{"id":3705,"date":"2025-07-31T02:20:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T02:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=3705"},"modified":"2025-07-31T02:20:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T02:20:04","slug":"review-hearing-my-secrets-by-julie-l-james","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=3705","title":{"rendered":"Review: Hearing My Secrets by Julie L. James"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Synopsis:<\/strong><\/p>\n

At first glance, Marion Andrews would seem to have it all. She\u2019s just been promoted at her job at the top home design magazine where she\u2019s worked for a few years on the creative team, and she\u2019s earned it, even after a few blunders. Her personality and work ethic have taken her far, but not everything is as it seems in her personal life.<\/p>\n

Marion\u2019s been hiding her biggest insecurity for years, and now that she\u2019s working closer with her handsome and austere boss, Mr. Shaler, she\u2019s never felt more unsure about whether or not she should reveal it. Mr. Shaler isn\u2019t as intimidating as Marion thought and she never expected things between them to be quite so friendly.<\/p>\n

During her transition in her new position, she meets Charlie, a stranger who insinuates he knows things about her past. Charlie keeps popping up in her life, revealing more each time, and getting closer to Marion in every way.<\/p>\n

Caught between her tragic past and her dramatic present life, Marion realizes she doesn\u2019t have control over everything and has to find a way to navigate how she can \u201chave it all\u201d without the unforeseen drama that comes with it.<\/p>\n

Favorite Lines:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cGratitude is always the best attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018What do you have against hot drinks?\u2019 I asked. \u2018The concept of soaking ground bits of vegetation in boiling hot water feels wrong to me,\u2019 he explained.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved closer, resting my head on his chest, hearing his heart beneath me, and appreciating the sound of every single beat.\u201d<\/p>\n

My Opinion:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.<\/p>\n

Julie L. James\u2019s Hearing My Secrets<\/em> is a heartfelt and quietly powerful novel that blends workplace drama, hidden disabilities, and unexpected romance into something utterly engaging. From the opening pages, we\u2019re drawn into Marion\u2019s world\u2014a young editorial assistant at a glossy home design magazine who is trying to keep a tightly held secret: she wears hearing aids.<\/p>\n

The strength of this book lies in its honesty. James doesn\u2019t sugarcoat Marion\u2019s insecurities, frustrations, or her deep desire to be seen for her talent, not her limitations. The writing is warm, often funny, and steeped in the little textures of life\u2014fabric swatches, late-night train rides, whispered lobby secrets. There\u2019s something incredibly comforting in how ordinary everything feels, even as major emotional shifts are happening.<\/p>\n

The story evolves gently, but not without stakes. Between a blossoming workplace crush, office politics, and glimpses into Marion\u2019s painful childhood accident, Hearing My Secrets<\/em> keeps you hooked with emotional resonance rather than high drama. And when romance sparks, it\u2019s the kind that feels earned\u2014tender, tentative, and full of chemistry.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s rare to find a novel that explores disability, ambition, and love with this much grace. This is a quiet triumph of a story\u2014one that champions sensitivity without sentimentality, and strength without loud declarations. You\u2019ll be rooting for Marion from the first page to the last.<\/p>\n

Summary:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall,\u00a0 this book is full of warmth, wit, and an eye for every day beauty. It offers a slow-burning romance wrapped in emotional honesty, making it a refreshingly grounded and relatable read. If you like romance with a splash of comedy, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!<\/p>\n

Check out\u00a0Hearing My Secrets <\/em>here!<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Synopsis: At first glance, Marion Andrews would seem to have it all. She\u2019s just been promoted at her job at the top home design magazine where she\u2019s worked for a few years on the creative team, and she\u2019s earned it, even after a few blunders. Her personality and work ethic have taken her far, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3705"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}