This was a hilarious, emotional, tender and entertaining view of the rarely discussed world of audiobook narration rolled into a "just right" romance. The main characters, Sewanee/Sarah/Alice and Nick/Brock, were likable and relatable as they worked through their own insecurities and hesitations in life and love.

Julia Whelan did an amazing job of putting a humorous, almost sarcastic, spin on the usual romance tropes without continuing them on longer than was necessary. She has always been a favorite audiobook narrator of mine but after reading Thank You for Listening, I intend to read her first novel, My Oxford Year, and look forward to her future releases.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Right off the bat, I was sucked into this one. Completely engrossed in the story from the very beginning.

While this story is a love story, it’s also so much more than that. It’s a unique, layered story line told by Whelan in a way that only she could. As I was reading, a recurring thought I had was how there’s a difference between research and experience. So many authors do a spectacular job researching for their books, but because of Whelan’s *experience* as an audiobook narrator, she was able to give credence to this story line in a way no one else could have.

I loved how each chapter had a title (a trend I feel all authors should bring back). Each chapter title was either a trope or a common theme seen in love/romance stories, like “Snowed In.”

The banter between our two main characters in the middle of the book was so terrific. I sped through those pages because I craved more of their connection.

The subplots/side stories were also well done. I loved Sewanee’s family story line & how it beautifully wove into the rest of the story. Everything about this story line was well thought out and intentional.

It’s hard to say if I’d prefer this as an audiobook or a physical book. A good chunk of the book is the banter & correspondence between the main character (around 35-40% of the book). This correspondence is done via text & email, so I enjoyed being able to SEE that written out, but there were also parts of the book I would have loved to HEAR. I’ve concluded the best way to read this is to do both, ha! Listen and follow along in the book to get the best of both worlds!

Well, done! This is the first book I’ve read with Whelan as the author & I look forward to going back and reading her debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book will be released in August 2022.

This is what romance is supposed to be like! Real, funny, sad, witty banter, intimacy, passion. I loved Sewanee and Nick. Must read!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Utter perfection! Is Julia Whelan a triple threat: writer, narrator, and actress? Because Thank You for Listening is divine. Ms. Whelan gets US (her romance readers) and knows how to deliver a powerful punch of a story with all the little nods to the genre. Sewanee is the perfect romance heroine; likable, funny, witty, and of course flawed, who feels compelled to take on a romance audio project from the late June French in order to help pay for her grandmother’s care. Navigating her feelings towards a genre she has left behind, Sewanee can’t rationalize the HEAs of romance when she feels unworthy of one herself after a tragic accident leaves her scarred. But an encounter with a mysterious man in Vegas has her wondering if maybe she can be found attractive again. As Sewanee begins work on June’s romance novel, she is paired with the infamous Brock McNight, known for his undeniably sexy voice, and she begins to wonder just who is the man behind the voice.

This book had everything. Instant chemistry, unbelievably witty and funny texting banter and hilarious innuendo, hot hookup with a stranger, GROVELING, a romantic twist (and then another), a grand gesture, beautiful side characters and lovable family members, character growth…need I say more? Even when I thought I saw what was coming, I was still pleasantly surprised. This book had me reading into the wee hours because I could not put it down. And I just cannot say how funny this book is—and that is very difficult to achieve—where I found myself laughing page after page. The dialogue could not be better. And you know a book is thoughtful when every little part is imbued with meaning and care towards character development, no matter how small. Side note: How is it possible that Whelan made me fall in love with both Nick AND Brock? I mean, seriously, TWO desirable males? Whatever will a woman do? I know this is a book that will stay with me for a long time and it completely blew any expectations I had out of the park. I cannot WAIT to hear it on audio (Julia Whelan narrates it herself—I’m dying to hear Nick say “Jaysus”!). Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Harper Collins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I went into this expecting a light, fluffy romance, and while it was definitely some of that... it also got deeper!
Julia Whelan wrote beautiful, full characters who I fell in love with from the first page. The relationship between Sewanee and BlahBlah was particularly heartwarming.
Beyond that Nick was a wonderful, fun, witty character who was so easy to love and root for. I personally found Sewanee extremely relatable, even if there were things in her life I haven't personally experienced.
I recommend this book for all romance readers, especially if you love a romance audiobook!

This was a quick, but moving and emotional read. The scenes between Sewanee and BlahBlah in particular hit me hard since I dealt with something similar with my own grandmother. My favorite part was definitely the text and email conversations between Sewanee and Brock McNick. Their banter and innuendo, well, that's what every person hopes for in a partner. Overall, well done and I'd recommend.

Could I love this book any more than I did?! I think not!

I feel in love with Sewanee almost immediately (although I hated her name, haha). And while parts of the plot were predictable (all the tropes were so on the nose) it was done in the BEST way and I was flipping the pages to see how it'd play out and come together and all the things!

I also just appreciated the depth and the exploration of grief and loss and navigating relationships in the midst of all that. Done poignantly.

Swan (Sewanee) Chester is a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator. She gave up on her dreams of the spotlight after a tragic accident. Sewanee found satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. Swan begrudgingly flies to Las Vegas for a convention and unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. Swan is then offered a large sum of money to narrate a romance book even though she left that genre a long time ago.

If you have listened to any audiobook ever then you probably had it narrated by Julia Whelan. She is queen in the audio world. She is also a talented author. I enjoyed learning about the ins and outs of audio and it gave me a different perspective that I hadn't had as a listener. I also enjoyed the banter between nick and swan. What I didnt enjoy was there was SO much going on. There were so many characters and side stories. Her grandmother seemed lovely but I wanted to get back to Swan & nick rather than read about her grandmothers friends.

All in all enjoyable 3/5

Julia Whelan wrote a delightful book! It was easy to get invested in the main character, Sewanee, and her quirky grandmother, Blah Blah. She hooks us right away with a funny opening scene and then once she introduces Nick to us, all we want is the HEA. But life is messy so we take some twists and turns along the way. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

In Loved this book! It started out great and just got better. I loved Sewanne and Nick. I loved their meet cute, their banter, all of it. I loved the backstory of Sewanne and her grandmother was a great character. I loved the world of audiobook narration that it was set in, and I wanted to slow down reading because I didn’t want to leave the character.

I love the premise of this story. It's cute, there are none of those drama-for-drama's-sake moments, and there are a number of fun side characters I liked getting a chance to meet.

It's also very self-aware, which I will always appreciate.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book was fantastic!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This was everything I look for in a romance book and so much more. I loved that was about a audio book narrator. The characters are so relatable. I can’t say enough about this book.

Julie Whelan, thank you for this. The overarching message of the book hits so beautifully, beyond is being an incredible story about love. I absolutely freaking adored this book and never, ever wanted it to end. All hail Brock McKnight.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins, for the advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion!

A feel good quick read. I laughed out loud at some scenes. I’ll definitely be listening to this as an audiobook as I hope the author narrates this book herself. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

4.5 Stars!

I think it goes without saying that anyone who immerses themselves in the literary world, especially audiobooks, knows and loves Julia Whelan. She is a staple, an icon. I've been waiting and waiting for Julia to come out with another novel since The Oxford Year. And boy, the wait was worth it!

Obviously, this book is one of those HEA/feel good novels (like you know how it's going to end as your reading the story), but I absolutely loved where she took this story! It's not just a love story, but it takes a deep dive into self-esteem, being in your own way, accepting your new normal when life doesn't turn out how you planned. Julia deals with heavy topics in such a satisfying way.

I enjoyed this novel more than her first one. I was laughing out loud during the first scene when Swan was on the airplane. And the romance scenes were just enough without being smutty. And as a former actress, I enjoyed (and also rolled my eyes in solidarity) when she included scenes about auditioning and booking roles and all the crap that comes with the highs and lows of the entertainment industry.

All in all, this is such an adorable and enjoyable read. Obviously, you'll get an idea how it ends but I loved where the journey took me there as a reader. If you are a Julia Whelan fan, an HEA fan, or just feel-good story fan, you will want to pick this one up!!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for allowing me to read an e-ARC before publication!

I love Julia Whelan as an audiobook narrator, and I was very excited to read her novel about an audiobook narrator. I loved the insight into the world of audio narration. The story itself was a pleasant combination of romance and personal growth with some cheeky nods at the standard rom com tropes. I would recommend this novel to a friend looking for an easy and enjoyable read.

Former actress Sewanee Chester became an audiobook narrator after an
accident ended her career. She initially used a pseudonym when she began her career as a romance book narrator, but has retired that name and moved on to other genres. When a well known romance author passes away, she left one last project behind - an audiobook to be narrated only by Sewanee and Brock McNight, the hottest, most secretive voice of romance novels. Both Sewanee and Brock (Nick) have issues they must work through before they can find their HEA.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

This book was absolute perfection! Written by my favorite audiobook narrator!

While reading I was so very curious if any of the story was inspired by real life... It has humor, romance, friendship, family, HEA!

I will definitely listen when that version is available.

So we'll done!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 3

Overall rating: 3 out of 5