Maeve and Finn get the chance of a lifetime: a multimillion dollar contract to produce their viral podcast called Tell Me How You Really Feel. The only problem is, they’ve recently had a huge falling out and Maeve can barely stand to be in the same room as Finn. They went from best friends to "hating" each other practically overnight. The network refuses to compromise on their deal, so they must find a way to work together and salvage their relationship in order to get paid.

Tell Me How You Really Feel started out really strong for me. I loved the first half and thought it was going to be an easy five star book. Around the halfway point, the pace started to slow down and I realized that the enormous conflict between the two main characters seemed to actually be more of a giant miscommunication that could have probably been solved with more communication. Overall, this bumped the book down to four stars for me because I loved the characters individually and some of the dynamics between them (plus the dual POV!), but their actual relationship became so frustrating as the book went on.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This story has a fun premise and great plot. I enjoyed both of the main characters for the most part, as well as the storytelling style switching POVs and using flashbacks. There is also some genuinely good advice, such as how to apologize correctly, woven into the narrative.

This wasn't quite a five-star read for me because the messaging was a little too heavy-handed at times, and some aspects of the story were too weird for me (e.g., Finn has his mom on the podcast to talk about the details of her sex life with his dad). I also got frustrated with how badly the characters communicated at times, given that they host a podcast on how to have healthy relationships - but I know that's how real life goes, and it provides good opportunities for character growth!

I enjoyed this story, and I know it's going to be a big hit. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. It will be posted on Amazon upon the book's publication.

"Teaching men emotional intelligence so their partners don't have to" 👏🏼 This was a fresh and fun. Set in the world of podcasting I found myself wishing their podcast was real because I would definitely listen. I was here for all of the gender gap representation and mental health awareness.
My only note is that this books feels younger and fresher than its cover, the international cover is much better suited to the storyline.

I absolutely adored this story! The best friends to lovers with shared history was done to perfection, I really felt their sexual tension and connection. The modern podcast with a nepo baby was a fun and unique premise. Her anxiety was portrayed in such a believable way that added layers to the story, instead of being over the top, which is hard to pull off.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

That cover though! I adored this book. The story is fun and flirty and captured my attention from the first few pages. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a strong romance novel, it had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed the feel of this. I enjoyed the use of the podcast, and how it was used in this type of book. The characters were everything that I wanted and felt like real people, I enjoyed the way the romance grew in a realistic way and was glad I was able to read this. Betty Cayouette has a strong writing style and am excited for more.

In just 2 books, Betty Cayouette is becoming a go-to author for second-chance romance. Her books are full of longing and tenderness - it is almost hard to read for all the emotion and tension. You can feel their hurt. You can see their love. The desire to grab the characters and shake some sense into them because they so clearly belong together is strong. It’s exhausting to care that much and yet here we are.

Betty makes a lot of really smart choices here. The dual point of view is smartly-employed here. Maeve is realistic and relatable, with her talent and drive at constant war with her insecurities and anxiety. She is very smart but not always able to take her own advice. And we learn that Finn is not as spoiled, egotistical and entitled as Maeve wants to believe. Plus his devotion to Maeve is so lovely. In addition, the podcasting setting is timely and fresh. It’s a great device to force proximity on the characters when they are not speaking to each other. The look behind the scenes at making a podcast, and the gender and pay disparity of the industry are background stories that enrich without feeling like filler content.

This book is not as light and easy as the cover and the title suggest. The pacing is slower and more deliberate. And while it has fun banter, it tackles deeper, more serious issues underneath the romance. And that makes the journey to a happy ending even more rewarding. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Betty Cayouette, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review of this novel [set for release on May 6th of 2025].

Tell Me How You Really Feel is a fun romcom for any avid podcast listener! While in many ways a traditional romcom, Cayouette also addresses mental health, in particular anxiety and panic attacks, with directness and care that can be appreciated by anyone who has personally experienced those feelings she writes about, as well as anyone who is looking to understand them. However, I felt the characters and their circular arguments often detracted from the story rather than making me care for them and root for their relationship.

I loved the premise of this book alot, I felt that there was minimal chemistry between the two MCs, but it somehow worked out in the end. the first half I absolutely blazed through, the second half dragged for me

loved this romance about friends who become more. He is from a famous family and she isn't famous. She creates a podcast and becomes famous. They have guests and try to figure their relationship out. I loved that he saw her and supported her.

I feel so bad giving this one a low rating after I loved the first book by this author, but I wasn’t a fan of this one.

In this novel we follow Maeve and Finn. I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two. It made me uncomfortable when they were going on dates with other people and talking about them on the podcast and making fun of their dates. They also got breakfast together every time they had one night stands with other people…it was just weird.

I liked the concept and thought it would be like “The Ex-Talk” but this was very descriptive and not too appealing.

The flashbacks didn’t work for me. I almost wanted a before and then after section if that makes sense. I felt like we were thrown right into the conflict and it didn’t work.

Although I didn’t like this one, I do recommend this author and I will be reading her future work.

*An ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"To me, you are my whole world. You sometimes act like you're a supporting character that got pulled up to the main spot. But that's not true. You're the sun and I'm just happy to be in your orbit."

~Best friends to lovers
~Second chance romance
~Dual timelines
~Mental health rep

I realllllly loved the first half of the book; the first half was definitely a 4+ star. As a social worker, I personally loved the idea of the podcast, which is saying something because I'm not a big podcast girlie. But the second half really dragged on. I don't usually mind a miscommunication trope, but this had multiple miscommunications through out and I just didn't feel the last one as truly needed; (without given spoilers) I thought the point the author was trying to make but I don't think it needed to result in a massive break up. I'm not sure if this was only an issue because it was an ARC copy, but the text threads didn't show properly and had a little confused at times. Overall, I thought it had some impactful components and addressed topics that we see every day, but it was a little too long for my liking.

This book is a banter-filled journey about a pair of best friends turned enemies who co-host a podcast together. Maeve and Finn have a connection that is undeniable, even when they’re butting heads. I found myself rooting for them despite their flaws and miscommunications. Maeve’s journey, in particular, was captivating; I was thoroughly invested in her growth by the end.
The story doesn’t shy away from tackling real, relevant issues, adding depth to the romance. While I was frustrated at times with both Maeve and Finn—Maeve for her reluctance to communicate and Finn for the Cassidy relationship subplot—their journey to better understanding each other felt genuine. By the end, it was rewarding to see them finally open up and communicate honestly about their feelings.
Overall, Tell Me How You Really Feel is an enjoyable read with engaging characters, humor, and heart. Fans of slow-burn romance and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers dynamics will love it.

I received an ARC of Tell Me How You Really Feel in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this delightful romance.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me access to this ebook in exchange of my honest review.
Tell Me How You Really Feel by Betty Cayouette is a contemporary romance to be released on May 6th 2025.
Maeve and Finn, co-hosts of a hit relationships podcast, land a major deal but struggle to work together due to their rocky history. While Maeve focuses on keeping things professional, Finn is determined to win her over again. Through flashbacks and present-day challenges, they juggle fame, podcasting success, and the complexities of their relationship. I didn't like this one unfortunately as much as I thought I would. The writing needs more editing in my opinion, also the conflict is non existent, the mmc has been with one girl in the past but was still in love with the fmc, that's not enough to create a conflict.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have been seeing more books with podcasters as the main characters, and I really liked how this one was done. It is a fun read!

Betty Cayouette wrote a banter filled goodtime about a pair of Podcasters who are meant to be. Even though I thought I would find the podcasting bit to be annoying, its serves the plot well. I was super invested in Maeve's journey by the end. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin snd NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

I read this last night in one sitting. It stayed up way too late way way too late but it was so good. I loved it, maeve, and Finn were so good. The characters were so good together.I wish we knew a little bit more about maeve finn is a child of a hollywood power couple who goes to school in pennsylvania, thinking he can fly under the radar. Maeve is 1 of 4 daughters and she feels like her achievements are the least important and together. After college, they end up both living in New York City. Where finn works in finance and maeve is getting her therapy license on a when they start a podcast, a little slow going at first, but the third episode with some help of some relaxers day go all in on their personal experiences and our viral sensation, the book starts with um, starting a brand new podcast deal worth a bajillion dollars and they are not in a good place. And we learn why and what happened and what leads to it, and it's just so so good, I love it. I don't know how there could be more but I wish there could be more. I could see this being a fun Netflix movie. Oh so good so so so

We meet Maeve and Finn in LA when they are in the midst of signing a huge exclusivity deal with Streamify (think Alex Cooper Spotify Exclusive Deal for Call her Daddy) for the sex-relationship podcast they cohost, Tell Me How You Really Feel. Exciting butttttt Maeve (middle-class girl from Pittsburgh) hates Finn (a Hollywood nepo baby).

Throughout the story we get numerous flashbacks to the origin of the podcast, which Maeve and Finn, friends from college, created in New York when Maeve was studying to be a therapist and Finn was working in Consulting at Morgan Stanley.

Overall easy read, but didn’t live up to my expectations. The miscommunication between Maeve, a therapist, and Finn never ended, and I felt certain plot points were underdeveloped and some overdeveloped. Also, for having a sex podcast the spice was severely lacking. I think the author has promise though so will pick up more that she writes.

Anxiety ridden
Gender gap. Pay gap
Women rights
Podcasting

I didn't love the fight breakup then fight breakup. Normally I don't love one second act breakup but this book had two.

Maeve has a lot of anxiety and Finn has a lot of white privilege. They are learning to navigate it and what it means to have an award winning podcast.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

This was a perfect read for a nice long weekend. Not only was it funny but the characters were great and there was actual serious stuff discussed that is relevant today.
The main character had a great vibe that I felt like I could really feel and the side characters really brought everything together for a great story. I would definitely recommend this book to readers, and I’d like to think NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this adorable book in exchange for my honest opinion.