I thought this book was so fun. The mystery of who the narrators are going by pseudonyms and everything, but this book really had it all. it was fun and reflective and showed a lot of growth by the characters. I love this author and i love listening to her as a narrator too. It gave a really cool perspective on the industry.

I really like Julia Whelan and audiobooks, but this one fell a little flat for me. I really liked the beginning, but the whole rest I found pretty boring and it seemed way too long. I think there were so many side stories and characters that weren’t very interesting, all they did was make the book longer.
I really felt the chemistry from the main couple in the beginning but later on I felt like it disappeared. I also don’t feel like disability was handled particularly well. I did enjoy the descriptions of audiobook narrating as being like acting and all the thought that goes into it.

Julia Whelan delivers an absolute delight of a romcom, pulling from her own experience as a beloved audiobook narrator, to craft a witty, adorable winning read.

Not my favorite read. I did try to get into it but it did not live up to the hype for me. I would give this author another chance. Maybe this just wasn't for me.

Thank You For Listening is the exact kind of romance I want to read: So deliciously layered. There's humor and swoony romance and deep narrator voices and steamy kisses, but there is also characters working through grief and trauma in the best way they know how. When those elements intertwine into a cohesive story that is both heart-warming and -wrenching at the same time... it's just this catnip blend for me. Really a fantastic romance, and I can't wait to see what Julia Whelan puts out next.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Julia Whelan may have one of the most recognizable voices in audiobooks. It is fun to listen and read a book she both authored and narrated. Thank You for Listening is a fun rom-com book that also deals with some serious issues. I did find myself giggling aloud at some of the scenes. Good job, Julia!

Julia Whelan is my favorite audiobook narrator. To hear she wrote a book, about audiobook narrators, I just had to read it.

Sewanee finds out one of the world's most popular romance novelist wants her to narrate their last book, with Brock McKnight- the industry's hottest and most secretive voice. Sewanee isn't a fan of romance since the incident a while back. But the respect for the late author and the money to help her grandma makes her decide to take on the project.

This book was fantastically written and makes you fall for the characters so easily. Watching Sewanee find herself and get back into the ring and explore romance again is magical. This whole book is magical, and I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I love Julia Whelan as she is one of my top favorite audiobook narrators. The moment I saw she wrote her own book (and then found out it was her second), I had to request it. I loved it!
I will forever read anything Julia writes.

Romance, real life woes, and banter! Yes please! I’ve already told my friends about it but I would most definitely recommend this to others.

All hail Julia Whelan, everyone's favorite audiobook narrator and criminally underrated author of My Oxford Year. Ugh, what a book. I went into this with high high hopes, and guess what? I was STILL impressed! On paper, it seems like there's a lot going on with this book- an under-the-radar audiobook narrator whose best friend is an A-list hollywood actor, who lost an eye in an accident and is still navigating her new life, whose best friend is her fun and eccentric grandmother experiencing a mental decline, who falls for a fellow narrator mystery man. But it WORKS. Whelan pulls it all together with aplomb. With panache. With heart and soul. I highly recommend My Oxford Year for readers of Emily Henry, Helen Hoang, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Christina Lauren, but Julia's got a distinct and wonderful voice and POV all her own.

Julia Whelan is one of my favorite audiobook narrators and I was eager to read her book. Turns out she can read and write! Thank You for Listening provides a peek into the audiobook world through the eyes of Sewanee Chester, an actress whose life took an unexpected turn. Her love of an ailing and colorful grandmother, friendship with a rising star, and a budding relationship with an elusive make counterpart are all explored in this charming and witty novel. Read (or listen) on!

An excellent book. It grabbed me from the first pages. I really enjoy this author’s work (both as a writer and an audiobook narrator) so found this to be an informative glimpse into her life.

Highly recommend.

3.5 / Damn can Julia Whelan write banter!! Everyone is like, "The accents this" or "The voices that" but I'm over here cackling while folding laundry because the dialogue is some of the best I've ever read.

TW: loved one in assisted living, grandparent with dementia (main theme), death of a loved one, suicide attempt (off-page), parent who cheated, toxic parent, discussion of past dead dog with cancer, vomit, ableism, accident leading to physical disability recounted

Based off the author's note, I can confidently say this story is heavily inspired by Whelan's own life, so it's safe to assume some of the characters' attitudes and views reflect the author's, or at least at one point did. The main character stops narrating romance because she stops believing in the HEA. The love interest feels trapped, perhaps even pigeon-holed, in romance narration because of his enormous success. The two of them reconcile these internal conflicts and fall for each other while narrating a beloved author's posthumous romance release.

I saw several people describe this book as closed door, which is why I felt comfortable going with the audio. I HATE sex scenes being read to me. It's the ickiest feeling in the world. But I was told I'd be fine with this one, and of course Whelan narrates it herself, so it's not to be missed. She pulls out ALL the stops and flexes her talent like she's up for every award. But WHEW this book is definitely door ajar. Nothing graphic per se, but the woman knows how to write sexual tension, and I barely got through some of the scenes without crawling out of my skin suit and slinking into the sewer system.

This story was interesting and certainly different than most romance on the market. A romance novel about romance narrators written by a very loved and popular audiobook narrator? PLEASE. But despite the fresh concept, the story is kinda forgettable, an issue I had with Whelan's debut too.

She can write incredible dialogue, is genuinely funny, and clearly knows the genre, but I don't usually love the execution. It can feel a bit heavy-handed in theme and the characters feel a little choreographed.

However, this book has some genuinely amazing parts! We have the pen pals trope, a very very hot one night stand told through flashbacks, behind the scenes into the audiobook industry (including the impacts AI is having right now), a love interest with an accent 🤤, steamy—but not descriptive—scenes, and a conversation about being physically disabled in the entertainment industry after the "big break."

I usually don't like one night stand tropes because the sexual tension is cracked in the very beginning, but the way Whelan handled it was so well done and kept the tension ramping up, even though as readers we saw the reveal coming. But that didn't lessen the sexual tension!

So overall, this is a 3.5 star read rounded up to a 4 because I would definitely recommend this to certain readers. I keep seeing people compare it to Book Lovers, usually saying it's better, so I'm off to read that and compare.

Rep: Black side character, disabled main character (missing eye), part Irish main character

Thank you to Avon for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story. It amused me, the character flaws were fairly relatable. Some of the storyline did feel a little disjointed but overall I enjoyed all aspects of it.

Okay, this one was almost a nope for me. I don't know why when I was reading it, the tone was wrong in my head I think, and I really didn't like Sewanee's character that much. However, I saw that Julia Whelan narrated her own book, so I gave it another go on audio, and it completely changed my outlook on this book. Julia is an amazing narrator, and I will have to look at her other books in the future. Sewanee still wasn't my favorite character, but she grew on me. Nick is an absolute saint, and I loved BlahBlah. I also loved how they threw in on the cliche romance troupes and even made a little fun of it towards the end. I would say that this book is good, but to truly enjoy it, I think audiobook might be the win for this.

I was really enjoying Thank You for Listening for the first seven hours of the audiobook. There were even several laugh-out-loud moments that made me think I'd finally stumbled across a book worth my time (currently in a slump after a string of mediocre stories). Unfortunately, after investing nearly eight hours, the main character decides to be awful and stupid. Everything was falling into place perfectly, and then Sewanee decides to be someone not worth reading about.

I like that this book has a main character with a disability.

I like that this book addresses dealing with an elderly loved one that struggles with memory loss.

I like that this book has a male love interest that's sweet, charming, and understanding to a fault.

I like that this book has a best friend that feels like family.

Pause.

I did not like that Sewanee used her disability as an excuse.

I did not like that Sewanee thought she - and only she - knew what was best for her ailing grandmother. She didn't even want to consider what her grandmother wanted for herself.

I did not like how Sewanee treated the male love interest once everything was out in the open. She walked away, what, ten times? Nick still stuck around and tried to give her time to process her feelings. She ends up running away anyways and ignoring all of his attempts at conversation. Everything, and I mean everything, in their romance-novel-worthy relationship was falling into place and she squandered it. She looked a gift horse in the mouth and then shoved that horse over a cliff.

I did not like how Sewanee chose to treat her best friend (the one that's more like a sister). Her friend had been there through it all and was always in Sewanee's corner. Sewanee was cruel and undeserving of such a friendship.

All of my dislikes happened after listening to 68% of this book. I normally don't DNF this far into something, but her entire personality was a turn off at that point. She made bad decision after bad decision and I couldn't find a single redeeming quality that made me want to keep going.

However, I do have a positive to end this review with. Julia Whelan narrates her own book and it's amazing. She is a phenomenal narrator that I really enjoyed listening to and will definitely look for in the future. (★★⋆☆☆ )

{Book Review} Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan

Oh, Julia Whelan. I was nervous to read your sophomore novel because I wasn’t sure anything could come close to the brilliance of MY OXFORD YEAR and you blew me away. Let me count the ways I love your books.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING was a really meta vibe because the heroine, Sewanee, is a successful audiobook narrator and all the details of how audiobooks are made was fascinating. I loved this inside look into this aspect of the book world. And I loved Sewanee. I loved her story, her journey to overcoming some past trauma but I especially loved the relationship with her best friend Adaku. There were so many beautiful moments of deep friendships that my own best friend and I were trading screen shots while reading.

The romantic element was…chef’s kiss. I mean, almost absolute perfection. The banter. The conversations. The reveals. I was mentally cheering and fist pumping at certain points it was fricking brilliant.

Julia Whelan is an author that has shot herself to the top of my favorite authors, I cannot wait to see what she impresses us with next!

Thank you infinitely @avonbooks for the review copy!

After a tragic accident ends her acting career, Sewanee has found success and satisfaction as an audiobook narrator. She stopped narrating romance book, but a large financial incentive and a request from a late author, she agrees to one last book. Sewanee resurrects her old pseudonym and begins a texting relationship with the industry's hottest male narrator Brock. As she works on this project, Sewanee discovers what her dreams really are.

I loved this! Julia Whelan is an incredible audiobook narrator AND author. It was so good, and I highly recommend you LISTEN to this!

One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is the relationship between Sewanee and Brock McNight, the industry's hottest, most secretive voice. The connection between the two is hidden behind the comfort of anonymity, and it is a beautiful and tender exploration of love and intimacy.

The novel also deals with some heavy themes such as the trauma of a tragic accident and the realities of life, but it is handled with sensitivity and depth. Whelan expertly explores the emotional fallout of such a life-altering event and the way it affects Sewanee's relationships, her career, and her sense of self.

I listened to this one on audio, which I think was the perfect way to consume this novel, as Julia Whelan is one of the most recognizable audiobook narrators working today, and, well, the book is about audiobooks. I appreciated the meta look inside the industry, and thought that this was did great job combining humor with heavier topics. Is it the most memorable book I've ever read? No. But I enjoyed listening to it for sure.

This book was amazing, I hated having to put it down to go back to real life. I love listening to audiobooks so getting behind the scenes details of how narrators do their job had me geeking out. This book had everything for me. It had so much depth with Sewanee facing her life after her accident & watching her grandmother's fight with dementia. As someone who watched her own grandparents go through that I felt it was realistically portrayed witb how heartbreaking it is. I also loved the way the love story was incorporated in as well. Nick had flaws but that made me love him even more. My only regret is that I waited so long to read this book.