I believe I can see what this book was trying to do, and some of it was done well.

I always try to start with the positives and the things I enjoyed about a book. There were really straightforward and in depth discussions about anxiety throughout this book. How different outside factors can impact it, how one can recognize what’s happening and still experience the debilitating feelings, and how it can present differently from person to person. I appreciated the many mental health conversations and therapy positive messaging as a large part of the story. It also felt genuine and important that Maeve was a therapist who also benefited from therapy herself. It reinforced the idea that no one has everything figured out and it’s ok to need outside help.

Where I struggled was with Maeve and Finn’s relationship. For one, from the very beginning I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story where I should already have context to know what was going on. There were eventually flashback chapters that build the relationship to the fallout, but for me personally, it wasn’t an effective way to learn their story. I just wasn’t able to feel invested in the two of them reconnecting. I also didn’t like Finn very much. He screwed up a lot and expected that a quick “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize” would and should be enough to move on.

As for pacing, as noted above the flashbacks didn’t work for me, and I also felt like there was SO much story jammed into the last 10-15% of the book. It felt incredibly rushed to wrap things up.

I think after two books I have to accept that I’m not the right audience for Betty Cayouette’s writing but hope she continues to find those who are. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Griffin via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This miscommunication Trope is not my favorite. This felt pretty YA and was cute but just not amazing overall.

ARC Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty Cayouette

Tell Me How You Really Feel is a second chance romance between two podcasters, Maeve and Finn. The two launch a successful sex positive podcast and it becomes messy when the pair go from friends to lovers to friends to lovers again.

Maeve and Finn are great as friends, but whew their relationship is so messy. Finn makes mistake after mistake and Maeve is more forgiving than he deserves. Maeve hopes to bring more seriousness to their podcast topics with her psychology degree and I loved that aspect, but she sure doesn’t like to listen when it’s time to communicate in her own life. I did think there were some funny and cute parts to this romance, but overall their relationship wasn’t my favorite.

Tell Me How You Really Feel is out May 6th, 2025

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

Maeve and Finn are getting the chance of a lifetime! Their relationship podcast is hitting the big time! The problem? They can't stand each other. Can these two take their own advice and heal the rift that divides them, or will they lose it all?!?

I love the dual timeline in which this is written. We get glimpses of their blossoming friendship WAY back in college, set against present day, in which they can't seem to stand one another. As the story unfolds, we begin to understand the past hurts and miscommunications that have taken this couple SO far off course. I liked the anxiety representation and the positivity about therapy/mental health. I enjoyed this pacing of this contemporary romance as well. Solid writing by Cayouette!

Second chance romances are one of the hardest tropes to write, in my opinion. The author has to write a convincing reason for the rift but then also make us want to root for the couple to get back together. For me, this riveting as often as it was frustrating. I had difficulty fully getting behind this couple, especially our hero. The amount of misunderstandings were disappointing. Even so, this was an entertaining book, and I'm intrigued to see what Betty Cayouette will write in the future.

I'd like to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for eARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tropes:
Second Chance Romance
Fake Dating
Forced Proximity
Miscommunication

I liked this book! I love any book with a podcast element, and this one was a fun read. I did like the story, but I don't like the miscommunication trope, so I didn't love that.

Still, this was a good book, and I liked it.

I absolutely loved "One Last Shot" so had high hopes for this one. I also love second chance romances so this one was definitely up my alley. Nothing particularly unique about this one, but definitely a fun rom-com which I think will appeal to any fans of the second chance romance trope!

Polarizing Podcasting & Swoonworthy Romance!

Betty Cayouette builds a truly fantastic (and harrowing at times) romance that readers are going to love! It has all the staples: enemies-to-lovers, a pulse-pounding plot, and positive feminist messaging that people need to hear. This story follows two friends as they launch the dating and relationship advice podcast of their dreams. It is raw and vulnerable while maintaining some delicious tension that will keep readers' mouths watering.

The plot advances at a steady pace by switching perspectives and providing background on our two love interests. There are times when I felt the story was rushing by, and then other times, the story slowed down to give the characters time to breathe through their feelings. It felt nice to sort of have that unique pacing because it made the book seem so real.

I think this is such a great love story. There are plenty of vulnerable emotions, and they give characters a breath of life. Readers are going to resonate with this story. You absolutely should check it out!

There was a lot to like about this book. It was definitely readable. There were some cute moments between the protagonists, and I liked the side plot of the FMC working to succeed in a man's world by being awesome in her career. That said, there were a lot of issues that were also pointed out by multiple other reviewers. I was never really able to root for this couple because we didn't have enough time to get to know them and see why they were perfect for each other. Maybe if we had seen their college days in real time instead of random scenes that only seemed to be there to tell us why they fell apart not why they fell in love, it may have helped. But the way it reads, I think they may be better off apart, which is not the point of a romance. The reason why they broke up initially makes sense to me, and that should have been the end of them.

A cute second chance love story between two friends who didn’t seem to get it right. Second chance mixed with miscommunication mixed with fake dating/forced proximity.

I found Finn and Maeve to be nice characters, they were decently thought out but not fully realized. A much better character writing than Cayouette first novel, in my opinion, so I liked seeing her growth as a writer.

Their story was cute and just right. It too, a while to let us readers in on exactly what had happened between Finn and Maeve for them to be fighting, I would have liked to know that earlier, but I’m glad we eventually learned it to better understand Maeve.

Overall a fun and cute story, just what you need in a romance.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty Cayouette is a sweet story about podcasting friends who fell in love and then broke up as they were signing a big deal for their show. How will they continue to record their show while messing their relationship and dealing with sexism in the industry?

I really enjoyed reading this book. For the first half, I couldn’t put it down and was really rooting for the characters. However, the drama in the second half of the story seemed more forced. I was still rooting for the couple, and loved Maeve and Finn, but it felt like only Finn was growing and changing, while Maeve took no responsibility for her actions until the very end, and it seemed like a throwaway comment when she finally did. The second half of the book seemed like it wanted to send a message rather than continue focusing on the complex relationship between the characters. I’m fine with stories with strong messages, however not at the expense of the story. With that said, I still needed to finish the story, and I enjoyed it overall as I was really invested in their relationship based on the first half of the book and loved hearing about their podcast and Maeve’s professional ambitions.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty Cayouette
3.75 stars

The setup? Fantastic. The chemistry? Totally there. And the podcasting angle added a fun, fresh twist that made the whole story feel modern and engaging. I breezed through this book in a single day—it’s super bingeable, with a flirty tone and likable characters that draw you in fast.

But… there’s always a “but,” right? The central conflict hinges on long-term miscommunication—years of missed signals and emotional dodgeball. And while that trope can work, it was a little tough to swallow here since Maeve is, well… a therapist. A therapist who gives dating advice. It stretched believability that two smart, articulate people—who literally talk for a living—couldn’t manage one honest conversation when it really mattered.

Still, it’s a fun, easy read with plenty of charm, and if you're into friends-to-lovers with a side of podcast banter, this one is worth checking out.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my copy of this book — all thoughts in my review are my own.

The premise of this one sounded unique and interesting. Maeve’s and Finn’s anxieties were well written and easily relatable. I loved how female empowerment within the podcast/entertainment industry was a central theme of this story. It was woven perfectly with the romance aspect. I enjoyed getting both Maeve and Finn’s perspectives on their journey friends to something more with all the bumps along the way. The author did a great job at flowing between past and present to give you the full story. Meave was smart, talented, and passionate. Finn was sweet, charming, and idiotic at times. I loved watching their story come together. Their banter and spice were perfectly timed. Having said that, the miscommunication dragged on far too long. Yes it built tension, but it also had me wanting to bash their heads together for how dumb they were being. They preached open communication on their podcast but couldn’t get out of their own way with each other. It was sort of exhausting. Then, when things finally clicked and got moving, I was so invested in them. I was hooked. The plot was well paced and unfolded beautifully until the third act break up that lasted like 5 seconds. While it highlighted sexism and misogyny, it felt unnecessary for the characters and their relationship. The ending wrapped the story up well, and the epilogue was adorable!

Tell Me How You Really Feel follows podcasters Maeve and Finn as they navigate their shared show when they don't get along at all. Maeve needs Fin in order to keep the show going but she can NOT be in the same room as him. She tries different ways to get the show to work without being together but finds it challenging. However, Finn needs the show for a different reason, to win Maeve back.

While this book had promise and a fun story line; I did not enjoy it. I found the dialogue to be really forced. I disliked every character in the book. The whole story felt choppy and didn't flow.

Thank you to NetGalley and @PenguinBooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tell Me How You Really Feel follows Maeve and Finn—college besties from totally different worlds (think: small-town girl meets golden boy with celebrity parents). Their friendship turns into a hit podcast about relationships, and naturally, things get complicated.

The setup is great. The chemistry between the characters? Totally there. And the whole podcasting angle felt like a fun, current twist that made the story feel fresh. I breezed through it in a day—very bingeable.

But... (and there’s always a but, right?) the core conflict revolves around good old-fashioned miscommunication. And not just a little miscommunication—like, years of dancing around feelings and missed signals. Which would be fine if it weren’t for the fact that Maeve is literally a therapist dishing out dating advice. It was kind of hard to buy into the idea that two intelligent people who talk for a living couldn’t have a single honest conversation with each other.

At times it gave me serious Ross and Rachel “we were on a break” energy—confusing, slightly messy, and left me scratching my head wondering how they got so off track in the first place.

All in all, it's a cute, easy read with likable leads and a modern vibe. But if you're not a fan of the "could’ve been solved with one conversation" trope, just go in knowing that’s what you’re signing up for.
3.5 Stars!

#NetGalley, #PenguinBooks, #TellMeHowYouReallyFeel, #BettyCayouette

🦇 Tell Me How You Really Feel Book Review 🦇

❓ Do you listen to any podcasts?

🦇 Podcasters Maeve and Finn have just gotten a life-changing, blockbuster deal for their viral sex and relationships podcast, Tell Me How You Really Feel. Unfortunately, given their history, they can barely be in the same room together. Now, Maeve needs to find a way to keep the show going without letting Finn completely ruin her. But to make things even more challenging, Finn is dead set on winning her back over. Told between flashbacks to the start of their show and the present, Tell Me How You Really Feel follows Maeve and Finn as they navigate their growing celebrity, try to make podcast history, and rediscover what they mean to each other.

💜 Gimme forced proximity + second chance + all the tension. Let's break it down:

✨ Characters (4/5): I adore Maeve for her wit, mental fortitude, and struggle. Her constant effort to break (or even reach) the glass ceiling is so real. Every scene of her providing advice, helping someone word an apology or reframe their mindset, was absolutely beautiful. Finn is perfect in the worst ways; he's the cis white boy who knows exactly what to say, the one everyone adores, who can do no wrong. To see his character make mistakes with real consequences, to have to navigate real solutions that go beyond a surface-level apology, was great. I don't love how the book ended (how easily he was forgiven) though.

✨ Plot and Pacing (3/5): There are a few lags in the pacing that some bigger, more impactful flashbacks could have aided.

✨ Romance (4/5): It's hard not to love these two together. Finn is so heart-eyed and plays the constant cheerleader to Maeve, while Maeve proves he has worth outside of being a nepo baby. It's very obvious that they were friends first; it shows in how well they know one another, how they tend to one another in big yet quiet ways. I don't love that the entire romance, and novel, relies on a constant miscommunication trope, especially when both characters help support and repair other relationships. However, this does make the conversations they finally have bigger on a more impactful scale.

✨ Mystery/Suspense (4/5): I'm glad we don't see every detail that caused their friendship to shatter too soon. That tension helps drive the story--and character growth--forward.

✨ Tone/Prose (3/5): The prose isn't as captivating as I'd like. The back-and-forth dialogue between Finn and Maeve more often carries the story.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Will They or Won't They and The Breakup Tour.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🎤 Friends to Lovers
🎤 Enemies to Lovers
🎤 Second Chance Romance
🎤 Forced Proximity
🎤 Miscommunication Trope
🎤 Mental Health Rep

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #OneLastWord

💬 Quotes
We don’t have a spark, we have a forest fire.

I don’t know what normal is for us. Normal is giving her everything, every last bit of me, all the best parts that I didn’t even know were there until I was around her.

It’s like we click into place, and all the kisses I’ve had before this one were just practice for this.

I realized I had just given up what might have been my only chance to be with my soulmate. I can only date other people and have them feel halfway right when you’re in the picture. Because all the things that make me tick, make you tick. We challenge each other, and ever since I met you I couldn’t imagine a world without you. I didn’t want to, ever again. Maeve, I love every fucking thing about you. So much. And without you? A piece of me was missing. We are perfect together, and I don’t want another day to go by without getting to say I love you. I love you, Maeve.

You shouldn’t have to leverage a painful moment to drag the fight for equality forward. But that’s what women, people of color, queer people,— that’s what we’re all forced to do.

I read Betty Cayouette’s first book and it was SUCH a five star read for me that I definitely went into this one with super high expectations.

The writing didn’t disappoint. I loved the flow of the story, the pacing, the setting, the FMC, even the supporting cast. What I didn’t like, at all, was Finn, the male lead. And i never quite understood why Maeve wants to be with him, after he keeps on messing up and never really showing any true growth as a character. I was really hoping for more there.

4 stars still because I do think this is worth a read, especially if you’d like to read a book with some great anxiety representation. Plus there were definitely plot points in there that I did not see coming. So it kept me reading and wanting to come back to this book over and over again. I just wish I ended the book liking the MMC more.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for sending me an ebook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I loved the characters and the premise of this book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading through this. I’m not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope but I still very much enjoyed this book.

I’m going to be honest.. I genuinely did not like this book.
I do not have time to walk on eggshells around people who are determined to interpret actions to mean that no one cares about them, even after theyverbally state that said action is completely fine andthey understand and even encourage said actions… and that’s who Maeve was. She drove me insane. And while Finn was a bit daft to the point of being a caricature of a clueless man, Maeve unfairly judged him because she thought she sucked and needed constant reassurance from everyone that she did notsuck. She could not rise above anything that she interpreted as proof she sucked. When I found out the details of their initial falling out, I wanted to scream. Like that’s what happened?
I was annoyed that she consistently believed the worst about herself, to the point where at the very end, she found a balance and allowed herself to be filtered positive comments about her show and never negative ones and that was somehow “healing”.… She was a therapist and had been going to therapy for years, but I felt she was in noway ready for a relationship, especially with Finn because she couldn’t seem to get over the past.
I just can’t with people like this.
I feel that perhaps people who enjoy themiscommunication trope and want their books to highlight anxiety and gender inequality as well as focusing on positive reinforcement and growththrough small steps may enjoy this, but that person is not me. This book was the opposite of the fun story I thought I was getting myself into.

A story that pulled me in and just was enjoyable and interesting to read. I like a quick and lovely journey and this definitely was just what I needed to read.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It gave me Nobody wants this vibes which I loved. Finn and Maeve had a fun dynamic and worked really well together. I enjoyed the aspect of female equality in a workplace and their flirty banter. And I was constantly curious as to what happened to them! The dual timeline and dual POV were also really enjoyable!

However…

I did struggle with Finn and Maeve. For being a therapist…Maeve never let Finn talk. She never was willing to listen to Finn or allow him to explain himself. It felt like she put him on a pedestal. And Finn….the man was totally clueless. It infuriated me the amount of times he felt like he needed to apologize in this book and how quick she was to forgive him. For how often he listened to her comment on how it was always about him why on earth show up at a photo shoot celebrating her and how far she’s come making the shoot more about Finn and Maeve instead of just Maeve?