Book Review: “Listen To Your Heart” by Kasie West

“Listen To Your Heart” by Kasie West (2018)

Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary

Page Length: 336 pages (hardcover edition)

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. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

This is the second book I’ve read by West and I enjoyed it so much more than the other her book I read, Lucky In Love. West has a formulaic style in which sometimes her stories are a bit predictable, but I really like the characters and scenarios. It’s a definite comfort read and I love the coziness and fluffiness of her contemporary romance books.

Listen to Your Heart follows a girl named Kat who ends up (reluctantly) as the co-host of her school’s podcast. She is shy and the podcast forces her to get out of her comfort zone of public speaking and only spending time on the lake she works at. While trying to navigate school, she also helps out with the family business while falling in love.

The book was very enjoyable and I liked the theme of coming-of-age mixed with romance. All of the main characters are in their junior year of high school so they are discovering who they are while making major life decisions (ex.college, career). I loved the concept of the school’s podcast “Not My Problem” and how they gave all types of advice. And even when some difficult and very personal/sensitive topics arose through their on-air calls they handled it pretty well.

As for the romance aspect, the male lead ,Diego, has such a great personality and so much in common with Kat that they make such a cute couple. They hit it off immediately as they spend time together they slowly develop a closer bond with each other.

Through West’s writing, I felt like I as constantly transported to Kat’s lake town. I could picture the water, nature, and overall feeling of just riding on a boat in a serene lake. I liked the romance development in West’s book is slower and how most of her characters couples start out as friends before jumping into a relationship (even though the instant attraction is there).

If you like fluffy contemporaries, give West’s books a try!

Final Verdict: