Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her public radio station for years and although she’s always wanted to be a host of her own show, she’s good at her job.

Dominic Yun is a recent graduate and colleague at the station and Shay really really doesn’t like him. Not only is he younger than her, but he’s constantly telling everyone how he went to grad school (yawn) and is going to be a great reporter. He’s already guest starred on her own show (!) and the boss seems to really like him.

When a turn of events has Dominic and Shay hosting their own show – The Ex Talk – about exes and them playing the exes (even though they’ve never actually dated) they start to spend more time with other. Both of them soon realize that maybe they didn’t hate each other as much as they thought they did.

I really enjoyed the concept behind The Ex Talk. I loved how bits of the show were incorporated into the book and a lot of those scenes had me laughing out loud. The slow burn between Dominic and Shay had me feeling all the butterflies. Dominic is such a sweet and likable cinnamon roll hero. I loved how Shay and Dominic seemed to understand one another’s idiosyncrasies. Both of them were going through some big changes in life and I really felt their vulnerabilities.

I learned a lot about public radio while reading The Ex Talk, which was actually quite fascinating! I don’t think I ever thought to think there’s producers running a talk show or that there are a lot of behind the scene individuals making a radio show run so smoothly.

Another aspect of this book I really liked was the diversity in this romance! I honestly haven’t read too many romances with Jewish representation and I loved how Rachel Lynn Solomon incorporated so many cultures (Korean, Nigerian, Indian) as well as LGBTQ representation in The Ex Talk. I love to see that happening more and more in romances.

If you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers, fake (ex) relationship, office romance then grab The Ex Talk when it releases January 26, 2021!

This book was the perfect enemies to lovers / fake dating story of my dreams!! Shay and Dominic are two opposite ends of a coin that just worked so well together. The tension between them from the first page is just absolute gold. Fake dating is always so fun to read and watch as they realize actual feelings behind the fake ones. The podcast aspect of this is also amazing. It’s so nice to read about radio shows or podcasts, they’re so popular now and I love listening to them. I definitely would’ve subscribed to The Ex Talk! Overall, I loved this one. It’s a super sweet (and sexy) book and I will definitely be recommending this to everyone once it’s released!

OK, I really liked this one! Super sexy and very sex positive, romantic and delightfully squee inducing, very sweet love interest, lots of great discussion about media and creative careers, complex family dynamics, and funny, too! I read and write about a lot of rom-coms and it's probably my favorite genre, but there are times when the tropes and characters can feel same-ish. This was a breath of fresh air!

i loved this one so much, so much 🥺l
i wish i could read it again for the first time.

shay and dominic were so freakin, stinkin cute and funny and quick witted. i loved the dialogue and back and forth on their radio show, The Ex Talk.

i loved them as characters, their back and forth their push and pull. the little things that built the tension, small things that were straightforward but still have you a belly flip.

the side characters were amazing, ameena and tj and ruthie. and the redemption was sweet! the payback was delicious!!

i CANNOT wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this beauty.

To save her struggling public radio station, Shay agrees to create a podcast called The Ex Talk, in which she and a fellow employee, Dominic, pose as ex lovers. It's a ruse, but they are able to get away with it, and they become wildly successful media stars -- until their secret is revealed in humiliating fashion. This is a great romance -- Shay and Dominic actually do fall in love, which causes some problems for them because everyone believes they are "exes" even though they never actually dated. So, lots to explain! The dialog and banter are really funny, and the characters are relatable and realistic. I look forward to recommending this book to readers who enjoy contemporary love stories with a little bit of humor.

This book was cute- I went back and forth trying to decide if I bought the relationship especially since the guy was just SO young. They did have great chemistry, and I enjoy enemies to lovers. Also learned a ton about public radio.

I devoured this book. It was excellent on so many levels. Current, young, funny and sweet. I appreciated that it was a new premise involving podcasters. I'm already tired of the books about 'influencers', so this was a nice change!

Thank you Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review. The ex talk is a really fun romcom about two people who work for a radio station create a new show pretending to be exes giving advice to couples who are having issues in their relationships. I like the idea of a fake dating / exes theme. I thought that it flowed really well. I liked that it deals with a loss of a parent, new family dynamics, going through changes, and falling in love with the last person you thought you could. I also like that the characters are diverse, it brings other cultural aspects to the romance genre!

Who knew public radio could be so entertaining??

Shay knows exactly what she wants in life and is well on the way to getting it when she hits a speedbump - and now the only thing standing between her and unemployment is the conceited coworker she just can't get out of her head. Can a woman who's only ever been unlucky in love co-host a dating talk show centered around a fake relationship with a man she can't stand?

It seems these days that the news is all doom and gloom, but Rachel Lynn Solomon's The Ex Talk presents the lighter side of public radio, with on-air personalities that charm their audience (and us) with a whole lotta heart. The format and concept is unique, the characters relatable and messy, and the pace is spot-on. Laugh-out-loud funny and oh so very sweetly satisfying, my only possible complaint with the Ex Talk is I had a million things to do, but I couldn't seem to put this book down long enough to do any of them!

A solid 4 star book. I really connected with Shay and all her insecurities and quirks and the romance was adorable. Dominic was a sweet guy, although his decision making at the end was a bit of a let down, but he did the right thing eventually. One star knocked off for characters not communicating and just assuming things leading to unnecessary drama. This is definitely a romance book to recommend.

I am so disappointed that I am DNFing this book. I really loved the author's YA romance and I had high hopes for this romance but this was public radio heavy, the heroine read younger than she was, and I felt uncomfortable with the hero being Asian but written by a white author.

I may try to listen to the audiobook when it publishes to see if it's just not the right time for me.

Y'all I just read THE EX TALK by @rlynn_solomon and am so obsessed!

If you were a fan of @liztigelaar's LIFE UNEXPECTED, you need to read this book. Love on the radio, fake dating, witty banter, a Jewish protagonist!

In this crazy week, this book has given me hope!

3.5 stars.
This was fresh and cute! The banter was on point and the romance was sizzling. While I enjoyed the premise, I did find myself wanting a little more character development.

I loved this adult romance about a public radio producer and a reporter who are convinced by their boss to host a show about dating and relationships and pose as exes. As they build their fake relationship and get to know each other, it becomes harder for them to ignore their real feelings and attraction. The tension between the two is palpable, and the banter present in the transcript snippets of their radio show (and their conversations) is fantastic.

The cover for this is cute as heck and the premise seemed right up my alley. Almost from the beginning I could tell it wasn’t going to be for me. It didn’t hook me right away. I kept trying though. I think what finally cemented it is when Shay, the FMC, confirmed that the MMC, Dominic is 24. And sometimes I can age characters up. But Shay mentioned it too many times for me to not pay attention to it.

Also, it made me a little uncomfortable that Dominic is Asian American and the author does share this identity. The book is told only from Shay’s perspective (at least in the 20ish percent that I read) and I just have complicated feelings about white authors writing characters of color. Maybe in the later parts of the book this addressed really well and I just didn’t get far enough to see.

Such a delight! I'm a devoted public radio and podcast listener so a romcom set amongst the behind the scenes antics of those fields sounded right up my alley and Solomon did not disappoint. The characters are well drawn, warm, and believable, their obstacles are relatable and realistic - so much so that I wasn't even bothered by the very outlandish gesture that sets up the HEA ending. Would recommend to just about any contemporary romance reader.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (for release Jan 26). This book is about two public radio co hosts, Shay and Dominic who pretend to be exes for the sake of their show. I absolutely loved it, which is why I’m gushing about it early 💖

Pre order this one to your TBR if you love:

📻 Fake Dating with a twist (Fake Exes)
📻 Enemies to Lovers
📻Forced Proximity (there’s only one bed!!)
📻Slow burn
📻Diversity (racial, sexual and gender representation in both the hero and also supporting characters) and interracial dating
📻An adorable pup with an underbite

In more detail, I really enjoyed how authentically these characters are portrayed. While I love a dual POV, I always fall for single POV because it really allows me to root for the heroine on a personal level while allowing for intrigue for the hero. I felt for Shay on multiple levels, particularly loneliness as an adult millennial and issues with “subtle” gender discrimination in the workplace. As noted above, Solomon did not shy away from candid discussions surrounding racism and sexism, all of which were handled so tastefully.

I also very much fell for Dominic, a sweet, shy, soft hero who honestly felt like a real person. 🙌🏼

This book hooked me right away with its unique premise, authentic and relatable characters, and wonderful writing. A huge thank you to Rachel, Berkeley, and Netgalley for allowing me access to this ARC 💖

When you finish your first 2021 book, you feel sort of different from before. Definitely more excited and still in shock that you get to read a 2021 book before its release date. You don't know how thankful I am to the publishers who kindly provide me with copies.

The Ex Talk is surely a very anticipated book for me. I was very excited to read it so of course, I didn't wait any longer? I got it and I started that baby as soon as it hit my kindle page. I was also just finishing another Rachel Lynn Solomon book, Today Tonight and Tomorrow, so I was having my Rachel fix and I am obsessed now with her stories? Seriously, she writes really great romances and overall relationship dynamics. But I also enjoy her depiction of friendships and family in her novels. The Ex Talk had that and more.

I'm not going to talk about specific things or a lot of stuff that happened in the book. It's still far away and I don't want to give anything away to be honest. Just know that it is coworkers turned enemies turned fake exes turned lovers. Pure trope goodness that I know many will enjoy IMMENSELY. Radio co-hosts decide to create and collaborate in this dating show but they have to act as fake exes meanwhile they sort of fall in love with each other (for real now!).

I'm learning more and more about Seattle as well because in the last two books I've read by Rachel they have been set in Seattle. I have not read her other books but these two show a lot of the city and its wonders. I absolutely love meeting new places I have never been to and feel them so alive on page that it feels like I'm right t h e r e, you know?

Age gap (the heroine is older!), height difference and fun situations make this romance great and I seriously hope many pick it up when it's out.

Fake dating is one of my top tier tropes so when I heard "combative coworkers have to be fake exes to host a radio show" it was a whole level up in my trope expectations. Shay and Dominic are both fully realized characters with great chemistry, and I especially loved the balance between their romance and everything else going on in Shay's life - still dealing with the grief from losing her dad as a teen, blending with her new impending stepfamily, and trying to make friends as an adult. I thought the public radio workplace setting was fresh and interesting, and the writing itself is great as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I loved this book so much. The fake dating trope is one of my all time favorites, and The Ex Talk put a unique spin on it. Instead of fake dating, they're fake exes. Yes please!

The story follows Shay Goldstein, a 29 year old radio host. She's worked at the Seattle Public Radio station for a decade and cant imagine working anywhere else. Although she can't stand her co-worker, Dominic Yun, who feels like he knows everything about public radio.

The station is struggling, and she jokingly proposes a new idea: two exes who deliver relationship advice on air. Shockingly, her boss loves the idea, but also thinks Shay and Dominic would be the perfect co-hosts since they already hate each other. Neither of them love the idea of lying to the listeners but want to keep their jobs, so they do it, and the public ends up loving it. But the two begin to fall for each other, which can ruin everything...

The Ex Talk is one of the best rom-coms I've read. It's funny, with two characters you're bound to love, an interesting plot revolving around public radio which I haven't read much about before, and steamy scenes that will make you flustered and craving more.

The romance was perfect, filled with lots of sexual tension and shameless flirting. I found myself rooting for both characters, and was pleased by the development throughout the book.

I also really enjoyed the Buffy references. That made the book 10x cooler to me.

If you want a fun story filled with banter, steam, depth, and a story that will give you all the feels? Definitely pick this up!