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. (from GoodReads)

Review:
So I read The Distance Between Us in less than a day... That's how fast it sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading! This book is such a fun read so don't start reading it unless you have a few hours to devote to finishing the novel.

First off, I want to comment on the protagonist's name. Caymen has the same name as the Cayman Islands, a popular tax haven for the extremely rich. Interesting or ironic? Especially since wealth is a such a big part of the novel.

I did enjoy the theme of rich vs. poor and how money can affect a relationship. Normally I think these types of conflict are contrived but Xander wasn't merely well-off ... his family owns a chain of hotels and he's regularly featured in tabloid magazines. He's one of the business celebrities so I could see how that might cause problems in a relationship. Also, Caymen isn't even middle-class; her mom is the owner of a failing small business. They can't afford to hire any employees besides Caymen and her mom.

I loved seeing Caymen try to navigate her relationship with Xander. She had to deal with pressures from her mom (who doesn't like rich people), supposed pressures from Xander's friends and family and another potential love interest. But I think she handled it wonderfully and I'm happy to say that mostly everything worked out in the end.

The think the strongest point of The Distance Between Us is the likeability of all the characters. Caymen was awesome and her sarcasm was hilarious. Kasie West is very witty! Xander was amazing and will surely top some lists of favorite romantic interest in YA books. He wasn't perfect but that just made him even more interesting. Caymen's friends Skye and Henry were nice additions to the cast and I enjoyed it when they shared scenes with our illustrious protagonist.

Overall, The Distance Between Us is a fun, flirty romance novel. I can't wait to see what Kasie West comes out with next!