I first learned about I Hope This Finds You Well from an early review on my local bookstore's Instagram, describing it as "perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine." As a huge fan of Eleanor Oliphant, I immediately added this book to my TBR list and was lucky to be granted an advance read by HarperCollins and NetGalley.

The book did not disappoint. It was full of all the passive-aggressive thoughts we secretly harbor against our coworkers and the excruciating frustrations of office life. It was also a book that dared to explore our inner thoughts, anxieties, and hang-ups, such as what our coworkers really think about us, our trust/suspicions about HR, and who our colleagues are outside of work. I found myself questioning what I would do in main character Jolene's situation. The tension, at times, was cringe-inducing, but only because I was invested in the characters, and I could sense the turns that were forthcoming.

IHTFYW places an interesting spin on the idea of walking around in other people's shoes by putting Jolene and the reader into her colleagues' emails and messages so that we really begin to see them as three-dimensional, complex people, a sort of modern examination of the human condition. It's at the same time biting and clever, heartfelt and warm. Fans of "The Office" will appreciate IHTFYW for its ability to find the humanity in office life and uncover characters' depths in interesting and relatable scenes.

The dialogue and internal monologues are so real and well done that I felt like I knew Jolene, at times recognizing characteristics of close friends and also of myself. She has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor that kept me smiling throughout, but there is also an underlying loneliness and guilt that is undeniably human. Natalie Sue does a great job establishing characters' voices and making each stand out in their own way.

Without giving too much away, the book takes us on a journey that we've been on before, and we know how this is bound to end. However, the pacing and reveals kept me reading and trying to figure out exactly how and when the house of cards would come crashing down. The anticipation ratcheted as new dilemmas were posed and the stakes were raised. The payout was a little bit underwhelming, but it felt entirely believable and hit differently because of the investment made in the character development and rationale for the snowballing of decisions made.

Overall, I Hope This Finds You Well was a great summer read that was fast and interesting but also deeper than a typical beach read. It explored themes of individual identity and values versus the herd mentality and the lengths people go to in the name of self preservation, all while keeping the plot moving and entertaining. In a post-COVID world, it also reminds us of our own loneliness and need for human connection. It's a story about seeing people and being seen by people, and all of the complex emotions attached. As a debut novel, it introduces us to a fantastic, fresh new voice in author Natalie Sue, and I will certainly be looking forward to her next offering.

Was lucky enough to get a pre-release copy of the book from NetGalley and truly enjoyed the honest inside look of how a corporate office full of cubicles really operates. So much of how you survive in a corporate setting is more of who you know than what you know on top of that it also is if you have any dirt on anyone of power. The female main character was relatable, and I became truly invested in her, and while she was going through her HR training for the misconduct I found myself rooting for her well-being and hoping for her to have a positive outcome. The main catalyst of the book was easy to dislike even though she was a very relatable character.

I found myself feeling like I was reading a book about where I work and the office politics and how it’s who you’re friends with then if you’re really qualified for the job. Many of the statements of how HR is not for the employees, but therefore the company and protect the companies interest really struck a nerve and was eye-opening.

Genuinely enjoyed this book! I really couldn’t put it down once I got into it. You know it’s going to be messy and it’s like a car crash you just can’t look away. Then it got messier!?

All in all I enjoyed our main character, Jolene, even if she’s a bit of a mess. But I did find myself shedding a tear or two and relating to her.

Cliff was lovely (even if he’s a blond) and I really enjoyed his character, would love him to have a little more depth sometimes but solid nonetheless.

Our side characters were a bit over the top for me at first but became more believable the more we learn about them.

I recommend if you liked attachments by rainbow Rowell, Eleanor Oliphant, or The Collected Regrets of Clover. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I struggled getting into this book, it was slow. Once I settled in to it I enjoyed what I was reading.

You always want people to have a great arc and Jolene definitely did in this book. She's beyond flawed, and tries to make things right, but fails spectacularly. It's honestly refreshing to think about.

She needs therapy and finally gets it. Yes! That's so important, and I'm glad that was part of her outcome.

I would recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jolene tries to stay to herself at work. When an IT mix up gives her access to everyone’s private emails and messages, she discovers layoffs are coming and that this mistake may help her.

I love stories with fun office politics and characters. The cliches and recognization of office ridiculousness just cracks me up. On top of that, this one also has a budding romance and a sad backstory that allows for growth within the character. I really enjoyed this one and am bummed that it’s over.

“It shouldn’t be this hard to remain neutral with people. But trust Supershops Incorporated to turn a desk job into an air conditioned version of Survivor, complete with alliances and betrayals.”

I Hope This Finds You Well comes out 5/21.

I genuinely don't know where to start on this review. I've had a slow reading month, but this book hooked me from page one and I was OBSESSED. The main character was so well done and honestly as someone who has social anxiety in large groups of people we can be perceived as weird, but we're usually really friendly we just don't know what to say! I related to her off brand humor and the whole concept of the book was great. Imagine you accidentally get access to all your coworker's emails and IM chats and you start to realize everyone has problems they don't talk about. I 100% recommend this book and it just made it to my top lit fic book of the year spot.

I Hope This Finds You Well is about Jolene, and focuses on her mundane job as an admin assistant for a retail grocer office. She’s miserable in the office and takes satisfaction in saying what she really thinks in the end of her emails by turning the gripes to white ink before sending. Except one time she doesn’t. And she ends up in Cliff, the HR employee’s office. Cliff really cares and wants to help her save her job.

This one started out a little hard for me. Jolene made me literally cringe but as the book goes on you realize she is just a hurt woman who needs help and a good friend. I felt for her through the book, through every mistake. This was a good portrayal of real life and how we each are fighting our own battles but how sometimes we just need a hand to reach out and how it can really make a difference.

I really truly LOVED this book! What an amazing debut. The writing was so well crafted and the storyline was engaging. I love Jolene and can truly relate to her and how she felt in a stifling work environment. Sue captured the stereotypical office work culture and relationships perfectly.

I laughed, I cried, and I absolutely loved it. Definitely will be recommending this to others as a top read for the year!

Really looking forward to anything else Natalie Sue writes!

Lonely Jolene works in an office with lots of different personalities, and lots of looming layoffs. She discovers some potential for office deviousness and she goes for it. Along the way, she starts hanging out with the HR guy, and she sort of befriends a few of the other office staff members. Ultimately, she finds her peace.

I did not really like this story. Jolene is awful, and it was hard to me to have sympathy for her. There was a lot of love and support around her, but she just kept making poor decisions. I wanted to abandon the book at about 30%, but I stuck with it, and I did find the ending to be satisfying. Maybe that was the whole idea - to see Jolene in her misery, and then to see what she did with all that pain and suffering.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review I Hope This Finds You Well.

I would like to introduce you to the quirky office comedy that is definitely a top 5 book of 2024. Grab a copy folks, this one is really effing good.

Jolene has no interest in knowing her coworkers. The closest she comes to being social is writing her frustrations at the end of work emails and putting them in white font so they won’t be seen. When she forgets to change the color one day she is forced to take sensitivity training with the new HR guy, Cliff, and have email restrictions set up. What Cliff and her boss don’t realize is that there was a glitch, instead of restrictions IT gave her access the emails and DMs of everyone in her office. Jolene realizes that people are about to be laid off and having this insight could be to her benefit. Jolene begins reading emails and messages to get a leg up on her competition and keep her job. What she didn’t expect was to actually start seeing her coworkers as people and caring about them. Caring about people isn’t something Jolene does, not anymore, not after losing her best friend in high school. But she might not have a choice anymore.

I Hope This Finds You Well is hilarious. It has a dark and dry wit that is infectious and some of the dialogue is spit take funny. Jolene is so jaded and isolated and blunt, yet so innately comical. Natalie Sue does an incredible job of creating a MC who toes that line between unlikeable and eccentric. Jolene’s interactions with Cliff, who is a human teddy bear, are especially spectacular. This book is just amazing, I was glued to the screen and can’t wait to own a physical copy! Pub date in one week folks, pre-order asap!! And seriously, keep an eye on @natwrotewhat. If this is her debut I can’t even image what bangers we’re in store for in the years to come. Absolutely a new favorite author for me. 5 stars and more!!

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC, this was really special.

Oh, I really loved this one!! It gave me major “The Office” vibes- this book was full of sharp, quick, witty prose, petty office politics, and surprising emotional moments that remind you of your (and other’s) humanity. All of the characters really jumped off the page, and I especially loved getting to know sassy but socially awkward Jolene. Her commentary on people and the traditional office workplace had me cracking up multiple times throughout the book! I also appreciated Jolene’s character growth throughout the book. It felt extremely earnest and completely believable. I was rooting for her and was so happy with how the story resolved!

Overall this was a fun and meaningful office dramedy I absolutely devoured. I highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself when it comes out next week!!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Ahhh the familiar feeling of secondhand embarassment. This book was a wild ride from start to finish. After reading about 40 bad decisions back to back, I considered putting it down. But then I had to see what happened! Reading this book was like watching a car crash in slow motion, and from the point of view of a drunk driver, careeing into a crowded intersection. What a mess! (in a fun-ish way).

The main character was sort of irritating at times, but I have enough reading comprehension to know that was sort of the point. She's supposed to be anti-social, awkward, anxiety ridded, and we, as readers, are supposed to watch her get less anti-social, awkward, etc. as the book goes on. However, she still was odd. I thought her growth went from 0 to 100, and there was a bit too much telling instead of showing.

I think this is an okay debut, but I would've liked this book to just be tightened up around the edges, if you will. This was an interesting read, but not necessarily something I'd rave about.

I expected this to be a light, snarky satire. It was actually so much more. It went above and beyond workplace drama to highlight family dynamics, unique friendships and even a bit of romance. If you are a fan of the Show Super Store, you'd probably like this book as well. I Hope This Finds You Well was an interesting read that is worth checking out.

Thank you to William Morrow and to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An engaging and bingeable story that has humor and heart in equal measures. Although the novel is formulaic, its strength lies in the depth of its characters — as flawed as she is, Jolene is lovable and a rewarding protagonist to read. Highly entertaining and a well earned 4 stars.

I love, love, loved this book! I picked it up mostly for the kickass cover and it turned out to be sweet, hilarious, and touching! I laughed, I cried and I cringed (hard).

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5 ★ release date: May 21, 2024

What a fun and quirky story! I think this was a really strong debut novel.

I Hope This Finds You Well follows Jolene; her life is a bit of a mess, to say the least, and she gets in trouble at work because she ends her emails with *how she really feels* as a form of venting and release. She usually converts that last part to white ink so it’s never seen, untillll one day she accidentally sends it in black ink for her coworker to clearly see. The story follows her journey digging herself out of this hole at work, and just in life in general.

The story started a bit slow for me, but really began picking up around the 25% mark. It has a little bit of everything- it’s funny, it’s silly, it’s “cat-and-mouse”, it has a dash of romance, and a dash of mystery.

Jolene is a bit unlikable of a character at first, but we quickly learn she’s really just lost, in pain, and insecure. I appreciated her growth as a person as she discovered and became more confident in herself. I definitely found myself rooting for her, and could tell that she’s well-intentioned despite not always going about things in the right way. The side characters are all unique and play their roles in the story perfectly. They seem surface level at first, but actually have a ton of layers to uncover. Really goes to show that you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, and we’re all dealing with different things, no matter how hard we try to hide it. I enjoyed the Persian cultural elements and thought Jolene’s parents (mom especially) were very endearing.

The ending wrapped up nicely and left me feeling satisfied. I would recommend this!

Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow Publishing, and Natalie Sue for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings: anxiety/panic disorder, alcohol use/abuse, minor mentions of cancer, loss of parent, death, toxic/abusive relationship

Thank you to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a quirky, funny and heartwarming story. There were some sad moments along the way but a general overall good vibe. Jolene is in a rut at work and in life. She sends an email with a message that she meant to hide and forgot and gets in trouble with HR and had to take a course. Hijinks ensue as she accidentally gets access to everyones private information. Joelene is a loveable character and I was happy that she found her happy ever after. I would recommend this book to a friend

I absolutely loved this book! I don't work in an office setting but the scenarios in this book can be applied to any job/coworkers. It felt so raw and real that you couldn't help but connect with the main character, Jolene. Plus the slow-burn romantic relationship was a plus too. This book had me laughing, cringing, and kicking my feet. A fantastic quick read because I didn't want to put it down.
We enter the office of Supershop and follow anxious employee Jolene Smith along her journey of trying to save her job. She gets caught in a mistake (not changing the font color) and then risks her coworkers disliking her more and losing her job. She's put on probation and a consequence of that is her computer being monitored. But the next day when she arrives to work she realizes she has access to everyone's emails. She uses this to her benefit to get the inside scoop on them to become friendly with them and try to save her job. Each coworker has their own storyline too where you either love or can't stand them. Sounds typical for a workplace. I loved all the character-building and development throughout the book. The only storyline I thought could've been cut was the Ellie one. I think the story would've felt even more relatable if Jolene was just an anxious girly unsure of what to do in the world with the heavy pressure from her Persian parents, I loved this storyline too! It was so sweet to see this play out but also made my heart sink at times. Oh! How could I forget, one of my favorite characters Miley! She is so underrated I think but so important to Jolene's self-growth.
I highly recommend this book and can't wait to see others' thoughts on it once it comes out. Natalie Sue did an amazing job with this book! I will be eagerly waiting to read more from her!

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Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars
First of all, the character development in this debut novel is top notch. Natalie Sue does not just develop Jolene, the main character, but she works to make many of the other side characters multifaceted. The fact that I found myself caring about the side characters in the office just shows how well developed the characters were, and how much time Sue put into developing the characters and their relationships.
Jolene as a main character—her growth was so well done!! I appreciated that we saw many sides of Jolene: we saw her loneliness, her despair, but we also saw her making bad decisions. Not going to lie, some of Jolene’s decisions were making me stressed out, but I think that’s also what made her more real as a character.
The mental health representation was done in a very considerate way. Jolene’s train of thought felt in line with the trauma she had been dealing with for years, and I just appreciated again how authentic Jolene was made, and that Sue did the work rather than glossing over her pain and struggles.
But also, let me give a minute to our boy Cliff!!! What a guy. He is literally so sweet, and he just gets Jolene. We love a perceptive man, don’t we? The way he is able to understand her emotions, especially when she’s burying them, just makes you love Cliff. And he’s a cute dork who loves donuts and bowling, like what more can we ask for? We love a soft guy.
My one drawback for this book would be the pacing of it. I felt that the plot itself was moving a bit slowly. I understand that the pacing was most likely to mimic the feeling of working in an office, how it kind of drags, but I still found myself wishing the scenes would move quicker at times.
Oh! I can’t forget to mention how witty this book is. There are great emotional moments but then there are one liners that really made me giggle.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It’s truly sad how many 30-something’s can resonate with this book. Being in this exact demographic and knowing this could have been my own story really hit close to home. I did find myself earlier than the main character, but it wasn’t any less painful than what played out between the pages. So many cringeworthy moments that were nothing but a true portrayal. I’m glad the characters got the redemption due in the end. I loved the cultural references to the Persian culture throughout.