I loved this terrific enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy about Shay and Dominic, competing coworkers at a public radio station. Shay has put ten years in at the station, pursuing her dream of hosting her own show. Dominic is the very serious journalist with a Master's degree he drops into every conversation. The station is struggling and the two of them find themselves hosting a new show together, THE EX TALK, where they must pretend to be exes while doling out dating advice. The premise is fun and Solomon's talent for writing (and clear affinity for forearms) shines through. Highly recommended!

*Also posted to Amazon, link not yet avail.

I loved this spin on the very popular fake dating trope. Both leads were extremely likable and their chemistry jumped right off the page!

4.5 Stars and definitely one of my favorite romances of 2021! Jewish representation (finally!), a couple worth rooting for, some great open door steamy scenes, oh - and Dominic! Where can I find me a man like him?! I'm looking forward to now checking out some of Solomon's YA backlist while I impatiently await her next adult romance!

A fan of romcoms I'd been wanting to try reading a romance novel when The Ex Talk caught my eye, Shay's been working at a public radio station for the past t0 years and is not impressed when the new hot shot journalist commandeers the feel good show she produces to break a story. Things haven't exactly been going to plan for Shay; her home feels empty, her mom's getting married, her best/only friend is interviewing for a job in another state, and she's given up dating after continuously falling too fast for people who don't feel the same. Thankfully she has radio, it's her dream job and a passion she shared with her deceased father. Only she might not even have that soon. After a meeting where she pitches a talk show hosted by exes her boss shares unless she and her least favourite hot shot coworker do this project they'll be out of a job as the station has to start layoffs. Reluctantly she and Dominic agree to give the show a shot even though they're both uncomfortable lying to viewers. They might be known for always bickering in the office, but their chemistry on air is undeniable. Will these make-believe exes fall for each other, and what will happen to their reputations if the truth of their deception ever gets out?

I really enjoyed this novel.. The premise was fantastic and delivered a really fun read that was nearly impossible to put down. I found the characters charming and relatable, brimming with humour and vulnerability. From the fact that Shay checks her empty home for murderers when getting home, to Dom's "Masters Jar", to Ameenas "WWAMWMD" (What Would A Mediocre White Man Do?) it was full of endearing moments that really brought them to life. I liked how the story dealt with loss and the effects that become part of your character in a way that wasn't depressing or heartbreaking but uplifting and hopeful. It was engaging and followed all the beats that make romcoms so ridiculously fun to watch. Whether you're a fan of podcasts or not, this is a title any romcom lover who doesn't mind a few steamy scenes will love!

What a wonderful read this was!

THE EX TALK totally lived up to its hype. It was filled with all the tropes: enemies to lovers, work romance, fake exes, friends to lovers; it had it all. I related to Shay in so many ways it was a little uncanny at times. It felt like Solomon somehow found out about all my thoughts and insecurities and put them into Shay. In any case, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who may feel like they’re playing at being an adult and also trying to figure out what direction their life and career should be going.

I loved Dominic and how multi-dimensional he was as a character. It was great seeing him slowly peel back his layers and allow Shay to get to know the real him. As she did with him as well. Best of all, after one of their relationship bumps, they actually sat down and talked to each other. Like grown-ups! It was nice seeing them be open and honest with each other at that moment.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It also has me wanting to try to listen to more podcasts, too. I know I’m late to the party there, so I have a lot of catching up to do!

Another entertaining book by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

I loved <em>Today, Tonight, Tomorrow</em> her YA book and was eager to read this adult fiction. I love how Rachel winds everything together in her stories. The characters are multilayered, worrying about loneliness and friendships, work and religion. I like her culture plays a part in her stories as well, not just for her characters but common experiences and sometimes prejudices. The Ex Talk has a certain boss that is sadly, very familiar to me and some deep seeded rage came to the surface as I was reading Shays' experiences with him.

Shay and Dominic are so fun to follow. I especially loved the radio show transcript. It sparkled! It showed their obvious chemistry and banter. I wish there was a radio show like tears.. I would totally listen to it.

Everything about this book was fun. There was a little drama towards the end (as there usually is) and was quickly sorted out. But I have to admit I was kinda hoping for something a little bit more troubling. Not that what happened didn't suck but to me, it seemed like Shay was kinda overreacting and the drama wasn't really necessary.

You know what you get when you pick up a Rachel Lynn Solomon book. Romance, Chemistry. Good writing and a fun story that transports you somewhere else, and where you don't want to leave.

Can two people who have never dated pull off a public radio podcast about two people who are ex-es? In order to boost ratings, seasoned producer Shay Goldstein and Domenic Yun, a recent graduate school journalist set out to do just that. Is it devious to lie to their public? Yes. Will it bring two people who are polar opposites in the workplace? Only when Shey is able to let go of some things and Dom is a Beta hero who is willing to give her what she needs. Does blow up spectacularly in their faces? You betcha. The Ex-Talk by Rachel Solomon is a great book with well drawn out characters that you will laugh, cry and cheer for. I found it to be an utter delight. I am sure it will make a great deal of 'must read' lists this year.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon is about two employees at a public radio station in Seattle who get roped into hosting a show together where they pretend to have previously dated and that they broke up - so the whole gimmick of the show is that they’re exes talking about dating and relationships - even though they never really dated.

They get on each other’s nerves at first, but they start to get to know each other and grow to have feelings for each other. Then they have to figure out how to keep on pretending to be fake exes when they actually have a thing going.

This was a really fun book - it had zippy dialogue that was sharp, current, and laugh out loud funny. I really connected with Shay’s storyline because she’s 29 and has been working in public radio since she got out of college. She’s only ever seen herself working in radio because of reasons you learn in the book, so there’s this whole period where she’s questioning if she could do something else. Being someone around this age range, it definitely rang true and was extremely relatable.

However, the guilt that Shay feels the whole time they’re “lying” to their audience was pretty intense. Most entertainment isn’t entirely real, or if it is, it’s heavily produced, so is an audience really going to be that devastated to learn it’s not real? I don’t think I would really care all that much, but then again I don’t tend to get attached to media like that, just because of my Vulcan tendencies I guess. If I found out it was fake, I’d actually probably want to tune in and see if they could pull it off. But I’m someone who continued watching LonelyGirl15 after it was revealed that it was fake in Youtube’s early days. Please tell me someone out there remembers that.

There’s also a really unprofessional moment toward the end of the book that made me lose some respect for the characters. It was supposed to be a vindicating moment, but it just felt very immature to me. I will fully admit that can be a starched shirt when it comes to decorum, so take my opinion for whatever it’s worth.

I gave this one 4 stars on Goodreads as well, but it was more like a 3.75. Definitely worth a read, especially if you like contemporary romance on the steamy side.

I loved The Ex Talk! It felt like in a lot of ways this was a romance written just for me - plenty of great public radio references, a new twist on a fake relationship trope and even some of the side stories.

Shay and Dom both work at the Seattle Public Radio station but they don’t get along. Shay is annoyed that Dom came in new already thinking he knew how to do everything better even though she had already been producing radio for 10 years. Suddenly they are thrown together to host a new show - The Ex Talk - pretending to be exes talking about why their relationship didn’t work and other relationship topics.

Of course - in order to pretend they had previously been in a relationship, they will have to get to know each other much better for real. I loved this twist on a fake relationship trope.

Shay is also adjusting to changes in her family. Her dad passed away ten years ago and her mom is about to get remarried - changing the family dynamic that has been just her and her mom for the last decade.

I loved most of the story and especially loved the audiobook production - the narrators were excellent and I really got the public radio feel. I’m going to explain why this wasn’t a five star read for me below - so spoiler warning - do not read on if you don’t want the spoilers!!!!

I’m SO disappointed in the giant public grand gesture at the end. That wasn’t needed. I get wanting to work radio into it somehow but this felt so wrong to me. Shay has to learn that it’s happening from other people who were listening to the fund drive?! And then go to the radio station even though she obviously doesn’t want to be near Kent or the job she lost? This definitely took it down from a five star read to four stars for me - but if you like public grand gestures, you may appreciate it more.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the free advance reading copy. I also purchased the audiobook.

One of the things I love most about romance is when an author clearly has such a personal love for something that it shines through in the story — and this book felt like as much of a tribute to public radio and podcasting as it did a love story. Shay and Dominic are professional rivals who decide to fake a relationship (and subsequent breakup) to host a new radio show in order to save their jobs, but they don’t expect they’ll fall for each other for real along the way, especially when they have to get to know one another more deeply (and their boss sends them on a weekend getaway to become more comfortable together!). I understand those who feel the external resolution of the story (namely, Shay and Dominic lying to their audience) may not have been adequately addressed, but I do feel like there was an effort made by the conclusion to show that they are intent on making amends. This was, quite frankly, the perfect blend of sweet, funny and steamy, with delightful transcript and social media interludes interspersed throughout, and I’ll for sure be looking for more of Solomon’s writing in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To be honest, I only chose this book at first because it seemed like everybody was reading it, and I just wanted to see what the hype was about. But, once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I practically finished it in one day! The whole haters-to-lovers vibe, just SO ENTERTAINING. Also, I loved the emphasis on how important it is to not let your career define who you are as a person. Like, a person's job does represent the whole of a person; there is so much more to them. Definitely some wonderful life lessons from this novel. I also loved the representation of sexism in the workfield. No matter how subtle it can be, it must be called out whenever it gets portrayed. That also goes for minority groups being disrespected. I loved how the author created a love story between a Jewish person and a Vietnamese, to represent biracial relationships and ethnicity. That really normalizes these topics and gets readers to understand that they must be included in society.

To take a quote from Dominic this is just your typical coworkers turned enemies turned fake exes turned cohosts turned real romantic partners.
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Seriously though I loved this book! Shay and Dominic both work at the same public radio station that’s failing. To jump start some ratings they decided to fake a relationship, break up and host a show about relationships by “real life friendly exes”. Of course, they fall for each other but in between all of that is a story with actual depth and character.
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I absolutely love radio shows and podcasts and so much of what makes them successful is the natural banter between the hosts and Shay and Dominic definitely succeeded in having this natural chemistry!
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Also, complete side note but has anyone else been to a paint or pottery party? You are supposed to enjoy it and relax but it stressed you out because you aren’t very good? That’s me! I get stressed like Shay!
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I truly loved the vulnerability of these characters and the strength it takes for them to fight for what they truly want.
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Huge thank you to #netgalley and #berkleypub for an arc of #TheExTalk in exchange for an honest opinion

Thanks to @berkleypub and @netgalley for my gifted copy of The Ex Talk, by Rachel Lynn Solomon! This sweet romance is out this Tuesday (January 26th).

Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun both work at Pacific Public Radio. Shay is a producer with 10 years of experience under her belt, and Dominic is fresh out of graduate school and thinks he knows everything about journalism. To help their struggling station, Shay comes up with a new show idea: two exes discussing what went wrong in their relationship, and they use their struggles to advise other couples. Their boss, Kent, loves the idea, but wants Shay and Dominic to cohost the show since they already dislike each other, even though they haven’t dated. Neither of them like lying to their listeners, but Kent threatens them with unemployment if they don’t do the show. The Ex Talk ends up becoming a huge hit, but there is always the shadow of their secret looming in the background.

Overall, I really enjoyed this fun romance! I love a good podcast, so a book centering around public radio and podcasts made me so happy to see, and is what initially drew me into the book. I haven’t read a lot of books set in Seattle lately, so that was fun to see (and, it made me want to go to Seattle once we can all travel again). Shay was easy to root for, but it took me a while to warm up to Dominic. I appreciated that morally, they were both in similar places. As they found success, it made me so nervous for them that someone would discover their secret. This made the book hard to stop reading.

But oh my gosh, I DESPISED their boss, Kent. He was such a misogynistic and horrible person! Solomon did a fantastic job creating such a dislikeable character.

friends, I have been DYINGG to gush about this book for a ~minute~ and since it’s #ThurstTrapThurs (to quote one of today’s great thinkers) “I thought goddamn, this is the perfect time”

The Ex Talk was an utter delight from beginning to end, and it is RIFE with thirst quenching babes 🧡🥵🔥 For me, Shay was the immediate bombshell— she’s whip smart, confident, and she’s totally unafraid to take up space. Her motto of “What Would a Mediocre White Man Do” is my new favorite catchphrase👏🏼 I loved Shay’s humor & her raw honesty, and I mean what can I say, I’m a sucker for a quirky bespectacled heroine💜

Dominic was the sleeper bae for me!! While he starts off TET as Shay’s work-enemy, watching him slowly reveal more of himself was d e l i c i o u s 🙏🏻 he was such a sweetheart!!! And I mean, the whole “use public radio to expose corruption & eat the rich?? HOOOO BOY talk about sexy🥵💦

Definitely reccomend checking this book out if you’re a fan of office romance/enemies to lovers/forced proximity🥰 thank you so much to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for my arc!!

CW: heroine talks quite a bit about her dad’s passing 10yrs prior, so just a heads up if grieving a parent might be hard to read!

This is my new FAVORITE. My absolute favorite thing I’ve read in 2021 thus far. I have absolutely zero complaints. This every #romance #romcom fans DREAM. And it’s well written and witty to boot. And if you love podcasts as much as I do you will love absolutely die for this one. This one just came out so go buy this goodie ASAP.

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Full Frontal Admission (no pun intended): this wins the awards for the best and STEAMIEST scenes I have read in a long time.

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Shay Goldstein is about to turn 30 and has dedicated her entire life to public radio, the passion of her deceased and beloved father. Now that her bestfriend has found “the one” and her mother is getting remarried, she’s starting to wonder what she’s doing with her life. Especially when she realizes her job at Pacific Public Radio may be on the chopping block.

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In an effort to save herself from unemployment she does the unthinkable - agrees to cohost a radio show and podcast with her arch-enemy at work: a seemingly pretentious, fresh out of grad school in his early 20s cocky “journalist” who seems to be more respected in the office after a few months than she is after a decade of blood, sweat, and tears there.

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The shows premise? A show hosted by two friendly ex’s, discussing relationships and breakups with complete honesty. The only problem? She and her co-host/arch-enemy have never dated and hate each other.

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This unexpected pairing in the studio sparks the most unexpected and beautiful of romances, and will have your heart absolutely melting. I laughed, cried, and felt so many emotions, constantly rooting for these two and against Shay’s heinous, sexist boss who is the WOAT.

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This one is sheer perfection.

I could give y'all my summary of the Ex Talk but I think the book boyfriend himself, Dominic, said it best:
"It's your typical coworkers turned enemies turned fake exes turned cohosts turned real romantic partners kind of love story."
The absolute minute I finally picked it up I was HOOKED, and the second I finished I couldn't wait to post about it. I know it's early January but I can see this being in my top books of 2021. It's that good.
The characters were likeable and relatable and run the spectrum of diversity ethnically, religiously and sexually. The banter is cute, the steamy scenes were actually steamy and I loved reading the podcast transcripts. I for sure would listen to their show!

This was a good, lighthearted read. I always appreciate when there are Asian male leads in romance books, as I don't tend to see them very often.

The Ex Talk was like a breath of fresh air for the romance genre. It had two of my favourite romance tropes, enemies to lovers and fake (past) relationship, but they felt fun on the backdrop of public radio. I have to admit that most of the reason I loved this book so much was because the dynamic of Shay and Dominic reminded me a lot of my real life partner, which made me kinda giddy! The relationship felt so real and the third act made sense but wasn’t entirely predictable. I can understand why this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it was perfect for me!

I loved this enemies-to-lovers book. The Ex Talk is such a breath of fresh in that it infuses the enemies to lovers trope with tenderness and softness and wonder as a contrast to the initial animus. Solomon explores both sides of that trope in depth, and her protagonists are all in, emotionally, in every aspect of their shifting relationship. This story is charged with heightened emotions that allow the reader to fully understand the protagonists’ motivations, past pain, joys, and insecurities. The reader becomes fully invested in the characters from the first few pages and finds themself hoping the characters will achieve a solid, lasting HEA.

Full Review: https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-the-ex-talk-by-rachel-lynn-solomon/

4.5 stars, I just really loved this.

Shay and Dom were just so endearing, the more I got to know them the more I loved them both. This book was exactly what I want out of enemies to lovers - in that they're not exactly enemies and when the author peels back each layer she reveals another layer of unexpected feelings. I also loved how casually diverse this cast is, just like real life. Everything felt completely natural and I loved this world and super wished i got to listen to this podcast!