ARC Review: Switched by Cassie Mae

Switched

Author: Cassie Mae

Publisher: Random House LLC

Publication Date: December 2, 2013

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC from publisher via NetGalley

~Synopsis~

Ever since high school, Kayla has been crazy for gorgeous football player Talon. But before she could muster the courage to tell him, he became a hot item with her beautiful BFF, Reagan. The only person who knows Kayla’s secret is Wesley, Talon’s best bud—and he’s got it bad for Reagan. Now they’re all in college together, hanging out 24/7. For Kayla, seeing the two lovebirds together is absolutely unbearable. So Kayla and Wesley hatch a plot to drive them apart before Talon has a chance to give Reagan the Christmas gift she’s been waiting for.

Soon enough, the once happy couple is fighting. Reagan suddenly can’t get enough of Wesley’s goofy sense of humor, and Talon seems to be paying more attention to Kayla than a guy who’s “only a friend” ever should. But just when everything seems to be falling into place, Kayla and Wesley accidentally spend a night together and discover a hitch in their plan they never considered: that switching partners may not lead to a perfect ending after all.

~Review~

This book had me all messed up inside. It was one of those books where I really enjoyed the characters and the writing but the plot had me squirming in my seat. So many things could go wrong and I as constantly waiting for one ball after the other to drop. It took the "you only want what you can't have" saying to a whole NEW meaning. Kayla loves Talon who dates her best friend Raegan but Talon's best friend Wesley is in love with Raegan and Wesley and Kayla want to break up Talon and Raegan so they can have them for themselves. You catch what I'm throwing out here?

I actually really liked Kayla, boyfriend stealing aside. She is funny, awkward and smart. However, she has this longstanding love for Talon and he happens to be dating her best friend. She’s held this secret, unrequited love for him for so long and no one knows, except his best friend, Wesley, who happens to be in love with Reagan. It really is this messed up love square. Kayla and Wesley have this quirky and cute relationship, where they pretend to be annoyed by each other but also kind of have this great friendship. Wesley knows secrets that Kayla hasn’t shared with anyone, not even her best friend and he is the first person she calls or texts when she needs someone to talk to. I love their banter back and forth as they scheme and plot to steal their best friend’s significant other. You can totally sense the chemistry between them and the whole time I wanted them to see what’s right in front of them!

“Note to anyone who decides they want their best friend’s significant: suck it up and deal, otherwise you end up like me—surrounded by your friends, but feeling 100 percent alone.”

Kayla definitely has tunnel vision and is so caught up on her “love” for Talon that she doesn’t really see how wrong her and Talon really are and right her and Wesley would be. She does feel guilty for trying to break up Reagan and Talon but she assuages the guilt by convincing herself they are doing them a favor. She and Wesley truly believe that Reagan and Talon will be better with them then each other. They definitely highlight the weaknesses in Talon and Reagan’s relationship and use them to their advantage. When they get what they want, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Over the year they spent confiding in each other and then plotting to get what they want, they fell for each other and it took getting what they wanted to see that they already had something even better.

“I guess sometimes you need a little help to fall in love with the right person. Other people can see it, because they’re not in the dark. And it’s not till you flip those lights on that you finally understand what it is you’re feeling.”

I really enjoyed this book and found myself entertained and appalled all at the same time. It’s really great when the author can make me like a character, even if she is morally ambiguous. The thing about Kayla is that she isn’t a bad person. In fact, she’s really caring and kind. She’s just wanted Talon for so long and she lets her feelings for him take over and rule her emotions. The fact that she did feel guilty for the schemes she pulled shows that she has a conscience but she makes some poor decisions. My favorite part was when she finally opened her eyes to her feelings for Wesley and saw that Talon may not be right for her after all.

~IPOD Picks~

“I Need Your Love” by Ellie Goulding

“Lovesick Fool” by The Cab

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE