I know I haven't been reading romance for THAT long, but I can say with full confidence that The Ex Talk is quite possibly my favorite romance I've read this year. Which means one of my favorites ever...

The Ex Talk centers around Pacific Public Radio employees Shay and Dominic who start out the book basically trying to one up each other, until they are put into a the peculiar situation where they have to pretend to be ex's who have a radio show "The Ex Talk" to create buzz in order to save the radio station's funding. 

There's honestly so much to love about this book. First, it fills a ton of romance checklists for situations you look for, like enemies to lovers, forced proximity and even former lovers (even if it's fake). Then there's its diversity of characters. And my favorite part about that? The book doesn't harp on it and feel the need to explain every diverse character and why their diversity is important to the story. It just kinda is, a world existing where friends and family are diverse because that's just the way it is. 

However, my absolute favorite thing about this book is Dominic's character and his background. Without giving too much away, I was pleasantly surprised with the direction the author took with his character as we don't see too much of it in romances and especially because you were not expecting it in his initial character development. 

Also, this book has the perfect amount of steam!

All in all, I cannot recommend this book enough!

I knew that I'd like this book simply from the premise, but the execution was so much better than I could've imagined! It has everything I love in a rom-com: mutual pining, bickering, tension, and steamy scenes. I also loved how it was a commentary on the myth of adulthood, work-life balance, and finding passion in your work. Aside from the fleshed-out characters, the best part of the book was the exploration of loneliness and grief. Oftentimes, books about your 20's ignore how lonely adulthood can be. The Ex Talk makes it an integral part of the plot without losing the humor from the premise.

I absolutely loved these characters. Shay and Dominic have such a good dynamic throughout the whole book, and I found myself yelling at these two idiots to FINALLY admit that they like each other. It's hilarious and adorable and I CANNOT wait for everyone to read this gem of a book.

I love a good enemies to lovers book, and this one was done exceptionally well! Shay and Dominic had off the charts sexy chemistry and I loved that this was a feminist romance so I didn't even have to turn off my brain to enjoy it.

The Ex Talk is an enemies to lovers romance set in the world of public radio. It is a very satisfying love story without an undue amount of angst. Well written, hot boyfriend, a bit of misogyny brought to light and an HOA, You won’t be let down.

<blockquote><i>"Maybe that’s what we all are—halfway-broken people searching for things that will smooth our jagged edges."</blockquote></i>

Rachel Lynn Solomon cannot write a bad book and that is a FACT. I never doubted for a second that her adult debut would be anything less than 5 stars, and I was correct! It feels so good to be right.

Shay and Dom work in public radio, a field I've never read about before and where Rachel herself found her love of writing. With the risk of their station going under, they devise a radio show about relationships, starring two exes doling out advice for what they should have done to save their romance. One problem--Shay and Dom may not get along IRL, but they aren't actually exes and have never dated. With a growing fanbase, they must hunker down and continue in the lie or reveal themselves and lose their jobs.

I loved Shay's relationship with her father after his passing and how it affected her throughout the course of the novel. I loved that Dom is Asian and has FOREARMS for days. And I loved how easily Rachel flipped some beloved stereotypes on their heads! We have the fake dating turned fake exes, enemies to lovers, workplace romance, forced proximity, and there's only one bed. There is banter for DAYS, a tiny dog, a biracial couple at the forefront (we LOVE to see it), amazing side characters that are also diverse, and the classic balance of short heroine and tall love interest.

As this is an RLS book, we also have the brilliant Seattle setting (including the islands off the coast!) and own voices Jewish rep. It's feminist, it features a tiny rescue dog much like her own Wally, and is just all around a wonderful few hours of your life to read. Mark your calendars for January 26th!!

<i>Thank you to Berkeley Romance for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!</i>

The Ex Talk is an incredible slow-burn rom-com that gave me all the feels! The story follows Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun, two coworkers at a public radio station, as they embark on a journey of starting a new radio show. The show will center around topics associated with relationships, told from the perspectives of Shay and Dominic, two people who used to date but who now are friends. What the listeners don't know is that Shay and Dominic never dated. Shay and Dominic are hoping that their banter and chemistry will make up for that small detail. The listeners don't need to know that since Dominic started at the station, Shay and Dominic have clashed and can't stand each other. The two just have to put on a good show and tell good stories.

The first thing I want to give props to Rachel Lynn Solomon about is the multicultural representation in the book. Dominic is Korean American and Shay is Jewish - two groups that are not represented enough in romance books. Being Asian American myself, I loved reading about a lead Asian American character in a book. I also loved that this is a relationship where the woman is older than the man (by five years) - another thing I want to see represented more in romance books.

This book has all the things I am looking for in a five star rom-com: great writing, humor, clever and honest dialogue, characters who are willing to be vulnerable with one another, insightful commentary on relationships, and scenes that can pull at my heartstrings. This book had me laughing out loud one chapter and then crying while reading the next chapter. Solomon's astute portrayal of all kinds of relationships (romantic, familial, friendships, working) and how they are the essence of our lives was remarkable.

I loved all the things about this book! This book should be at the top of your books to read in 2021!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In three words, I would describe The Ex Talk as delightful, charming, and steamy. The main character, Shay, was so relatable and easy to root for and her love interest, Dominic was sexy and sweet. I've read many books set in television, but this was my first in radio and I loved it! The pacing was perfect, the development of the romance was believable, and I enjoyed every moment of this rom-com. As an aside, I appreciated that the main character was Jewish without the book being about religion. Bring on the secular Jewish rom-coms!

I look forward to Solomon's next adult romance and will definitely pick up one her contemporary YAs as well.

I am obsessed with this book! 10/10, would recommend to anyone. This book was a delight. Total swoon-y and trope-filled (in a good way that makes you shimmy with excitement) goodness. I loved the enemies to lovers trope and thought the banter and chemistry was spot on. If you're a romance reader or just looking for a little positive escapism, I'd encourage you to add THE EX TALK to your list now!

And romance aspects aside, I thought the book had excellent families and also really appreciated how Rachel approached the topic of grief and mourning.

What a fun read! The romance between Shay and Dominik builds beautiful. It integrates a traditional love story with modern flair of social media and a wide array of characters. It tackles love, loss, and professional fear in such heart-twisting ways, I cried while reading it. Beautiful, laugh out loud hilarious, and a love letter to podcasts and radio.

(4.5 Stars) - Sweet office romance in a public radio setting. Shay has worked in Seattle public radio for 10 years always behind the scenes. Dominic is younger, fresh from graduate school with a degree in journalism and wants to be an investigative reporter. I won't say they are opposites or enemies but people with different agendas. When the station manager hears their banter he decides they should host a new relationship show. They pretend they are Ex's giving a hook to the show. As the shows popularity grows so does the attraction.

The characters have real depth. Shay, shared a love a radio with her dad who died during her senior year. Her mom is planning to remarry. Dominic is Korean-American and has only been in one long term relationship that lasted all through college. The side characters, best friends, parents and co-workers are all well thought out and add to the story telling. The public radio details were enriching. Over all a fun contemporary rom-com.

Extra kudos for being diverse and inclusive. I will now think "WWAMWMD" when I have choices and challenges before me. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley, Penguin Random House for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Fun and witty. As a book that focuses on content from radio and features how people would talk on air, this boo's writing nails that aspect perfectly. It's so alive and the writing is just phenomenal to make you feel like the parts that are radio are something you're experiencing as such and not just reading.

Very cute! I loved the premise of this rom-com (although the whole thing was a little far-fetched and...ethically gray, lol), and I thought the banter between the two leads was so delightful (and bonus points for how the author incorporated radio / podcast transcripts, tweets, etc., into the text). The exploration of grief and loneliness, especially, added extra depth to the story. One of those books that leaves you feeling warm inside!

Thank you Rachel Lynn Solomon for writing this absolutely fantastic book! I loved "The Ex Talk" so much. The plot was so fun while also dealing with important topics of grief and love and learning how to redefine oneself. Shay Goldstein was such a loveable character and even so, she's allowed to mess up and make terrible decisions in this book that made her all the more real. And having her be this tough and quirky Jewish protagonist made me so happy. That representation that is present in all of Rachel's books means the world. The love interest, Dominic Yun was also such a fantastic character, and I loved getting to know more about him as the book went on. I absolutely loved him. I also loved the way this book spoke to the power of radio & storytelling and the love and human connection it fosters. I've been a longtime lover of public radio and podcasts (a love, that like Shay's, came from my dad) and I loved seeing that looked at in such a direct way. Overall, I thought this book was a really fun time and I definitely look forward to more of Rachel Lynn Solomon's books!!

I loved this book! It made me smile so much and shed some happy tears throughout reading. Thank you Rachel Lynn Solomon for a story about diversity with Shay being Jewish, Dominic being Korean, Ameena being Indian and Phil being Nigerian. As a Jew, it was so nice to read a love story about a character who is like me and thank you for the mentions throughout of Shay's heritage.

I loved the originality of the premise of the book, Shay and Dominic are public radio co-workers and its more than just the enemies to lovers trope. With their station in trouble, Shay a producer who has always wanted to be a voice on the radio, comes up with an idea of a show about two exes discussing their relationship. With the tension between her and Dominic, it makes perfect sense that people would think they actually dated. Now these enemies have to pretend they are friendly exes and their show becomes a hit. And of course the more time they spend together, the more they start to realize they don't hate each other that much.

Solomon made the struggles that Shay and Dominic had both at work and in their personal lives feel so authentic. As Shay struggled with nearing 30 and struggling with if she was on the right path in her life career-wise, I could completely relate since I've been there before. The honesty that Shay and Dominic shared with each other throughout made it so easy to root for the two of them to get together. I liked that Shay was five years older than Dominic and not afraid to speak her mind about things, she definitely quickly became one of my favorite characters from a book. While I did love the romance in the book, I also really enjoyed the issues it tackled with misogyny in the workplace, grief and loneliness.

The Ex Talk is a fun and fresh take on enemies-to-lovers, office romance that goes beyond these tropes. We have a Korean-American hero, a Jewish heroine, almost all-POC and LGBTQ+ characters, and a subtle but effective tackling of sexism in the workplace.
First up, our main couple Shay and Dominic were adorable together. Shay loved working for public radio because she bonded over it with her dad until before he died. She slowly worked her way up for 10 years until she became a producer of one of the radio shows. Secretly, though, she wanted to be on air. Dominic, meanwhile, recently moved back to Seattle from Chicago after finishing his masters in journalism and he's an immediate favorite of the station manager. He's serious about journalism and was given the opportunity to go on air and break a news four months after being hired. Of course, this fueled Shay's resentment towards him, even when she couldn't deny that he's good.

When Shay and Dominic were tapped to fake being exes, that's when they slowly realized they might not actually hate each other. Of course, feelings developed, which was inconvenient since their show hinges on them being fake exes. Add this conundrum to their past relationship hangups and we have a pretty good amount of angst and conflict.

From the start, Shay and Dominic had amazing banter and you could just tell that beneath the animosity is their attraction to each other. Their awkwardness around each other when they started to become friends was also really cute to witness, especially when they accidentally venture into some pretty intense flirting.

Through all these, you have the looming problem of their radio show possibly imploding, Shay not being listened to if she wasn't backed up by Dominic, and a bit of family and friends drama in their private lives. I felt the author managed to balance these topics well and the plot was flowing nicely. My only complaint is with the sec scenes, which read very stilted to me. Having read hundreds of romance books, I think I'm a good judge of whether intimacy was written well or not and those scenes here just weren't. Otherwise, this is an overall fun book with great characters, good storytelling, and a satisfying conclusion.

This review feels very boring, but I promise the book isn't lol.

I'll probably be rereading this one eventually. I loved the romantic leads and the unique premise. A whole new twist on enemies-to-lovers! As a public radio / podcast fan, i really enjoyed the setting as well. If you liked the Lake Bell film In A World..., I think you'll probably enjoy this story.


"Review based on a pre-pub provided by NetGalley"

I could not put the book down. It takes the enemies to lovers trope but adds a fun twist with them pretending to be exes on public radio. There are some very steamy scenes which I was not fully expecting after reading her previous young adult books, but there is nothing young about these pages. Love the banter between Shay and Dominic, both as colleagues who kind of hate each other as well as when they turn into friends. They feel so real and I would definitely love to hear a podcast by these two. It's not just the two main characters that make the book so fantastic either; there is a full cast of fully realized side characters from other radio show employees to family and friends. I highly recommend this book to all people who want to read a feel good romcom to start off 2021.

A super cute and pretty streamy enemies to lovers, office romance with a little fake relationship romance book.

I was expecting a little more with this book. I really did love the plot but I felt like it was a little predictable in a boring way. I was just expecting a little more!

I felt like the characters were relatable but there wasn’t much personality to them. Even though I wasn’t head over heels for this one I still highly recommend the read because I do know people have LOVED this one.

I absolutely loved the Ex Talk concept for a podcast and I think it would be so fun to listen to something like that in real life. I also could totally related to the WWAMWMD (you’ll have to read to find out about this one).

As a fan of Rachel Lynn Solomon's other new release, Today Tonight Tomorrow, I couldn't wait to read The Ex Talk. Add an enemies-to-lovers plot line about two public radio hosts who pose as exes for a new show? GIMME. Solomon totally delivers on the book's complicated, hilarious premise. Shay and Dominic have this clever chemistry that infuses all of their dialogue with life, and Solomon totally nails the passion trap of working in public radio for a sexist boss inside a scarce job market. I also related to Shay's late-twenties feeling of isolation and confusion as she realizes she isn't quite sure what she's doing with her life while everyone around her figures it out. Aside from one unnecessary joke about STDs, this is also a great depiction of safer sex practices and the necessity of direct communication in relationships. One of my favorite contemporary romances that I can't recommend highly enough.

Shay Goldstein has worked at Pacific Public Radio in Seattle for nearly a decade. Her late father sparked her devotion to radio programming and her connection to that job consoles her as she continues to grieve his loss.

Dominic Yun is fresh out of journalism grad school (his mentioning of his master’s degree turns into a running gag) and wants to be known as a serious news reporter.

When PPR needs some fresh ideas to stay afloat, Shay pitches the idea of a relationship show where two exes talk and give advice on air. Little does she realize her boss thinks the office enemies, Shay and Dominic, would be the ideal hosts.

The show, based upon a lie, quickly gains widespread attention. Then, with close proximity, they begin to fall for each other. Will their listeners accept the “exes” getting together for real this time?

Setting the story in Seattle and within the world of public radio and podcasting is fresh and interesting.

I liked both Shay and Dominic. Their backgrounds were compelling. For a sexy romance there is also depth with issues like racism in our communities and sexism in the workplace, for example. Also Shay and her bestie Ameena created a fun idea for a life strategy, WWAMWMD. (What would a mediocre white man do?)

The Ex Talk, a sexy and fun workplace enemies to lovers story with drama and heart.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review..