see her podcast with her grandma which was sweet and also hard because her grandma has Alzheimers so some days are better than others, but we learn about her grandmas love life and this becomes a side plot. Finley is also learning everything she can about being a kicker and this leads to a romance between her and Theo. Theo is popular but he also likes being low-key and I appreciated that about him. I did like the romance between them, they spent a majority of the book as just friends and as it happens in most books there was something that happened and we get a grand gesture at the end but I still liked it. Finley also has to juggle spending time with her friends who have been there from the start and learns there’s a delicate balance between being a good friend and trying to get revenge.

Overall, the plot was enjoyable and I did love the characters. I’ve read a lot of Kasie West books and I think she does a great job writing these romance contemporary books. Finley is a character that does have a lot of character growth and I enjoyed going through this journey with her! I would recommend this book if you’re in the mood for some romance, revenge, and a little bit of football.

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is a young adult romance novel with an expected publication date of December 31, 2024. The story opens with Finlay auditioning for the school podcast. Jenson, her boyfriend, decides to audition as well at the last minute and happens to get the position Finlay has been wanting for years. Jenson overheard saying that Finlay is terrible, and Finlay breaks up with him and seeks out to get her revenge by becoming the new starting kicker for the football team. Can Finlay pull off this feat?

A big thank you goes out to NetGalley for approving and providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy ARC of Better Than Revenge by Kasie West. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

First and foremost, West did a fantastic job with this story. I was pulled into the storyline right off the bat and had trouble putting it down. Despite it being a young adult romance novel and me not being the target audience, I absolutely loved it!

The author had me rooting for Finlay and empathizing with her. Additionally, all the drama that goes with being in high school brought me back to my high school days. I don't think I would have been so composed if I had been in Finlay's place. For the most part, I found most of the characters to be mostly believable.

On another note, Better Than Revenge reminds me a bit of how the book in the Sweet Dreams book series were written. I loved the Sweet Dreams book series growing up, but this story has more meat to it than the books in that series.

The expected publication date of Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is December 31, 2024. Five out of five stars is what I gave this book, and I can't wait to read some of the author's other novels.

💜Better Than Revenge💜 by Kasie West

Rating: 4⭐️

Finley’s had one goal, to make the schools senior podcast team, but when her football player boyfriend Jensen decides to try out and takes her spot, she decides to plot for revenge. She enlists Theo, who is a Kicker for the school football team and Jensen’s rival, to teach her how to kick to steal his spot on the football team. Along the way, the two develop an unlikely friendship, but maybe there’s more there. This book is such a cute YA read with an interesting and engaging plot line. I loved the characters and their personalities and I loved that this felt realistic to actual high school drama and friendships. Overall a great read!

Thank you to Delacorte Romance and Netgalley for this E-Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s | Delacorte Romance for providing me with an eARC of Better Than Revenge by Kasie West in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely LOVE Kasie West’s books! At 42 years old, I’m far from the target demographic for her YA contemporary romances, but every one of her stories draws me in and leaves me wanting more. Better Than Revenge is no exception—in fact, it might just be my new favorite of hers.

West does a fantastic job developing her main characters, Finley and Theo. I found myself deeply invested in their journeys, even crying halfway through as I empathized with everything Finley was going through. Finley is a determined and ambitious character with a clear goal: to become a famous podcaster. She’s been working toward this dream since her freshman year, and as she enters her senior year, she’s thrilled to finally have the chance to host her school’s podcast.

But her excitement is crushed when her boyfriend, on a whim, auditions for the same position—and gets it. Heartbroken and furious, Finley hatches a plan to give her now-ex a taste of his own medicine: she decides to take his spot as the football team’s kicker, with the unlikely help of Theo, the current kicker and her ex’s sworn enemy. What follows is a compelling and emotional journey as Finley grapples with the consequences of revenge and learns how it impacts not only herself but those around her.

The story also features a touching subplot involving Finley’s grandmother that pulls at all the heartstrings.

I sincerely hope my daughter finds someone like Theo when she’s in high school—his character is genuinely sweet and so supportive. If you’re a fan of YA contemporary romance, this book is a must-read, as is the rest of Kasie West’s backlist.

I was blessed enough to be granted am ARC of this book from the publisher through netgalley, and even though I have loved many stories from Kasie west in the past, this is probably one of my favorites. I love her friend group and Theo is wonderful. Hated Jenson and how he never seemed to pay for his crap. Loved the story of her grandmother and Andrew also. Just so sweet.

#BetterThanRevenge #netgalley