Book: 4 Stars
Audiobook: 5 Stars

Julia Whelan is one of my favorite audiobook narrators. Can she also write? Yes, she can. But her, reading her own book? Absolutely fabulous.

Thank You For Listening is a rather meta story…there’s audiobook narrators, romance authors, social media fans. It was kinda funny reading/listening to a book about the world I love and spend so much time in. As Julia Whelan said at the end of the audiobook, she knew people would read this book and think it was autobiographical (it’s not). I didn’t think that so much, but I was reminded of this advice for authors: write what you know. And she clearly did. So much of this book was an interesting look into the world of audiobook narrators.

Anyway, there was a lot more depth to this story than the funsie-looking cover. The heroine only became a narrator when she experienced a life-changing accident and abandoned her career as an actress. When she takes a job in the genre she left behind for more “serious” work so she can pay for her beloved grandmother's care in an expensive memory care facility, it sets her life down a different path.

This book was hilarious, but also heartbreaking. It had the perfect balance of humor and heart, and loads of fantastic dialog. It had plot twists I didn’t see coming, which is quite a feat for me these days. I started out reading the book - which was good. But when I discovered the audiobook was available and I was able to make progress on the book while running errands and cleaning my house, it was like a little present to myself. I can’t imagine any book Julia Whelan wouldn’t make better by narrating…this one just happens to be her own book.

So now I need to add Julia Whelan’s first book to my miles-long TBR list. Maybe I’ll find it on audiobook…

* thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Not only is Julia Whelan queen of the audio but she is now the queen of writing about audio. Thank you to Avon for the gifted ARC my honest review.

Julia Whelan is hands down the best audiobook narrator out there. The way she handles banter is my favorite. After reading Thank You For Listening, I can confirm that she also writes banter as well as she performs it.

This story was cute and fun. Sewanee and Brock's chemistry sizzled off the page. Their emails back and forth were what romcom dreams are made of. Thank You For Listening gave You've Got Mail vibes with an updated perspective using the life of audiobook narrators as a backdrop. I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Unfortunately, so many of the random tidbits were just that: random. The backstory of what left Sewanee permanently scarred seemed so bizarre. Everything going on with her parents, and random exes popping in and out, Adaku and her career as an actress, it was just a lot. However, the relationship between Sewanee and her grandmother "Blah Blah" was the true heart of the story and Whelan did an amazing job of the reality of loving someone dealing with dementia.

Overal, I do recommend Thank You For Listening. It is a bit of a ride but ultimately, the destination was worth all the twists and turns along the way.

I really enjoyed this book. This comes from the woman known almost exclusively for being an audiobook narrator, an amazing one. The writing is spectacular and the plot was interesting and engaging enough to keep me on my toes and interested the entire time throughout the read. I would highly recommend this one!

⁉️Do you have a favorite audiobook narrator?
It’s @justjuliawhelan and @marinireland for me. I’ll listen to anything they read, but I guess I didn’t realize that there’s a whole celebrity in the audiobook narration world until reading this book.

Thank You for Listening by @justjuliawhelan
Pub date: August 2, 2022
432 pages
@avonbooks @harperaudio

Obviously I had to, at least in part, listen to this one on audio. I’m always more inclined to defer to audio over print when an author narrates their own books. While usually I find that’s the case with memoirs, this is no memoir (see author’s note at the end of the book). Julia pulls very few bits of her life into this story, though it exists in audiobook world where a narrator tiptoes the line of some notorious romance tropes while navigating her own love life.

It was perfect. This was exactly what my mood called for, and Thank You for Listening delivered. I thought it was smart and sweet (without being too sweet), there was some heavier content that didn’t feel forced into the narrative at all. It required a little suspending reality to believe the romance for me but still a definite romance recommend👌

A rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks @avonbooks @netgalley for an early e-copy of this book!

#juliawhelan #thankyouforlistening #netgalley #netgalleyreads #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #bookandflowers #booksandbotanicals #booksoutside #booktography #bookish #bookfeaturepage #bookaccount #booktherapy #bookthings #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #instareaders #readersofinstagram #avonbooks #readspinrepeatbookclubnbn

This story is a clever romance with witty dialogue between two audiobook narrators…one named Brock McKnight. I enjoy Julia Whelan’s audiobook narrations but especially enjoyed her book! I do recommend the audio version. I purchased the audiobook and the paperback book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

I just reviewed Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. #ThankYouforListening #NetGalley

Sewanee Chester is an audiobook narrator who doesn't do romances, thinking they are too unrealistic with their happy ever after endings. What she rails against however, happens to her, with coincidences and surprises that make her life one romance trope after another.

Meeting and falling in love with a stranger in Las Vegas during a book convention, falling for another audiobook narrator whom she texts but doesn't meet face to face, possibly finding a happy ever after ending in spite of her reservations,

The plot is clever and full of not so surprising surprises, the characters engaging. I enjoyed the book's twists and turns quite a bit.

This book I had high hopes for as an audiobook lover, particularly with Julia Whalen as a narrator. I believe that some books are great audiobooks, but not as great to read in print. This is one of those books for me. The characters, without great actors to interpret them, really fell flat for me. I found myself not really caring about the ending either as the lovers were never really together, just shared a lot of emails and texts. I am bummed because I had thought I would love this one, alas it was not a HEA for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon & Harper Voyage, and Julia Whelan for an advance copy of Thank You For Listening in exchange for an honest review. First off, Julia Whelan is one of my favorite audiobook narrators so I was thrilled to be approved for this one and it DIDNT disappoint. I loved following our two audiobook narrators as they fall in love while working together. I was pleased with how they ended up meeting and it all was so freaking cute. This one is a BIG YES from me and would recommend it to any rom com lover.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Sewanee Chester’s life is complicated. When a freak accident dashed her dreams of being a famous actress, she turned to narrating audiobooks - and she’s really good at it.

One night, at an audiobook conference in Las Vegas, she meets a handsome stranger at the bar and they spend a whirlwind night together. Never exchanging names or numbers.

Upon returning home to LA, Sewanee is offered a project for a romance novel that monetarily is a game changer for her and will let her take care of her grandmother who needs more hands on care. Plus - her co-narrator will be the famous Brock McNight - a steamy romance narrator who’s taken the industry by storm.

As Sewanee and Brock begin to work together and forge a real friendship, her and Brock find themselves face to face for an introduction that has been long overdue.

There’s a lot going on in this book - and I think that’s where I struggled. The characters are incredible - but there’s too much happening at once. The original meet cute, Sewanee’s accident, BlahBlah’s illness, Nick’s character arc, Sewanee’s mother and father, Adaku - so many character stories crammed into a lot of pages. It’s also really hard to follow the evolution - Las Vegas, LA, Venice, back to LA and a time jump. The shell was there to frame the novel, but the execution made it tough to follow. I often want more from a novel, but in this case, I wanted less! I wanted Whelan to simplify so I could enjoy the story more and spend more time getting to know the characters instead of feeling rushed. This was good, but it had potential to be so much greater.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Julia Whelan for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Perfection. That is the only word I need to describe Thank You for Listening.

So, I guess I can stop reading or listening to anymore books this year. Nothing can top this. Hands down, my favorite book of 2022.

( Disclaimer, I will absolutely not stop reading or listening to anymore books this year)

After a horrible accident leaves Sewanee Chester scared both physically and mentally she leaves behind acting and becomes an audiobook narrator.

While in Las Vegas for a book convention she meets Nick, a stranger at a bar with an amazingly hot Irish accent. They spend one night together.

After she returns home, Sewanee is asked to do a duet narration of a beloved authors last book. Her partner in this will be Brock McNight, the industry's hottest and most secretive voice.

Even though she doesn't do romance any longer she agrees to take the job to help pay for her grandmother's care.

The two form a friendship emailing and texting ,but eventually they want to meet face to face.

I loved this book so much! It was everything I could ever want in a book. Julie Whelan is a fantastic author and narrator. I can't wait for more!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well written, great to listen to. I really enjoyed this book. The crux of the story is nothing outstanding, but it is so enjoyable to listen to and the characters are so likable! I recommend often and have purchased for my library!

Sewanee Chester is an audiobook narrator. A whirlwind weekend at a book convention in Las Vegas has her spending an impromptu evening with a stranger. Upon returning home, Sewanee is asked by a renowned romance author to resurrect her old romance pseudonym, Sarah Westholme, to narrate her series with Brock McNight, the industry's sexiest sounding male narrator. Sewanee stopped narrating romances long ago when her dreams were shattered after an accident took away her dreams. She only agrees to narrate the series because of her utmost respect for the author who has passed away and because it is a decent amount of money that she will be able to use for her grandmother's care at a skilled care facility for patients with dementia. As, Brock and Sewanee begin narrating together, they begin to form a connection. Soon, they agree to meet. But, will things be the same when they are face to face?

This book was an absolute delight! I loved the insider look at what goes on in the audiobook industry and the characters were believable and had a lot of depth. I highly recommend the audiobook version - Julia Whelan is amazing.

Thanks to Avon & Harper Voyager for the copy to review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an eARC of this book to read and review. My thanks to libro.fm and HarperAudio for an advanced Audio of this book to listen to and review.

DNF at 66% because to manufacture drama and the Big Problem that needed to be overcome in order for the MCs to have their HEA, MC h had to be stupid and a Drama Llama Queen and turn down the possibility of love because the plot required it.

Also, I HATE how when a group from a state in the US is needed to poke fun at and make the butt of a joke, it's ALWAYS New Jersey. SERIOUSLY?!? I think the world is jelly of us, but if you are going to go all stereotypical when mocking NJ and it's people, at least get the stereotypical names right. Those would be Goomba names, like TOny, VINny, JIMmy, NOT "Jimbo". That's the stereotypical South. If you are going to insult us, at least get it right. Sheesh!

Honestly, the author narrated her own book, wonderfully might I add, but I think she just added those two goons in it to do the voices, like "Look at me! I can do stereotypical voices of stereotypical jerk men from Jersey!"

Very good. Now go home and get docked a star for playing to stereotypes AND getting it wrong.

Also, docking a star because the MC h BLATANTLY LIED to her Grandmom when she agreed to not see her anymore, because the Grandmom didn't want her granddaughter to see her mental decline with her dementia.

Also, her Grandmother seemed to want to go to a cheaper facility, but the granddaughter knew what was best!

Listen, I went through something similar with my grandmother, who I loved to distraction, but even when she made choices I didn't agree with, she was with it enough to make those decisions and I respected them and her autonomy. I had no right to make any decisions for her and while it hurt, I didn't try to take that away from her.

So for those reasons above I have no choice, despite the Cinnamon Roll of a MC H and the amazing narration (when it wasn't mocking my people), to DNF and give this 1 star.

I am one of the few who didn't like this book, so take what I say with a grain of salt and draw your own conclusions.

I loved this one so much. I read the e book but might check out the audiobook as well at some point. It was such a cute story and I loved all of the characters. It was just what I needed at the time that I read it.

I love everything Julia Whelan does--her audiobook narration is top notch and her debut novel, My Oxford Year, was great! So I was super pumped when I heard she had another book coming out and even more excited when I was approved to read it early on NetGalley! The book is fun and funny, with so much heart. And all of the meta audiobook and romance easter eggs make it such an enjoyable read! I can't wait to re-read when the audiobook (narrated by JW herself!!) comes out in August!

Enjoyable, charming, but weirdly paced. I loved the You've Got Mail of it all and the look into the audiobook industry, but the end dragged a little and I felt like there was a little bit too much going on with all the side plots.

I had seen My Oxford Year and it's on my TBR, but hadn't yet connected the name of the author with one of my favorite audiobook narrators until this book came out. I got an e-arc but got really behind on them by not taking into consideration a long anticipated vacation, then I had to move, then my son got married. I'm slowly making my way through them and so glad I finally got to this one.

Sewanee & Nick first meet in Las Vegas and things happen, as they do in Vegas. They go their separate ways and back to their lives but both of them can't stop thinking about the other. Meanwhile, Sewanee starts a job co-narrating with Brock McNight and they hit it off through a long text chain and plan to meet up after an audiobook award show. There's almost a love triangle and heart strings get pulled in her relationship with her grandmother and her best friend.

Even after to listening to the discussion of genre's (romance vs. women's fiction vs. happily ever after) that's in this book I'm not sure what to classify this book but either way I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure if I want her to stop narrating so she can write more because sometimes if I'm iffy about a book and she's the narrator, that's the deciding factor. But I definately want her to write more & I HAVE to go read My Oxford Year now & get it off the TBR.

This was great on audio. The characters were unique and likeable. It was a sweet and predictable romance. I really enjoyed this one.