Julia Whelan is one of my favorite audiobook narrators, so perhaps the only thing that would have made this title more enjoyable (and enjoyably meta) would have been hearing her narrate the audio version! But impatience got the better of me and I couldn't resist the chance to read an ARC via Netgalley. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING is a witty, fun romance that embraces fans and skeptics of the romance genre alike, without taking itself too seriously.

Whelan hit all the right notes with a memorable supporting cast and an extra layer of depth as the protagonist had to learn to forgive herself for her most life-altering mistake long after her scars had (literally) healed. The result is a fresh take on how we have to love ourselves before we can fully share our hearts with anyone else.

While this book was fairly predictable and I could see where we were going from the start, that didn’t really detract from the enjoyment of the journey. I enjoyed the peek behind the scenes of audiobook narration and also the mixed media format of the book. The characters were delightful - and although the last bit of the book dragged just a bit for me, overall this was a delightful read!

Rating: 3 stars

What piqued my interested in this book was the fact that the two main characters are audiobook narrators. I love audiobooks. I did not read this as an audiobook. I read an ebook about audiobook narrators. Now that we have that distinction set, let's move on.

For every trope or plot event or character trait I loved in this book, I kept coming across things to be less than pleased by. I love me a Hollywood setting with characters who have talent/entertainment professions. I loved the *double* secret identify plot lines. That trope really works for me and it made an appearance x 2.

Everything surrounding the trope didn't work for me. I was already falling out of love with the Hero by the time he confessed that he doesn't like reading. at all. I found the dynamic between the two main characters to be quite toxic at times. They immediately jump to insults and accusations during arguments, which is the biggest red flag of an unhealthy relationship to me. They were both extremely unstable individuals, and I found myself preferring an ending where they stayed broken up and went on individual journeys of self-discovery. For those who wish to know, there's practically no spice. I'd rate it a 0.5 out of 5, and that's generous.

Non-comprehensive list of Trigger Warnings: questionable (?) act of self-harm, family member with advanced stage of dementia, disability due to traumatic event

The reader obviously knows early where the story is going, but that doesn't detract from the delight of the journey.

There are a few sections, especially early in the book, when the author uses ridiculousness to patch over some rough areas-- these section made me think of the Stephanie Plum series ([book:One for the Money|6853]) but they were fortunately few; a little more polish and this author will be a complete treasure.

With all the author/editor books out recently, I don't know what was in the water at the publishing houses, but this is a nice addition and includes a few details about the audiobook industry that will appeal to readers and to devoted listeners.

Recommended to fans of Emily Henry. ARC from NetGalley.

Two audiobook narrators find themselves working on the same project and falling in love. Boy meets girl's voice? It's a cute summer romance.

4.5 Not Raspy Stars!

I loved getting a behind the scenes peek into audiobook narration!

Sewanee is covering for her friend at a book convention in Las Vegas. She meets a stranger with a sexy accent and after a wild night of dinner, drinks, and dancing (of the horizontal tango variety), she heads back to reality. Except things go a bit topsy-turvy when she is offered a job from a famous romance author she had worked with at the start of her career, before she decided romance was a sham. The author has passed and had requested that Sewanee narrate her last book with the golden boy of the industry, Brock McNight.

When I sat back to write my review, I found myself almost overwhelmed thinking of everything that happened. It was a lot, but life can be a lot, and this followed Sewanee at a pivotal point in hers. It was bound to be messy, and I mean that in the best way.

This was laugh out loud funny, the banter between characters was ::chef’s kiss::. The side characters were all unique and layered. I adored the e-mail and text exchanges.
I felt it dragged a bit in the last quarter, but that could be due to my attention span. I also did get annoyed toward the end with a certain character being needlessly stubborn, but that’s a personal preference.

Overall this was a great read, at times heavy, but always bringing it back to happy.

Check it out, when it hits shelves, 8/2/22!

A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED IT! SO SO MUCH! It delivered absolutely everything I look for in romance, the range of emotions I experienced was wild! The humor, the wit, the innuendos, the A + secondary cast, the romance genre references (and jabs!), the epistolary premise (HEART), the slow burn, the heat, the absolute chemistry between two cynicals getting the HEA they both sarcastically mocked and declared unrealistic expectation! AHAH!
You know how with the grumpy/sunshine dynamic we love to witness the grump do things only & ONLY for their sun? Cynical love interest is twice the reward, we get to see them both light up at all the little things they thought weren't for them or had stop believing in. 🤌🏼💋
Julia Whelan most definitely understood the assignment!

I LOVED this book. Sewanee is a great protagonist, and her story is engaging and compelling without being heavy. I genuinely laughed out loud several times and also cried a few tears before I was done. I can't wait to hear the audiobook!

This was an enjoyable, but predictable romance. I enjoyed the play between Sewanee and Nick, and Sewanee's relationships outside the romance were full and engaging. However, this book's pacing dragged a bit for me.

Those who have experience with the later life care of a relative will find relatable moments and moments to escape into.

I wanted to love this book and in the first few chapters I was convinced I was going too. It had me laughing out loud and made the 8 hour flight I was on seem like nothing. I especially loved the main character buying a last minute plane ticket and fleeing to Italy because her life was falling apart. I found that oddly relatable as I was on a flight to Rome because real life is a lot.
But it fell flat for me in the end. Swan just seemed to attack Nick for no reason. Her reaction to learning the truth about him seemed a bit off. She didn't really get to be uspet with him as she was lying to him about the same thing. And it wasn't even lying. And then there fight in Venice just seemed all over the place.
It was a fun read and I would recommend it but the ending just left me a little disappointed.

I can’t do this book justice without spoilers and I don’t want to give anything away because this book is genius!!

Though you might catch on I still don’t like to show all the cards and you have to just trust that you will love the twists and little discoveries as you read this beautiful love story!

The story isn’t packed with heat but it’s overflowing with love! Sewanee is our leading lady and as she find healing and her way we embark on the journey with her! I really felt a part of the story and it’s single POV but the back and forth between our two main character is enough to fully understand both! Their conversations are funny but real and that’s what I loved about this book!!

A first for me by this author and not the last!

I absolutely loved this book! I adored Julia Whelan's debut, My Oxford Year, so I was thrilled to hear she had a new book coming out. The fact that Thank You for Listening is set in the audiobook world is just the icing on top of a very delicious cake.

Whenever I'm in the mood for an audiobook I search, not for a book or an author, but for Julia Whelan as the narrator. Her voice can transform a story and I've fallen in love with so many books because of her. She is truly one of the best and an absolute master at her craft. She took that skill set and created a wonderful book with so much heart. Thank You for Listening is a story about finding yourself and creating a life you love even when nothing is going the way you expected it to.

Whelan's writing is spectacular. It's smart and witty and I love the characters she has created. The banter is some of the best and the chemistry is perfect. I read the physical copy but I've already pre-ordered the audiobook because Thank You for Listening deserves to be enjoyed both ways!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Julia Whelan for allowing me to be an early reader.

If Julia Whelan narrates it, I'm 100% going to buy it. I was ecstatic to see this come up on my feed, and I almost cried happy tears when I got approved. A book written by a audiobook narrator about narrating audiobooks? Love.

I love this book! Though I’m not typically a huge fan of romance, this book is smart, funny, poignant and really kept me turning the pages. The book is so much more than a romance; it deals with family, friendships, tragedy, healing, reinventing yourself…the list goes on and on.

Sewanne and Nick are two audiobook narrators who are intentionally brought together to narrate the final novel of a famous romance author. Sewanne “does not do romance,” but reluctantly agrees in order to afford the expense of her grandmother’s assisted living facility. Though they are doing the work remotely, these two have sizzling chemistry, fantastic banter, and a friendship that is believable and real. Though there are definitely serious themes throughout, this was such a fun, satisfying read.

I have a new respect for audiobook narrators. I learned so much about what they go through preparing for and recording books. Bravo Julia Whelan!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this delightful book.

Julia Whelan takes us into the world of an audiobook narrator with her character, Sewanee Chester. Sewanee's dreams didn't pan out like she planned so she finds herself behind the scenes reading the book instead of being a world famous actress. She is a likable character and I found myself rooting for her to find love. I read where the author narrated some huge audiobooks like Malibu Rising, Four Winds, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and a host of others so she is obviously writing about a world that she is familiar with! This book has a lot of heart and great dialogue... but I think I went into it with too high expectations. My Oxford Year is one of my favorite books ever. I had hyped this one up and it just didn't pack the same punch as My Oxford Year. It's good and it would be find for an afternoon beach read but it isn't one that will stay with you for years!

This was an entertaining, laugh out loud funny, steamy and an emotional read. I also found the story to be unique and refreshing. I appreciated that the author tackled themes of dementia, and disability realistically. Second chances was also a main focus and it comes together so well.

3.5 stars Thank you for my advanced copy of of this book. I loved My Oxford Year. I loved the quirky side characters and the romance. I still think about it over a year after reading it. Obviously I know Julia Whalen's work in audiobooks and I wish she would narrate my life.

This book was fun and enjoyable! There are some tougher plots but it's mostly a light read. The banter was excellent. This was predictable and reminded me a lot of You've Got Mail.

The biggest con is I think it was a tad too long. Some extra plots I think could have been left out.

Very different feeling from My Oxford Year but still will read anything Julia Whalen writes.

This was a fun one! I really enjoyed the romance and their relationship. Their little cute moments literally made me cry. Swan was also a great main character and it was nice watching her development. The intimate moments were written in such a unique way, which made their moments feel infinitely more special. I did feel like the rest of the components of the story, for example, the other characters, were a little disjointed. The plot kept getting more complex and it got a little frustrating to read. Despite this, however, I could not put this book down and finished it in one day.

This was really fun and immersively written, but it did feel a little bit overlong. I think this is a personal preference issue--I prefer my romances on the shorter side. However, the characterization was great, the secondary characters were well-developed too, the banter between the MC and her love interest was pretty great, and the background info on audiobook narration was super cool and interesting as well.

WOW. I loved My Oxford Year, but Thank You for Listening was even better. Loved the characters. The storytelling was on point. The full circle of the characters was everything I could have asked for. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It was funny, heartwarming, and just overall a wonderful, pleasing read.