"Better Than Revenge"
by Kasie West
Young Adult Romance that I could not put down!
Loved it and will recommend to my high school students.

I liked this book. It was another sweet romance from West with some edge of revenge.

Finley was a good character to follow through this story because she had so much to prove. She was intent on getting back at her ex-boyfriend which involved showing off her podcasting skills and being a good daughter/granddaughter. I loved her journey and seeing how she evolved as a person and in her relationships. And I thought the ending gave me exactly what I needed from Finley and her journey.

I really enjoyed the side plot of Finley's grandma and her story. I was a little odd that the story was a romance revolving around a man who wasn't Finley's deceased grandpa, but it was a fun one anyway.

I think I would have liked more emotion from Theo? Or maybe to have seen more of a journey for him? He went through a hard thing, injuring his knee and losing his college football scholarship. I would have liked to have seen more of that journey and how he was coping. He was kinda always smiley and jokey around Finley, which is fine, but I wanted to see more of his pain and development.

Overall, this was a good read. Not my favorite book in the world, but I enjoyed myself.

Better Than Revenge was an awesome read that was hard to put down. I'm sure I am not the only one who can relate talking ideas out with a close friend or significant other to help gauge how the idea may work, or if it's worth it. In this case your idea and all credit is given to this person who turned in your idea. What's the Best way to get over it or move past it and your friends suggest revenge. While you are initially against it, you eventually decided to go for it and find better ways to get revenge than you ever expected. And finding your revenge. Will you find new goals in dreams or will you stay spiteful.

Kasie West continues to be one of my favorite authors. Better than Revenge was cute and sassy like we are used to from Kasie. The thing that truly made this story for me, though, was Finley's grandma. I am a sucker for a story within a story, and this one was unexpected and beautiful.

"Better Than Revenge" by Kasie West is a delightful blend of romance, revenge, and self-discovery. Seventeen-year-old Finley is determined to outsmart her ex, Jensen, who stole her dream podcast job. With the help of his nemesis, Theo, Finley embarks on a journey of unexpected love and personal growth. As their connection deepens, Finley struggles to balance her quest for revenge with the budding feelings she has for Theo, whose own secrets complicate things. West’s signature charm, humor, and relatable characters make this a heartwarming read about love, betrayal, and finding your own path.

This is an ARC with NetGalley. I really enjoyed this YA Romcom. The subject matter of podcast and football, made it unique. The story had a great flow and I was invested in the characters. The additional plotline and relationship with the grandma was sweet, and added to the plot. Overall,quick, light read, and I am interested in other stories by this author. #ya #romcom #betterthanrevenge #netgalley

I love a good YA story and no one does it better than Kasie West! This book was like a cozy nostalgic read with a perfect amount of teen angst that reminded me exactly how I felt when I was that age too! I loved it! Thanks so much for the advanced copy!

Finley has everything all planned out. She's going to earn her spot on the school's podcast which will lead her to her dream internship, which will lead her to all her dreams. But the day of tryouts, her boyfriend, Jensen, decides on the fly to also try out for the spot of podcast host. Even worse, he uses her idea to win the spot.
With the help of her friends, Finley decides since Jensen took her dream, she's going to take his. She's going to use her soccer skills and the help of the outgoing kicker of the football team to take Jensen's dream of being the starting kicker. The ultimate revenge plan!
I loved this book so much! It was a fun Rom-Com driven by revenge with a wholesome conclusion. I think the very end of the book was a little underwhelming and I would've liked to see more into Finley's future after everything settles, but loved the book overall!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a thoroughly readable and enjoyable YA rom-com. The protagonist, Finley, is sweet and relatable and her cast of friend are charming and entertaining. The love interest is well-developed and the podcast about Finley's grandma is a nice touchstone.

Recommended to those that enjoy this genre.

Cute, light and a fun read. Definitely more not he YA side that others in this category, but a darling story.

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West, 320 pages. Delacorte Romance (Random House), 2024. $13.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
As a junior, Finley can finally try out to be part of the high school podcast team, which she’s been preparing to do for years. Right after she nails her interview, Finley’s boyfriend blindsides her by trying out too—and he lands the spot Finley wanted. The new ex is taking everything Finley has ever wanted, so she, her best friends, and her ex’s nemesis plan for revenge.
The ex is someone readers will love to hate, bringing them immediately on board with the need for revenge. Trying to navigate her present, Finley dives into her grandmother’s past, juxtaposing the crisis Finley and readers are going through with the hope of knowing everything has worked out in similar circumstances before. As with life, not everything works out perfectly according to plan, but love and success can still come in beautiful surprises.
Finley is depicted as White on the cover, Theo is implied Hispanic, Lee is Asian, Deja is Indian, and the majority of other characters are implied White. Also, Lee and Maxwell are part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for partial nudity (girl in a sports bra, boy without a shirt), kissing, innuendo, and mentions of sex. The violence rating is for assault and jokes about murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

High school sticks again! This book takes place in California. Finley, a young Junior in high school is trying out for the senior position as the lead pod caster. It has been her dream for as long as she can remember. Right after she was done with her interview, her boyfriend was standing outside waiting for her as she approached him he looked at her and told her, "I am going to go try out I will be back." Not even caring how much this meant to her.
Long story short there was no more boyfriend. Instead, she set her life aside to get revenge. Now. If you know anything about revenge you might see where this story is going to go!

It's a very good book and if you have young daughters and or young boys I highly recommend this book!

Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's and PRH audio for the ALC/ARC.

I decided to request this book because even though, at 26 years old, I am slightly older than the target audience for this book, I just adore Kasie West's writing. I was even a fan of hers about 10 years ago when I was a teenager. She writes clean and fun romances -- perfect for teens (and books parents don't have to worry about their teen reading, which is a plus!) This book was adorable -- just as I expected a Kasie West YA romance to be. And yes, since I am 26, I did find a few parts of this book to be a bit...cringey, perhaps, but the cuteness of the story way overshadowed the cringe, imo. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Finlay and her grandma -- particuliarally because my grandma has also been experiencing some of the same health problems over the last decade or so. And of COURSE I loved the relationship between Finlay and Theo. They were totally adorable together. I also loved that Finlay was not afraid to go out and try for the football team (even though she was doing it for the wrong reasons), and I also loved her and her grandma's podcast. This teaches girls that they can do whatever they want (as long as the intentions are good)

I also loved the audiobook version of the book and I thought Jesse Vilinsky did a great job with the narration. She is a fabulous narrator both when it comes to YA books and audiobooks for adults, and she is on my favorite audiobook narrators list for sure.

Overall, I would recommend this book to teens as it is a clean and fun romance. I think some adults (especially those that still enjoy ya books), would also enjoy the story (but may have to take some things with a grain of salt).

Overall, I would rate this book at least 4 stars as it was a swoonworthy ya romance, and I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you again to Netgalley, PRH Children's, and PRH audio for the ARC and ALC!

unfortunately, this book was not for me. i really wanted to like this book, and i did in the beginning but by the end of the book i was just glad it was over. while i understand that this is a ya novel, i feel like the issues/conflicts in this were very elementary/middle school problems. there was also just a lot of random events happening and taking place all over the book that had nothing to do with the main plot. also the writing was more like "telling" rather than "showing".

Kasie West was an author I found for my daughter but boy have I devoured every book with her! I absolutely love her books. The realistic teenage issues and emotions and the sweet love stories and family connections or repairs.
This was another hit for me. Revenge is something we have all felt (big or small) and wanting to make someone hurt for the hurt they gave you was exactly something to explore and learn from that everyone at every age should cover. Being a part of the schools podcast team is all Finley has ever wanted. She has structured and changed her life around in order to make this team, but when her boyfriend decides to try out and happens to take her spot, all she can think of is revenge. She breaks up with him and endless the help of his nemesis Theo to try to take his spot on the football team.
A great group of side characters, a wonderful side story about Finley’s grandmother’s first love and how she’s dealing with Alzheimer’s and a super sweet love story. This book has it all and I highly recommend it for young YA readers all the way to adult.

As a swiftie, I was instantly drawn to this book title, and it did not disappoint! I was instantly captivated by this story and its characters.

This instantly became my favorite YA rom-com of the year! And you guys need to wait until the 31st for it!

The writing was so witty and heartwarming. It had everything from the family dynamics to the friends to the love interest. It was all well balanced and with a neat bow on it that truly embodies how beautiful this story is! For a YA book, I think it deep-dives into some very mature topics of loss (even if it is of a relationship), communication, finding yourself, and a family member with a disease.

The characters believably navigate it all, with real consequences and very real feelings and how heightened they are at that age.

Some tropes include enemies to lovers, high school romance, sports romance, and he falls first.

Kasie West truly did a great job with this one, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on it. Overall, it is a quick, easy, and heartfelt read with AMAZING banter and great characters. I promise you will fall in love with it and become a favorite, too.

I couldn’t get enough of Finley and Theo’s story!

Seventeen-year-old Finley has one dream: to make it big as a podcaster. When her boyfriend, Jensen, not only decides to try out but steals her idea, Finley feels hurt and betrayed. Determined to one-up him, Finley dives into revenge mode and she meets Theo

I loved this book - The way their relationship unfolded felt so natural and full of chemistry.

What I loved even more was how everything tied back to Finley’s grandmother’s story—it gave the book a really sweet, full-circle moment.

Watching Finley grow throughout the story was so satisfying; her character development was on point.

Honestly, this book had the perfect mix of drama, romance, and personal growth, and I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte for this ARC!

What a cutsie lil ya romance! it was heartwarming and just gave me butterflies! loved it and would definitely recommend for a light sports romance read.

🎀 Better Than Revenge 🎀 comes out Dec 31st, the perfect book to start the new year with.
Okay first of all, I normally don’t love books with high school characters because I feel like sometimes they can seem really whiny and a little to immature for me😅 and even though in this book Finley still is a little bit, I feel like she had more than enough reasons to be, and it was quite hilarious 😆 I loved Finley and Theo’s story and how it all tied into her grandmothers story in the end. I felt myself wanting to keep page turning too quickly to get more Finley and Theo time. It had such a sweet ending 💕
✨ He falls first
✨ Ex boyfriends nemesis
✨ enemies to lovers
Thank you @delacorteromance & @kasiewest for the ARC, I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC of Better Than Revenge by Kasie West. This YA rom-com, with a touch of revenge, was a quick and enjoyable read that had me laughing throughout. I was hooked from start to finish, eager to find out what would happen next. I appreciated the character development of the protagonist, as well as the surprising side story involving her grandma, which ended up becoming a key part of the plot.