Book Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

My Rating:

 3.5⭐

After a tragic accident forces Sewanee “Swan” Chester, a graduate of Juilliard and former up-and-coming actress, to forgo her dreams of an acting career, she ventures into the world of audiobook narration, a profession in which she earns repute and a respectable income. However, memories of her accident and subsequent disfigurement and her unrealized dreams cast a shadow on her present life. Initially, she gains recognition as a popular narrator of romance novels (under an assumed name) but has since moved on from the genre (she detests the unrealistic and impractical tropes and the promise of HEA in romantic novels!) to more serious books and is presently a successful audiobook narrator, under her real name. A chance meeting with a handsome stranger at a book convention in Las Vegas leads to a very interesting night for her and provides a welcome change from her monotonous life in LA.

Upon returning to LA she is offered the chance to perform the last novel of a famous romance writer, who has recently passed away, with the elusive and extremely popular narrator Brock McKnight. Initially reluctant she ultimately accepts the offer as it would enable her to afford an upgrade in her grandmother’s care at a swanky retirement facility. The audiobook is scheduled to be released in episodic format and what follows is a collaboration between Swan (using her previously discarded pseudonym) and Brock, lots of humorous communication, sharing and attraction which also brings its share of tension, misunderstandings, secrets and other challenges. As the narrative progresses, we see how Swan tries to balance her personal and professional aspirations, deal with her grandmother's failing health and navigate her way through tension with both her father and her well-meaning best friend who is a successful actress trying to help Swan revive her acting career, all in an effort to move on from her disappointments and allow herself to finally be happy.

Julia Whelan’s Thank You for Listening is an entertaining read with loads of heart and humor. Yes, the usual tropes (the chapters are actually named after the more common tropes in romance novels) make the story predictable ( it is a rom-com, so no surprises there), but the cast of interesting characters, their backstories, the humorous banter over emails and texts between the main characters (reminiscent of one of my favorite Meg Ryan/ Tom Hanks movies) make for an entertaining read. Though the story did drag in a few places (400+ pages is a bit too long), it still managed to hold my interest. What upped my rating (from a 3 to a 4) was the inside look into the hard work that goes into the process of audiobook narration and the challenges faced by professional narrators. Also, reading a romance novel that pokes fun at the genre and the concept of HEA, while the narrative progresses in a similar direction was an amusing experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for providing a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.