This book has basically everything I could want from a book. A love/relationship that 💯 felt fated in its unfolding. A complicated layered back story for both our characters. Endless inside jokes for those of us in the *fandom* of audiobooks ( the scene about the ‘male narrator’ then…. There was the Lindsey Graham joke) Hilarious, dry, witty banter in text messages and emails (my all time favorite as you know). And of course Julia’s narration and all of her many character voices that are perfection. I also particularly enjoyed the distinction/explanation of romance vs fiction vs women's fiction as told in the story. I’m telling you, this in going to be in my list of top books for the year. If you like romance and audiobooks you 100% need to listen to this.

PS- The post script from Julia at the end, also perfection and made me love the book that much more.

Definitely a must-listen if you do choose to read this one.

I've been sitting on my thoughts for THANK YOU FOR LISTENING for two months; it was a captivating and utterly fabulous narrated experience. Was it a fabulous romance? I don't know. There's an overarching theme of loss, of many varieties, and Sewanee Chester's love interest is not on page enough for my personal liking, especially in a single POV story. I don't want to say much about who the love interest is, as Sewanee herself is figuring it out on her own throughout the story, and that sort of convoluted mystery/secret identity thing didn't always work for me.

the love interest too was both too charming and smarmy almost, but then sometimes I would be utterly taken away by some of the banter and romance. A mixed bag, for sure!

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING is definitely Sewanee's story, and if you enjoy women's fic leaning romances with lots of twists and turns, give this one a go.

I'd be absolutely remiss though not to mention the vast range of narrator Julia Whelan's talents, which she puts fully on display here; multiple characters, so many accents, she does them all! I couldn't stop listening because of her talent, which she did deftly put on display here.

Also, I wasn't certain about the disability rep for Sewanee's accident that left her with one eye. There's a lot of ennui about how that accident changed Sewanee's acting career, and her lingering grief/anxiety/jealousy about her future.

ALSO: personally i do not like being teased with a sexy night that fades to black but then gets recounted in flashback lmao, and really side-eyed some of the insider wink wink-ness of the narrators' thoughts and feelings about the romance genre.

Content notes: Sewanee is a white woman who lives in LA; her grandmother is a white 80 something woman who lives in an assisted living apartment. grandma attempts suicide (not successful) and dies at the end of the book (off-page, last chapter is at the memorial).

Sewanee is an award winning audiobook narrator. Her dreams of acting were crushed at the beginning of her career when she was involved in a horrific accident. After recuperating she found recording audiobooks kept her creativity flowing while remaining behind the scenes. One night at a Las Vegas book convention Sewanee has a completely unexpected one night stand with a very handsome stranger. After returning home she is offered an opportunity of a lifetime to dual narrate a romance by her favorite author for an ungodly amount of money. This windfall will help her care for her beloved grandmother who is losing her memory at an alarming speed. Her fellow narrator is Brock McNight, a well known, although never seen in public persona, with an Irish lilt that women swoon over. They begin a friendship/workship leads to a closeness she hasn’t experienced since her self imposed isolation. As her movie star friend Adaku encourages her to reach for more and her grandmother Blah Blah barely recognizes her, Sewanee senses this is a challenge she must face on her own. With multiple names I could not pronounce (and I am usually ok with that?) and an ending that was just within reach but dragged on and on, I cannot recommend this read. I loved her first novel and adored this premise (especially knowing Julia Whelan is an actress and admired audiobook narrator) but it just did not work for me.

I loved the premise for this book and that it felt like a love letter to romance readers and audiobook listeners everywhere! However, there was a lot happening in the side plots and it felt like too much. Had a few things been cut out this would have been a much more concise book. Also, I could not take anything involving the grandma serious with her being called BlahBlah. I know that's just a personal issue and it doesn't impact my rating, but it did take away from some of the reading experience.

This was a sweet romance book. It starts with an insecure Sewanee trying to not stand out while fitting in as an audiobook narrator.

This story was a little predictable although there were still some surprises. I was thoroughly entertained throughout this book and finished it in no time at all!

Thank you for the advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this charming and fun story. The characters were witty and well written. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

This book was sooooo good! Julia Whelan has always been the most captivating audiobook narrator for me, so I thoroughly enjoyed this. I loved all the tid bits of life as an audiobook narrator and learning about all that is involved. I really loved the story of Bla Bla and how much Sewanee cared for her. Just a really good book and even better on audio!

Sewanee Chester voices audiobooks. After years of voicing steamy romance novels, she's set her sights on sharing her talents with different genres. When the offer of a lifetime comes in, Sewanee takes a leap of faith, hoping for one final big payout and the end of her romance narration career.

Arriving in Las Vegas. for a book convention, she also gets to spend time with her BFF, whose acting career is also taking off. When her bestie flies off last minute for the film opportunity of a lifetime, Sewanee ends up spending a night she'll never forget when a man she wishes not to remember.

As Sewanee begins to work on this final, blockbuster project, she and the male narrator being to click, in more ways than one. Opening up herself to fulfilling her dreams could take her farther than she's ever imagined, or it could cause all her walls to come crumbling down. Will she take the risk or live in the shadows forever?

Thank You for Listening is one you don't want to miss!

This was such a fun rom-com. I know the author is an audiobook narrator so I’m sure the audio version is fantastic, but I also really enjoyed the e-book version and the text/email exchanges between the main characters. I would recommend this to many friends and readers.

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan is a romance about Sewanee Chester, an audiobook narrator. When she is asked to narrate a romance book with Brock McKnight, she begrudgingly agrees. This story had some twists and turns, but by the end, I found it to be very charming. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the e-copy.
I devoured this book. Its a RomCom yes but has more substance than most. I loved the relationships in this novel. Not only the steamy one between lovers but the ones between Sewanee and her Grandmother, her best friend, her mom , and her dad. They were all believable .

I loved this! Julia Whalen’s insider status as a IRL audiobook narrators made this story come to life from first-hand author view. Her tone and flow of the story made for a wonderful palate-cleansing read!

As an avid audibook listener and fan of Julia Whelan, narrarator, I was so excited to get my hands on a book about an audiobook narrator by author, Julia Whelan and it did not disappoint. The back and forth between the two main characters kept me engaged in the story and provided a few chuckles as I read. Although coined as a romance (and featured quite a few romance genre tropes), I felt like it covered a variety of issues relavant to women. A five star read for me.

I really enjoyed this! I liked the inside look at the audiobook industry and I liked how the secret identities were believably secret. I appreciated that both characters were adults and not making inexplicably wacko decisions just for plot reasons. The hero was a great guy and I loved the uniqueness of a heroine with an eye patch. Definitely a good romance read!

When my favorite audiobook narrator writes a book about an audiobook narrator, it’s a must read ( or listen, of course). I felt so deeply Sawanees connections to every character. Her best friend, her grandmother, her Nick, her past. Really beautifully touching and moving and I can’t recommend it enough.

Sewanee Chester is on the fast track to becoming the queen of audiobook narrating. That being said, she still can’t shake the loss that she feels after the accident that stole her acting career, especially as her best friend is about to hit the big time in Hollywood. She also can’t shake the one-night stand she had with a sexy stranger in Vegas the other month, even as most of her attention is on her grandmother’s rapidly progressing dementia. Out of nowhere, a dream job lands on her desk – narrate a romance novel with Brock McKnight, the mysterious narrator that women around the world go nuts for. She swore off romance years ago, finding the tropes and HEAs nauseating, but the money could pay for her grandmother’s care. As the project continues and she and Brock correspond she feels undeniably drawn to the man behind the pseudonym. The question is, is the risk worth it for both of them to be unmasked?

Julia Whelan is such a gem. This book was sweet, funny, sarcastic, sexy, and a fun insider look into the audiobook industry, from the audio queen herself. I loved her first book, and am also impressed by how different Thank You For Listening was while still being gripping. I flew through this one and especially liked the way it poked fun at the romance genre, while still being romantic. Whelan has an ability to write characters who are incredibly witty, with great chemistry, but also feel very real and down to earth. This book, while openly making fun of classic romance tropes, is outside of the normal tropes in a way that I found incredibly refreshing and unique. If you are looking for a fast-paced contemporary romance with a lot of humour, while maintaining depth, this one is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for a free E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweet book based on an audio book reader. Sewanee is a mess she no longer wants to do narrate based on romance when she’s given the opportunity of a life time. To read a book from an author she admires. In comes Brock the other narrator for the male role. They haven’t met in person or have they. The chemistry between the two is sweet and the banter is fun. When they finally meet in person the misunderstanding puts a halt to any romance, for a time. By the time you finish this book you will stop and want to read it again

This was a great story - while the main storyline was a bit predictable, it was an enjoyable read with characters that you cared about and cheered on. I would recommend this book!

2.5 stars rounded up. I love Julia Whelan as a narrator. But this story fell flat for me.

Pros: the email/text banter. Very funny. And the first chapter of the book had me lol’ing.

Cons: there were so many stories happening at once and it was hard to keep track. I didn’t feel the romantic connection, which is a bummer for a romance book.

Overall, disappointed. But maybe reading it physically while listening would have helped. So if you consider picking this up, I recommend physical book with audio!

This was such a unique, little romance book and I absolutely adored it! While the main characters' professions are to narrate audiobooks, and I rarely listen to audiobooks, I still enjoyed this so much. I feel like if you are an avid audiobook lover it might up your engagement even more. I loved Julia Whelan's last novel (My Oxford Year) and this one was no different. If you like a surprising romance novel and you enjoy books (duh!), then don't hesitate, find this book, and read it as soon as possible.