Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Saturday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read Kasie West before, but I will look out for her after this book. The writing was excellent. However, it did feel a little predictable. I loved Margot (FMC) and the chaos she brings in the best way. Trying to navigate her late 20s, and finding a spot of belonging has been so relatable to my little millennial self.

Additionally, the chemistry and banter between Oliver (MMC) and Margot were hilarious and made me laugh out loud. I didn’t love that this book felt like it was dragging and didn’t need to be as long as it was. Additionally, it was hard to follow all the text and dating app chats.

Read if you like:
- Witty banter
- Single POV
- Second chance
- HEA

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

An adult Kasie West novel! The story is told from a single POV about rekindling a relationship from the dating apps. This is a fun, cute, spicy, romance read with a medium pace. Some of the dialogue is written as text messages or dating app messages, which can slow or speed your reading pace depending on who you are. This meet-cute story is filled with light hearted banter and humor.

#NetGalley #MyHonestReview

This was another great find on NetGalley for me. I picked the book after reading the description. The cover also intrigued me because I couldn't really tell much by it.

What happened next was 10 hours of me fighting off my family and dog to devote my attention to the book. Obviously, I stopped a few times to take care of them. Each time they were settled I dove right back in.

This single POV story starts with a bang. Or maybe an almost bang, if we're being technical. Either way, we jump right into the characters without hesitation.

From the Prologue to Chapter 1 there is a time jump, however, it makes sense. The further the story goes, the more you understand why -- and no, there's none of that long winded flashback mess that can sometimes happen.

Margot, our FMC, is a romantic searching desperately for her HEA. She's also in a terrible job role that is only such a way because her boss is atrocious. I wanted to knock his lights out a time or ten.

Oliver, our MMC, is revealed to us in bits and pieces for the majority of the story. We know he's good with computers and has a nice house. Past that, the rest is scattered to us like bread crumbs through text messages, app conversations, and interrupted in person chats.

The banter here was so good IMHO. I'm not sure why it hit so well for me. I just know I could have read 200+ more pages of these two.

Now, the TAB does exist in this. And if you know me, then you know I don't like them. BUT I did also kind of know where this one was going, which should have also been a turnoff EXCEPT I think Margot handles things really freaking well. Ok, maybe not perfect, but her restraint says a lot. lol

It does have an HEA and I have to say these two are so freaking adorable I nearly can't stand it. (Kidding, I can. I love them. Give us more Kasie!)

Definitely worth the read. I'll be getting a paperback copy too because I need to put my commentary all in the margins of this bad boy.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kasie West for the eARC.

4.5 Stars

Kasie West releasing an adult romance novel was surprisingly. I have read and enjoyed her YA contemporaries for years. It was exciting to get to read We Met Like This and see how West transitioned into the adult arena. I really enjoyed this book.

We Met Like This is narrated by Margot, a hopeless romantic looking for her meet-cute. Unfortunately for her, the only guy who has been able to keep her attention from the apps is Oliver. She went on one failed date with him, but every time she joins back up, they rematch and converse. This time around, she decides they will be friends but maybe she needs give him another chance. As her life implodes, Margot finds out that maybe she and Oliver are a better match than she thought.

Margot was the adult heroine I would expect from West. She was likable despite making some poor choices. She loved love and would try anything to find the real thing - even if it meant sabotaging herself. Margot tried to live up to her family's wants for her and never felt like she was where she should be in life. I cringed every time she made a poor decision, but I understood what drove her to make them.

Simon was Margot's love interest but didn't get his own POV, so he almost felt like more of a side character. It was fun to see him try to woo Margot while she didn't even realize it was happening. Their "friendship" was cute, and I loved how he was determined to show Margot that she was everything her family thought she wasn't. Their romance was fun, sweet, cute, and all the things I would expect from West.

The side characters in this book were great, too. I loved Margot's best friend Sloane and her support. Margot's family was frustrating, but that only added to the story. I hated Rob, but I guess he served his purpose.

There were only two things that bugged me a bit. The first way the layout of the app and/or text messages in this book. In my copy of this book, they weren't separated out from the regular text which made them harder to read and decipher that they were messages. I hope they format them differently in future copies. Second, the whole Rob thing. It made me disappointed in Margot. I was okay with it for the most part, but I can see other West fans not liking that more than me.

Overall, this was a great first adult contemporary romance from West. It was fresh, fun, cute, sweet, and a good time. I hope she continues to write in this genre.

Well, I got a grown up version of a lovely Kassie West romance, so I dug it. Lived the premise of wanting the meet cute. Loved the surprise. Loved the interplay of family members and those relationships.

The only things I didn’t like were:
1-it was a bit too predictable. Like, I suppose I should have guessed that most of the romance tropes would be present, but I figured most stuff out too early.
2-I didn’t need as much on the page sex. It didn’t feel organic to hear the details in this book for some reason. I’m not a prude. Love the steam and the smut. But I didn’t feel like this one needed it. Just sayin.

But it was sweet and funny and I’m glad I read it. 💜📚

Margot Hart, una joven asistente de agente literario en Los Ángeles, que ama los libros tanto como detesta las apps de citas. A sus 27 años, su vida parece estancada: atrapada en un trabajo sin evolución real, enredada con su jefe guapísimo y emocionalmente inaccesible, y frustrada con un mundo moderno que hace del romance algo sistematizado y aburrido.

Pero todo cambia cuando Margot hace match en una app con Oliver, un viejo conocido con quien tuvo una cita extraña (y bastante sensual) tres años atrás. Lo que comienza como una cadena de mensajes ingeniosos y cargados de sarcasmo evoluciona en algo más profundo, aunque ninguno de los dos lo admita fácilmente.



Me gusto la idea, pero Margot esta bien tonta.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

Pros:
Fun premise. I liked that Margot, the main character was kind of a mess and made bad decisions and I enjoyed her career arc as well as the love story. It was easy to root for her.
Cons:
I read an ARC so I know there’s still some roughness but the transitions need to be cleaned up. The scene changes are a bit abrupt.

I have read West’s YA novels and I enjoyed her adult debut but I think she can make her writing a little more sophisticated. This is something I’m seeing a lot with writers who are crossing over from YA. You don’t need to dumb down the language quite as much (personally I don’t think you need to do that in YA at all but it can be a stylistic choice) but this read a bit juvenile.

Three years after a first date gone wrong, Margot matches with Oliver for the millionth time. The pair have been matching on and off since Margot gave him the souvenir of a lifetime. But this time no one immediately ghosts the other. And soon Oliver and Margot become friends. Margot is in the middle of starting her own business and Oliver is there to help her along the way. More helpful than any man she’s ever dated. But they are terrible at communicating with one another about how they feel. Oliver is convinced that Margot only sees him as a good time, and Margot is confused as to why Oliver doesn’t want to be physical. Will they ever be on the same page?

When I saw Kasie West had an adult novel I was sooo excited. She was one of my absolute favorite authors when I was a teenager. And I absolutely adored her adult debut. The writing sucked me in from page one. Great banter, amazing chemistry, and a fun plot. Margot did care way too much about what other people think but I think that’s pretty normal for a 27 year old. I just loved reading this. Oliver was so sweet with golden retriever vibes. I’m not a huge fan of miscommunication tropes but I think it worked well in this book. Kasie please keep writing adult romances I will read every single one!

Dating apps gone wrong (or right?)
Second chance romance
Works in publishing
Golden retriever mmc

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. This rating may seem low, but We Met Like This was a cute and enjoyable rom-com. The first chapter hooked me, and Margot and Oliver were fun characters to follow. I think they had the ultimate meet-cute, and I loved watching them fall in love! My biggest issue was many of the conflicts felt messy and unnecessary; I found the bones of the story were strong enough to stand on their own- without the added side of drama. I’ve never picked up a Kasie West book before, but I enjoyed her writing style, and would try another!

Margot Hart, a literary agent, explores her chemistry with Oliver who she has a disastrous first date with. Three years later, they reconnect in a series of coincidences in this sizzling opposites attract, second chance novel.

Margot and Oliver’s chemistry were ever present, however some circumstances hinder their chance to pursue each other — their mismatched compatibility. We can see their dynamic throughout the story and how their differences relate to their push-pull relationship. Although, they do balance each other out with Margot’s bouts of spontaneity and ambitions to Oliver’s calm and steady reliability.

The final conflict where the premise of “the big reveal” was a bit underwhelming. The pacing for conflict resolution was rushed that some hard-earned groveling was needed from certain characters.

Overall, this meet-cute, opposites attract, second chance novel from Kasie West was entertaining and engaging that would let fans of such tropes enjoy.

I adored this book. Gave me the same sappy feeling I got the first time I read gems from Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez.

Margot is so relatable. What romance novel reader doesn’t want a non-dating app meet cute!? I was rooting for her and Oliver before either of them knew they were rooting for each other.

I did find the app chats/texts dialogue a little hard to follow without names or italicized texts, but it wasn’t enough of a turnoff that stopped me from devouring this book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Saturday Books & NetGalley for the ARC! Can’t wait to see what else Kasie West has up her sleeve.

WE MET LIKE THIS

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I haven’t read anything by Kasie West before but I will say her entrance into adult romance is a success! Her writing style feels reminiscent of Lynn Painter: witty banter, quick moving plots, and fun romance.

I really enjoyed everything about this book. It felt like a love letter to literary agents and I liked getting a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry.

I loved the strong friendships as well as the emphasis on family. I love when books have very realistic relationships with conflicts, whether those be love interests, friends, and/or themselves.

Highly recommend!

romantic content: moderately descriptive open door scenes, innuendo, large focus on physical intimacy

*Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Books for the eARC!

Kasie West is one of my favorite authors and it's not surprising that this book is terrific. Margot is a hopeless romantic who hates dating apps. Unfortunately, dating apps consistently matches her with Oliver, a hot guy that she had one sexy make-out session. Margot just wants to be a literarcy agent to bring romance books to the world and Oliver is the only who helps her...

Love Margot and Oliver. Oliver is terrific... and I love their banter. Made me laugh out loud so many times...

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I've really like this author's YA work, but could not get farther than a couple of chapters into this. I may try it again in the future, but for now it's not for me

I loved following Margot through her rough patch in her life. I think we have all hit a point where everything seems to go wrong, and nothing ever feels right. The main story is following Margot and Oliver. They met on a dating app and had a horrible first date. 3 Years Later, they keep getting matched on dating apps, and try out a friendship. I loved Oliver for the most part. The way he never judged Margot, and always wanted to help her. The only thing I didn't like about him was what you find out towards the end. But honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. I thought this was a sweet story. The Dating App messages made me laugh because they were so similar to some I have received before. I really enjoyed it.

WOW! I read this in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. Margot and Oliver's chemistry jumped off the page and the twist at the end was so satisfying and I'm glad Audrey came around.

Sloane was a great side character, and screw Rob!!

West did not disappoint. I loved both characters and craved more once the story ended.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for an advanced copy of this book, We Met Like This by Kasie West.
I ate this book up. Margot and Oliver meet on a dating app and have an awkward first date. They have chemistry but not much else. 3 years later they meet again on the same app. While they still have chemistry they decide to be friends to see if there is something more. This was so cute. I loved both Margot and Oliver. Margot is quite a mess but so relatable. And as Margot told him more than once, Oliver was an absolute golden retriever.
I figured out the twist but it was still a fun surprise.
I can’t wait to read more from this author.
4.5⭐️

I love Kassie West’s writing style, the way she tells a story and her characters, and this was no exception. I adored the chemistry between the characters and their banter. I struggled a bit at first with how lusty it read. Without going into details, I struggled with the opening scene and I was unsure if I would like the book. But then I found myself reading the first half in one sitting and I do stand by what I said, her writing is so good! I did get a little frustrated with the miscommunication at some point, but not enough to put it down. So in the end I had fun reading, the subject might have been a bit spicier than my preference, but the writing and their chemistry made up for it and I am still Kasie West.

4.5/5

I really liked this book! I started one day and woke up the next day thinking about it which is always a good sign for me. Margot is a hopeless romantic set on meeting someone via a meet cut. She has been working as a publishing assistant and feeling a bit stuck. She keeps matching with Oliver over the course of three year period. The day they reconnect she also quits her job and puts her life on a new path.

The banter in this book was excellent between Margot and Oliver (and I was definitely rooting for them). There was also good emotional depth in the characters. While the FMC annoyed me towards the end (as she should), I really liked the way Kasie West finished up the book. Would definitely recommend!

I really wish I could leave a glowing review for this book, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me—at least not right now. I’m hoping it’s a case of right book, wrong time, and that someday I can come back to it with a fresh perspective and truly enjoy it.

I’ve always loved Kasie West’s writing for its emotional depth and the way her stories center on the characters' connections without relying on sexual content. Going into her adult debut, I anticipated a shift in tone and possibly more mature themes—but I wasn’t expecting it to begin with explicit content right on the first page.

To be clear, I don’t have anything against spice or smut in books; I just went into this one expecting something entirely different based on her previous work.

So, for now, I’m giving We Met Like This a soft DNF. I’m holding onto hope that, with different expectations and better timing, I’ll be able to revisit it and appreciate it for what it is.