Shay has been a radio producer at the same company for ten years, so when Dominic, a newly hired reporter, quickly becomes an office favorite, Shay is convinced that he is the most annoying man ever who cannot shut up about his master’s degree. The two get the opportunity to host a talk show together in order to save their struggling company; it is during this time that the two grow closer, and Shay realizes that she may have feelings for Dominic. But does he reciprocate them?

I often find myself being able to sit down and read an entire romance book in less than a day because of how fun and cute the genre is, and The Ex Talk is exactly what I needed! This super sweet and super steamy romance had me feeling all of the emotions as Shay and Dominic grew from enemies to lovers. I really enjoy lighthearted romances, but I also love to see books go deep and explore topics that don’t usually get discussed enough. Rachel Lynn Solomon was able to explore grief in a way that really got me thinking, and I appreciated getting to watch Shay work through her grief even years after the death in her family. I do wish there would have been more to Shay figuring out how to accept and adapt to her mother’s new relationship, as that was something I felt was more touched on in the beginning of the book before fading out for the most part without being all the way resolved. Regardless, this was still a super great book that I absolutely devoured!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon!

An enemies to lovers in a work place setting?!! What more can you ask for!! I loved every minute of this!!

Two of the things I love most in this world are listening to NPR and reading romcoms so this enemies-to-lovers story set in the world of public radio? Dream come true!

Shay is a radio producer in Seattle who's always wanted to be on-air and resents her new co-worker, Dominic, for landing a reporter gig right out of grad school. When their station needs a buzzworthy new show, she comes up with The Ex Talk which would feature two exes giving relationship advice. Her boss loves the idea and decides Shay and Dominic should be the hosts - they clearly detest one another and their verbal sparring is thoroughly entertaining. The two begrudgingly agree to pose as a former couple (the alternative is being laid off) and to everyone's surprise, the show takes off, forcing the adversaries to spend more time together and realize the other might not be as awful as they thought.

Solomon writes wonderful characters and zingers (a favorite? "Cool is the Kevin Jonas of compliments, It's like saying your favorite color is beige."), and the banter between Shay and Dominic is fantastic. I also loved the subplots - Shay dealing with her father's death and her mother's new relationship, the dynamic between Shay and her childhood friend Ameena, the story of Dominic's first love, and sexism in the workplace among others - and how race, sexuality and religion are addressed without being a "thing" if that makes sense. The story had some twists I didn't expect and the ending, which is totally movie-worthy, left a huge smile on my face. I've also adopted Shay and Ameena's mantra WWAMWMD or "What Would a Mediocre White Man Do?" as my own.

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a copy to review.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy (1 day late) pub day to this book! Thank you so much to @berk @netgal and @rachel for the gifted e-arc. It was such a joy reading this book I crushed it in one day!

SYNOPSIS: Dominic Yun said it best - “It’s your typical coworkers turned enemies turned fake exes turned cohosts turned…” you will just have to read to find out!

THOUGHTS: My first Rachel Lynn Solomon novel, though definitely not my last. I loved this story from the beginning and read literally all day yesterday. The radio/podcast theme was fun to read about and learn the production side of The Ex Talk. I adored Shay and Dominic and thought they were a really good pair for each other. Their banter was funny, their chemistry was on point, it was appropriately steamy, and they were both just very likable people. I also really liked the diversity in this book with an interracial couple, jewish representation, and LGBTQIA characters. All around incredible read and one I hope all my romance/rom-com lovers out there get your hands on!

Shay Goldstein is a producer for a Seattle public radio station. She’s used to being the golden girl, having started as an intern and risen through the ranks. Shay loves her job…until Dominic arrives. He thinks he’s SO great, and constantly lording his master’s degree in journalism in her (and everyone else’s faces). It’s clear he thinks that anything other than ‘real news’ is beneath him.

But when budgets get cut and layoffs start to roll out, their boss gives them the opportunity to work on a new dating show together…or rather, ex-dating show. Shay would get to be on the air. On the air! It’s part terrifying, and partly what she’s always wanted. But will she be able to get Dominic to agree when he’s made it very clear that he thinks that sort of show is just ‘fluff’?

This book has enemies to lovers, fake dating, and forced proximity—all of my favorite tropes—so naturally, I was hooked immediately. And you know I can’t go past a book that’s set in my new home-town of Seattle!

There were a few times where I really wanted to slap both of the main characters and tell them to get out of their own way, but ultimately I found them extremely likable and was really rooting for their happy ever after. And the dialogue…it’s solid gold. You know it’s funny when you not once, but thrice spit tea onto your book because you’re so taken by surprise by something completely hilarious. The moments of absolute hilarity are also balanced by some truly moving story-lines through the book that will have you tearing up and clutching your heart.

If you’re in need of some super fun, sweet, flirty romance in your life right now you definitely need to grab a copy of this one. It’s perfect to start off #FlirtyFebruary (hint hint). There were definitely some Ten Rules for Faking It vibes too, with the radio station dating show and all, so if you enjoyed that one you’ll love this too. Although this book is definitely steamier. Oh my, am I blushing? I might be. ;)

This one takes the fake dating trope and twists it....into fake exes, with a fake break up! So different and cute. Characters were likable and I was definitely rooting for them the whole time.

I really wanted to love this book and based on the rave reviews I thought my odds were promising. Unfortunately I struggled to find things I even liked about it, let alone loved. The fake relationship trope is common in romance and has worked for me on occasion in the past. In this case the way it was applied in the plot was gross-irredeemably gross. The story centers around a radio show producer (Shay) and an investigative journalist (Dominic) who are offered a job co-hosting a new show all about dating. Pretty standard fare. Except these two co-hosts are exes giving relationship advice. Great twist if it were real, but it's a complete and utter sham.

Yet again, more than a little deceptive and she doesn't have a twinge of conscience. Both Shay and Dominic feel ashamed about their fake show so they lie to their families as well. Anytime you can't even tell your family the truth about your life, you know you're making the wrong choices. So they start the show, and the author presents the on-air scenes as "transcripts" of their dialogue. I thought this was a unique way to insert it, as if you're reading a script. Then again, it IS scripted. Even their argumentative dynamic. You see, in the beginning of the book their biting exchanges were real because Shay resented his meteoric success at the station. By the time they aired their first show, they were already friendly with one another. So literally nothing about The Ex Talk was real.

The show screams unethical, but based on the rave reviews I guess that's not an issue for others. As the book wears on, Shay's guilty conscience bites her in the ass. These moments are brief and quickly brushed aside with flimsy justifications.

On the show, they do a game where Dominic has to put five dollars in a jar every time he mentions his lofty Northwestern master's degree. He ends up owing $25 by the end of the first week. This is even with him resisting other employees trying to bait him into saying it. Eventually he racks up enough to write a donation check to Illinois University. Is there anything more obnoxious than someone with no humility who needs to brag about their higher education 5+ times a week? That's just unbelievably tacky. I'm not kidding, he even mentions it during their first sex scene.

One day a listener calls in and he's done some social media investigating. Turns out that Shay made a mistake and left a clue on Facebook that she was using a dating app when she was supposed to have been with Dominic. What follows is unapologetic, self-righteous, gaslighting to shut the caller up.

The resolution is rom-com standard fare. The big, romantic, public apology/profession of feelings/groveling. Kiss, kiss. Happily ever after. I was so disgusted by these characters that I didn't care what happened to them at this point. How do you like characters that are willing to lie to family, co-workers, and the audience who trusts them for months on end? This is a sad commentary on how journalistic integrity is malleable when it's up against the mighty dollar and clicks online. But in the end, the boss was villainized for being sexist so we should focus on that, and not the bad choices the main characters made for the entire book. He was the true bad guy here. I think it's obvious by now that this is not something I particularly enjoyed reading, but I am in the minority by far. So you'll probably want to read it and judge for yourself. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and regretfully this time it's going to be a loss.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for providing an eARC for review.

Shay Goldstein has spent the past decade working in public radio and is massively frustrated by her new colleague, Dominic Yun, and his frequently referenced master’s degree in journalism. When their station needs to make cuts, Shay pitches a new show following a pair of exes dishing out relationship advice. Sparks fly as Shay and Dominic clash over the caliber of the idea. To their dismay, their boss decides to cast them as the exes despite their distinct lack of a prior relationship. The two reluctantly agree to go for it, growing closer and building a devoted fan base along the way. But secrets have a way of coming out, and getting caught lying on public radio could have disastrous consequences, both personal and professional.

This was a sweet read! I’d never read a book about radio before, and I loved seeing Shay and Dom’s passion for their work come to life on the page. I felt like I should be able to turn on the radio and hear the two of them bantering and doling out relationship advice. Shay in particular was very well-developed. Her pain over losing her father, discomfort with change, and her growth throughout the storyline were so believable. I loved that Dominic is Korean as I rarely see Korean characters as leads in contemporary romance. I do wish there was a bit more exploration of his culture (beyond him recommending food at a restaurant) in the way that it explores aspects of Shay’s Jewish heritage. But this is really Shay’s story and I can see why it didn’t delve further into Dom’s story beyond how it relates to Shay.

I tend to not be a huge fan of books that center around deception, but this workplace, fake exes, and enemies-to-lovers romance won me over. The discomfort that Shay feels over their lie is palpable. While reading, I was nearly as on edge as she was wondering how everything would inevitably come crashing down. I felt that the lead up to that moment was stronger than the moment itself, but I appreciated the overall read.

If you like rescue pups, passionate characters, books set in the Pacific Northwest, excellent banter, and smutty scene or two, this might just be the read for you!

Thank you berkleypub for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rom com lovers... this one is for you!!! The banter ... oh my goodness all the witty banter. I loved it! This book was such a fun and refreshing take on fake dating... it’s actually “let’s pretend we were in a relationship and that we broke up.”
Seriously, I was smiling from ear to ear. This just seemed so real with real situations.
Make sure to put this one on your tbr! You will not be disappointed.

Not that I needed it cemented further, but THE EX TALK has cemented my love for Rachel Lynn Solomon’s stories. They are addictive, consuming reads in the best way. You start, and you practically cannot stop until you’ve finished.

THE EX TALK had so much of what I love in a romance. It made me laugh and it made me swoon and it certainly pulled on my heartstrings. Also, I love an adult contemporary romance where the “dreaded third act break-up” did not carry Shay and Dominic past the point of (believable) return.

The Ex Talk is a sprightly romance with entertaining banter, a wonderfully diverse cast, and a story that flies by. Rachel Lynn Solomon’s adult romance debut has a lot of charm and the concept of fake exes rather than fake dating was fresh and fun.

Outside of her job, Shay is kind of a hot mess and I liked that she didn’t have it all together, nor did she pretend to. The death of her father marked her as a teenager and their shared love of public radio has shaped her career. At twenty-nine she has devoted her entire career so far to Pacific Public Radio. But she has to deal with a sexist boss who takes her work for granted and throws praise on the new hotshot guy in the office. Shay takes an instant dislike to Dominic, partly because of jealousy and partly because of what she sees as his arrogance. However, Dominic is too cute for words. The twenty-four-year-old journalist with a master’s from Northwestern has confidence to spare but he’s not the arrogant jerk Shay first sees him as. Dominic is passionate about journalism and he still has his idealism that makes him feel fresh which I enjoyed. What I loved more is that Dominic isn’t always smooth and there are some things I will leave readers to learn about him which were adorable. I defy readers not to love Dominic and once Shay gets to know him it’s clear she can’t hold out either.

When Shay proposes the idea of two exes hosting a radio show her boss is enthusiastic. Only due to budget cuts he comes up with a twist of his own: Shay and Dominic pretend to be exes and host the show. The lie sticks in both their craws but with their jobs on the line they’re backed into a corner. Their bickering and banter does make for perfect radio and I honestly loved the show transcript clips Solomon wrote so much that I wish there were a lot more. The more time they spend together, the better Dominic and Shay get to know one another. And when that happens, love and lust start to simmer. I enjoyed watching them fall for each other and though the age gap is brought up a lot, it honestly isn’t big and – when it comes to relationships – Shay is a bit immature so if the five year gap wasn’t mentioned as much as it was I wouldn’t have noticed. Dominic and Shay are cute together and though their scenes together lost some energy when there wasn’t banter, I liked them and was rooting for them to make it.

The highlight of The Ex Talk was, for me, the characters’ love of public radio and podcasts. Solomon does a fantastic job of weaving in what goes on behind the scenes and I found it incredibly compelling. You can tell when an author loves something – it just shows in their writing and makes you start to fall for it too. So if you don’t come out of this read at least a little bit in love with public radio then I’d be surprised.

A rich and diverse supporting cast rounds out The Ex Talk and makes Shay and Dominic’s world feel more real. I really enjoyed Shay and Dominic’s friends and family and the way Solomon nods to multiple cultures and traditions. There’s also a really good emotional heft to the scenes with Shay and her mother. Grief and the loss of a loved one is a theme in this story and informs a lot of Shay’s choices, but it doesn’t take over the book and Solomon treats the heavier topics with the respect they deserve. All in all, I really enjoyed The Ex Talk. It has flawed but well-meaning characters, solid banter, and an enjoyable romance.

THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon is an adult romance about two rival coworkers, Shay and Dominic, as they lie their way through their new radio talk show, The Ex Talk. The lie being that they’ve never actually dated. Already nervous about getting caught in their lie, things only get more complicated when the pair actually start to fall for each other.
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I knew I was going to love this book! Last year, her YA novel TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW was one of my top reads. THE EX TALK is fun and filled with flirty banter. Shay and Dominics chemistry is just wonderful— their story was smart, funny, passionate and genuine. I laughed and I cried. I didn’t want this book to end!
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5/5 stars! THE EX TALK is available January 26, 2021!
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Thank you to Rachel for sending me an eARC to review! 🎙💕

I think this was a fresh take on a romcom and I loved the enemies to lovers. I really enjoyed the concept of The Ex Talk radio show. I’m looking forward to more books from this author

This book was, as all books by Rachel Lynn Solomon tend to be, fabulous. I will fully admit that this is my first foray into adult romance. And I’d probably never taken the leap had one of my all-time favorite authors not have written it. But she did, so I did, and here we are. I think what I loved the most about the book is how much I related to Shay. Her thoughts echoed so many of my own thoughts while trying to navigate adulthood. (To be fair, Shay is doing a way better job, but alas.) No exaggeration, reading through my Kindle notes, I left at least 10 comments of “yes, this!” and “me too!” and “Amen to that!”, because I just related so, so hard to Shay.

The public radio aspect was so fun, too. I had no idea what to expect going in, and by the end I was like “wow I wish my voice wasn’t that of a nasally frog, I want to do that job!” Shay’s (Rachel’s, really) idea for a radio show about exes giving love advice is perfect, too. Because you know it will provide for a comedy of errors, considering that she and her cohost were never actually together. Speaking of, I loved Dominic with every fiber of my being. Perhaps not at first- at first, I probably felt a bit like Shay did about him. But as he grows on Shay, he grows on the reader.

While the book is a romance (and an excellent one at that), there are so many other elements worth mentioning. First, Shay must navigate her adult mother-daughter relationship, which has always been a bit strained, all while her mother is remarrying a decade after her father’s death. Shay also must cope with her father being gone, which is obviously an impossible ask. And as her best friend begins to make some big life changes, Shay finds herself feeling stagnant while everyone else undergoes these huge transitions.

Her feelings of loneliness, not just in regard to being single, but in life, hit hard for me. But the ultimate message that we can change our course, that things can be better, were wonderful to read, and helped me to feel a bit hopeful (while still maintaining a healthy dose of pessimism, don’t misunderstand).

Bottom Line: I fell in love with Shay and Dominic, and I’ve zero doubt that you will, too.

THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon was an enjoyable and delightful story. I couldn't put down the book, or my iPhone because I read an e-arc. Realistic characters. Interesting POV.

4.25 stars--THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a multi-troped, contemporary, adult, romance story line focusing on twenty-nine year old, public radio producer Shay Goldstein, and twenty-four year old, journalist turned radio host Dominic Yun.

Told from first person perspective (Shay) THE EX TALK follows the building romance and relationship between twenty-nine year old, public radio producer Shay Goldstein, and twenty-four year old, journalist turned radio host Dominic Yun. Shay Goldstein was the fastest rising producer at Seattle’s Pacific Public Radio, and her weekly radio series ‘Puget Sounds’ was going great until it wasn’t. Her barely veiled hatred of newcomer and journalist Dominic Yun would become fodder for management, and in this, our couple would be forced to work together by the station manager or lose their jobs. Liking the ‘sparring’ and ‘vibe’ between our leading couple, it is suggested a series of podcasts focusing on relationships but more specifically on an ex-relationship, that never was. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Shay and Dominic, and the fall-out when the secrets and lies become public knowledge.

Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun couldn’t have been more different, and working together to create a fake, former relationship draws the couple together but a mandatory weekend together finds our couple falling for one another, a fall that will hit rock-bottom when the truth is revealed. Developing a relationship that never was reveals one another’s relationship history, family, and future hopes and dreams.

The relationship between Shay and Dominic is a friends to enemies, forced fake relationship where the sexual tension is masked by the back and forth, yin and yang of jealousy and hate. Dominic, with a Master’s in Journalism, had just come off of a long term relationship, and our heroine was no longer looking for someone to love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Shay’s mother Leanna, and her fiancé Phil; Dominic’s parents Morris and Margot; misogynistic station manager Kent O’Grady; show host Paloma Powers; Shay’s best friend Ameena and her boyfriend TJ; junior producer Ruthie Liao.

THE EX TALK is an age-gap, multi-cultural, enemies to lovers, fake relationship story line. Rachel Lynn Solomon’s ability to slowly build the background and history of our leading couple is the ideal set up for a wonderful story that is sure to resonate to many readers. The character driver premise is engaging and imaginative ; the characters are quirky and sassy; the romance is tender and seductive.


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THE EX TALK
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

THE EX TALK was such a fun and cute read- I devoured it in less than a day! this book was a breath of fresh air, my favorite I’ve picked up this month!

what I loved 💖
- enemies to lovers trope
- diverse and (actually) interesting characters
- NPR and podcast elements 🎙
- discussed grief (and it’s lasting impact) in a realistic and notable way
- pacific northwest setting
- a crazy and adorable rescue pup 🐶

thank you @berkleypub & @berkleyromance for the gifted e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review ✨

Broody doorway leans, sexy forearm flashes, subtle hand touches, witty banter, smart humor, diverse characters, AND a strong female lead, The Ex Talk did not disappoint.

Shay Goldstein is a longtime producer at a Seattle public radio station. Her father passed on a love of radio to her, and she can’t imagine doing anything else with her life. Since her father passed away when she was 18, it’s one of the few things she has left from him.

Everything is going great until she starts to clash with her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh out of a prestigious journalism master’s program and loves to brag about it.

They end up starting a new show together, The Ex Talk, where they pretend to be two exes exploring relationship and dating topics. They both hate lying to their audience about their non-existent past relationship, but the show soon becomes so popular that neither one is prepared to handle what happens next.

I absolutely loved this book! I read it in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. The chemistry between Shay and Dominic is amazing, and the character development is so on point. The pace and build-up of this relationship (and the steam) were impeccable. The setting is in the Pacific Northwest, and I loved the Sleepless in Seattle vibes. Even though the story took a messy turn, the ending fell into place even better than I could’ve imagined.

What I Loved?
- What a fun concept this was? Two “exes” hosting a radio show/podcast about their “relationship.” It had everything that you could want for an enemies to lovers/fake dating/forced proximity book.
- Dominic: He just seemed so sweet. I loved the part about the Beanie babies. How many of us have a few of our own left over?
- The steam: After a few closed door romances, I needed some steam. This one didn’t disappoint.
- Steve: I loved that Shay adopted a dog that no one seemed to want and made him so lovable! I loved the part when he was taking up the bed so she had to sleep somewhere else. This has almost happened a few times to me with a certain little doodle.
- Austin: I just love when my town is mentioned in a book.

What I Would Change?
- I wish it had been dual perspective. So many times I found myself wondering what Dominic was thinking.
- I hated the fight that Shay had with Ameena. I get why it had to happen but it just made my heart hurt a lot.

Imagine having to do a radio show with your ex. You don’t have to imagine too hard, because that’s not what happens here, but it’s what Shay and Dominic want their listeners to believe. The Ex-Talk is a cute, quick read about two public radio station employees in Seattle who are desperately trying to save their station by pulling in ratings. Shay is a ten year veteran in the industry and Dominic recently got his masters (and he will keep reminding everyone that he got his masters) and is new to the radio world. Shay is a work-a-holic and at first can’t stand Dominic, which is why their fake ex-relationship works so well for their listeners. But as their audience grows, people start to become internet sleuths and find a hole or two in their story. I adored this book and have been thinking about it since I finished it. The diverse cast and strong female lead had me hooked from the beginning. The ending had me so hyped up (when you read it, you’ll know) and I was cheering Shay on as if she were a real life best friend.