The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable…convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. The task is simple: two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.
The problem is that days after prom, she can't stop thinking about her fill-in boyfriend. But can Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship?
Smartly observed and wonderfully romantic, Kasie West's talent shines in this tale of one girl's unexpected quest to find love…and possibly herself.

The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West has turned me into a heart eyes emoji. I actually had to wander over to twitter after reading and proclaim my love to the entire world and then describe how I want a new Kiersten White book like right now because she’s mentioned in the acknowledgments and omg I LOVE YA Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon style. You guys! I have read every single Kasie West book and I have never ever been disappointed. Pretty much her words are gold and they stay gold and I love that forever and ever amen.

Gia Montgomery is in the parking lot before prom and is about to walk in with her gorgeous boyfriend, Bradley, who has never met any of her friends when he breaks up with her. Gia is pretty pissed off at this, mainly because she is scared of what her friends, and in particular, a frenemy named Jules, will think. Gia notices a boy in a truck who has just dropped his sister off. He’s reading a book. She decides to enlist him as her fill in boyfriend for the night. He plays the role to perfection, and even better, ends the night in a fake breakup. Gia, however, can’t stop thinking about him.

THEN! It turns out he needs her to return the favor and be a fill in girlfriend. As cute as this book is, it’s more than a simple contemporary romance. It’s a book about finding yourself and your place. It’s about owning your feelings. It’s about not being defined by friends who maybe aren’t so good for you. In short, this is a book with some depth to it.

Gia is the class president. She’s popular, well liked, and considered to be ‘hot.’ She’s generally nice. However, she’s also addicted to her phone and finds validation in others. She’s got a brother, Drew, who she isn’t all that close with, but would like to be closer to. She also has parents who seem perfect, but when it comes down to it, that is all surface. What I love about The Fill In Boyfriend is that it reminds me of a Sarah Dessen book, in that the truth strength resides in the main character’s journey. Gia has this journey of self discovery, where she learns to express herself and own her emotions. I love that. I love that she learns it is okay to not be perfect and to get mad. ALSO! Sidebar, there’s a girl friendship that forms in this book and it is perfect. Shout out to that.

I know like half of you read books for the kissing and the swoons and the heart eyes and yo this book has got that for sure. The dude who fills in for Bradley is fantastic. He’s a genuinely good guy who enjoys acting, has this ridiculous family, and great taste in road trip food. He pretty much steals all the scenes he’s in with Gia. I think that the two play off each other very, very well – whether it’s throwing stones or running lines or playing Twenty Questions, I really liked these two characters together. He really makes Gia want to be a better person and I think that is one of the best things a relationship can make people want to aspire to.

Kasie West’s book, The Fill In Boyfriend is one that I definitely would have read in a single sitting if I actually had a whole single sitting to read this book in. I mean, it kept me completely engrossed during my lunch break. It kept me up kind of late the other night, and I just kept thinking about it. If that’s not the mark of an awesome book then I do not know what is. I genuinely loved reading this book and kind of think you should just read it TODAY.

Other reviews of The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West:

Andi’s ABCs – “One sitting. That’s how long it took me to read”

Snuggly Oranges – “fluffy, fun, and surprisingly deep”

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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