Wednesday, December 6, 2017

The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West

Narrated by Shannon McManus
Synopsis (via Goodreads): When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship. 
“We rarely find a depth by looking inside of ourselves for it. Depth is found in what we can learn from the people and things around us. Everyone, everything, has a story, Gia. When you learn those stories, you learn experiences that fill you up, that expand your understanding. You add layers to your soul.”
After the first few minutes, I thought this book was going to be as empty as Gia's head. Her personality left a lot to be desired, and she was so vain. Again, this is a story that could have been avoided entirely if people just told the truth.

I liked that the main conflict was with Gia and her friends. Boys played a role, obviously, but it was minor compared to her friend and family issues. I enjoyed seeing how those played out, and I commend Gia on her patience. She didn't like conflict, and she showed a lot of restraint when people were clearly using her or lying to make her look bad.

The ending was not wrapped neatly and tied with a bow. There were loose ends and things left unsaid, uncertain and unknown. I will say that Gia made progress with her personality. She didn't seem as shallow, and appeared to really be making an effort. 

I didn't love or hate this book. It was a fluffy, light read that didn't require a lot of thinking or feeling on my part.

12 comments:

  1. Oh I'm glad it wasn't a total flop or anything for you!! It does sound really fluffy which is probably why I haven't tried it yet.๐Ÿ˜‚ Sometimes I do enjoy mindless fluff, but usually I prefer books with higher stakes haha.

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    1. There are times when I want something mindless, but not lately. This was my first Kasie West book, and I've been told to try some of her others.

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  2. I felt the same about this one. It was neither horrible or great it just was. Sadly it didn’t stick out in my mind.

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    1. I feel like eventually I won't remember all that much about it. It was cute, but not really memorable.

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  3. I like Kasie West when I need a fun, fluffy read that requires very little brain power. This one was entertaining, at least. I agree, though -- stories that can be solved easily by just telling the truth get super annoying super fast.

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    1. Right?! I keep mentioning it because I feel like a lot of the books I've read lately have that theme. It starts with a lie, and then I spend the rest of the book waiting for that lie to be discovered. The entire time I'm internally screaming, "JUST TELL THE DAMN TRUTH, YOU IDIOT!" No one ever listens to me, haha.

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  4. I completely agree! This was a really cute book, but it wasn't anything mind-blowing or life changing. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! <3

    ~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage

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    1. It was a really cute book, but nothing that will stick with me. I like to read books that make an impact and leave me thinking about them for days.

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  5. I agree and am beginning to feel that her books don't have enough substance for me. I really really liked her paranormal duology and wish she'd write something besides contemporary romance :(
    Jen Ryland Reviews

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    1. Oohh, there is a paranormal duology?! That sounds fun! I'll look it up. This was my first Kasie West book, and it just wasn't for me. Maybe I'll like the duology or one of her other books!

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  6. This is probably my least favorite of Kasie West's books. I felt pretty similar to you. It wasn't a great book, but I don't exactly hold it's fluffiness against it. If that's what you're looking for, then this is one to pick up. Great review!

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    1. I don't hold it's fluffiness against it! Sometimes that is exactly what I'm looking for in a book. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was saying the fluffiness was a negative, because it's not!

      New favorite word: fluffiness

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“Stuff and nonsense. Nonsense and stuff and much of a muchness and nonsense all over again. We are all mad here, don't you know?”
― Marissa Meyer, Heartless