4.5 Not Raspy Stars!

I loved getting a behind the scenes peek into audiobook narration!

Sewanee is covering for her friend at a book convention in Las Vegas. She meets a stranger with a sexy accent and after a wild night of dinner, drinks, and dancing (of the horizontal tango variety), she heads back to reality. Except things go a bit topsy-turvy when she is offered a job from a famous romance author she had worked with at the start of her career, before she decided romance was a sham. The author has passed and had requested that Sewanee narrate her last book with the golden boy of the industry, Brock McNight.

When I sat back to write my review, I found myself almost overwhelmed thinking of everything that happened. It was a lot, but life can be a lot, and this followed Sewanee at a pivotal point in hers. It was bound to be messy, and I mean that in the best way.

This was laugh out loud funny, the banter between characters was ::chef’s kiss::. The side characters were all unique and layered. I adored the e-mail and text exchanges.
I felt it dragged a bit in the last quarter, but that could be due to my attention span. I also did get annoyed toward the end with a certain character being needlessly stubborn, but that’s a personal preference.

Overall this was a great read, at times heavy, but always bringing it back to happy.

Check it out, when it hits shelves, 8/2/22!

A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED IT! SO SO MUCH! It delivered absolutely everything I look for in romance, the range of emotions I experienced was wild! The humor, the wit, the innuendos, the A + secondary cast, the romance genre references (and jabs!), the epistolary premise (HEART), the slow burn, the heat, the absolute chemistry between two cynicals getting the HEA they both sarcastically mocked and declared unrealistic expectation! AHAH!
You know how with the grumpy/sunshine dynamic we love to witness the grump do things only & ONLY for their sun? Cynical love interest is twice the reward, we get to see them both light up at all the little things they thought weren't for them or had stop believing in. 🤌🏼💋
Julia Whelan most definitely understood the assignment!

I LOVED this book. Sewanee is a great protagonist, and her story is engaging and compelling without being heavy. I genuinely laughed out loud several times and also cried a few tears before I was done. I can't wait to hear the audiobook!

This was an enjoyable, but predictable romance. I enjoyed the play between Sewanee and Nick, and Sewanee's relationships outside the romance were full and engaging. However, this book's pacing dragged a bit for me.

Those who have experience with the later life care of a relative will find relatable moments and moments to escape into.

I wanted to love this book and in the first few chapters I was convinced I was going too. It had me laughing out loud and made the 8 hour flight I was on seem like nothing. I especially loved the main character buying a last minute plane ticket and fleeing to Italy because her life was falling apart. I found that oddly relatable as I was on a flight to Rome because real life is a lot.
But it fell flat for me in the end. Swan just seemed to attack Nick for no reason. Her reaction to learning the truth about him seemed a bit off. She didn't really get to be uspet with him as she was lying to him about the same thing. And it wasn't even lying. And then there fight in Venice just seemed all over the place.
It was a fun read and I would recommend it but the ending just left me a little disappointed.

I can’t do this book justice without spoilers and I don’t want to give anything away because this book is genius!!

Though you might catch on I still don’t like to show all the cards and you have to just trust that you will love the twists and little discoveries as you read this beautiful love story!

The story isn’t packed with heat but it’s overflowing with love! Sewanee is our leading lady and as she find healing and her way we embark on the journey with her! I really felt a part of the story and it’s single POV but the back and forth between our two main character is enough to fully understand both! Their conversations are funny but real and that’s what I loved about this book!!

A first for me by this author and not the last!

I absolutely loved this book! I adored Julia Whelan's debut, My Oxford Year, so I was thrilled to hear she had a new book coming out. The fact that Thank You for Listening is set in the audiobook world is just the icing on top of a very delicious cake.

Whenever I'm in the mood for an audiobook I search, not for a book or an author, but for Julia Whelan as the narrator. Her voice can transform a story and I've fallen in love with so many books because of her. She is truly one of the best and an absolute master at her craft. She took that skill set and created a wonderful book with so much heart. Thank You for Listening is a story about finding yourself and creating a life you love even when nothing is going the way you expected it to.

Whelan's writing is spectacular. It's smart and witty and I love the characters she has created. The banter is some of the best and the chemistry is perfect. I read the physical copy but I've already pre-ordered the audiobook because Thank You for Listening deserves to be enjoyed both ways!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Julia Whelan for allowing me to be an early reader.

If Julia Whelan narrates it, I'm 100% going to buy it. I was ecstatic to see this come up on my feed, and I almost cried happy tears when I got approved. A book written by a audiobook narrator about narrating audiobooks? Love.

I love this book! Though I’m not typically a huge fan of romance, this book is smart, funny, poignant and really kept me turning the pages. The book is so much more than a romance; it deals with family, friendships, tragedy, healing, reinventing yourself…the list goes on and on.

Sewanne and Nick are two audiobook narrators who are intentionally brought together to narrate the final novel of a famous romance author. Sewanne “does not do romance,” but reluctantly agrees in order to afford the expense of her grandmother’s assisted living facility. Though they are doing the work remotely, these two have sizzling chemistry, fantastic banter, and a friendship that is believable and real. Though there are definitely serious themes throughout, this was such a fun, satisfying read.

I have a new respect for audiobook narrators. I learned so much about what they go through preparing for and recording books. Bravo Julia Whelan!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this delightful book.

Julia Whelan takes us into the world of an audiobook narrator with her character, Sewanee Chester. Sewanee's dreams didn't pan out like she planned so she finds herself behind the scenes reading the book instead of being a world famous actress. She is a likable character and I found myself rooting for her to find love. I read where the author narrated some huge audiobooks like Malibu Rising, Four Winds, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and a host of others so she is obviously writing about a world that she is familiar with! This book has a lot of heart and great dialogue... but I think I went into it with too high expectations. My Oxford Year is one of my favorite books ever. I had hyped this one up and it just didn't pack the same punch as My Oxford Year. It's good and it would be find for an afternoon beach read but it isn't one that will stay with you for years!

This was an entertaining, laugh out loud funny, steamy and an emotional read. I also found the story to be unique and refreshing. I appreciated that the author tackled themes of dementia, and disability realistically. Second chances was also a main focus and it comes together so well.

3.5 stars Thank you for my advanced copy of of this book. I loved My Oxford Year. I loved the quirky side characters and the romance. I still think about it over a year after reading it. Obviously I know Julia Whalen's work in audiobooks and I wish she would narrate my life.

This book was fun and enjoyable! There are some tougher plots but it's mostly a light read. The banter was excellent. This was predictable and reminded me a lot of You've Got Mail.

The biggest con is I think it was a tad too long. Some extra plots I think could have been left out.

Very different feeling from My Oxford Year but still will read anything Julia Whalen writes.

This was a fun one! I really enjoyed the romance and their relationship. Their little cute moments literally made me cry. Swan was also a great main character and it was nice watching her development. The intimate moments were written in such a unique way, which made their moments feel infinitely more special. I did feel like the rest of the components of the story, for example, the other characters, were a little disjointed. The plot kept getting more complex and it got a little frustrating to read. Despite this, however, I could not put this book down and finished it in one day.

This was really fun and immersively written, but it did feel a little bit overlong. I think this is a personal preference issue--I prefer my romances on the shorter side. However, the characterization was great, the secondary characters were well-developed too, the banter between the MC and her love interest was pretty great, and the background info on audiobook narration was super cool and interesting as well.

WOW. I loved My Oxford Year, but Thank You for Listening was even better. Loved the characters. The storytelling was on point. The full circle of the characters was everything I could have asked for. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It was funny, heartwarming, and just overall a wonderful, pleasing read.

I have been a Julia Whelan fan for years - as a narrator. I was so excited to read this one and overall it was okay for me. I found it a bit hard to get into in the beginning, but overall it was good.
Thank you!

I am a massive Julia Whelan fan, beginning with her days on Once and Again. I adored My Oxford Year, which is another book you think about long after you finish it, and I've been waiting four years for another of hers!! I will listen to anything she narrates, and she has enhanced my reading experience so much with some of the books she narrates. Her own books are phenomenally written, well developed characters, with a strong supporting cast. I absolutely loved the banter and the twists in this one!

Sewanee Chester is a well-known audiobook narrator and former actor, after a tragic accident, her acting days were short. She is approached to narrate the final book written by a late author she admired, in the romance genre. She hasn't touched romance books in years since she stopped believing in the Happily Ever After. But the financial appeal is too strong since she is also a caretaker for her grandmother with advanced Alzheimer's.

The co-narrator for the project, Brock McNight, is beloved and mysterious in the industry and the two set out to narrate this book without ever meeting.They find themselves becoming friends through email, texts, and voice messages. 

This is a story of second chances, reimagining your life after an unexpected tragedy, self-acceptance and gaining confidence, taking risks, being seen by others, loyalty and love for family and friends. This story is sharp, melancholy, funny, and charming.

This is reminiscent of Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. I laughed so much throughout, empathized with Sewanee, and adored her relationship with her grandmother, Blah Blah. As a major fan of audiobooks, I loved learning more about the industry and process, learning more about the collaboration of co-narrators, the discussion of tropes and poking fun at the tendencies of audio listeners! I laughed so hard at some of the comments fans say about specific narrators and bumping the speed up to 3x, both of which I am guilty of too! I loved hearing them mispronounce words and their inside jokes. For Pete's sake! The tellingphone! The scenes at the Seasons with her grandmother were pure comedy. Sewanee's friendship with Adaku is genuine and you feel their love and undying support for each other. This is a book that will give you that book hangover feeling! It is so realistic and will put a smile on your face! And since Julia narrates this, I will definitely be doing a reread when this comes out on audio!!

For those that love audiobooks - what speed do you listen at? I usually am at 2.5Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted ARC via NetGalley. Pub date is 8/2/22.

I read this entire book in one sitting because I was absolutely loving the banter and the twists (even if I did have my suspicions all along). I loved the humor mixed with the real and raw emotions that come with processing hardships and changes in life, and the fact that the two can coexist.

Sewannee Chester is well-known for her audiobook narrations - both as herself and under a pseudonym. It’s not where she ever thought she’d see herself, but after an accident cut her days on the silver screen short, she finds joy (and financial security) giving a voice to the books on people’s shelves.

When Sewanee is approached with the request to narrate the final book written by a late author she admired, she balks at the idea. She hasn’t narrated romance - or touched her pseudonym - since she stopped believing in Happily Ever Afters herself. But the opportunity to provide her aging grandmother with the care she needs proves to be too good to pass up - and Sewanee teams up with another narrator - Brock McNight, the most beloved and mysterious in the industry - to try and do justice to the late author’s last book.

As they narrate - from across the country and without ever meeting - Brock and Sewanee find themselves becoming friends - and maybe more - but the fact of their total anonymity and well-kept secrets may cause everything to come crashing down.

Thank You for Listening is one is for all the Nora Ephron fans out there! It is Sleepless in Seattle meets You’ve Got Mail for the 21st Century. I laughed out loud, I cried, I read it all in one sitting! And yet I am so sad I finished reading it.

This book will definitely give you that book hangover feeling. It is so, so funny, but also realistic. My only goal in life now is to grow old and live at Seasons with friends like Mitzi, Betsy, and BlahBlah.

“Thank you for Listening” by Julia Whelan was about Sewanee Chester an audiobook narrator. She had big dreams of being a film star but a tragic accident derails those plans along with some of her confidence. She however creates success in the audiobook world and decides to lend her voice one last time to a beloved author on a romance. She is however co authoring with the voice of the infamous Brock McNight. With new connections, new adventures and friendships along with some unexpected twist will Sewannee gain all her confidence back to pursue all her potential?

I love a good audiobook so getting a little glimpse into that world was so fun. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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