{Bookish Review} The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

The Fill-In Boyfriend
By Kasie West
Series: -
Published by: HarperTeen on May 5, 2015
Genres: Contemporary YA Romance
Source: Bought
Rating: 


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.
The whole story started off with Gia being dumped by her boyfriend Bradley right before her prom. This unique start intrigued me and the whole pretend thing was what prompted me to get the book. Lucky for her, she managed to find a fill-in at the parking lot to prove that she was not lying when she told her friends she had a boyfriend. I just had to know how Gia's story will turn out. I have read West's On the Fence (no relationship between this two books) and I know that I will definitely be enjoying this book, which I did.

Character wise, I like how Gia's character has grown throughout the entire book. She's a character that most of us can relate to. I can understand why she did what she did--to retain the status among her group of friends and to prevent that one person from taking her friends away from her. Group dynamics can be pretty scary at times. Fill-in Bradley was a good addition in the book--sweet and charming with a dose of nerdy. His sister, on the other hand, was a complete opposite of him. I like the contrast and I also like how the siblings interact with each other.

Reading the book made me giggle and laugh at some scenes. It was an enjoyable ride for me. It tackles on friendships and some social issues. The latter came as a surprise to me. I thought the author did a good job on it. However, I was a little disappointed with the ending. Just a little as some issues weren't resolved. Overall, The Fill-In Boyfriend was still a good and cute read. Looking forward to the author's next work.

About Kasie West

West love to write--too much. It's a sickness really. West's debut novel, PIVOT POINT, is out now with HarperTeen. (And will be followed by its sequel, Split Second on February 11, 2014.)

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, her contemporary YA novel, is also available for purchase! (HarperTeen).

Her agent is the talented, funny, and sometimes crazy, Michelle Wolfson.