marleywrites's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was great. I loved the author’s sense of humor and was really enjoying the banter between the main characters Nick and Sawanee. They were both so interesting and the author revealed little bits of them at a time which kept me intrigued the whole book.
I adored the side characters of this book. They were great supports for the story and kept the pace moving. All the scenes with the Seasons folks were hilarious. I loved the best friend characters.
This book was, on one hand, light hearted and fun. On the other, it also dealt realistically with working in an industry that’s toxic, an industry that takes more than it gives, and what it’s like to love someone with dementia. It was very much “the highs were high and the lows were low.”
I listened to this book on audiobook and I am loving the hype for it. I’m so glad people are falling in love with audiobooks because of this story! The author/narrator was incredible. What a performance!
I rated this four stars, because some parts of it I didn’t fully resonance with, but it’s more of a personal thing. The parts I liked, I really loved, and I hope that others enjoy this story with great disability representation as well.
I adored the side characters of this book. They were great supports for the story and kept the pace moving. All the scenes with the Seasons folks were hilarious. I loved the best friend characters.
This book was, on one hand, light hearted and fun. On the other, it also dealt realistically with working in an industry that’s toxic, an industry that takes more than it gives, and what it’s like to love someone with dementia. It was very much “the highs were high and the lows were low.”
I listened to this book on audiobook and I am loving the hype for it. I’m so glad people are falling in love with audiobooks because of this story! The author/narrator was incredible. What a performance!
I rated this four stars, because some parts of it I didn’t fully resonance with, but it’s more of a personal thing. The parts I liked, I really loved, and I hope that others enjoy this story with great disability representation as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol, and Dementia
Moderate: Medical trauma, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Cursing, and Death
Minor: Blood and Alcoholism
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Ableism, and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity, Addiction, and Death of parent
loveisland's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Truly a great book. Funny, twisty and unpredictable which is something for a romance to truly catch me off guard. MC and Love Interest are both quirky and just a touch unrealistic but their flaws are real and personal and it was good. Listen to the audiobook if you have a chance, worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail and Ableism
shreyavolety's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“I don’t think you can know if you live happily ever after until your life’s over."
What a lovely read. It didn’t really read like a romance novel, it read more like an analysis of one. Like peering through all the tropes, all the versions of romance authors sell us and finding the truth within the fiction, while also really appreciating the form of the fiction.
The story explores what it is like to want romance when you no longer believe in your self sufficiency, in your own beauty. When you’re really scared to go out and pursue something that’s pretty difficult.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me that the protagonist closely represents the outline of the author’s life. It’s still fiction. It’s still a story. That said, I absolutely loved learning so much about the romance audiobook space, and especially the fandom associated with it. I mean, given that romance heroes are raspily, huskily breathing into their partners’ ears all the time, it’s good to know how much effort goes into recreating that in audio.
I really like Sewanne, and I’m a fan of Nick too. We honestly don’t see A LOT of Nick, but that’s because the love story isn’t the only focus of the books. Swan’s friendship with Adaku, and her relationship with her grandmother Barbara, all have a lot to do with it. A lot to do with who she is, and how she chooses to love. And I really like that. I like that it's a literary fiction adjacent romance novel. Also this book was really FUCKING FUNNY.
I LIKE BARBARA. I really do. She’s not a caricature of a grandmother, she’s a REAL grandma who is ailing and is hard to control because of her dementia. And she’s really flawed, she’s really not the best of people always, and it’s hinted that Henry was the result of a flawed, reckless parent.
The writing in this book is lovely, a little dry in places but it pulls all its punches whenever it needs to hit an emotional nail on the head. Julia Whelan is a solid artist, and I’m really excited to see what she does next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
e_flah's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank You for Listening was basically everything I look for in a romance -- captivating characters, hilarious situations, and incredible chemistry between the love interests. Sewanee's emotional journey to make peace with her new life was a thoroughly developed secondary plot line that I found really well done.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
Spoiler
death of a loved one, traumatic accident, dementia, death of a grandparentbeckyremillard's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Ableism, Injury/injury detail, Dementia, and Suicide attempt
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Ableism, Injury/injury detail, and Sexual content
mmandolynn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Started this book too late last night and couldn't sleep until I'd finished it. I came away from it feeling like I learned a little about relationships and the human condition. Meta, tropey without overdoing it, witty dialogue, excitement and tension and identity reveals. Clearly written by someone who loves Romance as a genre and has wrestled with what it really means to have an HEA. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Grief
chapterobsessed's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If You've Got Mail was about audiobook narrators instead of bookstore owners—that’s what I felt reading/listening to this one.
It was a fantastic read. I have loved Julia Whelan as a narrator and now I love her as an author. Such great storytelling, I just really loved this book.
Sewanee Chester, a former actress turned famous audiobook narrator after a horrible accident left her scared, physically and mentally.
Working as an audiobook narrator is far from her dreams, but it pays for the care of her sick grandmother. 💛
A last-minute book conversation lands Sewanee in Las Vegas. (So happy to see a book in my city, btw) At a bar, she strikes up a conversation with a hot stranger (That accent!! 🥵 Listen to the audiobook, trust me!!) and they spend one steamy night together.
When she returns home, Sewanee has been requested to do a beloved authors last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest and most secretive voice. One problem, it’s a romance novel and she doesn’t believe in them, not anymore. To keep her grandma in the right care, she reluctantly agrees.
As the two work together, they form a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity.
What happens when these two finally meet face to face? You’re just gonna have to see for yourself!! 😉
It was a fantastic read. I have loved Julia Whelan as a narrator and now I love her as an author. Such great storytelling, I just really loved this book.
Sewanee Chester, a former actress turned famous audiobook narrator after a horrible accident left her scared, physically and mentally.
Working as an audiobook narrator is far from her dreams, but it pays for the care of her sick grandmother. 💛
A last-minute book conversation lands Sewanee in Las Vegas. (So happy to see a book in my city, btw) At a bar, she strikes up a conversation with a hot stranger (That accent!! 🥵 Listen to the audiobook, trust me!!) and they spend one steamy night together.
When she returns home, Sewanee has been requested to do a beloved authors last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest and most secretive voice. One problem, it’s a romance novel and she doesn’t believe in them, not anymore. To keep her grandma in the right care, she reluctantly agrees.
As the two work together, they form a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity.
What happens when these two finally meet face to face? You’re just gonna have to see for yourself!! 😉
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, and Dementia
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Ableism
Minor: Addiction and Suicide attempt
kimveach's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You have to listen to this book! I don't know how good it would be in print. This narrator is fantastic, and her book showcases all her gifts: male and female voices, accents, younger vs. older voices, and other sounds. It was an amazing listen. It's a romance book, but it's got more substance than you would expect. And there are a few laugh-out-loud parts that are so worth it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Dementia, Death, Medical trauma, and Ableism