An adorable rom-com! Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan tells the story of Sewanee, an audiobook narrator, who spends a whirlwind night with a stranger after a convention in Vegas. This story left me smiling and laughing as I turned the pages. While the story is a light romantic comedy, the additional storylines about friendship and family add depth and emotion. I loved this one! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! What a book! I think the plot and idea is pretty original for a romance book. They basically call out all the tropes that the story and characters are living. The characters are all fun and have very dynamic, well rounded personalities that add to the overall story. I highly recommend this read. If you love romance, if you love Love, if you wish your life was like a romance novel this is the read for you. One warning i would give is there is speak of the death of a family member.

So good! In true Julia Whelan form, she keeps you hooked with her words from page 1 and each character has so much depth. It's like a therapy session and Netflix binge all in one!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced readers copy!

Thank You for Listening is a lovely story about family, friendship, love, and second chances. The cast of characters are lovable and real. With pseudonyms and secret identities in the mix, some twists are predictable, while others are surprising. The banter is great!

3 stars

E-arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard a lot of good stuff about the author's previous work (My Oxford Year).

This was funny, the banter was good, the plot is unique and atypical for a romance novel (a true novelty), the details of audiobook narrators' lives was fascinating and most of all— the whole premise of two people flirting, bonding and falling for each other via texts, without meeting in person, is always A+ (love me some anonymity! 👀)

It made me laugh out loud in some parts and gasp in others, but the pacing was really slow in the beginning and I had a tough time concentrating in many parts. I'd recommend this as a one time read.

This is a great Romcom for a new author to me. Apparently I have listened to this author read audio books before. It was interesting to see the logistics behind what goes into an audiobook. I loved the twists and turns in the book.

This book was so wonderful! Julia took her real-life connection to being a audiobook narrator and put it directly into the book. Loved the representation of her main character's eye patch - can't remember reading a MC like this in romance in recent history

Julia Whelan has always been one of my fave audiobook narrators. I felt that I would enjoy this book after reading the synopsis. Anytime an author can pull from their personal experience to set the stage, it gives the story a boost of authenticity & Thanks for Listening did not disappoint! I loved the uniqueness of her characters & didn't feel like any of the backstories were forced/contrived.

The relationship between Sewanee & her grandma Blah was beautiful & heartbreaking at the same time. I loved it when Blah was featured (and the Friday HH chapter was one of my faves!).

I loved the friendship dynamic between Adaku and Swan, especially the tension/build-up surrounding Swan's missed opportunity as an actress due to her accident. The over-compensation (driven partly by guilt) by Adaku to get Swan a role in her film to no avail.

The chemistry between Swan (Alice ha)/Nick was palpable from their first meeting in Vegas. The fun Brock/Sarah twist with the dual narration added another layer of excitement (I love a good email/texting exchange). It felt natural & the progression of their relationship made me feel invested the whole way through.

Thank you to both the publisher & NetGalley for sharing a sharp and witty ARC in exchange for a review.

This was a fantastic book & I can't wait to read more from Julia Whelan in the future!

This book was adorable and everything I love rolled into one. When I first heard of this book a few months ago, I have been anxiously awaiting! Oxford Year became a favorite a few years ago and was looking forward to reading another by same author. Additionally, Julia Whelan was the narrator of the first audiobook I ever tried and have loved her since- and remember watching her on Once and Again as a kid :)
The two main characters in this were absolutely perfect. Their chemistry in how they meet in the various ways pours off the page. Loved their witty banter and made me smile. Highly recommend! I can't wait to listen to this on audiobook once available and hope to hear Brock's voice. Great book

Julia Whelan is *the* audiobook narrator. I know many friends who will listen to a book based on her narration alone. I loved her first novel, My Oxford Year, and was really excited for Thank You for Listening.

It is a good book, but I felt let down. I didn't like jokes about suicide and I really didn't feel as though the story of the accident was believable.

Cute story, but it just fell flat for me.

Thank You For Listening
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/2/22
Author: Julia Whelan
Publisher: Avon Books
Pages: 432
Goodreads Rating: 4.23

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. She stopped narrated years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her. As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

My Thoughts: This is a romance novel but it also so much more, such as building friendships, enriching family relationships, and acceptance of self. The characters have depth, they are witty, the banter between them is amazing, and they work very well for this story. The author’s writing is brilliant, charming, complex, emotional, and just fantastic. Julia Whelan is an amazing audiobook narrator, we all know this, but to see her very special talent come alive on paper is truly a blessing. I had a range of emotions while reading this book from happiness to sadness, at times laughter, this was just a fantastic top read. I highly recommend getting this book. The queen of audiobooks with her second novel. I will be checking out the first one that I missed. This author is a new favorite read and audiobook narrator for me.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Avon and Harper Voyager and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Witty, cute, rom com with batter that’s on point.

Cuteness overflow!!! This is on of my favorite reads so far. I love the process of the details of this book. It wasn’t what I expected but I needed. I was a little on a book slump but this book has made me feel oh so good.

A great rom com read. The witty banter was superior, and I greatly enjoyed learning about how audiobook narration works.

Being an audiobook narrator herself, Julia Whelan knows the world of audiobooks really well and that shows in her new novel Thank You for Listening. After reading her last novel, The Oxford Year - I knew I was in for a bit of an emotional ride - and this novel definitely takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster. Sewanee Chester is an amazing character - full of strength and moxie yet held back by her own insecurities and fears. And her feelings are certainly justified - she is dealing with a lot! Caring for her grandmother BlahBlah was particularly emotional for me because of my own family - and her depiction of dementia/Alzheimer's definitely triggered certain memories of my own grandmother's dementia. On the less tear-inducing side of things - this novel has some of the best banter I've read in a romance - both with in-person conversations and the texts/emails back and forth between the two main characters. So hilarious and so entertaining. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

After Whelan wrenched my heart in My Oxford Year, I was eager to see what damage she'd do to me in Thank You for Listening and I'm happy to report that I made it out alive and heart fully intact.



I've been in a weird reading space where I'm either zooming through books in a day or laboring over them with half a mind to DNF them but stubbornly persisting. In many of these cases the end result is a mixed bag. I don't know what's going on with me, because let's face it--it's most likely a me thing and not the book, but I have been seeking something with a little more to it than just the feel good glow at the end. Thank You for Listening gave me that thing that I've been looking for. It gave me those much needed moments where I put down the book, stared off into space, and reflected on how certain things applied to me, if they applied to me, and what I could foresee doing about them, if I did anything at all. I guess what I'm saying is that I appreciated the opportunity to reflect and ponder and get lost in the story and myself all at the same time.



So needless to say, Sewanee's story of cynicism and loss transitioning into that one that shows her emboldened and content at the end was just the story I needed today. While there were sections that were more introspective and serious, there were also just as many times I laughed out loud or found myself smitten by one of the other characters. And now having enjoyed both of her novels, I can definitively say that Julia Whelan is a definite one-click, must read for me.

I loved this book, the troupes, the chemistry and the secondary characters. I loved the inside peek we got to the world of audiobooks and I love books set in Hollywood. I felt that Sewanee’s professional journey was left a little too ambiguous for me but overall I definitely sobbed way less than my Oxford year.

Wow. Just, wow! First of all, Julia Whelan is my favorite audio book narrator and I had no idea that she was an author (I had her voice in my head the throughout the entire book btw)! I loved this book so much. I devoured it and I just want to go back and read it again. I love the characters (although the names, specifically Blah, is a little weird but hey whatever). I love the story. I love that it's about audio books! I laughed and I cried and I was rooting for Swan the entire time. Stop what you're doing and go read this book!
Now I need to see if Julia Whelan has written anything else because I have to get my hands on it if she has.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I’m not an audiobook listener/reader so had never been aware of the narrating powerhouse that is Julia Whelan. Turns out I’ve actually read quite a few books whose audiobooks were performed by her.

When Emily Henry—an author whose writing I’m rabid for—mentioned “Thank You For Listening” on a podcast and that it was written by her narrator, I decided to request the ARC. So glad to have been approved and even more ecstatic that it was an INCREDIBLE read!

This story is filled with so much wit, heartbreak and most importantly, SOUL. It spoke to me in a way I didn’t expect—a punch in the gut and an ache in my chest—I am now (and forever) a Julia Whelan fan girl. I want to know/read/listen to everything this woman has done!

I loved the premise of two audiobook narrators meeting under Vegas “circumstances” and then subsequently falling in love with each other’s alter-egos. Is this story likely to be almost improbable? Possibly. But fuck it, leave your cynicism at the door, because this is ROMANCE and we are talking about some real fated mates type coincidences here. Sewanee and Nick are meant for each other and I am 100% on board with this!

I’m not going to say more because you should really just read this yourself. Learn how layered and wonderfully lovable all these characters are, even the secondary ones. Laugh at the quick fire flirting and undeniable chemistry between Sewanee and Nick. Cry at the parts that challenge deep fears about self-doubt, loss and failure. Most importantly, hope that the future brings with it a HEA worthy of real life.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this AMAZING ARC in exchange for my honest review. It was a pleasure to read and I can’t wait for more people to discover Julia Whelan’s talent beyond the sound booth!

Thank you for Listening offers a view into the audiobook narrator industry, and it's made all the more interesting due to the author, Julia Whelan, being an audiobook narrator in real life. As someone who doesn't read audiobooks, I found this aspect really fascinating.

The main character, Sewanee Chester, is an award-winning audiobook narrator. After being forced to attend a Romance Book conference in Las Vegas, she spends a night with a charming stranger. After she returns to Los Angeles, she's offered the audiobook narrator job of a life time; however, there's a catch: she has to resurrect her romance pseudonym - one that she hasn't used in years. And she has to work with Brock McNight - an illusive audiobook narrator of romance that no one has met in person.

I really enjoyed this! Sewanee (aka "Swan") is an engaging lead who's trying to figure out where she wants to be. Her friends and family were amazing for the most part. BlahBlah, her former actress grandmother, is amazing, even though her health is declining. I'm rooting for Swan's best friend, Adaku, to have a book now. Her mother, Marilyn, and partner Stu are also cool. This isn't even touching on Swan's audiobook narrator friends. There's just so many solid side characters in this!

The romance in Thank You for Listening is handled so well! (And that's all I'm saying because there's some spoilery things associated with the resolution)

All in all, this book completely took me by surprise. It's a really heartfelt book about accepting who you are and discovering the next chapter in your life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC! I really appreciate it!