I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
Print Length: 352 pages
Format: eBook
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Humorous, Fiction, Coming of Age, Contemporary Romance
If you’ve been navigating the 9-to-5 grind for a while, you’ve likely experienced how office politics, toxic leadership, and poor management can take a toll on your mental health—especially if you lean toward the introverted side, dealing with your own anxiety or emotional challenges. This book introduces Jolene, a 30-something woman who’s been at her company for years and is teetering on the edge of being fired. Why? Well, she’s developed an unusual coping mechanism—writing snarky comments in white text in her emails to people she dislikes. That is, until one fateful day, she forgets to “whiten” the text before hitting send. (yikes!)
So many office situations show no regard for people with anxiety, yet we’re the bad guys if we can’t cope.
Now Jolene finds herself under the scrutiny of HR, facing disciplinary action. In a mix-up, the IT department accidentally grants her full access to the entire company’s inbox system. Naturally, she starts reading through everyone’s emails—bosses, colleagues, you name it—and in the process, gains a deep understanding of her standing in the company and what she needs to do to avoid getting laid off.
Nobody is immune to thinking they might be wasting their only life on a place that can toss you out without a second thought.
What makes this story captivating is Jolene’s hilarious and brutally honest voice. The humor is sharp, but it also paints a vivid picture of the frustration that often comes with a toxic work culture. It highlights how colleagues can turn on each other, and how a poor manager can keep everyone scrambling with random, insincere acknowledgments—never really fostering trust within the team.
Beyond the comedy, Jolene’s journey is relatable. She’s battling her demons, and while interacting with others isn’t her strong suit, the story is about her navigating friendships and relationships and ultimately accepting her challenges rather than avoiding them. It’s a reflection of what many of us face in today’s corporate world, where profits come before people, and genuine connection is hard to come by in an environment where we spend most of our time with near strangers.
I’ve spent more time with these people than anyone. We’re forced to work together in close proximity every day, which really means we’re forced to live together. And it’s the living involved. The sheer humanity of that, which could never be professional, or even normal. We’re all dry flecks of skin turning to dust and breathing each other up. It’s too much.
If you’re in the mood for a witty, lighthearted office rom-com that also touches on deeper issues like mental health and toxic work cultures, this book is a great pick. It’s funny, thoughtful, and might just hit close to home for a lot of us in the corporate world.
Ratings on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being exceptional):
Quality of writing: 8
Pace: 9
Plot development: 9
Characters: 8
Enjoyability: 9
Insightfulness: 8
Ease of reading: 9
Photo/Illustrations: NA
About The AuthoR
Natalie Sue is a Canadian author of Iranian and British descent. She spent her formative years moving around western Canada with a brief stint in Scotland. She lives in Calgary with her husband, daughter, and dog. I Hope This Finds You Well is her debut novel.
BUY YOUR COPY - I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
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