Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. Pub Date: August 2, 2022. Rating: 1 star. When I saw Julia Whelan had a novel coming out, I was really intrigued because she is so well known in the audiobook industry. It is only fitting she made the main character a failed actress turned audiobook narrator. I thought I would get more background of what being an audiobook narrator entails, but instead the reader got a jumbled mess of chaos with scenes being brought up and then dropped and then brought up again later in the book. I really did not understand the point of this novel if I am being honest. None of the characters interested me and I felt their personalities were a drag as well as too many side stories were included in this book. This one was a total miss for me. Thanks to #netgalley and #avon for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #thankyouforlistening

I have loved Julia Whelan as an audiobook reader for years. I was so excited to read a semi autobiographical novel by her. I was not disappointed! I really liked the characters, the storyline was fun, and it mixed all the tropes of romance in such a clever way.

This book is really fantastic. I read it and listened to it and it's not a stretch to say that the audiobook is superb. Julia Whelan wrote it to be read aloud but even when you are reading it in paperback or ebook, you can hear the voices in your head. The story was complex and sprawling, but in the perfect way. Lots of twists and turns and some were expected but it was still a pleasure to get there with Julia's characters. Highly recommend.

A complex love story - one with layers. I did this as an audio and since this is about audiobook narrators, I highly recommend it! I liked the characters, the addition of them employed in the field of books. I loved the way the story was told, to start, and how the relationship developed.

But it was a bit long and a few spots slowed the pacing down.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I always appreciate the voice in which Julia writes with. She truly never misses and that goes for this one as well. A must read!

I really liked this book. I liked that the main character voices audiobooks, I thought that was different and fun. This book is a good fast read. A must read!

I love all Julia Whelan audiobooks so when I saw Whelan, herself, wrote a book, I was stoked. It took me a little while to feel invested in the characters, but I love the strategy of how Julia's characters come together and how she develops each so you care deeply for them. I highly recommend Thank You for Listening. Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

"Thank You for Listening" by Julia Whelan is a deeply moving novel that delves into the complexities of grief, forgiveness, and the power of human connection. The author captures the raw emotions of loss and longing with sensitivity and depth, and her powerful message of hope and healing resonates deeply, reminding us of the importance of reaching out to others and offering kindness in times of need.

The story follows protagonist Casey, a radio host grappling with her own personal struggles while trying to help others navigate their pain through her late-night call-in show. Through Casey's interactions with her listeners and her own journey of self-discovery, the novel explores resilience and the healing power of empathy. At its heart, "Thank You for Listening" is a testament to the profound impact of compassion and understanding in our lives.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for giving me an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved the audiobook. The narrators were amazing. The characters were well developed. The story had me interest. I can't wait for another book by this author!

So listen...this book was extremely well-written. The character flaws, the back story, the personal growth. Which is why I gave it 4 stars. Because the work is there, and I see it and appreciate it.

I think it just wasn't a "me" book. In romance novels, if the main characters aren't with each other for more than half of the book, I struggle. There was an epistolary portion of the book where there is great banter, but I couldn't connect to the romance that well....and for so much of the story.

This book will 100 percent gut punch in the emotions, that's for sure. So be prepared. But as far as being a "romance," I think this is truly more of a personal development journey with romance as a side dish.

Review.

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whalen

I have been slowly transitioning some of my reading to audio and this was the first fiction book that I listened to via audio. Well, I alternated between print and audio. I have had a great experience with non-fiction audio books but hadn’t found a fiction audio narrator that I liked…until now 🙂 I realllllly enjoyed Julia’s narration of her book. I was able to follow along and differentiate characters easily.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think it’s a really cool concept, especially to listen to an audiobook about an audiobook narrater. I liked the characters, I thought their meet cute was fun and felt so authentic. This one does handle some more heavy themes of like dementia, strained family relationships and care of an elderly relative. I love how supportive the MMC was.

I actually would fully recommend alternating between reading and listening to this book. I think the audio really adds a lot but there is scattered mixed media throughout the book that I enjoyed reading in print.

I adored this book! Julia Whelen has long been one of my favorite audiobook narrators, and not only was this well-narrated by her, but it had a fabulous story as well. Strongly recommended.

THIS BOOK. It is everything you need in an audiobook about an audiobook narrator. I loved it so much. I loved the way all of the stories intertwined, the accents and voices were particularly fantastic (naturally), not to mention the behind the scene tidbits were so great. If you are an audiobook listener, READ THIS. If you are a romance listener, READ THIS. Really this is just top notch.

I love books about the book industry! It is one of my favorite plot lines and this one focused on the audiobook industry. Sewanee is a former actress who switched to the audiobook industry. She first started out in romance but shifted over a few years ago. But when her first client, one of the biggest romance authors who passed away, put in a request to have her narrate her last book. She is hesitant to accept but she can’t refuse the payday.

The issue is, that Sewanee doesn’t believe in the happy ever afters anymore. She doesn’t want to narrate a HEA when she doesn’t think she can get one herself. While the romance is a huge part of the book, it really is about her journey in processing what has happened to her and accepting that she is the thing stopping her from getting her HEA.

While TYFL didn't hold my attention, Julia Whelan is an excellent narrator. Her authors note at the end is so interesting and I'm so glad that was included. This is definitely one that's best in it's audiobook form. Sometime I did struggle with the number of side plots happening, some of the banter felt forced, and while I wanted to enjoy the budding romance, I couldn't really connect with the characters the way I wanted to.

What a fun read. I enjoyed the viewpoint of being told about audiobook storytellers and how they try to have another identity than what they are known for in the audiobook world. I recommend if you are looking for a fun quick read with a little romance. I enjoyed all the characters in this story.

Such a fun, quick read! Julia Whelan has such an interesting take on literature from her history as an audiobook narrator and I love her perspective.

I enjoyed this! It was a cute story and I enjoyed the narration! I hadn’t read anything from this author before, but did enjoy this. Would recommend to a friend.

Julia Whelan is the audiobook narrator of my dreams AND, it turns out, the author of my dreams. I loved My Oxford Year so I was pleased to see she had released another book, and it didn't disappoint.

This was cute! I went in blind and I’m so glad i did! I would really love to read it again in audiobook format, i think that would be amazing! It was light, happy and all around a great read!

You know that moment in a book where the thing you predicted would happen earlier in the book starts to unfold and the lead-up to it has you on the edge of your seat as you wait for that climatic moment to finally happen? And it builds, and it builds, and you can’t read/listen fast enough to match your anticipation? That was this book. As predictable as that moment was, the build-up was so tantalizing. I know much of that is also due to Julia Whelan’s masterful narration. She’s incredible. But much of what she’s perfected in her craft she perfected on paper as well. For a lighter read, I’d highly suggest adding this to your list. It was charming, it was tropey, it was sweet, it was sexy, it had tolerable drama (which I’ve come to appreciate considering overdone drama is my biggest turnoff in the Rom Com category), and most of all, it had Julia. Audiobook this one! 4.75 stars