Reading this book about podcasts, as someone who doesn’t listen to podcasts, was actually kinda cool. Just reading about the main character’s podcast and her grandmother’s story. We really got 2 romances in this book instead of just the one. Her grandmother’s story had me on the edge of my seat, it was so cute ☺️. And the main character’s romance was just as cute. I read this so quick, took me a couple days, which I rarely finish a book that fast. This is a must read for any and all romance readers. The only thing I would change about this book is I wish it was longer lol. Maybe it will be considering I’m reading an arc book but we’ll see when it comes out 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Thank you Random House Children’s for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I haven’t read a Kasie West book in a while, but I saw this one NetGalley and thought it sounded cute. It was! I loved Finley and her friends and Theo was the best book boyfriend. I appreciated the nod to Taylor Swift (I prefer the OG, don’t come for me) and even the side plots were interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

I loved this YA romance. It was so sweet and had a really good message overall. The gramma storyline in particular was very touching and I found the romance to be adorable. I think this is a great book for preteens and teens, especially girls as it does a great job of showing female empowerment. I loved it!

I loved Finley and her desire for revenge. What boyfriend does that? Jensen deserved to have his butt handed to him. Theo was cute and a good friend/helper to Finley. I would love to get another book with them in it. I loved this book so much and it might be my new favorite Kasie West.

Kasie West delivers another sweet and entertaining YA rom-com with Better Than Revenge. The story follows Finley, a high school student with a single-minded goal: to join her school’s podcast. When her boyfriend, Jensen, betrays her by using her idea to secure his spot, Finley enlists the help of his rival, Theo, to plan her revenge.

The dynamic between Finley and Theo is delightful, blending humor and chemistry in a light enemies-to-lovers trope. Finley’s growth as she navigates her feelings and discovers her grandmother’s inspiring story through her personal podcast adds depth to the narrative. However, some readers felt the writing lacked the usual polish of West’s previous works, and Finley’s initial decisions were questionable.

Despite minor flaws, Better Than Revenge is a fun, quick read filled with charming moments, a swoon-worthy romance, and Kasie West’s signature feel-good vibe. Perfect for fans of high school romances and YA stories about self-discovery and second chances.

Cute read, i needed a book like this after all the heavy books i read before hand and this was the perfect pallet cleanser!

“I’m sure some good things happened in the last month, the last year. Mistakes aren’t all-encompassing. Things aren’t only black or white.”

Finley has always wanted to become a famous podcaster, and securing a spot on her school’s senior podcast team is the first step toward that goal. When her football-player boyfriend, Jensen, uses her idea to try out for the podcast without ever showing any interest, she’s shocked and hurt. Since he stole her dream by taking the role of podcast host, Finley and her friends decide to get revenge by taking his dream: being the starting kicker on the football team. She has a knack for kicking after years of playing soccer, so she enlists the help of Jensen’s football nemesis, Theo, to train for football tryouts. The two begin to grow closer, but Finley won’t be distracted from her revenge, and Theo has secrets of his own. Finley and Theo will have to decide if love is actually better than revenge.

I finished Better than Revenge in a single day, despite going to work and coming home to laundry and dishes that needed to be done. I ignored every responsibility I had, and that should tell you everything you need to know about Kasie West’s newest romcom. I’ve been a fan of her books for years, and they never fail to make me unbelievably happy. Kasie West has cracked the code for the perfect young adult romcom. Finley and Theo had perfect banter that created an organic relationship and strengthened their connection as it steadily built throughout the book. While they were both focused on revenge, I think West did a great job showcasing how Theo genuinely wanted to help Finley succeed, with or without the revenge. We all know revenge isn’t the most noble cause, and both Finley and Theo learned lessons about what truly counts. However, those lessons didn’t take away from the humor and female rage of the book. I wasn’t a fan of the way Finley’s best friend acted at times, but she redeemed herself in the end. An aspect of the novel I really enjoyed was Finley’s grandmother’s story, which she slowly told on her own podcast. They started investigating her backstory in search of a surfboard she owned, and I loved how Finley’s life and her grandmother’s past intersected at key moments in the book. Everyone should run to the nearest bookstore the moment Better than Revenge comes out because it’s truly the perfect YA romcom.

Oh my word...all the goodness of this book. Totally loved, totally would recommend, and really hope for a Netflix series or movies from this book. Without spoiling one bit of this for anyone as I love to be a happily surprised reader, this coming of age book cover themes that are real, relatable, and educational in the least preachy way. Totally clean, great HEA, and all the teenage angst. What is not to lobe? Thanks #netgalley for this ARC copy for a honest review.

Better Than Revenge is a cute, fast book. I enjoyed Finley’s growth and know that if I would’ve read this book in high school that maybe I would’ve tried to be braver earlier because I definitely related to Finley’s struggles as a high school kid who never wanted to make a mistake, and definitely not in public.

Thank you for the arc!

I am a sucker for a Taylor Swift reference so knew I wanted to read this one just from the title. This one was really cute, but I do think I am just a little old for its intended audience. Sometimes I can do YA but this one’s better suited for teens I think. Was still super cute and would recommend to the younger group.

I can always count on Kasie West for great characters, a good story, and a surprising theme. In this novel it was the sweet story that Finley’s grandmother tells about her first love, captured on Finley’s personal podcast. That story provided the heart, while Finley, Theo, and Jensen provided the conflict and resolution. While the story was pretty simple, I thought it was entertaining and provided the warm fuzzies I needed.

The high school story arc was pretty simple, young love, betrayal, and redemption but despite those themes the characters were pretty unique. Finley’s group of friends were diverse and eclectic, Theo was multi-layered, and Finley’s podcasting unique. It was truly only Jensen that fell into that stereotypical obtuse jock, but as he was set up as the villain I wasn’t really bothered by his simplicity. Finley’s future was on podcasting and Theo and those two had more depth and held my interest. The author did a great job of building the tension in the story so that the resolution felt impactful and satisfying. I really liked how this story played out!

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West is a super sweet young adult romance!
West never disappoints! I mean my goodness I adored this book!
Her contemporary novels are some of my favorites—full of well-developed characters, adventure and romance.
A fun, light, fast and easy read.
I was sucked in almost immediately and was so sad to see it end so soon.

Tbh, this book was cute. I liked the family dynamics that it contained, especially the relationship between Finely and her grandmother. I would say that for a YA romance novel, this was quite good. There was pretty good character depth as well in the novel, especially considering both the leads had lost one of the significant path to reach the future they envisaged.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this ARC!

Full of revenge, podcasts, and forgiveness, this YA read by Kasie West was nothing short of entertaining! I loved the subplot featuring Finley’s grandmother, especially since Finley’s experiences were paralleled by her grandmother’s! I was a bit disappointed with the character development, but the strong plot kept my attention. All around a quick YA read with a great premise!

Wow. I LOVED this book. The premise, the chemistry, the podcast and the football element (2 things I love).

West does such a good job of writing stories that a High School student could relate too, but an adult as well.

This book was SO well done and I am so glad I read it!

I really liked this! I thought it was officially my first 2025 book, but it was published 12/31/24. It also is only available for purchase in paperback, FYI. It was a cute love story with a lot of depth & life lessons without being hit over the head with them. I was invested in the grandma's side story just as much as I was invested in the actual love story. Will definitely purchase & would be good for next year's Battle list if it gets reprinted in hardcover form or library binding.

Loved this YA romance! I felt myself cheering for Finley and Theo, and I loved Grandma’s story line, too. I felt the Alzheimer’s aspect was done respectfully.

I had such an amazing time reading this book.

The romance between Finley and Theo was so enjoyable! Their chemistry was genuine and never felt forced. Their witty banter brought humor and lightness to the story. I particularly enjoyed watching Finley create her own podcast featuring her grandmother’s story; it was absolutely adorable.

A fast-paced, unputdownable read full of humor, heart, friendship, and the love between family.

Read if you like:

🏈 Highschool setting
🏈 Friends to lovers
🏈 Single POV
🏈 Revenge Plot
🏈 Rom-Com
🏈 YA Romance

Cute and fun YA romance! What better way to get back at your ex than to try and take his spot as the kicker on the football team! Who better to train her than his arch nemesis?!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I have read several of Kasie West's books and always find her work enjoyable. In this story we meet: Finley who is trying to be a podcaster. Her football player boyfriend, Jensen, (turned ex-boyfriend) steals her podcast idea for the school podcast team. Finley decides revenge is the best way to handle her disappointment. She decides to try out for the football team as the kicker (same position as Jensen). Even better is that she convinces Jensen's nemesis, Theo, to be her coach!
One of the plot lines I really enjoyed was the relationship between Finley and her grandmother. Her grandmother has dementia and Finley is trying to learn more about her early life by chatting with her grandmother on her podcast. They save these sessions for her grandmother's "good" days.
3.5 stars, so I'm rounding up.