On the Fence by Kasie West

On the Fence

by Kasie West

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.

Reviewed by Angie on

3 of 5 stars

Share
On the Fence was super cute, which is exactly what I was expecting. Charlie is a tomboy. Her mother died when she was six, and she has four brothers (well, three and a neighbor who is like a brother), so she never had a female influence in her life. But now, she's earned herself one too many parking tickets, and her dad is making her get a job. The only place hiring is a boutique, whose owner gives Charlie a bit of a makeover because t-shirts and sweats will not cut it. Charlie looks feminine for the first time in her life, and she kind of likes it, even if she feels she has to hide it from her family.

I really liked how On the Fence was about a girl who "isn't like other girls" but wasn't about a girl who judges those "other girls." Charlie doesn't see anything wrong with the girly girls, because she just doesn't know any. She's only hung out with her brothers and girls on her sports' teams. She doesn't brush of Amber, who does her makeup at the boutique. She gets to know her and gives this girly-girl business a try. I also liked how Charlie embracing a more feminine look didn't keep her from continuing to be sporty. You can definitely do both and that's okay!

The only thing I didn't care too much for was the little subplot about Charlie's make-up modeling. She's used as a canvas for the cosmetics classes, but washes it all off before going home. I totally get that she doesn't want her brothers making fun of her, but I didn't quite get why she was so desperate to hide it from her father. She's not doing anything wrong. It's for work. So his reaction later on just felt over-the-top and out of nowhere.

There's a pretty cute romance at the center of On the Fence. Charlie and Braden have always been close, and she views him like a brother. But then they start having these late night chats when they can't sleep. It starts out friendly enough, but then the topics grow more personal. Braden also seems to have a problem with Charlie dating, since she's not being herself around the guy. It did take a bit too long for their feelings to finally come out though. But I loved that Braden didn't want Charlie to change, and that he also didn't condemn her for embracing her new self. He knows she can still kick his butt!

On the Fence was a really enjoyable read. There are some parts that are more serious and sad, since Charlie finally starts to deal with her mother's death. She feels like she didn't really know her, so there's nothing to be upset about, but she also has nightmares that suggest she's more affected than she thought. Of course, there has to be some big secret about it which comes out later. But other than that, this is a pretty light, cute romance.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 18 May, 2015: Finished reading
  • 18 May, 2015: Reviewed