Quick Synopsis –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.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift

Publication Date – May 6, 2025

Content Notes – This book depicts cyber bullying, death threats, and general internet trollery. There is also a couple on page panic attacks and anxiety. This is an open-door romance novel.

Steamy Rating – 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Overall Rating – ⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – Look, I didn’t like this book. I hate the miscommunication trope. HATE IT. We start off with our two main characters (Maeve and Finn) already at odds. They just finished signing a multi-million-dollar streaming contract for their podcast – Tell Me How You Really Feel. The story unfolds between Maeve and Finn’s perspective. Not only does the book switch perspectives, but it jumps between the present and the past. I actually like that we jump back and forth because we get to see how their relationship grew, fell apart, and how they’re dealing with the fallout.

Everything else about the book, I didn’t love. These are people who have been friends for 6 years, hosting an intimate podcast for two years, and then after one romantic encounter everything falls apart, but they still have to work together. I think this could have been a better story if one of the characters (Maeve) wasn’t a licensed therapist. It’s like Finn never learned anything from her and Maeve has no tools to communicate better. It was incredibly frustrating to read about how evolved or well-spoken the characters were and then read how idiotic they were together.

There was also way too much background story. There is another podcast that is like far-right wing conspiracies and hate. The host of that show directs his followers to bombard Maeve and Finn with threats and vitriol. But nothing comes of this storyline, other than constantly referencing it. Maeve and Finn also both mention their “one who got away”, while Finn does have a storyline with his “one”, Maeve doesn’t. Like, what? Why mention it? I get that it sort of sets up Finn’s storyline, but it had already been brought up by mentioning Finn’s first love.

Overall, I just didn’t vibe with this story.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press Griffin for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.