5 ⭐️ Enemies to lovers, he falls first

As soon as I saw the dedication was to Taylor Swift, I KNEW it was gonna be good. It did not disappoint AT ALL.

This is definitely my new favorite rom com! It was very entertaining, I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. Finley and Theo are so adorable and their banter was perfect. I especially loved seeing Finley make her own podcast with her grandmas story, it was so cute. I truly adored this book so much, I fear this is the start of my Kasie West obsession.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC!!!

A new fav from Kasie West!! This YA revenge story had so many layers and a lot of depth! While at the core the plot was driven by vengeance, it also deals with a grandmother who has advancing dementia, her early love story told in a podcast format, a new love, a great friend group, a podcast loving, football kicking FMC seeking revenge on her ex and the new guy who helps her and delivers the BEST grand gesture ending. Amazing on audio narrated by Jesse Vilinsky with an author Q&A included at the end. This is perfect for fans of authors like Lynn Painter and I can't recommend it enough! Many thanks to NetGalley for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was so cute. I really enjoyed reading it. I love their relationship and the way he called her soccer star. I loved how you could tell immediately that he had been into her for a while and that was part of the reason he didn’t like her ex. The revenge part was fun. But I loved all the time these two spent together as a couple and getting to know each other better. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a cute and entertaining read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance, for the opportunity to read Better Than Revenge by Kasie West in exchange for my honest review.

Better Than Revenge is a sweet, fast-paced read that had me giggling in delight! Finley is a funny, relatable MC whose journey from self-doubt to finding her confidence is both inspiring and heartwarming. Her drive to achieve her goals, even when things get messy, makes her such a standout character.

Theo, the love interest, stole the show with his top-tier witty banter and genuine care for Finley. Their chemistry is adorable, and their playful dynamic kept me hooked. Another highlight is Finley’s grandmother, whose love story adds depth and warmth. The bond between them is so touching, especially as Finley’s podcast weaves in her grandmother's history—what a sweet and creative touch!

The story beautifully balances humor, romance, and personal growth. Finley’s realization that revenge isn’t the answer made for a satisfying arc. My only minor wish was for more insight into Jensen’s motives, but it didn’t take away from the overall charm.

With lovable characters, witty banter, and heartfelt moments, Better Than Revenge is a fun and memorable read. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

🎧🩷🏈 I have been a huge fan of Kasie West’s romances for YEARS and “Better than Revenge” was so much fun!

I loved Finley’s friends and how they encouraged and supported her. A lot of romances have one side character friend mentioned offhandedly, but I loved how often her friends were a part of the story. In vague terms so I don’t spoil anything, the part with the flowers was one of my favorites!

I also loved the “heart” of this story being Finley’s relationship with her grandmother. Their exchanges were so interesting and I loved the message! Since there was a lot happening plot wise, I wish there was more happening to strengthen the character connections. I feel like this was the only relationship in the story that felt fully fleshed out. I would have loved to see deeper interactions between her friends or even with Theo.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an adorable and really enjoyed reading it! Finley’s journey from feeling betrayed by her boyfriend to finding herself on the football team (and, of course, falling for Theo) had me hooked from the very beginning. I couldn’t help but root for her as she navigated the complexities of high school, revenge, and personal growth. Her determination to get back at Jensen was so relatable, but watching her realize what truly mattered—her own goals and passions—was even more rewarding.

Theo and Finley’s dynamic was great! Their training sessions were so much fun, and I loved how they started out with playful banter that gradually turned into something deeper. I especially enjoyed the quirky workouts Theo set up, like goat yoga—it was such a unique and hilarious touch! The more time they spent together, the more I could feel the chemistry building, and I couldn’t help but smile at how their relationship evolved.

The author really captured the ups and downs of being a teenager, mixing humor with emotional depth in such a natural way. The romance was sweet and real, and the characters felt like people I could actually know. That said, I did feel a little distracted by the subplot about Finley’s grandmother’s high school romance. It took away from the main love story a bit, and I wished we had more of Theo’s side, especially around his injury.

Even with that minor issue, this book was still such a fun, heartwarming read that left me with a smile on my face. If you haven’t read a Kasie West book yet, this is your sign to start—and if you’re a fan of hers, you won’t be disappointed!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Finley dreams of becoming a famous podcaster and has her eyes set on being a part of school's podcast team for senior year. What she doesn't expect is her boyfriend, Jensen, to swoop in an audition for her dream spot AND get it! Best way to get over a broken heart-- revenge. Finley enlist Jensen's nemesis, Theo, to help her learn how to be the best high school kicker for their high school football team.

This YA romance was cute, endearing, and well-done. Finley and Theo's interactions with one another are mature in the way they communicate and interact with each other and the world around them--Sometimes, so much so, I wondered could a 17 and 18 truly be so mature in relationships this early on. Finley's side story with her grandmother ties in beautifully with Finley learning to take chances and forgive. The reader watches Finley and Theo fall for each other while Finley uncovers one or her grandmother's first loves. This way a quick read that kept me engaged and saying "Ah, that was cute!" at the end.

This was a cute story and I enjoyed it very much. The characters were super relatable and I enjoyed the chemistry and banter they had together. This was the first book I have read by this author and it was great. I’m definitely going to see what else they have to offer because their writing style is very much like other authors that I adore.

This was relatable, well written, and just genuinely adorable. What I think I like most about Better Than Revenge is that it would be perfect for a mother daughter book club. A romance that a 14 or a 45 year old can find equally enjoyable. And in the end, despite being an adorable couple, both MCs clue into the fact that knowing, supporting, and respecting yourself is key to making any of the rest of it work. I don’t say this because I think it’s trite, I say this because I think it’s earned by both characters. Good representation across more than one category, but still a small suburban town in California. A great easy read that was absolutely something that I needed.

4/5 ⭐️
I’m torn between giving it like a 3.75 or 4 stars, cause it was good, but could’ve been better.
I think this author is on the cusp of greatness. Their plot ideas reminds me of Emily Henry, and boy are they good are getting me to feel anger and second hand embarrassment, but I think there was a few things wanting. For example, the FMC had good parts, but the assembly was just not there yet. Like I flitted in and out of caring for her and thinking her a dick. And not the fun kind like in an Olivie Blake book where at least they get called out and face repercussions for it. Finley never really did. Also at times I didn’t feel sympathetic to her schemes. Not like I was with the two main characters in Emily Henry’s Funny Story. My other big issue was with all the info dumping asides. It sometimes felt like unintentional Fleabag. Like she was turning to readers and telling the history or over explaining unimportant details like what door in the hall was hers. Either it was unnecessary, or should’ve been shown to us in a way that infers history for us to piece together and/or put into dialogue.
Despite that, I still enjoyed this story. I didn’t dnf, which is saying something with my recent track record. I even read the whole thing in one evening. But because I genuinely did like parts of it. Again, the basic ideas of revenge and the second plot with her grandma was great. Some of the flirty banter was cute. But the best was her interactions with grandma. Those interviews were really the best parts. In general, the second half was better than the first because it felt like the author finally got out of the way and just let the story show itself. Plus, the story had me feel strong emotions and that is very important. It means I was sucked in.
So overall, I would definitely recommend this to others. There are style choices and aspects of the story I wish were done better, but I see great potential for this author to write beloved stories like Emily Henry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy for review.

This book was cute! This was a decent young adult contemporary romance and if I was still a teen I would have devoured this. As an adult I found it cute with a pen important message about revenge. If I’d found myself in Finley’s situation as a teen, I don’t know that I would’ve handled her situation any better. I think there is an important lesson to be learned in this book, and readers can still enjoy the cute romance as well! Fans of young adult, romance, and books with good messages will love this one!

no one does romance like Kasie West! i 100% agree with that. Every book I have read by Kasie West has always had the inner teenager giddiness in me. I love it, have never been disappointed. With that said this book ranked right up there with her best.

We meet Finley who is an aspiring podcaster but right in the beginning of the book her boyfriend decides to steal this school opportunity from her to be on the schools podcast. Hence the start of her revenge plot. At first it's just the little things she tries to do but then she finds a bigger revenge, taking over his position as a kicker on the football team. This is where Jensen's rival Theo comes in and helps.

The interactions between Finley and Theo are quite entertaining, you can see their fondness for one another growing more and more as time passes. I enjoyed reading about their experiences together and Finley's great group of friends as well. They really know how to support one another. But you know how the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Revenge isn't always the be all end all of everything. it's not always what you really want, that's just the anger and heat of the moment speaking.

I couldn't get enough of this book, from beginning to end I was hooked and I just couldn't put it down! Amazing read, love this author loved the characters, plot, setting everything. Cannot give enough praise.

First I have to say that this is the first book I have read by Kasie West and it will not be the last. I absolutely loved this book. It was so fun to read and I couldn't put it down. The chemistry between the main characters was amazing. Plus the friendships they had was a plus to the story.

Finley is into podcasting and she has her own that she posts every week. Finley's dream is to be accepted into the senior year podcasts at school and be the lead podcaster. She goes to the tryouts when she realizes her boyfriend Jensen is going to audition for the lead caster spot as well. That throws Finley for a loop and she is angry at him because why would he do that to her knowing she has waited three long years to audition for the caster part.

Then the parts are posted and Jensen gets the lead part while Finley gets the research part. Jensen gets the lead part and Finley is upset and angry at him and breaks up with him. Then she tells her friends and they come up with this amazing revenge list and Finley picks one that she knows will get Jensen angry.

As the revenge plan goes into action Finley is getting happy knowing that her plan will work. But something unexpected happens that has Finley thinking about more than revenge.

Thank you to #Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC copy.

When your boyfriend suddenly auditions for, and gets, the job you have wanted for years, he immediately becomes your "ex" and revenge is in order. That's exactly what happens to Finley, and she's ready to take his 'job'... as kicker for the high school football team. Finley teams up with her ex's nemesis Theo who coaches her to beat Jensen. They quickly develop a cute friendship, that slowly develops into a romance... but Theo is keeping secrets of his own.

I loved all the other characters in this book too. Finley's grandmother and their podcast was so sweet, and her friends, who had the perfect amount of skepticism and joy about her relationship with Theo.

A quick, cute YA romance that will make you smile.

I was starting to fall into a slump and nothing was sounding good... Then entered this adorable YA romcom from Kasie West. I requested an arc on NetGalley because I've read some of her others and really enjoyed her writing style. Quick and easy to read, I was excited to give this one a go - and it was SO good! I adored Finley and Theo so so much. The banter was fun, the slow fall was sweet. Truly the only hard part of reading this was having the antagonist share a name with my child lol!

This book is a delightful mix of humor, romance, and a touch of drama that kept me turning the pages late into the night. West has a unique talent for creating relatable characters that feel like friends. The protagonist’s journey through friendship, betrayal, and self-discovery is both engaging and heartfelt. I loved how the story tackled themes of revenge and forgiveness in such a witty and lighthearted way. The banter between the characters is hilarious and had me laughing out loud!

The plot twists were unexpected and kept me on my toes, making it a thrilling read. I found myself rooting for the characters as they navigated their complicated relationships, and the romantic tension was just perfect—sweet and satisfying!

I loved this story! It was a perfect mix of drama and romance, which will make you feel like you're back in high school. Finley is an amateur podcaster who has her heart set on working for the school podcast, and she also has a personal podcast telling her grandmother's story. On a whim, her boyfriend Jensen applies for the podcast as well. He gets one of the host spots, landing Finley on the research team, and he also says some less than complimentary things about her over the loudspeaker. After that, Finley decides to plot her revenge, by working with Jensen's nemesis, Theo, and trying out for his spot as the kicker on the football team! Sparks fly between her and Theo, and Jensen is not thrilled. While all of this is occurring, Finley's grandmother is telling the story of her epic romance with a talented local artist, as they attempt to find the painted surfboard she described. There's a lot of misunderstandings, drama, and overall high school charm, and Finley is a likable protagonist. Overall, I thought it was a delightful read!

Once again, I have a new book boyfriend in Theo. The chemistry and banter between Finley and Theo left me grinning every time and I was so hoping they would end up together. I adored Finley's friends too--they all have a fierce loyalty to each other and make the time to be together and stay close. Finley's friends are a diverse group and ones I would love to have in my life.

Besides a book about revenge, this novel has deeper issues that give it so much heart. My favorite was Finley and her relationship with her grandma. I loved how close they were and how Finley wanted to record her grandmother's memories. Finley's podcast goals for her future career add a fun aspect to her personality and one I cheered for her to succeed. Thanks to NetGalley for my early e-copy.

This is a very cute, lighthearted and quick read, perfect for when you're looking for a palette cleanser! Finley has been betrayed by her ex in a certain way and is set out for revenge when she coincidentally comes across Theo, her ex's nemesis. Together, they both devise a plan to get back at her ex and end up having the hots for eachother.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book! I think Kasie West's book are so cute! This one was no exception. I loved Theo, I thought he was such a sweetheart and clearly liked Finley from the beginning. I thought their banter was fun and Theo's cockiness made me like him more. I found Jensen annoying and he drove me crazy how he didn't see that what he did was wrong and hurtful. The extra storyline included of Finley's grandma was interesting, but I sometimes found myself wanting to skip those scenes to get back to Finley's story. My favorite parts were Theo teaching Finley. Those scenes always made me want to kick my feet. Overall I enjoyed this book and it was a cute read.