Book Review: The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

---

The Fill-In Boyfriend
Author: Kasie West
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary | Romance
Released: May 5th 2015
Review Source: HarperTeen

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.

You say Kasie West, and I’ll say give it to me to read. Anything by this woman I will pick up and devour within a sitting, and that was exactly what I did with The Fill-In Boyfriend, ate it up like a chocolate cake.

Gia Montgomery’s boyfriend Bradley breaks up with her on prom night, right outside of prom. This is extremely unfortunate timing seeing as her friends don’t believe he even exists, especially Jules who seems to have a personal vendetta against her. Instead of going in and telling them the truth she finds a fill in boyfriend, someone just to make it through the dance and then break up with her in the end, what harm could one night of a couple of white lies do?

I absolutely adore Kasie West’s books, after every page I’m left wanting more. I fall right into the lives of the characters, their hang-ups, their love life, their friendships and not so friendships. Gia not only finds fill in Bradley (and his actual name for that matter), but she finds a lot of herself along the way. Her eyes are opened and she doesn’t always like what she sees. It’s not just a cute romantic story, it’s a story of self-discovery, we find our real selves and if we don’t like what we see can we change for the better or is it already too late?

I just started my Kasie West binge this year, and I haven’t regretted it one page of it. So far I have loved all her books, and The Fill-In Boyfriend is at the top of the list. So the answer is yes, get your butt out there and go buy this book.