QOTD: Are there any tropes that you really like or dislike?

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon @rlynn_solomon, is an enemies to lovers/quasi fake dating combo that is super spicy 🌶

In it, Shay and Dominic get their first shot at hosting a radio show, but they have to do it as pretend-exes. Of course, in true rom com fashion, there’s a spark between them. As a big time podcast listener, I liked the radio show/podcast idea and the way Solomon handled instafame on social media.

It was definitely a fun and quick read. This is the type of book that I’d 💯 toss in my pool bag and sit in the sun with.

Thanks @netgalley for a gifted e-copy (this photo is of my library book 😅😂)

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I went into this book predisposed to love it, because the description reminded me so much of a book with a very similar premise that I utterly adored, Turn It Up by Inez Kelley. (It’s been ten years since I read Turn It Up and I still remember it fondly. It was delightful and it’s still available in ebook.)

And I did enjoy reading The Ex Talk. I had a great time with the reading of it and the characters. But I also didn’t like it, because part of the underlying premise doesn’t hold up to even a cursory examination.

This dichotomy results in the following very mixed feelings review.

The best parts of the story revolve around the “insider baseball” aspects of Public Radio, as seen through the eyes of Shay Goldstein. Shay has her dream job of being a producer on her hometown Seattle station, and has been there for a decade when the story begins.

Shay loves her job, she loves the station, she loves working in public radio. It’s been her dream since childhood, when she and her dad bonded over listening to and acting out programs like Car Talk as they did all sorts of wonderful things together. Those memories are the golden parts of Shay’s childhood.

When her dad died suddenly, those memories got trapped in amber, until working in public radio became her dream. And once she achieved that dream, it became her life. Or swallowed her life. Shay’s not very good at downtime, so she’s perfectly suited to being in a job that won’t let her have any.

But, as we know in real life, public radio lives on pledge drives and ratings and grants and sponsors that aren’t exactly called sponsors. And that radio isn’t the media powerhouse it used to be and public radio in particular often has a tough time with ratings and dollars.

That’s where the plot of this story really kicks in – and also where it kicks out a bit.

In the race for ratings, Shay’s slimy boss concocts a scheme that Shay isn’t on board with at all. Or wouldn’t be if her job, any job at the station, wasn’t directly on the line.

Because the scheme is wrapped around a big fat lie – a lie that gets harder and harder to tell with each passing day and each download and each encouraging tweet. The lie is a huge hit for the station – and a huge mess for Shay and her partner-in-not-exactly-a-crime, Dominic Yun.

And thereby hangs a tale, as the saying goes. Also, thereby ends up hanging Shay and Dominic.

Escape Rating B-: The lie that Shay and Dominic end up telling is a doozy. That they are exes who parted in a friendly enough fashion that they are able to co-host a radio talk show about relationships that banks on their supposed status as exes.

As a romance, this is an enemies to lovers story. When we first meet Shay and Dominic, they are rivals. Dominic is the new “golden child” because their station manager is a misogynistic douchecanoe.

Shay, naturally, resents that Dominic has walked into a privilege and status that she’s worked ten hard years for and not managed to achieve. Not because she’s any less good at the job, but because he has one bit of anatomical equipment that she lacks.

Their relationship is prickly (pun slightly intended) because Shay resents Dominic for his easy access to privilege and he envies her for her in-depth knowledge of public radio in general, the station in specific, and just how to get things done and where the bodies are buried.

But they have chemistry that comes through even over the radio, which is what hatches the scheme to lie to the entire city of Seattle and anyone listening to the podcast of the program.

And that’s the part that makes the story fall down. Not that their romance in spite of themselves isn’t a whole lot of fun, but the way that they got there. Specifically the way that Dominic gets there.

Dominic is all about becoming an investigative reporter and ethics in journalism. Seriously. All about it – at least until he lets himself be talked into this program with Shay. The fundamental lie at the heart of their success is something he doesn’t even seem to interrogate himself about much, as he’s spending much more energy dealing with his feelings for Shay – feelings that he’s not supposed to have because in public their relationship is supposed to have already been there and done that.

There’s so much going for this book. Really. So much. But its central premise based on that big lie took it from “willing suspension of disbelief” to “unwilling to suspend disbelief” for this reader just as much as it did for their audience. It’s not so much that I can’t imagine it happening as that I’m not on board with it happening with this particular character. If Dominic weren’t such a stand-up, straight-arrow kind of guy, we wouldn’t understand what Shay sees in him. But the person he’s represented as at the beginning wouldn’t be part of this mess without a whole lot more guilt and angst than we get to see.

That the douchecanoe station manager doesn’t get nearly as much of a comeuppance as he deserved is kind of the scraped off icing on this not quite properly baked cake. But it’s still a fun read. As I said at the top, mixed feelings. Very.

Your reading mileage may definitely vary.

THE EX TALK is a light, fun, and quick romantic comedy. Solomon develops her characters well and delivers on swoony moments.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Ever since I read The Hating Game years ago I’ve been on a quest to find an office enemies-to-lovers romance that I love as much as that one.⁣
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The Ex Talk, while not to that level for me, was such a fun and enjoyable office romance with a fun twist on a faux relationship trope with them pretending to be exes for a radio show. ⁣
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It wasn't QUITE hate-to-love in my opinion -- more like rivals who mildly annoy one another -- and I can't say I QUITE felt that tension I was hoping for. That said, I was very into the sexual tension that did build (esp on their trip) and pleasantly surprised at the steam! And Dominic is a wonderful love interest!⁣
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Also: CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (if you know, you know). WOO BOY.⁣
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I think I would have LOVED it more if I felt like the podcast thing was stronger. I never really felt how it suddenly became so popular and I didn't actually think their on-air banter/chemistry was there. I don't know I just was hoping for more with the whole storyline.
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I really did enjoy Shay's storyline -- feeling stuck on her life path, the grief storyline of her dad REALLY resonated, the patriarchy in the workplace. ⁣
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I feel like I've talked more about what I didn't like when I actually DID really enjoy this book a lot and it was REALLY FUN and delightful. I think I just wanted it to be so much more so I have a lot of feelings about the things that didn't really provide that extra spark for me. ⁣
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I think if you are looking for a quick and fun romantic comedy with some good steam, it's a really good read! I really liked it — probs a really solid 3.75 stars.

In this steamy adult contemporary romance, Shay Goldstein and her archenemies from work, Dominic Yun, pretend to be ex-lovers for a new talk radio show in order to save their jobs and make a name for themselves.

Sadly, The Ex Talk was not my cup of tea. I have never been a fan of public radio or podcasts, doubly so after I spent time with an ex who absolutely adored NPR programming. I recognized every single one of the real programs and personalities mentioned in the book, but it just brought back a whole bunch of bad memories. Perhaps I could have moved past those feelings if I had connected to Shay and Dominic, but I never warmed to them. They felt rather static and bland, both as characters and as a couple, despite their convoluted situation. Additionally, I struggled with Shay's unhealthy fixation on the five-year age gap between her and Dominic (she is older). It was brought up ad nauseum as the story progressed.

It's not all bad. Featuring a multiracial couple, an unconventional male lead, and steamy sex scenes, the story is a refreshingly different take on the fake dating trope. I have no doubt an audience exists for this story, but it's not me.

I wanted more from this book than I got. I really enjoyed the public radio-ness of it all, including the references to real people (though it did cause me to look up the fake podcasts mentioned). I didn't feel like Dominic was fleshed out as well as I wanted. Shay is a good protagonist with difference dimensions, and I enjoyed her relationship with her mother. The thing that pulls the two people apart seemed strange and not well set up, so it left me a little confused and less pleased once the two of them came back together.

I honestly went back and forth with my rating for this one. I settled on 4 stars but if I think about it too much, I might switch to 3. I wanted to love this book. I genuinely enjoyed the storyline, and the budding rivals-to-lovers romance. The writing is charming and engaging, and I love getting to know the characters as well as the ins and outs of radio hosting.

From the beginning, the lie about them being exes didn't sit well with me, because I knew the truth would have to come out. Even knowing that, though, I wasn't prepared for how angry I'd be when the truth came out and the heroine got royally screwed over because of it. I was fuming at how everything unraveled and ultimately, I don't think enough was done to redeem the hero.

Because I enjoyed the book as a whole, I'm trying not to let my distaste for the ending cloud my feelings about the rest of the story. I would love to give the author another chance, because I liked the characters and the writing, and I'm curious to see what else the author has in store.

I love the premise of the story and how unique and refreshing the storyline is being it in Public Radio. I think The Ex Talk would be a great radio show in real life. I can imagine all the drama and fights that will captivate listeners. This is an enemies-to-lovers story and I love that Shay is older than Dominic. There were parts that were a bit dragging but there are good points to this like Jewish and Asian representation. I think the backgrounds of the main characters are also realistic and relatable. I'm also in my 20s (late 20s to be specific) and I'm not completely sure what I want to do in my life even when I have an amazing job right now.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
The Ex Talk is an enemies to friends to lovers book with a lot of heart.

I unfortunately expected to like this book a lot more than I did. The set up was interesting, and the podcast transcripts were a unique touch to this story. I personally just did not understand why Shay hates Dominic so much at the beginning. She seems almost aggressively angry toward him, in a way that makes me feel HR should be involved and he should absolutely be running far away from her.

This book was super cute and steamy! Loved the characters which made up for how predictable and cliche it was at times. Overall enjoyed!

Friends to lovers couldn't get any better than this. I loved every minute of this book and I love seeing into their thoughts.

The Ex Talk is a smart, sexy and funny enemies-to-lovers story with a public radio twist. Rachel Soloman did a great job bringing to life the recording studios found at small radio stations nationwide.

I adored Dominic Yun. This was a great romantic comedy about coworkers forced to work together. Perfect for fans of NPR and public radio.

Rachel is one of my top authors, and I cannot recommend her books enough. Dominic and Shay were utterly hilarious, yet brought a fresh look on the genre.

3.5 rounded up to for 4. Was fun listening on audio. I was excited about this book because it had a new, interesting story line and I really liked the Public Radio side of it. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of steam. Definitely recommend for a fun, quick summer read!!

I loved some elements of this book, but it fell a little bit flat for me in the actual romance department. I loved the Jewish and Asian rep, and the fact that Shay was older than Dominic. I feel like that's a lot more common than media often shows, unless they're trying to do a dramatic "cougar" storyline. I liked the premise of the book, and the forced proximity of their relationship. I liked that there was discussion of Jewish traditions, not just in passing. I really loved that Shay hadn't figured out her entire career path by the end of the story. That's realistic! Not everyone knows what they want to do with their life in their 20s, and that's okay. I also, of course, loved the Buffy references! I think the chemistry/banter between the characters felt a little off to me—they felt more like friends than romantic partners, so I had a trouble getting super invested in their relationship and wasn't fully convinced that they were meant to be together.

Such a fun book that I know so people have loved! The format was great and even though it was more closed door for my typical romance taste, I still enjoyed it!

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

This book without a doubt lived up to the hype for me. I loved the fresh take on a workplace romance: start with a mutual dislike of each other, become fake exes, add in a bit of forced proximity AND a one bed situation, and BOOM. Love.

I identify with Shay waaaaay more than I care to admit. She recently bought a house, got a dog, has a secure job doing something she’s been doing forever but isn’t sure she actually likes anymore?! Seriously, has Solomon been stalking me?! Add in her growing frustration over being attracted to the younger hotshot reporter at the station who annoys her to no end, and Shay was just such a fun but super relatable character. (I feel you on the forearm fetish, girlfriend.) In the end, I felt like she really grew as a character while still being true to all of the things I loved about her from the beginning.

My only wish is that I was able to see inside Dominic’s head, too, because I guarantee it would’ve been hilarious and sweet and heartbreakingly vulnerable all at once.