This story was so cute, while also touching upon heavier topics of mental illness, familial issues, teen pregnancy, workplace misogyny, and fatphobia.

The highlight of this book, for me, was Ari’s journey with herself and her mental illness. Solomon wrote Ari’s struggles in such a profound and relatable way, I couldn’t help but see so much of myself in Ari’s mental illness and self-discovery journey.

Russell was also a bright spot in this book. He was so kind, gentle, and sweet during every single moment of this story, even when he was dealing with his own issues. Not to mention, his character during the spicy scenes was *chefs kiss* 🤩

I really appreciated the Jewish representation in this book. Ari deals with needing to conform to others and minimize her faith, and I love the way her and Russell bond because of this shared part of themselves. There is also a beautiful part of Russell’s daughter’s bat mitzvah towards the end.

My one complaint is that I wanted more out of the third-act conflict. It seemed a really rushed, and even when they worked to resolve it in the end, the major issue seemed to be brushed over.

Overall, this was an incredibly wonderful story of overcoming self-doubt, finding love in the least expected places, rekindling relationships, and becoming the most authentic version of oneself.

Between all the buzz, the amazing cover, and the fact that it's set in my hometown of Seattle, I couldn't wait to read Weather Girl! And it was an absolute pleasure, especially on a rainy weekend in the Northwest! Ari and Russell are sweet, kind, and so much fun to read about as they fall in love. The book so thoughtfully addresses a variety of topics, including clinical depression, body image, and faith, which make it all the better to become immersed in. I wasn't ready for it to end!

This book is everything! I loved having a depressed main character and her battle throughout the read with it. There aren’t enough books out there normalizing depression and how so many people suffer from it, but are able to push through and sometimes not. Ari and Russel’s story left me with so many feels! Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review!

I actually felt that this book was better paced than The Ex Talk. I started reading my advanced copy while I was waiting in line to get tested (blech) and not only did it completely distract me from the boredom of my situation, but I also breezed through at least 15% of the book while I waited for an hour. Overall I finished the book by the next evening, making it a nice, quick read that had no moments in which it dragged.
The story is an office romance that follows two reporters who are friendly with each other (making it a friends to lovers story), who are tired of the toxic workplace that is created by their bosses, a divorced couple. From this comes the main story of the book, Ari and Russell team up to pull a Parent Trap on their bosses. The book was cute and fun, and definitely a little spicier than The Ex Talk, and the twist revealed by Torrance and Seth personally took me by surprise, which I appreciated. It is not often that a contemporary romance will take me by surprise in such a way, so that made me appreciate the book even more.
I absolutely adored Russell, who is a single dad, and I only wish that we got more scenes with his daughter. The book also explores depression and anxiety through Ari and her mother, while also somewhat unpacking the stigma that sometimes surrounds going to therapy. I saw a lot of myself in Ari, especially while I was reading her interactions with her therapist. Ari, an adorable weather nerd who makes her own jewelry, felt wholly unique as a heroine which made me love her even more.
This last note is quite specific, but I absolutely adored the way that each chapter started with a weather, or rather, chapter forecast, which helped both maintain the idea of Ari’s whole-hearted love for the weather, while also setting the tone for the following pages.
Overall, this was a cute story that went deeper than your typical romantic comedy, which is something that makes it stand out against others that I have read. It’s perfect for anyone who wants a brief ray of sunshine amid the gloominess of real life and who loves office romances with a hint of scheming like the movie Set it Up (side note: if you haven’t watched Set it Up, go watch it).

I enjoy the cold weather… but only to a certain degree.

As someone who spent more than a decade working in one newsroom or another, I was ready to defend my experience against the stereotypical caricature of a news station typically portrayed, but this felt pretty spot on!

-Working all hours of the day, any day of the year.
-Snarky viewer comments about appearance.
-Found family/ super close knit colleagues
-Talk of shitty pay
-No one actually doing your hair/makeup BTS

Ari Abrams is a TV meteorologist, working under her dream mentor and Seattle legend Torrance Hale. Her boss is too distracted by her ex-husband’s passive aggressive notes around the office to give Ari the leadership she craves. Her colleague, sports reporter Russell Barringer, gets it. His boss, Seth, is Torrance’s ex. After a drama-filled holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to get their bosses back together.

The only teensy tiny scene that gave me pause was when Ari wasn’t working a 24-hour day during a snowstorm (especially the first and only of the year!) Severe weather coverage doesn’t play y’all. It’s all hands on deck all day. That took absolutely nothing away from the big picture story.

There is truly something for everyone to love in this story. I think one of the best parts of the book is that it showed the many facets of families, and how that can shape us into the best (or worst) versions of ourselves. We have perspectives from an unhappy divorced couple, a happily married couple, a single mom, a former couple with shared custody of a child, a broken engagement, and ultimately, the importance of reconciliation and also found family. I love the way Rachel wove these points of view into the overall story.

At times, the story is almost melancholic. It’s just so very relatable to anyone dealing with or loving someone with mental health struggles. (I found a quote recently that said “I don’t struggle with anxiety, I’m actually pretty good at it” and that really spoke to me!) Ari says, “Being a person is hard.” Sometimes, it really freaking is. She also says there’s “no hope for humanity if we can’t grow and evolve, become better versions of ourselves.”

I feel like I could gush about so many other parts of the story: the Jewish representation, the body positive representation, Elodie’s character, the entire Parent Trap vibes. Thanks to Berkley publishing, NetGalley, and LoveARCtually for a digital review copy.

☔️ BOOK REVIEW: Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon ☔️
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SUMMARY: Ari is a recently single meteorologist, but her biggest problem is that her boss and her boss’s ex-husband, who both still work at the local station, have been making life miserable for all their colleagues. So at the company holiday party, Ari and Russ, the network’s sports reporter, make a pact to “Parent Trap” them and hopefully improve office morale.
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This was a solid romance, but I think it’s an even better general fiction novel about a woman managing job and mental health challenges! The struggles Ari dealt with felt real and relatable—handling her (mild to moderate) depression, navigating a strained relationship with her mom, and trying to get more guidance from her inattentive boss. Her blossoming relationship with Russ was just a part of the story. I liked it because her problems represented real-world obstacles that an actual adult woman might face; it was refreshing!
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I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for an engaging contemporary story with a side of romance. Bonus points for Jewish character and depression representation!
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Q: What new releases are on your TBR?
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
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Thank you to @netgalley @berklyromance and the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

A huge thank you to Berkley Romance for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ 3🌶

CW: depression

What I LOVED: I think my favorite part about this book is how openly they talked about the topic of depression specifically depressive episodes and therapy and the realistic experiences Ali has gone through. Every journey is different depending on the person but anyone who has struggled with the same issues will definitely find something to relate to as I have. There were so many moments that really resonated with me and even went as far as to making me cry 🥺 I also really loved how this dealt with mental health rep in romance specifically and how it affects relationships.

I loved Ari so much from her quirkiness, sunshine personality, love for rainy days and passion for weather and her job as a TV metereologist! Her mental health journey involving her relationships both familial and romantic was heartbreakingly relatable.

I also love Russell, the single dad and sports reporter who was such a cinnamon roll but had issues of his own to deal with as well which made him the perfect love interest for Ari. The plus size rep he had was something so uncommon in romance especially in heroes so I loved how that was emphasized.

Their awkward and swoony friends to lovers romance was adorable! I enjoyed their every moment together from their dates to their intimate scenes. I just love how real their chemistry was and how entertaining their banter was!

The side plot was so fun! Their ploy to get their divorced bosses back together in order to restore the peace in their workplace was so reminiscent of The Parent Trap film and The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren (and both I enjoyed!)

What I LIKED: The side characters in this were equally interesting. I was invested in Torrance and Seth’s story as the main leads were. I also really liked both of Ari and Russell’s families (especially his musicals loving daughter!) They had such a supportive, fun and healthy relationship with them (excluding Ari’s mom in the beginning but the journey they had towards healing each other and their relationship was bittersweet in the best way!)

Another representation that intrigued me was the Jewish heritage both leads had! It was interesting to see their traditions and holidays authentically.

Lastly, the chapter headings with the forecasts were constantly so fun to read!

What I DIDN’T ENJOY: I think I just wanted more romance overall especially towards the end. I felt that the happenings in the epilogue were rushed. There was also a part in the epilogue that I wasn’t a fan of which was doing a major life event during someone else’s major life event. It just didn’t sit well with me when the main leads took away the spotlight from a pivotal moment in the side character’s lives.

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT FOR: fans of genuine and heartfelt love stories with characters you can’t help but love!

Weather Girl is the story of TV meteorologist, Ari Abrams and her coworker, sports reporter, Russell Barringer, who scheme to matchmake their bosses back together. The work atmosphere has been rough since Ari and Russell's bosses separated, but with a little help from Ari and Russell, can they get these 2 back together? And will Ari and Russell discover a chemistry between them along the way?

What.I Appreciated About This Book: I loved this steamy romance! This is my 3rd Solomon book, and I love her signature writing- it is clever, sensitive, with a huge heart and always looking to shed new perspectives. I love the Jewish representation in Weather Girl, which is done so well! This is a great romance with the hottest steam, but what made this a 5-star read for me is the way the mental health challenges are handled with care and sensitivity. Weather Girl's female protagonist is not the girl you see in every romcom; Ari is working through a rough childhood, and depression. In addition to this, Ari is a sex-positive, strong woman who geeks out over weather. Russell is also different from the typical male lead, as he has a complicated back story and more of a "dad bod" than a chiseled 6-pack. I loved both of these characters and their storylines!

What Did Not Work For Me: not much! I loved this one!

Ari's a meteorologist who revels in delivering a rainy day forecast, and that's only the first of many things I love about her. She's passionate about her work (women in STEM deserve everything), sees the best in people, and has a definite future in matchmaking. Her identity also boasts #ownvoices Jewish and depression representation.

Ari's experience struck a decidedly personal chord for me. I'm new to a depression diagnosis but long familiar with the reality. This was my first time picking up a book where I saw it on the page and knew I could put that name to my own life, too. I appreciate the trigger warning and the author's note about her personal connection at the beginning because I was deeply affected by the story. I thought it was raw, heartfelt, and relatable, and I found myself unexpectedly crying at one point as I saw myself in one of Ari's Dark Days.

This is a romantic comedy, so I don't mean to misrepresent it with my tears. I also laughed so many times while reading. Ari and Russell are cordial co-workers at the local news station until they decide to Parent Trap their two bosses, whose post-divorce antagonism spoils the office culture. As they scheme, something new and wonderful grows between them, an additional love story to the one they are plotting. It's an open door romance, but to me, it was the tender emotions as much as the spicy elements of their relationship that really made it special. Another note on stellar representation is that I think this is the first romance I've read with a fat hero, an area severely lacking in visibility and acceptance in terms of who is seen as desirable and attractive. Russell also co-parents his twelve-year-old daughter (LOVED her middle school energy, very true to real life) with his ex, and the story shows a loving mixed family environment.

The final standout element for me is the way all relationships have the time and space to grow throughout the story. Work camaraderie, friendships, romance (obviously), and deeply rooted family bonds all get attention on these pages. Especially moving was the new hope for Ari's relationship with her mom as she seeks help with her own depression for the first time.

This was a lovely, emotional read and an example of all that a romance novel can do to represent the human condition in all its mess, gifting us with a peek at the beautiful silver lining that Ari's always looking for. Thanks to Berkley Romance for my copy to read and review.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for my advanced copy. All thoughts are my own!

One of the break out RomComs of 2021 was The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon. I was so excited for her next book, Weather Girl, and it did not disappoint. It’s truly a delight. Russ, the hero, was completely adorable and I could really relate to Ari’s insecurities. I also really appreciated the Jewish representation in this book!

Plus, Weather Girl combines two things I can’t get enough of in books: love and weather. I love stories that feature storms as it really gets me into the atmosphere of the book.

Synopsis:

What I Liked:

The Setting—I LOVED the timeframe of this book as well as the setting of the Pacific Northwest. It was so cozy and magical.

The Representation—Mental Health is so personal since we all have different experiences. But I found how Ari described living with her depression very eye opening.

The Trope—I don’t think I’ve read a schemey romance where the two main characters are trying to work together to get another couple together. it was fun and I liked the twist at the end!

What Didn’t Work:

The Pacing/Length—This is always something that could be a me thing and maybe It’s just been my mindset, but I didn’t gel with how the story moved.

Content Warnings:

Mental Illness (Depression), fatphobia, injury

Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam Authenticity: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

I know it's early in the year, but this is my favorite book I've read this year.
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon is about Ari Abrams who is a Seattle meteorologist. While she has her dream job, her boss's messy relationship with her ex-husband/news director can be distracting to say the least. After the office Christmas party, and another huge fight between the couple, Ari and her co-worker, Russell decide to Parent Trap them. Ari and Russell conspire to have their bosses spend more time with each other which of course forces Russell and Ari to spend more time with each other.
This was such a great romance novel that had a little bit of everything. Russell and Ari had amazing chemistry. There's some really humorous moments while they are trying to get their bosses back together. There's a lot about mental health that is handled really well. Plus Russell is a plus sized hero which we so rarely see in romance novels.
I loved this book and I can't wait to now read everything Rachel Lynn Solomon has ever written.

Okay, loved this one!!!

Weather Girl was an auto buy for me after reading and ADORING The Ex-Talk last year!

I Instantly fell in love with Ari, the sweet MC obsessed with the rain and struggling with depression, family issues, and the end of her engagement! Ari works for her local news station as a meteorologist and decides to team up with a sports reporter, Russel, to get their bosses back together in an effort to make the news station a more enjoyable work environment!

Full of hilarious parent trap moments, lovable characters, real life and very relatable issues, a quirky millennial MC, great Jewish rep, body positive messages, and fantastic weather related title chapters I fell hard for this book!

This was a strong 4 star read for me and ooooohh y’all, the steam! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

What I think I loved the most about Weather Girl was the imperfect main characters. The male main character was fat, and a female main character suffered from depression. This made their romance hard at times, but it felt so much more real than a lot of other romances I've read before.
Ari was a fantastic female main character primarily because of her flaws, but not entirely. She was kind, sweet, and just extremely likable. Ari had everybody's best intentions at heart, although sometimes she doesn't have her own best intentions at heart. I have to admit there were times, especially near the end where I felt like Ari's character was being unreasonable, and there was a lot of baggage she had because of her mother, but overall she was a great character. I especially connected with the idea that she couldn't be her true self around anybody. I enjoyed seeing her open up around Russ and made their love story even more meaningful. Russ was great and seeing him struggle with being a dad and a boyfriend also seemed something I could easily see many single parents dealing with.
I loved that a lot of the book took place in the newsroom, something admittedly I'm not very familiar with. It brought me some appreciation not just for meteorologists but for other reporters, especially sports reporters. I enjoyed seeing the dynamics between positions within the organization, and it was just interesting.
I enjoyed Weather Girl, and while I did enjoy Ex-Talk a little more, this was a great read!

This is my first book from this author and it definitely won’t be my last!!! This was such an adorable book that was pulling at my heart strings the entire time.

I would go so far as to say this is not a romcom but so much more than that. It covered so many deeply personal and hard topics. It spoke of depression, mental health issues, and weight issues in such an amazing way. I felt so connected to each character that most of the time I wasn’t worried about Ari & Russell falling in love, I was worried about them learning to love themselves.

If you hate romcoms, because they are “cheesy” or “unbelievable” (can’t relate) this one is for you!! You literally can’t help but love these people and want what’s best for them!! I think they had to most believable romance I have read in forever. They take their time, and discuss very real issues.

Overall, this is such a feel good book that I am so happy I read! Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance @berkleypub for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧

I loved THE EX TALK by @rlynn_solomon so I was super excited to read her newest release along with #teamsteam this month 💧☔️

👍🏼: I loved this story so much!! Huge fan of all the representation- Jewish characters, LGBTQ representation, depression/mental illness, “dad bods”- this book honestly had it all. I enjoyed breaking of the unrealistic expectations many romance novels often paint for us readers & highlighting of real modern characters ✨

I also loved the main character, Ari, and everything she represented! I’ve never thought much about meteorologists & all they do. The weather theme weaved throughout the whole story was so fun & unique as well! ☺️

Okay I could rave more but I’ll let you all check it out for yourselves!!

👎🏼: Dare I say there could’ve been a little more steam?! 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ honestly it might’ve taken away from the importance of the storyline- so definitely not mad with a little steam here & there!

Thanks to @netgalley & @berkleypub for the advanced e-arc! This one is out NOW ✨☔️

Rating: 4⭐️

Ari Abrams grew up wanting to be a meteorologist, like her TV idol Torrance. The fact that she grew up and ended up working at the same station as Torrance should have been a dream come true. But Torrance's constant fighting with her ex-husband Seth had soured the work atmosphere at KSEA, their TV station, to the point where Ari and co-worker Russell began plotting to try and improve things.

The two had seen signs that the divorced couple still had feelings for each other, so they engineered situations to give the two a chance to re-connect. And by now you might have guessed that Ari and Russell also were finding their way to each other.

This was a sweet story with some decent characters. It's made more complex by some realistic threads. Ari suffers from depression, which is being treated by meds and her time with a therapist. This is a huge deal to her because her mother also had depression issues, untreated, which broke up her parents' marriage and drove her father to leave. Seth has baggage of his own -- he is a big man, with some body image problems, and he is the proud father of a daughter he fathered while in high school, which clearly changed the course of his life.

These are people you can root for, and enjoy their road to each other. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ari Abrams is a really great character. Solomon does a wonderful job accurately portraying someone with mental illness without it being preachy. It was refreshing to see a character who had a complicated and challenging road and showed the everyday struggles and insecurities she faced everyday. I also really really really liked how successful Ari is. I feel like a lot of books lean on the main female character being kind of a mess (therefore her transformation being more drastic) and it was lovely to see Ari driven and successful already. I like that about her personality and it played really well into the image she portrayed to others and her overall character.
Russell is adorable. I have no problem picturing him in my mind, his shirt and beard and the warmness of his personality. It was easy to see them come together as a couple, and how each of their problems weighed heavily on them.

And of course there's the parent trap-like plot that puts them together. I loved the film Set It Up on Netflix so I was totally interested in reading this book, besides Solomon being a wonderful writer (<em> Today, Tonight, Tomorrow</em> is one of my favorite books). The story is very entertaining as you watch Russell and Ari's bosses, a divorced couple who still work together, attach, separate and re-attach again while Russell and Ari's relationship develops along side it.

>Solomon has no problem adding romance and heart to her stories, diving in to Russell's family life and Ari's mental health. I really like the emotional layers underneath this story that adds a sturdy weight to the story that isn't found in other books of this genre.

<em>Weather Girl</em> is overall a fun and romantic book that grabs your attention and doesn't let you go. And there's more to this story than a romance between two people, but also acceptance, forgiveness and maybe loving yourself.

I haven’t laughed this hard reading a book in a while. Like - I woke my partner up one night while reading next to him in bed because I was loud and also my whole body was shaking.

Yes, the book deals with heavy topics. But that’s matched by sass, heat, heart, puns, and (sometimes gallows) humor.

Weather Girl follows, well, weather girl Ari and sports reporter Russell as the attempt to parent trap their bosses back together. Ari is newly single after her ex-fiancee told her she wasn’t “real enough.” Most of the time this is a shallow misogynistic criticism, but in this case its about Ari’s struggle to be vulnerable and emotionally open up about her depression. Instead she doesn’t let people in and makes herself the sunshine, no matter what’s going on.

Oh yeah - the weather puns in this book are ON POINT and that might annoy the heck out of you but I flippin LOVED it. Make it rain please and thank you. Same for the chapter names. SO GOOD!

Anyway…Russell’s been out of the game for a while for reasons I’m not going to spoil but were flippin’ awesome to see represented—and, no I’m not talking about him being a fat hero which is dealt IMO with both care and boundaries (YES to him advocating for himself and yes to Ari for STFU and listening and then changing his behavior. The two are friendly at work, primarily bonding over the toxic AF atmosphere created by their their divorced. Think: lack of mentorship, extreme pettiness and passive aggressiveness, and constant tension.

It all comes to a head (or, should I say: someone loses their head HA!) at the company Christmas party…and Russell and Ani, fueled by pricey hotel drinks, come up with their plan to parent trap their bossess—who’ve they determined still definitely love each other.

If you couldn’t already tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. More and more I can’t deal with characters who’s lives are perfect. Give me the flawed, gimme the human, gimme the disorganized attachment style, intergenerational trauma, abandonment issues, and depression please and thank you.

Weather Girl tackles all these issues and more with care and nuance. Ari’s depression felt so visceral at times. And I deeply appreciated the author’s slash content note which was included AT THE BEGINNING so that we all knew what were getting into and could choose to engage with it or not.

Also: can we talk about how teddy bear russell brings the heat?! Lawd I am in love with this man and his jackets and also would happily be serviced by him. This man LOVES to please and WHEW he’s got it. I so enjoyed watching their chemistry start as nil and then begin to simmer, sizzle and, eventually boil over.

Despite my love, I had a few issues with the book that were enough to take me out of the story and ding it a star
First, the level of Ari’s self-deprecation. Several of my notes just say, “GIIIIIIIIRL” (as in “girl wtf are you doing? that’s ridiculous and makes no sense stop.”).

Secondly, the hypocriticalness Ari sometimes displayed. Yes this is at odds with my “I wanna read REAL characters” spiel above but several times she expected something from others that she’d wasn’t ready or willing to give herself (and always had some excuse as to why).

Thirdly, the weird familial nature of their work. I legit started to make a stink face just thinking about it again while writing this! Are coworkers actually that involved with each other’s lives? It felt weird and kinda creepy to me several times.

To end on a high note, I want to talk about the final conflict. When I’m not reading romance, I counsel couples and whew boy did that last conflict feel FAMILIAR. Like practically verbatim. That moment when you know that you aren’t totally making sense and you know you’re reacting out of fear and primal survival instinct but you just can’t stop yourself.

All in all, I thought Weather Girl was a masterful exploration of two people with lots of baggage and identities that our world often overlooks in the romantic realm being given their time to shine.

And shine bright they did.

Oh and PS: that first sex scene? The way he handles her confession? What follows? Holy fucking hell more of that please.

CW: depression, anxiety, fatphobia, anti-semitism
Sex tags: mutual masturbation, hand sex, oral sex, intercourse, dirty talk

Rachel Lynn Solomon can honestly have all my money at this point. To be fair, that won't exactly make her rich, but the point stands. This woman could jot down a to-do list, and I'd be in line to read it. And as you can probably gather, Weather Girl was another huge hit for me!

The thing about Rachel's books that always, always draws me in, whether they be adult or YA, is that the characters are so well-developed that it's impossible not to care about the outcome. They are always so very relatable, and likable, and yes, flawed, but in a way that makes you feel like if they were real, you'd want to be friends with them.

In Weather Girl, we have Ari, who is a meteorologist and is also dealing with depression. Oh, and her work environment is high key toxic, as her bosses are ex-spouses who fight like actual cats and dogs. So after one especially bad public "altercation" between the exes, Ari teams up with sports reporter Russell to get these two back together- and maybe repair their own sanity in the process.

It's clear that there are sparks between Ari and Russell fairly early on. He seems like such a nice, kind dude, but he's a little reserved about his own past, and Ari isn't exactly opening up too much about hers. I loved that they both had to learn how to be open, and communicative, and trusting in order for their relationship (both friendship and romantic) to progress. And Ari had to do a lot of soul searching herself to work through her depression, and how to be herself while living with depression.

I absolutely loved the focus of mental health in this story. I loved that Ari also had to confront her mother's mental illness and rehabilitation while dealing with her own. And, as the author states in her note, this is an #ownvoices novel:
"I wanted this book to highlight a neurodiverse heroine who happens to be on medication and in therapy falling in love and thriving."

I appreciated that so much, and found Ari's story really moving. The way Ari responds to her depression is so very different to how I react personally, but I felt that I had this whole new understanding for others because of how the author presented Ari. I understood Ari, even if I never felt the same way she did. Which, in my opinion, is why it's so necessary to have stories from so many different perspectives (of all kinds, not just mental health).

And the story is adorable and wonderful, the characters are wholly endearing, and I absolutely could not put the book down and simultaneously wanted to read it forever. So yep. It's a win.

Bottom Line: Another home run (Russell-approved figure of speech, obviously) for Rachel Lynn Solomon. Incredibly realistic and relatable characters and a story I fell in love with, one again.

What happens when two reporters team up to Parent Trap their bosses? Antics, friendship, and an unexpected romance. Weather Girl has an entertaining premise and its characters’ easy, low-key chemistry makes it enjoyable, but what really makes it stand out is how author Rachel Lynn Solomon addresses mental health in this romance.

Ari Abrams is a meteorologist for KSEA news and though she loves her job, her office is miserable thanks to the constant battles between her boss and KSEA’s station manager. The exes are constantly at each other’s throats, but there’s chemistry there that makes Ari think that all the love between them may not be gone. At an office Christmas party, she and sports reporter Russell Barringer decide to nudge their bosses back together. Their plotting leads to an easy friendship springing up between Ari and Russell, and it’s not long before that friendship turns into something more. Ari and Russell never quite grabbed me as a couple, but I still liked them enough to just roll with it. I particularly liked that Russell had insecurities about his looks (it’s a refreshing change of pace) and that Ari thought he was totally hot.

The romance was OK in this book but what really made Weather Girl shine for me was Ari’s mental health struggles and the sensitivity Solomon showed in addressing this topic. Ari has depression and the way Solomon writes it is so realistic and relatable that it grabbed my heart. Even though Ari has been successfully managing her depression for years, it’s not something that goes away no matter how adept you are at handling it. She feels like she always has to show a smiling face to the world, that no one could love all of her. I wanted to see her realize that she could be loved on good days and bad and I loved that Solomon gave that to her.

Weather Girl is a lovely, sometimes messy romance with endearing characters. I loved the Jewish representation in this book as well as the way different families are shown. Solomon isn’t afraid to make her characters imperfect and give them love, which I really liked. All in all, Ari and Russell’s story is an entertaining read to curl up with in sunshine or storm.