*ARC Review* Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty Cayouette had a lot of potential, and I really enjoyed the premise and concept—especially the podcasting angle and the themes of second chances, relationships, and personal growth. The story of Maeve and Finn, who have a complicated history but must work together for their viral podcast, is one that definitely pulled me in.

However, there were a few aspects that kept me from fully loving this book. The time jumps, for instance, felt a bit disjointed at times. I almost wished there had been more focus on the relationship before the current day events, especially in terms of their earlier days together. The flashbacks were intriguing, but I feel like more of them would’ve helped build up their connection and given me a deeper understanding of their past dynamic.

As for the characters, Maeve’s anxiety and the triggers that stemmed from her history with Finn were understandably central to her character. Still, at times, her behavior felt a bit frustrating. It often seemed like she was looking for a fight, and when Finn would try to fix things, she wouldn’t let go of her grievances. I understand where she was coming from, but it did get a little tiresome after a while.

Finn also had his own flaws, and while he certainly tried to make amends, some of his actions didn't sit well with me either. Despite these imperfections, I did appreciate his efforts to win Maeve back, even if the tension between them sometimes felt a bit much.

Overall, while the book wasn’t perfect for me, I still enjoyed it. The themes resonated, and the central premise kept me hooked. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more from Betty Cayouette in the future, as I can see her writing improving and evolving with each book.

Finn and Maeve are podcasters who couldn't be more different but have CHEMISTRY. This was by far the most realistic depiction of sex I have read in a book and I loved it. There is some spice but no one is orgasming 7 times and almost blowing their load at a mere glance. 2 out 5 chili peppers.

The banter in the book is excellent and I feel like Maeve's POV is very relatable, especially when she is second guessing herself and her feelings. I enjoyed how Cayouette dug in on the constant internal dialogue of someone who knows they struggle with mental health and is trying to parse through if what they are feeling is their authentic feeling or if it is a byproduct of their diagnosis. I think I learned more about anxiety and intrusive thoughts in this book than I did in the weeks and months I have spent listening to mental health podcasts - honestly made me feel less alone and a huge shoutout for Cayouette for that.

I also really enjoyed her discussions on performative feminism, but I the punchline fell a little short for me. The ending as a whole felt very rushed and I was bummed that a book that captured the nuance of romance so well just glossed over the ending. This is my main driver for three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

I’m struggling on how to rate this but I think I’ll land on 3.5 ⭐️

The first 2/3 of the book I LOVED! I truly could not put it down and I was so invested in the characters and their highs and lows and friendship and tension and I think the back and forth from present day to past was very well done. The dual POV was also great.

HOWEVER… the last third of the book was sooooo hard to read. Like cringey? In some ways? I think for me, the characters got sloppy and annoying. Repetitive and childish. And strayed too far away from the premise that was built in the beginning. Maeve is a therapist! I know they cover some things at the end but like nothing showed that this was a woman who knew how to communicate her feelings or speak her needs to a partner. Finn went from being a super attractive best friend who supports her in everything to a whiney self indulgent boy who can’t take accountability…it was a weird spot to be. Part of me was hoping they wouldn’t end up together… oops.

THAT BEING SAID… it is obvious Betty is uber passionate about equality and women’s rights and the gender pay gap. 👏🏻amen sister👏🏻 some of the writing felt preachy and not as fluid as it could have been but I get the intent behind it and for someone who maybe doesn’t know much on the issue - maybe having it spelled out for them is helpful. It was a bit too “in your face” for me but I think it’s due to my familiarity with the subject.

All in all I do think I would recommend this book to people, but with disclaimers. And actually… I REALLY would like this podcast to exist 😍

Sadly this book was not for me and I couldn't get into it as I would have liked and didn't enjoy it much. It felt rushed and I didn't connect to the characters so it made it harder to enjoy.


Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

This one was absolutely not for me. I had a very hard time getting through it. I saw what it was trying to do, but ultimately, the execution did not work in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many moments in this book that I really was enjoying it and started to connect. But there were more that I could not connect with. I really wanted more of the podcast moments and less of the in-between. The flash backs are so good. Do I recommend? Absolutely! The relationship between Maeve and Finn was so angsty and I looooove that about books. Pick this up for a cute and easy read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this opportunity!

I really struggled to get into this one but once I did, it was pretty enjoyable. I loved the relationship between the main characters. The premise of this book is so fun and modern - podcasting about sex and relationships! While I wouldn't say this was mind-blowing, it was fun and easy to read past the 20% mark.

This book felt like a copy paste of the apple podcast top 10 list, down to the specific examples used by the author. It was really difficult to manage the balance between what I know in real life and what happened in the plot of the book, to the extent that it felt really uncreative at times.

Betty’s writing felt more like a reality TV show than a rom-com, and while that may be relaxing for some, I was not too inclined to read it cover to cover! Pick this up for an easy read with a bit of teenage angst in your mid-twenties mixed in!

So this book is very cute. Two people that are hosts of a relationship podcast aren’t very friendly (one sided) but their show gets popular and goes viral. The MMC is very adamant on getting to know Her and become more friendly 😉. This book is about rediscovering love and friendship.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty Cayouette is a heartfelt and engaging contemporary romance that blends love, ambition, and personal growth. The novel follows Maeve and Finn, co-hosts of a wildly popular sex and relationships podcast, whose unresolved past complicates their professional success. Told through dual timelines, the story unravels their history of miscommunication and simmering tension, making for a compelling slow-burn romance. With sharp social commentary on gender dynamics and mental health, Cayouette delivers a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read. Perfect for fans of second-chance love stories with depth and authenticity.

The premise was so cute and I loved the male main character but I could not get into the female main character which is why it was not my favourite book!

Author writes in a similar style to Lynn Painter which is great, but the book just didn’t grasp my attention the whole time and took me a while to read.

The book is written more of a Y/A novel which is not bad, but not my usual go to book as a 23 year old. I personally struggled to finish the story because of my dislike of the female main character (she had pick me energy), but that is just my opinion.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for letting me read the arc and for letting me be honest about my opinion!

First off i want to thank St. Martin’s publishing for reaching out to me to read this e-arc.

The book features Maeve and Finn who have been friends since college. While they were living in New York they started a podcast and it went viral for how real it was. Sure enough, a streaming platform picks them up and suddenly their lives are much bigger than before.

Maeve had to work hard to get where she is. She went through university and has struggled as a women in the media. Finn on the other hand is a nepo baby in pure definition. Honestly this part of him is what drives my review to be lower. I found him to be overly obnoxious with this. Like he's just privileged and doesn't really think beyond that which absolutely causes him issues.

Now the miscommunication trope is something I don't love a lot of. For two people who talk about feelings a lot these two are the WORST at talking to each other. The book is largely driven on the fact that they had a misunderstanding and then never talked about it. Overall the premise was interesting and I loved that Kennywood made an appearance (I'm from Pittsburgh).

This book was an okay read for me. I enjoyed the storyline and the podcast but I just couldn’t connect with either of the main characters.

I loved the story of this. I enjoyed reading their podcast and their behind the scenes happenings. The pacing of the story was just right and the chemistry between the characters felt very real while drawing attention to many issues within sex/relationship and the workforce. Really enjoyable read!

Maeve and Finn have been friends since college and started a podcast with each other while living in New York. The podcast takes off and they get a huge deal with a streaming platform. This book goes through the ups and downs of their relationship, and the couple of blowups they have.

I thought this was a really cute book, but it felt like their relationship had too many ups and downs to be realistic. At times I felt Maeve was being overly dramatic and bratty, and should have just given Finn the benefit of the doubt. I did like the supporting characters in their families, and I wish that we saw and heard more of them.

While miscommunication for me is not a "trope" is real life, this book had too many of it. A therapist feeling disposable with no self awareness and a nepobaby being insecure and constantly needed his ego stroked wasn't what I was expecting. Lacked romance and feel good moments.
Thank you Netgalley for this Arc

Allow me to tell you how I really feel about this book - frustrated as hell. The MCs are people I simply do not understand. He’s a himbo-nepo baby, but even though he’s kind of dumb, at least his heart is in the right place. She has the most insanely high expectations for the people in her life, and not a lot of grace when they don’t act as she expects. I think I see what the author was trying to do here, but I never truly understood why these two people wanted to be together so badly. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to SMP for the ARC.

I absolutely love this book. I love the romance and how the characters are. I can't until the book comes out, I will be buying it

The premise of this book is super fun—sex podcast hosts fell out of love right before a big deal that they have to fake it through. I love therapy rep, but something about the way the privilege of Finn was handled rubbed me the wrong way.

Terminé enojada con todo lo que Maeve tuvo que soportar por parte de Finn; ella merecía algo mejor.


Maeve y Finn se hicieron amigos en la universidad, se volvieron muy unidos y años despues terminaron haciendo un podcast sobre relaciones y cómo encontrar a tu pareja perfecta. Durante dos años mantuvieron las cosas platónicas, hasta que un día se dieron cuenta de que sus sentimientos no eran fraternales y cedieron a ellos. Todo parecía perfecto, pero él cometió una estupidez y se fue con otra. Meses después, Maeve sigue con el corazón roto. El problema es que tendra que aguantarse, fingir que toda esta bien y trabajar con él, mientras él intentaba explicarle sus acciones y recuperarla.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.