She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door. With three older brothers, Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, has always been more comfortable calling the shots on a basketball court than flirting with the opposite sex. So when her police officer dad demands she get a summer job to pay for the latest in a long line of speeding tickets, she's more than a little surprised to find herself working at a chichi boutique and going out with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game. Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with her neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden, sitting back-to-back against the fence that separates them. Braden may know her better than anyone. But there's a secret Charlie's keeping that even he hasn't figured out-she's fallen for him. Hard. 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. On the Fence is a sweet and satisfying read about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect it.
I am adding Kasie West to my list of books-bound-to-make-me-happy. This was another adorable and sweet contemporary romance coupled with a summer of growing up and evolution. The best thing about this book, to me, is Charlie and her family. Time and time again, their love shone through in their actions. This family could have dwelt on their personal tragedy, but instead, it made them love each other even more. Charlie thought she had to live two lives when she began enjoying things other than sports, but eventually decided it was ok to be open to new things. Lots of fun scenes, some drama (but not too much) and tons of love.
