Thank You For Listening Book Review | A Julia Whelan Novel
I’ve followed Julia Whelan on Instagram for a couple of years now. I always knew her as the woman who voiced so many of my favorite audiobooks. But thanks to her instagram presence, I also found out that she’s an author. I checked the audiobook of Thank You for Listening out from Libby, because if I’m going to listen to a book about an audiobook narrator, I definitely want to hear her voice. And it was such an enjoyable listen! Julia narrates her book herself and does such a good job. Please keep reading for my full Thank you for Listening book review.
If you enjoyed today’s blog post, you can read more of my romance reviews here.
Who is Julia Whelan?
Julia Whelan is an American author, audiobook narrator, and former actress. She is renowned for narrating over 600 audiobooks across various genres, earning accolades such as the Audie Award for Best Female Narrator and the Golden Voice award from AudioFile Magazine . Additionally, Whelan has authored novels including My Oxford Year and Thank You for Listening, with the former being adapted into a Netflix film .
What is Thank You For Listening About?
For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.
On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.
As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.
If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers. (from Amazon.com)
My Initial Thoughts
I’m so glad I decided to listen to the audiobook of this. When I saw it was available in Libby I knew I had to check it out. A book about an audiobook narrator is just meant to be listened to, don’t you think?
I imagine a lot of this story was inspired by the author’s own life. Main Character Sewanee Chester is a former actress and very successful audiobook narrator, which is similar to Julia Whelan. However, Sewanee had a tragic accident in her younger years that changed her life forever. And I thought this was a very interesting plot point that added a lot to the story. Because although her accident happened 7+ years ago, it’s something that has changed her entire attitude about herself , her future, and her relationship with her best friend.
This story sucked me in immediately and I have to say that’s because of Julia Whelan’s writing style. Her prose is is straight to the point and she writes her characters so realistically. I immediately wanted to find out more about Sewanee and why she was so against romance novels.
Bonus Points for Blah Blah
If you know me, you know I love a sassy grandparent character. And Sewanee’s grandmother Blah Blah is so sassy and funny and fun to read about. So Thank You For Listening already gets bonus points for having a great grandmother character as well as some funny side characters at Seasons, the nursing home where she lives.
Also, I know you’re probably confused. But Blah Blah is a term of endearment, not an insult. You’ll just have to read the book to find out the true meaning behind her name!
The Main Characters
Sewanee and Nick are definitely an interesting duo! Their first meeting is at a bar in Las Vegas which leads to a one-night stand. But the world works in mysterious ways. The two of them wind up meeting again in ways that they never imagined.
The chemistry between the two of them was off the charts. Granted, there was a lot of alcohol involved on the night that they met, but the banter was so good. The dialogue in this book was so strong and I was really impressed by the pacing as well. You can tell that Julia worked really hard on this novel. Add in the fact that Nick is from Dublin and has a dreamy accent (I told you.. you HAVE to listen to the audiobook lol).
What are Some of the Themes of Thank You For Listening?
This book is really a journey of self-discovery. Sewanee learns so much about herself thanks to Nick. She learns to forgive herself for mistakes that she’s made in the past.
She also deals with grief as she watches the grandmother she loves slowly disappear due to dementia. And then there’s acceptance. Sewanee’s Mom reminds her that she needs to accept herself for who she is, so that the people around her can accept her as well.
Is Thank You For Listening a Romance Novel?
Yes, but I think the structure of this book shares many elements with women’s fiction as well.
I Liked Getting a Peek Behind the Curtain
I know very little about the world of audiobook narration, so it was really cool to get a peek behind the curtain to see how things work. It makes me wonder if Julia’s own narration business is similar to how Sewanee’s is. I’m thinking so.
The story starts out at an audiobook narration conference that Sewanee attends and I also found that very interesting. I’m a lover of audiobooks (and books in general) so I feel like that would be a neat thing to attend. I should pay more attention to who the narrators are. Right now the only ones I really know are Julia Whelan and Angela Dawe (who is so fantastic when narrating the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano).
Does “thank you for listening” have spice?
Yes, it does have a little bit of spice! The first night they meet is a little wild. They let go of their inhibitions and have a lot of fun. The sexual tension is incredibly steamy, but as far as on the page spice it’s mainly just foreplay.
How spicy is “thank you for listening”?
It’s a little spicy! The on the page spice is mainly just foreplay. When the characters do have sex it’s closed door.
In Conclusion
Thank you so much for checking out my Thank You For Listening book review. This is my first book by Julia Whelan and I absolutely loved it. I immediately texted my best friend and recommended it to her. That’s how much I loved it.
I know that Julia Whelan also wrote a book called My Oxford Year so I think I’ll read that next. She’s clearly as talented at writing as she is at narrating.
