Sometimes you just need a palatte cleanse. I have read one other Kassie West book and loved it so I was excited to read this ARC. It was so cute.

Finley dreams of hosting the school podcast her senior year. But during tryouts the spring before, her then boyfriend tries out behind her back and gets the spot over her. She wants revenge, so she teams up with an unlikely partner to bring her ex down.

This was a perfect YA quick read that releases at the beginning of the year.

This was such a fun YA read! I’ve never read anything by Kasie West but definitely will be when looking for cute quick reads! The love story was super cute and all the side characters fleshed out a well rounded group. I loved how supportive the entire friend group was. Despite being a YA read, it still touches on tough topics and I think it handled those scenes with the care and love they desired. The romance between the main characters were cute and I recommend to anyone looking for a new YA book to read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was the first Kasie West book that I’ve read and it certainly did not disappoint! It was such a light, fun read. Having been reading adult romances for a while I was excited to jump back into what got me into reading which was cute young adult romances where the main characters were still in high school.

Better Than Revenge follows Finley whose one goal is to become a famous podcaster, especially for her high school. After brainstorming and coming up with ideas she’s finally ready for tryouts. Confident in her pitch when she comes out she’s surprised to see Jensen (her boyfriend) waiting on her. The reason behind it makes her feel betrayed and confused when he decides to try out as well as stealing away her only opportunity to be one of the two podcasters. When Jensen wins the spot Finley takes matters into her own hands by getting revenge on Jensen by recruiting his nemesis for help setting up a part of the storyline.

I truly enjoyed the characters and the overall plot and storyline! I adored both Finley and Theo not to mention Finley’s friend group were really supportive and very likable when they all helped her come up with ways for revenge. The main plan for revenge is that Finley would try and take Jensen’s spot on the football team as the kicker. Once Jensen’s nemesis, Theo comes in to help Finley her revenge goes a different way than she had initially planned, overall the direction of the book keeps it interesting.

The storyline with Finley's grandmother, Charlotte drew me in from the start and left me wondering where it was going to go once she was introduced in Better Than Revenge. It seemed to lighten up the mood and it keeps you guessing about her past whenever Finley interviews her for her podcast that she records from her home. I enjoyed that part so much that I was sad whenever I finished reading because that part made it fun to read about and kept me engaged.

I highly recommend Kasie West’s book Better For Revenge if you are looking for a good Young Adult swoony rom-com!

Thank you both NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the early arc in exchange for my honest review💙

I am disappointed! alas, kasie west's books just aren't the same for me anymore. this was cute and entertaining, but the writing felt like a first draft, and the fmc had terribly bad judgement. the worst part was the story lacked any of the usual depth kasie adds to her books. can we go back to her real life people on book covers era!?

I loved this! It was my first Kasie West novel, definitely a very typical cute YA story. It had undertones of all the classic teen movies and gave me the vibes of She’s the Man and John Tucker Must Die. Plus the B story with Finley’s grandmother made for a fun way to drive the plot forward. Everything felt just fleshed out enough to be believable and enjoyable but still fun. I wish I got more coastal California vibes, location is more important to the story than it seems and I wish I was able to visualize it a bit more. Overall just a fun cute read!

Some really cute YA banter/ love story and a great palette cleanser! I loved the side cast of characters and the supportive friend group! Will definitely read more books by this author!

I thought this was adorble romance and had a nice balance of high school drama and also just fun vibes. I also liked how this book tackled harder topics like demtia and also just unique intreasts like podcasting. I also was fond of the romacne and really loved all the side characters!!

5 Stars

I did an internal happy dance when I received an early copy of Better Than Revenge! I was thrilled because I have been a long time stan of Kasie West and have read all of her books. Better Than Revenge has got to be one of my favorites & definitely in my top three!

Finley is a junior in high school who has dreamed of being a host on her school’s podcast for as long as she can remember. She’s finally reached try-outs after preparing for years when the coveted spot is stolen from her not only by someone she trusts but someone who also stole her idea to win! She decides the only way forward is to exact revenge and teams up with an unlikely source to help her plan succeed.

Better Than Revenge was funny, swoony & very reminiscent of your favorite teen comedy you grew up watching over and over. I think Kasie writes the perfect YA romantic comedies! I truly can’t wait to share them with my daughter one day. They’re funny &
sweet while also not being juvenile or explicit. If you’re not a teenager anymore (like me) then I would say if you still enjoy watching your favorite teen movies you grew up with like Ten Things I Hate About You, She’s All That, Mean Girls or She’s The Man then you might really love Kasie West! My favorites off the top of my head are this one, Borrow My Heart & P.S. I Like You!

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who’s an avid reader of young adult books, when I read the synopsis of Better Than Revenge, I couldn’t wait to dive into the story.

We meet our main character, Finley, as she’s getting ready to try out for her schools podcast. Things don’t go as planned when her boyfriend, Jensen, decides to try out as well and ends up landing the role.

Upset, Finley’s determination to get him back leads to her trying out for the for schools football team. With the help of her handsome but cocky enemy, Theo, Finely will have no problem at tryouts.

But when complicated feelings and a thirst for revenge mix together, is it possible for things to work out?

From the start of the story, West doesn’t waste time diving into the thick of things. Seeing all the characters different personalities unfold truly made them stick out beyond the page.

Finely as our main protagonist was enjoyable, but I wish we would’ve gotten more depth from her. At times, she did fall a bit flat for me. Other than that, I loved seeing her relationship with her grandmother. Their podcast episodes together had to be one of my favorite parts of the story.

Theo was such a witty and charming love interest. The banter between the two main characters was cute and swoon worthy. The last few scenes could only be described as the perfect romcom ending.

Overall, Better Than Revenge is a sweet treat of a book that I’ll most definitely be recommending to anyone looking for an adorable young adult romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Kasie West for sending me this arc in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Kasie West and NetGalley for this eARC.

If you are looking for one of the cutest YA romances to cleanse the pallet, you have found it here.
All Finley has dreamed of since starting high school is hosting the school podcast. When her football player boyfriend decides to try out for the podcast with no warning and gets it... cue revenge time with the help of her (ex) boyfriend's rival, Theo.

One aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the relationship Finely had with her friend group. I wish we would have seen more of Theo's relationships in the book. I also loved loved loved Finley's relationship with her grandma. As a grandma's girl, it hit close to my heart.

Trigger warning for caregivers of a family member with memory impairments/dementia.

Super cute read. 4/5 stars

When it comes to YA contemporary books, I always have to remind myself that the characters are supposed to be stupid, immature, and cringy. I enjoyed the fact that Finley and Theo seem to be aware of their actions and own up to them, but a lot of it I still said “yikes” to. Also, I need to know whose parents don’t ask questions about where their child is going at all random times of the day or do not check in after a breakup. They ask her about their parenting, and sometimes as amazing as it would be to not have your parents grill you about everything, Finley is still a child and needs support. Baffled me a little there. I also was more invested in her grandma’s story the whole time and wish we got to know more.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

title: Better than Revenge

author: Kasie West

publisher: Delacorte Romance

publication date: December 31, 2024

pages: 320

peppers: 1 (on this scale)

warnings: none

summary: When Finley's boyfriend thoughtlessly auditions for and gets the podcast spot Finley has wanted for a long time, she enlists the help of her now ex-boyfriend's nemesis to teach her how to kick a football, a skill she will use to take the thing he most wants away from him.

tropes:

getting revenge
secret training sessions
friends-to-couple
cocky kid who turns out to be shy
interesting family history

what I liked:

sweet characters
good lesson

what I didn’t like: nothing, though reading YA for the first time in a long time hit different.

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

I had a lot of fun reading Better Than Revenge. Kasie West always writes sweet YA rom-coms, and I’m always here for that.

Finley has one major goal she’s been working toward throughout her high school career: to be on her school’s podcast. She’s worked hard, and her boyfriend, Jensen, knows just how hard. He also decides to try out at the last second and uses one of her ideas. How rude…

Finely decides she needs some revenge. Who better to help her than Jensen’s rival, Theo. Theo and Finley were amazing, and I loved them together. I also really loved the side story with her grandma and learning her story through Finley’s personal podcast. This book made me smile throughout and I truly enjoyed reading it.

What’s the best way to heal a broken heart? Revenge.

Get ready to swoon when you read Better Than Revenge by Kasie West because you like…

🌹 sweet, slow burns
🌹 everything going wrong
🌹 high school antics
🌹 enemies to lovers
🌹 witty banter
🌹 relatable everything

This love story is wholesome and heartwarming.

🩷HER🩷
Finley has a single-minded focus and determination to get things done, whether those things are a podcast job or revenge. She feels betrayed, confused, angry and she’s feisty enough to take matters into her own hands.

💙HIM💙
Theo is gorgeous and he knows it. Rich and athletic, he travels with an air of superiority that makes him seem unreachable. But he’s not above a little revenge.

📖 THEIR STORY 📖
When Finley’s football player boyfriend steals the thing she wants most from her, she decides to get even. Teaming up with her now ex-boyfriend’s gorgeous nemesis, Theo, seems like icing on the cake of her revenge plan. He’s the cocky, injured star kicker of the football team, and the perfect person to help Finley steal the thing her ex wants most right out from under his nose - the now open starting kicker spot on the team. But as Finley discovers things are not what they seem, she’ll have to choose the something (or someone) she wants most now.

Coming 12/31/24. Reserve your copy now!

Thank you to @kasiewest and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Better Than Revenge.

If you like swoonworthy, relatable, authentic love stories you just can’t put down, read Better Than Revenge.

The hangover is worth it.

4.5 stars – Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is about Finley and her dreams of becoming a podcaster. Her boyfriend, Jensen, decides to try out for the same podcaster role that Finely has been prepping for. Jensen steals her idea, tries out, and gets the role she wanted. After they break up, she plots her revenge. As Finley follows through with her revenge ideas, she discovers that revenge isn’t always sweet. Finley grows and learns important lessons about herself and others. This book is a little light in the romance department, but Theo is a top-notch book boyfriend. There is a wonderful second plot line running through involving Finley’s sassy grandmother and her young adult life. I enjoyed this book so much! I would love to see a follow-on story about Finley’s friend Deja.

A big “Thank You” to NetGalley and Delacorte Romance for allowing me to read an advance copy. This independent, honest review is happily shared.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book. This was a cute YA enemies to lovers story with a side of revenge. I finished it in one evening and thought it was great!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I discovered Kasie West several years ago with P.S I like you (which I often think about) but I hadn’t followed up with any of her recent work until I saw Better than Revenge available on NetGalley. I was pretty excited to be selected to review this arc. This YA book had all of the elements I love: witty banter, strong female protagonist and of course, romance. I will definitely have to go back and check out more recent publications from West because this was a touchdown for me (see what I did there 😏).

Kasie West's books are always entertaining and quick reads. This enemies to lovers/dating story is another great example of this.

I just love books like this. Finley's boyfriend is a typical highschool boy who can't see past his own face, but he has really hurt Finley and she is out for revenge. His nemesis Theo also wants to get under his skin so working with Finley to best him seems like a perfect idea. You can tell that Theo likes Finley more than she realizes and as it becomes more, this relationship built on revenge seems a little sour.
When Finley gets everything she's wanted, it doesn't seem so sweet, but Theo is there cheering her on no matter what.
I loved the aspect of this book with Finley and her grandma and the side storylines here. There was so much depth to this story other than just a high school romance about revenge. It is about growth and growing up and learning from mistakes.
Thanks to Random House, Negalley and Kasie West for an early copy.

This book was pretty cute. I found the story about Grandma very uniquely told. I really wanted a little more at the end to tie up her future. There were some things left underdeveloped. But overall I really enjoyed this one.