I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It was an interesting family dynamic. The characters were all very well developed. I was sort of surprised by the ending. I didn’t expect it. The artist really painted a good picture and it flowed well.

I liked the narrator. She emoted well and didn’t varied voices for the characters.

a captivating audiobook that immerses listeners in Jeanie's world and takes them on a journey of self-discovery and redemption. Coughlan's soothing voice and skilled delivery bring the characters and their emotions to life, while Griffin's lyrical prose and vivid descriptions create a rich and immersive atmosphere.

A lovely, gentle and bittersweet story, Listening Still considers the weight of family obligations and how they impact life decisions. Jeanie has felt trapped into the family business but over the course of the novel comes to understand that she has more freedom than she originally thought.

Listening Still by Anne Griffin is the story of Jeannie Masterson and her gift of being able to communicate with the recently dead. When Jeannie's father announces his retirement from the family funeral business, Jeannie is uncertain if she wants to continue without him. Listening Still has a great premise, but moved slowly. Flashing back to Jeannie's high school and college days slowed down the story and disconnected the reader from events in the present. Nicola Coughlan has the perfect voice for the audio version of this book!

I absolutely love Anne Griffin’s first novel and couldn’t wait to start Listening Still. It was such a beautiful story! Griffin has such a way about writing about Irish life and culture, it makes my heart so full! And you MUsT listen to the audiobook because the narrator is none other than the fabulous Nicola Coughlin (from Derry Girls and Bridgerton!). She does a smashing job!

I wanted to like this--the idea of it sounded interesting--however, it just kept falling flat for me and I couldn't get myself to care enough to finish it.

I tried so hard to engage in this book and like it. But I just couldn’t get through it.

I wonder if I had read it and not had the digital copy, if I would have felt better about the plot. Maybe it was the narrator that threw me off but o just couldn’t stay engaged.

Jeanie the man character was written well I will say. She displayed the right amount of being apprehensive in taken on her new role, but also excitement as she finally can become who she was born to be.

Listening Still is the second novel by Irish author Anne Griffin. This story revolves around early thirties Jeanie Masterson, her husband Niall, and her family who owns and operates the local mortuary in Kilcross, Ireland. An unusual service is offered at their establishment; Jeanie and her dad are able to communicate with the recently passed to hear last wishes, deep secrets, and true confessions. Jeanie is of a mind that all should be revealed to the survivors. Her father likes to soften things, or perhaps not tell them at all.

While this may cause some friction, it is when her parents plan to retire that sends Jeannie into a tailspin. Her parents, along with her challenged older brother, are moving away, leaving the business to her and Niall, along with assistance from Jeannie’s Aunt Harry.

With flashbacks to Jeannie’s childhood, teens, and twenties blended with events of the time, this is a very original story touching on somewhat taboo areas in a most touching manner. And the way the story evolves, it is definitely left open ended for a sequel. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Jeanie Masterson is able to hear the dead, a gift she inherited from her dad. Her family uses this gift as undertakers, passing on last messages from the recently deceased. When her parents announce their plans to retire, Jeanie’s world is thrown off balance, as she wonders whether she made the right decision 17 years ago to stay and work at the family business instead of moving to London with her high school boyfriend.

I liked learning about Jeanie’s life bit by bit, though listening to the audiobook, there was no indication when we were jumping to a different year, and it sometimes took a while to figure out that the scene had changed. Jeanie’s ability to talk to the dead was definitely the high point of the plot, but we did not get to see those scenes as often as I had hoped. I would have liked to get to know the secondary characters better, but we see them just as the roles they play in Jeanie’s life, as a story about her “midlife crisis” trying to decide whether she made the right choices in her life.

This was a solid 3.5 star read.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

I listened to the audio version of this novel. I loved the Irish brogue the narrator spoke with - beautiful narration by Nicola Coughlan - great way to get into the feel of the Irish village and community. This is an Irish fable. I really enjoyed the concept of an inherited trait that is passed down through generations. The trait in this family is that they are able to communicate and hear the last wishes of the recent dead. The family, of course, are the undertakers of the village. Ms. Griffin has great character development - I was able to get to know the characters and feel at home with them. I found myself wishing the author stayed more with the communication with the dead - the story moved slowly and was a bit hard to continue through as I got to the middle of the book where it spent a lot of time dealing with all the main character's issues - it turned into more of a coming of age story. I liked the premise of the story and will continue to follow Anne Griffin.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced listening copy.
This audiobook was fabulous. The story was thoughtful, deep, multilayered, and compelling. I enjoyed every minute. The narrator did a fantastic job and added to the atmosphere of the novel. The idea of being able to speak with dead people is not new to literature, but this was done in a way that felt new and interesting.

While reading LISTENING STILL I started thinking how different parts of the family’s story can be compared to a few television shows and movies I have enjoyed over the years. The family’s undertaking business, reminds me of the show SIX FEET UNDER, and the sense of duty to work together. The ability to talk to the deceased at first made me think of THE SIXTH SENSE, but then as the story progressed I realized it is much more akin to the television series, PUSHING DAISIES. Jeannie does not have the ability to actually see dead people, except in their caskets, but the ability to talk with them. In the show PUSHING DAISIES***, Ned, the main character, can touch a dead person and bring them back to life to help solve their own murder. When he touches them again, they die. I connected these two characters by their ability to talk to the dead. Jeannie has the ability to speak to the dead, if they choose to speak, in order to share finally words or wishes to their loved ones. The short period of time Jeannie can speak to the deceased can provide closure, but also confusion.

When Jeannie’s parents share the news they are planning to retire, Jeannie’s world starts to crumble. She did not intend to take over the family business, but because of her ability to communicate with the dead, she felt the obligation to stay. Jeannie struggles with past decisions, love, and loyalty throughout.

The narrator Nicola Coughlan providing a wonderful listening experience. Her accent provided a sense of the stories location and the characters.

***By making the comparison of LISTENING STILL to PUSHING DAISIES, I am by no means suggesting this book is a comedy. It is merely a connection I made with the characters as I was reading,

Listening Still by Anne Griffin is a coming of age story about 32 year old Jeanie who has the uncanny ability to speak with the dead just before they pass to the other side. She is at a crossroads when her parents announce their retirement from the family owned funeral home in a small Irish village.

Bullied for being a "freak," married to a man she has known her whole life, self appointed caretaker of her autistic brother who fears change, and living with too many "what if" moments, she must come to grips with her ability as a curse or gift, the state of her marriage and that maybe her brother isn't the one who fears change.

Talented actress Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) is perfection with her Irish lilt as an anxious yet endearing Jeanie. A very heartfelt life awakening journey.

I received a free copy of this audiobook for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jeanie Masterson has a gift if you can call it that. She can hear the dead. Working in the family business as an undertaker, she uses this talent to relay messages of those recently passed to their loved ones. Jeanie toes the line of morality as she struggles with what to censor for the living and what needs to be said.

A love story, a coming of age saga, and a morality struggle. This book truly has it all. I felt all of the emotions and gobbled up the hint of magic realism.

The narration was top-notch, I highly recommend listening to this on audiobook! Nicola Caughlin (of Bridgerton fame) gives life to this life saga and transforms the story into something living.

This book was a refreshing piece of women’s literary fiction!

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy premises that are slightly magical, but the overall story is more of a contemporary like in the magical realism or fabulism genres. The main character’s ability to speak to the dead allows for a lot of interesting reflections on what the purpose of being alive is, and different reasons why the dead hang on to their lives after death (or don’t). The main character herself is in somewhat of a midlife crisis over her goals for the future (exacerbated by her husband’s own more clear goals for the future), and this ties nicely into the themes on life purpose.

After finishing this book, I would like to read a review on the portrayal of autism in the character Mikey, one of the major side-characters of the book; however, the representation was not in of itself a plot point.

Overall, my absolute favorite part of this book was the ending, and I found it incredibly thought-provoking! Although I personally could not relate to life stage that the main character was in, I could see myself returning to this book in the future. I also really enjoyed the audiobook read by Nicola Coughlan (yes! From Bridgerton and Derry Girls) , whose accent made the character come to life!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this book both digitally and as an audiobook!

“Listening Still” was a solid read that examines the importance and intricacies of life, with a fantasy/paranormal tilt as the protagonist can speak with the dead. She was likeable and there were relatable moments in the book as the main character tries to find her happiness while trying to ignore the pressures of society. There were just some moments of the book that felt too slow which kept me from having a stronger connection with it. The tone of the book was pleasant, but I just found myself liking it fine, as opposed to loving it. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this copy for review.

I was unable to listen to this audiobook. I had downloaded on my iPad and every time the app updates, it deletes my downloads.

i loved when all is said, so i jumped at the chance to read this one. unfortunately, it didn't hit me quite the same way. perhaps it's one of those expectations were too high disappointments. the narration was great though!

This book had so many faults. I couldn’t connect with the story at all and the characters were meh. I appreciate what this author was doing, but I personally was not a fan of this audiobook.

I could not finish this book. I DNF'd at 35%. I just couldn't get into it. I found it extremely boring and not what I was expecting. I couldn't figure out where the story was going and I didn't like how she could only talk to the dead for a few moments after death. I didn't like the narrator. Her accent was too thick for me. It was hard to understand her at points. I was thinking expecting a slow burn drama, but this one just didn't catch my interest.

I will not be reviewing on Goodreads as I did not finish it. Thank you Netgalley for the advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.