There are two TV shows that I can hardly bear to watch – Utopia and The Hollowmen. Both are basically my previous workplace. The writers of those shows must have great connections in the public service. Anyway, twenty years later, it’s still too raw. I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue is similar in close-to-the-bone satirical tone. The author captures the mild (and not so mild) irritations associated with colleagues, workplace culture and the fact that we spend a good portion of our day with people that we might actively avoid ‘on the outside’.

The thing about annoyance is that once there’s a spark, you can find more things to stoke it.

We meet Jolene – disgruntled, depressed (although she doesn’t label it as such), seething. She loathes the people she works with, especially her manager.

He nods and names everyone he passes like the damn president of Clown Town.

Jolene’s anger comes out in various ways – unhelpfully at night when she finds herself drinking a lot, and during the day when she discovers that she can say what she really wants to say in emails by changing the font to white. For example –

P.S. Deep in my core, I find you insufferable. There are times, when you’re on the phone fake laughing or retelling someone the same story about your toenail surgery, that make me consider joining a cult as a preferable alternative to staying here with you. Also, I’m fairly certain you can’t legally brag about your son since you named him “Carl.”

When one of her secret messages is exposed, she’s mandated to complete ‘sensitivity training’, led by the new guy in HR, Cliff. She is also subject to having her emails monitored. Somehow, in putting restrictions on her computer, there’s an IT mix-up and suddenly, Jolene is privy to her entire department’s private emails and DMs. It’s revealed that company-wide layoffs are ahead. Although she knows she should report it, Jolene uses the inside information as an opportunity to save her job. Yes, the job she hates.

If Sue had kept the focus on the office and not given us enough of Jolene’s life outside of work, this novel would have failed. It would have been difficult for even the most generous reader to accept Jolene’s behaviour. Instead, through her life after work and in the interactions with her family, we see Jolene as lonely, vulnerable and uncertain. She’s also someone who desperately wants to trust, and find connection.

I know what life I’m supposed to live; I have Pinterest. Obviously, this isn’t it.

Quibbles: are we done with stories about people with a trauma history, possibly disguised as hermits or neuro-diverse? Yes. This isn’t that, but it sails close to the line (there is some trauma). And neat endings? How do we feel about those? In this case, it’s okay. Yes, a bit neat, but honestly, you’ll be rooting for Jolene by the end.

This is a perfect light read – it’s very funny; the supporting characters are well thought-out, without being over-the-top or all-too-convenient (I especially loved the 12yo next door neighbour, Miley, and her crochet creations); and there’s enough emotion to make this book very engaging. I look forward to Sue’s next book.

3.5/5 (rounding up to a four on Goodreads because I LOL).

I received my copy of I Hope This Finds You Well from the publisher, Harper Collins Australia, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I was SO frustrated by the MC for most of the book. I get that she was meant to be like that for the character development later, but it didn't make all the lying and secrets easier to deal with. But then on the other hand, I started bawling my eyes out in some scenes, so obviously it hit me deeper than I was expecting. And I did feel a LOT of sympathy for the MC. I also really enjoyed how the author wrote about and dealt with various themes in the book.

Absolutely hilarious and touching book, “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” meets The Office with a little touch of romance, brilliant writing!

I have to admit that what I got with this book, was not what I was expecting. I think I was thinking it’d be something like Attachments by Rainbow Rowell and it was…..definitely not. It’s less of the rom com and more an exploration of a very depressed and traumatised person negotiating an incredibly toxic workplace where there’s an horrific amount of bullying going on, on a day to day basis.

Jolene copes with her workplace by writing what she truly thinks on emails to her colleagues and then whiting them out so they don’t see them. When she forgets one day, she is hauled in by HR and although she isn’t fired, she’s made attend (and pass) a harassment course with the new HR guy, Cliff. Cliff also fixes Jolene’s computer in a way that is supposed to restrict her emails but instead allows her access to pretty much everyone’s emails and direct messages. She tries to tell Cliff what he’s done but he just thinks she’s talking about the restrictions that were supposed to have been placed on them and she gives up. And with the temptation there, she decides to use the other emails and messages to be better about her job so that she might keep it. Everyone knows the next round of layoffs are coming.

Except what Jolene mostly reads are the colleagues closest to her, being absolutely horrible about her. I’m not going to lie, a lot of this book was really hard to read. Jolene is suffering through not just an awful workplace but there’s not much joy outside of work in her life either. She lives in a shitty apartment in a shitty building and hanging over her is something that happened when she was still in school, that has deeply traumatised her. Her mother is Iranian and interested in setting Jolene up with men to find a good husband and Jolene finds all their interactions exhausting. She knows her father struggles with how long they had to support her after high school, which was why she finally moved out and away. She has no friends and spends most of her time after work drinking alone in her apartment. She clearly drink way too much to forget whatever it is that has marked her so badly, as well as the way her life has turned out.

I did not find a lot of humour in this. It’s not so much cute rom com, like I thought it might be. Jolene’s life is deeply messy and she’s a person who is just going through the motions. She hates her job and is barely getting buy but she clings to it because the alternative of having to move back in with her parents is even worse. All her colleagues are at first look, quite horrible and they say truly awful things about Jolene. As she delves a bit more into their personal correspondence we learn that they all have their own difficult things going on but…..I’m not sure it was enough to be an excuse for the truly awful way these people all treat each other. The whole workplace is rotten and I feel like everyone is pitted against each other and they all become complicit in the games.

That is not to say Jolene is without criticism either. Some of what she does is equally awful, going in and getting colleagues passwords, reading some of their most intimate correspondence. She’s truly unfair to Cliff, the HR guy, who I ended up really liking. Actually, Cliff ended up being the best thing in this book, for me. I felt sorry for Jolene, she’d definitely gone through some things and she was struggling a lot but…. I didn’t feel like that excused some of her actions. I wanted her to get help and face some of the things she was struggling with and take accountability for the things she did using the emails.

I will be honest and say I didn’t enjoy this as a read. It actually made me quite anxious myself in parts and would definitely be upsetting to people with certain issues, particularly around workplace bullying. It wasn’t a fun read. I appreciated some of the representation and exploration but for me, it wasn’t funny and there were not many moments that felt heartwarming. Maybe a couple at the end, but it definitely didn’t feel as warm and fuzzy as it seems to suggest it might be.

If I’d known that I might’ve had a better time with it, but I just found it a struggle to read.

5/10

This was such a delightful fun and unexpected book in so many ways. Jolene was such an interesting and complex character and yet still relatable with her relational difficulties and traumatic past. Her office email situation and the actions she chose were both incredibly questionable and at the same time understandable for the person she was. I loved seeing the way Jolene grew in her relationships with both colleagues and her family; and of course particularly with Cliff. There were so many additional levels to this book, including the character of her neighbour Miley that gave an extra dimension to the story. When I began, I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did and now I’m so thankful to have read it. This was a charming and very different five star read with thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing an advanced copy in exchange for this review.

This book had major Eleanor Oliphant vibes to me, I think it was the anti social outcast female protagonist. It was SO relatable, I mean, c'mon, how many times have you thought about telling someone how you really feel in a work email!? most of us don't ACTUALLY send it though!.

This book really does highlight that you don't know what people are going through and it is so easy to judge a book by it's cover, I think every one just needs to be a bit more aware of people's feelings. I loved this book.

Hooked by the title, I picked this up on a whim and was instantly drawn in by the office humour. Jolene is snarky a d sarcastic and way too cool to be working for corporate, which is what we all think of ourselves. You'll recognize all the workforce characters in this one too.

Jolene accidentally sends a snarky email to her nemesis colleague, who forwards her directly to the department head and HR. Of course, Jolene is then forced into formal harassment training with HR. As part of this there is a monumental error and her workstation is left logged in to admin mode and suddenly she can read all her colleagues emails and chats, including what they've been saying about her. Hijinks ensue before the inevitable conclusion

Perfect for fans of the Office or the IT crowd. Read if you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant.

This book was SO MUCH BETTER than I ever expected it would be. The jokes about office culture were so relatable and hilarious, I was laughing out loud all the way through this book. Jolene was such an awesome character to follow and I just adored her despite some of the questionable decisions she made. I ended up finding things to like about every character at some point. I did not want this book to end and I’m sad that it’s over! 😭

This book hit close to home as a people pleaser myself. I related to Jolene heavily and the book really highlighted that you truly don’t know what people are going through. The book was hilarious, heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. I felt all the emotions while reading this story.

I cannot recommend this book enough, one of my top reads of the year so far. 💗

The book was a funny, witty, captivating and fast-paced book that I finished in one day. It was a bit different from what I usually read but the story kept me engaged till the end and I really enjoyed it.

The story is in the first-person POV of Jolene who is introverted, anxious, has a traumatic past and hates her coworkers. Her coworkers, especially Rhonda, Caitlin and Amrin, who we read about the most in the book, think that she is weird and a loser. Also there is Cliff, the lovely HR guys who wants the best for the employees.

An IT error gives her access to everyone’s emails and when she realises that layoffs are coming, she decides to use this information to her benefit. This gives her insights to what her coworkers think about her and their personal activities. But she also starts to realise that her coworkers are not flawless and are all struggling with some personal issues of their own.

We also get to read about Jolene’s Iranian family and her nosey mom who wants her to find a husband. Natalie has done a great job of explaining the struggles of an immigrant family and the pressure the kids have of living up to their family and relatives’ expectations.

Along with the witty characters and humour, there are also topics like alcoholism, depression, domestic abuse, bullying and anxiety.

It book shows that our coworkers have a different life outside the office and we need to treat each other with kindness because we don’t know know what’s happening outside the office doors.

I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy office drama, raw moments, slow burn romance and witty characters, or if you enjoyed The Office and Severance.

Thank you so much HarperCollins, Natalie Sue and Netgalley for this ARC copy!

Jolene is stuck in a job she hates, with coworkers who find her a bit strange. But one day, she accidentally gets access to everyone's emails and DMs. Suddenly, she can see her coworkers' secret lives, revealing a whole new side to them.

The book is funny and full of relatable moments. It's a fresh and touching comedy about loneliness and love in the digital age. However, it sometimes felt slow and tried to tackle too many heavy topics like alcoholism, self-harm, depression, and bullying.

Overall, it's worth a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the advanced copy.

Dear Reader,

I hope this [review] finds you well. This book definitely found me well! It is a captivating, fast-paced book about rock bottom and redemption.

Jolene hates her colleagues - from a gross boss to a nosy retiree to a brown-nosed peer. The office is full to the brim with people she just can’t stand. Until…IT messes up her computer access and she gets to see everyone in the company’s emails and instant messages. She nosies (who wouldn’t?) and finds incriminating information, gossip and petty fights, but most importantly: insight into the company’s looming restructure.

What follows is Jolene’s snooping developing into actual, real-life, authentic feelings. For the first time, she starts to experience office culture in its entirety - the positives along with the pitfalls.

I loved how this book slowly developed all its characters from two dimensional perspectives to thoughtful and battling real people. I also loved the insights to Jolene’s Persian heritage, Cliff’s nerdy and endearing hobbies and most importantly his struggle working a job that goes against his personal values.

IHTFYW is a book of many layers, with character’s stories being revealed as Jolene starts to understand them. Like anyone who has worked in an office will know, ‘everyone has something going on below the surface’. This book really exemplifies this. You should read the book if you are a fan of any workplace sitcom, actually lol-ing, and a HEA.

There’s only a few things holding me back from rating this book five stars. I felt at times it tried to fit too much into its pages - it covers a lot of topics (from self-esteem, alcoholism, domestic abuse, violence, neglection, anxiety, depression and loneliness). I personally would have preferred fewer of these big topics. I also found some of Jolene and Cliff’s banter (while brilliant at the start) became a little too repetitive and predictable towards the end.

Kind regards,
Lucy

LOVED:
- High stakes kept me on edge (she has access to everyone’s office communication, the potential to get busted and lose job but oh, the power 😈 )
- Cleverly layered plot kept me engaged and more excited to read how the story unfolds rather than predicting the ending
- Annoying characters at the beginning who will steal your heart by the end 🥲
- So quotable !!! The writing, choice of words and names are on point (surname Joffrey? lol) 👌🏼

“This little human doesn’t even realise the greatness of this: the only time in your life when people will simply ignore your public outbursts. The rest of us must cry without actually crying.”

Then just when I thought the book couldn’t get any better, it did 🥲

Jolene hates her job and doesn't like her colleagues. When she is accidentally given administrative permission which allows her access to her colleagues’ inboxes and instant messages, she uses the knowledge gleaned from her colleagues’ correspondences to her advantage in light of rumoured upcoming layoffs.

This book captures the theme that people show most of who they are up front, but it is only when you look closer and delve deeper that you truly understand the personal battles they are fighting. I loved the evolution of Jolene, how she started from plotting against her colleagues by using information that no one knew she had to genuinely caring and wanting the best for them. The humour written in made the book enjoyable to read amongst the heavier, emotional scenes.

Funny, frustrating, yet utterly moving, this book exceeded all of my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed following Jolene’s story and connecting with all the other characters, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

Jolene basically personifies having your intrusive thoughts win. A long-time employee of Supershops, Jolene has been going through the motions of what I’m sure a lot of corporate girlies can relate to — hating her job and all her colleagues, but having no choice but to drag herself into the office everyday to stay financially afloat. This all changes when she’s mistakenly given access to the whole organisation’s private data — from lascivious emails to controversial chats, she’s suddenly able to see it all. And as the office “loser”, she gives in to the tempation and plots her revenge. As she quietly lurks through the goings-on of the people around her, she realises how little she knew about them. But when careless slip-ups threaten to expose her, she is forced to make a difficult choice: will she protect herself or those whose secrets she holds in the palm of her hand?

This book was such a pleasant surprise. Despite starting off as a petty rivalry between Jolene and her office arch-nemesis, it transformed into such an emotional storyline that I was in tears by the time I finished. I found myself growing attached and overly invested not only in Jolene’s life, but also in the lives of everyone she worked with. It doesn’t happen often that I find a book where I can’t pick a clear favourite, so this book’s truly a rare gem. Goes to show that you never know what a person’s going through, so it always pays to be kind.

Thank you so much for the ARC. I just finished reading and I loved this book! It made me feel all of the different emotions and had me hooked from the beginning. It definitely reminded myself that we don’t always know what is going on behind the scenes in another persons life!

What a fab debut by Natalie Sue!
Would you spy on your colleagues if a glitch in your computer made it possible? I totally would and enjoyed the ride that followed as Jolene does exactly that.
Really enjoyed this.

We follow Jolene, an office worker who essentially keeps to herself and has coworkers, who she doesn't particularly like. When she ends up having access to all of her coworkers' emails and instant messages due to an IT error, she realises the power that this mess-up gives her.

I Hope This Finds You Well is well-written and witty, with a dive into Jolene's life, which is a bit (a lot) messy, and corporate culture with pressures and expectations. While it's a little dramatised for entertainment purposes, the exploration of the issues with corporate culture felt really relatable!

A big message of this one is that you don't really know what is going on in someone else's life, even when you see them every day.

All in all, this was a great debut story!

Thank you Harper Collins Aus for an e-arc of this one! All opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book! It made me ugly cry, laugh out loud and is so relatable - we all want to say our true feelings out loud but refrain! It’s witty and a great reminder that we don’t know what everyone is going through behind the scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for this ARC.

4.5/5

when I read that this was "perfect for fans of The Office and Monica Heisey's 'Really Good, Actually'", I knew I needed to read it. We follow Jolene, who keeps to herself but essentially hates everyone in the office, until she accidentally exposes herself so she somehow wounds up having access to all of her co-workers emails and IMs...

This was so much fun to read! It was well-written, well paced, witty, and riddled with anxiety over the actions of Jolene, the primary character we follow. I Hope This Finds You Well is a tender, messy, complex exploration into corporate culture and how far we go to fit in, save our own asses but also deal with life as it is and as it comes. It intertwines familial obligations and relationships as an underlying "b-plot" of sorts, which was very necessary to the progression of the story. All of these elements were combined beautifully, with this story exemplifying how under the surface, every single person has their own stuff going on.

The development at the conclusion of the novel was beautiful to witness, and it could not have ended any other way. There is a romance subplot to this story, which adds to it in a realistic manner whilst juggling everything else that's going on.

All in all, a great debut. Would wholeheartedly recommend this.

thank you so much NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the arc in exchange for an honest review, always so appreciated!

l Hope This Finds You Well // Natalie Sue

Jolene works an office job with annoying coworkers she doesn’t really know or like. she’s a bit of a mess, she's depressed, she drinks too much. i went into this having heard comparisons to Eleanor Olliphant and that it was a fun, lighthearted office comedy with an unlikeable main character. i was expecting character growth and changes within a toxic workplace.

there are themes of diversity, loneliness, depression, grief, domestic abuse, pressures of expectation. there’s some mental health representation, serving as a reminder that we don't always know what other people are going through even when you spend so much time working alongside them. overall this fell a little flat for me, the office politics were unrealistic and i struggled to sympathise with our main character.

thankyou to Harper Collins Australia and netgalley for the eARC