This review does contain some spoilers, so continue at your own risk :P
What should you do when you're laying in bed with a migraine? Read a Kasie West book, of course! I've loved Kasie's books for a couple of years now. The Fill-In Boyfriend was the first book I read of hers and it definitely sparked my love for Kasie’s books! I've always been inspired by the way she tells a story, how it progresses, and the way it makes me feel.
Kasie’s latest book, By Your Side, is a story about a girl named Autumn who accidentally locked herself in the local library. At first, she thought she was alone, but after getting a big scare Autumn learned that there was one other person in the library with her, trouble boy, Dax Miller. But could there be more to Dax than meets the eye?
Thankfully for Autumn (that was sarcasm), she has an entire weekend to learn more about Dax. Though she holds onto the hope that her soon-to-be boyfriend, Jeff, will realize that he left her at the library and come to her rescue. Until then, however, Autumn is forced to coexist with Dax and live off vending machine food.
As I read By Your Side, I became submerged into the storyline and was able to connect with the characters, but it took me a little while to feel that connection. The first half of this book was a bit awkward, but why wouldn't it be considering that two strangers are locked in a library together? Still, By Your Side's storyline wasn't as strong as Kasie's other books, such as PS I Like You.
The things that really stood out to me while reading this book were that real issues were talked about such as drug abuse and anxiety. I liked that it wasn't a sugar-coated story and went a little dark with Dax's mom being a drug addict and Autumn suffering from anxiety. Yet, it was borderline.
There were also a couple gaps in the storyline such as; how was Autumn's phone and camera not messed up in the car accident? And how did her friends not notice her missing or that she had anxiety?
That all being said, by the end of this book I had a small, goofy, grin on my face when Dax finally told Autumn his feelings and that he had become attached to her before their kiss. I also liked that Kasie wrote about the importance of looking after yourself rather than being a people pleaser. Altogether it was a very cute book and definitely cheered me up. :)
Kasie’s latest book, By Your Side, is a story about a girl named Autumn who accidentally locked herself in the local library. At first, she thought she was alone, but after getting a big scare Autumn learned that there was one other person in the library with her, trouble boy, Dax Miller. But could there be more to Dax than meets the eye?
Thankfully for Autumn (that was sarcasm), she has an entire weekend to learn more about Dax. Though she holds onto the hope that her soon-to-be boyfriend, Jeff, will realize that he left her at the library and come to her rescue. Until then, however, Autumn is forced to coexist with Dax and live off vending machine food.
As I read By Your Side, I became submerged into the storyline and was able to connect with the characters, but it took me a little while to feel that connection. The first half of this book was a bit awkward, but why wouldn't it be considering that two strangers are locked in a library together? Still, By Your Side's storyline wasn't as strong as Kasie's other books, such as PS I Like You.
The things that really stood out to me while reading this book were that real issues were talked about such as drug abuse and anxiety. I liked that it wasn't a sugar-coated story and went a little dark with Dax's mom being a drug addict and Autumn suffering from anxiety. Yet, it was borderline.
There were also a couple gaps in the storyline such as; how was Autumn's phone and camera not messed up in the car accident? And how did her friends not notice her missing or that she had anxiety?
That all being said, by the end of this book I had a small, goofy, grin on my face when Dax finally told Autumn his feelings and that he had become attached to her before their kiss. I also liked that Kasie wrote about the importance of looking after yourself rather than being a people pleaser. Altogether it was a very cute book and definitely cheered me up. :)