Loved the premise of this book and felt like it was different than the usual romance trope! Brock was a favorite male lead of mine, and I found myself really enjoying their banter and interactions! Great amount of steam as well. Highly recommend!

Genuinely loved this. I recently became familiar with Whelan as a voiceover artist. I'm happy to learn that her writing is delightful, genuinely funny, and with good characters.

What an incredibly creative romance. what a great peek into the world of audiobook production. Cannot recommend this one enough! Julia Whelan is not only a brilliant audiobook narrator but a tremendous rightet to boot!

Well, this book is charming. I’m not a huge audiobook listener, however I do like them and after this book it makes me want to listen to more. What to say about this book - if you love romances, family relationships that are heartwarming but also complicated, characters who are working through accepting who they are and who they want to be and if you love happy sweet endings that make you want to hug a book when you’re done, read this one. You wont be disappointed.

tw/cw: Alzheimer’s, troubled relationship with parent, tragic accident/disability

The queen of narration knocks it out of the park again. I really really liked the story and I'm so happy that one of my favorite narrators is now also an author! I really enjoyed the banter back and forth with the rom-com couple and laughed out loud many times. I also loved the relationship with her grandmother.

So I loved the first like, 60% of this book, but then I sort of felt like the last 40% was all over the place.

The beginning is catchy, I loved all the behind the scenes audiobook stuff. I listen to a LOT of audiobooks, and I loved the convo between the MC and Brock, the texting chats back and forth about pronunciation and the MC’s comments about reviewing and prepping. It’s stuff I never really thought about and I loved all of that.

I sort of saw the reveal coming, expected it, really, but that I think was around 60%, and everything after that got so complicated and all over the place while the main character was trying to figure herself out.

I saw a review where someone said that this book was marketed as more of a romance when it really wasn’t, and I’d have to agree. The romance is a piece of the storyline, but not the main focus. This book has a LOT going on.

I liked all the banter and connection with the characters at first, then it sort of trails off near the end. And the epilogue with the last snippet, the POV from the fictional author, I don’t really think we needed that and I could have done without it. I also felt like everything ended so quickly before the epilogue.

Overall, I think this was fine. I really did love the first half, but the last half fell a bit flat. If you love audiobooks, I think you’ll enjoy this, and if you love romance, just go into this knowing that’s not the MAIN focus.

This one released 8/2! 📚

This was such a unique, fascinating, delightful, meta WF/romance. I'm going to keep thinking about it and all its wonderful characters for a long time.

I loved this take on books! Sawanee’s story broke my heart, but just like her romance novels, we story has an HEA. Her story is one of strength and faith; of finding yourself after you feel you’ve lost a core part of you along the way. There are heavy topics and a groveling gentleman with a Irish accent.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy!

The queen of narration knocks it out of the park again. I really really liked the story (and I don’t usually read rom-coms) but I loved the narration. I am always amazed how JW can become so many voices. I really enjoyed the banter back and forth with the rom-com couple and laughed out loud many times. I also loved the relationship with her grandmother. I was able to read an ARC but after I began I decided I much rather hear Julia bring it to life, and boy did she!! Great Audible listen!

I am such a fan of Julia Whelan and her audiobook narrations, so reading her sophomore novel, I was overjoyed! I found the theme of this romance to be so fun-it had every popular romance trope you could imagine, including that HEA! I appreciated that her main character, Sewanee, had depth and was overcoming her new life with a physical impairment as a result of an accident. I also enjoyed the love interest along with the supporting cast of characters-especially her grandmother! What a wonderful sneak peek into the world of audiobook narration written as a fiction contemporary romance! I would definitely recommend this one, especially to fans of Julia Whelan!

Sewanee is a former up-and-coming actress who was just on the verge of becoming a household name when an accident claimed her right eye, and ruined her career as she was forced to permanently wear an eye patch. Instead, she becomes a star audiobook narrator (not being into audiobooks myself, I didn't know this was a thing). While attending a convention in Vegas, she has a one-night stand with a book editor, Nick, which is super steamy... but then she's paired up to record an audiobook with the mysterious Brock McKnight (another audiobook narrator who goes by a pseudonym and has never been public about who he really is) and starts bantering with him via text / email. She feels torn between the two - how can she be interested in Brock when she can't forget Nick? No spoilers, but I loved this funny and sweet rom com, which was extremely satisfying, and also really enjoyed seeing behind the scenes of rom com audiobook recordings. It kind of made me want to become an audiobook narrator, haha!

This book is such a delight! Only Julia Whelan can write an adorable romance about audiobook narrators! Sewanee was once an up & coming actress, but an accident lead her to retreat from the spotlight. She found a new place in audiobook narrating, starting with romance books, but leaving them behind for other genres. Fans of her work have longed for her to return to romance, and when one of her beloved authors passes away, she finds herself back in the romance world thanks to some meddling of said author! Sewanee is put together with a male romance narrator (true identity hidden!), Brock McKnight, for this steamy project. Will the two meet? Did the author set them up together on purpose? Read (or Listen!) and find out!
I loved the characters, the setting, and how the story unfolded so much! I will definitely be recommending this!

Some authors unfortunately suffer from sophomore slumps, however, Julia Whelan is definitely not one of them. She is not just a fantastic narrator, but a terrific writer as well, fast becoming an auto-buy author for me.

Thank You for Listening delves into the world of audiobook narrators, with Sewanee Chester and Brock McKnight, two of the most sought after in their own genres, at the forefront. Sparks fly between the two albeit while communicating anonymously under their pseudonyms.

There is everything to love and nothing to hate about this book: the opening scene which is every romance audiobook listener's nightmare, that had me cackling, the chemistry that burns through, the humorous bantering, the neverending innuendos, the female friendship, even the sex that's not really a sex scene.

While I'm thankful to Avon Books, NetGalley and the author for my early copy of this book, I couldn't resist getting this on Audible as well. I got to say, truly worth the credit!

Funny, I was imagining Julia Whelan herself and Zachary Webber, two of my most favorite audiobook narrators as Sewanee and Brock respectively.

I really enjoyed this book! It ticks all the boxes for me; funny and smart while also being sincere and heartfelt. Two characters who are pining for each other in two different ways and they turn out to be the same person?? Fantastic voice and also fantastic voice acting? A straight romance that I actually enjoy? Great chemistry? Mistaken identity? Honestly I took a week off reading but I kept coming back to this book because it is just that compelling, and not that serious, but serious enough where there were stakes. Four and a half stars, rounded up for NetGalley/Goodreads. (The half star reduction is due to the fact that this is a straight romance.)

This was a cute book, a little bit predictable, but that’s comforting in romance, you know what to expect, you know the clichés and know you’ll get w happy ending, the joy is the journey.
I liked the characters and was cheering for them, it is really amazing how life can change on a second and you have to find ways to adapt.
I definitely loved the emails, I love that in books, although I haven’t seen that in a while, maybe because there’s more texting now, I don’t know, but I definitely enjoyed that part.

In Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan, former actress Sewanee Chester is a successful audiobook narrator that embarks on a journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance after contracting to narrate one last romance novel with the hottest voice among romance book narrators. I love that we are given a first-hand POV of the audiobook narration world and process directly from an audiobook narrator. We also get a second-hand perspective from a romance audiobook narrator Brock. It’s interesting how both Sewanee and Brock have strong feelings about the romance genre that are influenced by personal, real-life baggage they choose not to deal with or are in denial about. Whelan’s exploration of this world is an enlightening and entertaining read for an obsessed romance audiobook listener.
Whelan’s one of my favorite narrators. So, it’s hard not to see aspects of her career sprinkled through the novel, which makes me curious about what other parts of herself she shares with her characters. Along that same line of thought, she also shows a glimpse at the not-so-glamorous side of acting/Hollywood and how it treats actresses as disposable if they don’t meet the exacting, arbitrary requirements.

Whelan creates a diverse and fascinating cast of characters to fill Sewanee’s world and help us learn more about who she is and why she is that way—aside from past trauma/an accident that heavily influences her life. I couldn’t help feeling she might be a bit of an unreliable narrator because of her view of herself, her relationships—especially concerning Brock and acting—and the world. I love Adaku Obi, Sewanee’s best friend. Adaku is an extraordinarily intriguing character who left me curious, wanting to know more about her. She’s a wonderful friend to Sewanee —encouraging, supportive, but willing to tell her the hard truths she doesn’t want to hear when necessary. Whelan’s beautifully written exploration of Sewanee’s relationship with her ailing grandmother is, touching, funny, sweet, heart-wrenching, and developed/written with nuance and care.

I love Whelan’s development of Brock and Sewanee’s relationship through emails and texts. Their banter is sexy, funny, sweet, intimate, and emotionally raw. They kick each other in the butt to open their eyes, jolting them out of their states of denial and the stasis they’ve chosen to live. I also like all of their in-person interactions as well. However, for whatever reason, I felt like something was missing. At times, I wondered whether having Brock’s viewpoint would have made a difference in developing their relationship. But at heart, Thank You For Listening is Sewanee’s emotional journey of making peace with her past and present and finally planning for her future with hope, and is, therefore, rightfully told from her POV.

Sewanee has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident. While she misses her days of stardom working on film sets, narrating audiobooks has been a successful and satisfying career that helps her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. She takes her friend/editor’s place at a book convention last minute. Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. A beloved romance novelist wants Sewanee to perform her last published book with Brock McNight, who is the industry’s most secretive and hottest voice. After her own dreams were catastrophically cut short, Sewanee stopped believing in what romance novels sell. So, she stopped narrating romances. However, she’s swayed by being able to get more help for her grandmother’s care and her admiration of the late author and accepts the job.

While recording the book with Brock under her old romance pseudonym, Sewanee and Brock develop a genuine connection—comfortably hidden within the shield of anonymity. But, of course, the moment Sewanee begins to dream again and believe in possibilities, secrets are revealed that once again bring the harsh realities of life to the forefront, threatening to destroy the new life she’s worked hard to build. Can she be brave and risk it all for the dreams and longings she’s buried so long to discover the acceptance, intimacy, and love she’s never dreamed of having in her life?

I wanted, expected to love it more than I did. Still, Thank You For Listening is a heartfelt, funny, thoughtful, and entertaining novel about the relationships that make us who we are, challenge us, and help us grow and heal.

Advanced review copy provided by Avon Books via Netgalley for review.

Charming, sexy and a unique premise! Loved the plot surrounding audiobook narrators and loved all the romance trope references! This book was truly written for romance lovers of all types. Some parts were a little heavier than I was expecting, especially the parts surrounding the MC's grandmother. But overall, I found the FMC very likeable and easy to relate to, especially through her struggles to find herself and her place.

This is one that really needs to be experienced on audio. It's a gorgeous, meta take on the audiobook industry from one of the biggest stars in the field, with a swoony romance to boot. This was clever and often fun, but also looked seriously at trauma and issues in the entertainment industry. With lots of interesting details on the making of and quirks of audiobooks, this is a must for fans of that format.

Julia Whelan creates a fun, atmospheric romance in Thank You for Listening, but she also tackles tougher matters. She addresses love through many vantage points - a grandparent with failing health, an absent parent, a close parent, a best friend, a lover, and finally self-love. The author cleverly weaves in the ups and downs of each relationship, while also maintaining some glitz and glamour. The immersive settings beg you to enter the story and the witty banter between protagonists propels you through the pages. Not to mention, there's some inside scoop on the life of an audiobook narrator, which is fascinating for any book nerd. All in all, Thank You for Listening provides a frothy romance with lovable characters, fantastic settings, and much to mull over regarding relationships, life choices, and career decisions.

You need to listen to Julia Whelan 's newest book THANK YOU FOR LISTENING when it comes out next week Tuesday - August 2nd. You can read it but honestly hearing Julia Whelan narrate the fiction book she wrote about an audiobook narrator was pure perfection!

I've listened to audiobooks consistently since 2016 and have listened to over 400 audiobooks since then. Julia Whelan was the first narrator I remember absolutely loving and when I needed a new audiobook and I would search my library app by books she narrated! I loved My Oxford Year and I love seeing all of the accolades and praise she is getting!

Thank You for Listening is a beautiful story about an audiobook narrator and is a funny and sweet rom-com while at the same time looking at family, love and self discovery. I pretty much listened to it in one day. I just couldn't stop!

The audiobook is just over 11 hours and I want to listen to it again, I enjoyed it that much! It will probably be in my top 10 of 2022!

So put this at the top of your audiobook list and fall in love with Sewanee and Brock like I did!