Julia Whelan has been my favorite narrator for years. Her work with Taylor Jenkins Reid and Kristin Hannah are particular favorites. So when I heard she wrote a book in which the protagonist is an audiobook narrator?! Say less, I'm there.

Similar to Sewanee, romance is far from my favorite genre. I'm incredibly picky and often find plot lines little more than eye roll worthy. That is not the case with this book. It was the perfect mix of sweet and sexy. The perfect amount of humor (actually giggle out loud humor. Not like when books say they're funny but they're actually not).

This was the kind of romantic comedy you stay up late to finish. The kind that has you carrying your kindle around while you brush you teeth and make your breakfast. I loved the banter between Sewanee and Nick/Brock. And although I knew it was him from the start, I still wanted to keep reading and see how it all played out.

Sewanee Chester, former actress and former Romance audiobook narrator does not believe in Happily Ever After. Narrating anything but, Swan has no hopes of an HEA for herself. After a fantastically tropey one night fling, Swan takes a journey of coming to terms with her life as it is and for the future be dealing with her sick grandmother, daddy issues, reconciling her long lost actress dreams, and a new recording project (and thrilling text chain) with the mysterious Brock McNight. Follow along in this delightful tribute to audiobooks and the power of people in Thank You for Listening.

I have to admit I think I did myself a disservice by reading the ebook version instead of listening to the audiobook, but I loved it just the same. This book had me laughing out loud, swooning, growling in frustration, and almost crying. The story is delightfully written, with all the ebbs and flows of the Romance genre. Super sweet love story with complex personal issues sprinkled about. If you don't listen to audiobooks, you'll want to start after reading this book!

I LOLed this book!!!
I was first introduced to Julia Whelan when I listened to Jessica Parks’ book, Flat-Out Love, and absolutely LOVED her narration and I also really enjoyed My Oxford Year so Thank You For Listening has been one of my most anticipated books of the year. I was not disappointed. I loved Sewanee and her grandmother Blah. From the minute I met Sewanee I was rooting for her. She is sassy and witty and nurturing to the people she loves most. It was also really interesting to get a sneak peek into the audio book world. I’m not going to lie I definitely went down a google hole of how to be an audiobook narrator. This book was truly heartwarming, I was laughing out loud while also thinking about all my most special memories with my own grandmother. The romance was perfect and I loved all of Sewanee’s friendships making it one of my favorite books of the year! Go get your copy out today!

5 stars!

Thank you @netgalley for the early copy!

#thankyouforlistening #FavoriteBook #summerread #JulianWhelan #AudiobookNarrator #summerreading #bookish #bookishlove #Fiction #fictionbooks #fivestarread #readingismagic
#readmyshelves #favorteauthor #favoriteread #netgalley #netgalleyarc #arcreader #arcreviewer #netgalleyreviewer

I love the way this novel played with common romance tropes, including matchmaker, disguise, snowed in, one-night stand, scars, afraid to commit, epistolary, and second chance/grand gesture. The characters were memorable, the banter was fun, and the romance felt believable. I would have enjoyed this just as a contemporary romance, but what really elevated this story is the way it explored self-discovery and love in all its forms. The familial and friendly relationships were just as touching as the romantic relationships.

I’ve read books where one of the main characters was a romance author, but this is the first time I’ve read a book where the main characters are audiobook narrators. The author incorporates her own knowledge of acting and audiobook narration as well as the romance industry, and I appreciated these insights.

I highly recommend this book for fans of women’s fiction and contemporary romance.

Thanks to Avon Books for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley, which I volunteered to review.

I loved this book! I was a huge fan of Julia Whelan’s first book, The Oxford Year, so when an opportunity to read this book presented itself, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I was even more excited by the chance to listen to the author and narrator extraordinaire read the book. Once I started listening to this one, I did not want to stop. It was so easy to get swept away by Sewanee and Brock’s story.

Sewanee is an audiobook narrator. She started out narrating romance novels after acting became a not-so-viable option. She now narrates more literary works under a different name. She thinks that she is done with romance but when an offer falls in her lap that will pay enough to take care of her grandmother, she can’t say no. I loved the parts of the book that dealt directly with the process of narrating a book and some of the challenges that narrators face. For the romance that Sewanee is working on, she is paired up with Brock. They don’t see each other but do message each other to help each of them narrate their parts of the book but before long they start talking about things other than the book.

I really liked Sewanee, Brock, and the rest of the characters. Sewanee has had some pretty big challenges in her life and is dealing fairly well with them. I really appreciated her relationship with her grandmother and thought that the descriptions of dementia affecting her grandmother were well done. I thought that the romantic aspect of the book was very well done. I loved getting to see Sewanee and Brock slowly get to know each other while they worked on the book and couldn’t wait for the day when they would eventually meet face to face.

The narration was phenomenal. Since the author has narrated a ton of books, I feel that she knows how to present this story in a way that nobody else ever could. She is one of my favorite narrators and her work on this book was top-notch. I loved the various character voices and the emotion she express in her reading. I will definitely be recommending this one to others. Julia Whelan once again proves that she knows how to write ’em and how to read ’em.

I received a review copy of this book from Avon Books and Harper Audio.

This is a story about being trapped by the past. Sewanee Chester is a successful audiobook narrator. It is not what she expected for her career, but she has found satisfaction in the opportunity to bring books to life through her voice. Sewanee started out voicing romance books under a stage name (and developed a strong fan base there). But she found she did not love romance novels, so she moved onto other fiction under her real name. When her boss and mentor injures himself, she agrees to take over as the moderator of a panel on audiobook versions of romance novels at a book convention in Las Vegas. While there, she has a night to remember with an attractive and impossibly charming stranger — and when they part, they do not trade contact information, assuming they will never see each other again.

Back home, she receives an offer too good to refuse. One of the world’s most popular romance novelists who recently died completed one last project before her untimely passing, and she wanted Sewanee to perform the story along with Brock McNight — perhaps the most popular voice in romance audiobooks whose true identity is a secret to all. The offer will give Sewanee the resources to take care of her beloved ailing grandmother so she agrees to do it under her former stage name. While working on this project, she develops a strong connection with Brock through emails and texts under their assumed identities. Sewanee can’t help but wonder if there may be a real-life connection there, even as she is anxious about whether she will ever be able to find the happiness in the messy real world after what she endured in her past.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author adroitly examines the tropes of romance books with a critical eye while also deploying many of the same tropes (often with a wink). Sewanee is a unique character with a universal story — someone whose past experiences have a strong hold over her present and views of the possibilities of the future, shaping and in many ways inhibiting her relationships with those in her life. And the mysteries at the heart of the story combine with the insightful character studies to make this a true page turner. As an aside, I also enjoyed how much I learned about the audiobook industry.

Very highly recommended!

Julia Whelan is one of my very favorite audiobook narrators, but she has also won my heart as a writer. Witty, smart, and understands the romance genre from the inside out.
Thank You For Listening is a book about audiobook narrators and how they got to their respective jobs, respecting their privacy and building relationships within the industry. Of course Ms Whelan would have inside information about this, but she accomplished this story with romance and a twist.

Sewanee was an up and coming actress when an accident derailed her career and set her on a path of "acting behind the scenes", aka audiobook narration. She gets her start in the romance genre under a pseudonym and then builds her career into all other genres and refuses to work in the romance genre again. Until a lucrative deal is dropped in her lap and she cannot refuse it. It has her working with one of the most famous male voices in the romance genre, Brock McNight and they soon develop a friendship through email and texts.

I'm not going to give too much in the way of the story and the romance that develops, but I will say that I love the way it came about and how Sewanee grows and discovers herself through conversations.

I love that Julia Whelan took a story within a story and gave so many nods to a few genres and gave us the ultimate romance all while giving us a big taste of the narration world. I enjoyed seeing the character development of Sewanee and Brock and how their pasts affected who they became behind he scenes. I liked that we also had the added bonus of Blah Blah (Sewanee's grandma) and that connection she had with her. While I really enjoyed this story, the characters and the insider knowledge that the author was able to provide, I really wish I would've listened to the audio. I think this is a book that is meant to be listened to and I know Julia Whelan shines. I will be giving this a reread and listening to it very soon. How can I not when it's written AND narrated by THE Julia Whelan!!

Any way you 'read' this story, you are going to enjoy it, especially if you're an audiophile!

I loved this book from the first page. Seriously. The first June French quote had my heart. By the next June French quote I was immersed, and I will not even be embarrassed that I googled that author, hadn't quite caught on yet that she was fictional. HA!

This book is super special. It's about an audiobook narrator and how her life has changed from what she thought it would be due to an accident.

I loved the scenes in Vegas. I laughed SO hard and so awkwardly when Aduko said "aren't all the rooms at the Rio suites?" I mean, just typing that now made me chuckle. So much wit and innuendo in this book, I just couldn't get enough.

Read it in one session, I just put off every other thing I had to do, except taking the dog outside. Highly recommend. Can't wait for more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

While this may be a romance filled with tropes, I found it amusing and touching all at the same time.

Sewanee (Swan) was on her way to becoming an actress when an unfortunate accident took away her confidence. So she turns to narrating books, starts with romance novels, and makes a name for herself, but under a pseudonym. She is roped into attending a conference in Vegas, where she meets Nick. Everything gets turned upside down from that point forward in her life. She is dealing with a grandmother with dementia, a father that doesn't seem to care, a mother that is off traveling the world with her new beau, and a best friend that just wants to see her happy. This doesn't even take into consideration her professional life as a book narrator and the opportunity to do one last book from the author that got her started with another well-known (but unknown) male narrator, Brock McNight. 

When she got this opportunity to record the book, I could see what was going to happen and who Brock might be, but I did not expect another twist to the story...but no spoilers on that, and I haven't even given you any clues!

I laughed out loud a lot when Swan and Brock were recording this last book towards the end. Let's just say he read words that weren't there, which made the situation even that much funnier.

My heart broke a little when Swan was conversing with her grandmother. It is hard dealing with someone you love having dementia, especially on the bad days. It doesn't help that her father wants to stick her in a different home which could only upset the situation. But at the same time, there are some light moments that truly reflect how life is for someone with dementia.

Part of the story is told via text and email exchanges between Swan and Brock. Brock doesn't know that Swan and her pseudonym Sarah are the same person. So he hasn't heard other books she has narrated. I chuckled a LOT reading these exchanges. They are flirty, funny, and full of innuendo. I can only imagine what this book would be like if you listened to it instead of reading it. 

I also learned a little about narrating books and the process they go through to ensure that the book's essence is captured perfectly.

A fun book that I read in no time, and you just might too. We give it 5 paws up.

I don’t listen to audiobooks but they are vastly popular. I thought it would be interesting to read a novel about a narrator.
It’s an ok book. It has a very slow beginning and the plot evolved in dribs and drabs/
I don’t really connect with any of the characters and my interest waned as the book progressed.

This book is a great follow up to my Oxford year and an insiders view of the audiobook narrators profession. I’m a big fan of Julia Whalen so I had high expectations which she met and exceeded! Definitely worth adding to your TBR!

This was a great romance novel that had me hooked! I really enjoyed reading this book and will recommended it for months to come!

I received Thank You For Listening from Netgalley and Avon Books. The main character, Sewanee, an actress who had an accident and is now a audiobook narrator. It was a fun read since it’s a job we never really read about. As with love stories, she works on a book’s audio that she needs to pair up with another narrator, but the catch is they both use romance pseudonyms. This book comes out tomorrow 8/2, preorder or buy it tomorrow.

Thank you Avon books and Netgalley for this arc.

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel. This book was a delight and I have already pre-ordered my audiobook so that I can enjoy it all over again!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan is a contemporary story about Sewanee (Swan) Chester, her career as an audiobook narrator, and a time in her life when she is at a crossroads.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover is cartoonish, which tells me that this is a story with some humor. The blurb on the cover mentions that the novel is witty and clever, which, when mixed with humor, is my favorite kind of telling. I'll be honest – the book description on the back is rather wordy and completely lost me, so I'm not sure exactly what this story is about or what to expect.

Actual Reading Experience:
I adored this story and the characters from page one and didn't want the story to end. The writing is clever, with loads of witty banter and comedic moments instantly pulling me in. I loved the laugh-out-loud moments and the more poignant, heartbreaking ones. They all come together and tell a tale that is relatable and fascinating.

I also enjoyed the insider's look at the audiobook production world. I never realized what all went into it and how demanding a career in this field actually is. Interestingly, there are awards and even a fan base for this line of work. The story seems to accurately describe what it's like to be an audiobook narrator. Since the author is also an audiobook narrator, it's like hearing her tell her profession to the reader.

The format of the book is also exciting. Each chapter is titled after a trope found in romance novels. I loved this nod to what makes a romance or a women's fiction story. It is very clever and done in a way that fuels the compelling nature of the tale.

Swan's relationships in this story are all uniquely complex. Swan and her grandmother Blah, Blah share an enviable closeness that becomes incredibly poignant as the story unfolds. She is close to her parents, but there are many issues with their relationships that tell a tale of a past that has shaped and molded the family they are now. And Swan and Nick… what can I say to do this pair justice? They develop a relationship crafted from mutual respect and open hearts.
Characters:
Swan started out as an actress. After an accident that left her with an eye patch and a shoulder that doesn't work as it's supposed to, she became an audiobook narrator –highly regarded in the industry. She is working to overcome the tragedy that changed the course of her life, but it has not been an easy path. All the support characters are described in terms of who they are in Swan's world, and I loved this incredible focus.

Narration & Pacing:
The story is told using a combination of third-person focused narration through Swan's perspective and epistolary format (a story told through letters – currently, email and text also fall under this device). I thought the epistolary sections worked exceptionally well, as they told me so much in a clever and pithy manner that helped to keep the pace relatively fast.

Setting:
Thank You for Listening is set in the audiobook production world. In this story, Swan lives in Los Angeles, attends a convention in Las Vegas, and takes a trip to Italy. However, the locale is not a significant part of the story. The Los Angeles setting does add to the character development of Swan, but beyond that, the places are largely irrelevant.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you love a story that is witty and clever and want that happily ever after, Thank You for Listening is the book you are looking for.

Happy publication to this delight of a book!

This was a lovely surprise hit! Romance is not typically my genre, but the audiobook narrator component mixed with a well-loved audiobook narrator's voice was GOLD. Even in print this book worked very well, though I did think it was a little bit longer than it needed to be, with parts of the ending dragging a little. I didn't even mind this a whole lot, as both main characters were total delights, flaws and all! Every side character was great as well (which is not always the case in these types of books).

Definitely for fans of banter-y romance novels like Book Lovers!

Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan 3.5 stars

The story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

Julia Whelan's My Oxford Year is one of my favorite romances and I love her audio narration, so I was so excited to see her new novel all about audiobooks. Thank You for Listening had a lot going on - between the
unique format (it jumped around, had a very long chapter in the middle titled "Epistolary") and content (a mix of romance and women's fiction filled with self discovery as well as complicated family dynamics) - and it suffered from being a little too long with a few too many side characters/storylines.

Thank You for Listening explored almost every romance trope out there, but I loved that they embraced it and even called it out in the book. The banter between the love interests was so fun and effortless and I loved that the reader got an inside look into the world of audiobooks.

What a gem of a book! Romcom meets women's fiction in the best possible way. As the characters themselves state, their story is a combination of romance tropes including snowed in, one night stand, epistolary, mistaken identity, and love triangle (the last is a bit of a wink). Although that may seem like overkill, I truly enjoyed all of it. The banter between the characters is witty and had me laughing out loud. At the same time, there are real, serious issues at play that provided the perfect counterbalance to the irreverent moments.

Who better to write a book about an audiobook narrator than the penultimate narrator herself, Julia Whelan. She gives the reader a fascinating peak into the ins and outs of narration. It takes true skill and an incredible amount of prep work to make a stellar audiobook. I enjoyed all the insights, especially the conversations and conflicted feelings about romance narration. I will be buying the audible copy because I can’t wait to hear Julia perform the story.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the digital reviewer copy.

I was totally hooked by the unique premise of this book! One of my favorite things was the call back to classic rom com tropes through the chapter titles, I thought it was so fun! I also really enjoyed learning more about the audiobook world, something I didn’t know much about before. The romance was very cute and the hero was definitely swoon-worthy!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Having read Julia Whelan's previous novel, My Oxford Year and loving it, I was very excited to read her newest! Thank You for Listening seemed to have a bit more spice than her last one and a completely different subject matter, but at the heart of it, it was still a romance. I appreciated the main character, Sewanee and the struggles she faced. While one could classify this as a romance, I think it also did a great job of highlighting how much the main character grew as the story progressed with the romance as the cherry on top! I loved the setting of the audiobook world and learning about it as the author is a prolific audiobook narrator. The supporting characters in it were fantastic from Brock McNight to Blahblah. And the epilogue provided a little closure for some of the characters! All in all, it was a fantastic escapist read that was much needed!