Listen to Your Heart, written by Kasie West, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary: Kate Bailey joins the podcasting club to please her best friend Alana and her parents. If given the choice, she would rather spend all of her time at the lake. Kate secretly hopes for a behind the scenes job. To her shock and dismay, Ms. Lyon choses Kate’s topic for the podcast and names her as co-host. Kate lets Victoria take the lead and begrudgingly accepts her on air identity as Kat. After a slow start, the podcast’s popularity grows beyond everyone’s expectations. Kate quickly finds herself besieged in the halls by students seeking her advice for their problems. Part of the podcast’s appeal lies in the ability of callers to choose to remain anonymous. Kate soon realizes that one of the callers is Alana's crush and another caller is a family member. Can Kate keep her fans, her family and friends happy, or is her need to maintain her callers' privacy a recipe for disaster?

Straight Talk for Librarians: Kate is a loveable and relatable character that readers will adore. The supporting characters are well rounded and memorable. West clearly knows what her readers want. The plot is believable and entertaining. The novel’s high interest subject and lower reading level make it a great recommendation for striving readers. Though the book is set in high school, the novel is appropriate for middle school students. The romance is light-hearted and sweet without ever becoming saccharine. I rarely read romance novels and particularly not young adult romance novels. I loved a previous Kasie West novel and decided to take a chance on Listen to Your Heart. I am thrilled that her writing is consistently strong and entertaining. Kasie West has created another delightful romantic comedy novel. Fans of Kasie West's previous novels will love this heartfelt tale of romance, friendship and family loyalty. I highly recommend this novel. It would make a wonderful addition to a classroom library. Listen to Your Heart clearly deserves to find a home in a school or public library.