Review: Quirky and Fun! A Sweet and Enjoyable YA Romance for Everyone!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 26, 2013
Friday Night Alibi is a YA Contemporary Romance written by Cassie Mae.The Review:I really enjoyed Friday Night Alibi. It was a light romance that was incredibly sweet, often hilarious and simply charming. The characters were interesting and their antics left me in stitches or grinning well after the scene was over. The story was well written, endearing and made me nostalgic. I wish it could have gone on for another hundred pages!Characters/Story...The town of Sundale and its affluent members of the community hold themselves and those they associate with in upscale company. Those that aren't of the same caliber are hardly acknowledged other than to fuel town gossip. So if the younger generation of Sundale find romance outside their circle, trust funds are threatened and the social ladder is questioned as a parent holds the family money over their heads to guide them in their foreseen direction.Kelli Pinkins has just finished high school and is preparing for college. She doesn't have a lot of friends, mostly because she's shut herself off emotionally from others. Though wealthy and privileged, she decided long ago that solitude, being a good girl and never committing to relationships was better than rejection. But realizing a necessity within her group of peers and still having the desire to be needed, even wanted, she comes up with a solution. To provide a service that will make her unique.. and needed among others. She'll be everyone's Friday Night Alibi.Kelli was a complicated character. I liked her adaptability and her shy confidence. Her story was enduring and a bit sad but she was also a bit overbearing and unreasonable at times. It however, didn't take away from her overall likability. She was fun and had her own distinct personality. She was challenging, gave as good as she got and tough. But she was lonely and that shone through in everything she did. She spent her Friday nights hiding away in her bedroom while being an alibi for other people to go out and actually live their lives. She thinks she's ok with this because at least this way, she can stay emotionally cut off yet still feel needed.Quote Spotlight...Friday nights are usually spent locked in my room playing online video games, headset and all. Don't call me a nerd or a loser or anything, because while I'm exploding fictional heads off and trash talking to strangers, keep in mind I got paid two hundred bucks tonight to do exactly this. So I'm blowing raspberries at anyone who judges me.One night, while on a rare night out, she bumps into Chase, who immediately gets on her bad side with his corny pickup lines and cocky attitude. She instantly rebuffs he's flirtiness and sticks in him her "ignore at all costs" column.Chase Moroney is arrogant and brash. He comes on like a swaggering wise guy, but its all an act. He's carrying around a painful past that he's trying to overcome. He wears all black and likes to be alone but there's something about Kelli that pulls him out of the shadows and into the light. The moment he sees her, he knows she's something special and he has to get to know her. The only problem? He botched their first meeting and now she wants nothing to do with him. But he's not one to give up easily and soon, sparks fly and challenges are set!Quote Spotlight..."No one knows me."..."...You know how to fight dirty and know how to have fun, but you're afraid to. You worry too much about being perfect. You wish you had friends. You wish you weren't invisible to your parents. You want to be needed. You like feeling needed. Which is why you're the alibi, because it allows you to fill the emptiness."... "You're stubborn. You're frustrating. You're challenging."..."You're beautiful. You're fun. You're... everything."I loved Chase. He was a beautiful person, inside and out and he never gives up on Kelli. These two challenge each other and they like to play pranks on one another. Silly, laugh out loud pranks that kept me laughing so hard, I just had to keep reading, even well past my bedtime. Whenever these two are in a scene together, you know something wild and crazy is about to happen. I loved watching these two come together and when we finally learn Chase's secret, my heart completely broke.The Wrap Up:I won't forget these characters any time soon. They nestled their way into my heart and left me feeling content and exhilarated all at the same time. This is my first book by this author but it absolutely won't be my last. If her other books are anything like this one, I'm in for a real treat!Note: A gifted copy was provided for an honest review by Random House Publishing Group - Flirt through NetGalley.