I loved reading about a romance between two women. I loved the main plot and think the boss/employee romance aspects were handled well. The set-up of the romance took a little too long for my taste and some of the prose got a little repetitive. But that may make it more realistic because people rehash the same ideas and conversations in real life. Overall I think it was a good book and would recommend it to people looking for queer stories or slow burn romance.

A solid, fun f/f romance that avoids every trope of f/f romances. It is also a perfect slow burn - not to be over dramatic, but I felt like I would die if these two characters did not end up together by the end of the book.

I sincerely hope this author starts working on their next book asap. Also I really hope this bodes well for more mainstream f/f romance releases that get the types of promotional pushes other romances get.

4.5 stars!

This book really surprised me! I thought I was going to get a slow burn romance (which I did) but what I also got was a set of fully fleshed out characters, a great conversation about sexual assault/harassment, and power dynamics.

I loved how we got to see Emma and Jo go from boss and worker, to friends, to lovers. This book really reminds me of Mariana Zapata's books for so many reasons. One is obviously the slow burn, the way that we get to know and fall in love with watching them build and build to the romance. But also I loved how we got to fall in love with their friends and family as well and get to know these characters better through their friends and family.

Once I started this book I really couldn't stop reading it and that is something rare for me these days. The reason for not quite a 5 stars is because I like for my HEA to be wrapped up nice and tight and this book didn't quite deliver on that. We definitely know they get that HEA but I wanted to see a bit more of it.

I really can't wait to read more from this author and I definitely think romance readers should check this book out!

This was an outstanding debut from Meryl Wilsner! Fresh, original characters, cute age gap romance, so much fun all around. Looking forward to more from Wilsner in the future!

What’s this, you say? A WLW romance in a contemporary setting and with one of my absolute favourite dynamics of all time—independent, hardworking, wealthy mentor and her equally hardworking, capable, and amazing mentee? Something to Talk About delivers all this and more and is… wait for it… definitely something to talk about! (No, I won’t apologize for that low-hanging fruit of a pun.)

One thing that stands out to me is how this novel handles power dynamics and consent. As mentioned above, this novel does deal with a definite mentor/mentee romance, but Wilsner takes great pains to navigate the situation with the imbalance in mind. At no point did I make the human facial equivalent of the unamused emoji at my pages; in fact, it was so comforting to see an interaction style I love handled in such a graceful way. Jo and Emma are both aware of the complications them deepening their relationship could cause.

The conflict in this novel hinges upon a lack of communication at points. While this scenario can annoy me in other works, I felt the conflict astoundingly well done in Something to Talk About. While I was still yelling, “Please, kiss already!” at my screen at several points in the novel, my frustration was the the delicious flavour of ‘slow burn satisfaction’ and not ‘oh my god, please just talk about this already’!

The side characters of Evelyn and Avery were also an absolute delight. I loved getting to see how Jo and Emma interacted with them and greatly enjoyed every ounce of page time they got. Frankly, I wish I had a sister or a best friend like Evelyn and Avery were to Jo and Emma, respectively.

Last but not least, this novel feels so authentic every step of the way along Jo and Emma’s journey. It can be difficult to find a romance story between women that feels like it was made for queer folks like me, but Something to Talk About absolutely hits the mark. I’m grateful and lucky this book is out in the world.

In short, the only reason I could come up with not to recommend this book to a romance fan is if they don’t like slow burns… and even then, I might just do so anyway. Something to Talk About delivered on every expectation I had and then exceeded it. Can’t wait to go buy a physical copy and give it a home on my shelves!

it surprises me that Berkley hasn't released a F/F romance before now! I loved this book and recommend it to everyone

This was a fun, sweet, character-driven romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was definitely a slow-burn, with most of the “action” taking place in the last chapter or two of the book. In fact, my one complaint is that it felt like the story ended somewhat abruptly. There was a brief epilogue, with a momentary glimpse into the characters’ lives several months into the future, but no real check-in with all that happened in between, no description of them settling in to their new, happy normal.

I would have enjoyed seeing how their relationship progressed once they finally got together. How did it go when Jo eventually met Emma’s parents? What was it like for Emma in her new job? Whatever happened to the non-profit Jo was trying to establish? I’m hoping this might be the first in a series where we get to read about other characters in future installments, but also get to check back in with previous characters (like Jo and Emma, Avery, Evelyn).

I did enjoy the way the author created diverse, authentic characters that allow the reader a window into their unique lives and experiences. The author also did a good job of incorporating consent into the romantic moments. I can see this becoming a more common occurrence in contemporary romance novels, and I think that's definitely a good thing.

A really fun debut, and a breath of fresh air in bringing a lesbian romance to the world of rom-coms. More of this, please!

Once I got over my initial disappointment that this was not a fake-dating-for-the-tabloids story as I somehow got it into my head that it was (who knows how), I ended up really enjoying this slow burn Hollywood wlw romance. The age gap and power dynamic issues are addressed head on, and I liked how the #metoo subplot that got introduced midway through was handled. As much as I sometimes say mutual pining is the reason for my existence, this slow burn was a little TOO slow sometimes! I think the pacing could have been better in the second half of the book but at the end of the day I'm just so happy to see a wlw romance like this getting published and I enjoyed reading it.

Well. This book was absolutely delightful, a romance for all ages, and I cannot wait to see what Wilsner publishes next.

F/F romance in the workplace. Nods to #metoo movement. This was an easy read trying to be slightly more political than it needed to be but enjoyable.

RATING: 4.5/5 STARS

If you're a newbie to F/F romance novels like I was, I wholeheartedly recommend this book! It was a very sweet story that also addressed important themes like sexual harassment, the #MeToo movement, consent, and workplace relationships. Emma and Jo were endearing characters. I loved their dialogue and blooming friendship, but beware, the plot is a REAL slow burn. I actually enjoyed this aspect because it allowed for thorough development of their feelings for each other before anything happened. (In a way, it reminded me of Mariana Zapata's awesome slow burn stories.) The supporting characters in SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT were fantastic as well. I loved that they shipped Emma and Jo as much as I did while reading. In short, if I were to describe this book in three words - inclusive, adorable, and insightful. I'm excited for it to be released out into the world on 5.26.20!

A sincere thanks to Berkley for providing an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I loved everything about this book. Wilsner is so amazing at creating rich, vibrant characters. The slow burn was done so right. Give me more queer lady romance books please!!!

A very sweet but slow-moving romance between a Chinese American actress turned screenwriter and her Jewish American assistant. Wilsner is constantly aware of the power dynamics implied by the set-up and they take their time to make sure that both the characters and the reader are reassured that everything is completely consensual. I really appreciate that, but be aware going in that it means a truly agonizing amount of mutual pining is required to set up the HEA. It's quite light on sex (I think there's only the one scene, and it happens after feelings have been declared) and you don't get any romantic resolution until something like 9/10 of the way through the book. There's a subplot about the #MeToo movement (Emma, the assistant, is sexually harassed by a director she idolized; as soon as she explains the situation to her boss, Jo immediately supports her both verbally and with practical action) but no rape, for anyone who needs trigger warnings. Despite the cover copy, this is NOT a fake dating for the tabloids story, which if I'm honest I was a little disappointed by. The actual plot is perfectly engaging but it's not the tropey garbage I was expecting! I did enjoy how prominent friends and family are throughout the book, especially Emma's sister and Jo's best friend, who have consistent characterization rather than just showing up whenever a convenient sounding board is required. Definitely recommended to anyone looking for a lesbian romance you can dig your teeth into.

A sweet romance about a Hollywood director and her assistant, and their journey to find love. This was an EXTREMELY slow burn romance -- most of the book is spent in their feelings, dancing around each other until things align. It's full to the brim with representation, and it's certainly written for the modern age. The writing itself is easy; it's sweet and straight to the point.

I'm always happy to read a good wlw romance, but this one tested my limits; there's a lot of... nothing. Conflicts are brief and wrapped up quickly and often without a lot of issues, making it repetitive as new conflicts are entered into the plot.

Definitely a sweet read, and I'm glad to have read it. It could use another round of tightening up, but I think it will be well-loved among plenty of people!

I thought this was super cute! Lord knows we need more wlw romcoms in mainstream fiction and I'm very glad this exists. I did think there would be more of a Fake Dating plot, though looking at the blurb again I guess that was me making an assumption about the plot rather than the book not delivering on a promise. This is a fun romcom and I would definitely recommend it to romance readers looking for f/f romance.

4.5 stars

Within a chapter or two I knew that I loved the writing. The smart and crisp style was what made it such an easy read for me, but the banter was what had me smiling and chuckling. It didn’t hurt that I was easily captivated and enchanted, thanks to an original plot, and lots of wonderful characters.

Here are the few things you should know about Something To Talk About:

The novel is the epitome of a SLOW BURN romance comparable to Mariana Zapata.

The story is fabulously romantic, sweet, and has lots of tension between the two main characters.

Something to Talk About is full of amazing female characters.

And it doesn’t read at all like debut novel.

AND it’s set in and about Hollywood – enough said.


I adored the book, and read it in just two sittings. I wasn’t even bothered by the back and forth, and the missed opportunities, because it felt right, especially in context with Hollywood. The author also touched on a very timely subject, in a very sensitive way, which I appreciated.

I probably enjoyed the relationship between Jo and Emma the most, but I adored the support that both received from friends, siblings and Emma’s family. In short, the book was uplifting, had a feel good vibe, and was definitely swoony.

For a debut novel it was almost perfection. Jo and Emma’s internal monologues sometimes took over, but overall I didn’t mind too much. The author’s style of writing was what I enjoyed the most. I easily connected with both of the characters, that’s not an easy thing to do. And finding a new author for my never ending tbr was just the cherry on top. Because that’s actually my top most goal each year. Find new favorite authors. And I definitely did that with Meryl Wilsner.

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner follows Jo a powerhouse writer for Hollywood's hottest TV show and Emma her assistant. The two are caught in a photo laughing together that sparks a rumor. Are they dating? Are they more than work partners. What follows is a cute story of two women who are more in common than they think.

Okay so here is what I thought. This is great queer literature. This may be the most realistic romance novel I have read that incorporates the workplace to an extreme degree. If you want to read a novel where the workplace is a central figure of the story and has a discussion of sexual harassment, Hollywood industry standards, and the absurdity of the press, this is your jam.

For queer literature I am giving this four stars. But if I was judging this just as a romance novel I would have to give it three stars. It hurts to do that but I do have some concessions with the flow of the romance.

The author is a #ownvoices and we desperately need more diverse voices in romance fiction.

I was just frustrated reading this book. They don't kiss until 86 percent of the way through the book. I was screaming at them the entire time to just smosh their faces together all ready. The first 10 percent of the book had me intrigued. I loved watching them get ready to go to the awards ceremony together. There was definite zings felt. But then the rest of the book goes into an in depth detail of their work. I like a little more fantasy in romance I guess? But the romance felt real. This could be a real couple and how they fell in love. In real life finding your soulmate is a slow process with false starts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so happy that this book exists. It is absolutely no secret that the F/F subgenre of adult romance is severely underrepresented, and having this book with this stunning cover and intriguing premise will surely find readers who have been looking for more representation, and that is only a great thing. But I sadly wasn't as blown away as I had hoped I would be. The writing here just felt a bit stiff, the dialogue stilted. And the blurb had given me a different idea about the type of romance we would be getting, which was a slight disappointment. I think these criticisms are certainly personal, though, and I feel sure this book will find its audience who will fall for it.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I never thought I would see such a book being published and marketed by a big publisher and yet here we are. This isn't a creepy or disrespectful romance. This is an exceptional romance that just happens to feature two women. The plot and conflict is so well executed and our characters are well fleshed out. I couldn't put this one down and I was dying for these two to realize their feelings for each other and act on them. There's also a beautiful look and conversation around age gaps in relationships as well as power dynamics and how those affect things. This was a swoon-worthy romance with thoughtful conversations. I want everyone to pick this one up and adore it the way I did.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*