Name: smile??'s review of I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
Item: I Hope This Finds You Well
Rating: 4.5
Author: smile??

Natalie Sue

In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues' private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job--a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you'll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don't seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text color to white so no one can see. That is until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions. When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department's private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss's favor, convince HR she's Supershops material, and beat out the competition. But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker's private worlds and realizes they are each keeping secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble--especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Eventually she will need to decide if she's ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if that means coming clean to her colleagues. Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes along with it.

I Hope This Finds You Well

smile??

Somebody in this crowd might be saying something bad about me behind my back. I'll do something, somewhere, out of pettiness soon. Somebody might be keeping a secret from me, and it might hurt to find out. But I'm more interested in the parts that people want to show me.

I think about the person I was when I worked there, but I can't find her. And that feels like power after all.

There she sits, still not broken from it all.

Nobody is immune to thinking they might be wasting their only life on a place that can toss you out without a second thought. This will be a reminder to anyone who ever suspected a company gave a shit about them. Even though we all tease that we'll quit, we know this company can more easily part with us.

I know what life I'm supposed to live; I have Pinterest. Obviously, this isn't it.

We always choose the most violent form of business casual communication with each other.

So many office situations show no regard for people with anxiety, yet we're the bad guys if we can't cope.

There will be questions. Ones I don't have socially acceptable answers for.

karina

“There is good in the world, Jolene. You deserve the good — you deserve happiness.”

“Promise me you won’t punish yourself forever?”

I nod and hold it all in. After a beat I say, “How about I promise to try?”

Laura Dobie

As we file in, everyone seems to find someone to chat with. I realize I should do the same so as to not stand out as abandoned. I see Armin, but he's in a conversation with Chris Fernando in IT. The guy is like an eccentric artist about software - every time someone contacts him for help, he gets accusatory and unhinged. Best to avoid him, given my current deceptions.

The interesting slash depressing thing about working for a corporation that's been around for as long as Supershops has is that a lot of things that are obvious wastes of time and money have most certainly happened.

I search the cupboard under the sink, then add the Jet-Dry to the spot in the dishwasher, and it's like a farewell. A weight drills into my chest, hollow and heavy. It's like there are these pockets of sorrow waiting to be uncovered right below the surface. But we see them only sometimes, only by chance. 

I'm not a social drinker anymore. People get in the way of real drinking. And socializing is the last thing a drunk person should be doing. Hasn't anyone else figured out this life truth?

I've always suspected that Rhonda was part evil, but maybe that part isn't as big as I thought.

It's just like Caitlin to think she owns the archive room when two hundred other people in this office need to file, cry, or hide.

I stifle a chuckle. I remember the lead-up to that party that Greg kept selling us on: the printouts with graphics of actual pizza-shaped food - a defining moment about this place. Caitlin thanked Gregory for the pizza about a million times at the party. She sold her enjoyment so well that I genuinely worried for her.

Has anyone ever read meeting minutes after a meeting?

Rhonda nods, smiling way too hard. She's propped herself front and center at the table to take meeting minutes that nobody asked for. She'll likely file them away in some cabinet afterward, never to be seen again.

Even as a fake girlfriend, I seem to need improvement.

Armin raises his eyebrow at me, clearly imploring me to interject. But defending him would mean going against Rhonda, who is finally coming around to liking me. So I look down at my keyboard.

I expand my reading into other departments. It's kind of addicting to read work-related emails about tasks I know nothing about. It's like a bizarro-world version of my departmnent, a puzzle made of several different shapes. And it's also mad how the same tasks get volleyed around departments, going nowhere or being repeated unnecessarily. If I ever suspected my work was pointless, I now can provide evidence.

I sit frozen, still staring at my screen. The three dots in the chat have disappeared. I was so close to knowing exactly what she had in store. Why can't we normalize telling babies and the people who love them to fuck off in some polite way?

And there it is. Cliff, the fucking doodler with his donut birthday gift who pretended not to be like other HR guys, colluding with Gregory, the guy who can't even rotate PDFS so he instead twists his monitor. Of course these two will be deciding our fates. Typical. 

I absently scroll Gregory's email, judging his terrible grammar, offensive jokes, and boomer overuse of ellipses. Why do men like him always get so far? It should be impossible if the world were serious.

I cough into my drink. There's no way I'd ever be able to take care of a tiny human life when I've killed plants faster than Armin without trying -Rhonda was right to kidnap Joey.

I stifle a groan. Yes, I did take the leadership courses to get out of regular work. And I passed--but so did everyone who attended. Larry's certificate is currently framed in his office; he's essentially advertising that he sat in a room and possibly stayed conscious for three days.

Hannah Bateman

- cliff you have my heart and soul and the rest of my life

- probably the funniest book i’ve ever read in my life + the characters are wonderful + it has meaningful things to say about office life

- hahahaha

- cliff you have my heart and soul and the rest of my life

- probably the funniest book i’ve ever read in my life + the characters are wonderful + it has meaningful things to say about office life

- you can’t go wrong with this book

- 9/10

at times hard to read, i felt so sure the protagonist would continue down the same path but i was pleasantly surprised by the turn around. really great read

jacq bridge

jezyca perez

"I Hope This Finds You Well is like a donut in a break room: unexpected, surprisingly sweet, and totally made my day. Which is to say: I devoured it! . . . Fans of The Office will delight." --SHELBY VAN PELT, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures "Bright, hilarious, witty, and so moving, I absolutely loved Natalie Sue's debut novel." -- AMANDA EYRE WARD, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues' private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job--a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you'll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don't seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text color to white so no one can see. That is until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions. When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department's private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss's favor, convince HR she's Supershops material, and beat out the competition. But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker's private worlds and realizes they are each keeping secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble--especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Eventually she will need to decide if she's ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if that means coming clean to her colleagues. Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes along with it.

Endearing. There are so many laugh out loud funny and relatable moments in this book. The internal monologue and banter between the two main characters is everything. Anyone who feels stuck, unseen, or like a screw up in life or work in general will be able to relate. 

Jessy Tatum

If you are like me and you enjoy putting your nose in people’s business, this book is for you.

Chloé Dupèré

Definitely slow paced. Very detailed, Beginning was a bit hard to get through but it eventually got more entertaining as the story progressed. 

nikki 

Thoroughly enjoyed this, the structure reminded me a bit of when I watched Prison Break: a constant loop of a plan almost succeeding and then failing at the last step, which causes new problems that need a new plan. This  mostly kept me on my toes, but there were a few turns that were a bit predictable + the ending was a bit too “and they lived happily ever after” for my taste. 

Also thought it balanced some of the contemporary elements nicely, making it feel modern but not so much that you know it will feel extremely dated in a few years. 

Bastiaan

Thoroughly enjoyed this, the structure reminded me a bit of when I watched Prison Break: a constant loop of a plan almost succeeding and then failing at the last step, which causes new problems that need a new plan. This  mostly kept me on my toes, but there were a few turns that were a bit predictable + the ending was a bit too “and they lived happily ever after” for my taste. 

Also thought it balanced some of the contemporary elements nicely, making it feel modern but not so much that you know it will feel extremely dated in a few years. 

One of my favourite 2025 fiction reads, and one of my top 3 debuts.

I heard a blurb about the story from the publisher long before anything came out. I had a gut feeling this would be a hit. I love it when my gut feeling is right.

This book bought tears of pain and tears of joy. It reminds us to take agency of our lives: letting go of dark pasts, putting boundaries, choosing to do good, to forgive, to pick ourselves up again and again, to give grace to ourselves and to others.

It is a contemporary that will hit too close to home at times. Natalie Sue has definitely joined my auto buy author list.

Jawahir M

One of my favourite 2025 fiction reads, and one of my top 3 debuts.

I heard a blurb about the story from the publisher long before anything came out. I had a gut feeling this would be a hit. I love it when my gut feeling is right.

This book bought tears of pain and tears of joy. It reminds us to take agency of our lives: letting go of dark pasts, putting boundaries, choosing to do good, to forgive, to pick ourselves up again and again, to give grace to ourselves and to others.

It is a contemporary that will hit too close to home at times. Natalie Sue has definitely joined my auto buy author list.

A witty and hearting warming story capturing the world of working in corporate office based job. Entire story told from one view point which interesting has access to what others are doing 😕

This is not my typical read but I certainly enjoyed it. Finished the entire book during my flight from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh ✈️ 

MereCivilian

A witty and hearting warming story capturing the world of working in corporate office based job. Entire story told from one view point which interesting has access to what others are doing 😕

This is not my typical read but I certainly enjoyed it. Finished the entire book during my flight from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh ✈️ 

this book takes you to the life of Jolene, Persian woman who felt like she can't socially fit anywhere in her life and so she gave up at socializing and just live lonely life.

the book plot is moving around her work place and her colleagues. At her work she also doesn't talk to her colleagues unless it's work oriented. she find a way to complain about her colleagues. everything changes when somebody find out and new HR guy comes in. then rumors about potential layoffs come around and Jolene now has to try her absolute best to stay here.

i hope this finds you well is perfect book representing office culture and relationships. in the beginning you hate everything as Jolene does. but as Jolene stars befriending other colleagues, you grow to like them too. the characters are really well fleshed out here.

adela

semi-spoilers ahead!

this book takes you to the life of Jolene, Persian woman who felt like she can't socially fit anywhere in her life and so she gave up at socializing and just live lonely life.

the book plot is moving around her work place and her colleagues. At her work she also doesn't talk to her colleagues unless it's work oriented. she find a way to complain about her colleagues. everything changes when somebody find out and new HR guy comes in. then rumors about potential layoffs come around and Jolene now has to try her absolute best to stay here.

i hope this finds you well is perfect book representing office culture and relationships. in the beginning you hate everything as Jolene does. but as Jolene stars befriending other colleagues, you grow to like them too. the characters are really well fleshed out here.

abi a

A fun read, at the end it all comes a bit too neatly together for my taste but liked the overall idea and pace of the book a lot. 

Tabea Lüth

nuha ✨️

This has so many relatable observations on office life and the corporate world that has me laughing out loud in places, but it’s also incredibly touching. The seemingly misanthropic protagonist really cares about people, and there are so many poignant observations here on trauma, moving on and friendship, and how little we really know about people when we simply take them at face value.

This was so great! Actually a delight to spend 300 pages in the corporate cubicles with Jolene. The tone was so snarky and the hijinks actually made me laugh out loud a few times.

Amelia Hruby

if you are in corporate and your job involves being around people’s crappy personalities, then this is really funny because she’s literally voicing all the things we think about at our dumb 9-5. really slow start though, but then it picked up and snowballed into an anxiety ridden mess. it was truly a train wreck that was hard to put down. but like i ultimately enjoyed it. the ending felt a little too… perfect for me, but the romantic subplot was really good, great banter, strong chemistry, and appreciated that it wasn’t the focal point.

big ab

I can't explain why I love this book so much, only that I do, and that I'll probably get my own copy for a re-read. Charming, funny and just oh so human. 

Kate B-L

THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE AND HEARTFELT AND FUNNY I LOVE

Danielle Rose

"Wait, is this fucking play about us?" Right amount of pacing regarding story telling & love the character developments throughout the book. Romance didn’t seem like the focal point of the story which I liked, it shows how genius the author is. Brillant brillant brillant book. Felt a mixture of laughter, sadness & agitated while reading. Can’t wait to see what other stories the author cooks! 

Hannah Bateman &
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

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Hannah Bateman &I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

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Hannah Bateman &
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue