Jolene manages her irritation with her incompetent coworkers by hiding grievances in email postscripts that are written in white font. When her secret is exposed, she ends up in sensitivity training and receives email restrictions. But when an IT mix-up accidentally grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and messages, she can’t resist taking a peak. She soon learns more than she bargained for, and also finds herself falling for Cliff, the HR guy. Oh, I loved this debut novel by Natalie Sue. One of the most perfect encapsulations of the madness of office life and what it’s like to work in a cubicle farm that I’ve ever seen, this very funny, oddly moving book about a deeply lonely and broken woman figuring out how to adult and how to grow while also recognizing the humanity of the people around her was so satisfying to read. There’s not a ton of plot here - this is character-driven, contemplative, and slow-paced - but the emotional payoff is huge and I found myself thinking about the book and its characters even when I wasn’t reading it. One of my favorites of the year - highly recommended.

I am a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell's Attachments and any twisty, office-drama laden story and I Hope This Finds You Well absolutely fits that bill. Jolene, our MC, is stuck in a rut, professionally frustrated, and now realizes that a glitch has allowed her access to all of her coworkers emails. So begins a spiral downward for Jolene who can't resist reading all of the drama and personal revelations.

Funny, fast-paced, and the perfect summer read. I Hope This Finds You Well will speak to anyone who has ever worked in an office full of characters.

I Hope This Finds You Well
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you are looking for a drama version of the office? This is the one. You know, when you’re yelling at the screen, saying noooo, you can’t do that!!! Stop! You just don’t get the balance of comedic relief. I LOVED it. But it was so stressful! I was flipping the pages, cover to cover.
We meet our weird-girl protagonist Jolene, who works at a mundane office, her co workers walk all over her, they don’t respect her.
After each email she responds to their diddly requests, she writes how she REALLY feels, in white font… and gets caught, of course.
She is forced to go through HR training to keep her job, and her computer goes under probationary screenings and censoring.
But, something doesn’t go quite right, she suddenly gets full access to EVERYONE’s emails and chats. With work layoffs looming, she decided to take advantage of this glitch and devises a plan to secure her job.
Things happen, secrets come out, romance and digging up pasts.
This is the part where, if you don’t want a spoiler, scroll on, but I felt like the end was… kind of TOO tied off with a pretty bow. I get she got fired and that’s not so pretty but everything seemed TOO much of a happy ending, there was so many raw emotions and despair at times, the ending didn’t seem like it matched. Like it was the ending of a whole different story. I did end up liking the story, over all, just not what I expected.

Didn’t know I needed a workplace rom-com in my life but turns out I did!!

📧 REVIEW: I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL 📧

By Natalie Sue

📖 SUMMARY: Jolene can’t stand her coworkers, but she remains civil… to their faces. In secret, she writes passive-aggressive notes in white font at the end of her emails. When she mistakenly sends one without changing the font color, she is punished with an HR sensitivity training and a watchdog software downloaded to her computer. Well… turns out, the IT guy accidentally gave her access to all of her coworkers’ email accounts. She decides to use this as a gift to help her advance in her career, but things get tricky when she starts having feelings for Cliff, the HR guy leading her sensitivity course.

💭 THOUGHTS: I actually laughed out loud while reading this — Jolene’s borderline nihilistic view of life and her inner monologue were killing me. I was attracted to this because of the title and premise, but I was fully invested immediately because of the witty writing. Sometimes, a premise is great but the execution falls flat, and that is absolutely not the case here! I also liked that the romance aspect of this was very much not the main point of the book, but rather a little treat on the side. Jolene’s character growth takes center stage here, and I loved seeing her go from an ultra-pessimistic loner to a warm, loving person with friends. Go Jolene!

Thank you to @ net galley and @ William morrow for the ARC. This came out in May — go snag a copy!

✨ MADE ME FEEL: honestly, much better about my own job and coworkers. LOL

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you have ever had major beef with a coworker and contemplated violence (for legal reasons, this is a joke)

Anyone who works in an office will immediately see the (sometimes exaggerated) humor in Natalie Sue's debut novel I Hope This Finds You Well. We meet our protagonist, Jolene, as she's being disciplined for workplace misconduct—i.e. getting caught speaking her mind in emails to her colleagues ("Deep in my core, I find you insufferable."). In a twist of events, when IT tries to limit her communication privileges, they accidentally give her admin privileges so she can see all the emails and chats being sent between her colleagues. As she learns more about their private lives, she starts to sympathize with them and ultimately forms genuine friendships with the coworkers she previously resented.

I loved this book so much that I immediately re-read it the day after finishing it (re-reads are a rarity for me, as is). It's so funny and so smart that I can barely believe it's a debut. There's a good balance of humor, sadness—everyone loves a good cry, right?—and heartwarming growth and an excellent romance sub(ish)plot to boot. Highly, highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and the author for the digital ARC of this book. Introvert Jolene is an admin worker in a large Canadian company. Her weekdays consist of working quietly in her office cubicle while trying to avoid interactions with her coworkers. Her weekends consist of spending time alone in her small dark apartment and heavy drinking. A computer glitch gives Jolene access to all her coworkers’ electronic communication, both personal and office. With talk of layoffs, she has to decide whether to use her secret information to help or hurt her coworkers. This is definitely not a light book and deals with serious topics. That being said, it is also very funny, quirky and heartwarming. Very descriptive writing with well developed characters. The story flows smoothly and is definitely hard to put down. This is the debut novel for the author who is most definitely a very talented writer. I can see this being made into a film or mini series.

Everyone can relate to the storyline. A person wants to impress others but somehow loses themselves in the process. Sometimes it’s not always good to be the odd woman out where you have to prove yourself to coworkers you’re not interested in interacting with. Who doesn’t wish they could write anonymous messages to coworkers detailing their gripes? Overall an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I hope this finds you well
This book was amazing! It was incredibly well written and funny. I hope this finds you well felt like I was reading a sitcom in the best way possible. The main character Jolene gets new software on her computer that allows her to read all her coworkers emails and the story takes many twists and turns from there. The characters in this book are incredibly well written, I felt like I was working in the office too. Jolene showed alot of growth throughout the book as well which was fun to read. The book is highly character driven which I really like in a book. At the beginning you see Jolene as an unreliable narrator who has many faults so it was nice to see her clean up her act by the end. I also loved Cliff's character and the relationship between him and Jolene.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

"I Hope This Finds You Well" mixes workplace humor reminiscent of "The Office" with a story about Jolene, who detests her job and colleagues. Her only joy comes from sending snarky emails—until a glitch grants her access to everyone's messages. As she delves into their lives, Jolene discovers hidden depths and vulnerabilities among her coworkers, revealing unexpected truths about herself and the workplace dynamics. The novel offers a nuanced exploration of work relationships, social anxieties, and the complexities of second-generation immigrant experiences, featuring well-developed characters and insightful storytelling.

Wow! Honestly, please pick this book up. From the witty sarcasm, amazing personalities, and intriguing story lines - I loved every single aspect of this book. I've already picked up a physical copy and given it to a friend as well. From anyone who has felt like they can't move from the past to someone who works in an office space - this book is for you. Jolene is incredibly relatable and the further you get in the book, the more you personally grow with the characters.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy! Super excited to have a new copy on my shelf as well :)

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue is a delightful debut that drew me in from the first page and had me rooting for her main character Jolene throughout!!

Jolene has worked at Supershops Inc for eight years and in that time she has remained mostly hidden away in her cubicle isolating herself from her co-workers and the daily office “goings-on” that you might find in any large corporate office today. When her annoying office mates become too much Jolene will add a “PS” to the end of her office emails where she tells the coworker exactly how she feels. She then changes the font color to white thus making it invisible before she hits send! Unfortunately she forgets to change the font color one day on an email post script and that gets her in hot water with her coworkers and HR. Jolene will now have to submit to mandatory sensitivity training with the new HR guy Cliff and have restrictions put on her office computer. When IT sets the restrictions they commit a total screwup and it allows Jolene to see all her coworkers emails and interoffice messaging. Jolene has always felt like an outsider and she has been worried about rumored layoffs so she decides to use this access into her coworkers private correspondence to give her a leg up in her career. All she needs to do is get Cliff in HR to like her, impress her oafish boss and beat out the competition. But Jolene soon learns that people aren’t always what they seem, many are hiding personal struggles, and she isn’t the only one in the office who is hanging on by a thread. Plus the guilt of what she is doing is starting to get to her!

I loved Jolene’s quirky personality! Although the people she works with may think she’s a dud, she is far from it. She has a quick wit and dry sense of humor and longs to make more of her life. So what’s holding her back? We learn about her difficult past, the expectations of her strong willed mother and Persian aunties, and her inability to overcome past trauma. I felt so sad for Jolene as I saw her try to push past her difficulties and then fall back into negative thought patterns and self sabotage. Can she rise about these challenges? This is what had me rooting for Jolene!!

Add to this a wonderful cast of interesting and well developed supporting characters with stories of their own. Even the few that were rather unlikeable at the beginning experienced personal growth that caused me to rethink how I felt about them. The relationships and dynamics between the characters and their storylines felt very real and relatable. I enjoyed the dialogue and how the story progressed. I loved the interest Cliff took in Jolene and their banter back and forth. I loved watching Jolene grow and adapt.

The novel moved at a good pace. There was humor, and sadness, and I felt the author did a fantastic job depicting Jolene’s struggle to become the person she truly wanted to be. There were times I worried how the story would end and if I would be satisfied. I am happy to say I was quite satisfied with how things wrapped up and I’m so glad I read this! I believe anyone who enjoys a character driven story with personal growth, witty dialogue, some humor and some warmth, with some crazy office shenanigans will enjoy this book! Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the chance to read this digital copy.

This is a well written book. It has some fine lines, amusing snark, an engaging narrator, a few well-conceived set pieces, and a fair share of perceptive and insightful observations. It's also good, sharp fun. I would encourage inquisitive readers who like playing with genre conventions to give the book a try.

I had a hard time suspending my disbelief for a lot of this novel. I think the author has a lot of interesting and relatable things to say about office culture and what needs to change, and I get that the main character is supposed to be self-sabotaging in her grief. But the way she behaves is just so beyond the realm of normality as to feel unrealistic, as is the sudden appearance of a fake dating trope (in a rom-com, this can work...in a litfic it feels totally out of place) and the resolution feels really unearned. I'd be interested to see what else this author comes out with in the future because the writing kept me interested but the plot and characters were just not well-developed/realistic enough for this to really work for me.

I enjoyed entering the world of Jolene and her co-workers, although at times I did want to jump into the pages and give them a good, hard shake.

Most of us have begun an email with, "I hope this finds you well." But Jolene surreptitiously hides nasty remarks in emails to her coworkers until she's caught. Now, if you work in an office, like I do, I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL is hilariously relatable.

There is always drama and toxic behavior circulating, which makes it all the more entertaining when Jolene has access to everyone's dirt!

3.45/5 ⭐️
I felt underwhelmed by this book. I am not sure what I expected, but it was not this. The main character seemed unreliable but it was hard to tell if this was just her humor. She fell flat. I agree with the other reviews stating it began to feel like a "self-help" book, which I am not the audience for. The drama was fun, and I wish there were more of that and less side notes.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I Hope This Finds You Well is an office drama narrated by Jolene Smith, a introverted woman in her thirties who has no interest in engaging with any of her coworkers. She pretty muchs shows up, does her job and goes home to drink herself to sleep. This isolated state goes on for years and Jolene considers herself invisible, so much that she starts writing passive agressive comments on emails that she turns the text color to white. Well, one day she forgets to change the color and gets busted, so HR gets involved. Jolene gets on probation until she completes a harrassment course with the new HR guy, Cliff, with whom she feels oddly at ease. As part of her probation, some limitations are imposed on her credentials but as a big mistake, she gets access to all emails and chats from all her coworkers, ever her boss. It's rumoured layoffs are coming, and since Jolene has no life but this job, she takes the leverage to get a promotion.

I enjoyed this book very much, it reminded me of the petty drama that happens in office jobs and reassured me I don't really miss working in corporate. I liked the character development and the human connection between coworkers that spend more time at work than in their own homes. The writing is fun and heartwarming.

It’s been many years since I worked in the corporate world, but this book brought me right back. The story was filled with expected office drama, but also had heart and some unexpected twists. I enjoyed Jolene’s story and thank Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I absolutely adored the characters in this story! The characters were so likeable and relatable. The story reminded me that what we see on the surface isn't really what things are like behind the scenes. Even though I felt like it was so icky for Jolene to read the messages and emails going through her co-workers inboxes, I like how for the most part, she tried to find good ways to help.

When you work in a close-quartered office setting, you are bound to bear witness to any number of awkward, juicy, or jaw-dropping moments - and perhaps be the subject of one yourself. Debut author Natalie Sue capitalizes on all of that scandalous gossip and unsavory office politics in her first novel, I Hope This Finds You Well, a story about a downtrodden corporate worker, Jolene, who finds herself privy to all of her coworker's emails after a tech mix-up gives her complete access to their every written thought and utterance. If the mere mention of suddenly being able to dig through your colleagues' inboxes gives you overwhelming anxiety and shame, buckle up because Jolene is going down with this ship ... and it's one wild ride to the bottom.

Jolene, Supershops, Inc. office employee, is having a tough go of it. Besides being in constant competition with her office nemesis Caitlin to see who can work better, faster, smarter, she is also generally disliked, primarily for her idiosyncrasies and seemingly inability to make friends. Jolene passively aggressively channels all of the negative energy she has towards her despicable coworkers by leaving them a little mean-spirited note at the bottom of every email she sends. The catch? She changes the text color to white so that her colleagues are never the wiser.

When Jolene's nasty notes are discovered, she finds herself smack dab in the middle of a mandated harassment course. With the course comes new security measures installed on Jolene's computer, but imagine her surprise when she discovers that instead of administration being able to spy on her every move, she learns that she is able to spy on THEM. That's right - Jolene has access to the entire office's emails and DMs - and the gossip is real. As she dives deeper into the office politics, mapping out the alliances and wading through the snark, she feels guilt for invading her coworkers' privacy; however, she can't let go of the fact that she can use this unfettered access to her advantage. It need not be said that when you play with fire, you're sure to be burned - which Jolene is about to learn the hard way ...

I Hope This Finds You Well is one of those gems of a book that completely took me by surprise. While I was expecting this novel to be funny and relatable, I did not know that it would leave me feeling so much - both good and bad! I experienced some definite secondhand humiliation and anxiety reading this novel as I watched Jolene dig her own grave deeper and deeper. I would never want to be in a situation like Jolene's, but it sure as heck made for an entertaining read!

Office antics aside, I Hope This Finds You Well portrays mental health and how it manifests itself in the workplace in a genuine and thought-provoking way. We all show up to work day after day with a smile on our face (or not), doing our best to make it through whatever comes our way, but how often do we check in with ourselves and others to ensure that we are truly okay? I Hope This Finds You Well shines a light on the importance of community and seeing and showing up for others, and adds a touch of nuance to this otherwise comedic novel.

Recommended to anyone who has ever worked in an office setting, I Hope This Finds You Well is the life-affirming novel you need.