Shay Goldstein's whole life is pubic radio. She's been working her way up the rank for a decade. When the station runs into financial trouble the only way to stay afloat is with the next great show. Shay and Dominic aren't exes, but they are going to pretend to be on the radio. Will a pretend past lead to real feeling? PROBABLY!
Rachel Lynn Solomon's adult romance debut is near perfect. There is a unique story line, all the representation, and plenty of steam! (Don't get me started on that night on the island)

Review // The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

❓Romance, Jewish Lit, Feminist Lit

💗 Funny, Romantic, Steamy

📖 Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun are colleagues at their Seattle Public Radio station, but they are NOT friends - which makes things even more awkward when they team up and pretend to be exes for a steamy new podcast. Will sparks fly as they get to know each other better, or will the whole show crash and burn just like their fake relationship?

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Things to Know:
✨ Romance Tropes: Enemies to lovers, Fake relationship

✨ Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥/5 (the door was open, but the steamy scenes were relatively short and sweet)

✨ Rachel Lynn Solomon's adult romance debut was both things I look for in a rom-com - funny and smart. The premise was witty. The banter was snappy. The characters were likeable.

✨ Speaking of which, I really loved the diverse cast of characters, and how they all related to one another. Shay was Jewish, and I found myself smiling at and relating to her family's traditions.

✨ Shay had a lot going on in her life. The Ex Talk was definitely a romance, but it was a romance that also dealt with the realities of life and love outside of the central relationship, which I very much appreciated. Shay had to grapple with workplace stress, changing family dynamics, a strained friendship, and the realities of living alone. It was all very modern and relatable.

✨ "WWAMWMD?" 😂😂 Shay and her best friend asked themselves this frequently - what would a mediocre white man do?! It was a vote of confidence that if a mediocre white man could do it, certainly their hard-working, badass selves could do it better.

Read If You Like:
✨ Feminist romance
✨ Public radio and podcasts
✨ The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

I really loved this one! Thank you to Rachel Lynn Solomon and @netgalley for the advanced copy! The Ex talk is out on January 26!

Enjoyed this book that takes place in a public radio setting. The characters were so likeable and believable. The dialogue is top notch as are the connections between the love interests.

Shay had a fantastic idea for new show. A relationship show hosted by exes. Brilliant, right? The only problem was she and her co-host had never actually dated. Given the choice of faking it or unemployment, Shay chose the show, but while pretending to be his ex, she caught some real feelings.

I am a die-hard fan of Solomon's YA books, so I had really high hopes for this one, and it surpassed all my expectations. I expected it to be fun and swoony with snappy banter, but I didn't expect it hit me so hard emotionally. That is why I this book gets all the stars.

One reason this book was perfection was the characters, who I believe people will find hard to resist. Shay had so much passion for public radio, which was something she shared with her late father. Though he had been gone for a decade, Shay still felt that hole in her life, and she plugged it up by working, a lot. Dominic was the wet behind the ears earnest news reporter, who Shay had declared an enemy early on.

I loved the tension between them, and their interactions delighted me to no end, but they also had these backstories, which made me love them more. Both struggled with loneliness, and Solomon did an incredible job capturing this, especially with Shay. I found myself moved to tears at some points, because I ached for her, while also relating really hard to what she was feeling.

Though we don't get to spend any time in Dominic's head, there were many times in the story, where he shared his fears and pain, while being extremely vulnerable. He was open, where Shay was very closed off, and each new reveal endeared him more and more to me.

I can't get my mind off this wonderful romance, but there was more to love in this book. It was interesting learning so much about the radio and podcast industry, and I loved that Solomon included bits of the show as well as pieces of their social media. The tweets, the promotion, the podcast, the convention - it was fascinating and took my reading experience to the next level.

This book was simply a joy to read! It had so much humor, heart, and warmth and made me feel so much, that my heart overflowed with joy.

The Ex Talk ticks a lot of boxes for me: enemies to lovers, coworker romance, witty banter, sweet steaminess plus public radio and podcasts.

Shay's job as a producer for a show on a local public radio station is her life. Despite a sexist boss, she's devoted to the station having worked there since interning in college. So it's not surprising that when her boss hires the new guy straight out of grad school and respects his opinions more than Shay's that sparks fly.

At a staff meeting, brainstorming ideas for a new show, Shay suggests a show about relationships, hosted by exes. She's thrilled when her boss loves it. But not so excited when he suggests that she and Domenic host The Ex Talk. It's worse when the show that Shay produces is canceled. She hosts The Ex Talk and convinces Domenic to get on board. Or she doesn't have a job at all.

At 29, married to her job, dealing with workplace discrimination, worried about her career, and angry about the New Guy not having to pay his dues, Shay is incredibly relatable.

Having lost a parent recently, I really appreciated Shay experiencing grief and not always coping with it well. I love that part of her passion for her job at a radio station is because it's a tie to her dad.

Shay being older and more experienced with relationships than Domenic was a great flip of the script. It also led to some sweet steamy scenes. The "OMG I canNOT get enough of YOU" vibe between them was adorable and felt real.

The parts dealing with grief and loneliness felt spot on to me.

I appreciated that the author included LGBTQ+ representation in a way that felt authentic. I hate when authors include characters that are obviously written as tokens but that was not the case in The Ex Talk.

I need there to be an actual podcast like this. I would hit subscribe SO hard! I loved that part of the story is told via transcripts of The Ex-Talk.

This was a thoroughly engaging, fast read with relatable characters who totally had me cheering for the fauxmance to be real. You also get a bonus eccentric pet which made for some fun scenes. Choose The Ex Talk when you need some seriously good book therapy.

Thank you so much @berkleyromance and @netgalley for my #gifted copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

THE EX TALK may have well gotten me out of my reading slump. It's such a fun well-rounded book with the perfect mix of romance, steam while also tackling more intricate issues. It's smart, witty, well-written and has an original and interesting premise.

A few thoughts

- I loved the representation and diversity in this book so much. The female protagonist is Jewish, the hero is of Korean descent. I pictured him like a slightly younger version of Captain Ri (watch Crash Landing on You on Netflix if you don’t know who that is); caring and honest (and super tall). I like that Shay was slightly older than Dominic and was more experienced than him. What’s not to love? There’s plenty of LGBTQ+ rep too;

- Both characters felt realistic to me and their interactions felt genuine from start to finish, not contrived. I loved how committed they both were to their jobs and how caring they were towards each other and their respective families. No unnecessary drama to create tension in this one;

- If you like your romcoms steamy, this one’s for you. I liked that the scenes weren’t steamy for the sake of being steamy, there was real intimacy between the main leads;

- I LOVED the fake ex trope. For their radio show, Shay and Dominic have to pretend they used to date and it was such an original and refreshing take on the fake dating trope;

- The book touches on issues of grief, loneliness and feeling lost as a millennial in a very real way. It also addresses explores gender discrimination in the workplace which I thought was well done;

All the stars for this one!

OBSESSED! Yep, I’m in love with The Ex Talk! It’s definitely one of my new favorite romances ever!

It follows two coworkers, Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun, who pretend to be exes in order to start a new podcast to save their jobs; it ends up going viral and they start to catch real feelings! 😍 This romance is such an honest portrayal of romance today. Plus it’s funny and charming and witty and spicy! 🔥 I love that Shay is Jewish and Dominic is Korean. They’re real, well-rounded people with real problems outside of the romance. AND there’s a cute dog too!

It comes out January 26th so add it to your Goodreads stat! I’ll be preordering my copy for sure!

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy.

It's like everything I loved about Fraiser and my favorite trope, Enemies to Lovers, had a baby, and produced this delightfully well rounded book. It's got a heroine who's life does not revolve around the hero's love of her., snappy dialogue, a realistic look at how media works, a diverse cast of characters, and a top notch hero.

I really loved this book. I could really feel myself identifying with the main character and her feelings about her job and her friends etc. the author did a great job with the two main characters and building up their relationship. I loved the public radio setting and overall just really enjoyed this book.

I love podcasts, I love romance books; I love this romance book about podcasts. It has everything I like in my romance books - witty banter, people who like each other pretending they don't, a believable plot with a (most realistic climax, and on top of that, there are podcast transcripts. Basically, my only complaint is that the Ex Talk isn't an actual podcast because I would be a subscriber.

Shay Goldstein is a producer of a sort of-successful radio show, working at Seattle Public Radio Station, where she's been in the same position for a decade. She's on hiatus from dating, but when her mom gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend and her best friend announces her move across the country, she starts to realize just how alone she is.

On top of all of that, she has a certified work enemy: Dominic Yun. He's cocky, just too dang tall, and thinks he owns the place despite being there all of a minute. Oh, and did I mention he has a master's degree? Because he won't shut up about it. In summary, they can't stand each other.

But when word gets out that their little public radio station is on the brink of failure, the studio looks for some new concepts to attract more listeners and money. Shay, who's dying to get away from her behind the scenes job and in front of the mic, pitches “The Ex Talk," a show where two exes talk about relationship problems, using their failed relationship as a guide. Since there are no real exes in the room, Shay and Dominic get pegged as the fakers.

Dominic is reluctant at first because he only likes "real news" but with both of their jobs on the line, he says yes and the show is a go. And it's surprisingly successful, despite the fact that it's built on a lie. The banter between Shay and Dominic is believable, and listeners start to beg for them to get back together. Instead, they decide to get together. What could go wrong?

The Ex Talk is definitely one of my favorite books of 2020. It has all the elements that make a successful romance novel, while still being smart, witty, and most importantly, original. This is one that I'll be recommending for sure.

I finished the ARC and immediately ordered a signed copy from my local indie.

The thing that initially drew me to The Ex Talk was the fact that it was set in the world of public radio about two co-hosts who fall in love. If you're a big time public radio and/or podcast listener, just that element of the story is super fun. They're selling this one as a rom-com, but it's really a contemporary romance with a grand gesture.

I LOVED that this hate(ish)-to-love romance tackles issues women in their late 20s/ early 30’s have faced for decades...sexism in the workplace, making your career your life, loneliness in the big city, grief over the loss of a parent (and your other parent re-marrying). If you're the same age as Shay and Dominic (29 / 24) it'll be totally relatable. If you're not, it's totally relatable. And it never uses the word adulting. Hallelujah!

The romance, once it gets going, is sweet and steamy...and wrapped in that can't get enough of each other of early relationships. Gah, so good.

Last thing, while this is a multi-cultural romance (Shay is Jewish, Dominic is Korean American) and their cultures are referenced a few times, they don't figure into the story in any really significant way.

Dominic Yun, my HEART. This book was so, so special. Another one that was right at the top of my most anticipated 2021 releases, and I am so happy to say that it (mostly) lived up to the hype. Even though I didn't super love that the premise of the book revolves around a podcast that is based entirely on a lie, I grew to love and understand Shay and Dominic so much and was rooting for them SO! HARD! every step of the way. I will say, my biggest issue (and what kept this book from being a full 5 stars), is that I feel like the end of this book just kind of... fell apart? I knew that things would have to get pretty messy for the ending to work in a realistic way, but I feel like it kind of danced around realistic messy into just... straight up mess-messy and it just wasn't exactly the ending that I was hoping for. With all that being said, I did still really enjoy this book and I cannot wait to read new books from Rachel Lynn Solomon for the rest of my life. SO CUTE. SO FUN.

I enjoyed the diversity in the main characters in this charming rom-com. I will definitely be acquiring this for the library and recommending it to patrons who are finding comfort in romance.

Loved it!

This was an absolute joy from cover to cover.

Shay Goldstein has been a producer for Pacific Public radio for 10 years. Dominic Yun is a new hire, with a master’s in journalism, he thinks he knows everything about public radio. Naturally, this rubs Shay the wrong way. During a staff meeting Shay throws out an idea for a new show - a show where ex's give relationship advice. Their boss loves the idea. He also thinks Shay and Dominic would be perfect together on the air, posing as exes. They have been bickering and sparing back and forth and everyone can feel their chemistry. What perfect duo for being co-hosts for "The Ex Talk."

So, what happens when they pose as ex's? Will they be able to pull it off? Will their show be a hit? Will they fool their fans? What happens when these so-called exes begin to fall for each other?

This was a fun, flirty, sexy and smart book. The two main characters have a witty repartee both on the air and off. They are funny, sharp, likeable and intelligent. This is not your average workplace romance, its brilliant, rewarding and fun! Just what I needed.

When I requested this book, I was intrigued by the synopsis. A workplace romance set in a public radio station, hmmm interesting.... I was sure I was going to enjoy it, but this exceeded my expectations.

Well written, well thought out, perfectly paced and thankfully, the ending was not rushed. I enjoy romance books but cannot stand the rushed fast endings. This once fell into place beautifully. It is not rushed; it is not ridiculous, and it put a big smile on my face.


Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shay has been a producer at her public radio station since graduating college. To save herself from a staff cut, she proposes a new show idea: a relationship advice show hosted by exes. And who better to host than Shay and her colleague/rival, Dominic Yun?

Oh, wait, did I mention Shay and Dominic aren’t actually exes?

Despite the fact that they’re deceiving their listeners (and many of their colleagues), THE EX TALK is an immediate success…and Shay and Dominic might be starting to have feelings for one another…what could possibly go wrong?

Rachel Lynn Solomon’s adult debut, THE EX TALK, is everything I love in a romcom. It plays with the fake dating AND enemies-to-lovers tropes, set against the backdrop of a public radio station. Our protagonists communicate clearly and well. The banter is top-notch, the swoon is SO SWOONY, and the subplots (Shay’s relationships with her family and best friend) are well-developed. Also, Shay’s crazy rescue dog, Steve Rogers. Just you wait.

I also love how Rachel turns some archetypes upside down, particularly the age/experience levels of our leads. Shay is five years older than Dominic and the more sexually experienced of the two, which is something I haven’t seen often in adult fiction.

Trust me, you want to read this one in January!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the e-ARC!

What a refreshing, original story.

Shay has been a producer at the local public radio station. She has been there for a very long time, she's almost become complacent. She finds herself often butting heads with Dominic, the new hire.

The station is at risk for funding loss. In order to save their station, Shay comes up with an idea for a show; The Ex Talk. The only problem is, her boss is making Dominic her partner and co-host. Not only that, they are deceiving their audience by stating that they are Ex's. As their popularity grows with talks of syndication so does their deception; not only to their fans but also to their friends and family.

Will the pressure bring everything to a head?

I loved this story and characters.Watching them navigate through their broadcasting show and navigating a personal life and relationship outside of their show was original and refreshing. I would definitely recommend picking this book up.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC.

This was so cute! Fake exes/enemies, public radio, a tiny, slightly demonic dog, and Seattle. Shay and Dom were great, and I loved WWAMWMD (what would a mediocre white man do? the acronym Shay and her BFF use). If you like a romcom, this might be for you!

First of all, thank you so much to Rachel and Berkley Romance for an eARC of this!

I am a huge fan of Rachel's writing, so I was so excited when she announced that she'd be debuting in adult romance!

The Ex Talk follows 29 yo radio producer, Shay Goldstein. Shay has spent her entire life in Seattle. She's worked in the same radio station for 10 years, but everyone in her life is moving on, getting married, getting new jobs. Shay's life is never changing, except for her rivalry with new and kind of hot Dominic Yun.

The station is struggling, and Shay's boss greenlights a new live podcast: The Ex Talk, where Shay and Dominic will pretend to be exes and give relationship advice. Is it journalism if they're both lying?

This was sooooooo good! I love how much Rachel features Seattle in her books. I've only been here for 5 years, but it's always fun to recognize areas and sights. Dominic is so young and inexperienced but hot. I love how sex-positive all of Rachel's books are, and I always relate to her MCs so much!

I've been where Shay has been, and it's difficult to figure out what to do when you thought you had your life figured out! And while the Ex Talk really spoke to me, BOY IS IT STEAMY. Like DAMN RACHEL.

If youl iked the Hating Game, I cannot recommend this enough. If anything, I related even more to The Ex Talk! Cannot wait for this to be out in the world! This was the book I needed when I was wrapping up NaNoWriMo!

I just finished this and had to run online to say I loved it. I did think the ending would go in a slightly different direction but points to the author for keeping me on my toes. The chemistry was fire. The build was believable, as were the personal hangups that cause the rift. I also absolutely love to see a character starting a new career at 30. I would suggest this to fans of Christina Lauren and Kate Clayborn.

I can’t properly explain how attached I became to these characters. By the end of this book, I was actually sad there wasn’t an actual show I could listen to Shay and Dominic.

I’m not joking when I say that 50% of the notes I wrote down for this book were me describing how invested I had become in their relationship.

This book has everything you could want in a romcom: relatable characters, a complex heroine, a diverse cast of characters, and enough steamy scenes to make me blush. Oh, and did I mention this was an enemies to lovers, aka the best romance trope.

The only critique I have is that Shay didn’t go off on a character as hard as I would have. When you read the book, you’ll know who I’m talking about.

Thank you to Netgally and Berkley Publishing for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.