Was this cheesy? Sure but I loved it. I was literally laughing out loud the entirety of this book. Everything about this was so funny and charming and I love how it revolves around audiobooks

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING is my first Julia Whelan read and unfortunately, missed the mark for me.

I had high hopes especially since the main characters job was as an audiobook narrator, but found there to be a disconnect with the characters and their interactions (some were even cringey, in my opinion.) I also felt like some scenes/chapter endings jumped around a bit leaving me with questions.

While this wasn’t for me, I think others may find it charming in areas I didn’t and should give it a try.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5, but rounding up to 5 stars because the banter between these two characters was amazing. Witty, acerbic, smart and self-aware. This story and the writing were simply special. I truly LOL'ed, and swooned, and cheered. What more can a girl expect?

I enjoyed this book, but the pacing was weird for me - it somehow felt rushed yet slow at the same time, not quite evening out. As in another book I recently read, I think I liked a side character better than the main - Adaku was great. There may have been a few too many characters, though - I definitely had no idea who some of them were even at the end of the book.

This book was okay. It was a little slow for me, and I wished for a little more excitement! I was more interested in the best friend and Sewanee's past than learning about the future. Thank you, NetGalley.

I'm a huge audiobook fan and Julia Whelan is one of my favorite narrators, so I was immediately intrigued when I read the synopsis of Thank You for Listening.

Things to look forward to:
- So many tropes! Snowed in, epistolary, one night stand, forced proximity, workplace romance, etc.
- I loved getting a behind the scenes look at audiobook production. I knew it was complex, but the level of detail and prep work between narrators was fascinating. The author does make clear in her author's note (don't skip it!) that Sewanee is not her and there weren't specific people/narrators that she based her characters off of and that this is just one perspective on this industry.
- The writing. Julia Whelan is not only a gifted narrator, but she's also an incredibly gifted writer. The book was witty and fun, but also so emotional and heartfelt. I loved the epistolary elements (though I did find those were a bit harder to enjoy via audio) and the banter between Brock and Sewanee was chef's kiss.
- The narration. It's Julia Whelan. Enough said.

Things to note:
- Thank You for Listening fell between women's fiction (the author has a great discussion about this term in the book) and contemporary romance for me. There is an open door scene, but it's not overly detailed and most of the spice is implied.
- The book was heavier than I initially anticipated. Sewanee experiences a very traumatic event that changes the entire trajectory of her life and she struggles with this a great deal throughout the book. In addition to this, she is helping to care for her ailing grandmother (who lives in an assisted living facility) and has a strained relationship with her father. A few of the scenes with her grandmother were really difficult to listen to. Readers should definitely check CW's prior to starting.
- I wasn't totally sold on the romance. It's a slow burn between Brock and Sewanee and I wish there had been more scenes of them together (and not just interacting digitally). I know this build up was part of their characters arcs, but I wanted more connection over implied innuendo.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

CW: parental infidelity (past), death of parent/loved one, grief, strained parental relationship, hospitalization due to exhaustion (secondary character), FMC's grandmother experiences memory loss/has dementia (multiple episodes on page), FMC has a near death experience/injury related to an airplane (past)

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

Thanks to #partner @netgalley and @avonbooks for the digital ARC of Julia Whelan’s Thank You for Listening. The book is out today!

Julia Whelan is one of my all-time favorite audiobook narrators (I know I’m not alone!). Once I found out that she was a writer, too, I was eager to discover if her talents traveled. Oh, they do, my friends. They do.

Thank You for Listening immerses us in the world of audiobook recording and, specifically, romance audiobooks. After an accident ended Sewanee Chester’s career as an actress, she transferred her talents—her deep connection to characters’ motivations, her facility with languages and voices—to narration. While she started in romance, she long ago transferred her allegiance to literary fiction.

When her career takes her to an audiobook conference, Sewanee—who is definitely not looking for romance and, in fact, has rejected the idea of happily ever afters altogether—is nonetheless drawn into a one-night stand with a charming, clever stranger. She returns home knowing that the relationship won’t go anywhere but feeling more desired than she has in a while.

All at once, opportunities arise: Her best friend, now a successful actress, thinks that her new movie may offer Sewanee a chance to act again. Then, Sewanee has a chance to record with Brock McNight, the undisputed king of romance audio, for mind-boggling amounts of money, and they strike up a friendly relationship via text, one complete with flirting and humor and sooo much cleverness.

Suddenly, Sewanee’s life looks full of promise that she’s not sure she should trust.

I don’t want to share more of the plot, but it’s not what won me over anyway. This is a smart, beautifully written novel whose characters are unbelievably empathetic and compelling. Everyone from Sewanee’s grandma to the other audiobook narrators Sewanee works with is well drawn and quirky and real. The book is funny and offers the charm and banter of the best rom coms on the page and screen. I absolutely loved Thank You for Listening and will be looking for more work by Julia Whelan immediately.

This book was far too sweet and filled with romantic tropes for my liking but was well written-if you are looking for a romance novel this might be the book for you!

Thank You For Listening is a romance/women's fiction about two audiobook narrators who develop a relationship while working together on the last book of a beloved romance author. Sewanee Chaster hasn't narrated a romance in years because she no longer belies in a HEA. Brock McNight is the hottest male romance narrator with a legion of fans. They are brought together by June French, whose wish before she died was for Sewanee and Brock to narrate her last book together.

Thank You For Listening has a lot of elements that will appeal to romance readers. The whole premise is a romance reader's dream. It also addresses heavier topics, such as trauma/disability, grief, and loss. These are the tropes that the book has: secret identities, epistolary, one-night stand, snowed-in (barely), and, my favorite, supportive female friendships. Thank You For Listening is a clever nod to the romance genre and its readers, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I finished this book in one night - I stayed up until 2AM reading it! It’s been a while since I’ve done that and this morning I remember why. 😂 Worth it, though! Just like many others, I am a huge fan of Julia Whelan’s audiobook narration and I have previously selected books solely because she was the narrator and because they sounded good. She is equally as good as an author!

I did not read her previous book, but I plan to now! She had such a good balance of character and plot, with enough conflict and questions to keep me turning pages. The secondary characters were just as fun as the main characters and I loved the tongue-in-cheek references to romance tropes.

I read this since I got an eARC for it, but of course I would love to listen to it. I rarely reread books because there are just too many out there that I want to read, but I may pick this up again in a year or so to hear Julia herself narrate it! Highly recommended.

This book was so interesting! I loved the peeks into life as a book narrator, the publishing industry, and of course, the unspooling of these characters' secrets and lives.

Julia Whelan created such relatable, fun, and down to earth characters that I wanted to call them up and meet them at a restaurant for lunch so I could learn even more about their lives and careers.

If you want a fun read that easily blends two different tropes and great characters for an escapist holiday, this is your book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Sewanee was poised to become the next It Girl in Hollywood until an accident left her physically and mentally scarred. Years later she's a successful audiobook narrator, content in her life and career if not exactly thriving or chasing dreams any longer. Sewanee got her start narrating romance novels under a pseudonym, but now, established in her field, eschews romances with their unrealistic happily ever afters, until she's hand chosen by a beloved romance novelist to co-narrate a sure to be hit story publishing shortly after her death. Sewanee reluctantly accepts the job because she needs an influx of money to help finance her beloved spitfire grandmother's medical care as she struggles with memory loss. Sewanee will be narrating opposite Brock McKnight, a lusted after voice in romance narration whose real identity is a well kept secret and who has secrets and scars of his own. Over the course of their audiobook production Sewanee and Brock's relationship develops from professional, to friendship, to something more.

Julia Whelan first hit my radar as a beloved audiobook narrator. Having been a somewhat reluctant audiobook listener having a favorite narrator was something totally foreign to me. I believe I picked up Thank You for Listening after seeing someone else rave about it and sharing that it was available as a "read now" from Netgalley. - the book related premise got me as it usually does. Having no previous experience with Whelan as an author or narrator I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm pleasantly surprised and glad I picked this up!

<i>Thank You for Listening</i> straddles the line between romance and women's fiction. Sewanee is a character with depth and she evolves as an individual and in her relationship with Brock. With humor, witty banter, bits that pull at your heartstrings, a couple of open door scenes that get the blood pumping, and side characters that round things out nicely <i>Thank You For Listening</i> is a solidly entertaining novel. And I loved the detailed peek behind the scenes into the audiobook world as all book lovers, especially romance readers, will likely appreciate. Definitely recommended for romance and contemporary fiction fans!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I pre-ordered the audiobook of this book months ago, but felt like I won the lottery when I got approved to read the e-arc. I was not disappointed. This is a heartwarming and joyful book. I felt like I got an inside glimpse into the audiobook industry, which is fun given the number of audiobooks I consume a year. The story is rich and multi-faceted, taking place largely in Los Angeles. I’m from Southern California originally and it was remarkable how well she not only reflected the geography of the place, but also evoke the sense of it. I felt like I was there right with them in the Hollywood Hills. Please do yourself a favor and grab this book. I can’t wait to listen to Julia read it on audio!

This was a great novel that wasn’t just a typical romance. Sewanee is a strong & interesting female lead with a lot of baggage in her life. She has to figure out what she wants before she can move forward, she just doesn’t realize it yet. All of the additional characters are great counterparts for her. I don’t want to say too much as to give anything away so I will just say to read this book. It’s an adventure worth taking.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Julia Whelan has done it again! Quirky characters, a sweet and angsty romance, and an incredible dive into the audiobook business! It's a chunky book, but it reads so effortlessly that you'll fly right through it. Absolutely loved it.

Thank you for Listening made me very happy. Julia Whelan is one of my favorite audiobook narrators, so I could hear her voice throughout reading this whole book. Since her main characters are audio narrators themselves the reader got a behind the scenes look at audio narration that felt very natural.

I enjoyed the wide array of character representation in this book. The characters were witty and charming. I wish there was more of Blahblah (maybe as a flashback or with her friends at the retirement home?). She was funny and the banter between the characters was solid. The dialogue is what lost me a bit in this book. Some of the conversations I felt to be a bit confusing and hard to follow. I just couldn't seem to find that spark/connection between the two main characters. I wish I had listened to this as an audio because I think different voices for the characters would have helped me.

Thank You for Listening was funny and also super sad at times, but the emotions of the characters felt very real. I enjoyed the book and will look forward to seeing what Whelan comes out with in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a good book! I wish I could have gotten an advanced copy of the audio book because I’m sure Julia Whelan herself narrates it and it’s probably wonderful. She’s my favorite narrator!

I liked a lot about Thank You for Listening. The main character, Swan, was intriguing and smart, and I really liked reading from her perspective. I really liked learning more about the process of creating audio books and the industry as a whole. There’s also the inclusion of email and text messages that really make the banter between the two main characters pop and made me laugh out loud several times.

There is a lot going on in this book – Swan is an audio book narrator who is out of the romance genre and gets pulled back in for a special project with another narrator who know one really knows, Brock McNight. Their banter was really great, and then there also another instance of Swan having a one-night stand who someone she met at a book convention. Also factored in is Swan’s family. Her grandmother, whom they call BlahBlah, is in a nursing home and her memory is slowly deteriorating. Swan is looking to get back into her acting career following a traumatic accident that happened causing a disfigurement and loss of her eye. Mix that all together, along with a lot of heart, humor and romance, and you have Thank You for Listening.

I feel it could have been cut down a little bit. It’s over 400 pages and there were some parts in the middle that dragged on a bit, but other than that I really enjoyed it! This as my first book written by Julia Whelan and it won’t be the last I ever pick up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Though the plot sounding interesting, I just couldn’t connect with this book or the characters. Other readers may connect better with the story as many of my friends raved about this one.

As someone who enjoys audiobooks, a love story about narrators is a such a fresh idea. Sewanee is recovering from a major accident and finding her footing on a new book project. She is paired with a handsome colleague and a fun connection forms. I loved the relationship between Sewanee and Brock and seeing their work process. The love story was well-paced and rang very true. I loved the dialogue between the main characters and Sewanee’s best friend is a fantastic supporting character. It was easy to connect with and root for everyone. This is a very sweet, fun read.

Thanks to Julie Whelan, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ten out of ten, no notes. This book was an absolute delight--voicey and tender and sexy and wise, all of my favorite elements to find in a romance. Hollywood based, with a little old hollywood glam tossed in, this book is irresistible.