Novel Review: Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Point (Scholastic)

Release Date: May 2018

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Talking to other people isn't Kate Bailey's favorite activity. She'd much rather be out on the lake, soaking up the solitude and sunshine. So when her best friend, Alana, convinces Kate to join their high school's podcast, Kate is not expecting to be chosen as the host. Now she'll have to answer calls and give advice on the air? Impossible.

But to Kate's surprise, she turns out to be pretty good at the hosting gig. Then the podcast gets in a call from an anonymous guy, asking for advice about his unnamed crush. Kate is pretty sure that the caller is gorgeous Diego Martinez, and even surer that the girl in question is Alana. Kate is excited for her friend ... until Kate herself starts to develop feelings for Diego. Suddenly, Kate finds that while doling out wisdom to others may be easy, asking for help is tougher than it looks, and following your own advice is even harder.

Kasie West's adorable story of secrets, love, and friendship is sure to win over hearts everywhere.

The Cover:

I really like this cover. It's cute and flirty, and gives good hints to what the story is about. The story definitely has elements of the lake, though not necessarily this activity, and it could show the podcast instead. But either way I think this works and it's cute, and I definitely appreciate that the two models look like the main couple.

Review:

This felt more like West's first books. I didn't want to put it down, and I really grew to love the characters.

I liked Kate from the beginning. She's rather straight-faced and quiet, and she doesn't want any attention. And yet she ends up being a host on her school's podcast, by accident. Giving advice to people, when she doesn't even know how to talk on a microphone. She ends up playing the straight-man to her co-host's charm, and it works well for both of them. I was actually surprised they didn't end up closer friends, as that felt a bit like a missed opportunity, but it also made sense.

I really liked the podcast; the shows were fun to read. Then there was a mix-up of crushes, some back and forth and confusion and worrying, because Kate and her best friend Alana end up falling for the wrong guys, without realizing it and without talking to each other. While it could have been frustrating, and did cause some issues, I mostly enjoyed the way it played out. There was some confusion as they mixed it up and tried not to, because they didn't want to hurt each other. And I liked both Frank and Diego, a lot. Kate had a big family, too, and I liked the antics with them, and how it turned out for her brother.

This book was a lot of fun to read, and is probably one of my favorites of West now. It makes me excited to catch up with her books again.