By Your Side

by Kasie West

An irresistible story from Kasie West that explores the timeless question: What do you do when you fall for the person you least expect?

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn't think things could get any worse. But that's before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her.

Autumn doesn't know much about Dax except that he's trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he's not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn't come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye.

As he and Autumn at first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn's old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax's side?

• ISBN10: 0062455869
• ISBN13: 9780062455864
• Publish Date: 31 January 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Raven]

I really didn't think that I was going to like this as much as I did. You think about people getting trapped in a library for a weekend with no way out or to contact the outside world and it just doesn't make sense. In this day and age... nope. No sense. The lack of a landline at the main desk was suspicious, but otherwise the excuses were believable enough.

I was so excited to see a main character with anxiety. Us panickers need more representation. I've read a few people say it wasn't believably written, but I disagree. Anxiety comes in many shapes and forms and I didn't see it disappear when convenient like others seemed to. I found her reactions to be rather believable and quite similar to my own anxiety.

A love triangle while one of the third was in a coma was a little tasteless, but it was well written. It did help to show the struggle between having anxiety and being "normal", something I liked to see since it mimicked some of my own struggles. The writing is what saved it. Had it been less well written, then the triangle alone would've killed the story.

I expected this to be a really shallow story, something to blow through quickly. I didn't expect to like the story, the characters, the writing, the plot, any of it as much as I did. When I was filling out my CAWPILE, I was shocked to see how it added up. I expected this to be a 3 star at best when I first checked it out from the library. I ended up liking it enough that I just ordered a copy for my bookcase, something I don't do openly or often. I really liked it.

[Mad Soul Child]

Aww, it's so sweet. Блин не ждала ничего особо от этой книги, но она такая приятная.

[kymmiejournals]

It wasn’t that clear if Dax made amends with his mom or that he totally shut her out. I don’t know why I had a gut feeling that Lisa will betray Autumn for liking Jeff, maybe I’m trying to be too prepared for a plot twist but there’s none any.

This book is every book lovers dream! To be stuck in a library during a snow storm? Sign me up! Kasie West is the best at writing exactly what we want to read. This book also helped break up my fantasy kick. As soon as I finished, I ran to the bookstore to pick up some more of her books. 📚🤓📚

[pagingserenity]

By Your Side is a perfect book to pick up if you're in the mood for a cute quick read. Especially if you're looking for a book that contains a main character who suffers from a mental disorder. But it's pretty predictable and Autumn can be aggravating to read about at times.

[mrs_mander_reads]

I skeptical at first - I can't suspend the belief that the public library in a contemporary setting does not have a phone. Won't do it. But, the story is sweet, and I liked it.

[Joséphine]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Initial thoughts: As I expected from Kasie West, By Your Side is a cute and fluffy romance novel. Technicalities on how anyone can get trapped in a library for several days were a bit fuzzy, though. Even if you're trapped without a working phone, don't the information desks come equipped with landlines? Autumn could've tried calling someone with that. Aside from that, I thought it was sweet, and the way Autumn dealt with her conflicting feelings made sense.

On the anxiety front, I can't say for sure how accurate it was, but I do know that it manifests different in every person who suffers from anxiety disorder. Looking at reviews from my friends, some thought it was unrealistic, while others thought it rang true with their own experiences.

[Amber]

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

I hate to say it because Kasie West is one of my auto-read authors and I have really enjoyed all of her other books, but By Your Side was bloody boring. Jesus Christ. I wasn't expecting to be put to sleep by one of my favourite authors.

My biggest problem was probably the characters, to be honest. Neither the main character, Autumn, or her love interest, Whatshisname, had a distinct personality. Autumn had the usual snark going on, and Whatshisname was meant to be a bad boy, but it was all very dull and overused.

West did try to do some (minor) mental health representation, though, which was good. Autumn suffered from anxiety, which I could somewhat relate to. She experienced things very differently to what I do, though, so I don't feel like I can 100% confirm that it was well done. It was also hardly mentioned in the grand scheme of things. Maybe some teenagers would be able to relate, though? I don't know. Anyway, I was glad it was there even just a little bit because at the very least I was kind of happy (is that even appropriate) to read about a character who also had panic attacks.

I guess the book was alright at most. If I had liked either of the characters enough to care, there might have been some moments that I found cute. But this wasn't typical Kasie West-style. There was no oomph. It was just another contemporary. SAD FACES EVERYWHERE.

[ross91]

I like Kasie West's books. They're always fun and light. This one started flat and the premises were not credible at all, but I still found it entertaining.

[whisperingchapters]

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.


Autumn was supposed to spend the weekend with her friends and with her crush. When everyone is getting ready to leave from a study session at the library, she has to go pee. When she's about to head out of the library, every door is locked. It is there that she encounters the silent and mysterious Dax. She slowly starts to get to know him and realizes he's not a bad guy. She also notices that around him, her anxieties aren't existent and she can just relax.

Autumn suffers from panic attacks and she hasn't told any of her friends. She's scared of the way people might treat her so she keeps it hidden. Autumn is an authentic teen girl with a great personality, and at times she can be awkward but in a cute way. As I mentioned above, Dax is a mysterious guy. Everyone at school has formed their own opinion of him and is why he has a "reputation". The students think he's a drug addict who's a criminal, but he's actually not. He's a very reserved and shy guy. His living situation isn't the best and is why he was at the library. Autumn was very relentless in wanting to know Dax and because of her persistence, Dax was able to open up to her.

I really thought this would be a love-triangle but I'm happy to announce it is not! Kasie West handled this angle very well and I was so happy with the outcome. I was expecting this book's setting to be completely in the library, but it wasn't. It was divided between the library and after Autumn and Dax got out, which I really liked since the reader is able to read how Autumn is after getting to know Dax, her interactions with her friends and her crush, and with Dax himself. In the second half of the story, Autumn and Dax got to spend more time together and they grew closer and closer! Their romance was the sweetest! Just the smallest brush of Dax's finger on Autumn's jaw would send my heart into overdrive (I had to highlight that part on my Kindle).

I was happy that Autumn could see the difference between her crush and Dax. Where with Jeff, Autumn's anxieties would be present all the time, with Dax, she could just relax and be herself. He had this calming vibe to him that helped with Autumn's anxieties and I loved the way Kasie West showed this to the reader. Speaking of anxieties, this subject was also handled really well. It wasn't thrown into the story just because, but it wasn't the major focus of the story. It was more in the background but it played a big role as the story progressed. I felt Autumn's anxieties and my heart went out to her.

To be honest, I was expecting more of the story. With her previous book, I was head-over-heels in love from the get-go. However, I never got that feeling with this one, but I still found it adorable and equally entertaining. The characters are great! There was this one character that had me mad but his reasons were legit so I tried to ignore how I felt towards him. I wish Autumn's friend Lisa had made more appearances! I feel like she was barely there and I wish she had been. She was funny and a huge supporter of Autumn.

Overall, By Your Side is a sweet and adorable story that's equally fun and emotional. For me, it did lack that Kasie West magic, but it's still good.

I received an eARC from the publisher via Edelweiss for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.