You Can Thank Me Later

A Novella

By: Kelly Harms

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

A short and sweet audio novella that’ll leave listeners wanting second helpings, You Can Thank Me Later follows an unforgettable family over the course of three Thanksgivings.

When the Dickenson clan sits down for Thanksgiving dinner in 2016, it is the last holiday when their tight-knit family will ever be the same. Oldest brother Pete and his wife are expecting their first child. Youngest sibling Sophie is too busy running her restaurant, The Little Plum, to bother with any kind of social life. And middle child Charlie’s happy, uncomplicated life as a Midwestern science professor is upended when his wife Annette is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Knowing this will be her last Thanksgiving, Annette asks Sophie to look after Charlie after she’s gone. Which would be a lot easier if Charlie didn’t show up with an insufferable new girlfriend at the next holiday meal.

From the best-selling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler, this heartwarming novella embraces the spirit and gratitude of the holiday, and shows how a family’s love can endure anything. 

©2019 Kelly Harms (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Not Such a Great Story

Main character comes off as a bratty perfectionist. Thought this would be a good holiday story. Whereas I thought I'd come away with a story of family and bonding, I ended up being annoyed more than anything.

Lovely Thanksgiving chick lit.

I am a voracious listener of audible. I enjoy all sorts of genres. If you are a lover of Hallmark movies, you will love this. I think it is the best free monthly offering that I have ever heard. It did take me a chapter or two to become engaged with it. I think that the narrator was perfect and probably made the story better than if I had read it. True chick lit!

Like Hallmark Xmas Movies? Maybe this is for you

Started off strong, very sad about 1/3 of the way in, then introduces the extremely obnoxious character Emily, and it pretty much stinks like the turkey fire it portrays from then on. The protagonist loves fine dining and gourmet cuisine — so why is this microwaved Velveeta of a story dished up and served to us? If you love stories of families reconciling with awful in-laws-to-be with loads of baggage and drama and verbal diarrhea, this story might be for you. I want none of those things, and thus the story went down like someone’s gross half-set, overly sweet weird gluten free dessert when you already ate too much anyway. Shout out to the reader - amazing range of voices. I look forward to hearing her read something else (preferably by a different author!)

THE BEST!

I have a love hate relationships with audiobooks. Most of the time the narrators don't do good on different voices and sometimes I think they have the wrong person narrating the story period. THIS BOOK HOWEVER IS PERFECT! The story is fabulous but so is the narrator Lauren Fortgang. This is the kind of book I search for and I wish they weren't so hard to find! LISTEN TO THIS BOOK!!! I hope the rest of Kelly Harms books are just as fabulous!

I loved this book!

What a breath of fresh air! The story had me engaged until the last word! And the narrator! She is fantastic! Her voice is so full of expression and wit! I highly recommend this book’

Loved it

Heartwarming, healing, real and beautiful. Thank you for a great story.
This is one I will listen to again.

Not so happy Thanksgiving

I don’t think I’ve ever encountered such a self-centered, selfish, shallow protagonist and still finished the book. I came real close to just turning it off. After all, it was a freebie so DNF’ing it would have cost me nothing. But it’s only 3hrs, 5 min so I stuck it out.

Sophie is the youngest of the the Dickinson siblings and chef/owner of The Little Plum, a small, trendy restaurant. She closes on Thanksgiving to entertain her family which, since her parents retired and moved south, consists of her two older brothers (Pete and Charlie) and their wives (Keiko and Annette, the latter also Sophie’s best friend). She also gets a date for herself, though it isn’t someone she even cares about, so personally I don’t know why she bothers. So at the 2016 Thanksgiving dinner, Annette tells Sophie that the cancer has come back and asks her to take care of Charlie. The rest of the book is Sophie’s self-absorption, including how others in the family, namely Charlie, should live according to her dictates. It ends with the 2020 Thanksgiving.
The best thing about this three hours was the narration by Lauren Fortgang who gave a wonderful performance.

Made me like my family is normal! ❤️

This book was cute and insightful. As a healthcare provider this book pulled my heart strings. I see lots of death and messes, but I do not see what happens afterwards. Does the widow get re-married, how do the children turn out, does the abused loose the kids, and does the grief ever go away? This book touched on so many real life scenarios and showed love thought out the story. This book showed me that life goes on and that even though it’s nots perfect, everyone’s perfect life is different , and sometimes the perfection takes a minute to arrive. That life doesn’t stay perfect but is a rollercoaster with perfect moments. Thank you for the uplifting and inspiring book.

A little cheesy but delicious anyway

A unique story approach- thoroughly enjoyable. Timely in that for me two weeks to thanksgiving. True family dynamics though a little neater than most.

Heartfelt family story

This was a beautifully told story about family, grief and finding the beauty of rebuilding love. I was entertained the entire time and took one day to finish this heartfelt story. Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to describe the family dynamics that goes on with the characters in this story.

Great story

I enjoyed it so much I listened straight through! Now to look & see if the author has written anything else.