On the Fence by Kasie West [Review]

Title: On the Fence
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: From publisher for honest review. 
ISBN: 0062235672
Published: July 1, 2014
Goodreads

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

What is it with amazing contemporaries recently? I feel like this summer has been full of some of the best contemporaries I have had the pleasure of reading and ON THE FENCE just carries on this tradition proudly.

This was my first introduction to Kasie West and I wasn't disappointing. I'd heard so many wonderful things about her writing over the years and now I just wish I would have read her sooner!

This book begins introducing us to the Reynold's family. Charlie, our mighty heroine,is the only girl in a family of five after having lost her mother to a tragic accident when she was young. She grew up as a complete tomboy. She plays sports, she knows baseball stats, and she has never been comfortable taking part in girly things.She was raised like one of the guys which includes her relationship with super hot neighbor friend Braden, who she considers like another brother.

We have a recipe for a wonderful story.

I loved Charlie in pretty much every way. I was a tomboy/Daddy's girl growing up so that aspect of her really spoke to my own experiences. I remember struggling when it was time to do the girly things like wear makeup. I didn't want to mess up the relationship that I had with my father and though it seems silly now, it was a real concern at the time. Charlie feels as if she is living two different lives which is understandable given her situation. She has always been the tomboy who does what her brother's do - never has she been the girl guys see as a girlfriend.

The majority of the book is Charlie sorting out these very real emotions. She struggles with the death of her mother, struggles with her feelings for Braden and she struggles with who she is and who she wants to be as a person.

Braden in turn feels like the perfect guy for her. The entire time I found myself flipping the pages eager to see their next interaction because every scene with them was fantastic. Braden adds a whole different level to the story because he is part of her tomboy life and is her brother's best friend.

While reading ON THE FENCE I couldn't put it down. I laughed, I choked up, and I was sad to come to the final page.

Overall: Don't miss this contemporary. It will knock your socks off.