Dear Virginia, Wait For Me was a novel with a bit of a difference, while it covered some really hard hitting themes it felt cozy in nature. Peppa is a bright young woman, starting a new job in the city where she’s sure to excel, but her parents want her to stay home take over the family business and marry a tradesman.

Peppa hears voices, one voice to be precise, that of Virginia Woolf. I thought the author had Woolf’s voice down to a tee. It made what were often difficult to hear topics hold humour.

A short sharp novel that I did really enjoy, I really wasn’t sure about the ending.

Morgan Hallet’s narration was lovely.

Huge thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook which is available now 🎧

Somehow I was lucky enough to receive the audiobook and ebook as an arc from NetGalley. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me.

I was quite excited about this book but after attempting to read the ebook for about 10% and then switching to the for the next 30%, I ended up putting this one down. While it isn’t bad, it felt like it was intended for middle grade readers. I didn’t mesh with the writing style.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and listen, I hope this book finds it’s audience!

Marcia Butler’s Dear Virginia, Wait for Me is a simultaneously poignant and playful. The novel follows Peppa Ryan, a brilliant yet fragile young woman navigating the complexities of early adulthood in turn-of-the-millennium New York City. Guided by an inner voice she believes to be Virginia Woolf, Peppa embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting family expectations, mental health challenges, and the pursuit of independence. With wit and empathy, Butler crafts a narrative that explores the power of inner voices, the resilience of the human spirit, and the unexpected paths to finding one’s place in the world. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

I actually really enjoyed this. I think it highlighted mental health really well and what that may look like in genetics.

Her friends were freaking saints but she was also so likable. I knew the money thing was a misunderstanding as soon as it was happening. Especially after knowing about the sister.

My eyes about bulged out of my head at the Twin Towers reference. I really did not need another Remember Me moment.

The end was sudden but it also felt fitting.

I found this story and the relationships depicted a delight to read. The story takes twists that I did not expect and kept me guessing in parts.

The issues around mental health are portrayed with respect while delivering some harsh realities of the impact it has on those affected and the people around them.

The relationships forged between Peppa, Ivan, and Gogo are interesting, fun, loyal and life-long. As is the relationship between Brendan and Peppa in addition to heartbreaking at times.

I would like to have read some more closure on Peppa's relationship with her parents, especially her dear old Dad. However, I can appreciate the Author's honesty when it comes to the stark realities that life can be for many.

Thankyou to #Netgalley and publisher #CentralAvenue for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you RBmedia & Net Galley for the advanced audiobook of Dear Virginia, Wait for Me by Marcia Butler.

Reading Dear Virginia, Wait for Me by Marcia Butler felt like stepping into someone’s most private thoughts - raw, beautiful, and sometimes deeply unsettling. Marcia Butler has written a story that’s equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, told through the voice of Virginia, a young girl trying to make sense of a world that often feels cruel and confusing.

What struck me most was how real Virginia felt. Her voice is honest and vulnerable, and the way she escapes into her imagination is both painful and powerful. The story doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff—trauma, loneliness, and the messy realities of childhood—but it handles everything with such care and sensitivity.

Butler’s writing is lyrical without being flowery. There’s a dreamlike quality to the book that pulls you in.

This is one of those books that stays with you. It made me think about how children survive hard things, and how creativity can be a lifeline. Dear Virginia isn’t an easy read, but it’s a meaningful and moving one.

PS I love GoGo!!

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this (audiobook) eARC of Dear Virginia, Wait for Me.

I was really intrigued by the description. And although I really enjoyed the book, it fell a bit short in my opinion.
I think this book should have lasted longer so that we could have had more time to explore its different aspects.

As for the narration, I really enjoyed it!

I really loved this book. It’s such a thoughtful, emotional story about a young woman trying to figure out who she is and how to live her life on her own terms. Peppa Ryan is super smart but struggles a lot with self-esteem and anxiety. She barely ever leaves her house, until she gets a job at a Wall Street firm and slowly starts stepping into the world.

Oh, and she also hears a voice in her head that she believes is Virginia Woolf. That part totally caught my attention, and honestly, it kind of works. The voice isn’t weird or overwhelming, it’s more like a quiet companion that helps her get through tough moments.

I also listened to the audiobook, and it was just great. The narrator is incredible, bringing so much depth to the characters and making every moment feel alive. Their performance truly helped me immerse in the story, adding an extra layer of connection to Peppa’s journey.

This book made me feel so many things. It’s not a big dramatic story, but it’s honest and heartfelt.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an alc!

3.5 stars

dear virginia, wait for me follows our fmc peppa who believes she has the voice of virginia woolf guiding her through life by helping her make decisions.

an interesting novel about being a young, working woman in nyc in the early 2000s, having a parent with a mental illness/terminal illness, generational trauma, and having a mental illness yourself.

as for the audio, the narrator did a great job!

As a Virginia Woolf fan I really wanted to read this book, so thank you to the publisher for the advanced listener copy!

Peppa Ryan is a sensitive yet resilient young woman who, with the help of an inner voice ( Virginia Woolf’s voice) and newfound friends attempts to find her way in the world.

I know how Virginia Woolf’s words can stay with you, so when I heard of the premise I thought it was a very interesting idea for a story. However, I couldn’t quite connect to the main character and I did not like most of the side characters unfortunately. That being said, all of the advice in Peppa’s head seemingly coming from Virginia Woolf was great and really reminded me of some of Woolf’s nonfiction.

This was such a different read from what I normally get into. I do love Virginia Woolf, so that was fun. Loved Virginia’s thoughts inside Peppa’s head.
I truly don’t know how best to describe this story. It is not what I expected, and it feels a bit random.
All that to say, I enjoyed Peppa’s story. I loved following her a Virginia through this spot in her life, and I thought the ending was sweet. Want something different? Pick this one up. 3.5⭐️

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a DNF @42%

I should learn to trust my gut and read blurbs more thoroughly, despite hating how much some, this one included, give away.

Being a large neurodivergent gal myself, I love to see some representation...although the person on the cover bares little semblance to the protagonist of this book, but I don't care how intersectional the lead of a book is if the book is peddling girlboss 'feminism'.

Philanthropy is Great Man bullshit and the boss is an overbearing, mansplaining, pushy arsehole.

This reads like, how I learned to love capitalism and embrace my true girlboss...


Maybe there's more to it, but what I read was unpleasant and made me deeply uncomfortable and according to the blurb the boss and rockstar are the heroes, which...fuck off!

I'm sure this is very appealing to a certain reader, but it couldn't be me.

This is a quiet, character-driven story about a young woman finding her way in the world. Peppa’s struggles with self-esteem and family pressure feel real, and her growth over the course of the book is heartfelt. The setting—turn-of-the-millennium New York—adds a nice atmosphere. The idea of her being guided by the voice of Virginia Woolf is creative, but at times it pulled me out of the story and made it hard to stay focused. Still, the relationships she builds and the way she slowly steps into her own strength make this a meaningful, if sometimes slow, read.

Dear Virginia, Wait for Me was an interesting read. If you like Where Did You Go Bernadette, I think you will like this one too! I really loved the characters

I listened to the audio version of this book and thought that format was great.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

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.