Review: By Your Side

By Your Side by Kasie West
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

THIS BOOK MAKES ME WANT TO HUG SOMEONE. It was that good. Seriously.

Autumn and Dax story just made my day and the night before, since I couldn't stop reading this book.

Sooo thoughts:
1. Don't assign me emotions. Don't pretend to know what I'm thinking based on your experiences.

- Sometimes we can't stop incorporating our self with what others are thinking. It's hard to express opinions if what we only know are our experiences. Sometimes what we think or assume doesn't really match what others think and that's ok but then, sometimes people get offended.

2. Because I have no say in what other people do or think.

- You really can't do about what others are thinking, right? It's not right to intrude on them and be all self righteous about some things. We can never control how they think and act and it sucks sometimes. Others tend to not care at all because what is the point? When you don't care it's fine but when you do care, intensely by that, and you know you can make a change, you can also try.

3. I knew I was letting my life get blurry. I need to focus on what mattered.
- Too many excuses can make our life get blurry. We distract ourselves because we don't want to face or deal with things that are too hard to face. We make exemptions to give ourselves a break or we create diversions just to avoid the things that should be dealt with. It's ok to have them, but giving enough focus on what mattered should also be a top priority because we can either get lost along the way or totally get surprised by it when we are unprepared.

4. It's not something you want to do. You're worrying about someone else's emotions instead of your own.

- Putting others first and being selfless can sometimes be considered as a weakness. When done too much we tend to forget ourselves and causes us to be miserable or a martyr. Like in the story, Autumn's anxiety was kept a secret because she doesn't want others to treat her differently. However, the consequence it made was that she always had to be the one to adjust or she just leaves her friends that made her look like someone too good enough for others.

5. The act of falling in love. Shouldn't it be easy? Yes. It definitely shouldn't be scripted.

- It should just feel right. It's not practiced or rehearsed. We don't get to do retakes or whatever because when you feel it, it's just there. :)

6. Just a distraction. No commitment. No attachment.

- Ohhhh that part!!! Dax really hurt Autumn there. I was crying!!!!!
I know I know. It was pretty clear that they had rules about their friendship. That doesn't mean either one of them will not get hurt because we all know they will lead to a deeper relationship at the end. What with all their talks, conversations and hanging out or just simply "distracting" each other. It was the start of something good but with reluctance. So one they did end it, heartbreak. :(

7. Even though I knew this one might end in heartbreak, that he might make my life scary and complicated and unpredictable, I knew I couldn't let him walk away.
- Yessss yessss!!!! Never walk away unless it's really the end of it.

OVERALL, the story was great. The romance was a build-up of sweetness. Protective and supportive parents. 4 STARS!!!
Please, write mooooore! I have two unread books left. I'm so excited to read them.

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