I love Kassie West! Her books always grab my attention right away and have the prettiest covers! Quick read! Great summer beach day read!

This was a sweet and easy read with plenty of charm, but it didn’t quite hit the emotional depth I was hoping for. The premise was promising and had the potential for a heartfelt story, but the characters and plot felt a little underdeveloped.

There were definitely some cute moments and enjoyable banter, and fans of light YA romance will still find plenty to like here. The story moved along at a good pace, and the feel-good vibe made it a relaxing read overall.

That said, the emotional stakes never fully landed for me, and I found myself wishing for a bit more complexity and connection between the characters.

A pleasant read, just not one that stuck with me for long.

I really enjoyed this book!! The premise was great!! I will say- the text messages in my book weren’t in italics, and sometimes it made that confusing of what was a text message and what was a narration. I also think some parts were resolved too quickly. However, the plot was great!!

3⭐

big thanks to netgalley and saturday books for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

spoiler free

18+

romance: 9/10 (explicit sex scenes including penetrative, oral, and finger. words like c*ck and p*ssy are not used)

cursing: 5/10 (semi frequent minor curse words, f-ck used as well)

violence: 0/10 (none)

other: drinking/drunkenness. drugs mentioned, used by bystanders

tw: none that i can think of

tropes: second chance, golden retriever mmc

first person, past tense

pub date: 09-16-25


–OVERVIEW–

so i liked this book.
was it amazing? no
was it the next emhen in my eyes? nope.

if you’re looking for lyrical almost poetic writing, closer to lit fic than romance, this ain’t it. look elsewhere.

now, is this a quick enjoyable romcom? yes.
but emily henry has very much shaped my expectations when it comes to writing quality in adult romance novels.
was i expecting a masterpiece? no, i’m familiar with kasie and know she doesn’t have anything that’s outstanding.
but i **was** expecting writing at least on a slightly higher level than her YA books. this was just exactly her YA writing but with curse words and exorbitant amounts of sex.

honestly that icked me out so bad. it felt like i was reading a book abt two horny teens with jobs and cussing problems 💀

–PLOT–

tbh, i don’t remember anything abt the plot or if there even was one. i just remember margot trying to start her own literary agency 😓

–CHARACTERS–

margot
⤷ now, i didn’t expect to read two adult romance books this year with the fmc named margot, let alone two arcs. but here we are.
she was unremarkable, she whined a lot, her whole personality was not being as good as her sister. 🤧🫠

oliver
⤷ he was so cute. his interactions with margot were adorable.

audrey
⤷ she was just a bish for most of the book 😭😭😭😭

the best friend
⤷ lwk i forgot her name, she was just THERE. idk. she didn’t imprint on me at all 😓 i think her name starts with an s…?

–CONCLUSION–

🤷‍♀️ i don’t have any strong negative nor positive feelings for this book, so ig read it if you want to 😭

Margot Hart is hopeless romantic and believes in love. She wants to write romance books and bring love to readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saturday Books for the opportunity to read the eARC of this book!

I have been reading Kasie West books for 10 years. I have read every single book that she has written so far. She is one of the most thoughtful and realistic authors I've ever encountered and every single book of hers has been 4-5 stars. Not once has she ever disappointed me.

Her adult debut is no exception to this rule! I am completely floored by how well she translated her abilities into an adult book. She has the BEST banter and character development and it shines so brightly here in Margot and Oliver. I want Margot to be my agent and I'm not even querying. She was brilliant. And I loved the outspoken, blunt and emotional book agent with the awkward, introverted software engineer. These two had the BEST chemistry and I adored their interactions. Also, Oliver with his out of the blue sexy comments. Settle down, boy. You're making all the girls swoon.

I know that some romance readers will probably throw this book in the pile of "typical romance" but for me, it reminded me of why I LOVED reading romance. I've forgotten that lately with this push for more exciting tropes and intense smut. I just want to read about two people finding each other and loving each other in this crazy weird world. And these two were it for me: I couldn't get enough of them.

Ahhh, I want to read this book again. I can already tell you it will be added to the pile of "emotional Kasie West reread books" for when I need a pick-me-up!

In Kasie West’s first adult romantic comedy, “We Met Like This,” Margo dreams of becoming a literary agent so she can share romance novels with the world. Her love for these stories fuels her desire for the ultimate meet-cute love tale. After a disastrous yet steamy date with Oliver, she finds herself back on dating apps, searching for her perfect match.

For the past three years, Margo has consistently been matched with Oliver. Eventually, they start communicating and decide to help each other navigate the world of dating apps. Will Margo realize that a perfect meet-cute is unrealistic, or will her time with Oliver reveal that sometimes an imperfect meet-cute can be the most authentic?

The book is spicy! The first few pages might leave you blushing, but it’s a wonderful story featuring a twist I didn’t see coming. I want to thank NetGalley, Kasie West, and St. Martin's Press for providing this advanced ARC copy for my honest review.

Super sweet and very sexy! Love a meet cute! I really enjoyed the characters and their development. What a great read!

This book was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted light and fun. I wanted a book that was not going to make me cry, stress me out, or have any overly heavy storylines. Mission accomplished! I’ve read lots of this author’s YA books and this is her first adult novel and it definitely works.
I’d say the first page comes on really strong but that’s kind of how things start with Margot and Oliver.

This book literally starts, on page one, with Margot and Oliver fooling around in a car. They’ve gone on one date. The date was bad. But the chemistry is great. But ultimately they slow down and plan to go their separate ways.

But Margot and Oliver keep meeting time and time again on dating apps. They keep matching. Margot hates dating apps because she wants a meet cute and she does not like the idea of meeting on an app.

It’s been three years and every time Margot reconnects to the apps: there’s Oliver. They touch base off and on in messages and laugh a bit about matching again.

But after 3 years they finally decide to meet again. And things feel different this time, like maybe they are actually meant to date. But there are plenty of obstacles in their way, on each of their sides.

I enjoyed this book and I like that it never bogged me down. Reading this book was as enjoyable as her YA books but just written with more grown up storylines and characters.

I got to read an early ebook edition on NetGalley, thank you!

I struggled so much with the formatting and editing of this book. I recognize that it's an ARC but it was very difficult to read and follow. thanks for letting me try.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I’m a HUGE Kasie West fan. I’ve read every single one of her books and was so excited to read this one. I completely understand why she is writing an adult romance instead of a YA romance because she has grown as an author. But this honestly wasn’t my favorite Kasie West book.

To start off, I wasn’t expecting all the sexual comments and jokes throughout. It was almost like Margot’s personality was to say anything sexual that came to mind. Maybe it’s just me comparing this to all of Kasie’s other books, but it was just unexpected. I’m not saying that in a bad way though because I actually did laugh a few times at things that were said.

I really enjoyed Oliver’s character as well as his personality. I think he was great and very structured. I actually thought Oliver and Margot balanced each other nicely. Their characters both had developed, but I feel like Margot’s character developed a little more.

The story itself was fine. I enjoyed a good 65% of it. I actually thought the ending was a little too rushed and wanted her to resolve things with her sister a bit more than what she did. I also wanted a certain aspect about Oliver’s past to be brought to light and commented on, but I don’t think that was fully addressed. But overall, I did like the story, I just didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. There was a little too much drama and too much of the past relationships rather than Oliver and Margot actually spending time together.

This book felt like it was one of Kasie West’s signature high school YA books, but with adults in adult situations and spice. The drama could have been toned down a bit for me since it is an adult book. But I still got lost in the story and was invested in what was happening.

I feel like a lot of my comments are because I love her YA books and I’m comparing this to those. However, I feel like if you’ve never read a Kasie West book, you would probably enjoy this one . I do think her adult books will just get better and better over time and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

I liked this! 3.5 rounded up to 4. Far fetched in concept but enjoyable nonetheless. I like the who second chance romance aspect of it but can I just say I could have done without the whole “plot twist” point. I knew it was coming but also it felt thrown in there for ‘shock’ value. When I think the story would have been just as good without it. I didn’t like Audrey as a character - actually sooo strongly disliked her. The main characters were fine enough. I liked the whole opposites attract situation and the whole dating app plot was VERY relatable. It’s a hard life out here for us hopeless romantics who just want Prince Charming to drop at our feet.

The writing was good BUT what the heck was the formatting?!? Ik I read a version that wasn’t final but I feel like the whole way the text exchanges were written out wouldn’t change as much in the final version (unless I’m wrong then sry). A good chunk of this book were messages between all the characters - but the messages weren’t written out as messages but part of the paragraphs without quotations or anything and a lot of “then she said” and “then I responded with.” Which felt really weird to read. It honestly would have probably been a dealbreaker for me had this not been an arc. It didn’t make sense when I was reading it at times because I couldn’t figure out what was internal dialogue vs a message/text they were sending. This was a reason why it wasn’t a full 4 star read for me. I was taken out of the book each time and it just hurt the flow for me. Overall, a cute premise of a story.

I thought this would be clean romance based on the author’s previous books, so I was surprised and put off by the explicit references. This was a dnf for me, but I’m sure those readers who enjoy some steam will enjoy the writing!

Ummm...I enjoyed this book so much?? Never heard of this author, but apparently this is her first adult novel after writing primarily YA. Personally, I think she crushed it. And it crushes me to see the couple of negative reviews here on Goodreads that are solely due to it having adult content. It's an adult book, people. Ugh. I find myself wanting to write a glowing review just to counteract them.

Luckily, I really enjoyed the book, so that makes that task easy.

We Met Like This follows Margot Hart, an aspiring literary agent who had a terrible date with a man she met on a dating app six years ago and then almost had sex with him in his car. Having concluded that the two of them have nothing in common, she and the man in question (Oliver) don't continue to see one another. But over the years, they keep matching up on apps, and often swipe right just to say hello and check in. It's such a fun premise, and the set-up for them as a couple felt original and very organic.

I personally am kind of over all the melodramatic, emo sort of romance books that I feel like have been really popular lately, and I have a harder time finding good classic rom coms that don't spend so much time discussing the two characters' past traumas. This book totally checked all my romcom boxes. It's light, breezy, and has just enough conflict to make it interesting. On top of that, the dialogue is just really witty and fun. I laughed out loud several times while reading it, and there were no moments that made me cringe.

So pleasantly surprised by this NetGalley find, and will definitely be checking out more by this author! Thanks to the publisher for the eARc.

As a Kasie West fan all around, I went into this expecting good things even though this is considered her first foray into adult romance. And no complaints from me. The characters are likeable - even if Margot makes a few poor decisions in her career like getting into a quasi relationship with her boss - and that includes the characters around them who come into and out of the story and bring their own fun to the table. Ultimately, though, it's Margot and Oliver who are the centre of attention and their banter and relationship is so much fun that I chuckled a number of times and found myself smiling at their messages.

I was rooting for them to get together and rooting for Margot to get her life together so that they could do that in a productive way. I was also rooting for her to stand up to her family a bit more and to grow up, so happily (no spoilers here) things worked out for me and for the main characters so that there was a HEA. I also feel like their challenges were a bit more real and less like the author was throwing up a barrier to have them break up and make up.

If you like Kasie West and are an older reader of her teen and university romances, then you will be able to graduate to the next age group and have just as much fun. If you have never experienced West, this is not a bad place to start.

This book was a delightful, heartfelt rom-com with just the right mix of charm, emotional depth, and literary flair. Kasie West delivers a story that pulls you in from the very beginning — I wasn’t expecting the bold prologue, but it set the tone and made the transition into Margot’s present-day life feel even more compelling.

Margot and Oliver were well-developed and had good chemistry. I loved watching their slow-burn romance unfold, with all the tension, tenderness, and second-chance energy you’d want in this kind of story. Oliver is sweet, grounded, and swoonworthy, without falling into clichés. Margot’s journey, too, was full of emotional growth and introspection, especially as she navigated the complexities of her family and her place in the literary world.

There’s a twist late in the book that I eventually saw coming — not sure I loved it, but I respected the boldness of it. It added an emotional punch that elevated the stakes. I appreciated the ending and thought it felt realistic.

Overall, We Met Like This is a great read if you're into slow-burn romance, second chances, a peek inside the literary world, great banter, and stories that celebrate personal growth alongside love.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC. I loved this one! Such a fun and quick read. I really enjoyed Margot’s character. She was fun, witty, and a bit of a hot mess! I love forward to reading more books by Kasie West.

What a thrill to read Kasie West’s first adult novel. I am a huge fan of her YA books so I am so excited that she is entering the adult romance market. And I loved this book! And boy did she kick off her adult career with a sparkling first scene, IYKYK. I loved Oliver and Margot and the progress of their romance. Margot’s career trajectory was a great side plot to the romance.the only thing that kept this from being a five star book was the third act breakup reason. Just no. I am pretending that never happened.

I am so glad I picked this one up! Like, I randomly stumbled upon it, and wow—this book was a total gem! 🌟 From the very first page (which, by the way, had a spicy opening that caught my attention immediately wink wink) to the very last, I could not put it down! It was that good!

So, the story follows Margot Hart and Oliver Gray, who are navigating the wild world of dating apps (spoiler: it’s not always pretty). After a pretty awkward first date (hello, awkward small talk), they almost write each other off—except for that undeniable chemistry, which, let me just say, was sizzling! 🔥 They go their separate ways for a while, but fate—and, okay, some fun text banter—pulls them right back together. What starts as a light, flirty back-and-forth over messages soon blossoms into something way deeper, and honestly? I was here for it. 💖

Margot and Oliver’s character development was everything. I could totally see them coming to life in my head, and their personalities? SO relatable! They felt like real people, not just fictional characters, which made their journey all the more enjoyable to read. There’s just something about reading a couple who aren’t perfect but perfect for each other that makes you root for them even harder. Their personalities really shone through—especially in their banter. Their banter? Absolutely top-tier. 💯 Every time they texted or had one of their playful exchanges, I was literally giddy. Like, I wanted to be in the group chat with them. Is that weird? 🤔

This book gave me everything I wanted and more, and I will NOT be shutting up about it any time soon.

Stoked that I received a NetGalley ARC! I adore Kasie West’s YA books and knew she’d do an adult romance justice, and I was so glad to be right. This book was a true romcom, making me smile often as I read their witty and entertaining banter, and even had a few chuckles escaped at Margot’s ridiculousness and Oliver’s quick rebuttals. There’s a heavy undertone of believable life problems as Margot begins the process of a whole life rebuild. Margot is no manic pixie dream girl. She’s an intelligent and messy 27 yr old trying to find her footing. Oliver is an over-thinker with golden retriever energy, meeting Margot’s chaos with organization and structure. Kasie West keeps the chemistry at a steady simmer until it reaches an explosive boil. These two characters bring out the best in each other and knowing how much Oliver supports Margot, and shows it in genuine and realistic ways, had me falling in love with this couple through every turn of the page. Can’t wait for more adult romances from Kasie West!