2.5 stars

This is a weird review because I would recommend it to folks interested in the public radio/fake ex-relationship premise. THE EX TALK didn’t click with me, but I completely understand why others are loving it.

As much as I enjoyed the voice and related to the heroine’s insecurities, I was so freaking stressed out by the ethics conflict. Like, it was physically painful to read — I suffered from severe second-hand embarrassment and humiliation. I still don’t think Shay and Dominic groveled/apologized enough for their deception. I kept placing myself in the shoes of the show listeners; ultimately, I decided that the remorse/apologies/ending weren’t enough to overcome my bitterness.

Not sure how to rate this one, but I’m going with 2.5 stars (my qualms are higher than whatever enjoyment I derived from the story).

I really enjoyed this novel! I've read some heavy books lately, and this was just the pick me up I needed. It was light and fun with Shay and Dominic, and their relationship of hate to love is one of my favorites! I knew nothing of how the radio industry worked before, and it was interesting to get a glimpse into that world. It was spot on to see the social media aspect of their lives. I enjoyed the growth that took place within Shay for her to find herself and her voice in a white, male dominated workplace. The perfect lighthearted, cute, love story that we need right now!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

Absolutely delightful book! I smiled while reading most of the book. Shay Goldstein is a hard working ten-year veteran of her local public radio station. Dominic Yun is the new hire with a masters in journalism. They end up hosting a podcast about relationships but the main premise, that they used to date, was a lie.

This is a lot more than just your average romance—covering loss of a parent, friendship issues, loneliness, misogyny in the office, and more. I highly recommend reading The Ex Talk.

There was something so magical, for me, about this book and I really had a feeling about this book at 8% in that it would be a favorite of the year. The reason? This quote:

"Every time I imagined adulthood, it looked different from this reality. All the important people in my life have their person. I have an empty house and my supposed dream job that doesn't always love me back."

I'm pleased to report, now that I'm finished, that this book is absolutely a favorite of the year. I can't really be objective about this other than to say that both Shay and I are 29 and we both feel like even though we're doing "alright," that we don't quite have things totally figured out. I found her remarkably relatable, but that wasn't all that captivated me. This book is casually inclusive. There are characters on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, immigrants, and people of color. Shay is Jewish. Dominic is Korean American. It was really, really lovely to read a contemporary romance that reflects a fuller tapestry of the world than what we sometimes see in fiction.

Something else I've come to realize about myself is how much I love mixed media and so these podcast excerpts were utterly delightful. I love banter in all forms, really, so I suppose that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but I really, really loved this. I loved the way this book talks about grief. I loved the friendship and the fight between Shay and Ameena. I love all the conversations with Shay and her mom and Phil, her mom's significant other. I was so invested in this book and all of the characters. I just wish I could go out and subscribe to The Ex Talk because I want more!

And, at this point, I should probably actually stop gushing and tell you what this book is about, huh? So Shay has worked for public radio for ten years. She and her dad had this thing about public radio and he died in her senior year of high school, but she pursued this dream. Shay is a producer not a host, but one day there's a staff meeting and she pitches this show idea about two exes hosting a dating show. Her work nemesis and her are paired to turn this show into a reality, but, of course, they've never dated. Dominic and Shay have a lot of work to do in order to make this convincing, but Shay would really appreciate if Dominic's forearms were slightly less distracting.

So yeah, that's an overview of the plot. I could go on for another several paragraphs about more things I loved, but I will attempt to wrap it up with this final thought. At one point, Shay tells Ameena, "It's my career . . . I can't just throw it all away for a guy." And this got me thinking about how that's always something that we say, but I really liked and appreciated the way that this book handles the fact that Shay's relationship with Dominic literally impacts her job. There's so much in this book about her relationship to her job and I really appreciated all of that commentary and, honestly, everything about the book. It was utterly brilliant and I just cannot recommend it enough.

I adored this book! My favorite trope, enemies-to-lovers, set in a radio station with two relatable characters and a few steamy scenes - what more could you want? I loved the banter between Shay and Dom, and loved the radio station setting. It was fun watching them fall in love while pretending to be exes. The ending reminded me of my beloved early 2000 romcom movies. This was just a perfect read!

The Ex Talk gets off to a bit of a slow start for me, but once the plotline for their radio show starts it picks up really quickly. As in, it took me three days to get through the first few chapters and then I read the 80% of the book in one sitting because I didn't want to put it down.

The entire book is from Shay's POV, told in the first person present tense. This seems to be a trend among contemporary enemies to lovers workplace romances like this, and as always I wish we'd gotten some of the story from Dominic's POV as well. I get why the choice was made - we're supposed to wonder "does he actually hate her too or has he secretly loved her all along?" but I feel like I've read this same set-up so many times now, lather rinse repeat. I do appreciate how trope-tastic this book is. Enemies to lovers, fake relationship, workplace romance, opposites attract, secret romance, forced proximity, mutual pining - there's even only one bed in here!

The dynamic between Shay and Dominic is really engaging to read. The way she keeps drooling over his forearms and his height, I kept picturing a cross between Henry Golding, Henry Cavill, and Hyun Bin. With how much Shay fantasizes about being pushed up against a wall and pinned there, I was expecting the sex scenes to be hotter/kinkier than they were. Don't get me wrong, they were PLENTY hot, but Shay seemed like she's into some dom/sub play and I wish that was more present.

One of the things I love about fake relationships is the part where they develop feelings and aren't sure if the other person is also having feelings or is just really good at acting. The Ex Talk really takes that to the next level because they don't like each other, are pretending to have had a past relationship but are now broken up, but need to get to know each other enough so they can keep up the charade of having dated enough to decide they aren't compatible, all while finding they actually ARE really compatible. It enough to make your head spin, and it had me alternately grinning and clutching my heart. This seems like a tricky dynamic to write, and Rachel Lynn Solomon executes beautifully.

Another thing I really loved about this book is the casual diversity. Shay's Jewish, Dominic is Korean, Shay's mom's boyfriend is Nigerian, Ruthie has a girlfriend and there are queer relationships just casually scattered throughout - and none of it is written in a very blatant way, like "here is my token queer couple, check off that diversity box." It's all quite subtle; Phil makes a comment in his Nigerian accent, Ruthie's girlfriend Tatum works at a cafe, Paloma and her art history professor wife... Rachel Lynn Solomon has built a picture of Seattle that represents what I assume Seattle actually looks like - a diverse population of folks from all walks of life.

I enjoyed The Ex Talk and look forward to reading more of Rachel Lynn Solomon's adult romance novels. She also writes YA contemporary romance, if that's more your style!

I loved this book about enemies turned fake ex-lovers turned real lovers who then survive a real break up. It's complicated you guys. But I loved the setting of Seattle and the world of public radio, neither of which are found in most contemporary romances. Know that this is a *very* open door romance. I loved the main characters stories and how they slowly began to trust one another with their most intimate thoughts and fears. Rachel Lynn Solomon is a good writer and this is the second book of hers that I thoroughly enjoyed.

DNF @25%

I tried several times to pick this up since I received the eARC of it, thinking maybe it was just my mood at the time. But this one is just not hooking me or keeping my interest.

For the most part, I really enjoyed The Ex Talk. I especially liked the premisse and the first half really drew me in. I especially really liked the love interest.

But there's one issue I had with it that made me dock a star and that I want to discuss. The main character is a white woman, and the love interest is a Korean man. Throughout the book, the main character is really surprised every time the love interest talks about his experience with racism, as if she's never heard of it before. Which is especially hard to believe because almost all of the supporting cast is made up of people of colour. At the same time, she talks a lot about experiencing misogyny, and she firmly places the love interest in the camp of people who have privilege over her because he is a cis man, never once stopping to consider her own white privilege. I just found that the way this was handled lacked a lot of nuance and awareness of intersectionality, and that was disappointing to see.

The Ex Talk is a book I was eager to read in 2021. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Romance for my advanced copy. This book was smart, fun, and flirty! Rachel Solomon had me giddy all the way through!

Shay Goldstein is a producer at a Seattle Public Radio Station for 10 years. It is there she meets her rival, Dominic Yun. Dominic is fresh out of his journalism master’s program at Northwestern. He has a cocky demeanor and arrogant personality but also adored by their sexist boss, Kent. Dominic’s easy mobility in the ranks at the station irritates Shay. The station finds their ratings are plummeting and they are in dire need of a fresh new concept for a show. Shay pitches a show based on relationships and dating hosted by exes. Due to Dominic and Shay’s natural office bickering Kent corners them into playing the part of a former couple and hosting the show. They are then forced to concoct a former fake romantic relationship to everyone in the public and office. Can they play the part and stay true to their rivalry? Can they ignore their undeniable chemistry?

I loved the concept of the book. It was not just an office romance. There was an extra dimension to this rom com that I found so entertaining. Their on the air banter that is presented in the show’s manuscripts were so creative and fun to read. You really do find yourself laughing out loud and charmed by their witty and smart personalities.

Aside from the office romance this book also deals with heavier themes like loss and misogyny in the work place. There is also a lot of steam 🔥in this book that will have you blushing!

If you are a lover of rom coms or just looking for a delightful and fun read, then you are definitely overdue to add this to your 2021 reading list!

This was exactly as charming as I wanted it to be. A public radio romance? Yes, please. With characters that were realistically drawn and had jobs that were interesting and cool without being quirky for the sake of it. There was a lot of good stuff explored outside just Dominic and Shay's relationship as well, so while this is solidly a workplace romance, the fantastic dynamic between them is only part of the story, as Shay is doing a lot of work on herself at the same time. This will be one with wide appeal.

I don't think I could have come up with a better situation for banter than a radio show/podcast. It's literally the perfect vehicle for the flirting witty banter between Dominic and Shay that makes The Ex Talk such an addictive read.

Dominic and Shay's chemistry is fabulous and I love their work rival-to- fake dating - to dating sequence. It kept me on my toes and invested. We really get to see them spend a lot of time together and really grow to appreciate and support one another. I was less invested in the family relationships - mostly because I feel like I didn't get enough, and there was a bit of a friendship blow up in the story that was kinda lame, but didn't detract too much from my enjoyment.

I could so easily see this as a movie in my mind, and with the rom-com resurgence happening, I would be thrilled to see Shay and Dominic's story play out again.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Okay, this book was SO fun. I've realized over the last year or so that any romances I read need to have some piece that I can connect to (a job, a character's hobby) and I'll love it so much more. Being that I'm married to a former NPR producer this book was so fun to read!

Shay and Dominic both work at Seattle's public radio station. They are enemies but tapped to host their own show about dating, hinging on the lie that they are exes. Of course, they fall in love in the process of working together.

Solomon did a great job building out two very real characters that felt three dimensional and interesting to me. She also did a great job with tension in this story rather than being very explicit about the physical stuff. So if you, like me, prefer your romances not super open door then this one is great.

I think readers of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill will love this one, just the right amount of nerdy mixed into the story.

Thank you @berkley for my gifted copy of this book.
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This is a enemies to lovers work drama , romance novel. The characters were pretty diverse , which is always a plus in my book. The authors did such a a great job of pacing the Story, and there was quite a bit of snark , which I loved even though I’m still not over that Nickleback comment . They’re not that bad , and yes I’m one of those people who listen to them on repeat 😩.
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This story is about Shay a radio producer who has been at her current job at Pacific Public Radio for ten years, steadily climbing up the ladder, but when a 24-year-old Dominic show up and instantly become a favorite of the boss, she start to feel overshadow. they’re forced to work together as “ exes “ on a new show and sparks start to fly, the fake exes start developing real feelings for each other. Their relationship and show is progressing but their guilt over deceiving their viewer is getting harder to bear and when someone got a hold of their plan and leak it, their careers in radio may be over for good .

The Ex Talk is a fun, clever romance, full of competence porn and delightful snippets about what it's like working in public radio. I enjoyed the premise - fake exes to lovers turns out to be a really entertaining take on the fake relationship and enemies to lovers tropes - and I loved the banter and the chemistry between Dominic and Shay. I also loved the diversity of the characters, both central and secondary.
Unfortunately, this funny, hot rom-com kind of transformed at the 70% mark to a bit of an angst-fest, and while I believed in the romance and in the happy ending, there wasn't a lot of time in the end to enjoy it - I was still feeling a bit sad and shaken when I finished the book.
My full review will be published at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books close to the publication date.

So hot. So funny. 10/10 would recommend.

Loved the diversity. Male Asian love interest! The funny banter. I have so many lines highlighted. “Unsubscribe” from the drunk texts. The what would a mediocre white man do? thing. The sex was unique and different than other romance novels but realistic and hot. Can’t wait for more adult books by this author. This was her best one so far. I can’t wait to reread this on audio.

So good! Great tension, great steaminess, great fully developed characters. I would 100% listen to this podcast. What a great leap from YA to adult.
This will be an easy sell to patrons.

Over summer 2020 I read my first Rachel Lynn Solomon book, Today Tonight Tomorrow, a YA contemporary that essentially took place over one night in Seattle, and I fell in love. I loved the way Rachel told a story and the way she used the city to be a character. I knew I needed to keep an eye out for whatever was next from her so imagine my surprise when I saw I didn’t have to wait long. The Ex Talk, an adult romance, was coming out in January. Immediately I knew I needed to read it and let me tell you…LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED it.

The Ex Talk is the story of Shay Goldstein, a radio producer for public radio in Seattle. Shay has been working at the station for a decade and is no closer to being on the air like she dreamed with her father for years before his death. And to make matters worse Dominic, her nemesis has only been there for 4 months and has already got to live out her dream. When the station needs to make cuts Shay suggests they do a radio show with two exes taking the reins. Suddenly Shay and Dominic are playing the roles of jilted exes live on the radio. But what started out as a lie between two foes quickly becomes something else. And as Shay and Dominic get to know each other they both start to realize just how deep in over their heads they may be.

Truth talk. When I started reading The Ex Talk I wasn’t sold. Something in the beginning of the book wasn’t connecting with me. But as I continued to read and got further and further into the story I was hooked. By the end of the book it was magic and one of the best romances I have read in a long while. And on top of that I can’t get it out of my head weeks later. Shay and Dominic where such amazing characters and an amazing couple that I couldn’t help but love their journey. By getting to know each other for their radio show, they got to know themselves a little more and got to understand some of their own flaws. Not to mention their sizzling chemistry.

In the end I think everyone needs to read The Ex Talk. IT is one of those rare romance books that just hits all the marks of perfection. IT will stay with you for a long time after you are done and you will be eager to get back to Seattle with these two as soon as you are done. A must read for 2021 and every year after! It reminded me of why I love to read.

3.5 rounded up a cute rom com with a fresh new take on the enemy to lover office romance trope. Overall I enjoyed the story and the characters but I was missing a bit of a spark between Shay and Dominic and the story was a bit slow in some parts for me. There was some great laugh out loud moments and the steam did pick up towards the end. I liked it but not a fave of mine

I’ve enjoyed Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YA works in the past, so I was interested in reading her first foray into adult/romance - and I absolutely loved it!

It took a little time for the premise to get going, but once it did there were plenty of tropes used to good effect, well-rounded characters with strong, individual relationships and development, snappy writing, a love of the power of public radio, a great sweet/sexy balance - plus I'm always here for a Jewish MC. I wasn’t always engaged with the podcast transcripts inserted and the last couple of scenes and the epilogue were maybe a bit messier than the pure HEA I’d been expecting, but the buildup and payoff of Shay and Dominic’s relationship made up for it. I read through the whole thing in one session while quietly whispering “yes, yes, yes” to myself (except the brief time I spent saying, “no, no, no, just talk to each other!” though that’s pretty par for the course). Recommend to those who like contemporary romance a la Jasmine Guillory, and readers looking for new adult type stories.