Book Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she’s beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

My Rating:

This is what a contemporary romance should look like. The Distance Between Us contains ridiculously adorable, yet not unrealistic, romance that warmed my heart and put a huge smile on my face.

From the first chapter, I knew that I would love the main character, Caymen. Caymen is sarcastic at every turn, and doesn’t hesitate to answer your stupid questions with a witty one-liner. Her sarcastic quips never failed to make me laugh, and more than once I envied the way her mind worked to produce these excellent lines.

Caymen’s relationship with Xander is one of the most adorable things I’ve read in some time. They complement each other perfectly. Their banter is heartwarming and clever, and their relationship is realistic and slow to build. Xander himself is definitely a candidate for my favourite book boyfriend: he’s sweet, caring, and willing to apologize when he’s in the wrong. It was really nice to see how spending time with Xander managed to strip away some of Caymen’s prejudices against the rich and privileged, especially since this change was gradual.

While The Distance Between Us primarily focuses on cultivating the relationship between Caymen and Xander, West also gives us a look at other important relationships. Caymen and her best friend Skye, Caymen and her mother, Xander and his family, Skye and her boyfriend – all of these are well-developed, authentic, and interesting.

My only complaint is that the ending felt quite rushed, and left me with a lot of unanswered questions. The one I’m most curious about, though, is the origin of Caymen’s name, which could have made for a really interesting story.

Overall, The Distance Between Us was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for completely adorable romance that will leave you smiling for hours after you’ve finished reading.