I Hope This Finds You Well Book Summary
Jolene Smith works in admin at a boring, soul-sucking corporation. She’s just trying to get by in a job she doesn’t care about. You know the type – she even writes angry emails she never sends, just to let off steam. Except that one time she did send one. Cue mandatory anti-harassment training. Annoying, right?
But then things get weird. A computer glitch gives Jolene access to everyone’s private emails and messages. At first, she uses it for her own gain. She figures out office politics, sees layoffs coming, even tries to boost her own career. But as she keeps reading, she sees really personal, vulnerable stuff between her coworkers. What started as a chance to get ahead makes her see these people differently.
To make things even messier, Jolene starts falling for Cliff Redmond. He’s the serious HR guy in charge of her sensitivity training. Cliff is all business, super serious, and seems to have no sense of humor – the opposite of Jolene. But as they spend time together, she realizes there’s more to him than HR rules. Their unexpected connection makes her question her cynical views about work, dating, and whether her colleagues are just faceless drones or actual people with real lives.
I Hope This Finds You Well is a funny and relatable story about modern work life, where we draw the line between work and personal stuff, and how we can find our place in unexpected ways.
Author Intro
Natalie Sue
Natalie Sue is a fresh voice in fiction, bringing humor and insight to modern work and relationships. Growing up Canadian with Iranian and British roots influences her storytelling. Though she explored other careers first, writing became her focus.
Sue’s writing is sharp and funny. She keenly observes everyday interactions and absurdities. Her corporate background makes her debut novel, I Hope This Finds You Well, feel authentic as it satirizes office politics and explores loneliness, connection, and growth.
Beyond writing, Sue enjoys travel, houseplants, and binge-watching TV. She lives in Calgary with family and is developing new stories blending humor, romance, and social commentary.
I Hope This Finds You Well Book Reviews
If you’ve ever worked in an office (or suffered through an unbearable Zoom meeting), I Hope This Finds You Well is the book for you. Natalie Sue’s debut novel is a breath of fresh air—fast-paced, hilarious, and full of dry wit. Jolene is the type of protagonist who is deeply flawed but undeniably lovable. She’s cynical, self-serving, and often hilariously inappropriate, yet by the end of the novel, you’ll find yourself rooting for her growth and redemption. The novel does a fantastic job of balancing humor with heart. Sue captures the absurdity of corporate life, from passive-aggressive emails to the ridiculousness of HR policies, all while weaving in a surprisingly touching narrative about human connection. And let’s not forget about Cliff Redmond—the HR analyst who starts off as an uptight rule-follower but turns out to be one of the most unexpectedly charming romantic leads I’ve read in a long time. Overall, this book is a brilliant workplace dramedy with a strong emotional core. Whether you love or hate office culture, Jolene’s journey will resonate with you.
Reading I Hope This Finds You Well felt like someone had taken my daily office experiences and put them into a novel. The petty Slack messages, the corporate jargon, the subtle power struggles—it’s all too real. Jolene is the perfect antiheroine. She’s exhausted, jaded, and makes terrible choices, but that just makes her more relatable. Who among us hasn’t fantasized about peeking into their coworkers’ private conversations? (Okay, maybe we wouldn’t actually do it, but still.) Beyond the humor, the novel does a great job of exploring loneliness in a modern workplace. It reminds us that behind every curt email or forced small talk, there’s a person with their own struggles. By the end of the book, I found myself rethinking my own workplace interactions. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever worked in an office and felt like they were just going through the motions.
While I Hope This Finds You Well is first and foremost a workplace comedy, the romance between Jolene and Cliff is what truly won me over. Their dynamic is pure opposites-attract magic—she’s snarky and reckless, he’s serious and principled, yet their chemistry is undeniable. What I loved most about their relationship was the slow unraveling of both characters. Cliff, who initially seems rigid and rule-driven, has hidden layers of kindness and warmth. And Jolene, who starts off as defensive and distant, slowly opens up in a way that feels real and earned. Sue does a wonderful job weaving humor and romance together without making the love story feel like an afterthought. The banter is sharp, the emotional moments are well-earned, and the ending left me with a satisfied, happy sigh.
Natalie Sue bursts onto the scene with “I Hope This Finds You Well,” a debut novel that is as timely as it is wickedly entertaining! What a premise – using the drudgery of office emails as a gateway to secrets and drama is genius, and Sue executes it with impressive confidence for a first-time author. Jolene is a fascinatingly flawed protagonist; you root for her connection even as you cringe at her methods. Sue has such a sharp eye for the absurdities of modern workplace culture – the forced pleasantries, the corporate buzzwords, the barely-concealed resentments simmering beneath the surface. Reading this feels like uncovering a delicious secret yourself. The humor is dark and biting, perfectly capturing the soul-crushing aspects of office life while finding the humanity (and the gossip!) within it. While some elements might feel characteristic of a debut in terms of plot mechanics, Sue’s voice is refreshingly original and insightful. She masterfully balances the comedic elements with genuine pathos, exploring Jolene’s profound loneliness in a way that feels authentic and moving. This is a compelling, clever, and thoroughly enjoyable read that announces Natalie Sue as a talent to watch. I genuinely hope this book finds everyone well, and I eagerly await what she writes next!
