Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

What do you do when you've fallen for your best friend? Funny and romantic, this effervescent story about family, friendship, and finding yourself is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner's summer isn't going the way she'd planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn't been able to manage her mother's growing issues with anxiety. And now she's been rejected from an art show because her work "has no heart." So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn't going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger's story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list, she'll become the kind of artist she's always dreamed of being.

But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn't as straightforward as it seems . . . and that maybe--just maybe--she can't change her art if she isn't first willing to change herself.

What happens when a list designed to improve her art starts to remake her life?

• Best Friends to Lovers: She has a major crush on her best friend, Cooper. He just thinks they're friends. This summer, everything is about to get complicated.
• The Heart List: After a crushing rejection, Abby creates a list of ten tasks--from facing a fear to falling in love--to put the "heart" back into her art and her life.
• Coming of Age: A sweet and funny journey of self-discovery where changing her art means first she has to be willing to change herself.
• Art and Creativity: Perfect for aspiring artists and anyone who knows the struggle of a creative block, with a heroine determined to find her unique voice.

Kasie West has written a number of teen books, including The Fill-in Boyfriend, P.S. I like you, I'm Fortunate in Love, and I'm Listening to Your Heart, to name a few. ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, JLG choices, and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults have all been given to her books. When she's not writing, she may be found binge-watching TV, devouring novels, or burying her toes in the Central Coast sand. Kasie and her family live in Fresno, California, and you can find her online at kasiewest.com.