Love this book! A hate to love romance set amongst a public radio show was not what I was expecting but this story was absolutely delightful. Shay's voice and insecurities were so relatable to me and loved how her relationship with Dominic developed. So if you enjoy hate to love romances, sweet heroes and flawed but great heroines I would pick this up! Definitely a 5⭐for me and it will definitely go on my bookshelf :)

Hot diggity darn, that was good!!

This romance follows Shay Goldstein, a producer at a local Seattle radio who has been working at the same station for over a decade. The radio station she works at is going under fast and she proposes a new show, entitled “The Ex-Talk,” in which two exes would give relationship advice live on air. Her boss ends up loving the idea and proposes that she and her work nemesis, Dominic Yun, host the show. Now, of course, this means they have to pretend to have dated and invent a romantic history together. Sounds simple enough. But then, they start to form some very real feelings for each other.

This book was so refreshing, with incredible wit and a wonderfully flawed hero and heroine. I really appreciated the discussions of grief, different kinds of love, anxiety, and compromising one’s values for one’s work. Additionally, the format of this book, with the little tidbits and soundbites of the radio show, was so well done and so intriguing.

And holy moly this book was HOT! I was not expecting it to get that sexy, but I was very happy that it did. 10/10 would recommend.

THE EX TALK
4/5 Stars
I’m a podcast addict, so when THE EX TALK was recommended via NetGalley to me I knew I had to request! For one, add podcasts in with a meet cute, office romance between two frustrated colleagues, add in a lie on air and a skyrocket of popularity but also sparks, and you get the Ex Talk. Shay and Dominic are a great duo and made this RomCom really special. I really enjoyed this guy and I highly recommend it to anyone who adores RomComs!

Infinite Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
⁣
I’m obsessed and I’m already wishing I could erase my brain and read it again. This was such a tasty take on enemies to lovers meets fake dating or should I say fake break up 💔.⁣
⁣
𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙟𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🌀⁣
⁣
• Dominic is bæ... Shay is also bæ ❤️⁣
⁣
• Loved how the author handled Shay’s grief.⁣
⁣
• I did get slightly annoyed with Shay during the middle but ofcourse im attracted to toxic things so I still loved her character.⁣
⁣
• THE STEAM 🔥🔥🔥🔥⁣
⁣
• I loved the ending 💞.⁣
⁣
• I loved the diversity shown throughout the book ☺️.⁣
⁣
𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙: ⁣
⁣
“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰.” —> 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀.⁣
⁣
“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘱-𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 . . . 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵.” —> #𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗟𝗬𝗦 🦋⁣
⁣
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 go buy this book, go rent it, do whatever you have to do to get your hands on a copy and fall in love with these two characters the same way I did ❤️.⁣

Thank you @berkleyromance & @netgalley for this review copy 🤍.

3.5 Stars

I had a hard time figuring out my feelings about The Ex Talk. There were things I really loved about it, but the things I didn't nagged at me. Here is what I loved and what I didn't about this book. 

What I loved:

*The Seattle vibe. A lot of the times books set in Seattle focus too much on the well known landmarks and not on the actual vibe the city and the people have. The Ex Talk hit the vibe spot on.
*The enemies to lovers trope. The banter was real, people. So was SHay and Dominic's chemistry. I loved it!
*The public radio thing. I liked both the setting part and The Ex Talk show itself. 
*Shay's reactions to the conflicts she encountered. *
*The evolution of all the different types of relationships Shay had.
*Overall, the writing was very good.

What I didn't love:

*The whole lying about being exes for the radio thing. That ethical conflict bugged the heck out of me, even if it made for an interesting story. 
*There was a section of the book from 15% to about 30% that I had to push myself to keep reading. I don't know what was up with the section. Maybe too much set up toward the plot? All I know is that once I got back on track at 30%, things flew again for me. 
*Shay was annoying at time. She could be very self-centered. 

Honestly, I think if things hadn't gotten slow for me for a chunk of this book, I might have rated it higher even if I didn't love everything about it. It was a good, unique book.

Rating: 5/5
Laughing Score: 3/5
Crying Score: 0/5

Plot: Shay Goldstien has worked at PPR for 10 years and was semi - content with her work life until a new intern, Dominic Yun is hired and immediately moves up in the ranks. Radio has always been important to Shay, so when her manager tells them about upcoming layoffs, Shay is desperate to start a new show to save their jobs. Against her better judgment, she recommends a dating show hosted by exes; when her boss agrees, she doesn’t realize that he is suggesting that she and Dom fake a relationship AND a break up to host the show. Shay is then put in a position where she either needs to stick to her morals or get the promotion she has been waiting for.

My thoughts: This book instantly hooked me and tbh, I can’t tell you why. It’s as if I immediately felt the tension between Shay and Dom. Usually, with romcoms, I need some character development to make me ‘ship’ the couple, but I didn’t need that or the build-up - I just felt it and was hooked. Personally, I found Shay to be absolutely adorable. It was refreshing for her to have a career in radio, I don’t think I’ve read any books yet in this type of setting. She was kind of relatable (I definitely highlighted some of her inner thoughts lol), endearing, and I felt that she deserved everything she worked for. I was kind of indifferent about Dom, but then in the way, Rachel writes about Dom, it kind of makes you fall for him too. You can picture the lean in the doorways, the disheveled hair - it all just read so perfectly. I really enjoyed the detailed way Rachel showed us all aspects of Shay’s life - it was so easy to imagine this book as a movie. The story ends in a happy ever after and although it’s somewhat predictable, I felt like it was the perfect happy ever after for Shay and Dom.

Thank you @netgalley and @berkley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fake relationship? How about fake exes instead? The Ex Talk has a unique concept. Set in the world of National Public Radio, we have two rival coworkers who dislike each other. But they are forced to pretend to be exes to host a brand new show called The Ex Talk. Shay and Dominic don't like lying to their listeners, but this is the only way to save their jobs. So they are forced to work together to cook up a fake relationship and a fake break up.

There is a lot of hype surrounding this book and to be honest, my expectations were probably too high. Like I said, the concept itself is unique and interesting. But the story and the romance are both mediocre at best. Shay and Dominic are well-written characters and they have some great moments together. I also think that Shay has a solid character development. These parts are good enough for me to give this book a 3 star rating. But at the end of the day, Shay and Dominic are not memorable enough for me to remember them in a week's time. Shay and Dominic are likable for the most part, but they could also be irritating. Dominic's obsession with his Masters degree is incredibly annoying. Shay's obsession about what's fake and what's real made me spin around in never-ending circles.

Some of the banter is good, but the dialogues are also bogged down by awkward pop culture references. The story itself is steady for the most part. I was not bored, but I was also not motivated to keep turning the pages. The plot is fine, but you do have to suspend disbelief at a certain point. It also gets a bit confusing and convoluted toward the end as Dominic and Shay try to figure out what's real and what's fake. Being inside Shay's head gets really tiring after a while and I think the story would have benefited from chapters told in Dominic's POV. The story would have definitely been better balanced with the inclusion of Dominic's POV.

I listened to the audiobook because I thought the radio show portion would be recorded like an actual radio show/podcast. I think I've been spoiled by excellent audiobooks like The Night Swim and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. This is a missed opportunity from the publisher. The audiobook would have been so much better if the radio show portion was recorded like an actual show, with music and different narrators. The audiobook is unfortunately recorded by only one narrator because the book is told from Shay's POV only. The narrator was fine...but she sounded extremely breathy, which annoyed me a lot. I think Brittany Pressley should have narrated this book instead.

P.S. Talking about your sex life during family dinners with children around?!? In what world?!?

i loved this story so much. It's the enemies to lovers romance I've needed. The highlight for me was the diversity of the characters in this story. I can personally speak to the Jewish representation and I loved it. There were lots of little things that didn't become the focus of the story, but made Shay's character feel very authentic.  I also really appreciated how relatable the characters felt throughout the story. They were relatable as individual characters but also in the way they dealt with real life relationship problems: age, working together, etc. Lastly, I loved the witty banter- it kept me hooked! I highly recommend this one.

This was I book I went into with low expectations, because I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I was in the mood for a good romcom/contemporary romance, and The Ex Talk did not disappoint!

The Ex Talk follows Shay and Dominic, two rivals working at the same public radio station. The board of the radio station wants the station to spice things up, so Shay and Dominic launch their own live show/podcast with the premise of it being two exes who learned to stay friends, and then give out dating advice. The only catch: they never dated, so they were never exes.

I came for the unique premise, and I stayed for the witty banter and Dominic! I thought this book was very well-done, and the only reason why it's knocked down a star for me was that one of the major plots of this book had to do with everyone freaking out about Shay and Dominic lying about dating. Maybe this is just me being jaded, but I really didn't think that was a big deal? Like, in 2021 I expect most celebrities/people I see on TV/people I hear on the radio to be lying about their lives at least a little bit - nothing is as perfect as it ever seems. So I didn't really understand why the whole "we lied about dating for three months" thing was a big deal. But nevertheless, this book had me hooked, and I loved the relationship between these two!

Thank you, Berkley and Net Galley, for allowing me to review this book!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

After the number of glowing reviews I saw for this, I knew I had to add it to my TBR and when I saw it on NG, I instantly hit request.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t my thing, but I can definitely see why people would love this one! The writing style was amazing and I’ll definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

This is supposed to be an enemies-to-lovers situation but honestly, I didn’t really see it. From Shay’s POV, she just came off as jealous, with no real reason for her animosity towards Dominic and Dominic just seemed super indifferent.

I wasn’t a massive fan of the main character, Shay and overall I just found this a little boring and a slog to get through.

However, I loved the premise and as I said, I 100% see why people are loving this one, unfortunately, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

As I stated in a recent review, 2021 has been a little rocky for me - book wise. To state it simply, I haven’t wanted to read. I’ve been bingeing Schitt’s Creek. Playing gin rummy on my phone. Doing yoga. Going to bed early. Dog showing.
I tried about 8 books this month - and put most of them down after the first page. Surprisingly, what struck my fancy was a Kristen Ashley followed by a second chance grovel fest. And I thought “am I reverting? These are books from my early days of romance reading.” Which led to thoughts of how incredibly unkind and judgy I can be. How unfair I am to reading - literally one of my greatest life joys.
I’d heard so much about this book, but I was apprehensive going in. Worried it wouldn’t fit my current vibe. Ha.
With a vibe all its own, this book didn’t need me at all. From the first page I was in - pulled by an orbit far stronger than my worries and my stress and the toll taken by nearly a year of living in our bizarro new world.
I found myself smiling while I read. A lot. In carline to grab my kid I realized other parents could see my staring down at my lap and beaming. Sometimes I rolled my eyes. Once I got frustrated when the characters just wouldn’t talk.
But damn y’all. It feels good to read. To be lost in a story. To give myself a break and grin and shuck reality for a while.
This was a smart, funny, aware, inclusive and adorable read. I loved the wide-ranging characters, all the podcasts, and how Shay and Dominic grew. I’m going to pretty much hands-down recommend this to everyone - whether you love NPR or you’ve ever felt a little lost and lonely in the middle of the crowd.

I just finished reading Rachel Solomon's adult romantic comedy debut, The Ex Talk, and it was just the fun, light-hearted read I needed right now.

It's an enemy to lovers trope with some fake dating. The characters are well developed, likeable and totally engaging. I loved the witty banter between Shay and Dominic. It has a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, which was truly refreshing. There was even a rescue/adopted dog with so many quirks that he stole my heart.

I mentioned the wonderful characters, but there's also a misogynistic douchebag in the story. Boy could I, unfortunately, relate to Shay's experience there.

There were a few times I started to roll my eyes at Shay and Dominic...until I remembered what it was like when my husband and I started to go from friends to more. Yep, sometimes we were stupid and got in our own way.

It started a little slow, and didn't pick up until about page 40, but it was worth the slow start. I prefer a more slow burn when it comes to love vs the insta love.


Many thanks to @berkleyromance @berkleypub and @netgalley for the e-galley in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really enjoyed the setting of this book and I am finding that I really enjoying Rachel Lynn Solomon as a writer as a well. The thing that keeps it from being a five star for me is that towards the end it feels like it starts to fall apart. I would love to see Rachel Lynn Solomon take another crack at adult romance in the near future though.

This is a fun romcom. The banter between the characters was great and storyline was interesting. Shay and Dominic agree to pretend to be exes for a radio show. The problem is they have never dated. They don’t even like each other. The banter and chemistry between them is a hit with the radio audience. They do feel guilty it is built on a lie but they try to convince themselves it is worth it for their careers. The more they work together the more they like each other and they develop a real romantic relationship. What happens though once the audience is onto them? This book kept my interest and I enjoyed my time with Shay and Dominic and was sad to see it end.

This was a unique take on the friends to lovers romantic comedy. Fans of public radio will appreciate the setting in a radio station, and the fun details. I could see this being made into a movie.

FULL INTERVIEW CAN BE FOUND ON FRESH FICTION

1--What is the title of your latest release?

THE EX TALK

2--What is it about?

THE EX TALK is a romantic comedy set in the world of public radio, about coworkers who pose as exes to host a show about dating and relationship—only to fall for each other as the show gains popularity.

3--What do you love about the setting of your book?

I’m a born-and-raised Seattleite, and it’s a setting I really love exploring through fiction. I’ve always felt there’s a hopeful romanticism associated with the Pacific Northwest. One of my favorite scenes in The Ex Talk takes place outside of Seattle on Orcas Island, and without giving too much away, I will just say that there is only one bed.

4--How did your heroine surprise you?

At the beginning of the book, Shay comes across as a fairly put-together person: she has her almost-dream job, she owns a house, she has a support system. But as her layers are gradually peeled away, I was able to see that she’s not entirely fulfilled at work, she’s still grieving the loss of her father, and she’s scared to enter a relationship, as badly as she wants one, because she’s always been the first to say “I love you.” Most of all, I was surprised by how lonely she seemed, which was a thread I followed through the book, and one way she bonds with Dominic.

5--Why will readers love your hero?

Dominic is all brooding bravado at first, which was a ton of fun to write: he’s the station’s new wunderkind, and he and Shay have such disparate ideas about radio that they clash constantly. What I hope readers love the most, though, is Dominic’s hidden softness: he’s relatively inexperienced when it comes to relationships, which has made him a bit shy, and he’s five years younger than Shay. And just like her, he’s struggling to find his footing as an adult.

Omgggggg :’)

Im legit tearing up right now hahaha

This book was so FUNNYYYYYY. I was loling on numerous occasions. They are freaking hilarious and I would 100% listen to their radio show (in podcast format bc I don’t listen to the radio haha)

It was such a fast read and I love the main characters. Ugh. The transition from rivals to lovers was really smooth and never felt rushed.

Also made me want to start listening to podcasts again??? Lol

Public Radio Romance… sign me up!

I picked this book based on the cover and the title. That’s it. No backstory or blurb reading. If you’ve read my reviews before you know the drill. Imagine my surprise when I got so wrapped up in this one, I was standing in my bathroom for nearly an hour and half before I remembered I was there to brush my teeth so I could go to bed. Of course, makes you wonder what kept me standing but only deserved four stars… it all started with a fake break up.

Shay Goldstein is in love with the radio. She has been since she was a child and it’s always been her dream to host a radio program, even if she doesn’t have the perfect radio voice. When she’s offered a shot at co-hosting a brand-new program. Only two problems that:

One, her co-host is an arrogant, young reporter who is too cute for his own good and has to constantly tell people about his master’s degree. Two, they have to lie about their relationship to have the show.

It’s all about ex’s who stayed friends and want to talk relationships. Shay doesn’t plan on falling for the delish Dominic Yun… is it bad that sometimes my mind read his last name as Yum? Yep, I’m going to the bad place for sure. Dominic is all serious shell outside, soft gooey inside. Watching Shay and Dominic fall for each other is equally fun. Shay is this awkward, still-trying-to-figure-out-what-she-wants-almost-thirty-something. Dominic is the guy that kind of shows her what she’s been missing, at least in the friendship, don’t want to be lonely anymore department.

Set against the backdrop of Seattle, the city, the radio, everything just breathes life. At moments I felt like I was there. The rivals to lovers’ angle works and morphs from rivals to friends to something in-between. There is also a distinct feminist angle that I enjoyed and was a grounding to situations we see too often in real life.

What held me back… the lying aspect of the radio program and how it develops kind of stung a bit. I also wanted the villain of the story, because there is one, to get a little more just desserts. Those expectations really fit in romance IMO, not only should love conquer all but jerks get put in their place. There’s a fantasy aspect that needs to be met.

Overall, I wouldn’t mind reading more from Rachel Lynn Solomon and will be on the lookout for her next adult rom-com. If you are a fan of Sally Thorne this book is one to grab.

~ Landra

⭐️ Winner winner! ⭐️ I absolutely LOVED this one.

Shay works as a producer at her local public radio station, and when her boss asks for ideas to revitalize the station, she throws out an idea for a radio show hosted by two exes, discussing relationship issues and what makes some couples work while others fall apart. She’s surprised when her boss actually liked the idea, and even more surprised when he suggests that she team up with Dominic Yun, her work-nemesis, to host it. Only problem? They have to lie and pretend like they are exes.

This had all the elements I love to see in a romantic comedy: witty banter, enemies to lovers, sexual tension, strong supporting characters, forced proximity (there’s only one bed?!) and STEAM. I loved the Jewish rep (something that’s become important to me as I’ve worked with @thishammer), I loved that Dominic is *younger* by several years, and I loved the voice. I read this in a day, so there ya go. Loved it.

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

(Sexytime spectrum — open door sex scenes that are steamy and sweet, without being overly detailed or drifting toward erotica.)

I can not sing praises enough for this book. The dynamic between Shay and Dominic is *chefs kiss*. Enemies to lovers and fake dating are two of my favorite tropes and this book embodies it perfectly. The podcast aspect of the book is so realistic for 2021 that makes it so much better. I am recommending this to any RomCom lover.