Julia Whelan

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING by JULIA WHELAN

August 2, 2022

About the Book:

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

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.

My Review:

Julia Whelan is a revelation! I mean, she was my favorite audiobook narrator before this, but male voices, female voices, Irish, Italian, Boston, New York and Southern accents, is there nothing this woman can’t do?! This book perfectly showcases her many talents.

If you are a romance lover, read this, if you are an audiobook fanatic, read this for the behind the scenes look into an audiobook narrator’s job. Julia Whelan discusses it all, the Facebook fan groups, pseudonyms, the romance community, no stone is left unturned. And she does it all with intelligence, wit, and most of all, a healthy dose of SWOON.

Readers want to know if Sewanee’s life parallels Julia’s but the author dispenses with that in the Author’s Note. Sewanee became disillusioned with Hollywood and turned her acting talents to audiobook narration. She is hugely popular and very successful, and is very reticent to return to her romance audiobook roots when an opportunity presents itself. Sewanee has also become very disillusioned with the idea of romance in real life.

When she meets Nick, a devastatingly handsome stranger, in Vegas, she decides to throw caution to the wind for just one night, and, using a pseudonym, spends one amazing night with the Irishman.

He looked quickly at her dress then had the grace to look away. He muttered, almost to himself, “If I knew you better I s’pose I’d be ashamed.” After a moment, he dared to look at her. “But I don’t. And I’m not.”

I loved when Sewanee tried to explain to Nick the differences between the romance and women’s fiction genres. Their banter is absolutely priceless and when listened to in Julia Whelan’s low growl, completely swoony.

“I’m curious,” Nick said. “Do they talk to each other in these Romance novels of yours or just get straight down to business?” “Of course there’s talking. Talking is foreplay. The other stuff doesn’t work without the talking.” He smiled slowly. “You don’t say.”

There are wonderful and fully imagined secondary characters that each play an important role in the story. The epistolary format of one section is just perfection. And it’s funny! I am sure this book is just as enjoyable in book form but the audiobook was next level. One of my favorite books of the year!

“Cover up whatever you please for the world, but in intimacy? Hide nothing. In intimacy, everything is beautiful.”

(I received an advanced listening copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.)

THE GREAT ALONE by KRISTIN HANNAH

December 8, 2018

Synopsis:

Alaska, 1974.
Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

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My Review:

“Alaska isn’t about who you were when you headed this way. It’s about who you become.”

I can’t recover from this story! This is my first Kristin Hannah novel and it absolutely spoke to me, heart and soul. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the incomparable Julia Whelan. She brought to life the entire Allbright family and the supporting cast of very unique characters.

Ernt Allbright moves his family to Alaska after inheriting a remote cabin from a Vietnam war buddy. The family – Ernt, his long-suffering wife Cora and their teen daughter Lenora (Leni) – are ill-equipped to deal with the harsh realities of Alaska life. Ernt suffers from PTSD (before it was recognized) and his family fears what the long, dark, cold Alaskan winters will do to his already tortured psyche.

“All this time, Dad had taught Leni how dangerous the outside world was. The truth was that the biggest danger of all was in her own home.”

I was fascinated by the description of Alaskan life and of the adventurous folks who have made Alaska their home. The Allbright’s neighbors are all fiercely independent people who welcome the new family with open arms. Leni, the new girl at school once again, finally makes friends for the first time in her life.

“We’ve lived weird lives,” she said.
“Maybe everyone does,” he said, sitting down beside her, and then lying down, pulling her into his arms.

This is an epic tale which gripped me from the very beginning. The character development is stunning and the descriptions of the vast and treacherous Alaskan wilderness are absolutely fascinating. This is a mesmerizing and emotional story which I won’t ever forget.

“Some years June is spring, July is summer, August is autumn, and everything else is winter.”

The author herself recorded the Acknowledgments section, and I was fascinated to learn that her family settled in Alaska. She clearly did meticulous research on the vast state and its colorful history and it shows in every word. At times horrifying in its savagery, ‘The Great Alone’ is ultimately a gorgeously written book filled with unforgettable characters and unimaginable tragedies.

This book is a fantastic travelogue for the state of Alaska and I am longing to return there. Haunting, emotional and fiercely beautiful, I fell in love with this book and highly recommend it to all.

“You are my heart, baby girl. You are everything I did right. And I want you to know I would do it all again, every wonderful terrible second of it. I would do years and years of it again for one minute with you.”

★ Giveaway★ MY OXFORD YEAR by JULIA WHELAN

April 24, 2018

Synopsis:

Major Motion Picture Already in Development with Temple Hill Entertainment

Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.

My Review:

“I’ve only felt love like this once in my life, and I can’t bear to think of it right now.”

Wow!! I cannot believe this is Julia Whelan’s debut novel. Smart, funny, sexy and very engaging, ‘My Oxford Year’ transported me to England and I can’t stop thinking about Ella and Jamie!

I can tell from the first page of a book whether it will be a favorite of mine. This story has that “it” quality that engaged me from the very first page. I could not get enough of this story! From the fabulous description of Oxford to the exploration of the customs of the university, to the exploration of the British class system, this book has it all!

But at its heart it is a lovely and honest and modern romance. Ella arrives at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, one of the few Americans at her college. After a “meet-cute” with Jamie Davenport, as luck would have it, he is the teaching assistant for one of her classes. Of course they like each other immediately, but Jamie’s playboy reputation precedes him and he makes it clear to Ella that he will never want a lasting relationship. Which is fine for her, too, because she has a fantastic job waiting for her when she returns to America at the end of the school year.

“And then let’s say, just for argument’s sake, a decade later you meet this guy and he’s unlike any guy you’ve ever met before, except for one thing: he doesn’t want to be in a relationship. Which is just peaches ’cause neither do you. For you two, relationships are like decaf coffee: What, exactly, is the point? So you ease into it.

Sometimes you catch him looking at you and the floor of your stomach drops out like a carnival ride. It’s not lust; lust you could understand. It’s appreciation. It comes with a nearly imperceptible smile when he looks at you and he thinks you can’t see him. It’s the appreciation that separates him from all the other boys you’ve been with. It’s the appreciation that makes him a man. And, in turn, you appreciate the hell out of him. For all of it.”

Aaaah Jamie. He’s brilliant, humble, wealthy, and scholarly. Ella is smitten. But still determined to leave Oxford come June, which she has made very clear to Jamie. The joy of this very funny and intelligent story is that neither one of them, for all their planning, could ever see what life had in store for them.

“You never thought you were a sexual being. You could always take it or leave it. You realize now that this isn’t true. You don’t want to blame the other men you’ve been with, but suffice to say, what you did with them shouldn’t even be called sex. It’s like hanging a Monet next to some doodle from kindergarten that didn’t even earn a spot on the refrigerator. Is it all art? Maybe. But you’ll take the Monet.”

This is absolutely one of my favorite books so far this year. Julia Whelan has an eye for detail that is a joy to read! And the supporting cast of characters are all richly drawn and very real. This is a beautiful, poignant story that should be on everyone’s must-read list! AND it’s been optioned to be made into a movie with none other Sam Heughan attached to the project. The ending and the Epilogue were PERFECT and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

“Stay, Jamie. If you can, if you want to, please choose another time. Choose to stay. Choose to stay with me. Stay with me and I’ll stay with you.”

Favorite quote:

“And if you’re not surprised by life, then what’s the bloody point?”

(With thanks to the publisher for a review copy.)

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING by JULIA WHELAN

About the Book:

My Review:

THE GREAT ALONE by KRISTIN HANNAH

Synopsis:

My Review:

★ Giveaway★ MY OXFORD YEAR by JULIA WHELAN

Synopsis:

My Review:

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