Better Than Revenge coming December 31, 2024 from Delacorte Romance; 320 pages
Content Warning: Depictions of Alzheimer’s
About the Author: “Hi! I’m Kasie West, author of many young adult novels, mostly contemporary romance. I live in Central California where the summers try to kill me with their 115 degree stretches. I graduated from Fresno State University with a BA degree that has nothing to do with writing. I love sappy alternative rock ballads, eating chocolate covered cinnamon bears, binging television shows, and reading way past my bedtime” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Kasie West on the following platforms:
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.
Better than Revenge releases on December 31, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Delacorte Romance for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer