Friday, October 11, 2013

Friday Reads: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West!

For the last Friday Reads of the week I have a contemporary book! In case you might not know it, I really am not very keen on contemporaries so I only pick up those that come up very highly recommended from other bloggers and which blurbs don't strike me as "same old, same old". This one came highly recommended from Stacee at Adventures of a Book Junkie, thank you Stacee!


The Distance Between UsThe Distance Between Us by Kasie West

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A fellow blogger recommended this book (thanks Stacee!) and Kristen from My Friends Are Fiction suggested we'd do a read along for it since neither of us had read the book nor are big contemporary fans.

The Distance Between Us is a quick, fun and very entertaining read! I found myself wanting to continue reading and not stopping at our designated chapters. It's a contemporary I enjoyed even though I didn't connect with it as deeply as with other books.

Caymen and Xander come from very different backgrounds and meet when Xander goes to pick up a porcelain doll from the doll shop that Caymen and her mum run as their only form of income. Caymen is used to make every penny count and has inherited a certain distrust from people with money from her mum. Xander is used to have everything and don't wonder about where or how it came to be. They both have an instant attraction and connect about their common refusal of taking the path their families have marked for them.

I loved how their relationship started from a spark but built up little by little with them hanging out together, trying to figure out what they'd really want to do with their lives and how despite the differences in their worlds they find a common place for themselves.

Caymen is a fun character to read, with her witty sarcastic humour and her loyalty to her mum and their shop despite not liking working there at all. Xander can be a lil cocky and arrogant at first sight, but he's trying to learn how to be his own person. He's got some really swoony moments and as any guy, some moments when you just want to smack him silly!

The ending was what seemed the most cliched bit of the whole book for me, not so much how their relationship progressed but whatever else happened. I'm not gonna say much more cause I want to keep the review spoiler free, but it just seemed too "movie for TV" kinda ending for me.

I really enjoyed the book but the ending left me a bit meh, that's why this book isn't getting a higher rate than 3.5 stars. But for someone that doesn't tend to like contemporaries per se, this was a fun read!



View all my reviews

14 comments:

  1. Glad you mostly enjoyed it :D Though I'm sorry you didn't really like the ending :\ I'm not sure yet if I will read this book. But I do like the sound of it, and the cover is just so pretty. Sigh. Thank you for sharing. <3

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    1. Thanks Carina! I really enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised by it, you should check it out!

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  2. Great review Pili!!!! This book sounds good. I might just have to add it to my TBR list (hehe)

    Xoxo. Alexis @ Lexi Swoons

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    1. Thank you for visiting my blog, Lexi! Hope you'll like the book if/when you get it! ;)

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  3. Yeah, I love Caymen and her one liners!
    Thank you, Aman!

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  4. I loved this book!! (finally a Friday read that I have read! :D) It was 5 stars for me, though I agree about the ending!
    Anyway, so glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. YAY for a Friday Read you've read! Though I love the idea of discovering or recommending books to you with these posts! ;)
      This one was shaping like a clear 4/4.5 stars for me till the final part... it kinda broke the spell for me!

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  5. This book sounds like such a cute read!!! I love how you described the relationship between the two main characters - how it started with a spark but built up slowly. Unlike you, I AM a fan of contemporary romance, so I think this book will be perfect for me.
    Great review!! I'm a new follower via Bloglovin :)

    Sapir @ Diary of a Wimpy Teen Girl

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    1. Thanks for following Sapir! If you love contemporary I'm sure you will adore this book!!

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  6. I really liked this book. I agree about the funny writing and the whole doll shop thing was such a great vehicle for joke. You are right about the ending. It was a bit cliched and rushed, but overall, it was a fun read.

    Kate @ Ex Libris

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    1. I agree that it was a fun read! Even more since I'm really not that keen on contemporaries, usually!

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  7. I have to agree with you about the ending, but otherwise, I thought this was a fun (although not exactly memorable read). Like you, once I started, I didn't want to stop. The only difference is that i didn't have to, so I finished it in one sitting. The doll shop was so creepy! :))
    Lovely review!

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  8. I am SO behind on writing reviews and commenting! I am FINALLY getting around to commenting. I still haven't written my review *hangs head in shame* It was a lot of fun reading this with you and I think that helped inspire me to maybe add more contemporaries to my tbr list. They really do break up my reading and add just a bit of variation. Let me know when you want to do another read along :-)

    My Friends Are Fiction

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¡Muchas gracias por vuestros comentarios, leerlos me alegra el día!/ Thanks a lot for all your comments, reading them brightens my day!!