I loved Better Than Revenge. It was something I could relate to because well who doesn’t want to get revenge over an ex for something stupid they did. Kasie writes so well and I always see what is going on when reading. Her writing is clear and thats is my favourite.

I loved the relationship between Finley and her grandma and while I won’t spoil anything it makes me miss my grandparents a lot. I was a big fan of The way Finley handled herself with her ex and wish I could have done the same. She is such a strong Woman and everyone should take notes!

I give this 5/5 🌸

"Better Than Revenge" by Kasie West is a fast-paced, entertaining novel that explores themes of jealousy, revenge, and personal growth, all within the framework of a high school setting. The protagonist, Tori, is a relatable character whose emotions and reactions feel authentic as she grapples with the complexities of friendships, relationships, and the desire to get back at those who wronged her. West’s writing is sharp and witty, capturing the nuances of teenage life with humor and relatability. The book offers an engaging look at the consequences of holding onto grudges and the emotional maturity required to move forward.

However, while the novel succeeds in capturing the emotional intensity of teenage angst, its plot can feel a bit one-dimensional at times. The premise, focusing on Tori’s desire for revenge, is intriguing but often lacks depth. Some readers may find the characters’ motivations, especially Tori’s, to be somewhat shallow or reactive rather than proactive, which detracts from the overall complexity of the story. Additionally, the pacing can feel rushed at certain points, with resolutions to conflicts arriving too quickly, leaving little room for the characters to truly evolve or reflect on their actions.

Despite these drawbacks, "Better Than Revenge" remains an enjoyable and relatable read, particularly for fans of lighthearted yet meaningful young adult fiction. Kasie West’s ability to blend humor with lessons about personal growth and forgiveness makes the novel a worthwhile pick for readers who appreciate a quick, engaging story with a hint of emotional depth. While it may not push the boundaries of the genre, it provides a satisfying exploration of the challenges and triumphs of navigating the complexities of high school relationships.

I always love a good Kasie West rom-com to get me out of a reading slump - sweet and light!

📖 The Details:
Better Than Revenge by Kasie West
YA | Podcasting | Enemies to Lovers + Lovers to Enemies

⏱️ Quick Summary:
Finley has her sights set on hosting her high school podcast, but then her footballer boyfriend steals her idea and that dream. So she pairs up with his teammate/nemesis to steal his spot on the football team.

💁‍♀️ My Take:
This was a fun read. Finley was a strong and relatably flawed FMC, Theo was a swoony and surprisingly mature MMC, and Jensen was a pretty typical high school (ex) boyfriend. Predictable and a bit cliche, but we love a good formula that works. Got a little banter, some sweet backstory with family, and a few grand gestures. 3.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s publishing for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this cute story between Finley, whose dream is to be a famous podcaster, and Theo, a recovering athlete who is struggling to get back on his feet. When Finley’s dreams are crushed by her boyfriend who decides on a whim to bide for the same podcast hosting gig she has been practicing for months for Finley decides the only way to retaliate is with a little revenge. Her next goal? Taking his starting kicker spot on the football team. The only issue is she needs a little training from none other than Theo who has a few secrets of his own.

I thought this book was very cute and I loved the story line and how the characters stories evolved throughout the story. I loved Finley’s story and her goals, as well as Theo and wished to listen to her podcast myself!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for thisbrelaxing read

If you're looking for a relaxing and enjoyable read, this is for you. I loved it!

Great for a weekend, vacation or snowed in read. I read it over the weekend and loved it

A great cast of characters. Awesome dialog and story line.

Recommend.

This book was unfortunately a flop for me. I usually like Kasie West and I was excited to see what else she had in store for her new book. I couldn’t connect to the plot line or the characters and it all around fell flat.

📚ARC Review 📚

Better Than Revenge ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Finley’s ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming about, she decides it’s time for revenge. With the help of her friends she creates a list of all the ways to make her ex, Jensen, pay. She decides to try out for the kicker since he is obsessed with football. With the help of his nemeses, Theo who is the starter on the team, to train her. The two discovery that their connection runs deeper than just football. But Finley must stay focused because after all is love better than revenge?

This was such a cute YA romance. I enjoyed Finley and Theo and their relationship. They help each other to overcome their fears. Their chemistry was cute and they had such fun banter. I loved how Finley’s interviews (for her podcast) with her grandma about her first love showed Finley how she should be treated in a relationship. I also liked how this story shows that revenge isn’t the answer and forgiveness is always the best choice.

This will book will publish on December 31, 2024. If you love a good YA read, be sure to check this out! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for my advanced readers copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

I've enjoyed this author's last few books and was excited to dive into the latest YA novel!

Finely's [now ex] boyfriend promoted her idea to earn a spot on their school's podcast for senior year. In a stroke of genius she enlists his nemesis from the football team to help her try out for his kicker position for the following here. This was such a fun premise, and I loved following along with her and Theo's friendship to feelings to more. It was positively sweet, felt realistic for the high school setting and was an all around fun one sitting read, whether your in the YA demographic or someone who just enjoys a YA book now and again!



Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Romance for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Review: Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

Finley’s plan is simple: launch her dream podcast and get revenge on her ex-best friend. But as things spiral in unexpected directions—family secrets, a quirky little adventure with her grandma, and maybe even a life lesson or two—she realizes revenge might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

This was such a quick, fun read! The podcast element felt super current and relatable, and I loved how Finley’s grandmother’s story added some unexpected heart (and adventure!) to the plot. It was entertaining, sweet, and just the right amount of emotional.

And can we talk about the ending? Watching Finley learn that karma always beats revenge was so satisfying. Plus, the story had me wanting to try surfing, which is wild because I can barely balance on flat ground.

Overall, this is a cute, feel-good YA romance with just enough drama to keep you hooked. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something light and fun!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children’s, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#BetterThanRevenge #NetGalley

When I first requested this book, I didn't realize it was YA. But I immediately fell in love with it and read it within a day.
Finley is trying to make the most of her senior year with her dream of being in charge of her school podcast. But her boyfriend took that dream away from her, causing him to be her ex-boyfriend. She chooses to get revenge by enlisting the help of his nemesis.
Interwoven in her revenge story is a strong bond with Finley and her grandma, watching a loved one fade away due to Alzheimer's, friendship, new love and self discovery. There were so many good subplots within this story. I would recommend this to young adults as well as any other age group.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Katie West does it again with another great Young Adult rom com novel. After her boyfriend tries out for Finley’s dream podcast host position at her school (and gets it using her idea!), she decides to steal something from him in return: the kicker position on the football team. Teaming up with the previous first-string kicker Theo (her boyfriend’s nemesis who has been sidelined after an injury) to teach her the ropes, Finley decides there is nothing better than revenge.

This was such a cute and fun story. I flew through it fast and enjoyed every minute. Revenge plots as a whole are rarely my favorite, but there were also some slide plots that kept my attention on the novel.

As a teacher, I love Kassie West because I know I can recommend it to my middle school students with no concern over content, which is hard to do sometimes for romance stories. I would highly recommend adding this to your middle school or high school classroom library, along with Kassie West’s other excellent stories.

I was hesitantly optimistic about this book, because while I love Kasie West I do feel like I'm getting a little old for YA contemporary. All hail the queen though, because I read this book over the course of two days and was utterly charmed. Finley was a wonderful character who I think embodied a teenager quite well (although it's been a few years since I was one, so I suppose I could be wrong on this account), and Theo was great. I think it would have been nice to see his POV on things (granted I'm pretty sure I always think this), but it still worked just fine only having the one POV and I don't feel like anything was left out. I loved the lesson this book told, and I think Kasie did an excellent job working all the way through this. It wasn't overly heavy handed, but it still got the point across. The other thing I really loved was that this book was more than just the main romance and revenge plot. The whole sub-plot with the grandmother was remarkably sweet, and I think it really added something to the story and made it feel more rounded and real. Upon reflection, I think there were a few things I would have liked to see included that weren't there, but they were small nit-picky things that in the grand scheme of things wouldn't have changed much. I think perhaps my biggest frustration was really with the parents. There was a scene at one point where the ex boyfriend shows up to our FMC house and is hanging out with the grandma and despite the FMC displaying distress over it the mom tells her to just go with it because the grandma is having a bad day and it seems to be helping her. Having taken care of my grandmother before I can not imagine disregarding my kid's feelings just because it would make my life a little easier. It did serve a purpose and help move the plot along some, but I do feel like that could have been accomplished just as well in some other way. That's honestly my only real gripe about the story, aside from the few small nit-picky things. I'm actually really glad I gave this book a shot, because it showed with the right story I can still enjoy contemporary YA from time to time. I can't wait for this one to come out, so I can recommend it to any teens that come through, and after her last shaky showing with Borrow My Heart I'm happy to see Kasie back on her game here. I'll once again be eagerly awaiting whatever she comes up with next.

Very sweet YA romcom with a fun revenge plot! Finley had gone through a really rough situation and came out on top. Her ex-boyfriend was the typical second-string jock who thinks only of himself and his personal gain. Throughout the story Finley starts to realize just how strong she is through training with her ex’s arch enemy all the while allowing herself to trust again. Like any romcom there is a shakeup moment where our main character is blindsided but in the end Finley is the real winner!

A quick read. Sweet story. Coming of age, learning about yourself and a romance all in one. Had me smiling and kicking my feet.

Genre: YA Romance / Clean
Rating: 4.5 Stars!

After losing her dream podcasting gig at the school to her now ex-boyfriend, Jensen, Finley plans to beat Jensen out of something he wants just as much - the kicker for the HS Football team. She enlists the help of Jensen's rival, Theo. Theo, a senior, was the primary kicker until his injury took him out as a starter. Sparks fly as Theo coaches Finley through using her soccer skills in intentionally actually winning the spot on the HS football team.

This was so cute. I loved Kasie West in the past and it's been a while since I read anything by her, but this book reminded me just how good her writing, her characters and her storytelling really are.

I devoured this book within a day. I had a hard time putting it down. It was swoon-worthy, it was sweet, and at times it tugged on your heartstrings.

I loved the important lesson that the author weaved into the story, that maybe revenge doesn't leave you as satisfied as one might think, the damage it could do, and how hollow it can leave you feeling if you let the anger win.

I loved Finley's grandmother and her story. I loved Theo as well, he was just such a great character. I loved how the two worked on building trust. I loved their little romance and how it unfolded.

I think my only thing is that I feel like the reason behind Jensen's sudden want to try out for the podcasting gig, knowing this is what Finley wanted and the behavior he exhibited afterward did not feel strong enough. I wanted more of a reason for his actions, as everyone else claiming how nice he is and how good he treats everyone just did not add up to why he decided to not only screw Finley over but also completely embarrass her.

Overall, I adore this author's storytelling. The sweet slow romance. Her characters and her books. It makes me want more. I'd love to go back and explore the books I've missed out on and waiting to see what in store she has for us next.

I really enjoyed this YA revenge focused romcom! Finley’s boyfriend betrays her and the whole story is her trying to get revenge. From the very beginning I wasn’t a fan of her boyfriend Jensen, he was a very annoying character and needed a rude awakening about life. Finley’s revenge plans don’t pan out most of the time, but there were lots of fun moments while she tried. Kasie West also added a side plot about Finley’s grandma’s past which kept me interested and added some more depth to the plot. This book is definitely worth checking out!

"You want to be the kicker for the school football team?"
"What? No. I don't know if I could get that good. I just want to show him up. March onto the field one practice, kick a field goal in front of the whole team, and then shrug Elle Woods style and say, What like it's hard?"

The banter. The revenge antics. The Grandma stories. All of it made Better Than Revenge such a CUTE read. This was my first Kasie West book but won't be my last! Sometimes YA romance can feel a little slow but this book had such good pacing and storytelling, I couldn't put it down. If you like: Taylor Swift references, She's the Man vibes (banter, sports training montages, ex's being put in their place), he falls first, grand gestures, and of course a happily ever after - this is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Another classic, cute Kasie West novel! I think anyone who enjoys short, sweet, and at times deep romcoms (movie or book) will definitely have a good time reading Better Than Revenge!

Thank you to the Random House Children’s team & Netgalley for the arc:)

I love Kasie West so much! It's always a delight when a new release pops up because I know that no matter how the story itself goes, there will be a lot of flavor for me to taste along the way.

And this one was very good too!

Finley has prepared herself since forever to join the podcast from her school. And there she is, ready to interview—and amaze everyone—when her boyfriend not only steals her thunder but also her ideas and her spot. So she sets on revenge: she'll also test for his football team and get the place he could finally get now the team star got hurt.

We also get to learn her grandmother's story, which is lovely, and surely the most Kasie West this story could be.

Now about my opinion, a part of me questioned how someone can be so self-centered to the point of doing what Finley's boyfriend did to her, was that really believable? But I remembered a couple of times I've been in her shoes and sighed. Sometimes we expect book characters to be more humane than real people.

I also loved the romance in the book. Leave it to Kasie West to build up a good couple!

I don't know if it's the best book to be released on New Year's Eve, but this is surely one of the YAs I liked the most in 2024, so I'm glad it got done in time for that.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Finley is a HS junior who has been working toward her dream of getting into an internship at the community college’s podcast team. The guaranteed way was to be one of two anchors on her high school’s team due to a partnership between the HS and CC. She’s been preparing for this for years. She feels really great about her audition and comes out to see her bf Jensen waiting for her outside. When she pulls him to leave, he stays and walks in to audition himself unbeknownst to her of his plan to do so. She’s pissed right? Like obviously… he’s never shown interest before, never taken any classes for broadcasting, doesn’t tell her, “helps” her with her audition, THEN she finds out he’s one of the anchors and she isn’t. THEN she finds out he auditioned with her other top idea she went back and forth on choosing for her own audition. THEN she finds out she would’ve been the anchor if he wasn’t chosen due to his position on the school’s fb team. THEN he unknowingly bashes her and her lack of skills to be an anchor on the school announcement system TO THE WHOLE SCHOOL. AND he doesn’t even have the decency to apologize for blindsiding her. Girl Finley, burn him to the grounddddddddd.

In comes Theo. Theo was the starting kicker on the football team. He’s a senior and missed the last game of the season with an ACL injury. The backup? JENSEN.

Finley with her 3 besties brainstorm how to go scorched earth and enact revenge on Jensen. Theo gets involved to help Finley as the wronged party. They land on taking something away from him he cares about like how he took away what she cared about… his starting kicker spot on the football team for next season. Finley used to play soccer so has some athletic ability but Theo would give her hands on training to actually be a football kicker.

Things I liked… Theo and MAXWELLLLL. Theo is so adorable with Finley. And Max… he was just hilarious 😂 this book read much like those teen movies in the 2000s and I’m not mad at it. It’s also interesting that the popular football player is the kicker. They don’t usually get much love in the media and also even in the actual sport.

I wish a few more things were explained like the Target bag, Deja’s skepticism, and why Jensen did it in the first place.

I think the author did a great job of having diverse characters list without it being so in your face about it. This was a cute YA romance. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Delacorte Romance for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.