Member Reviews
I love how Julia Whelan writes from her own experiences. If you are a romance reader or audiobook fan this book is for you. Great backstory, realistic romance and friendships, and the inside track on the audiobook world pulled me right in.
I loved this book. A chick lit - romance novel where the main character doesn’t want to narrate romance audio books. ( too cute) There was humor, searching for self and main characters who had faced personal issues. Bets line of the book: We break in many wats but it doesn’t mean we are broken. I would highly recommend this book!,
I really liked this one! Written by an audiobook narrator about an audiobook narrator. A fun rom-com for your summer reading. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy!!
Not only was this book a fun read but it was also quite informative. I had no idea how much prep work goes into narrating an audiobook. The characters were real and relatable. Oh, I also learned the difference between the book classifications of romance vs. women’s literature. If you want to know, you’ll just have to read this book. You won’t be sorry.
All-star audiobook narrator Julia Whelan has delivered a love letter to romance fans with Thank You for Listening. She's packed her novel with tropes, banter, and swoon-worthy moments. The protagonist, Sewanee, is an actress-turned-audiobook narrator who turns her back on the romance genre and decries their HEAs, until she's presented with an offer that she can't refuse. The story takes some serious turns, with Sewanee's accident, her strained relationship with her father, and her grandmother's failing health, but it counters those moments with twists and laugh-out-loud funny moments.
This book gives us audiophiles a peek into the production of audio books. Julia Whelan is an author and narrator that I love. In this book she melds romance along with the audio publishing world and a look at a Main Character who has a Grandmother with Alzheimer's. There are some surprises, a twist or two and disappointment for Sewanee (pronounced Swan-nee or Swan for short). She does have some hot encounters with a gorgeous man and some online texting with another. Her best friend, Adako is a true BFF that we all would like.
For me, Julia Whelan can do no wrong. She was already my favorite narrator when I read her book The Oxford Year, and so when I heard she was writing Thank You for Listening I was so excited! I was not disappointed.
I loved getting an insiders perspective into the world of audiobook narration. But even more interesting we’re the characters in this novel. Not just Sewanee and Brock but most of the characters in this book contribute to make it a funny and delightful read. That isn’t to say it’s light hearted. Swan is on a journey throughout the novel. a reckoning her past (both the events she experienced and dreams for her past self) with what she can see for herself in the future. This was another 5 star read from Whelan for me. I highly recommend.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 the ARC
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 narrates the journey of Sewanee as she fazes through life, not entirely satisfied, after an accident that changed her life forever. The story encapsulates her struggles with her altered image, mentally and physically, and it's one highly worth reading in my opinion.
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The story danced around a hundred tropes but overall, in true June French style, it was a big fuck you to everyone and anyone who ever criticized HEAs. It was a romance that tailored in a women's fiction lilt as well and executed it perfectly.
Sewanee and Nick had chemistry that reached another comfort level. Their banter was unparalleled, a bit dorky, hilarious and catered to mainly them but unparalleled all the same.
Ultimately, the grovel combined with a grand-ish romantic gesture gave way to their true happy ever after.
Also a complete side note, I'm fully aware June is completely fictional but God she's an icon.
Her 'statements' before each part were what I found myself looking forward to the most.
I loved the writing style; at first I found it a little uneven but by the end I grew to admire declamatoriness and every time the characters came to a new revelation the emotions were reflected thoroughly and it made me overwhelmed in a good way. I think that's how I connected to the characters better.
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4.38 / 5✩
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
I just want to start by saying that I didn’t realize Julia Whelan was an author as well as one of my favorite audiobook narrators!! I can’t wait to read more of her books in the future.
Thank You For Listening is the story of Sewanee Chester, who once was a young Hollywood Star on the rise, but now, following a tragic injury, is an award-winning audiobook narrator. She helps run the recording studio, takes care of her sick grandmother, is a true friend to her best friend Adaku and seems to be content until she heads to Las Vegas for a last minute book convention and spends a wild and unexpected night with a stranger. Life brings Sewanee another curveball on her arrival home, when she is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to narrate a new romance from her favorite author June French. To make things even better, she is to co-narrate with the sexy male narrator, Brock McNight.
Thank You For Listening is a funny, tender, melancholic, delightful, romantic story. I truly enjoyed reading it, especially Sewanee and Nick’s Las Vegas tryst. I give it 4.5 ⭐️ and will be recommending it to friends when it hits shelves on August 2,2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I adored this book. Adored. While yes, it had rom-com elements (so much snarky humor and banter!), it also dealt with more serious self-esteem/growth issues, generational issues and just being real both with yourself and those you care about.
This takes place in the audiobook recording world (which was interesting to me), and it involves two narrators (with pseudonym names) who haven’t met but are tops in their field (he’s in Romance, she’s in various other Fiction). There’s a serendipitous, chemistry-laden meeting before moving on, and then a big work project where new friends/interests are cultivated through some of the sweetest, funniest email/text chapters I’ve ever read.
There are misunderstandings, twists and things to be worked out, but you’re rooting cheering for Sewanee and Nick (such wonderful characters!) throughout. Just a mention, there are some very sexy moments.
So well written and recommended.
My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for providing the free early arc of Thank You for Listening for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
This is an fun and entertaining story about an audio book narrator, the author does a great job creating the characters, they are so interesting, I loved the banter and the slow burn, I laughed out loud and swooned so hard, and I loved the epilogue! I really enjoyed the story!
I LOVED this book! I'm an avid audiobook listener and it was so fun to learn some of the behind-the-scenes tricks from such a great in the field! I predicted some of the twists, but I don't know if they were really supposed to be surprises anyway--it was more about the arc of the story and how the HEA would happen. Loved! So fun.
An entertaining romantic comedy that pokes fun of the romance genre while having interesting characters. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
I loved this book! The audiobook narrator premise, the love story, the banter, the characters backstories - all of it was so interesting. I found myself laughing out loud during multiple parts. I did think the snowed in chapter belonged earlier in the book, but once I realized it was a flashback it worked for me. Plus the epilogue? Swoon!!
There is heavy romance in this book but no spice, except the audio narration where I laughed, really hard.
If you love a good HEA, flawed characters, and growth, you’ll enjoy this one.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Loved this steamy tale. The premise seems familiar, but the way the author did it, with these characters was nice. I absolutely loved the grandmother in the book!
I really enjoyed this one! This was my first book by the author and I'm looking forward to reading more of their work. Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC!
10 stars! I loved this book. It was my first one from this author. It had everything and the ending was perfect. The epilogue was simply beautiful and on point. I look forward to reading more stories from this author.
Sewanee is a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator, who lost one eye in a tragic accident. With help from her bestie Adaku, Sewanee learns to accept herself and find love again when she agrees to narrate her first romance novel. The witty dialog between Sewanee and her beau really shines. So does the touching relationship that she has with her grandmother BlahBlah (Barbara), who has dementia.
I'm not usually a reader of romance novels, nor do I listen to them on audiobooks. I selected Thank You For Listening as a light, quick vacation read. I loved it! Not a traditional romance, with two main characters who absolutely reject Happily Ever After, but nonetheless are drawn together, with all their personal failures and failings. Laugh out loud funny, in parts, and yes, the author plays to the usual romance tropes, but so much more than a romance. Good fun, a quick read, and a flawed and personable female main character. Recommended.
"Thank You for Listening" is a stay up all night, hate to put down romance. While including the mystery identity theme, it reaches far beyond that. TYfL explores Sewanee’s – Swan to her friends – new life since her career as a screen actress ended and she transitioned to being a successful audiobook narrator. Sewanee spends one miraculous night with a stranger she meets at a conference in Las Vegas, the same weekend an old friend author requests that Swan return to the romance genre to read her last book. Sewanee teams up with the hottest male voice in audiobooks, a man whose identity is secret to all, and finds herself connecting with him personally at the same time her thoughts return to her single romantic night in Vegas. Sewanee’s personal relationships, career development, self-understanding bring notes of truth to her character, while the romance brings luscious fantasy to the fore. The narrator’s own voice creation expertise only enhances the listener’s experience.