I listened to this book on audio, and I think if I pick up any Kasie West books in the future that's how I will consume them. The last three books she's published (Love, Life, and the List, Lucky in Love, and By Your Side) have been really underwhelming for me. I honestly haven't really enjoyed a book by her since I read Pivot Point a year or so ago.

So when I say that this is probably my third favorite book by this author, it's honestly not that high of a bar.

What I liked:

1. The podcast. I actually think it's a fun premise with the podcast being an advice show. I wish she would've gone into more detail about the inner workings of how a podcast is created and produced, but I still thought it was a unique idea. It would've been a fun class to take in high school, even though there was no such thing when I was actually in high school.

2. Victoria. I liked that she was so passionate about the podcast and that the author didn't go the easy route and make her an unlikable nemesis for Kate. Yes, she could be pushy and overbearing, but there was still a vulnerability to her that made her quite endearing. I also liked that she was a plus-size character who had confidence and wasn't defined by her size. Again, I wish we'd gotten more of her. I wish that she and Kate could've developed more of a friendship.

What I didn't like:

The following could probably be said for all Kasie West's books -- definitely her more recent books:

1. Bland romance. These books are supposed to be YA contemporary ROMANCES. At the end of the day, it's about the connection between the main character and the love interest. Diego seemed like a nice enough guy, but wow. He was about as interesting as oatmeal. I didn't feel any romantic chemistry between them at all. If anything, they felt more like friends to me. Also, there was zero tension in their story. True, he was someone her best friend supposedly liked, but it was obvious from the first moment that it wasn't going to happen. Kate and Diego were friendly and flirty all the way through the book and had no real obstacles. Again, I don't really count Alana as an obstacle, because it was obvious where her affections would ultimately lie and that everything would end perfectly with everyone happy tied up in a bow.

2. Kate is like so many other Kasie West protagonists. I feel like you could pretty much swap out the personalities of her heroines into any of her stories and it wouldn't make a difference in the way the story unfolded. Kate does seem to be a bit more snarky, but that doesn't make her more interesting.

3. Lack of depth. This is in reference to not only the characters, but also the writing and plot. It's all very surface-level. The main characters inner conflict is that she wants to spend all her time on the water and her parents want her to cultivate other interests. THOSE MONSTERS!! So she decides to do the podcast so that when she ultimately chooses the water they'll know she tried something else. It's just...not compelling at all. I don't mind fluff, but it can still be impactful, and this isn't.

Again, I actually enjoyed listening to this. It's her least annoying book in awhile. But I wanted more.