Thank you to Random House UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Podcasters Maeve and Finn have just gotten a life-changing, blockbuster deal for their viral sex and relationships podcast, Tell Me How You Really Feel. Unfortunately, given their history, they can barely be in the same room together. Now, Maeve needs to find a way to keep the show going without letting Finn completely ruin her. But to make things even more challenging, Finn is dead set on winning her back over. Told between flashbacks to the start of their show and the present, Tell Me How You Really Feel follows Maeve and Finn as they navigate their growing celebrity, try to make podcast history, and rediscover what they mean to each other.

Maeve is, undeniably, an extremely hard worker. All she does is to achieve her dreams and support her family. I absolutely loved that we got to see her raw vulnerability with her anxiety. It endeared her to me immediately and I could empathise with her struggles. I deal with anxiety too and when it spirals uncontrollably, it feels like everything is going to implode and you cannot be saved. Seeing Maeve overcome these hurdles was amazing, as was the renewed determination she fought back with. She is such a strong and independent woman who deserves to be celebrated.
Finn is someone who gets everything handed to him and is rather oblivious to the struggles of others. So he gets to be in the position where he is at a complete loss and it cannot magically be fixed. It was certainly interesting seeing these different versions of Finn. He is charming, charismatic and confident - until he isn’t. Seeing him more vulnerable and confused was a brilliant switch for him. It allowed us to connect to him more deeply and understand his thought process. I think he ended up in a brilliant place come the end of the book. He gains a deeper understanding and recognition of the feelings of others, and his own.

When I saw this one available to request, I found myself rather intrigued. I’m not the biggest fan of podcasts, but they are growing on me a bit and the thought of seeing the other side had me eager to read. And this book did not disappoint. This plot is brilliant, switching from current day and to before the podcast blew up in its massive way. There is this brilliant flow that utterly swept me away in the story, leaving me desperate for more and frustrated when I had to put it down. There were so many relatable moments included too that just made it feel so real and engaging. The characters were brilliant. Largely focusing on our main duo, there wasn’t a huge cast of others. However, they were well crafted and none felt like an afterthought. They helped to propel the story forward and also added extra depth to Maeve and Finn’s emotions. There is of course a lot of talk about romance and sexiness. But is there much action in those departments here? YES OF COURSE! The romance moments were oh so fluffy and wonderful to read. Those soft moments brought such a grin to my face, wishing for a relationship as intimate and deep as that. The spicer moments were delightful yet still remaining so deep rooted in the emotions that the characters were experiencing, keeping those as the focus instead of the actions which was brilliantly in keeping with the theme of the entire book. The ending was a little choppy there for a moment but I rather liked that. Proof that not everything is smooth sailing but it is so, so worth it in the end.

Overall, Tell Me How You Really Feel is the ultimate friends to lovers book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Random House UK for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day and is available immediately on Goodreads

I literally couldn't put this book down. I was hooked. It was fun and easy to read. Loved the characters.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I loved this book! First off the gorgeous cover draws you right in! I also loved Maeve and Finn. Who doesn’t love a good hate to lovers book and it was so fun watching them squabble and then find love along the way. The podcasting was also really funny and fresh as well!

I liked the premise of the novel, with second-chance romances and a podcast storyline. However, I really couldn't connect with the characters or root for them to be together. Most of the novel appeared to be based on miscommunication, and I found myself feeling like maybe Maeve and Finn WOULD be better off apart. Personally, this did not quite gel for me.

2.5 stars
Romance is a tricky genre to get right and unfortunately this one didn’t tick the boxes for me. First of all, I found Finn and Maeve annoying as a coupe. There was no chemistry and their relationship was bordering on toxic. Maeve was insufferable as a lead character, she was cold and distant and despite praising her therapist she acted in incredibly toxic and cruel ways. She took all of her anger out on Finn, leaving him apologetic and constantly trying to make things right even when they weren’t his fault. The entire book was based on miscommunication, which usually I love as a trope if it’s written well. But this was uncomfortable to read, I really wish the characters were a little more mature because I did enjoy the premise and the writing.