I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first exposure to Julia Whelan’s work and I simply loved it. The meta aspects of the romance tropes and the world of audiobooks/narrators was a fun setting. I was enamored with Sawanee and delighted she found her Nick/Brock. I found myself invested in all of the characters and their journeys.

I really enjoyed Thanks For Listening. It was a really unique story set up, and being an avid reader, it was fun to read something so “different “… There were a lot of texts and emails, and the author really knew how to write those, so they didn’t become monotonous. Give this one a whirl …

This was an absolutely delightful rom-com. The writing was superb and I can only imagine how spectacular it will be on audio. It was written partly in textual communication and in some ways reminded me of You’ve Got Mail. I would LOVE to see this made into a movie. Overall, I loved it and highly recommend if you’re in the mood for an enjoyable romance.

Is there anything better than a Julia Whelan book narrated by Julia Whelan?

How about one about an audiobook narrator???

That’s right, this delightful romcom features a darling audiobook narrator who doesn’t believe in HEAs. Sewanne had a tragic accident while perusing acting that led her to narration but has she really let go of that dream? She also refuses all romance books until she gets an offer she can’t refuse in order to help her beloved Grandma. Once her life becomes a romance book, she has a hard time believing any of it is real.

Ok y’all, this book was a delight. I loved how this book makes fun of romance books and tropes while being a romance book. The banter between Sewanne and Nick was super fun while texting and swoon worthy in person.

And while this book is funny, it deals a lot of tough topics. My gran lost her memory just like Blah and it was heartbreaking to see. Thankfully I never saw her at her worst like Sewanne did, but I know it happened similarly.

I loved the woman’s fiction vs romance debate because that’s what this book felt like (and the style that I prefer to read).

I wanna know, did she write the character’s accents because that’s what she wanted to perform? Or is that who they were and then she decided the voices? Or at they one in the same? Either way, top notch narration!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the advanced copy. I was holding out reading, hoping for the audio copy, and right as I picked this up to read, it became available on audio from @librofm so thank you!!!

"You are going to have to stop thinking you're more than the damaged version of yourself"

I loved this one. Other than the weird name choices for the characters I have nothing negative to say. MC is name is Sewanne (Swan-ee) and everyone in the book calls her grandmother Blah-Blah because she couldn't say Barbara when she was little and the name stuck.

This book starts with a bang. Sewanee experiences one of the biggest fear of a romance audiobook listeners: The earphone malfunction resulting with a steamy scene being heard by everyone around you in a public space:) And also, if you've been following me on IG you'd know I love Julia's male voice. I think it is so freaking sexy. There is a scene where she has trouble convincing people she narrates all the characters in books. She clearly nods to herself in some parts of the books.

Since the book is written by the queen of audiobooks there is so much to love in this book if you are an audiobook junkie like me. You learn about audiobook production process, prepping for a recording (making word lists, finding the correct pronunciation, identifying the emotional arc of the story, marking breath points in syntactically challenging passages, mapping relationships between characters, and developing voices and accents) about brilliant stage names or pseudonyms of romance narrators, there is some audio inside jokes.

I loved Sewanee from the first scene. She is a bit prickly, she doesn't want to narrate romance novels because she doesn't believe in the way romance novels portrayed real life, she doesn't beieve in HEAs. She ends up accepting a job offer because she needs money for her grandma's assisted living expenses.

This book is essentially women's fiction with a strong romance plotline. Sewanee learns to come to terms with the ending of her acting career while watching her friends rise to stardom. She has a facial deformation as a result of a freak accident. She also have a troubled relationship with her father.

Romance storyline is so sweet. it is basically Fated Mates stuff:) This book uses lots of romance tropes and makes fun of this fact. "It Fells like we fell out of a Romance tree and hit every trope on the way down: Snowed In, Just One Night, Epistolary, Mistaken Identity, Love Triangle, Second Chance. but no contrived fight over a pointless misunderstanding to make them realize what they had and almost lost.
There is a chapter of email and text exchanges between the MC and the love interest (I loved him btw) that made me grin so hard. The chapter was so funny, full of sexual innuendos.

This book is just my jam. I cannot wait to re-read it in audio format.

Full disclosure - This is my first time reading Julia Whelan, but not my first time listening to her. But you know how a good actor can make you feel things? Imagine a great actor recording her own book that SHE WROTE!! So many feels. I laughed, I gasped, and I got misty. The range of her accents (and her male voices) is next level.

This book works in so many ways. An audiobook narrator ends up on her own romance journey, full of all of the tropes she's so reticent about. (Like literally SO many tropes and they all spoil the story sooooo...). But I loved every bit of it, even the sad parts... And there were plenty of sad parts - from the story of how Sewanee lost her eye to her grandmother's journey with dementia - but it's also so uplifting and cozy. Annnnnnnnd the STEAM. Make sure your phone is *actually* connected to your phone, you've been warned.

*Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and LibroFM for the gifted audiobook*

Thank You For Listening is literally everything I love in a book wrapped up in one delightful package. I couldn’t devour it fast enough, and now my only regret is that I can’t read it again for the first time. You know it’s a good book when you can’t stop thinking about it, and this one has been living rent free in my imagination since I finished it almost a week ago.

Julia Whelan, one of my favorite audiobook narrators, has written a romance about audiobook narrators who fall in love. AND she narrates the audiobook, which was FABULOUS. The angst was super low (which was a nice change of pace) and the humor and heart were strong, and I just absolutely loved it. There’s a book convention, audiobook shenanigans, texting banter, family drama, and a big reveal at the end that made me smile even bigger than before.

I don’t know what else to say other than you need to read this book AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Run. Don’t walk. And if you are an audiobook fan, I’d HIGHLY recommend listening to this one. Haha!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance reader copy and Libro.fm for my advance listening copy. I already want to listen to it again.

STOP EVERYTHING AND READ THIS BOOK!! Narrator extraordinaire Julia Whelan has absolutely hit it out of the park with her sophomore novel, Thank You for Listening. I want to be best friends with the main character, Sewanee Chester (sorry, Adaku), who is also an audiobook narrator (although the author's note tells us this is in no way autobiographical).

To be honest, I was unsure about this one initially, because My Oxford Year was not my favorite (I was in the minority here) but I am so glad I picked this one up because it was certainly a top read of the year for me.

Thank you to Avon for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to readers. This was such a delightful read! There are laugh out loud portions as well as heartrending family scenes. It also gives audiobook fans a glimpse behind the production of this format. The book centers on an audiobook narrator who is asked to read a book by one of her favorite people as a final request to the author. The concern is that it is a Romance and the narrator does NOT read romance. When life encroaches, she must decide whether to open herself up for the possible. I want to thank NetGalley for the advance e-ARC.

Thank You For Listening is the first book I read from Julia Whelan. I tried reading My Oxford Year years ago, but that ended up being a DNF for me. Thank You For Listening explores the world of audiobook production, acceptance, and self-discovery. I really loved one small subplot that focused on the behind the scenes and more insight about audiobook production, narrators who use their real names versus pseudonym, narrating different genres, and what narrators do to bring the story to life to readers. If the whole book was based on that and the budding romance between the main characters, I would have really liked it. The plot was really intriguing. However, it felt longer than necessary as there were way too many subplots which overpowered the main plot. I did like the format of the story where there was a small mix of emails and texts. This was my favorite part as I felt that we really got the learn more about the main characters’ pasts and their dreams. The pacing of the storyline felt off. There were some moments where there was too much happening and other times where it dragged out. The male main character was underdeveloped. I felt that we didn’t know much about him. Though I had mixed feelings about this book, Julia Whelan does a great narrating her book.

This was a fun story! I could completely see this as a rom com movie! I loved the characters and their banter. This is a story that will definitely lift your mood!

I loved it! This was such a fun concept. It was smart, sexy, the banter between the characters had me smiling so big. For some reason I was very annoyed by the nickname Blah that I couldn’t get into her character but other than that, couldn’t put it down!

LA native Sewanee makes her living as an audiobook narrator. She'll perform any genre but romance, having given up on all HEAs after an accident several years ago ended her onscreen acting career. It's a decent life, but suddenly everything is in upheaval at once: her job, her friendships, her relationship with her grandmother who is showing signs of memory issues. Not to mention the one-night-stand with the handsome Irishman in Vegas that she can't stop thinking about, but has no way to contact. When her favorite author dies and leaves word that she wants Sewanee to narrate her final book, along with the mysterious, velvet-voiced Brock McNight, Sewanee can't say no, even if it's a romance. Soon she's trading flirty emails and texts with Brock, and wondering who the real man is behind the voice.

I wanted this book to go on and on. I'm hoping Whelan is planning a series, because I want to know what happens with several of the other characters. I enjoyed the banter and fun between Brock and Sewanee. There's also some very emotional content, as Sewanee deals with past trauma. I was very invested in the story, but not all that surprised by the Big Twist. (You'll probably see it coming, too, but it's still satisfying.) I would classify this more as relationship fiction than romance, but there is one pretty steamy scene.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

What a delightful story! Sewanee Chester is an audiobook narrator after a career change from being a successful actress. This career change was not by choice, but rather as a result of an accident you learn more about halfway through the book. Sewanee has had much success in the audiobook arena, having previously narrated several romance novels though her accident has led her to believe that romance novels aren't real, and an HEA isn't possible. By chance she is in Vegas and meets a mysterious stranger. She breaks out her acting chops and pretends to be someone else as she never expects to see this stranger again.

Sewanee is asked to come out of retirement and narrate one last romance series at the request of a beloved romance novelist who recently passed. It is here where Sewanee meets the talented Brock McNight, a fellow audiobook narrator. Their relationship begins like many others - via text. It is through their witty banter via text conversations that Sewanee slowly starts coming out of her shell after the accident. The main reason is that Sewanee can hide behind her phone and be the person she used to be before her accident. She agrees to finally meet Brock in person at the annual audiobooks award show, but is he too good to be true?

Since this book captures all the hallmarks of a romance novel, you know the story will end with a HEA. The author pulls out all the romance tropes and incorporates them seamlessly into the book while giving you a fun enjoyable read.

Oooh!! Squeal! This was like such a hug for my heart!!⁣
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Who doesn’t love a romance novel about audiobook narrators?! A story in a story, filled with so many fun tropes! ⁣
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Sewanee uses her acting skills to become the best audiobook narrator! She is able to switch to so many different, incredible voices and accents it’s amazing!⁣
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She meets sexy Nick at a Vegas Book Convention and sparks flew! Umm he has an accent!! Swoon, but it was a one night stand. Then she has to read an audiobook with Brock; one of the best male audiobook narrators in romance and their banter is amazing. ⁣
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This was so much fun to listen to. I was constantly smiling and laughing out loud. The banter was incredible. This was womens fiction meets rom com meets so many fun tropes with sarcastic banter and booming chemistry and I absolutely adored it!⁣
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Julie Whelan wrote such a fun book and also narrated this INCREDIBLY. I never wanted to stop listening! The ability to change to so many different voices/characters throughout this is awe inspiring. Fan girling! ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

This was a really interesting book! I am a huge audiobook fan and Julia Whelan is one of my favorites narrators. It was interesting to see a little bit of their side of the story, but also to see the romance between Sewanee and Nick/Brock. There were some sad moments with her grandma and some laugh out loud funny ones. I’m so glad I got to listen to the audiobook with Julia Whelan’s narration!

A romantic comedy (sort of comedy, plenty of drama, too) about audiobook narrators. Besides being an engaging story with interesting characters, I loved the behind-the-scenes look at audiobooks. I read the text, but I bet it would be a good one on audio, there’s a lot of talk about voices and accents. (Warning: one really explicit scene). Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think I'm going to be in the minority here, but I thought this was boring. Like, I-skimmed-a-good-amount-of-the-last-third boring.

The summary does a good job introducing this book so I won't recap. Frankly I'm having a hard time leaving a review because I did not connect with one single character, so here are some random thoughts:

- I was not expecting the examinations on the impact of dementia and, while this was one of the more interesting themes in the book, it felt out of place to me.
- There is a sort of mixed media component to this that worked well. This is probably unsurprising given the author's career as a narrator.
- Similarly, learning more about the audiobook industry was neat.
- There is a rabdom split in the timeline that I found off-putting.

Her voice in the booth is as distinctive as her voice in this book. Julia Whelan does it all!

This book toes the line between women's fiction and romance, and I appreciate the way she tackled the complexities of love and stereotypes. Swan was living her romance while actively eschewing romances and HEA. Clever use of texts throughout, it kept me engaged! The chemistry between Swan and Nick was lovely to witness and and the banter was present and accounted for.

Julia Whelan is one of the handful of narrators whose name I easily recognize. So when she writes a book about an actress turned book narrator I’m interested. She does explain that this isn’t autobiographical and how she created the characters. Whelan brings authenticity because this is a subject and industry she knows and understand.

This story is a delight. It is laugh out loud funny, witty with quick banter and hilarious texting. It is also deeply moving covering real life issues; grandmother in a care center, divorced parents, pushed out of a career you love, finding a new path and loving a best friend. This is (women’s) general fiction with an overall strong romance. It is for someone who appreciates the nuances of word choices and is open to characters who really grow in a few months time. For a book that talks about how romances always includes intimate moments this only has one limited scene. But it is still one of the sexiest books, with flirting, longing, touching, and full conversations of getting to know one another. It goes to show you don’t need to include graphic descriptions to show connections and falling in love.

It all begins with a one night stand, literally trapped in Las Vegas, during a snowstorm, sharing a room. The story throws in lots of tropes because the author understands them and how to work them towards a moving ending. Sewanee Chester is a book narrator who was an up and coming star until a disfiguring accident. She gets a dream job to do a romance book, a genre she’s given up, with Brock McNight. He is the industry’s sexiest voice. But the story has so much more depth. Sewanee and Nick are going to be characters I remember. This is the author’s second novel and I’ve will get the her first book. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.