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Looking for a romance with catfishing, adorable animals, and fake dating with a twist? You’ll definitely want to pick up Borrow My Heart, the latest YA novel from the prolific Kasie West!
I’ve been a longtime fan of Kasie West-her rom-coms are always adorable and fun, but she also doesn’t shy away from including some more serious topics. I always find myself rooting for the couple to succeed, which is not the case for all rom-coms! Anyway, when I found out about her latest book, I absolutely jumped at the chance to join in on the TBR and Beyond Tours’ book tour for Borrow My Heart! I read and loved it, and I can’t wait to give you 5 reasons you should absolutely read this book, but first, a bit more about the book:
TITLE: Borrow My Heart
AUTHOR: Kasie West
RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2023
MORE INFO: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Synopsis
When a girl overhears a guy getting verbally destroyed by his friends for being catfished, she jumps in to save the day—and pretends to be his online crush. A young adult romance from the critically acclaimed author of Places We’ve Never Been.
Wren is used to being called a control freak. She doesn’t care; sticking to the list of rules she created for herself helps her navigate life. But when a cute guy named Asher walks through the door of her neighborhood coffee shop, the rulebook goes out the window.
Asher is cute, charming . . . and being catfished by his online crush. So Wren makes an uncharacteristically impulsive decision—she pretends to be the girl he’s waiting for to save him from embarrassment. Suddenly she’s fake-dating a boy she knows nothing about. And it’s . . . amazing.
It’s not long before Asher has her breaking even more of her own rules. But will he forgive her when he finds out she’s not who she says she is? Wren’s not so sure. . . . After all, rules exist for a reason.
5 Reasons You Must Read Borrow My Heart
Fake Dating…With a Twist!
If you know me, you know that fake dating is one of my all-time favorite romance tropes. It’s hilarious and always a good time. But in the case of Borrow My Heart, one of the characters is pretending to be in a relationship, while the other is (at the outset, at least…) of the opinion that they are *actually* dating. This of course leads to some tough decisions and ethical dilemmas, along with some incredibly entertaining hijinks!
Adorable Animals
Wren is a huge animal lover who works at an animal shelter and spends a lot of time and effort trying to get the less popular creatures adopted. A good chunk of Borrow My Heart involves a particularly grumpy pit bull and the increasingly hilarious attempts to get him adopted and out of the shelter, but there are plenty of other references to adorable animals throughout the story, as well (Wren’s “fake” boyfriend, Asher, has a dog with quite the personality too!)
Wren’s Rules for Dating
As a result of a few failed romantic relationships and a flighty, commitment-phobic mom, Wren has instituted a comprehensive set of rules for all of her future boyfriends. If potential romantic interests don’t meet all of these fairly stringent requirements, they’re knocked out of contention forever. But one of the most fun parts of Borrow My Heart is seeing Wren rethink her position on some of her strict rules as she gets to know Asher more and more, and possibly even falls for him!
The Pros and Cons of Social Media
Given how chronically online we all are these days, it’s extremely likely that many teens will have some relationship with social media. Many of us (teens and adults alike!) look to the internet for external validation, and the way social media is presented and critiqued in Borrow My Heart is really interesting. Wren is one who likes her life and its details to stay private, and isn’t even on social media personally; in contrast, one of the other characters in the book, Dale, is striving to make content that goes viral and brings him internet notoriety. The comparison between these perspectives and the consequences that some of the social media-related actions bring are a really interesting part of this rom-com.
Best Bestie Ever.
There are often books where secondary characters feel flat, stereotypical, or boring, and don’t really add anything to the story. But lucky for all of us, Wren’s best friend is Kamala, who is a fiercely loyal BFF who speaks her mind, has a vibrant personality, and of course has Wren’s back through all the ups and downs of this story. Her presence and her interactions with Wren throughout the book really added a lot to the story, and I don’t think Borrow My Heart would have been as fun or enjoyable without Kamala!
About the Author
Kasie West is the author of many YA novels, including The Fill-in Boyfriend, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love, and Listen to Your Heart. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, JLG selections, and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. When she’s not writing, she’s binge-watching television, devouring books, or bury-ing her toes in the sand of the Central Coast. Kasie lives in Fresno, California, with her family. You can find her online at kasiewest.com.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Well friends, after reading *my* list of reasons to pick up Borrow My Heart, I hope you’ll go grab it and tell me your own reasons! In the meantime, definitely check out the other stops on the book tour for even more reasons to read it!
And if you’ve already read Borrow My Heart, leave a comment letting me know what you would add to this list!
Looking for more like this? Check these out:
- Top 5 Reasons to Read Silver in the Mist by Emily Victoria
- Top 5 Reasons to Read Bad at Love by Gabriela Martins
- Top 5 Reasons to Read Forward March by Skye Quinlan
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