Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Thank You for Listening

Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

17 reviews

blackveilbeccy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This was attempting to be really clever in using and subverting tropes, but it fell flat for me. This whole book felt disjointed due to the rapid tone and style changes. There were also so many characters and subplots that it felt chaotic. I found the FMC horrendously self-pitying and I know it’s silly, but I struggled with the author’s choice of first name for her. Almost none of the characters were likeable as they all came away looking self-absorbed. There were times I felt like DNF but the premise was interesting enough that I pushed through. The texting and epistolary elements were the most enjoyable and felt the most real.

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l1brarygirl's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Cute & funny romance written by one of my favorite audiobook narrators (and also narrated by her, duh). Made me laugh out loud at parts but it also had some serious parts. Also loved the author's note at the end. I couldn't put it down!

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amy_in_the_city's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The pacing of this book was weird. I really enjoyed the slow development of the relationship in the first half as the two lead characters correspond through emails and texts. Then they meet about halfway through, and the rest of the book is a mess. The FMC is pissed off at the MMC for hiding his identity from her, but she was also hiding her identity from him. She spends a good chunk of the rest of the book picking fights with everyone who cares about her. During this section, I really started to feel like instead of a relationship, the book should have ended with the FMC trying therapy again. Then the main characters spend a lot of time just kind of hanging out but not really as a couple while they slowly decide to actually be a couple. There are a bunch of other plot lines (the audition, grandmother's health, finishing recording the audiobook, mom's relationship, the audiobook studio, friend's acting career stress, etc.) in the second half of the book, so the romance gets sidelined.

The MMC feels underdeveloped throughout the book and the story makes him grovel seemingly just because groveling is popular in romance novels. He didn't do anything that deserved groveling. Also, I think there was only like one sex scene, and it was kind of vague. It makes sense to be vague if you're trying to keep the book from being explicit, but the audiobook the main characters record is explicit so this book wouldn't have been non-explicit anyways. Something similar happens at the end when the story tells us the MMC wrote a song and then proceeds to tell us how the FMC felt listening to the song instead of giving us any song lyrics.

Another thing that bugged me throughout the book was that there were repeated instances of putting down other women. The FMC and one of her fellow audiobook narrators are dismissive towards an aspiring audiobook narrator because they perceive her as a blonde bimbo. The grandma is always making fun of another woman at her retirement home's plastic surgery, which seems like an especially odd choice in a book about a FMC with facial differences. Everyone at the retirement home makes fun of another female resident there for being proud of a recipe she makes that brought her family joy. The FMC seems judgmental towards and disdainful of the gentle-parenting yoga mom she is seated next on a plane.

I really loved the idea of this book, but it just didn't land the execution.

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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funny

3.5

Love the concept, hated the characters. I was also frustrated by the somewhat (pointlessly) non-linear storytelling, which made the pacing of the book a bit funky. I’m also not usually a miscommunication hater, but it really didn’t work for me in this book. It felt very lopsided, which just made me extra annoyed at one of the characters. Despite that, this book was funny, I was rooting for the romance, and the side plots with Sawenee’s friends and family were interesting and at times even more compelling than the main romance. At times it felt like Whelan was writing different accents/scenes into the book just to have a fun time/a challenge in narration, which made the audiobook really fun to listen to.

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dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

CW: Memory loss, eye trauma & loss of vision, death of a grandmother, extramarital affair, divorce, blood, emesis, hospitalization

I am literally in love with this book.

Thank You for Listening tells the story of a romance skeptic audiobook narrator, Sewanee Chester, returning to the romance genre to perform in one of the most popular romance novelists' last novel. Co-starring with one of the genre's most prolific male narrators, Brock McNight, Sewanee finds herself not only connecting with Brock on their disdain for the genre, but of their similarly shared pasts.

Reading Thank You for Listening was truly a delight. Every time I sat down to read, Whelan was able to transport me into Sewanee's world and I loved being in it. Sewanee is such a interesting character and I loved rooting for her throughout the book. I also loved seeing the chemistry between Sewanee and Brock in the book and I just wanted to get to the end so I can see their happily ever after (or at least their happily for now).

Even when I felt some parts of the book seem to drag on, it was all worth it in the end. If you're one for reading by audio or are looking for a book where a skeptic of all things romance connects with the unofficial romance "mascot", you will certainly enjoy reading Thank You for Listening.

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kirareadssometimes's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

A perfect book. Peppered with moments of deep contemplation with some of the greatest wisdom I’ve read in a book, Thank you for Listening is real and raw while having the most unrealistic romance I’ve read. But it’s acknowledgement of this improbable relationship somehow makes it even more true to life. Julia Whelan is an impressive writer and an my favorite narrator. I’ve never heard someone pour as much into what she reads

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didireadthat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

Romance is a relatively new genre for me and sometimes I can't get over how cheesy some of the lines and smut scenes are that it usually breaks me out of the story and I will visibly roll my eyes. That feeling was exploited in the best way because the characters played off the cliches in their banter and it made it so much more funny to me while listening. Julia Whalen also did a great job with the accents and voice changes in a way it didn't feel overly fake and again playing off the fake voice as a key part of one of the characters added to the humor of the story. Swanee has her flaws (duh, part of the story) but I loved Nick all the way around. The part about Doug? the ex-boyfriend was a little underdeveloped and think could have been left out.

The "twist" is easy to spot but it made me so excited to see everything lead up to it and comes in the middle of the book so there is plenty of time for more drama and apologies. The overall plot was strong and though the romance was heavy, there were other subplots that talked about disabilities, familial relationships, friendships and other trials of life that keep the book thoroughly engaging.

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rickireadss's review against another edition

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3.0

there were parts i liked and parts i didn’t like. it was an average read for me and i honestly don’t feel like dissecting all that i disliked in a review. if you like emily henry’s writing, you may like this?? idk, it’s more of contemporary fiction with a romance subplot but there were just too many subplots going on for me.

disability rep: missing eye, facial trauma

⚠️: injury/injury detail, infidelity (not mc), dementia, death, ableism, suicide attempt, addiction

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nutmegvotour's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book is both fun and emotional. I highly recommend it if you are in a place to where you can handle discussion on what is mentioned in the content warnings

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kylasmv15's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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