THE END MAKES ME SO NERVOUS.

Peppa is meandering through life, thinking she's being led by the voice of Virginia Woolf, an interesting premise to kick things off and she seems to have things going for her with a fancy new tech job and maybe her parents setting her up not being the worst thing to happen to her but true to her visionary, she has a mental breakdown and things go awry. Set in NYC in 2000/2001, the setting is relatable.
I will say that the narrator was a little hard to connect with and maybe knocked the story down a little on my end.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC, Dear Virginia releases on 05/06/2025.

I had great expectations for this story, but "Dear Virginia, Wait for Me" turned out to be just an OK read. It wasn't bad, but it didn't quite live up to what I had hoped for. While it didn't completely captivate me, there were aspects that I appreciated. I liked Peppa's voice, her perspective, and her growing hope for the future. There was also a lot of strength in her weaknesses, which made her a complex, lovely character. The setting was also great! Y2K in New York seemed perfect. The first chapters provided a great starting point, but then it felt like something shifted in the story. Characters were introduced that I couldn't quite grasp. What I loved so much at the beginning of the book (Peppa's strong voice) faded into the background for other voices. Some chapters felt completely unnecessary, and it didn't feel like the story was going anywhere.

I wanted more Peppa, more of her dynamic one-on-one with her boss, more from Peppa's mother. The ending contributed to a positive upswing, but unfortunately, there was too much uninteresting content in the middle. Virginia Woolf's voice was a nice touch to the story and could have been explored even more.

The narrator of the audiobook was engaging to listen to and gave a clear, lovely voice to Peppa's story.

3.25 stars!

First of all, a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ALC of Dear Virginia, Wait for Me by Marcia Butler! I'm so grateful I got the chance to listen to this gem early.

Right from the start, I was completely hooked by the premise — I mean, a woman followed around by her inner voice as she builds resilience and fights her way through struggles? Sign me up! I just knew this was going to be special, and it absolutely was.

The writing and narration are super intriguing from the very beginning — it pulls you right in, and you don't want to leave. And oh, Pappa. What a queen! I found myself rooting for her so hard. She’s been through so much, but the way she pushes forward is just inspiring.

What I also loved is how the story explores some really heavy, emotional topics but manages to do it with a kind of lightness that makes it feel real and approachable, not overwhelming. It strikes that perfect balance between heartfelt and hopeful.

If you love character-driven stories with heart, grit, and a little bit of quirk, definitely give this one a listen. Pappa’s story will stick with me for a long time!

I had the opportunity to get an ARC of this book (audiobook). The storyline was really interesting, based in the Y2K era, a girl getting her first real job in the city while coming from what seems like an overbearing family, at first.

A few chapters in, you realize her parents rely on her for a lot of things due to her mother having had a mental break previous and still dealing with mental health struggles.

She’s struggling to find her way in the city. Her boss is extremely particular. The job is different than she’s expecting but she’s excited. Her boss introduces her to a whole new world of “luxury” she isn’t used too. Funny enough, she’s lived not far from the coast her whole life, but she’s never had seafood and is given lobster for the first time.

Also, she hears the voice of Virginia Wolfe in her head, talking to her.

Was it my favorite book? No. Was it a bad book? No.
Just a little drug out to show the stark differences in how her life was, then the life she was introduced too. Then the love story her parents introduce into her life feels off to me too.

The audiobook narrator was great. The different voices she did for the characters made following the story easy.

Dear Virginia, Wait for Me had moments of brilliance—there were scenes and passages that truly captivated me, and those parts were incredibly well done. The book showed real potential, and when it was good, it was really good. Unfortunately, those highlights were mixed with sections that felt unnecessary or even distracting, which pulled me out of the story. It was frustrating at times because I could see how great this book could have been. In the end, the inconsistency made it hard to fully enjoy, even though I genuinely loved certain parts. 2.25

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the chance to listen to this title in exchange for my opinion.

tbh i found this book to be quite grating. couldn’t connect with the narrator or any of her decisions. some of the supporting characters felt like caricatures at times, specifically gogo and her father. chapters felt choppy & abrupt. not one i enjoyed reading.