Thank You For Listening by Julia Whelan (Review by Caitlin Winkler)

Rating: 5/5 ⭐

Wow! This is the story I needed to round out my summer! I have been listening to Julia Whelan on Audible for quite some time now! It seems that all my favorite audiobooks are narrated by her. When I heard she was writing a book that had a love connection through audiobook narrating, I knew I had to read it. I am so glad that I did as it truly did not disappoint.

Sewanee Chester is an audiobook narrator, which she loves of course but is far from where she saw her life taking her. Beginning as an actress but making a shift following a trauma, she is highly successful in her field and truly enjoys bringing stories to life. When her boss asks her to attend Bibliocon to partake in the romance novel panel, she unexpectedly-at the urging of her best friend and new it-girl actress Adaku-has a true Vegas evening with a complete, yet charming, stranger. Upon returning home, Sewanee, who has sworn off narrating romances under her pseudonym Sarah Westholme, learns that a well-beloved writer specifically requested she narrate her final novel before passing away. While Sewanee no longer believes in the HEA, or happily ever after for those out of the biz, she agrees to read for her late friend. Joining with hit romance narrator Brock McKnight, she begins to fall again for the tropes she once loved in a good romance novel. But when anonymity is removed and secrets come out in the open, will she embrace her potential HEA or ignore the feelings that are growing.

Told through chapters reflecting typical romance novel ‘tropes’, this story unfolded in the best way and kept me feeling all the emotions a great romance should make you feel, while also poking fun at the fact that it is pretty standard for a romance novel to evoke those emotions. The most unacceptable part of reading this story was when I finished it and realized I would not be hearing anymore from these two incredible characters. Highly recommend this novel and I will be reading all future Julia Whelan books for sure.