I Hope This Finds You Well

Throughout the comedic antics of I Hope This Finds You Well, Natalie Sue plays with the distinctive patterns of the office romance subgenre—also more broadly known as the workplace romance—which focuses on “navigating the intersection of career ambitions and personal desires, [and] crafting stories that resonate with the complexities of modern love and work” (Morrow, Susie. “Workplace Romance: An In-Depth Genre Guide.” Seacrow Books, 2024.) The novel takes place primarily within a modern office setting, and the story is more or less contemporary with the novel’s 2024 publication. However, because Jolene’s company is a few years behind the times, this dynamic allows for an exploration of the many roles, tropes, and norms associated with office work in the 2000s to 2010s.

The office romance genre often critiques the existing power structures that dominate corporate settings and small businesses alike. Novels in this category utilize a range of romance tropes—such as the “enemies-to-lovers” trope or the “grumpy-sunshine” trope—to examine how patriarchal power imbalances can influence the dynamics of burgeoning romances in the workplace. For example, novels such as The Spanish Love Deception (2021), by Elena Armas, and The Hating Game (2016), by Sally Thorne, are designed to examine the complex interactions that ensue when the primary romance interests must navigate workplace rivalries or outright hostilities.