⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

“Wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy” That’s what the synopsis said, so of course that’s what I was expecting to read. But let me tell you — this book is not that. The marketing around this book leads you to believe that this is a feel-good chick-lit office-fluff book, but what you get is a much deeper story about a complex protagonist trapped in her own mind, still carrying the weight of her past trauma, and working in a toxic environment.

Honestly, at first, I was very upset about this deception. I was in the mood for something light-hearted and laugh-out-loud funny that would make my heart flutter, but nevertheless, this was a good book. Yes, there’s romance, but it’s hardly the focal point. And yes, it was funny, but not until halfway through the book. However, this book was very well-written and had an excellent plot. We witness the protagonist make bad decision after bad decision, hitting rock bottom, and then slowly climbing herself out.

That being said… I hated her. Actually, hated might not be the right word. The main character is a mess—negative, awkward, and frankly…unhinged. She not only sabotaged herself but also her coworkers with an astonishing lack of self-awareness. For the first half of the book, I was actually rooting against her. I didn’t think she deserved the promotion and thought she should be fired. I genuinely believe she needed a fresh start somewhere else. The sheer amount of anxiety her lies, secrets, and deceit caused me was insane. And if you’re going to be deceitful, AT LEAST BE BETTER IT THEN!

• Rule 1 of keeping incriminating information: DON’T LEAVE IT AT YOUR DESK!!!. Take it home. Keep it on your personal phone. Just don’t leave it somewhere your coworkers can find it, even if it is your desk. Also, YOU NEVER WRITE INCRIMINATING THINGS DOWN! This is common knowledge I fear.
• Rule 2: Be a better liar. Keep better track of what you’re supposed to know and what you’re not. Don’t be so obvious, inserting information in conversations about things you’re not supposed to know. Like bruh!? Come on!
• Rule 3: Hide your screen! I don’t know if anyone can just walk past your computer and see what you’re reading, but hide your screen better woman! I was more worried than you.

She was such a terrible spy, it was giving me severe secondhand anxiety. My favorite joke from the book: “This guy needs a serious lesson in being covert” -Jolene. Girlll the pot calling the kettle. WHO WAS THE ONE THAT GOT CAUGHT!? TWICE! I swear I spent most of the book yelling at her: NO! LITERALLY NO WTF ARE YOU DOING!? JUST QUIT YOUR JOB!! THIS IS GOING TO END VERY BADLY!!

And I was right. All her secrets and lies were eventually exposed and it was all for nothing because, in the end, she lost her job. (I, honestly, don’t see how she saw it ending any differently??)

Even though I saw an easy solution to her misery, by the end of the book, I understood her better. And with that, it became clear to me that she wasn’t capable of seeing a way out on her own. She was so deeply stuck in her toxic environment and self-destructive behaviors that being forced out of that job was the only way she would be able to move forward. Seeing her forced to face her mistakes and grow as a person was both painful and cathartic.

I thought there could have been more to the ending, but it was still a satisfying ending. It showed that even if someone hits rock bottom, they can climb their way back up. The character development was excellent, and I appreciated the vulnerability that the story ultimately revealed.

In short, I Hope This Finds You Well is not the fluffy escape its marketing suggests. It’s raw, uncomfortable, and packed with character development. The main character might drive you insane (she definitely did for me), but she’s also a reflection of how easy it is to get stuck in a toxic cycle. This book reminded me to stay self-aware, to change my perspective when life feels unbearable, and, most importantly, to never write incriminating things down. Seriously, it’s common sense.

All in all, this was an excellent read, especially considering this was Natalie Sue’s first book. Just don’t go in expecting a laugh-out-loud rom-com. Expect something messier, a deeply flawed protagonist, a lot of anxiety-inducing drama, focus on trauma, but—ultimately—more rewarding.