I loved My Oxford Year and was very excited for this one! Thank You For Listening was such a fun listen and well worth the wait! I really liked Sewanee and enjoyed getting to know her and seeing her throughout her ups and downs. The romance in this was sexy and fun, every reveal had me wanting more and I loved how it all came together. There were a lot of text messages and emails in this audiobook, which sometimes doesn't work for me but Whelan definitely pulled it off- she's a pro! I also loved the author's note at the end, a great touch.

🎧 Thankyou for Listening 🎧
By Julia Whelan
Publisher Avon Publisher (Aug 2 2022)
Audiobook

Is there any better pairing then a Julia Whelan book read by Julia Whelan? That would be no.

A book that pulls back the common belief of what an audiobook narrator does and the amount of effort into every single chapter. It is also about failed dreams that turn into something that fuels the creative part of us. Throw in some banter, romance (grumpy to lover) and self love to round out Whelan’s newest book. It’s her voice that gave the heart of it for me. A little long at parts but I could listen to her read out my chore list and enjoy it 😂

If you love her work, you’ll enjoy this. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted audiobook in return for an honest review

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan - ARC Review

Julia Whelan is hands down my favorite audiobook narrator (sorry everyone else!), so I was thrilled to see that she had an upcoming release of her own. While this is not Whelan's first novel (I plan to listen to My Oxford Year soon), it's the first for me.

Thank You for Listening tells the story of Sewanee Chester, former actress turned audiobook narrator after a tragic accident. While not quite the career path she envisioned, Sewanee finds solace and success in the audiobooth, so much so that she's asked to co-narrate an acclaimed and recently deceased romance novelist's final book. While Sewanee had given up on the romance genre (afterall, she doesn't believe in "Happily Ever After" and will literally shout that during a crowded conference), the money that it will bring can provide the necessary care for her beloved ailing grandmother. And while her book conference is off to a bumpy start (see: shouting about HEA to a sea of unruly romance fans), Sewanee is swept away in an uncharacteristic one night stand that's left her wondering if someone could see past her physical insecurities.

As she begins to work on narrating the romance novel (under a pseudonym, of course), a flirty email and text exchange ensues with co-narrator and mystical, dreamy voice of Brock McNight. As conversations and innuendos escalate, Sewanee wonders if they could actually have something outside the safety of their sound booths and pseudonyms.

Sewanee is relatable and authentic in her flaws of jealousy, skepticism, fear of rejection and a reluctance to accept love.

Whelan's writing is filled with fun, wit, and charm, and of course her narration was fantastic. Her male voice makes me swoon. It was fun to both listen and read, and I wound up reading it entirely through and then listening so I was able to anticipate certain moments and actually hear them play out.

I’m hooked on Julia Whelan, and I highly recommend Thank You for Listening which comes out on August 2.

⭐ 100 out of 100 stars! ⭐

ALL the freakin' stars in the entire WORLD! 🙌

FIrst of all…. I must preface this by saying that this was my single most anticipated book of the year. My expectations were VERY high, yet Julia Whelan managed to exceed every single one of them.

I actually sat on this review for a few days to collect my thoughts. But here we are, days later, and they're still not fully collected -- ha! Nothing I say will do this book justice. It was beautiful. It was perfect. The characters are so real and messy and beautifully flawed. And the names!!! Award for best character names goes to Julia Whelan! 🏆

The character growth was one of my favorite things. And the love. Swan and Nick's love story is one of the best I've ever read. There were no unnecessary conflicts or forced drama. Everything happened authenticity and the evolution was so natural. I love romance and read a lot of it. And sometimes I feel like authors are trying so hard to fit into this specific trope that it undermines the story. TYFL wasn't tropey at all. It was just this natural story of love and loss and grief and pain and healing and coming to terms and finding acceptance…and learning to love ourselves !!💕

As an audiobook junkie, I absolutely loved the glimpse into audiobook world. And though Julia said in her author's note that this is absolutely, positively NOT autobiographical, I did still feel like there were little nuggets of truth in here. For example: the way Swan approaches character voices and personalities with her acting background is what makes her so good at her job. This was a lightbulb moment for me. 💡 Because, as we all know, Julia is the best in her field. And though we also all know that she is an actor, I had never really put two and two together that perhaps that's part of the reason why she's so damn good at her job. I dunno… but as someone who is far removed from audiobook production, it was great to get to see / hear about life as a narrator — even if it was complete fiction.

I loved Blah so much!! And I love Blah and Swan's relationship. I loved the friendship between A and Swan. I loved how unbelievably SMART this entire book was. It's just smart writing. Good, solid, writing. Not everyone can write like this. But Julia can. 💕

I could go on and on but I won't....

Thank You for Listening is without a doubt one of my new favorite books. I am not a rereader, but I do plan on reading this in print once I receive my copy. It was THAT good!!

Thank you, Julia, for allowing your fans and readers the opportunity to see into that big juicy brain of yours! You have such a gift and I am forever grateful that you choose to share that gift with the world. Both behind the mic and on the page. I can't wait to see what you come up with next. 💕

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins, Avon Books, Harper Audio and Julia Whelan for my ALC in exchange for my honest review. And a HUGE thanks to Beth at Harper Audio for pushing my pending ALC request through!!! 🥰

I'm blown away by this book! I never say that about rom coms, but this book is the one you should be listening to! It is an audiobook about audiobook narrators which is a severe oversimplification, but it is the underlying premise. It is about love and finding that elusive happily ever after, but it is also about accepting who you are, the mistakes you have made and either being happy with where you are in life or pulling up your big girl or boy panties and making the necessary changes to get to where you want to be. There is so much I could unpack for you in the review, but in reality the best thing I can say is download it and listen to it, you won't be sorry. If you like fiction, listen to the book. If you like rom coms, listen to the book. If you like women's literature, listen to the book. If you like audiobooks, listen to the book. There are overlapping story lines and genres which gives the book so much more depth than you are expecting. I can't wait to listen to more from this author!

Is there anything better than a Julia Whelan book narrated by Julia Whelan?

How about one about an audiobook narrator???

That’s right, this delightful romcom features a darling audiobook narrator who doesn’t believe in HEAs. Sewanne had a tragic accident while perusing acting that led her to narration but has she really let go of that dream? She also refuses all romance books until she gets an offer she can’t refuse in order to help her beloved Grandma. Once her life becomes a romance book, she has a hard time believing any of it is real.

Ok y’all, this book was a delight. I loved how this book makes fun of romance books and tropes while being a romance book. The banter between Sewanne and Nick was super fun while texting and swoon worthy in person.

And while this book is funny, it deals a lot of tough topics. My gran lost her memory just like Blah and it was heartbreaking to see. Thankfully I never saw her at her worst like Sewanne did, but I know it happened similarly.

I loved the woman’s fiction vs romance debate because that’s what this book felt like (and the style that I prefer to read).

I wanna know, did she write the character’s accents because that’s what she wanted to perform? Or is that who they were and then she decided the voices? Or at they one in the same? Either way, top notch narration!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the advanced copy. I was holding out reading, hoping for the audio copy, and right as I picked this up to read, it became available on audio from @librofm so thank you!!!

Thank you for listening by Julia Whelan was just what I needed!
We all know that Julia is one of the best narrators out there and that is showcased in this beautiful story!
Sewanee and Brock are that couple that you just want to cheer on and see get all they want and deserve. They both have their flaws and obstacles but their stories are handled with such care and a nice dose of reality.
I just really enjoyed listening to this story and think it’s the perfect summer read!

This book had everything I wanted in a summer read. There was a hint of romance, likable characters, humor, hope, and witty banter. Such a fun quick read.

An audiobook narrator write a novel about audiobook narration, and then narrates her own book in audiobook format. Awesome.

Julia Whelan shows us behind the curtain of audiobook production, then shows us what a talented voice actor can do. Clear distinction of the voices of multiple characters, some of whom have multiple accents. Comedic inflection and timing were perfect.

Audiobook fans should listen to this if only for the first 10 minutes- laugh out loud funny- and then stay listening for the tribute to audiobooks in general, and romance novels specifically.

The story was fun, funny, and had a large cast of interesting characters that was easy to keep track of. This book has got it all. My only complaint is that it seemed too short. Just wanted to spend more time with these characters.

I was surprised to see that there is a print version of this title, which is a fine way to read this, but you misses the point.

"Thank You for Listening" (h/t to NetGalley for the ARC) is one of the best books I've read this year and was swiftly added to my list of comfort reads (and listens).

Narration: masterful. I once saw a review that said, "Julia Whelan could narrate the phone book and I'd listen." This is accurate.

The story itself is everything a great book ought to be: funny, heartwarming, a little sad, a lot of life (and all the bullsh*t that comes with being an adult.), love, friendship, growth.

Frankly, I think you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't listen to the audio but, that said, the book itself is perfectly wonderful.

When your favorite audiobook narrator writes a book about audiobook narrators its a no-brainer to pick it up and give it a listen. I am so thankful to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the chance to listen to this one.

Sewanee is an actor who pivoted to audiobook narrating several years ago after a bad accident. She started her career off in romance but has since left her romance pseudonym behind to tackle other genres. Known as one of the best audiobook narrators with convincing voice range she has become an award-winning narrator. After filling in on a romance narrator panel in Las Vegas (and almost causing a romance lover riot when she almost lets slip her true feelings on HEAs) she meets a man and gives him a little lesson on women's fiction vs. romance and their expected endings. Which ending will they have when they find themselves facing some romance tropes of their own.

When she gets back to the real world she has an offer for a romance narration for one of her favorite former romance authors who has recently passed. She has sworn off romance but the amazing compensation being offered is needed to help with her grandma's medical bills. The author insisted she be the one to do it alongside one of the hottest, most mysterious names in male romance narration. Sewanee dusts off her old romance pseudonym and decides to give it another go.

Brock McNight is a reluctant narrator. He is amazing at his job and has a voice women melt over, but its not his dream job. Over the course of recording the narration he and Sewanee exchange emails and texts with fun banter and we learn more about this mysterious man.

I enjoyed the glimpse of the process of recording audiobooks that this story provided. I loved the banter between Brock and Sewanee. I liked the arc of each of their stories and the fact that the author was able to poke fun at audiobooks and the romance genre in a respectful manner. One quote from the fictitious romance author, June French, had me laughing but also made a good point. "Of course their should be an HEA, I'm so sick of this question! It's a romance, that's the deal we make with our readers. It's misogyny plain and simple. You don't see anyone telling mystery readers they're silly and unserious for wanting to know by the end of the book who the murderer was. F#$& Off!"

I automatically gravitate toward any book narrated by Julia Whelan. I could listen to her read the phone book, so I was not surprised that she, once again, delivered a perfect performance. However, I was surprised that my favorite narrator also wrote a book that I really enjoyed. Thank you For Listening is a delightful story that takes you into the world of audio narration. The story is packed full of emotion, and I felt all of it. The characters developed beautifully throughout the pages – you will love each of them. The story is full of witty banter, chemistry, and heart. I did not want to stop listening.

I am obsessed with Julia Whelan as an audiobook narrator, she elevates every story she tells. If she is voicing something, I know I want to listen. I'm also very interested in the industry, so for this reason I wanted to read/listen to THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, not expecting that the writing would be the draw. However, I was stunned to find Julia is an excellent writer-- on par with her vocal storytelling- and I LOVED this book.
The protagonist was endearing, relatable, flawed, complicated and worth rooting for. Her love interest was funny, charming, interesting, damaged and flawed and worthy of our heroine.
This book is witty and fun, rooted in real life and emotion, and flew by so quickly. Highly recommend listening or reading the author's notes, such interesting perspective on romance, audiobooks, separating fact from fiction, and the way the world shapes the stories we read- as our authors write during shifts in the world, so is their writing shaped.

The characters felt real and relatable. I enjoyed the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC.

Sewanee Chester’s acting career ended after a freak accident. Now she finds herself reading audiobooks under a pseudonym. She hates narrating romance and promises never to do it again, until an author she respects passes and her dying wish is for Sewanee to narrator the book with famous, sultry audiobook narrator Brock McNight. She agrees… and realizes there is a lot more to Brock and narrating this final romance than she thought.

Love, love, love this (audio)book! Julia Whelan was the first audiobook narrator that I absolutely loved and went to listen to many of the books she narrated (and will continue to.) Her novel is an absolute joy; full of charming, likable characters, laughs, and tropes that we all love.

I enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end that explained how the story came to fruition.

Thanks Netgalley and HarperAudio for this ARC. Will add this to our collection and suggest it for a book club book for the teachers and parents.

An audiobook about audiobook narrators written by an audiobook narrator. So much fun! I began reading this but it is true, the audio is the true experience and Julia Whelan is a master. Sewanee is an actress turned audiobook narrator after a horrible accident. After a steamy Las Vegas evening with a mysterious stranger, she takes on a new project to help pay for her grandmother’s care. This new project happens to be a audio duet with a widely known and loved romance narrator, Brock McNight. Secrets emerge, connections form, and dreams are realized. And let’s not forget her best friend! This is such a fun read for audiobook listeners and book lovers alike. I loved the connections forged both IRL and through text/emails. The relationship between Sewanee and her best friend, father, and grandmother gave the story add depth and layers that everyone can relate to

A complete and utter delight. A recommended first purchase in all formats for collections where contemporary romance is popular.

4.5 stars

I'm a HUGE fan of Julia Whelan, she is my #1 audiobook narrator and honestly she killed it with this book. If you love audiobooks, and even if you don't, you'll enjoy this book.
I adored the plot, laughed, chuckled my way through it. Loved how the author balanced the range of emotions. Honestly the book had everything I love about a romance.
The couple had wonderful chemistry, and were a pleasure to listen to. Their banter was GOLD!!!
The novel was low on drama, big on everything else. Just the way I like it.

It's a MUST read for every romance book lover.

PS. The author's note was such a great touch and just the answer to all my questions.

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!!

Oooh!! Squeal! This was like such a hug for my heart!!⁣
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Who doesn’t love a romance novel about audiobook narrators?! A story in a story, filled with so many fun tropes! ⁣
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Sewanee uses her acting skills to become the best audiobook narrator! She is able to switch to so many different, incredible voices and accents it’s amazing!⁣
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She meets sexy Nick at a Vegas Book Convention and sparks flew! Umm he has an accent!! Swoon, but it was a one night stand. Then she has to read an audiobook with Brock; one of the best male audiobook narrators in romance and their banter is amazing. ⁣
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This was so much fun to listen to. I was constantly smiling and laughing out loud. The banter was incredible. This was womens fiction meets rom com meets so many fun tropes with sarcastic banter and booming chemistry and I absolutely adored it!⁣
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Julie Whelan wrote such a fun book and also narrated this INCREDIBLY. I never wanted to stop listening! The ability to change to so many different voices/characters throughout this is awe inspiring. Fan girling! ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 For the story; 5⭐️ For narration!

Over time, Julia Whelan has become one of my favorite audiobook narrators. I find her voice soothing and I can easily distinguish characters when she's reading. So, when I found out she wrote a romance book about narrating romance books... I needed it in my life as fast as possible. And when I started it, I could not put it down.
I really, truly loved this. I say that about a lot of books, but this clutched my attention and wouldn't let go until I finished.