Although this story was cute it was far longer than necessary. It took almost a year for the characters to have their happily ever after and when they finally did it felt entirely unbelievable. I was really into this story, loving every minute and reading as quickly as possible. Around 75% of the way through the book however, I was bored. The drama had all dissipated and I didn't understand why I had 25% more to read, it felt like it was coming to a natural conclusion. Except it didn't it continued.

The story itself is cute enough. Big Hollywood writer falls for her assistant and her assistant actually likes her back. But the romance just wasn't entirely believable. I could see why Emma had a crush on Jo when she had her photo on her wall in her childhood bedroom. But Jo's "crush" on Emma felt more like settling solely because she was comfortable with her. I also found the sex scene in the last ten pages totally off mark for the story. The characters "first date" wasn't necessary to the story at the very end, in my opinion it could have been skipped all together and nothing would be lost.

Overall I would suggest this book to someone who wants a sweet LGBTQ romance but I would tell them to take it with a grain of salt considering there are far better stories out there.

A slow-burn f/f Hollywood romance worth reading--but don't expect to swoon.


Something To Talk About is the fifth romance book I've read this year. I don't normally read romance because I do not often see myself in them. For the five romance novels I've read this year four have featured LGBTQIA+ relationships but only one has been f/f. And while it wasn't perfect, it was still enjoyable and relatable. 


In Something To Talk About Wilsner has created a wonderful cast of characters  with a ton of potential but rather than being phenomenal they come across as flat and two-dimensional several times throughout the book. The two main characters are interesting as is their set of circumstances but there was no tension between them like I'd expect out of a romance. The story kept me hooked but throughout the book I had little to no emotional reaction to what was happening on the pages. The other romance's I've read gave me a rollercoaster of emotions and this one simply left me empty. I don't even want anything more from it, that's how bland it is. 

What I appreciate most about this book is one of the main characters has very little experience with relationships and she's 41. While I may not be that old yet I too have had next to no experience with romantic relationships and it was really nice to have a character I could relate to in that way. 

Despite it's blandness I think this book helps to fill a gap in books in general, not just the romance genre. f/f romance/relationships are still hard to come by even though it's 2020. This book was a let down for me emotionally but I'm so so thankful it exists. 

Even with the lack of rollercoaster emotions I'm still giving this book 4 stars. I do think it's well written in terms of structure and the plot is enjoyable. Wilsner also used this opportunity to discuss the #METOO movement and I think she did a wonderful job addressing it.

I hope Wlisner continues to write and I look forward to her next book.

Something to Talk About has a lot of good going for it, between the writing style, the way Emma and Jo like each other so much early on, and how they finally work things out. I just wish the spirit of the first 40% was consistent throughout, because it changed from a book I loved to one that left me waffling between being delighted by turns of phrase and frustrated because Jo and Emma needed to get out of their heads and talk to each other. I was happy for them at the end, but they get together so late in the story that I was relieved to get an epilogue because it added a HEA to what felt like a HFN. If you’re into Hollywood romances, ice queens, age gap pairings (there are 14 years between Jo and Emma), or workplace romances, you might enjoy this one. It will probably depend on whether bad communication irks you as much as it does for me.

Full review: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/something-to-talk-about-by-meryl-wilsner/

Something to Talk about by by Meryl Wilsner is a female/female romance that I was super excited about when I was provided the digital copy to review! In my mind I had visions of Red, White, & Royal Blue and how much I loved that book! Something to Talk About however is a quite different! Not in a bad way, just not as steamy or lighthearted.

Emma is the assistant to a powerful Hollywood producer and child star, Jo. A moment between them on the red carpet is caught on camera and sets Hollywood ablaze with rumors. Jo the older Hollywood producer has never publicly commented on her love life and refuses to deny that anything is going on between them. Emma has a bit of hero worship and neither woman seems to comprehend their actual feelings for one another. Most of the novel the two go back and forth not recognizing their feelings and/or denying them. This part was frustrating for me. It seemed that assumptions and miscommunications kept them apart much longer than necessary.

Jo tries to help Emma move forward in her career by setting her up to shadow a famous male Hollywood director. Unfortunately, he is a douche and assures Emma that as long as she provides him similar sexual favors to those (he assumes) she provides Jo, he will help her get ahead as a director in Hollywood. In a twist, the story takes on the #metoo movement as it pertains to Hollywood and how people with power and influence like Jo should address it for females that lack such support.

I enjoyed the characters in this one, though I found their miscommunication frustrating. It lacked the heat and steam that I was expecting but I still enjoyed the book and look forward to more by this author.

Thank you @netgalley and @BerkleyPublsihing for a digital copy of the book for my review.

This book is on sale now so grab your copy ASAP!

I really enjoyed Something to Talk About so much. Jo has been famous since she started in a sitcom in her teens. Now in her early 40s, she’s the showrunner on a hit tv show and about to take on a major movie. She asks her assistant Emma to accompany her to the SAG awards to help shield her from questions she doesn’t want to answer.

When they are photographed together on the red carpet, rumors start to fly that they are dating. They aren’t - but is it possible the world can see something between them before they can?

This was a great slow burn (very slow) romance. I was glad I knew that going in so I just enjoyed it instead of feeling frustrated. I loved the way their work lives, friends and family were also part of the story.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

CW: workplace sexual harassment

"When I need the reminder..." Jo paused, not sure she could actually bring herself to ask for help like this. "you won't let me forget?"
This book is amazing.
The representation of bi-culture in Hollywood has always been important to me, but Something To Talk About raised the bar in the best way.
The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because the romance waits until the very end and then the book is over, and I felt like I didn't get to relish the fluff enough.

A sweet slow burn romance. This was Meryl Wilsner’s debut. This was also the first F/F romance published by Berkley. Jo was a child star, but after a misstep she decides she’d rather spend her time behind the camera then in front of it. Emma has always wanted to be a filmmaker, but for now she is happily working as Jo’s assistant. When Jo attends the SAG awards she doesn’t want to be asked complicated questions about an upcoming project, so she invites Emma to attend with her to act as a buffer. BUT after a photo is snapped of the two of them looking at one another adoringly on the red carpet the rumors start. What follows is an entertaining story filled with banter, miscommunication, missed opportunities, and a whole lot of fun.

I really liked both Jo and Emma even though they frustrated me at times. I completely understood why Jo didn’t want to be the cliché older woman using her position of power to seduce Emma. I also understood why Emma didn’t want people to think that she had slept her way to the top. Oh so complicated. The secondary characters in the story especially Jo’s Bestie and Emma’s sister were great. So many strong women and strong female relationships in the story it was great! The book also did a really good job of addressing the me too movement. Looking forward to more books from this author and more queer authors in general.

This book in emojis 🎬 ☕️ 💅🏻 ⚾️ 👠 🎥

***Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Jo is an award-winning writer for an uber-popular TV series. She’s great at her job—even if she is outwardly cold and somewhat standoffish—and it’s no wonder she’s just been selected to be the head writer for an upcoming action movie. Emma is Jo’s assistant who keeps the ship running smoothly, anticipating Jo’s every need, sometimes even before Jo is aware of those needs herself.

Jo gets tired of answering tough questions about her new movie project, though, so instead of going stag yet again to another awards show, she decides to bring a glammed up Emma to act as a buffer. What she doesn’t expect is for the paparazzi to snag a photo of Jo and Emma laughing together, looking relaxed, gorgeous, and, whoops, smitten with each other on the red carpet. Rumors swirl and suddenly the two women become the center of an are-they-aren’t-they gossip scandal. Jo may be used to the extra attention, but Emma isn’t. Time passes, but the rumors don’t, and now Emma is feeling overwhelmed and confused. Are they just coworkers? Jo will have to decide how to handle the situation…and her feelings for Emma.

MY THOUGHTS
I was excited to read this book based on the description. It was giving me Red, White & Royal Blue feelz, and I was ready for that slow burn romance to unfold. Unfortunately, Something to Talk About is too much of a slow burn. The story doesn’t move quickly enough, and I had trouble connecting to the characters, especially Jo. I get the whole “sexy and reserved boss” angle, but she never became anything more than that.

And while we’re talking about sexy bosses… I hate that this is a romance between an executive and her assistant. I don’t care that they’re both women, it’s still sleazy. Any time you have a relationship between two people who so clearly have unequal amounts of power (did I mention that Emma is like ten years younger than Jo?), it’s just gross. I couldn’t get behind it, so I felt mildly annoyed at their relationship through the whole book.

In short, not my favorite read. It had potential but never quite grabbed me.

I enjoyed this F/F romance. There was too much build up for me though- I do like a little more connection and a little less will they won't they. Besides that the characters felt real and I loved the relationship

I was so so excited to see Berkley Romance publish a FF romance, but unfortunately this was one just a little too much of a slow burn for me. While this one didn't work I'm looking forward to seeing what Wilsner publishes next! DNF at 31%

The slowest of the slow burns in a sweet and longing-filled romance.

I had been hearing some hype about this book for a while on bookstagram before it came out and almost selected it to be in our contemporary romance season 3. Because of the timing of the release and getting access to the audiobook, we ended up not picking it and I'm sad that we didn't.

This book was charming, sweet, and built the relationship from boss/assistant to friends to lovers quite nicely. Considering that it is Wilsner’s debut novel makes it that much more impressive!

I enjoyed Emma’s excellence at her job, her exuberance, and happiness with her friends and over food and generally her desire to be great at her job. Jo was a bit of a tougher nut to crack, but having worked in Hollywood, I can totally pair her description with people I have met in the industry who have to maintain such a facade over their real emotions and life to protect it.

This definitely isn't a "traditional" office romance trope where there is sex in the office, or an illicit feeling. The actual real ramifications of these two dating is very much a part of this book.

I did want more sexual tension and heat... I felt like at the end there was a comment that had me perk up, but the book was over by then.

McDreamy to McSteamy: McAWWWW

Classy to Nasty: Classy and PG 13 Fade to Black for the most part in the one sex scene.

Heroine rating: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 Emma was lovely. I liked her a lot, felt like she could be friends. She was super competent, kind, goofy, and stood up for herself.

Heroine rating: 🍑🍑🍑 Jo was pretty cool too. She was a bit tougher for me to relate too, but I did like the way she cared for Emma, went to bat for her with the director without batting an eyelash and generally felt like Emma walked on water.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I am always up for some lesbian romance, thus I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed the book at first. I thought the chemistry of the two main characters was there although it wasn't tangible yet. However, as I kept reading I grew a bit disinterested. I love a slow burn romance, but this one was just too slow for me.

Overall, it was a good book and the more lesbian romance-fiction is being published the better.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Slow burn of the CENTURY. I loved Meryl Wilsner's SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT so very much! Also, this cover is just gorgeous.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This one was a lot of fun. I've ready very few f/f romances, but I think this is one of the good ones! It did spend a lot of time building up Emma and Jo's relationship, and there were a LOT of misunderstandings, so it took a while to get to the juicy stuff. But I enjoyed it! I'm excited to see what else this author writes in the future, because we definitely need more like this.

Something to Talk About is Berkley's first published F/F romance. Believe me when I tell you that I was HIGHLY anticipating its release. However, as intriguing as the premise sounds, and as monumental as its release is, it unfortunately left me underwhelmed.

Honestly, it hurts me so much to write this. It is a good book, there is nothing off-putting about it, and it even tackles some fairly serious issues, but I was expecting to be swooning the whole way through. Picturing in my head, Red, White and Royal Blue, but with lady loves and it just fell flat. It took me close to a month to finish it, where normally it would take just a few days to read an Adult Romance.

Initially, I found myself connecting with Jo, the older of the two main characters, who happens to be a big shot Hollywood director. We're the same age and a lot of the feelings she was having surrounding her career and relationships, I could relate with.

Emma, Jo's intelligent and capable assistant, is about a decade younger than Jo and an aspiring director herself. The two have been working together for just over a year and slowly begin to notice their feelings for one another may be pushing the bounds of what is acceptable in the work place.

Forbidden, age-gap romance, uneven power dynamic, when will they kiss; I was into it in the beginning. Unfortunately, for me, it never seemed to go anywhere. Jo and Emma struggled with the same feelings over and over and over; never communicating and never progressing in their relationship.

It was like the wheels of the plot were just spinning. I started to get a little frustrated at about the halfway point, but stuck with it. I am glad I stuck with it, at least I know the conclusion.

I think as far as romances go, and I am by no means a sophisticated romance reader, but for me, this was a
little too straight and narrow for my tastes. I understand in reality, these were huge choices these women were making, but make a freaking decision already!

Overall, I am excited that this book exists. I certainly hope that Berkley continues to publisher more Queer Romance for a long time to come!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it and although this wasn't necessarily the story for me, I know a lot of readers are going to really enjoy this one!

Something To Talk About had elements of The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo and Red, White, And Royal Blue, but stands on its own merit. This book helps redefine the romance genre from steamy bodice rippers to the intimacy and vulnerability and time that romance also takes to take root as love, and I fell in love with Jo and Emma and Jo AND Emma with every single page. This was such a joy to read, and I can't wait to see what Meryl Wilsner writes next.

It was a good book. The characters were interesting, not so off putting like so many Hollywood glam characters tend to be written. The development of the relationship was good maybe a bit slow for my taste but it was a good pace. Sometimes reading a slow burn romance is needed after so many fast pace romances. Jo and Emma were interesting characters. They are each unique to themselves and not one character was fully there as a development for the other. Overall, 3 out 5 stars. I would recommend it for other to read it.

Super slow burn romance, which I loved! The dynamic between these two characters was phenomenal! I always love a work place romance, but sometimes had issues with the age difference and the boss/worker relationship. Otherwise, an AMAZING read!

The setting is Hollywood in the age of social media influencers. Its feels authentic to me. Lots of current topics make for almost too much, but Wilsner is up to the task of keeping readers on track of the main plot, a love story.

I initially requested Something to Talk About based on the blurb alone, but became increasingly excited to read it as the general anticipation about this debut continued to build. That’s a lot of pressure to put on one story, but I believe both the author and the narrative have lived up to the expectations I’ve seen very well. It’s way past time for more stories with this kind of representation to see daylight, and I’m grateful to have this chance to review it.

One of the more impressive aspects of this story, at least from my perspective, was the number of battlefronts these characters face—and eventually survive—with their imperfections and vulnerabilities on full display. There’s no cure-all, no magic “A-HA!!!” moment of unclouded purpose, etc. to make things easy. The author tackles racism, misogyny, ageism, sexual harassment, Hollywood class structures, and so on in a thoughtful, well-researched way that made me really want to trust their storytelling.

Another noteworthy thing about Something to Talk About is measured, almost disbelieving approach to romance. Far from navigating their interactions from the sex side out, the author allows Jo and Emma’s relationship to unfold from appreciation and admiration to confusion to mutual regard, then back to confusion, through a lot of misunderstanding, and finally arriving at acceptance and happiness. Theirs is definitely a journey, and kudos to everyone involved in its making for avoiding so many of the more tempting pitfalls that could have derailed what turned out to be a very sweet story.

I’m also a sucker for stories with strong secondary characters, and Something to Talk About has those, too. Emma and Jo are each fortunate to have others in their lives who will support and defend them, but never let them off the hook. While there are several who handily fit that description, I was very much taken with Evelyn, Jo’s best friend. I’d gladly read a separate novel about her, or just be content to pay extra attention to her scenes when I sit down with this one again.

From the completely adorable cover and the vividly rendered characters to the attentive writing and editing, Something to Talk About was a welcome addition to my yearly reading list. While I did get a little lost with regards to the passage of time in the narrative, as well as one or two other minor concerns, everything came together beautifully in the end. Meryl Wilsner is absolutely an author to keep an eye on, and I hope that they have many more stories to tell that are just as wonderful along the road ahead.
My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot