Love, Life, and the List: The Perfect Blend of Love and Life
Love, Life, and the List: The Perfect Blend of Love and Life
{5/5 Stars| Ages 12+| 374 Pages| YA/Contemporary|Trilogy}
“Love is about caring for someone even when they have weaknesses.”
Where do I even begin when describing my love for this book? Kasie West has had a hold on my heart for years now and I've read nearly every one of her books, but not a single one manages to touch my heart in the way that Love, Life, and the List can. It's fluffy, it's cute, and it's clean.
I'm such a sucker for romcoms, so it's no surprise that I loved this one just like I've loved *nearly* every romcom I've read before. Butttt, just because I loved this like I love every romcom doesn't mean that this one is any less special than any of the other ones. This has to be one of my favorite romcoms! And also, there's the small insignificant fact that I've read this book like four times.... but wE Don'T TaLk aBOuT BrUnO. (I quote that song way to often, hahaha)
Most romcoms feel unrealistic and unreachable, but this feels attainable. It feels like it could happen in real life and it feels like it could happen to me! It's magical, but also real. The characters come to life, take form in your mind from the book's start, and leave you wanting more. More banter, flirting, hugging, teasing, living life, you name it. All those scenes excite you for the next one because it feels right. They belonged together and you could tell from page one.
I read the physical edition of this book, but Kasie West's audiobook narrator is also super good and I have no doubt that she would do this book the justice it deserves.
“We’re good for each other, I think. You bring me down to earth and I make you dream big.”
The Plot:
Abby Turner has been secretly in love with her best friend, Cooper Wells, for years now. But, after a disastrous attempt to tell him last summer, which resulted in her playing off her confession, she has gone back to hiding her feelings and acting like she wants to just be friends.
Fast forward a year, and Abby is determined to not let anything distract her from her goal: getting into the art show that will launch her career as an artist. Reaching that goal though is not as straightforward as she thought, and she and Cooper will have to work together if she wants to reach that goal.
Which brings us to the heart list. A list of 11 things Abby needs to do to 'grow her heart' and add 'more emotion' into her paintings. So, she and Cooper set off on a quest to complete the list ranging from item #3, Try Something New to item #6 Face A Fear to item #9 Have Your Heart Broken (which has already happened to her on that fateful summer night.)
As the deadline for the show approaches, Abby realizes that completing the list might not be as straightforward as it seemed and that maybe, the one thing she's trying to get away from is the one thing she's truly needed all along.
“Art is subjective, that’s what makes it great. We each get to love or hate something on our own terms.”
The Heart List:
What is this Heart List, exactly? What list did Abby and Cooper do that changed them so much? And, does it actually work? The answer: YES! I'm actually in the process of doing it by myself, and I can already say that it really does bring a new perspective into your life and you become more confident. It pushes you to do things that you typically wouldn't do, but in the end, you're glad that you did them! So, without further ado, here is the 11-step heart list...
- Stand Up To Someone
- Read a Classic
- Try Something New
- Learn A Stranger's Story
- Service
- Face a Fear
- Quit a Bad Habit
- Fall In Love
- Have Your Heart Broken
- See Life Come Into the World (no, this does not mean you have to follow around a pregnant person till they give birth)
- See Life Leave the World (No, this does not mean murdering someone or witnessing a murder. These last two are open to interpretation. Maybe watch a sunrise or a sunset.)
The Setting:
I love the setting of this book! It takes place in Northern California right by the beach! A fun fact about me is that I absolutely love the beach, so you best believe that whenever a book takes place on a beach, I automatically love it a little bit more, hehehe. Abby and Cooper go to the beach frequently, and some of my favorite scenes from the book take place on the beach.
The Romance:
Oh. My. Gosh. tHe ROmAncE. Abby and Cooper are one of my favorite couples (I think I say that about nearly every book couple, hahaha) I've read about. They complement each other so well and, since this is a best-friends-to-lovers story, they already know what makes the other one tick. They know their loves and their hates, their favorites and least favorites, what makes them happy and what makes them sad, they know it all. Which helps them to be an effective couple later on in the rest of the series. (Which doesn't focus on them, but they make appearances and they are still very much iN LoVE)
As individual characters, I also LOVED them! Abby was so relatable, even though I am NOT an artist in any sense of the word, her personality was so real and loveable. Her struggles made her stronger and the way she loved unabashedly is admirable. Cooper is also amazing. I love how funny he is and the way he treats Abby is so freaking cute, oh my gosh i love them. And then when Cooper cries...*sobs* They know each other so well and know what the other needs and ahhhhhhhhhhh. I seriously love them.
The other thing I love about them was that, it took so much time for them to get together. They each had to undergo their own character arc, which would end up being the thing that brought them together. It felt more realistic and tangible that way, and I'm saying this as an avid insta-love, lover. 😂
And my other favorite thing about them was the tension. Oh man, did they have tension. Every hug, every knee tap, every hand-holding moment was layered with tension, and boy did I live for it. It was so cute, and I'm not just saying that because any romance is cute to me. I'm saying it because it's true
Book Content:
*This section discusses the language, violence, and sexual content within the book, it still is as spoiler-free as possible*
Language-
~Possible use of d@mn
~Possible use of he!!
Violence-
Mentions of quad crashes and quick references to war
Sexual Content:
Kissing and hugging
Other Things To Note:
~ The main character's dad is at the war front
~ The main character's mom sufferers from extreme anxiety
“Nobody else's opinion about you is going to matter to you until yours does.”
Why Should I Read Love, Life, and the List?
For starters, because it's freaking cute!! Or because it's a clean, good, lighthearted story that brings a little more joy into your life for reading it. Even if you didn't/don't expect it, you fall in love with the characters without meaning to. And you realize, while they might have different hobbies and like doing different things than you, you can actually relate to them much more than you would've thought.
Where Can I Buy, Love, Life, and the List?
Song and Book Recommendations if You Enjoyed Love, Life, and the List:
Song Recommendations:
~Just Friends- Ally Barron
~Friends Don't-Madie & Tae
~Crush-Mandy Moore
Book Recommendations:
~Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss- Kasie West (YA/Second Book in this Trilogy)
~Moment of Truth- Kasie West (YA/Third Book in this Trilogy)
~Better Than The Movies- Lynn Painter (YA/Duology)
All in all, I'd say pick this book up if you're looking for something quick and fluffy, that leaves you remembering how painfully single you are...jkjkjk....maybe. 😂 It leaves you happy and light...until you remember that you're single 😂😂😂
See my Goodreads review for Love, Life, And The List here
See my full Spotify Playlist for Love, Life, and the List here
~Maddie J
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