What a sweet romance!

The enemies to lovers romance trope has gone a bit stale for me in the last year, but Rachel L Solomon really knows how to get me invested in her characters and their "hate" for each other.

Shay Goldstein wishes that she had a voice for radio. Her late father had an amazing voice, but Shay has been stuck in the role of producer at her radio station. Enter Dominic Yun, a new employee who has become the golden boy. One breaking news story later and Dominic has already accomplished Shay's dream! When their boss wants to shake things up and base a segment on Shay's idea of a show cohosted by exes, Dominic and Shay find themselves to be the perfect candidates.

I loved how Shay and Dominic gradually got to know each other. They weren't afraid of poking fun at each other's quirks. Dominic's tendency to bring up his master's degree was made even more hilarious after it became a running joke in the segment. My heart broke for Shay at the end when Dominic froze, but his grand gesture was perfect!

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2/4/21: http://www.foreveryoungadult.com/2021/02/04/ex-talk

LET'S GET IT ON with The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

First Impressions

If you take a gander at current romance shelves this cover will hardly stand out; lately it’s all brightly colored, cartoon stylized sweetness. There are some little moments of detail I appreciate, like the little heart in the power cord and the old-timey mic with “a novel” on the top instead of the radio name.

What’s Your Type?

Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Seattle, NPR, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn

Dating Profile

Shay Goldstein has crafted her entire adult life after college around her Puget Sounds segment producer job at Seattle’s Pacific Public Radio station. While she’d love to be the “voice” of a popular show, fate has not yet dealt her that hand. With her mom on the verge of remarrying, her best friend interviewing for jobs across the country, and a new brown-nosing, upstart employee quickly gaining favor with their boss over her, Shay’s insular world is starting to implode.

That new, know-it-all employee is Dominic Yun, who will have you know he earned his Master’s degree in Journalism at Northwestern, thankyouverymuch. He grew up in Seattle but came back rather abruptly after completing his degree, and despite his stick-up-the-ass attitude and the weirdly perfectly-creased khakis…Shay can’t deny he’s still kinda hot.

Meet Cute

Shay can’t stand Dominic moving in on what she considers her turf, especially since Kurt, their boss, seems to enthusiastically implement Dominic’s every suggestion. But it’s HER off-the-cuff show idea that everyone supports in order to boost declining listener numbers. The only catch? It’s a relationship show about two exes who get along—but there’s no couple like that who works at their station. So Kurt tasks Shay and Dominic to be the hosts and pretend to be exes, and keep it a secret from everyone but the three of them. Surely lying about an entire relationship won’t blow up in anyone’s face…right?

The Lean

(In entertainment media) there’s nothing worse and yet more sexually-charged than being forced to interact with someone you despise. In order to play realistic exes, Dominic and Shay have to actually get to know each other and flesh out the details of their fake romance and subsequent break-up. This lends itself well to some awkward-but-tantalizing moments (what was their faux sex life like?), unintentional bonding, and actual leaning. There’s even a forced “romantic” weekend away featuring antiquing and one bed.

Dirty Talk

Solomon uses her sex scenes sparingly but to excellent effect. It may not be enough for some, but I thought she made it work well in the context of the story she was trying to tell and gave me, personally, the right Goldilocks amount (too little and it’s like, “Are we even reading a romance?!” but too much and I get sex-scene fatigue. I have exacting standards I cannot quite quantify).

He bends to kiss along my inner thighs, gently at first. Then he removes my underwear, kisses beneath my navel before dipping lower. “So this is something you wouldn’t mind?” His tongue starts slowly, a whisper of pleasure as he steadies me with a hand on my hip. He slips one finger inside me—but only for a moment before he draws it back out. I clutch at his hair as he does it again. “Should I stop?”
“Don’t you dare.”

Ms. Perky's Prize for Purplest Prose




Solomon’s prose isn’t very flowery, which I appreciate, and she peppers in moments of Shay’s internal thoughts that make it very “of the time” with pop culture references. I know people are of two minds on this, in that it can either help ground the book in reality in a good way or make it feel dated too quickly. (I don’t mind them myself.) Since I’m close in age to Shay it just helped make her feel that much more “real” to me. A sampling:

“What’s holding you back? Is it…is it me? The idea of dating me?”
His eyes widen, and he drops his spoon. “No. Not at all. Oh god—I’m not like, insulted by the idea that you and I could have dated. Mildly shocked, yes, but not insulted. You’re…” At that, his eyes scan my face and travel down my torso. His cheeks redden. It gives me a bit of a rush, knowing he’s very obviously assessing me.
You’re a catch. You’re a ten. I wait for a compliment from this person who’s only ever been vile to me.
He clears his throat. “Cool,” he finally says.
Excuse me while I walk right into downtown rush-hour traffic. Cool is the Kevin Jonas of compliments. It’s like saying your favorite color is beige.

(No offense to Kevin Jonas on this writer’s part. I’m sure he’s lovely; this just made me giggle.)

We Need To Talk

This could be one of those internet misquotations, but was it Nora Ephron who said something about how the best romances have an element of sadness to them? (It could have also been someone drawing conclusions about why her movies were all so successful or maybe even something Meg Ryan said in You’ve Got Mail—or was said ABOUT You’ve Got Mail? My Google search terms all failed me miserably!) WHOMEVER actually said it, I do agree! If your character has more struggles or hang-ups in their non-romantic life to overcome, it helps create a more well-rounded character and world they live in. Ultimately, it makes the relationship triumphs feel that much more special.

After Shay’s father—and best cheerleader—died when she was in college, she drew inward so much that she became very lonely, despite having other connections. And I don’t want to spoil anything related to Dominic’s story, but he’s also living with some level of isolation. Honestly, many of Shay and Dominic’s struggles are first-world problems, but that’s not to say they aren’t important to them and don’t make for a compelling story. This book had the right amount of “stakes” for me after reading some other very heavy “issues” books.

I really adored Solomon’s recent YA release, Today, Tonight, Tomorrow and she didn’t let me down with The Ex Talk. Her writing feels breezy but has substance behind it, and even though this isn’t an issues book itself, she still incorporates critiques on things like casual racism and misogyny that keep her world from feeling too Disney-perfect.

Was It Good For You?



Y’all, I’m either the best or worst person to review a book like this because I don’t listen to ANY podcasts! *waits for boo-ing to die down* I prefer rocking out to music in the car than listening to NPR. My husband loves them and had to cajole me into listening to the uber-popular Serial and, yes, okay, it was fascinating. (If you’ve read any of my posts before you’re probably rolling your eyes at me and saying, trust your damn husband already, because I almost always enjoy his recommendations—I’m not proud to admit I thought he was over-hyping the Hamilton soundtrack to me back in 2016—but he will always get points off for believing that I’ll like his favorite movie, The Big Lebowski, if I just “gave it another try”, which, NO.)

So if you’re a podcast-lover, I feel like you’ll love all the inside-the-station bits and fan-appreciation Shay/Solomon have for the medium in addition to the great romance. And if you’re not a fan, well, I still had fun! It almost made me want to try a podcast. Almost.

FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Berkley. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. The Ex Talk is available now.

A very fun adult rom-com with likable characters. The story itself was fun, and I enjoyed the radio part of it as well. Definitely recommend.

Where has this book been my whole life? I could NOT have loved this book more. I honestly could have listened to Shay and Don go back and forth with their banter for the rest of my life. This story was engaging, tender, and just one of the best enemies to lovers stories I have read in a long time!

This book was such a delight on all levels, and is my first NetGalley 5 star of the new year! I was hooked by the synopsis, but really wasn't expecting just how delightful - and spicy - this turned out to be. THE EX TALK had a little bit of everything for me. It was fun, romantic, had great, snappy dialogue, some really relatable moments. Whether you love podcasts or public radio or just plain fun romantic comedies, this is the book for you.

This had the enemies to lovers trope (done right), Jewish rep, Asian-American rep, workplace misogyny (and while I wish Shay had pushed back harder, I do love what she DID do), and even the "sharing a single bed" thing.

There was fantastic dialogue, likable characters along with great character development. Both Shay and Dominic grew over the course of the book, personally and professionally. Did I mention that it gets a bit steamy? *fans self*

This was a fast, fun, unputdownable read.

Calling all lovers of podcasts! The Ex Talk is the perfect, steamy, and hilarious story about a 29-year-old Jewish woman named Shay who helps her radio network live another day by suggesting a new show that revolves around two people that used to date. I love all of the references to podcasts (fictional and real) mentioned and felt a true connection with Shay as she and I share a lot of similarities (Jewish, 5’2, blonde-but-more-brown-and-kinda-red-but-not-really-hair).

Enter Dominic, a 24-year-old Korean guy straight of out journalism grad school who is very nice looking but also incredibly annoying. Shay and Dominic’s boss decide to have the two of them host the show as fake ex’s. And yep, the two fall for each other. The characters seem real, the banter is hilarious, and the scenes are steamy. This book is perfect and I can’t stop raving about it. 

Content warnings: sexual content, death of a parent, misogyny, and sexism

I loved everything about this book. I'd been putting off reading it (which I do with ALL the books I feel like I'm going to love). Shay and Dominic were my faves, I loved seeing their relationship develop throughout the book. I was on edge the whole time worried about how their lie was going to affect the story.

This book also made me feel comforted because even though I don't listen to public radio (even though now I want to?) I LOVE podcasts, and listen to them all the time. I loved reading about Shay's love of radio and stories.

If you are looking for a fun and romantic read - with a wee bit of spice - then add this to your tbr! It has so many great pieces . Jewish representation , Korean-American representation ... an age gap trope ... enemies to lovers(??)... a “one bed only on a weekend getaway” situation ... gah so many great details. Oh and it was set in Seattle, and I live in the PNW so I felt even more of a connection!
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I also loved the behind the scenes of public radio. This insight into that world was woven into the main story so well, and added an authentic feel and appreciation for that field.
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LASTLY - between the location, the laughs and the love, there was an underlying message of loss, grief and even career expectations and realizations.
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Rachel did an incredible job of creating a page turning story that made one laugh, cry and FEEL. I love books like this !
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shay Goldstein knew she wanted to work in radio all her life. And she’s working at her dream job where she’s been for ten years. Things were going well up until Dominic Yun began working at the station and the two of them clashed. Now the station is struggling and Shay pitches the idea of a talk show featuring exes discussing relationship issues and where theirs went wrong. And of course, her boss thinks her and Dominic would make the best cohosts. There’s just one small problem, they’ve never dated. And they don’t get along. Can they make it work to save the station?

This was such a cute read! I love a good enemies-to-lovers read, and this one did not disappoint! The storyline was very well done and the characters were well written. I enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Shay & Dominic and connected with Shay’s back story. This one was just what I needed and gets 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The concept for this one was really cute but it lacked conviction. I felt that the characters were very one dimensional and hard to connect with. The pacing would drag in certain chapters and I found myself skipping a lot of the content because I just didn't care. While I think it was a fun idea and the romance was well done I felt that overall this just wasn't a great read for me.

I loved this book! It was a great first adult fiction novel and I loved the leading cast of a Jewish female character and Korean male character.
I loved the banter, the steam, and the focus of the public radio industry. I also really enjoyed the relationships between the main character and her mother and best friend and learning how to cope and move on as they change their lives in the book as well.

The Ex Talk was a really fun trope twister and the debut adult romcom from one of my favorite YA authors, Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Shay Goldstein has been working as a producer at her local Seattle public radio station for years. She and her father loved radio and made their own shows before he died suddenly when she was just eighteen. She’s always dreamed of being on-air, but knows she doesn’t have a radio-worthy voice, so she’s content (mostly) to do a great job producing a local show. She’s not thrilled about her new colleague, fresh-off-a-Northwestern-master-degree-in-journalism-he-can’t-stop-talking-about hot shot Dominic Yun who thinks he knows everything about broadcasting. Nor is she thrilled when the station manager calls a meeting to discuss new show ideas because bad ratings will spur some “restructuring.” Shay pitches a dating show hosted by exes and Dominic argues that it’s a terrible, non-newsworthy idea. Their heated “banter” leads the manager to greenlight the show with them as hosts. They’ll have to pretend they use to date on air, or lose their current jobs. What’s a public radio producer to do?

I think you know what choice they make.

This book was full of delightful banter, great enemies-to-lovers execution, a lot of steam, and some really lovely reflections on grief, friendship, and profound loneliness as an adult trying to find your way. I loved the build of Shay and Dominic’s relationship and Dominic is great book boyfriend material. The Ex Talk is also full of diverse characters seamlessly integrated into the story without telegraphing the diversity, which I love, because that’s what life is actually like.

I flew through this book. I couldn’t wait to see how things were going to unfold and, while the whole book was fantastic, I kept waiting for Dominic to reappear in scenes when he was absent. I did wish that the “villain” had been punished more, but that’s probably not realistic and also probably not the point.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, smart open-door romance. The Ex Talk out now and it’s perfect for Romcom February!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @berkleypub for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first five star book of 2021 for me. This book had me laughing out. loud. This book is also majorly relatable- it's filled with existential millennial dread that I felt in my very bones.

I loved this book. I desperately want this book on my shelf physically so y'all can bet that the minute I'm out of this book ban I'm taking a trip to the bookstore.

The Ex-Talk has enemies to lovers, fake dating, all the best tropes. I'm not going to tell y'all anything else about this book. Just try it. Trust me. It's wonderful.

Thank you so much to Rachel Lynn Solomon🎙️ Berkley Romance & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for a digital copy of The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon in exhange for my honest review. This fun story starts out with Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun forming a radio show called The Ex Talk, pretending to be exes and having viewers calling in with their own relationship qualms. Along the way Shay and Dominic start to have feelings for one another and start to feel guilty that they're stringing their viewers along thinking they've already dated and broken up while in reality are only just starting their relationship. Will this all blow up in their face? Shay lost her father at a very young age, but chose to pursue a life in radio because her dad had a passion for it. Throughout the story you see she still grieves for the loss of her dad and starts to question whether life as a radio host is truly for her.

I loved how unique this romance story was compared to books I've read in the past of enemies turned lovers! This had cute banter between the couple that reminded me of Gus and January from Beach Read. I loved the excerpts the author includes of Twitter comments and segments from the radio show, it helps break up the story and kept me excited to turn to the next page. And this story had just enough steam that it didn't come off too cheesy, but just enough you couldn't help but feel giddy for the couple that it finally happened! Anyone who enjoys friends/enemies pursuing a slow burn romance will be very entertained by this story!

Loved, loved, LOVED this novel! It’s been a long time since I immediately wanted to reread a novel as soon as I finished it. It had me swooning from the early chapters.

The Ex Talk follows a woman having a quarter life crisis about the state of her romantic life, job, and friendships. When lay-offs strike her public radio station, she's lucky enough to keep her job with a new radio show called The Ex Talk. Only problem? Her workplace enemy, Dominic, is casted to play her ex-boyfriend, and the second half of the new public radio dynamic duo. As their radio show skyrockets in fame, how can she deal with the dishonesty she's forced to live in her daily life? And how will her relationship with her co-host Dominic develop.

I would highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoyed The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. The enemies-to-lovers trope paired with a workplace setting is very similar to the premise of The Hating Game, and makes for just as delicious of a romantic comedy. Watching Shay and Dominic's relationship develop from enemies, to ex's, to friends, to lovers is entertaining, dynamic, and full of mishaps. Both characters are well-developed, which makes way for not only an enjoyable romance, but a plot that keeps you on your toes.

I love how this book portrays the very common quarter-life crisis that often hits women in their 30's because most mediums ignore this. The media constantly tells women that their peak is in their 20's, and everything is downhill from there. This book sets out to show how age is only a number, and how women are far more than capable of achieving new life obstacles in their 30's and beyond.

What id on't love about this book is how white-feministy it is. Theres almost no room for intersectionality throughout the book. Our main character, a white woman, is constantly "woe is me" with her problems of aging, workplace sexism, and general inequalities, when in actuality any of her problems would be greatly increased if she were a woman of color. This book implies all over the board how white women are the face of inequality in society, when that is very far from the truth. When reading through this sense, the main character comes off as whiney and unable to acknowledge her privilege. Not once is her whiteness addressed as an advantage that other women do not have, and instead the main character is constantly complaining about how much better mediocre white men have it as if she is not, herself, a white woman. While white women are constantly victims of sexism, Shay's status as a white woman automatically elevates her above women of color, which is never acknowledged in this story. It can be very frustrating to read about this limited perspective that never attempts to add intersectionality to the story. I think it would've been very easy for Shay to have a WOC friend that could offer her some perspective at any point in the book, but instead we are swept up in her oppression as if it is the pinnacle of oppression everywhere.

Despite this, I loved the story, and I think it just needs to be read critically. All the NPR and podcast-y references had me smiling, and this book is the perfect amount of niche to celebrate readers who love listening to talk radio while not alienating those of us who don't. I would rate this book 4 stars, with my only complaint being the limited perspective of whiteness in the book. This book is cute, real, and just the right amount of corny.

Shay Goldstein has dreamed of being on public radio her whole life. To follow in her late father’s footsteps. But despite years of dedication and sacrifice, finds herself on the other side of the booth producing rather than presenting.

When younger male hotshot Dominic Yun is instead presented the opportunity to sit in front of the microphone, Shay is absolutely dumbstruck. She has been passed over once again.

But maybe Karma is intervening. When the station becomes mired in financial trouble, they desperately need a Hail Mary to bring back listeners and revitalize the failing radio station. Well, well, well…Shay seizes this unexpected gift and concocts a brilliant plan! Ok, maybe not so brilliant... but it’s sure to work, right...!?💁🏻‍♀️

A new talk show featuring two former lovers dispensing relationship advice. Now Shay finds herself in front of the microphone with none other than young Dominic. Did they date in the past you ask? Well no. Are they truly ex’s? Well once again the answer would have to be no. But as long as no one finds out and they rescue the station it’s just a harmless little white-lie. So… we’ll need everyone to 🤫

This was a cute rom-com that had a fabulous premise. The characters on their own were a bit lacking for me but the chemistry between Shay and Dominic more than made up for it.

A rom-com weekend buddy read with Susanne!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for an ARC to read and review.

Review published on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Desperate times call for Extremely Desperate Measures!

That means Faking It.

Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun work at Pacific Public Radio. Shay has been a Producer for 10 years, and Dominic is a Journalist. When news that their station is about to go under hits, Shay comes up with an idea for a new show she refers to as “The Ex Talk.” Ex’s who are now friends and give relationship advice on air. Her boss however, has an even better idea. Since Shay and Dominic don’t get along but have insane chemistry he thinks they should pose as Ex’s on air and co-host the show together.

Faking a relationship and a break up just for a Radio Show? Let the games begin!

What starts off as a job, of course becomes something else entirely when the Sparks Fly between these two!

Sassy, sexy and full of witty banter, this rom com, made me laugh and smile. It also dealt with a few serious issues which gave me pause. While I enjoyed this book, I do wish that Shay had been portrayed as a stronger more self-assured woman from the very beginning as I feel it would have lent to the strength of the novel and I would have enjoyed it a tad more. All in all however, this was a fun sweet read that kept me entertained.

3.65 stars.

Another buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley and Rachel Lynn Soloman for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter on 1.31.21.

Loved, loved this book! It was a delightful romance and as someone who loves public radio and podcasts that part was an extra joy. Dominic and Shay had such a genuine romance and it felt very realistic.

This is a charming Jewish #ownvoices contemporary romance book that includes grief, finding yourself and finding love. I loved the main character Shay, I was rooting for her all along. The inclusion of her grief journey - her story was my story of losing my father and my mom re-marrying and the way she felt about all of it. I found myself highlighting so many paragraphs and lines from the book when she talked about it. She was a character I really connected with, and now have a new appreciation for public radio. Her Jewish identity was really good to see, it wasn't a huge part of the story but it was certainly there (as were other characters heritages) and was really well done.

Dominic could have had more faults but he was delightful. I wanted them together so much! The plot and premise were actually fairly realistic, and the miscommunication that is inevitable in a contemporary romance made sense. This is a book I will be recommending to everyone I know, whether they read contemporary romance normally or not. I will also be reading everything else Rachel Lynn Solomon has written.