Thursday, May 24, 2018

Review: Listen to Your Heart - Kasie West

Listen to Your Heart
Kasie West
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Point
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
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.
There is a reason why I always cheer, that KWest is best, and it's books like Listen to Your Heart that remind me of those reasons.

This book, like West's other books, featured a wonderful cast of characters. The main character, Kate, was in a little bit of a funk. She was still trying to mend her broken heart, and just wanted to spend all her free time in her sanctuary - the lake. But she was forced into the spotlight, and reluctantly took on the job of podcast co-host, and it was wonderful watching her grow into the role, and find there was more to her than her love of the lake. Then there was Diego. He was everything I love in a book boyfriend. He was sweet, considerate, fun, smart, and caring. His interactions with his niece and nephew were adorable, and so were those moments he shared with Kate.

Another wonderful thing West often does is incorporate family into her stories, and Kate had this HUGE super close knit family. It was pretty great, the way Kate's aunts, uncles, and cousins were her neighbors, and cousins' night was like nth level family fun. There were a lot of really sweet displays of family bonding in this book, and they often tugged on my heartstrings.

As always, West crafted a story which blended the light and fluffy with weightier issues. There were crushes and friendships, but there were also characters dealing with things like bullying. The tone was always on pitch when going from the lighter to the heavier topics, but it never got stuck, and it's that balance that I am always looking for in the books I read.

Highlights:
☑️ Fun family focus
☑️ Swoony love interest
☑️ Awesome female friendship
☑️ Interesting and entertaining podcasts
☑️ Sweet and adorable romance

All I can say is that this was exactly what I needed. I swooned a bunch, and smiled till my face hurt. What more could I ask for? 


**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.









Do you have a favorite podcast?
Let us know in the comments!

28 comments:

  1. I love it LOVE it when a book makes me smile until it hurts -- it's the best, satisfied feeling to close the book after reading something like that.

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    1. My favorite kinds of books are the ones that leave me with a happy heart, and West's books always do that for me.

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  2. Gosh I love me a Kasie West and I can't wait for this one! Her books make me happy :) Glad you enjoyed this one. Great review!

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    1. This one was so fun and cute, and definitely fits with classic West books.

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  3. I've only read one book by Kasie (The Distance Between Us), and while I didn't *love* it, it still made me want to read more by her! This one sounds super cute, and the cover is beyond adorable. Diego and Kate both sound like likable characters, and I'm glad to hear that Diego is swoony. And yay for female friendship! That's always a strong selling point for me. Great review!

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    1. I really liked The Distance Between Us. There was just something about Diego that won me over.

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  4. I can't wait to read this one! I love Kasie West books! They are always so positive and I love the character growth that she brings. Also, I love a great book boyfriend! Great review!

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    1. That is exactly what I love in the books I read, and I think West does it well.

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  5. I still have not read a Kasie West book, but maybe this will be the one that changes that! I love that she includes this big, fun family for the main character - I can definitely relate to that!

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    1. My mother is the oldest of 9, and when I was younger, we all lived in Brooklyn and would pow wow at the Grandmother's every Sunday for dinner. It was total chaos, and that is probably why I loved Kate's family so much.

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  6. I am glad this one is getting postivie reviews. The last couple of West books were not great, I am going to give this one a try, hoping to recapture the magic of West.

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    1. Her weakest book for me was Lucky in Love, but even that one was cute, had a great book boyfriend, and rated ok by me. The other books she released have been strong for me.

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  7. Yay! So glad this one was such a hit for you! I’ve found that I’m kind of hit or miss with KW. I loved P.S. I Like You, I really liked By You Side, Lucky in Love was just okay... they really run the gamut. I do really appreciate how KW incorporates family into her books. No absentee parents or teens that are seemingly living solo lives! (Imagine that!) I already like the sound of Diego and can’t wait to meet him! :)

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    1. My least favorite West book is Lucky in Love, but even that one left me happy, but this one was great for me.

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  8. I’ve only read one of West’s romances. I need to read more. I love the cover of this one.

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    1. She is one of my go-tos. I will read everything she writes.

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  9. I'm really excited about this one and am so glad you enjoyed it. Can't wait to meet Kate and Diego.

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    1. I adored Diego, and I really liked the way West had him worked through his personal drama. It's all done in such a healthy way.

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  10. We are review twins! I am so glad that you enjoyed this book so much as well. The family themes that West adds to her novels are the absolute best. I will never get tired of her writing. :)

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    1. Great minds! I am with you in the West fan club. I will read anything she writes.

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  11. I've heard such great things about this author. I have yet to try her though :( EEK!

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    1. If you like cute YA contemporaries, you would enjoy her books.

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  12. Ugh, I need to read Kasie West novel already! Maybe something for me to do this summer. Especially seeing as I own enough of her ebooks. I love the look of this one having good family and friendship relationships, as well as a sweet and swoon-worthy romance :D

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    1. She writes the perfect YA romances for me. Light and easy with some depth, great characters, and awesome families. The lowest rated one from me was Lucky in Love, but I loved all the others.

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  13. I've heard some disappointing things about Kasie West's books of late but it sounds like this one is finally her getting back to her writing well with a story I'll probably really enjoy on a lazy summer's day. I love when family is strongly involved in YA and when she manages to get her romances right with characters I like I always end up loving West's books so fingers crossed I'll enjoy this one.

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    1. I know people were underwhelmed by her last two. Lucky in Love didn't bowl me over, but I did really enjoy Love, Life, and the List. This one was definitely classic KWest, and it made me remember why she is a go-to for me.

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