Julia Whelan is one of the handful of narrators whose name I easily recognize. So when she writes a book about an actress turned book narrator I’m interested. She does explain that this isn’t autobiographical and how she created the characters. Whelan brings authenticity because this is a subject and industry she knows and understand.

And if you’re one of the industry leaders of course you’re going to narrate your own book. Whelan brings the characters to life. I couldn’t keep track of how many voices, male and female, and some with accents that she brings into play. Her different pronunciations on the same word was hysterically brilliant and yet something a narrator would have to contemplate.

This story is a delight. It is laugh out loud funny, witty with quick banter and hilarious texting. It is also deeply moving covering real life issues; grandmother in a care center, divorced parents, pushed out of a career you love, finding a new path and loving a best friend. This is (women’s) general fiction with an overall strong romance. It is for someone who appreciates the nuances of word choices and is open to characters who really grow in a few months time. For a book that talks about how romances always includes intimate moments this only has one limited scene. But it is still one of the sexiest books, with flirting, longing, touching, and full conversations of getting to know one another. It goes to show you don’t need to include graphic descriptions to show connections and falling in love.

It all begins with a one night stand, literally trapped in Las Vegas, during a snowstorm, sharing a room. The story throws in lots of tropes because the author understands them and how to work them towards a moving ending. Sewanee Chester is a book narrator who was an up and coming star until a disfiguring accident. She gets a dream job to do a romance book, a genre she’s given up, with Brock McNight. He is the industry’s sexiest voice. But the story has so much more depth. Sewanee and Nick are going to be characters I remember. This is the author’s second novel and I’ve will get the her first book. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio, for an e-audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I simply couldn't put this book down! (and think fans of Emily Henry will feel the same way)
I loved its representation of a side of publishing that doesn't get much credit a lot of the time, the intricate connection between the characters, the self-awareness towards the genre, the complex character work and, of course, the swoony romance.
What initially drew me to this was the fact that Julia Whelan was one of (if not my ultimate) favourite narrators, so of course I was going to jump on board of a romance novel about a narrator written (and narrated!!) by her - this did not disappoint in the slightest.

Absolutely fantastic! Julia Whelan is a fantastic narrator and writer and I feel very lucky to have gotten a chance to listen and read this book.

The story itself is well written and different from other things I've read. It was definitely an original. The narration for this was FANTASTIC. I listened to this on a 7-hour plane ride and I couldn't get enough of it. Whelan does a fantastic job of creating unique voices for each of her characters.

Girl (former romance narrator and unbeliever in HEAs) meets boy and they share one magical night together that has her doubting everything she knows. But then they go their separate ways with no sign of an HEA on the horizon. Then she gets dragged kicking and screaming into a romance project by an old author friend and her life gets flipped upside down by all the reveals. But have no fear, this is a romance and we all know what that means…

I absolutely LOVED this romance between two audiobook narrators. As someone who almost exclusively listens to audiobooks, I so enjoyed getting behind the scenes insights from one of my favorite authors and narrators!

Sewanee "Swan" Chester was an aspiring actress whose career got cut short after a tragic accident that leaves her with only one eye. Pivoting to audiobook narrating, Swan gets sucked back into romance books when one of her favorite author's final requests is for her to narrate her last book.

Motivated by the money in order to help pay for her ailing grandmother's care, Swan agrees and ends up embarking on a fulfilling text relationship with her co-narrator that ends up going in surprise directions that (while predictable) I enjoyed so so much!!

This book was full of HEART, witty banter and great disability rep! I fell in love with Swan and was rooting for her to find her HEA, despite how jaded she was about love and her ability to find someone who would love her despite her physical flaws.

Highly recommended, especially on audio read by the author herself. If you already are an audiobook fan you don't want to miss this one and if you aren't yet you just might be converted by this wonderful book. There's also a great author's note included at the end explaining how this book came to be. Much thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for my ALC!!