This book was a charmer!

Jolene is a lower level employee at a company she loathes. She’s skating on thin ice when she accidentally composes an email she never meant for anyone to see that is widely distributed to the office. HR decides to “monitor” her computer usage and instead opens access to her seeing everyone’s emails and DMs. Simultaneously, Jolene is sent to sensitivity training led by nice new HR guy, Cliff. Meeting Cliff opens Jolene up to the possibility that not everyone at work is so bad. Jolene deals with past traumas, works on herself, gets to know her co workers and gains confidence to do more with her life.
I really enjoyed this book. There’s lightness to it even when dealing with tougher subjects. I saw a reviewer say it’s like Fleabag meets Office Space and I’d say that’s a good way to put it. Jolene is a bit sad to start but you see her personality shine through. She’s been so isolated for so long her relations with people are so strained and she overthinks all her interactions. There was something so compelling here and I just wanted to see Jolene relax and find her footing. I really enjoyed the plot line around her reading the company emails and DMs as well. It made for some really funny plot lines. Overall a really delightful read that I think will hit home even for those that don’t work in an office environment.

I loved the book I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL by Natalie Sue so much — it’s a gem of a novel.

Due to a mixup, Jolene who is considered the office ‘weirdo’, is given access to her coworkers email and chat messages. Reading their unvarnished thoughts is eye opening and with layoffs coming, she uses this inside info to her advantage.

But the novel is about so much more. It’s about loneliness, regret, and being stuck in a life you didn’t want. It’s about the selves we show the world and how you never really know what’s going on below the surface.

It’s heartbreaking and poignant and a reminder that kindness can make all the difference in someone’s life.

While I’ve never specifically worked in a corporate setting, I know all too well how much your workplace can impact every other sphere of your life.

Jolene finding herself to be “invisible” at work and finding an (albeit unethical) way around that feels like a conundrum that relates to so many of us. While you’re stuck in the daily grind with them, they’re people with flaws and issues and joys and hopes. Jolene has to navigate the path between invisible and too involved in a stumbling and uneasy way.

I do think that there’s no way in real life that Jolene would’ve gotten away with her “spying” as long as she did. It was also a little clunky and lacked nuance with a few of the relationships until the very end, and I think a little more fine tuning would’ve made the ending pack a little more punch.

Over all, this was a great take on a dry comedy about corporate culture that kept me invested in the inevitable demise of the MC. (3.5 rounded up)

A book about all that this young woman has to endure at work, some funny things but mostly not. While I realize that she brought some things Then she does something surprising and ends up being the one in trouble. I thought the way she wrote her emails and then added what we would really want to say to the person in white ink, so the person didn't see it was genius. Not only did she have to deal with a bunch of terrible, rude coworkers but her mother and "aunts" were always harassing her about work and life. This girl couldn't catch a break.

I found this book slow and really fairly boring with a laugh or three thrown in. I don't care for books that have a large part of emails or texts that you have to read and this one does.

If you have a dry sense of humor you might like this book. It just was not for me.

I heard about this book from a publisher who was reading it at the time. I went in mostly blind and was so pleasantly surprised by this The Office meets Attachments story. Jolene is miserable not only in work but in life. When she accidentally gets access to everyone in her office's emails, she decides to work with the info that she suddenly has to keep her job. What she doesn't realize is how much she will learn about herself and her coworkers in the process.

Its a story of growth - which I LOVE. It's a very light romance. But it's also a story about finding happiness within yourself and giving yourself permission to be happy in life. I was instantly hooked on these characters and their antics and uncovering what exactly was going on behind the scenes. I am so glad that I picked this up.

This book was the most delightful surprise! As a huge fan of The Office, this captured my attention instantly and held it captive throughout the entire read. I have never before read a story that takes place almost entirely in an office/corporate setting, and I was amazed at how lively and rich this place became by the end. It felt as if the setting/Superstacks itself was its own character, and I appreciated how my own opinion of the company shifted with Jolene's.

Speaking of characters... I LOVED the cast of this! Not only was the narrator's voice so perfect, but I cared for and empathized with each of the side characters equally as much. Each and every one had a story I became invested in, and I loved how we unraveled their lives alongside Jolene. There is so much depth to this story, and it really reminded me of Backman’s Anxious People with the way it touches on the way we as humans interact with and impact one another. I cared for and empathized with almost every character and loved their interactions between one another. It added such a rich depth and heartwarming element to the story.

As for Jolene herself, I adored her as a main character. She has such a distinct and HILARIOUS voice. She is honest, self-deprecating, and humorous, and it is the perfect blend of narration. She also is able to share very real struggles of anxiety (social and otherwise) and unhealthy coping mechanisms but in a palatable and understandable way. I felt like I could see myself in her and her personal journey was a deeply relatable and admirable one.

Finally- I initially thought this would be a typical romance with the love story taking precedence (my own preconceived notion, of course), and I was so pleasantly surprised to see that the love story was only part of the narrative, not the core story. This book was about so many types of relationships, and that was the heart and gem of it all for me... Though, I will say that I really enjoyed the romance and felt that it was so perfectly kind, supportive, and healthy (hallelujah!). I need a Cliff in my own life!

Thank you, Natalie Sue and Net Galley for the chance to read this book! It was such a thoroughly enjoyable read. What a debut!

As someone stuck in the corporate america world, i was both intrigued by this novel but afraid. i read to escape and was scared this would be triggering, but this ended up being a lot more than just about the office.

we follow Jolene, who is a depressed administrator stuck in an HR improvement course while her company is deciding who to lay off. she finds herself in a position where she has access to her entire teams emails, calendars, messages, and personal life.

i was so surprised this was a debut novel, i feel like the depth and development of the entire lot of characters was so well done and something that is not easily accomplished. i found myself invested in these people's lives, and at some points it felt like i knew them which kept this novel moving incredibly fast.

in the background, we watch as Jolene struggles with the grief of losing her childhood friend. although not the main plot, it really speaks to why Jolene makes decisions the way she does.

i cringed every chapter in the best way, i laughed out loud, and even let out one lone tear towards the end. check trigger warnings as this was a bit heavier than i expected but I loved!

thank you netgalley and the william morrow team for the arc!

Thank you, Netgalley for allowing me to review this title. Natalie's writing had me rolling in laughter, angst and anxiety; I'm not even mad about it! At times, I wanted to tell Jolene she was crazy and ridiculous, but I also felt her pain. If you enjoy a good workplace drama fest full of lies, passive aggressive sarcastic commentary and a little forbidden office romance, this should satisfy! I gave just under 5 stars only because I wish the romance was a little more hot for the slow burn I endured.

I knew I would enjoy this book being a corporate girly myself but I really truly wasn't expecting the story or characters to have so much depth. The synopsis does not do this book enough justice. Not only is it funny and witty but it is hopeful and warmhearted with the perfect balance of comedic entertainment and tough topics.

Jolene is complex, dealing with a lot more than just her seemingly unapproachable colleagues. But then again, so are her colleagues. I really enjoyed getting to witness the layers of each character being peeled back and revealed throughout the book as it progresses. This truly is the perfect example of "you never know what someone is going through". I really felt that the characters were so diverse and realistic, it would be hard not to feel like you relate to the situation in some regard.

There is such a perfect balance of light and dark moments throughout this story, it's baffling to me that this is a Debut Novel. I hope to see more by author, Natalie Sue in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

#IHopeThisFindsYouWell #NetGalley

I thought this book was well written and was a really entertaining read. I would definitely recommend this!

I really loved this book. It had office-adjacent vibes with less cringe. Jolene is a great character- lonely, bored, somewhat disillusioned. She struggles to understand and relate to people she works with until she mistakenly gains access to all of her co-workers’ emails, and finally feels on a level playing field. I loved: Jolene’s secret email postscripts, the banter between Cliff and Jolene, and the realistic portrayal of grief and the guilt that comes along with it. The authors description of Jolene’s family dynamics had me laughing and tearing up within a few pages. This is a great debut novel- read it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a fun quirky read. It has good humor and is an easy to read book.

YOU NEED TO READ THIS IF...

💻You work in an office
💻You have watched THE OFFICE
💻You can read

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥰THANK YOU to @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted advanced copy 🥰

📖Title: I Hope This Finds You Well
✍️Author: Natalie Sue
📆Pub date: May 21, 2024

💻I have SO MUCH TO SAY but first of all: a DEBUT?? I refuse to believe it! 😉

💻I don't even know where to start. This book was exactly what I needed and the exact time. It made me laugh so much and then all of a sudden I found myself all 🥺🥺🥺 (making that face)!

💻Basically this is a story about a socially awkward office worker named Jolene (think Eleanor Oliphant's twin sister). One day, Jolene accidentally gets granted admin access to alllllll communications in the office and can read EVERYTHING her coworkers say to EVERYONE including to each other and often about her! If you ever thought you'd want to read your coworkers' minds (you're crazy), you definitely don't.

💻Not only does Jolene learn A LOT about her coworkers from this accidental IT mishap, but she begins to discover more about herself including how her past helped shape her into the person she is today.

💻I'm not saying whether or not there's any love interest for Jolene (😉), but I am saying STEP ASIDE PAM AND JIM I HAVE A NEW FAVORITE OFFICE COUPLE!

If you're not sold yet, just know I

📧Was Instantly obsessed
📧Never wanted to stop reading it
📧Never wanted it to end
📧Will never shut up about it

💻Anyways in case I wasn't clear, I'm actually so serious, you need this book!

There were many things to love about this book. One of my favorite was that the protagonist was Iranian-American and how well that was incorporated throughout her character and the plot. I loved how it was used in a significant subplot and the inclusion of the aunties. The office setting was also well written, and was the perfect backdrop for these characters and the story.

The characters were all wonderfully written, but Jolene was the perfect protagonist. I loved her sass and how it got her into unexpected situations. I also enjoyed how complex she was and how her guilt was woven throughout all aspects of her personality and choices. Her growth throughout the book was excellent and unexpected, and resolved in a beautiful way. The secondary characters were just as well written, with unique personalities and motives that made them feel alive.

I also felt that the romance was perfect (surprise!). I very rarely find a romance that I can get behind, but this one felt realistic, the two characters involved were wonderful, and it was a perfect supplement to the main plot.

This read was surprisingly heartwarming, and when I finished it I just sat in silence hugging my kindle for a while. If you’re interested in a character-driven, slow burn romance with delightful characters in an office setting, then this is a must read.

As Jolene digs herself deeper and deeper into the deception that improves her work and interpersonal life significantly, she quickly finds herself unable to turn back when the lies begin to stack up and tangle together. The knowledge and guilt she carries from digging through work-related and increasingly personal emails weighs on her heavily, the threat of her house of cards falling down looming constantly in her mind and affecting her behavior. I loved the setting, stakes, and revelations that came with this novel. I felt Jolene’s thought process and actions, though frustrating at times, were refreshingly relatable as another anxious human being. Each character had their own carefully crafted projection of themselves pitted against their realities, and I enjoyed getting to know them along with Jolene, with all their eccentricities (except for maybe Gregory).
Natalie Sue’s debut novel is a sarcastic, sweet, and sometimes nerve-wracking read that spirals higher and higher until Jolene’s quickly accumulating web of deceptions dramatically falls apart. If you’re looking for a funny, absorbing read that involves unearthing secrets beneath the unforgiving fluorescent lighting of an office, this novel will be hard to put down.

Jolene’s the underdog. She’s the weird kid that grew up to be a weird adult. She doesn’t have any friends and she keeps people at arm’s reach. The one thing that is keeping her from having to move back in with her parents is her admin job at the western regional office of Supershops Incorporated. Her only reprieve from the mind-numbing drudgery of corporate office work? Writing deliciously petty comments in post-script statements to her coworkers, turning the text the same color as the background at the last second so no one can see. Then comes the day where she forgets to change the text color, and everything changes.

She is required to complete anti-harassment training and submit to increased monitoring as part of her performance improvement plan. But due to an IT mixup, she suddenly has access to the private servers for everyone in the office. Jolene sees a way not just to find out for real what others are saying about her, but also to save her job.

Jolene is a relatable protagonist for anyone who felt the struggle to fit in, growing up - anyone who identified with Radiohead’s “Creep.” Fellow chronic over-thinkers will find the doubtful self-talk and the self-sabotage familiar. Her internal monologue is laced with deep-seeded shame from a life-changing traumatic event 15 years ago, the details of which are revealed to the reader in some of the best show-not-tell that I’ve seen in a novel told in the first person. Jolene constantly questions others’ true intentions, leading to near-manic behavior and causing her to take more risks with her new-found information from the email servers. Her desperation to keep her job is palpable. As her behavior escalates, it plays out like a horror movie - “No! Don’t do it! Don’t go into the conference room!” And you’re still rooting for her to come out the other side unscathed.

The book leans into the “liar revealed” trope, which may not be for everyone, but I do think it is handled well here. Jolene’s motivations are suitably laid out to where the reader can believe *Jolene believes* she has no other choice. And it helps the narrative that everyone else has secrets to keep as well.

In all, I thoroughly enjoyed following Jolene through her journey of learning to let others in. This is an impressive debut from Natalie Sue - I will happily read anything else she releases in the future.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Natalie Sue, and William Morrow for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Thanks to @netgalley @harpercollins and @natwrotewhat for the chance to read a copy of Natalie Sue's debut, I Hope This Finds You Well. It releases on May 21, 2024.

This book had the vibes of The Office mixed with a heroine who reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant. Natalie's voice is so snarky and delightful. It had me laughing at her observations, and she wrote such an amazing underdog heroine.

Jolene is a loner at her job, and she prefers it that way. Her irritating, incompetent coworkers engage in the type of psychological warfare that she'd prefer to avoid. But when her secret way of venting her frustrations (writing what she really thinks about her coworkers in white font) is discovered, she's assigned mandatory harassment training by a new HR flack, Cliff. An IT mixup gives her access to every email in the company, and she can finally learn what others think of her. But the more she learns other secrets, the harder it is to keep up her walls.

This book was super funny, had a central mystery, and was surprisingly heartfelt. It had a romantic subplot, but this was firmly commercial fiction in the vein of Remarkably Bright Creatures.

I highly recommend it, especially if you are looking for books that do a great job of leaving curiosity seeds and have a unique narrative voice.

Holy crow. I binged this book, quite literally - less than 24 hours passed from start to finish. There’s something about when a main character just resonates with you, and Jolene very much resonated with me. I loved her quirks and understood why she did what she did within the book. I also liked the descriptions and interactions of the other characters in the book as well. This was a great read and I’ve already recommended it to friends.

I compulsively read I Hope This Finds You Well. The employees of Supershops, Inc. are messy and often make terrible decisions and I could not look away. The book gives The Office vibes, but it has darker humor and tackles a few heavy topics. I laughed and I cried, but mostly I was obsessed with these imperfect characters who show up each day and try to make it from 9 to 5 in a pretty toxic work environment.

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC. I Hope This Finds You Well will be out 5/21, so add it to your TBR now.

I can't help but sing praises for 'I Hope This Finds You Well.' It's not just a book; it's a journey that captivates from the very first page, weaving through the intricacies of culture and the rawness of human emotion with remarkable finesse. I was completely absorbed by the story of Jolene, a character whose battles with depression and anxiety are depicted with such authenticity that it's impossible not to feel a deep connection to her struggles and triumphs.The novel takes an intriguing turn when Jolene, through an accidental setup by Cliff, the office's new HR resource, finds herself with the ability to monitor everyone's emails and DMs. This leads to a rollercoaster of emotions, blending moments of humor with profound sadness in a way that's both thought-provoking and deeply moving. Watching Jolene navigate these revelations, and the impact on her personal life, including her relationship with a teenage neighbor and her complex feelings towards her mother, adds layers to her character that are both beautifully written and incredibly real.What struck me most was how Jolene's Iranian heritage was interwoven throughout the narrative. The subtle touches and deeper dives into her background not only enriched the storyline but also added a rich tapestry of cultural depth that made the book all the more compelling.In short, 'I Hope This Finds You Well' is a masterpiece of storytelling, blending humor, sadness, and cultural insights in a way that's both enlightening and utterly engrossing. It's a book that I found to be profoundly moving and endlessly engaging, making it a must-read for anyone in search of a story that both entertains and enlightens. Do yourself a favor and dive into this book—you won't regret it.

Thank you to netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC. I can't wait for you all to read this wonderful book in May!