Who better to tell a story about the life of an audiobook narrator than one of the absolute best in the field? I loved this beautiful story of love, loss, friendship, and acceptance. The only thing that would have made this better would have been to listen to Julia Whelan narrate it, so I suppose I’ll have to get the audio version when it comes out next week. Don’t miss this fun read with surprising depth.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,

Want a book that'll put a smile on your face from page one? Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan is that book.

Sewanee Chester is an audiobook narrator who has refused to narrate romances for years now. Truth is, she doesn't believe in them. But now, she has the opportunity to narrate a book by a late beloved friend with the sought after male narrator, Brock McNight. Once she starts to work on this book, instant sparks fly with Brock under the guise of fake names and studios. With secrets left to be unfolded, will the readers be thankful to listen? .
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I was able to read Thank You For Listening in a daily and adored it. Julie's writing style left me wanting more from each page and gave each character the appropriate voice. This book was a self love book as well as a find your true happiness. I recommend any reader pick up this novel as if hits shelves the first week in August.

I really enjoyed the start of the book and the story of a woman who is hiding in a job she doesn’t love, plus some slow burn romances that keep her on her toes. Half way in I got a bit lost as I knew the twist and it became a bit predictable for me. I still really enjoy Whelans writing g and dialogue but ended on a 3.5 for me, rounded up to 4.

I looooooooved this book. There is so much heart and humor and tropes galore - so many tropes - but it worked seamlessly. I laughed out loud several times and thought the emotional turmoil gave me the perfect amount of heartache.
In trying to write a short synopsis, words fail. I went in without having read the premise, and it was a fantastic way to go. There's a heroine to root for within a one night stand, epistolary, love triangle, second chance, workplace, destination romance. It's the sweetest kismet.
This reads like a love letter to audiobooks and narrators. Julia may not have meant it that way, but I am a huge fan of listening while I work or run errands and it put a perma-smile on my face. I'm not sure how she has time for sleep with all that she does, but whatever it is Julia is doing, I want more books from her asap.
As if I haven't gushed enough, I had the opportunity to read and listen. The audiobook is amazing and I love so much that Julia's talent allows her to perform her book as she envisioned while writing. The accents and intonation she meant, we get to hear.
Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the advanced copy and Libro FM for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Romance: open door

After her life as an actor was unexpectedly cut short, Sewanee became a successful audiobook narrator, dazzling audiences with her skills. While on a business trip to a Las Vegas book convention, she spends a delightful and unanticipated night with a stranger, faking her name and departing the next day back to the real world. Once home, Sewanee begins a new narration job for an old colleague, the recently deceased author June French, who specifically requested Sewanee and the hotshot male narrator, the mysterious Brock McNight. While Brock and Sewanee get to know each other (each with a pseudonym), their connection becomes real, and each facet of Sewanee's life is called into question as she considers what to do next.

I have loved every book Julia Whelan has narrated, so reading one of her own books and finding it absolutely delightful was serendipitous! Thank You For Listening was laugh-out loud hilarious from the first chapter. I love audiobooks, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting this fictional look at the creation of them. The character depth and banter, the relationships with family and friends, the interpersonal struggles - it was all exceptional!

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

How fun is it to listen to a book about a character who reads audio books for a living! Recently I watched a video of how an audio book is made and it was pretty cool. A friend was talking about a certain woman who she loves listening to and it made me realize I've never paid attention to who's reading the book before. I've heard voices I couldn't connect with, voices that had the most perfect accents, and the best celebrity voices reading their own memoirs. Thank you for listening is a cute romance with a splash of "Bookish"fun. Sewanee Chester is an actress turned audio book narrator. She enjoys her job and generally reads all genres, except romance. Her past relationship has ruined her to all the sickly romantic junk that goes into a relationship so she steers far away from it.
Sewanee Chester is an actress turned audio book narrator. She enjoys her job and generally reads all genres, except romance. Her past relationship has ruined her to all the sickly romantic junk that goes into a relationship so she steers far away from it.
Sewanee works hard and for fun she loves to spend time with her grandma "Blah Blah". Her granny is feisty and keeps everyone at the retirement home on their toes. Blah Blahs health is slowly declining and Sewanee hates to be apart from her, but she has a convention in Las Vegas she must attend. Book conventions can be a lot of work but somehow Sewanee ends up meeting a very handsome man and having a very fun evening.
Back home she is offered a job reading a romance book with the top leading male voice in audio books, but she said she would never read romance again! She needs the money to help Blah Blah so she bites the bullet and accepts the job. Sewanee is hiding behind her old pseudonym but so is Brock. When the two start working together their characters as well as their true selves start to build a connection.
Soon they will discover that they aren't who they say they are, but then find out who they really are, sparks will fly both good and bad.
Sewanee just needs to remember she's doing all of this for her Blah Blah so she can continue to care for her the way she deserves, but maybe Sewanee will also find out what she deserves too!

Thank You For Listening is funny, quirky, and so cute - I loved every minute!! The characters are romance audiobook narrators (like the queen of audiobooks herself) which was so different & loved it! Because the characters are working together remotely, they spend a lot of time texting and the convos were so fun! I loved the format of the emails and texts and it was an easy & fun summer read!<3 l'd recommend this to anyone looking for a lighthearted romcom about family, friendships, love, & behind-the-scenes of audiobooks! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher for a free Netgalley & Libro.fm for a free audio.

I really enjoyed this book. Like really enjoyed it. I liked the characters and the little storylines to go with the major story line.

But holy moly. 432 pages. Four hundred thirty-two. This honestly could have been 100 pages less and been just as great. If I remember correctly, this was my biggest meh for My Oxford Year as well.

Thank you Avon, NetGalley, and Libro.FM for the eARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a really good time reading this one and enjoyed the banter between Sewanee and Brock. I also enjoyed the little glimpse into the creation of audiobooks and their narrators.

I think this one may lean a little bit more towards women's fiction than romance as we follow Sewanee battle what she wants to do with her career moves as well as tries to tackle family issues for much of the book. It's not that the romance took a back seat, but that these plot points were big plot movers when it came to developing the romance.

TW: On the topic of family issues, it is worth mentioning the following trigger warning: family member with progressing dementia. This was a surprise to me and I had to take a step away from it to get my bearings as someone who has lost several family members to dementia.

This that made this four stars instead of five: the use of dementia as a way to 'motivate' Sewanee and the friendship was a bit lack luster and could've used a bit more building than just the two of them building their careers off each other. The main friendship almost seemed toxic.

All in all, I highly recommend this one and definitely recommend on audio as Julia narrates it herself.

When a popular audiobook narrator writes a romance plot about an audiobook narrator and how she handles life when dealt with a bad hand. It is a slow burn romance that romance readers will absolutely enjoy. Sewanee and Nick haven't had an easy life so far and are wary of romance but when cupid hits, do they even have a chance at evading it?? As a self-proclaimed fan of sassy and witty banter, this totally lived upto my expectations in that arena.

It was hilarious, heartwarming and the ending was too neat but since I was rooting for them, it worked for me!

This book was exceedingly lovely. This was my first book by Julia Whelan, but I've had the good fortune to have been able to listen to her narrate a few audiobooks, including one of my favorites and she is clearly extremely talented. I loved getting a glimpse into the world of an audiobook narrator from one of the best in Thank You for Listening.

After an accident causes Sewanee Chester to retire from acting, she makes a living as an Audie award-winning book narrator, but she has one rule: NO MORE ROMANCE. When one of her favorite authors dies and leaves instructions for Sewanee to narrate her last book, to be narrated posthumously, Sewanee has no choice but to accept the job - and the large paycheck that comes with it that will go a long way to helping out her beloved elderly grandmother.

Sewanee takes the job and what comes after is a loving tribute to romance, family and forgiveness. Sewanee needs to work through a lot of guilt and grief in getting to a point where she can open herself up to love and friendship. Despite the meta-conversation the book discusses what constitutes "women's fiction" versus "romance" I think this book leans slightly in the corner of women's fiction. That being said, the romance in this book is really lovely and I feel like revealing any more would be a spoiler.

Honestly, every book should have a lengthy epistolary chapter in the middle. We would all be better for it.

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A book about an audiobook narrator written by my favorite audiobook narrator? Sign me up!

I loved Julia Whelan’s debut, My Oxford Year, and so her sophomore title, Thank You For Listening, was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases. Sewanee “Swan” Chester is one of the most sought after audiobook narrators, known for bringing all manner of books to life, but never romance. Back home in LA, Swan gets the offer of a lifetime to narrate the final title by romance legend June French. Facing mounting bills from her grandmother’s assisted living facility, Swan can’t turn it down even though she’s sworn off narrating romance. Her narration partner is none other than Brock McNight, king of romance narrating and an elusive figure no one has ever met.

This book brought a lot of love. The characters have depth and develop over the course of the book in believable and interesting ways. I loved seeing an inside perspective on audiobook narrating! There’s a scene where Swan and Brock are recording and they mess up and it had me in absolute stitches. I thought there were some storylines I would have liked to see wrapped up or tightened to keep the focus on Swan, but overall I really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to reread when the audio comes out since it’s narrated by the queen herself!

Content warnings: Swan was in an accident that leaves her injured; there’s a scene where the accident involving an airplane is described in a lot of detail. Swan’s grandmother has dementia and lives in assisted living. These scenes are really well done but can be difficult to read. Brock’s mother dies when he’s a child and he’s raised by his aunt.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I really liked this book, the first book I have read by this author. Think: funny banter, amusing situations, a strong female voice but poignant, when you consider everything Sewanee had to go through. I appreciate that the author also highlighted her disability and how difficult it is to get past a physical disability (a past accident had blinded one eye and led to her quitting her job as an actress.)

I also absolutely loved the peek into how audiobooks are developed. Sewanee is an audiobook narrator who does not do romance anymore. Brock is the romance king of narrators but intensely private (like Joe Arden or Sebastian York- oh a casting idea perhaps!) . They are paired to do a book together, a romance serial, and Sewanee agrees to get funds to take care of her grandmother, who is in assisted living (some of those scenes made me cry). They collaborate and through a series of texts, the reader gets to hear about what seem like a realistic back and forth about aspects of audiobook development (pronunciations, preferences, viewpoints, etc)

This is a fantastic story but I thought a bit drawn out; it is a long story and while it was well paced, it felt a bit plodding as it got to the big reveal, which was obviously going to happen. This is a slow burn romance but the romance was secondary to highlighting the struggles that Sewanee faced because of her deformity and her grandmother. We also primarily got her view not Brock’s and so I wish the viewpoints were more balanced. That said, I found the writing engaging, the characters really fun (including the supporting characters) and the story well rounded, with elements of humor, a bit of sadness and of course, romance.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an early read!

Thank You for Listening drew me in from the first chapter. I would have died of embarrassment if I was in the main characters shoes. Loved the premise of the story and it was fun to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into recording audiobooks. I can’t wait for this to be released so I can also listen to the audiobook version.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy!

My audiobook, romance loving heart just adored this book! When I saw this was the author of My Oxford year I was extra excited to read it. Loved that book! .
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Sewanee and Nick both have a lot in their past, pasts traumas and hurts that haven’t been healed, and they are both cynical about love.
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Be prepared, this book has so many tropes, but in the best way! (Snowed in, only one bed, one night stand, mistaken identity, just to name a few!)
It’s a bit of a slow burn romance with lots of funny wit and banter, but it also has lots of heartfelt and emotional moments.
I loved learning more about the process behind audiobooks and I especially loved the epistolary aspect. It was probably my favorite part of the book.
Overall, it was a book about love and acceptance and really making your own HEA.
I HIGHLY recommend this one!!
4.5 stars!!
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Thank you @netgalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this book. This one is going to be a big hit!

Following the abrupt end of her screen acting career, Sewanee has found success as an audiobook narrator (of everything but romance, which she adamantly avoids). When she’s asked to do a joint narration of a romance novel with the current most in-demand male narrator, Brock, she only agrees in order to be able to pay for her grandmother’s nursing home as dementia continues to worsen and the care expense increases. She grudgingly begins the recording and less grudgingly falls into a lovely epistolary relationship with Brock. As they continue to become closer it’s clear that both Sewanee and Brock have a lot of work to do on themselves in getting over past disappointments and wounds, both physical and emotional, before they can give a real, in person relationship a shot.

I feel like my description doesn’t do this book justice. I’m definitely trying to avoid spoiling, which makes more detail difficult. This was a great book. Julia Whelan is one of the most in-demand audiobook narrators herself (if you haven’t listened to any of her work, you’re really missing out). She brings life to this industry, about which I know almost nothing, without getting hung up in the minutia. Sewanee’s background and her struggle to adjust to life as it is now is heartbreaking. That said, this book is also incredibly joyful, full of incredible banter, both in person and over email and text. If you are a reader of romance or (ugh) “women’s fiction,” you’ll love the knowing discussions and hilarious distinctions. CW: past serious injury, dementia. Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC. Available 8/2/2022.

Oh how I loved this book! I started it 2 days ago and I couldn’t put it down. Two audiobook authors? Who don’t know they’re talking to each other?! Ugh sign me up! This book was so well written, heartfelt, and yet funny. It does deal with serious subjects but in a respectful way. This was a 4 out of 5 stars read for me!

This is such a lovely well written book. The heroine even as she’s living in the present seems to be working through giving up on her old life in the past and moving forward. She was an actress but now it’s an audio narrator. She stopped doing romance novels when she felt her own past wasn’t happy but she has agreed to narrate for a famous romance novelist last book. The male narrator and her start to just from the recordings and talking feel something for one another. It’s an interesting way to set up a romance and also deals with letting go of the past in order to move forward in the future. It’s a beautifully written novel with complicated and well written characters .

While I was approved to read Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan via Net Galley, I had to listen to it narrated by the author as it has to be a rule to listen to a book about an audiobook narrator that Julia Whelan wrote and narrated!⁣ This book is about Sewanee (pronounced Swan-ee), an audiobook narrator who has stopped narrating romance books (with a pseudonym) because she no longer buys into happily ever afters. However, she is asked to narrate a book written by an author she loves and she needs the money to support her grandmother’s increasing care needs, so she agrees to do it. She will be sharing the narration with Brock McKnight, and the two begin an email and text conversation that is full of banter and at times hilarious. ⁣There is a lot to love in this book including the main character’s use of an eye patch due to having lost her eye, Sewanee’s best friend and what she deals with as a Black woman actor, and Sewanee’s relationship with her beloved grandmother. The romance is swoon worthy as well! And if you are an audiobook fan, I highly encourage you to listen to this one, as Julia Whelan is amazing.

Whelan's novel is a fascinating look into the world of audiobook narration combined with a sizzling romance. I enjoyed how Whelan explored Sewannee's past and how it affected her future, but felt that the romance got a bit of a short thrift at times.