This might be my favorite book of the summer! I loved the look inside the process of narrating an audiobook, but of course I really loved the sweet love story here. I'm happy that Sewanee and Brock found each other, but happier still that Sewanee found herself. My heart broke over the tale of BlahBlah and loved the reality and grace with which this was handled in the book. All of us with aging parents and grandparents can relate to the fears of how their final years will go. This book was a knockout from start to finish.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Lasst mich diese Rezension mit einem Update zu meinem derzeitigen Lesestatus beginnen (Stand Mitte März 2022). Seit gut drei Wochen stecke ich in einer kleinen Leseflaute und Bücher haben es schwer, mein Interesse zu packen und vor allem zu halten. Darunter kann mein Leserlebnis mit “Thank you for listening” durchaus gelitten haben, genau kann ich es aber nicht sagen.

Die Geschichte von “Thank you for listening” hat eigentlich alles, was ich an einem Liebesroman schätze. Es gibt interessante Charaktere, der Schreibstil lässt einen in einen guten Lesefluss kommen und die Geschichte ist frisch. In Kombination hätte mich das eigentlich umhauen sollen, aber leider konnten mich die Geschehnisse im Roman nicht so sehr packen wie erhofft.

Ich fand alles ganz nett, aber leider nicht mehr. Vor allem konnte ich keine gute Beziehung zu den Charakteren aufbauen, was für mich in einem Liebesroman aber ein Muss ist.

Bis zum zehnten Kapitel habe ich der Geschichte eine Chance gegeben, mich doch noch einzufangen. Da dies nicht passiert ist, habe ich den Roman danach abgebrochen.

- keine Bewertung -

PS: Die Autorin ist selbst Sprecherin von Hörbuchern, dadurch fühlten sich die Details zu dem Thema sehr natürlich an und waren zusätzlich interessant.

Für wen?

Ich denke, dass der Roman vielen Leser:innen eine schöne Lesezeit bereiten sollte. Die Geschichte ist frisch und nicht nur Fans von Hörbüchern sollten so einige Details spannend finden. Wenn euch die Leseprobe anspricht, ist das Buch auf jeden Fall einen Versuch wert.

Yes, Julia! You've done it again. I fell in love with this story so quickly. For one, I loved learning more about the behind the scenes of audio narrating. Julia is one of my favorite narrators by the way! Sewanee was a character I wasn't sure about at first. Her story was interesting and I kept waiting to see WHAT happened to her. What was holding her back? Herself? Maybe it was Hollywood.

Then we've got Las Vegas and Nick. A steamy one night of pure fun and obviously some steamy fun , but it just ends. What happened to him??!?!?!? I knew it would come back at some point in the storyline (also an explanation) so I was urgently reading more and more to figure it out!

So that puts us at Brock, who in my head sounded exactly like MY personal favorite male narrator. That voice that melts you. I kinda knew what was going to happen, but it did take me a bit to figure out the Brock/Nick storyline. The banter between Sewanee and "Brock" was so good! I laughed out loud and was rooting for them.

Then we get the epilogue!!!! OMG!

This story was just so incredible and I loved it so much.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Sewanee and Nick. They meet at a bar have a night of pleasure and leave each other the next morning. Sewanee does audio on books, she used to be an actress. Nick does audio on romance books. They each have their issues from a grandmother in nursing care, to a airplane accident, alias names, and trust issues. They eventually work it out and fall in love.

Thank You for Listening
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Genre: 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
Format: 𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
Length: 𝟒𝟑𝟐 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘷𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘝𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

Thank You for Listening follows audiobook narrator, Sewanee Chester, as she does her best to navigate her life after a terrible accident. Sewanee used to narrate for the romance community but has since moved on to different genres. But after the death of a close author friend, Sewanee decides to do one last romance project in her honor but this means working with Brock McNight.

As someone who loves audiobooks this was such a fun read! I loved Sewanee as the main character; she was constantly taking care of others but rarely took care of herself. She’s a beautifully flawed individual.

The chemistry between Brock and Sewanee was everything, I loved their interactions. I have to say that I was disappointed though that for two individuals in the romance genre, I felt that the overall romance was lacking. Yes we had build up of Brock and Sewanee building a foundation but I wanted some dating, some adventures together, and where oh where was the smut? There were a few smutty scenes but you cannot tell me that Brock does not know his way around a woman after the countless smut scenes he has read over the years.

Overall, a great book with developed and flawed characters. Pacing was good throughout the book, I really didn’t want to set it down. Plot was believable and enjoyable. Writing was easy to comprehend and flowed nicely. This book is definitely worth picking up if given the chance!

This book was so much fun and just a delightful read. I love reading romances that take place in the publishing industry and Thank You for Listening offered a unique twist on that - a look at the life of an audiobook narrator. Julie Whelan has a wonderfully funny voice and I actually laughed out loud a few times while reading this book.

The characters were all wonderful and we meet a lot of them. Each character, whether it be in Sewanee’s world or the ones we meet at BlahBlah’s home, Seasons, was distinct and contributed to the story. From their very first meet cute, the love story between Sewanee and Nick was the perfect blend of sweet and steamy and I loved how it wrapped up in the end.

I will definitely be going back to read My Oxford Year after this. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy.

I enjoyed this book. I requested it from NetGalley because I'm a big fan of Julia Whelan's narration. Her writing is also good and the story kept my interest. This is not my usual genre of choice, but I'm glad I read it. I was drawn to the "Swan" and the rest of the cast of characters. I loved learning about the behind-the-scenes of audiobook narration.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Avon and #HarperVoyager for the ARC of this book.

I enjoyed Julia's Whelan's My Oxford Year, but I liked Thank you for Listening even more. The character development is great and the characters are relatable. I loved the behind the scenes look at the world of audiobook production. I look forward to listening to this one.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! This was my first book by Julia Whelan and boy, was I impressed! We follow Sewanee Chester on her journey through discovering what she wants out of her life; with love, with work, with her family, and so on. It was funny, heartfelt, & very engaging throughout every corner of the story. I appreciated how each character really felt lived in and fleshed out, even down to the secondary characters in the story. It just made the world of the book feel more real and personal. The characters were relatable, the banter was so funny, and even though we were met with familiar tropes, they were done in a new way. Plus, I'm a sucker for text/email banter, so all that really worked for me. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy once this is out in the world!

*Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the eARC!

This book is a romance centered around audiobook narrators, which is perfectly bookish and clever. If you're an audiobook listener, you are certainly familiar with the author Julia Whelan's successful career as one of the best audiobook narrators in the game. So I loved the meta-ness of Thank You For Listening and the sneak peek into the world behind the microphone that we rarely get to hear about.

I also enjoyed the close female friendship at the heart of this book. I always feel so cozy and safe when I'm reading a book and there are two women loving and supporting each other through life's ups and downs.

I was definitely rooting for Sewanee and Nick to get their HEA, and I loved their chemistry and banter.

Ultimately, I found myself skimming through some of the storylines in this book, mainly the one with the grandmother. I didn't feel invested in it or feel that it added to the greater narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this gifted eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Wow! Where to begin, lots to unpack with this awesome book.
After an accident cuts her acting career short, Sewannee is now an award winning audiobook narrator (who no longer reads for romance books!). Her best friend Adaku has become the famous actress they both hoped to be. They both head to Vegas for a weekend convention. When Adaku heads back to LA for a last minute meeting, Sewanee meets an Irish stranger and has a wild night…but they agree to not exchange numbers. Sewanee heads back to LA but immediately faces the problem of paying for her grandmothers expensive nursing home. Into her lap falls an offer to narrate the last book written by recently passed away ~romance~ author June French—with the one and only Brock McKnight…when Sewanee accepts, what I can only describe is hilarity ensuing.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns of the story and it kept me guessing. This is Julia Whelan’s second novel, but it sure won’t be her last! She’s a smart and talented writer, in addition to being an audiobook narrator herself!!

Thank You For Listening was a really enjoyable romance about an actress turned audiobook narrator, Sewanee Chester, from my absolute favorite audiobook narrator Julia Whelan.
I loved that Julia drew on her expertise and included an interesting peek behind the curtain of narrators and their process in the story. There was a lot going on in the book but I thought the inclusion of relationships with her father, grandmother (along with the others at the nursing home), and best friend helped to build out her world and better understand her point of view.
Overall, a great read and I look forward to listening on audio as well!

I wasn’t sure about this book at the start but man it took me by the heart and never let go. I absolutely adore Sewanee (pronounced SWA-nee even if I kept mispronouncing it in my head the whole book lol) and Nick.
Sewanee was an up and coming actress when a tragic accident leaves her with one eye, killing her acting ambitions. She moves into the audiobook narration world and quickly makes a name for herself, but avoids romances once she has any say. The accident has left her too cynical to even fake believe in HEAs.
The book opens with her having a magical night in Vegas with a stranger before returning home to return to her regular life. A part of that regular life is caring for her rapidly deteriorating grandmother BlahBlah (yes, I know, such a weird name but you eventually get used to it) To pay for BlahBlah’s care, Sewanee takes a job co-narrating with romances biggest leading man, Brock McNight.
Y’all can probably guess who Brock McNight really is. Ensue, romance book antics. I truly loved the email and then text exchanges between “Brock” and “Sarah”
Both of them in the job bc their first dreams failed and neither super content with their lives at the moment but unable to miss the bond forming between them.
When it was only halfwayish through the book that they discover who each truly is, I was like “wait! Isn’t that supposed to be the climax to this whole story?”But it’s not! It’s just the beginning of them working out their feelings not only for each other, but more importantly for themselves.
I really struggled at first with understanding Sewanee’s reaction to realizing that Brock and nick were the same person and into her. I’m a romantic but I’ve also never had a life changing event that changed how I viewed myself either. Upon further thought, I get it. And that’s one of the reasons I love this book. It makes you think outside of your experiences but doesn’t hit you over the head or shame you into thinking them. It just does it from her perspective.
The spontaneous Italy trip to see her mom led to a delightful and insightful last 3rd of this book. I loved her step dad Stu and all the wisdom he had for her and Nick. It was really Stu who helps bring our characters to a place of peace within themselves and with each other.
This book has so much heart. It made me laugh, it made me sad, it made me think, and it made me want to visit Italy again. Such a great read.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for the arc!

This book was really enjoyable and hooked me from the beginning. I love when authors create realistic, witty banter. Swan and Nick's dialogue was spectacular (in all formats). I was rooting for them the entire book, which is important in a romance. However, I felt like the BlahBlah storyline took up too much space in the book. I found myself skimming through these parts and wanting to get to more of Swan and Nick. It also seemed like some of the characters were the tiniest bit more than real life, which is understandable because this book was definitely written to be narrated and has tons of characterization. I cannot wait to listen to the audiobook one day. I wish that there had been more of Nick and Swan settled in their relationship at the end, and felt that I didn't get as much resolution for them as I would have liked. Overall, this book would have been a three star book for me, but Swan and Nick's dialogue and relationship was stellar enough to bring it up to a four star book.

Sewanee is an audiobook narrator. She is, in fact, at the top of her profession, able to take on tomes with large casts of characters and give them all distinct voices. What she doesn't do any longer is narrate romances. She does not want to expend the energy on false hopes and forced HEAs.-until she finds she needs the money for her beloved grandmother's care at around the same time she gets the kind of offer that comes with dollar signs that are hard to refuse. With that offer comes the opportunity to work with Brock McKnight, the illusive male audiobook narrator known for his diehard romance loving fans. As the project progresses and their emails turn into texts, Brock becomes more to Sewanee than just a voice but how vulnerable is she prepared to be when opening up her life to someone else might mean having to face it all herself?

This book crept up on me. The beginning had me feeling unsure but suddenly I was so thoroughly ensnared I only put my ereader down when I literally could not keep my eyes open any longer. It was then the first thing I reached for in the morning, even before coffee. There is a lot of depth to this book but there were also so many times I could not stop grinning like an idiot while reading. I loved their text exchanges so much, even as every sign that Blahblah's condition was deteriorating broke my heart. I love Julia Whelan's work as a narrator, but this book makes me hope she spends more of her time writing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Julia Whelan is my favorite audiobook narrator and I loved My Oxford Year, so a novel by Julia Whelan about audiobook narrators had high expectations from me. Thank You for Listening blew those expectations away. I could not have loved this book more. This book is a breath of fresh air with characters you love and a story that melts your heart. You will laugh out loud so many times that people around you will start to stare. Julia Whelan does it again. You will not regret reading this book.

Sewanee is an award-winning audiobook narrator who doesn't believe in happily ever after. She has narrated many romance books, but hates their premise. After an accident turned her life upside down, she is struggling to find a way to be happy with her current circumstances. She navigates the future of her career, a roller coaster romantic life, intergenerational family drama, and mixed feelings over her best friend's success. Will she find a way to make it through all of that to find her own happily ever after?

This book was super unique and that's always a refreshing thing. But I felt like it had too much going on and a lot of it seemed over-the-top to me. I liked the idea of the plot and what the book was trying to do, it just seemed like too much. For example, a lot of the things going on with her family just didn't seem necessary and I think the book would've been better without it. I hate giving negative reviews, but this just wasn't fun for me to read a lot of the time.

Julia Whelan, fantastic audiobook narrator and author of My Oxford Year, has written a fun and thoughtful romance set in the world of romance audiobooks! It is very meta and satisfying for students of the genre and those who enjoy books about books!

Thank You for Listening is about Sewanee, a former actor turned audiobook narrator who is kind of stuck in her ways. Her best friend's acting career is taking off, making her think about her former dreams and the accident that took her out of the game. She meets a handsome stranger in Vegas, and then she starts to question if she is ready to break out of the contained life she has made for herself.

I loved the pace and plot of this book. There are some great side characters, including Adaka, Sewanee's best friend, and a cast of characters at the nursing home where her grandmother lives. Our hero is swarthy with an Irish accent, and the way they find each other is (while predictable) unique and fun.

Fans of Julia Whelan will be happy with this fun and satisfying story! It is a lot more lighthearted than My Oxford Year, and it brings in her expertise in the world of audiobooks. Highly recommend!

I am a big Julie Whelan fan! She is one of my favorite audiobook narrators (I was actually hoping to listen to this book but I didn't see an audiobook option and I just couldn't wait to read it) and I absolutely loved My Oxford Year. Thank You For Listening felt like a really personal novel, drawing on Whelan's own experiences which gave a lot of depth to the plot. Sewanee might be one of my favorite characters ever. And Brock- yum! Such a fantastic book- highly recommend!!!

Im blown away that this is a debut novel for this author. I love her as a narrator but didn't know she could translate that and take what she's read and learned into a book. She did phenomenal. You got everything you look for in a romance with the emotions.