I honest-to-goodness enjoyed this sweet and light contemporary. I loved it and found myself laughing out loud at how utterly ridiculous and realistic the relationship between Charlie and her brothers (Jerome, Nathan, and Gage). Also, I cannot forget Braden, Charlie’s long-time neighbor and honorary fourth brother. My favorite scenes in the story were the hilarious situations Charlie found herself in, like getting dumped in bodies of water.

Then, there is this thing (because Charlie doesn’t know what it is) going on between her and Braden. They’ve found solitude in one another during late night conversations by the fence that divides their backyard. But during the day, it’s like those late night conversations never happened. They live in this alternate universe where they pretend that they’ve delved into each others lives. And with Charlie, that’s all right with her.

I loved the romance, even though there was a little of it (and I seriously wanted more!), I loved it nonetheless. I totally ship who she ends up with. It’s beautiful and oh, so sweet!

Meanwhile, she is struggling to understand who she is and where she fits in. She’s never known how to be a girl; the world of fashion and makeup completely foreign to her. It isn’t until she starts to work at Bazzar that she begins to question herself. She also wonders about her late-mother, who she doesn’t remember much about.

The thing that I loved about this book was how easy it was to read through. The chapters were sweet and short, leaving me wanting more. Thus, keeping me fully engaged and immersed in Charlie’s story. West tends to say so much in the simplest of manners. One look, one word – they can mean so much.

I also really loved the relationships in this book. Like I mentioned before, I loved the relationship between Charlie and her brothers. They are hilarious, over-protective, and sweet. They could be such pesks in the best way possible. The dialogue between the brothers and Charlie was seriously the best thing I have ever read. It’s just so ASDFGJKL. I have a brother and I can definitely relate.

Charlie’s father was also another greatly written character. As a single father, he struggled to raise Charlie because she was a girl. He didn’t know how to treat her as such and it isn’t a mystery why Charlie turned out to be a tomboy. Yet, he was still protective of her and did not give her any special treatment just because she was a girl. If he did, she would never have had to get a job to learn her lesson in consequences. Even though his presence was scarce, I really liked how he was developed. He’s a caring and loving father who works to have his kids have a good life.

Lastly, there is Braden who is just completely sweet and endearing. He has his own troubles that he keeps inside, letting Charlie know of them slowly throughout the story. I like that he fits right in with her family and he is treated as such. And I also love the thing ^^ that goes on with them.

Towards the end of the book, I might have teared up because it’s just…you wouldn’t guess that there is an air of mystery in this story. What happened to Charlie’s mother isn’t all that it appears to be. But I like how it was sprinkled throughout the novel. It wasn’t the main focus, but it definitely was part of a secondary plot line.

A light and enticing summer read, On The Fence will tug at your heart strings and fill you with an incredible amount of joy and a dash of sadness. But fret not, it is mostly – if not entirely – wonderfully giddy. I absolutely loved the glimpse of Caymen and Skye from The Distance Between Us. Nicely done Kasie, cookies for you!

I would say this is a companion novel to the setting that Kasie West builds in TDBU. It is it’s own novel full of new characters and differing experiences that is sure to melt your heart with sweetness.