Tell Me How You Really Feel had some great bones. I thought the story concept was interesting and it was a great use of the forced proximity trope.

Unfortunately, I felt like this book really could have been great with some stronger editing. The dialogue and pacing was at times quite clunky. The flashbacks felt disorganized and jarring for the reader. Finn, specifically, needed to be rounded out and more depth given to his actions and thoughts as the way they were written on the page left me feeling as though he was a character I did not want to root for.

This novel started out strong and I think the writing style was a good foundation, but unfortunately it really needed to be tightened up in order for it to be a more enjoyable story. I would rate this story a 2.5, rounded to 3 for this review.

TMHYRF is a cute glimpse into the dynamics of friendship, unrequited love and podcasting. The writing was strong and I enjoyed the world that was built.

The characters were sometimes hard to root for and I found their endless loops of bad communication and misunderstanding to be so frustrating!

I love the premise of this (best friends to lovers, second chance, entertainment industry, even the OW drama), but I couldn’t stand the MMC Finn. He sucked in the past (sleeping with Maeve and saying he loved her, only to ask her while out with the one who got away if he should give that woman a chance), but he sucked in the present, too! He kept messing up. I also could not get over that he decided to act opposite of Cassidy (the woman he chose over her) as her love interest without even speaking to Maeve (and even admitted knowing it would upset her). The miscommunication drove me crazy on both sides.

On the positive side, it was a quick and entertaining read. I’d rather have that than be bored. The groveling that did happen was cute (I wish there had been more!) and I liked seeing their friendship evolve in the past. May come back later to this, but for now 2.5 ⭐️

Maeve attempts to step out of the shadow of her male cohost, will she succeed?


This has great potential for a beautiful love story, but some of the writing was confusing. The different timelines with different POVs was difficult to keep track of. Maeve and Finn dated, had a falling out, and got together, only to fight again. Although, eventually they had the cutest ending. I loved that we got a look at their future and they had a happy ending. For as much as they talked about the importance of communication, they lacked so much of it. We could save a lot of time, if they just spoke honestly. The miscommunication was dragged out. The second half of the book was my favorite!!!! I love the pay gap conversation because it brings awareness. The conversation about PRIVILEGE is so important!


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin Publishing for an ARC of Betty Cayouette’s book Tell Me How You Really Feel. This book is about Maeve and Finn, two podcasters who met in college and just signed a huge deal for their viral relationship podcast. The problem is that Maeve won’t speak to Finn due to a misunderstanding that happened about six months prior.

Maeve needs to find a way to continue producing the podcast without letting Finn ruin her; however, Finn is determined to get her back. The story is told from both of their points of view and through flashbacks, so the reader is able to see their relationship from when they met to how they became so close and how it all went wrong.

I enjoyed this book. I found myself laughing throughout the book but also genuinely feeling for the characters and what they went through throughout their relationships. That being said, I found the characters a little annoying at times. Maeve and Finn were running a relationship podcast, and while Maeve was great at giving relationship advice to her listeners, she wouldn’t face her fears and confront Finn about how he hurt her. Neither of them had good communication skills with the other, which was most of the problem to begin with. Both had pretty significant anxiety for different reasons; Finn was quite self-centered, and to him, the paycheck they would be getting wasn’t a big deal since he had extremely wealthy parents, but Maeve came from little money, and the money she earned meant a lot to her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

#BettyCayouette #TellMeHowYouReallyFeel #ARC #NetGalley #StMartinsGriffinPublishing #Fiction #Romance #RealisticFiction #ContemporaryFiction #FriendsLikeFamily #Friends #FriendsToLovers #SecondChances #Podcasters #Anxiety #RichVsPoor #FirstLove #Celebrities #March #2025

Tell Me How You Really Feel is the story of Maeve and Finn, longtime college friends who move to New York City together after graduation, growing closer and closer the longer they hang out. Maeve’s in a grad program for counseling and Finn is rebelling against his movie-star mother and screenwriter father by avoiding the family business of acting and instead working a thankless finance job. At one of their weekend brunches, where they rehash their dates from the previous night, Finn randomly tells Maeve that she should start a podcast and she counters with them doing it together, basically taking their brunch gossip sessions and recording them. The podcast grows and grows until they’re offered million for an exclusive rights deal with a giant podcasting company but it quickly becomes apparent to Maeve that their more interested in Finn and his Hollywood status than her even though she’s the brainchild of the podcast. In present day, there’s visible animosity between Finn and Maeve and through a series of flashbacks, we find out what happened between them, why they almost happened as a couple, didn’t and if they have a chance again.

I really loved this book. The author’s portrayal of Maeve’s anxiety felt really spot-on, well-written and extremely relatable. The chemistry between the characters is fantastic and I loved the emphasis of just how much harder women have to work to make a fraction of what men make.

Thanks to St. Martin’s and Netgalley for this ARC.

I had a hard time getting through this one. I found both characters immature, and their inability to get it together and be effing adults for their effing jobs pissed me the eff off by the end. I literally skimmed the last... quarter simply because I stopped caring.

Thanks, NG!

The concept of having to do a sex/relationship podcast with your ex-best friend who you can’t stand to be in the room sounds like a nightmare.

I did appreciate the dual timeline. There are flashbacks that built a great foundation needed to understand the friendship between Maeve and Finn.
The downside of this book was the miscommunication. The irony is that they have a podcast together and she’s a therapist.

Cayouette also includes themes of anxiety, gender/pay gap, and dealing with the complexities of a friendship that is possibly a bubbling relationship while being business partners all rolled into one.

Overall, this book was generally okay and a quick read.

Thank You to NetGalley, Betty Cayouette, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book! I liked the podcast host setting and was glad to see the back and forth between the past and current time. The FMC had relatable insecurities. The MMC was annoyingly oblivious, but it worked in this story.

3 stars ⭐️

I thought that this book had a light and quick read. I didn't enjoy the dual timeline or the miscommunication trope.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC audiobook.

This was a fun read. If you enjoy podcasters, workplace romance, a little bit of enemy/friends to lovers, I think you would enjoy this one. It was a really quick read. Not a lot of side characters to dive into, its really focuses on our two main leads. A little bit steamy, dual POV, and some great banter!

Tell Me How You Really Feel follows the slow-burn, tension-filled romance between two very different characters. While I loved the premise, the miscommunication trope (my least favorite) was in full force, and honestly, I found myself thinking I wouldn’t even be mad if they didn’t end up together. I really enjoyed the author’s last book, so I was excited to dive into this one, but I think it could’ve been shorter. The miscommunication was stretched to its limits. That said, her writing is still fantastic, and I’m definitely looking forward to her next book!

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I liked the premise of this story but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I'm sorry to say that I lost interest about 1/3 of the way through.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4,25/5

HONESTLY!!! I was really worried that I wasn't going to like this book as much as I did.

Following a new contract with Streamify, Meave and Finn's podcast TELL ME HOW YOU REALLY FEEL, sky rockets in popularity even more than it already has. Meave worries about wanting the show to feel as authentic as it always has while competeing against the most popular "bro" podcast that as also joined the company. If that wasn't enough, she is trying to work through the tension, anger and love that she feels towards her cast mate. Can these two make it back to how they were, or will the continue to skirt around their feelings?

I love a book that is told in a now and then format. I love seeing how friends become lovers to strangers and back to lovers. A full circle moment is always so so satisfying to me. Comparing just how CLOSE these two were before their blow up makes the after math hurt even more. Finn and Meave also come from such different backgrounds, especially with Meave's crippling anxiety, it makes sense how certain events can change her view now only on the world, but Finn himself. As someone who deals with anxiety so similarly to Meave, this was almost a hard read. Because I wanted to shake her and tell her just to MOVE on as if I don't do the same exact thing that she does.

As a reader, sometimes when I read a book that comes off a little TOO contemporary, it takes me out of the reading experience. IE use of modern day slang, trends and even the mention of apps (idk why mentioning TikTok in a book makes me feel weird, but it does). BUT! Betty Cayouette does a phenomenal job doing at not making social media feel too cringy. I loved the female empowerment that this book is about. There is such important conversations about the Pink Tax and glass ceilings and the constant struggle that women have to be ON while guys can simply say or do what they want while being praised for doing bare basics.


This book was such a good read and I really encourage everyone to pick it up!!


Thank you so much to Netgalley, Betty Cayouette and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just like a good podcast, “Tell Me How You Really Feel” will entertain and inform you. I was totally pulled into Maeve and Finn’s friendship and their will they/won’t they romance. Maeve and Finn were best friends in college, and while trying to find their path they start a relationship & sex podcast about navigating the dating world and finding the one. There were moments in this book while they were recording their podcast that it actually felt like I was listening to a real podcast and I loved that! It was great to see their journey with anxiety, navigating careers, and choosing each other.

For those who love:
🎙️Relationship Podcasts
🎙️LA
🎙️Celebrity adjacent
🎙️Second-Chance Romance
🎙️Forced Proximity
🎙️Anxiety Rep
🎙️The Met Gala
🎙️Dual Timeline

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book!

I don’t disagree with a lot of the other reviews that it leans heavily on miscommunication, but I didn’t find it as annoying as I usually would - I thought it was pretty well done. It took me awhile to understand what the main conflict was (by design), but then once I did, I really got where all of the characters were coming from. A big theme in this book is imposter syndrome, but it’s also balanced with gender equality and the pay gap and how it all needs to be addressed.

I thought the concept and plot of this book was unique, and not something I’ve really seen before.

For anyone who loves a celeb romance, definitely pick this up!

Loved it! The characters felt so authentic and real. Betty is a fantastic author and I’m loving all she writes.

Tell Me How You Really Feel follows podcasters Maeve and Finn as they get a life-changing signing deal for their relationship podcast—if only things hadn’t changed right before, but Finn is determined to win her back, even though Maeve is determined to stop Finn from making her fall all over again. This story puts you right in the midst of their fight, where Finn has broken Maeve’s heart and they’re about to sign this deal. I loved the podcast setting, and I loved this friends to lovers with flashbacks into what they had before. I do think a lot of time is spent on Finn trying to get her back and then there’s a third act breakup that I found frustrating, even though the subject of their fight I think is an important one (no spoilers, I promise), but it just felt like we didn’t get enough time of Maeve and Finn just being happy and together. I really enjoyed their chemistry, I’d listen to this podcast in a a heartbeat! There was just a lot of side plot lines and intrusive thoughts getting in the way that the romance got a little bogged down. I did like this book though, there was great representation of anxiety, and it explored a lot of serious topics, like mental health and gender / pay equality, and finding your worth. I liked the writing style, I just wanted more time with a Maeve and Finn that found what they wanted.

Book Review: Tell Me How You Feel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Betty Cayouette @bettysbooklist
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin @stmartinspress
Thank you @netgalley for my ARC

Tell Me How You Really Feel is an engaging, layered romance that explores love, fame, and ambition through the lens of a hit podcast. Maeve and Finn, best friends turned co-hosts, have built a viral empire discussing sex and relationships, but their success is threatened by unresolved tensions from their past. When they land a career-defining deal, they must navigate their growing celebrity while confronting their complicated relationship.

Told through a dual timeline and dual POV, the novel masterfully builds tension. The past timeline simmers with unspoken attraction, while the present brims with emotional turmoil. Finn’s perspective, particularly his views on fame and nepotism, adds depth, and Maeve’s struggle to carve out her own identity within their partnership is compelling. Some may find Maeve’s resistance to Finn frustrating, but her reaction to rejection feels real and relatable.

What sets this book apart is its nuanced portrayal of anxiety, career struggles, and the shifting dynamics between men and women in both personal and professional spheres. The discussions around relationships and sex feel refreshingly honest and tender. The side characters, especially Evangeline, add warmth and realism, reinforcing the story’s emotional depth.

While the slow burn is effective, the pacing feels slightly drawn out. The tension keeps the pages turning, but the desire for Maeve and Finn to reconcile sooner is undeniable. Still, their journey is well worth the wait.

A captivating, intelligent romance, Tell Me How You Really Feel is both entertaining and deeply relatable. Readers who enjoy slow-burn relationships, thoughtful character development, and sharp dialogue will find much to love. And honestly, I need this podcast to be real.

#TellMeHowYouReallyFeel #RomanceBooks #SlowBurnRomance #BookReview #ContemporaryRomance #PodcastLove #FriendsToLovers #RomanceReads #Bookstagram #FictionLover #MustRead #RelationshipDrama #RomanceReaders #LoveAndFame #BookRecommendation

Guys, can we PLEASE move on from the miscommunication trope? it is exhausting to constantly read in romance books. I feel like characters can't get ad at each other if they WON'T COMMUNICATE.