On the Fence by Kasie West

* * * ½   

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. 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.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

Review:

Charlie Reynolds isn’t prepared for the consequences when her police officer father comes home with a copy of her latest speeding ticket. Charlie is paying for this ticket and she’s going to have to find a job to do so.   Her half-hearted attempt at a job search lands her a job working for a small clothing boutique.  The new job comes with a lot of changes – including new clothes and makeup.  Those are changes that make tomboy Charlie uncomfortable.  They are also changes that Charlie will do anything to hide from her over protective dad and brothers. 

Charlie has been content with being one of the guys.  She takes quite a bit of pride in the fact that she can keep up with her three brothers and their friends.  But this new job is introducing her to a new part of her life.  One that she has no idea how to merge with her current life.  Added to the emotional chaos is her growing attraction to her neighbor and brother’s best friend, Braden.  Their late night chats over the fence have been the highlight of her summer.  But she’s convinced he doesn’t return her feelings and isn’t willing to risk what they already have.

I love a good boy next door story and Braden was a perfect boy next door.  I would actually put him in the “forever boy” category.  And we all know how much I love my “forever boys.”  I also loved the Reynolds boys.  Both dad and sons.  They are ridiculously overprotective but at the same time they love her so much I couldn’t help but shake my head and smile.

And I adored Charlie.  Not because she was a tomboy that played every sport and breathed baseball.   Although that WAS cool.  It was the fact that her insecurities were so identifiable.  Haven’t we ALL been there.  As the reader we are all thinking how obvious it is that Braden has a thing for Charlie.  But, I can say from experience, sometimes we just don’t have enough confidence in ourselves to see what is so obvious to others.  And, boy, is Charlie lacking confidence.  That is her main internal struggle in this story and many will identify with it.

On the Fence is engaging and light.  If you are looking for a sweet teen romance then I recommend you add this title to your summer reading list.

Nat