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.

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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.

i didn't love the chars very much despite my hopes. the MMC is generally meh as is the FMC and i wasn't really rooting for them by the end, and the female empowerment and gender inequality storyline never quite landed? 3 stars. tysm for the arc.

3,5 stars rounded for rating purposes

I have a lot of thoughts about this one. I think overall the author had a really solid concept and idea, and even the actual writing was great. But the characters themselves were just so...awful??

The lead characters just endlessly miscommunicated with one another. Over and over again. Maeve is the epitome of intrusive thoughts winning and Finn is the stereotypical "how was I supposed to know" man. I truly didn't understand why either of them wanted to even be with one another. Their relationship with one another felt inconsistent and random at times regarding how well they could or could not communicate. They're just so deeply unlikable it's hard to truly enjoy the book overall. I honestly don't see myself ever rereading it.

Now, I'm sure you're probably wondering how I could give a 3.5 to a book I wouldn't read again - and honestly it's because I do think its well written despite my feelings on the characters. I also think the author did a great job describing mental illnesses in the deeper emotional scenes and other serious topics of a similar nature. The author really tries to destigmatize discussions surrounding therapy and mental health topics which is something that society needs more of.

I have read other books by the author and I will say I do not think this is her strongest work as a whole, but I do think if you like her other stuff its at least worth a try to see for yourself.

Tell Me How You Really Feel had a lot of things I love: ex-best friends with history, lingering tension, and a podcasting setting. Maeve and Finn used to be inseparable, co-hosting a hit relationship and sex advice podcast until things went sideways. Now they’re stuck working together again, and it is VERY awkward. The back and forth between past and present took a minute to get into, but it did help flesh out their history. It just felt like you were jumping around lot and the timelines were a bit unclear. Their dynamic is messy, frustrating at times, but also really believable.

The miscommunication dragged a little (just talk to each other!!), but I liked how the book tackled things like gender bias in media, the gender pay gap, family dynamics and anxiety and trauma. And when things finally start clicking between Maeve and Finn? Definitely satisfying and beautiful.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the advanced review copy.

Listen, I love Betty Cayoutte. Her first book, her Booktok, everything has really worked for me. This title, however, was a sophomore slump for me. I will continue to support her writing and recommend you do as well but I had strong feelings when reading this book - and not the ones Betty likely wanted!

There is a heavy hand in this book to gender pay equality and how hard our FMC, Maeve, has had to work for something close to it. Unlike Finn, our MMC, who grew up the child of celebrity - one who also doubles down on gender pay equality. I’m a big fan of that theme. I truly felt Maeve’s struggle of never feeling enough, never feeling like she deserved success, like a constant case of imposter syndrome. In some ways, I was frustrated that this book has a romance sub-plot. Oh right, this is a romance…..

What truly frustrated me was that our MMC was an idiot. Miscommunication is a hard trope to nail and he did not excel at it. Even once he “won” our leading lady,,.,he somehow never looked at his contract to find out that he was paid significantly more than her. Even though pay equality was a frequent show topic on their podcast, Maeve talked about it with him and her fears constantly and his Mom was a staunch advocate of this his whole life. It is not believable in any way that Finn didn’t know the pay difference. There is no way he didn’t walk the walk when it mattered most. There is no way that Maeve, who went from a glass ceiling breaking all female photo shoot to finding out this information fell right back in with Finn because he built he a studio. He literally spent half a chapter whining about how he had apologized and was genuinely annoyed Maeve and others were still caring about this - even when his mother pointed out the privilege he had in being annoyed. There is no way everyone wins an Emmy or Oscar right before they get engaged.

This book would have been a raving, passionate five plus star….if when the pay difference was revealed, Maeve and Finn ended things for good and she found success and a man whose spotlight she didn’t have to “be ok” with being behind. The book broke reality circle as soon as Finn’s whining started,

(Actual: 2.75⭐, rounded up) Meh— despite finishing this one all the way through (which is a pretty big deal coming from me, aka both a mood reader and a frequenter DNF-er if something isn't for me), unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. I normally LOVE second-chance romance novels, but this one had me just..... UGH. Okay lol. I want to try my best in articulating this as best I can without sounding too whiny: The biggest "problem" I had was with our two MCs, Maeve and Finn, who somehow managed to both be equal parts extremely annoying and wildly hypocritical throughout the ENTIRE novel 🥴 I wanted to shake them so bad (particularly Maeve, omg)! And while it's certainly no secret that the "Miscommunication" trope is probably one of my (if not *the*) least favorite tropes ever, I can definitely still tolerate/"accept" it so long as it makes sense for the story.... and while I suppose it WAS obviously necessary here, it was also definitely used to its MAX possible limit imo. Like..... while I think I can understand in some sense what the author was trying to accomplish here, it all just felt like way too much jam-packed into this one story. Like— truly, the amount of miscommunication & presumptions/assumptions made by both Maeve and Finn in this book was WILD. They got back together.... but also broke up twice??!?! In the same [2nd] arc/act of the book?! I'm all for a good push-pull dynamic, but TMHYRF really took that and ran as farrrrr as it could with it, all while trying to preach on/discuss other complex topics such as female empowerment and gender equality, what it means to take accountability for ones' actions or words, examples of how to communicate "properly" (except, y'know, Maeve & Finn BARELY DO THE THING), etc.... it was, again, just overloaded to the point where I was frustrated and couldn't connect with or even care as much as I wanted to about these characters and their respective journeys. In the end, I DO still believe this book will find its proper audience that'll enjoy it.... I was just not one of them. I will still keep my eyes peeled for Cayouette's future works though (especially since I did like her debut novel, ONE LAST SHOT) and wish her the best!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tell me How You Really Feel was a romance book with compelling characters and a really interesting premise. I loved the podcast element of the book and navigating your own mental health. My favourite part was probably the flashbacks and I would have loved to have seen more of them! I did have trouble with the miscommunication aspect of the book since it is not one of my favourite tropes and it appeared at numerous points throughout the book. The book was definitely an enjoyable romance and the chemistry was really good, especially at the beginning.

“Tell Me How You Really Feel” is by Betty Cayouette. This book follows Maeve and Finn - two podcasters who have just signed a big deal with a streaming company. I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope - and this book seemed to be one huge miscommunication - along with a character saying one thing and doing something completely different. It became tiresome after a while, which was disappointing, because the premise of the book seemed really great. I found the overall writing style to be good, but it wasn’t enough by itself that I enjoyed this book as much as I hoped to. I do think that if you like miscommunication tropes along with second chances, this might be something you’d like.

Can I get “Therapist that doesn’t know how to communicate for 800 please?”

This story follows two friends whose dumb idea of turning their walk of shame brunch debrief into a podcast has gone viral. This is for anyone who likes a good second change romance.

BUT, I feel like the FMC placed all of the blame on the MMC even though she preaches throughout the entire book about accepting the blame for your mistakes. I definitely felt some strong emotions when reading this, but I’m not sure if they were the ones that the author intended.

I really liked the idea of this story. I wish I could actually listen to their podcast cause it sounds amazing! There were moments in this that I absolutely loved and other times that I wanted to throw my kindle across the room just because the to main characters where making me so mad! I'd think that Maeve and Fin would finally get their lives together and be together, but then something else would happen!

This novel is an engaging and emotionally charged exploration of love, ambition, and the complicated nature of second chances. At the heart of the story are Maeve and Finn, two podcasters whose undeniable chemistry has propelled their show into the spotlight—yet their personal history threatens to tear it all apart. Told through a dual timeline, the novel masterfully balances the tension between their past and present, weaving a compelling narrative that keeps readers hooked.

The portrayal of Maeve and Finn's relationship is both messy and deeply authentic. Their banter is sharp, their conflicts feel real, and the stakes—both personal and professional—are incredibly high. The behind-the-scenes look at podcasting adds a fresh and modern backdrop to their emotional rollercoaster, making it as much about personal growth as it is about rekindled romance.

With witty dialogue, well-developed characters, and a deeply satisfying emotional arc, this book is a must-read for fans of second-chance romances and stories that explore the thin line between love and resentment. It captures the complexities of modern relationships in a way that feels both raw and heartwarming, leaving readers eager to see how Maeve and Finn find their way back to each other.

I enjoyed this book until about 85%. I started getting really annoyed with the main character Maeve. She is a therapist by trade, but uses very poor communication in her own relationships. I felt like Finn, the MMC, was often judged often because he was male and rich. That got to be over the top annoying too. I thought the main premise of the story was good, but the author took elements of the story too far and that made it less enjoyable.

The premise was there but I found the characters a bit annoying. It also had the miscommunication trope which isn't a favorite of mine. It does read quickly though. Thanks for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun read! It was a slow start as it went back and forth between past and present so it took a little time get the background. The characters were real and showed growth. There were times I was frustrated with both the FMC and the MMC making it feel more real that other romance books. It was up and down a lot but honestly it was the realness of the plot and characters that kept me reading. For readers that enjoy podcasts, talk about pay gap, real talk on mental health you’ll enjoy this book and the authors writing style.

This is an ARC review

The premise for this read was so promising but the characters left me…annoyed with them.

The miscommunication trope is not my favorite, and this book really stretched it to the limit for me. For as much as these two characters preach honesty/accountability/healthy relationship functionality/and the like, they SUCK at everything having to do with healthy relationships. I for one just cannot get on board with characters who say one thing and then do the opposite. It felt very “do as I say, not as I do” which I think everyone is exhausted by.

While I do love the authors writing style, these characters were completely insufferable for me. I really hope in her next novel she explores something outside the miscommunication trope.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I loved it. I think everything about the relationship between Maeve and Finn was perfect. The healthy communication was amazing. I also really enjoyed the emphasis on gender pay gaps. I thought it was a great read