I have no clue what I expected from this book but I truly enjoyed the hell out of it. A mix of office chaos, personal introspection and healing, a study in humanity and relationships, and a dash of endearing romance, this book gave me way more feelings than I expected it to.

It is worth noting that there are certain scenarios that take place that feel absolutely absurd, and I kept scoffing and saying “Are we serious?” I’m realizing I talk to my books way too much, but that’s a conversation for another time. It is also worth noting that some of the characters (no, most of the characters) make you hate them intensely for at least one scene. The point seems to be that people are messy and imperfect, which isn’t wrong, but boy did the author go all in on making these characters FLAWED.

On the whole, this book made me think and feel more than I expected it to, and with some sporadic humor and vivid cast of characters, I give this one a hearty 4⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

We get a lot of romances in different settings, but a workplace romance within the cubicles of an office was so fun and reminiscent of one of the best shows of all time. At the same time it was so emotional and impactful. The cover is also gorgeous.

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book in the beginning; the main character was self-deprecating and doing nothing to help herself but blame her circumstances and those around her. However, I’m happy with the way that character evolved, and I even found myself tearing up at the end. I recommend for those who enjoy a work place rom-com.

This wonderful debut is so relatable to anyone who has ever spent the majority of their waking hours working in an office with people who may (or may never!) be your friends in real life.
Natalie Sue's sarcastic, biting wit is so funny on the surface, yet as the characters are developed, their motives are understandable and they become real human beings whom you actually care about.
I felt that Jolene didn't need to have quite as tragic a back story, told by confusing flashbacks, and it was not necessary to have Jolene know her bitchy, yet vulnerable co-worker's fiancée from a previous life. But otherwise, I would highly recommend this book - It made me sneak reading this many times while I was supposed to be working on something else!

This was such a smart and innovative book, unlike anything I've ever read before.

That being said, I almost DNF'd like five times in the first 50% of the book. I was expecting a bit more humor, but dang the front half of this book made me really sad. I think it was just too realistic, and I'm a "fiction for escapism" girly - so I'm going to say it's a me problem! But if you're going into this expecting a workplace comedy, I might readjust expectations.

But I DID hang in there and I'm so glad I did. I cried over these characters, who are deep and complicated and messy and I was rooting for (almost) all of them by then end. (Sorry, Gregory.) This story helps to remind you that everyone is going through life carrying things we cannot see, and it encourages you that it's never too late to pursue the life you want. The ending is sweet and full of hope, and makes me forgive Sue for breaking my heart early on.

If you like realistic fiction with heart, this one is for you!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

How did Natalie end up in my office building…? I mean…. This is a work of fiction right? Because it read a little to non-fiction for me. Hilarious REAL HONEST and ultimately left me reflecting on years of life in my little cubicle. Perfect.

I hope this finds you well.

📧This debut novel is funny, heartwarming and beautifully constructed. The characters are flawed and relatable.
📧Jolene is an admin worker at Supershops Inc, she doesn’t talk with her coworkers and is annoyed by their attitudes but this job is all she has. She finds a way to vent her true feelings for them as a hidden ps in every email but a mistake puts her in sensitivity training with the new HR guy, Cliff. Then an IT mix up results in her having access to all of her coworkers emails and private chats, so she begins with her plan to save her job.
📧This is a comedic heart felt story that touches a variety of topics as work pressure, family expectations, her developing feelings for Cliff and past trauma.
📧This one had me laughing and so invested in Jolene’s journey. I’m amazed to find out is a debut novel, I’m eager to read what Natalie publishes next.
⭐️ My rating: 5 stars. Will surely be on my top this year.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

At first I thought this was just some light fiction about working in an office setting. But as the story went on, I realized its full of raw truths and unique characters that could be any one of us. I think anyone who has worked in an office with complex individuals can relate to this story. Many of the characters were relatable and I appreciated reaching Jolene's character development through the story! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Darkly comic story of a woman alienated from her colleagues at a job she hates but feels no potential for escape. Admittedly, the workplace is incredibly toxic, filled with infighting and sabotage with references to ongoing harassment. It all was hostile even without Jolene's coping mechanism of writing secret extensions to her emails railing against the recipient and the office, then hiding the text until it eventually blows up in her face. No one is innocent in this farce, but it's a compelling journey to follow Jolene through her penance and eventual realizations about the shared humanity of everyone at the office. It's not an easy journey, but 100% worth it.

I was fascinated by the depiction of what it was like to be first generation Iranian-Canadian and that difference between her home culture and the homogenous culture of Supershops as her employer. Jolene's tense relationship with her mother was particularly moving, especially as her mother's character was well-developed with her own motives for both supporting her family and also maintaining her reputation among the women of their community. Everything was so realistic and human, I was cringing along with Jolene as I was devouring the text. Complex problems arose and played out in believable fashion, with no magical resolution or anything going against the grain of characters as they were developed. That's actually really difficult to achieve in fiction, where a lot of writers find their way into corners and give in to temptation to resolve impossible conflicts suddenly or off-camera.

Jolene was so deliciously flawed as a character, but so well-developed with realistic consequences for self-destructive actions like drinking too much. Her mental illness was so well depicted that it should probably come with a trigger warning for those who struggle with depression, anxiety, or alcohol abuse. Readers who show up for easy laughs should be warned that this book covers some heavy topics but is still a wonderful read.

Cliff is my favorite kind of cinnamon roll love interest. He is probably the best person at Supershops and my dream man. Luckily, not too much of the plot centers on him (though he is pivotal). This book is more about Jolene's journey, as it should be, and she needed to resolve all her relationships and not just the romantic one. Besides, deeply flawed characters are inevitably more compelling than sweet perfection.

If you liked this book, you might want to try Several People Are Typing.

TW: alcohol abuse, mental illness, emotional abuse, physical abuse (referred to)

This story is full of character and heart. In the novel, we meet Jolene who is attending a training with HR after sending a passive aggressive work email (where she thinks she writes her passive aggressive note in white font but doesn’t). When they put monitoring software into her computer as part of the training, she actually gets access to everyone’s emails at work and begins to learn her enemies at work have a lot going on outside of work too.

This story explores what it’s like to have a sort of anxiety and PTSD and continue to try to do life. I adored all of the characters- both their good and bad traits. I think the novel was deeper than I was expecting and that’s a good thing.

I was immediately intrigued when I saw the cover of this book and quickly added it to my “to read'' list. However, feeling burned out from my own corporate job, I kept putting off diving in, afraid to wade back into the world of work at the end of a long day. What a mistake! I Hope This Finds You Well was an absolute joy to read. It was the perfect blend of hilarious, snarky, and heartwarming. I could not put this book down and cannot wait to read what’s next from Natalie Sue.

If you want to appreciate your workplace environment, this is the book for you. A very flawed character stars in a story where you gradually get to realize that her mental health is the basis of her bad decisions. Things to think about and plenty of humor as well!

This is a workplace rom-com about Jolene who struggles to fit in and accept her colleagues who she strongly dislikes. Her friendships, especially with HR guy Cliff, steadily grow as she mistakenly learns more than she should by some misdirected emails. I found the plot funny but slow moving at times.

A funny, modern book about the struggles of working in an office in today's world. Sardonic at times, the novel eventually gives way to hope.

Jolene is a Persian Canadian living in Calgary stuck in a dead-end job and not living up to her potential. After her best friend died in an accident in high school, she has made her life small and struggled from day to day in a job she doesn't like where she is a pariah. Her mother is involved in her life, but a bit overbearing. At the start of the novel, Jolene gets in trouble for some off-color remarks in an email to a colleague she neglected to white out. The company decides to put her in mandated training, where she meets Cliff, the new HR guy, who may be more than he seems.

Due to a mistake in the settings put on Jolene's computer, she gets administrator access and can view all the email and messages her coworkers receive. At first upset because her coworkers are indeed talking about her, she eventually realizes that everyone is struggling with something and that appearances can be deceiving. Some of the situations and dialogue are a little outlandish and so funny. This was such an enjoyable read. I do feel it was a little long for the type of book it is. I really enjoyed how layered Jolene, her mother, and her colleagues were. This was a well-crafted book about the drudgery of daily office life.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ebook. All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book from start to finish. I used to work in an office as a temp, and the varied cast of characters may seem slightly absurd to the uninformed non-office worker, but I can attest that these people all exist in the real world somewhere. So I found this incredibly realistic (though of course exaggerated for story reasons) and compelling. It is entertaining, incredibly easy to fly through in just a few sittings, and you'll somehow end up rooting for everyone. Well, maybe not that one guy. Or that one girl. But EVERYONE ELSE, I swear you'll fall in love with.

It also made me think, what would I do if I had access to every single one of my coworkers' emails? I would most likely do exactly the same thing.

I was expecting something similar to The Office. It was SO different, but I loved it and could not put it down. The story was character-driven, emotional, and truly funny. This book makes you think of your life and how you treat other people on a day-to-day basis. It was a good reminder that everyone has something going on - and you don't know unless you can live inside their head (or have full access to their inbox).

This was not the book I expected but in the best way. It is a hard look at office culture and a reminder that things are not always what they seem. I definitely recommend this book!

I was ready for a light comedic story but I read a very good story about a woman who has never felt like she belonged except for one friend in high school. And of course something dark happens to this friend and she is left alone. She is working for a National company with co workers who treat her like she has been treated throughout her life so when she responds to their emails she changed the color of the ink to white and tells them what she really thinks of them. But she forgot to change the ink color and her nemesis is the one who receives it.. human Resource calls her in on it and gives her the opportunity to change her ways and they will be moral of her emails and work on her computer. The next morning when she arrives at work she finds that her compshows her every email and DM that anyone I. The company sends. She tries to tell Human What has occurred, but the. Message doesn’t get across. She then decides to use this information to save her job and ruin everyone else’s job. There are occasions that are really quite funny, many that are touching as she learned to become a better person and friend. I really enjoyed this book!

As someone who works in an office setting, this was very relatable. While Jolene was very cynical, she did have a part of her that wanted to belong. Jolene is not very likable, and negative about everything. As an over thinker myself, I related to that aspect of her personality. Her inner dialogue was very funny to me because I have had some of the same thoughts during my various jobs. I’ve had my moments when I just don’t want to be bothered with people at work and I was miserable.

I am nosy as hell, so the thought of reading every single email, and communication chain peaked my interest. As much as Jolene was negative, her coworkers in my opinion weren’t any better. As the book went on, you see why Jolene is the way she is. I enjoyed the catty, office drama, but it was really hard to like Jolene as a character. Overall, this book did entertain me, but I wish Jolene was a little less self pitying at times.