The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Summary: 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.
Source: I purchased a Kindle copy
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Review:
The Distance Between Us was an awesome contemporary YA romance! Books like this one are the reason I am beginning to love YA contemporary romance. It wasn't filled with unrealistic things like insta-lust. It wasn't preachy like so many adult contemporaries seem to be. It was a simple and wonderful story about love between two very different types of people.
I loved Caymen. I am such a sarcastic person and I totally loved that she wasn't afraid to be snarky and sarcastic to just about everyone. It was a personality trait I hardly ever see in a character, especially the star of a romance novel. Xander was a charming. I sided with Caymen in thinking he was privileged and snobby, but eventually it was clear that he really was a good person who loved that she wasn't fake and out to get something from being in a relationship with him.
The conflict of money is definitely one that appears in a lot of romance plots, but it's a pretty valid one and Caymen was realistic about who she was. The thing I liked about this novel was that the main character was not envious of the rich. She actually scoffed at most of it, yet wasn't quite bitter and nasty about it, either. It was a good balance and I think the author created a pretty realistic, sweet, and amazing contemporary romance with a tried and true conflict.
I highly recommend The Distance Between Us. It's a perfect summer read and I finished it in just about a day. It was super cute, left me feeling all sorts of warm and fuzzy, and was definitely well written!
