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.

Sewanee is an audiobook narrator who refuses to read romance, until she's requested to read the last book by a late romance author. The offer is too good to refuse, and she finds herself working with the mysterious and well-loved male narrator around.

I love Julia Whelan as a narrator so this book was entertaining to get a behind the scenes glimpse at the audiobook life. Sewanee's story is part self-discovery and part-romance as we see her navigate life and relationships following an accident.

I feel like there was too much going on at times that could have been simplified to help trim some length off the book or focus more attention on the relationship development. I enjoyed this one overall as we see Whelan poke a bit of fun at romance and audiobooks, and get lots of banter over emails.

Pick this up when it's out August 2!

When Julia Whelan, one of the best audiobook narrators, writes her own book (and then narrates it) about audiobook narrators, you can bet I’m going to read/listen! It was a very meta experience and one I really enjoyed.

My favorite section was in the middle of the book where Julia Whelan included text messages and email threads between the two main characters. And because she is a master narrator, she didn’t have to read the name of who the text was from because she had distinct voices for each. The emails, also, she did not write, nor then have to read, all the Re: Re: Re: parts that so many authors include when using email threads.

There were multiple nods to audiobook listeners that were pretty entertaining. For instance: “why worry about performance when people listen at 3X speed?” I was definitely called out 😂

Thank you to Avon Books for a digital ARC through NetGalley.

4 stars

In her sophomore novel, Julia Whelan takes on the world of audiobook narration in a novel that is practically bursting with romance in-jokes and tropes. At times humorous and at times heartbreaking, this book toes the line between romance and women's fiction at various points throughout to create a story that somehow feels both grounded and dreamy.

I really enjoyed the exploration of Sewanee as a character as she attempts to grapple with both physical and emotional trauma, her feelings towards her co-worker, and her seemingly directionless life. In comparison (and mainly because we never get a POV from his perspective), her love interest does feel a bit underdeveloped as several of his actions/motivations come off as rather vague.

That, on top of it feeling like some connecting scenes were missing from the second half of the book, had me dropping this down to a 4. All in all, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this romance and found myself constantly eager to pick this one back up. I'm excited to pick up Whelan's first novel and to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

So Julia Whelan can do it all...I have been a fan of hers for years. She is my favorite audiobook narrator and now a new favorite author. I was pleasantly surprised by this very charming story. 

This is a story about Sewanee, an author turned audiobook narrator that DOES NOT READ ROMANCE! She used to but refuses to anymore- she doesn't believe in it and she won't participate in it...That is until she is requested to read the last book of the best romance author, that has just passed away. Normally she would refuse, but she needs the money to help her sick grandmother pay for the best care. And this job means she will be working with the mysterious Brock McKnight- the most loved male romance narrator around.

I loved Sewanee. She had such a complex backstory. She has grown up close to her grandmother, who now is losing her memory. She was at the top of her acting game, when an accident changed everything- the last few years of her life and family life have been very difficult. But she is fierce and stands up for herself and what she believes in. She is a protector of the people around her and is incredibly loyal. 

I loved the slow build friendship between Sewanee and Brock. They have cute banter and understand each other. I loved seeing their relationship unfold. 

This was such a beautiful story and a fun look into the world of audio narration.

Rating: 4/5
Read if you liked: Book Lovers
Steam: 2/5
Tropes: Women’s Fiction with a Romance, Family Ties, Friends to Lovers, Workplace Romance

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for access to this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank You for Listening will be released on August 2nd.

I had this title in multiple forms: electronic, print and audio. Because of this, I read it in multiple forms, by far my favorite was audio which I think added an element to this book that was missing from the others. If I’m honest, I was struggling to finish this book before I was given the audio…it is a very wordy book and I found myself easily distracted.

Things I Loved: This book was both witty, heartwarming and a bit tear-jerking. I loved the banter, the texts/emails added so much to this story and the relationship blooming between our MCs. This book did lean more towards women’s fictions following Sewanee’s journey in life. I loved her relationship with her grandmother. It was joyful to read while also being heartbreaking to watch Barbara’s decline in life. There was a thread of grief, loss and love throughout the whole story. “The Marriott”. I loved a bit of the behind the scenes of audiobook narrating.

Things I Didn’t Care For: The names, also….I never want to hear/read Blah-Blah again as a nickname. The timeline did jump around a lot and was hard to track. Sometimes the language felt disjointed and hard to follow.

4.5/5

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

When Sewanee Chester pairs together with Brock McNight for a deal of a lifetime on an audiobook series, things don’t go exactly the way she planned, and life gets crazy… but is it for better or for worse?

This book is absolute gold. It’s funny, witty, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and all-around wonderful. The chemistry between the two characters is just SO GOOD. I loved the email exchanges, the text exchanges, the banter, EVERYTHING! I flew through this book so fast, which is just a testament to how much I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.

This was my first book from Julia Whelan, and I can promise you right now that it will not be my last. Looking forward to devouring every book that Ms. Whelan writes from here on out!

Will definitely be purchasing this book when it comes out on August 2, 2022!

Suwanee was an up and coming actress when a senseless tragedy changed the trajectory of her career and her life. Now, she narrates audiobooks and is outstanding in her field. Sworn off of romances (where she got her start), she is persuaded to record one last romance as a favor to the author who gave her her start in the business. It will be a dual narration with her male counterpart just as well known (and anonymous) in the field. Add to this a romantic one-night-stand in Las Vegas and a playful 'text only' relationship with the male narrator (still anonymous). You might see the end coming, but it was great fun getting there!
As a fan of audiobooks, I enjoyed the story but also the behind the scenes of the audiobook industry.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read and review Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan in advance of the release. A truly enjoyable experience!

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.

Reading this funny, well-written novel was such a pleasure. The witty, smart dialogue, laugh out loud moments, family relationships, solid friendships, and satisfying ending create a world you won’t want to miss. You are quickly immersed into Sewanee’s world as a beloved audiobook narrator and rooting for a Happily Ever After! This book is a must read for fans of Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry. The perfect summer read! Excuse me while I go figure out how to make “The Last Word”, a much-lauded cocktail mentioned in the book 😉.

I read My Oxford Year a while ago and was very excited to get approved of this one. I also knew that Julia Whelan was an audiobook narrator so was interested to see how she would describe it and see if I learned more.

This was not a light hearted rom com though. It is about finding yourself again and embracing it. It deals with so much. Grief and love and understanding your own life/path.

It has been awhile since a book has made me really cry and this one definitely did. So make sure to have the tissues handy! You just can't help but root for Sewanee. She has had such a rough go of it and sometimes I personally felt like she was dealing with it alone.

It did have a lot of romantic elements. Certain plot points reminded me of You've Got Mail. Also, love how they talked about romance and women's fiction and all the tropes. It did make me laugh and not just cry.

I would be very interested to hear the audiobook of this one since that's what it's all about.

Really, really good - I loved it! Thought-provoking and romantic, this straddles the line between women's fiction and romance, with a heroine-centric storyline that effortlessly weaves in a rich and dynamic love story. It also balances light and playful moments with heavier, sometimes somber, scenes for maximum impact. I'm so glad that I went in completely blind; the story unravels in such an interesting and unexpected way, following our heroine as she works to find herself again. I'm not always the biggest fan of third person/single perspective romances, but it works here. It's truly the heroine's story, and she changes course as certain things are revealed. Her chemistry with the hero was fantastic, and I loved how their relationship progressed. From moments of smile-inducing banter to epistolary chapters, this has a little of everything, and the book is richer for it. If you're a romance-lover who appreciates a story that also entails significant personal growth, then this is sure to be a memorable read.

The story follows Sewanee, a former actress who began narrating audiobooks after an accident left her without an eye. She lost a lot of confidence after the accident, but narrating books has been a great way of putting her acting skills to work - without having a camera involved. While Sewanee started out narrating romance, she's too jaded to love the genre and she's since shifted into narrating other types of books. But when a beloved romance author passes away and Sewanee is asked to narrate her final work... it's nearly impossible to refuse. As Sewanee begins communicating with her co-narrator on the book, the two connect in a way that neither one expected. They've been hiding from the losses in their lives, and talking things out opens their eyes to what they truly want.

This review wouldn't be complete without talking about the powerhouse of a performance from author and narrator, Julia Whelan. This is meant to be listened to on audio, and it's clear that this is deeply personal to Whelan - without being autobiographical. Her insight into the industry adds a richness to the story that breaths life into it, and there are so many moments that will be poignant to fans of the genre. While I've listened to many audiobooks that Whelan has narrated, this is my first time reading something that she's written, and it was such a great experience. There's enough romance woven into the story that it never veered too far into women's fiction territory for this romance-lover, and Whelan is also aware of the expectations that come with each. I kinda loved that she teases us about which one this story will end up being, and that certainly kept me on my toes. Yes, Sewanee learns and grows throughout the book, but the romance is also integral to her journey. I'm sure that I'll be thinking about this book for months to come, and that's the sure sign of a great read.

Audio note: The audio was fantastic! Whelan is both the author AND the narrator, so she infuses so much into her performance. While I typically prefer duet or dual narration, Whelan does an excellent job of differentiating between the characters. She's a pro for a reason. This is also much more than just someone reading the book to you - there's a performance element to every scene, with plenty of emotion to keep things interesting. The story also lends itself well to audio, with the exception of the epistolary chapters. It did get a little awkward having each email read out in full, but that was a very small part of the book. There's just a touch of steam and it's not overly descriptive, so you should have no trouble if you want to make this a workday listen. The runtime might go a bit long for a single day at the office, but I happily binged this in one sitting. All in all, I highly recommend this on audio. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy, and am voluntarily leaving a review of this unique book.

3.5 ⭐️ This book follows Sewanne, a former actress who, after a terrible accident, becomes an audiobook narrator. Following a one-night-stand in Vegas with a charming stranger, she is presented with the opportunity to narrate a famous novelist’s last romance book. Sewanne accepts the position in order to help finance her grandmother’s care, but the catch is that she has to record it with the mysterious and popular male narrator, Brock McNight, and use her former ghost name.

What I liked:
-learning about narrating audiobooks
-the humor
- the chemistry between Sewanne and Nick

What I didn’t like:
-timeline jumped around too much
-the five parts felt disjointed