This one had me hooked right from the start. Loved Ari and Russ - the parent trapping coworkers. The tie ins to mental health and being vulnerable made this more real than your average romcom. Another brilliant story from Rachel Lynn Solomon!

I liked this cute romcom that’s a cross between The Parent Trap and Netflix’s Set It Up, set in a local news station. Weather girl Ari, and sports reporter Russell hatch a plan to get their divorced bosses back together. In the process, they spend a lot of time together ... and you can guess where that goes.

While I liked both relationships and the hijinks in the story just fine, what I really liked about this story was the frank talk about dealing with and treating depression and the discussion about therapy from men and women (in regards to mental health and in regards to helping with communication in relationships).

So with that, content warnings for talk of depression, teen pregnancy, and talk of body image.

Big thank you to Penguin Random House for an ARC! Oof, this one took a raindrop sized piece of my heart. It was clear in every detail how personal this story was for the author and that made it that much more satisfying. Ari and Russ were so well-crafted - their struggles so real and relatable, it was just a delight.

WEATHER GIRL BOOK REVIEW

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ari, a TV meteorologist, and Russell, a sports reporter at her station, team up to try and get their bosses back together so they’ll stop bickering at work. Little did they know, their scheme to set their bosses up would end up bringing them together in an unexpected way. Wowowow!!! You *NEED* to pick this one up!! These characters are so endearing and I was OBSESSED🥰 Also, the banter, flirting, and steam were all perfection👏🏼

Pick this one up if you’re looking for a cute rom com with:
•balance between lighter scenes & emotional ones
•Matchmaking vibes
•focus on importance of mental health
•Jewish representation
•navigating complicated parental relationships

Overall, this book solidified that @rachelsolomon is an auto-buy author for me!! WEATHER GIRL and her other book, The Ex Talk, have been some of my fav romance books! Def go pick up a copy of this one!!

4.5 Stars

This was a fantastic story with great mental health (depression) and Jewish representation. As a person who suffers from the former, I really appreciate how the author made Ari's depression a major part of who she is and how she handles relationships but made sure depression wasn't ALL that she is. While I can't speak to the Jewish representation, I'm happy to see it so prevelant in a romance. I'm also very happy to read about an average hero with insecurities as the perfect cinnamon-roll hero we all love to read about. I absolutely loved Ari and Russell!!

The parent-trap aspect of Ari and Russell working to get their respective bosses back together to bring harmony to the news station they work at as a weather girl and sportscaster really made this a fun story to read.

This was my first time reading Rachel Lynn Solomon but it won't be the last.

*I recieved an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary/honest review

Ari Abrams loves the weather and her job as a meteorologist at a local TV channel. What Ari doesn't love is how her boss and idol, Torrence is always at odds with the stations news director Seth. The two have been divorced for a few years, but both work at the same station and situations have a tendency to get tense.

Russell Barringer, a sports reporter at the same station comes up with a plan. What if Ari and him were to get Seth and Torrence into situations where they'd end up alone with one another. Would that rekindle their love for one another? Maybe that might make their jobs more enjoyable. Ari would maybe be able to get more mentoring from Torrence and Russell would be able to cover a larger variety of sports to report on. But the more scheming they get into, the more time they end up spending together and their attraction starts to grow. Will they end up not only succeeding in getting their bosses back together, but also finding a way to each other? ⁣

What I loved about Weather Girl, is the way each character was so well developed. Everyone from Ari to Russell's daughter to Ari's mom. These characters who we are so invested in each have their own story to tell and they are all important to the storyline.

Mental health is a vital part of the story in Weather Girl and I feel that Rachel Lynn Solomon did such a wonderful job of letting us into the vulnerabilities that Ari feels while dealing with her depression. Ari's relationship with her mother impacted her in so many ways and while that was hard to read, I really enjoyed how she grew to accept her depression. Some of those moments with her mom were my favorite and I have so many of them highlighted.

I loved the sweet and slow burn between Ari and Russell. Both of them have so many vulnerabilities and I really liked that they took their relationship slow. While Ari is not sure how to share her depression with Russell, he isn't sure how to talk about his daughter or his weight. You don't see that often enough in romances - that a male character also struggles with their weight and how that feels for them. These sensitive topics were done so well in Weather Girl.

As with Rachel's previous adult romance, The Ex Talk, I really liked the references to Judaism in Weather Girl. Both Ari and Russell are Jewish and I really enjoyed the way topics of Judaism were discussed for these characters - everything from not celebrating Christmas to Russell's daughter's bat mitzvah.

Overall, I really enjoyed Weather Girl, this book often felt like a warm hug and I feel like we could all use a little more of that!

Rachel Lynn Solomon's delightful new book is set in the world of broadcast news. TV meteorologist and weather nerd Ari loves everything about her on-air Seattle job. Except the fraught relationship between her divorced bosses, whose personal battles make things tense for everyone at work. After a drunken evening at the station Christmas party, she teams up with shy sports reporter Russell in a crazy bid to Parent Trap their bosses and get them back together. As she and Russell spend more time together, they realize there might be something between them, too. But it's complicated.

This was a lovely book. Solomon tackles heavier themes like body image, depression, family relationships, and single parenthood. But there are also some very funny (and steamy!) moments.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

4 stars!

Weather Girl was absolutely adorable! The plot reminded me a bit of the Netflix rom-com "Set It Up" with Ari and Russell trying to get their bosses back together. I actually ended up loving how Russell wasn't the stereotypical hot alpha male you find in romance novels. Lots of cute dialogue and good characters! Definitely recommend if you need a good rom-com for a lazy weekend.

Rachel Lynn Solomon writes both YA and adult contemporary romances. Weather Girl is one of her adult books.

I'm a bit torn as to whether to call this a romantic comedy or a contemporary romance. I think it's somewhere in the middle. There are definitely some fun aspects to the story. But the book also deals with some serious subjects.

The narrator is 27 year old Jewish heroine Ari Abrams (1st person POV). She is a tv meteorologist who absolutely loves the weather.

The story takes place in Seattle. And features some friendly matchmaking.

Ari works for legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale. And I adored their relationship/friendship.

I also absolutely loved the Jewish representation (bat mitzvahs, Hanukkah, quite a few Jewish characters...)

And I really appreciate the author's inclusion of mental illness. It's super important and worked perfectly in this book.

Ari's job was so fun, as was her brother and his family. And the male main character was great. I really did like so many things about this story. I just didn't love it.

The ending scenes were my favorite part of the book. I really liked how the author tied everything together. Overall this was an enjoyable romance!

I loved this book! The Parent Trap in the form of a sometimes-cheesy, no-one's-perfect, we-all-have-issues office romance. The audiobook was specatcular. I switched back and forth between print and audio to read it as fast as possible.

Having enjoyed the author’s last book The Ex Talk, her latest release was eagerly anticipated. Rachel Lynn Solomon delivered again with this charming and cute romance. Ari Abrams is a meteorologist for a news program in Seattle. She and Russell, her sports reporter colleague, scheme to improve their unbearable work environment by trying to bring their bosses (who are divorced) back together. As the two spend more time together matchmaking they grow closer and a spark ignites between them. The plot is fun, the characters feel authentic and the author sensitively deals with some heavy topics in a meaningful way. This sweet read is a delight.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very special book birthday to my favorite author, @rlynn_solomon ❤️

QUICK SYNOPSIS
⛈Weather girl Ari & sports reporter Russell team up together to solve their bosses’ relationship issues.

WEATHER GIRL has a special place in my heart for so many reasons.

✨the depression representation, which is so crucial in romance books, particularly. It’s important to remember it is possible to love, no matter your mental health struggle - and I wish more romance books tackled this idea
✨the Jewish rep: wow, does RLS inspire me and the entire Jewish community to be fearless when it comes to ~casually~ discussing our identity
✨plus-sized rep, in a male love interest, which I’ve never seen before!!!!

I’m also simply a sucker for a work place rom com, which this entirely is. Although I’d say it’s more rom and less com 🥰 I’m as in love with this book as I am the cover.

Thank you Rachel & @berkleyromance for my free e-copy!

RLS has done it again! I loved so many things about this book. Here’s just a few nuggets:

As someone who knows zero about meteorology, I was so into this part of Ari’s character - unique, refreshing and fun!

Russell was an amazing leading man. So many books are full of insecure women but I loved getting to see a dude be vulnerable too - and it only made him more lovable 💖💖

Loved the Jewish rep - RLS always nails this and makes it so relatable.

Loved the destigmatization of therapy and hiding depression - this was written so well and never once felt preachy or over the top.

Have you ever finished a book and wanted to hug it? I have. It was this book. Weather Girl is so so good. It has parent trap vibes, workplace romance, incredible family (found and otherwise), excellent communication, and is a work of art. But the part that blew me away?? Was the focus on mental health. The way that mental health is addressed brought tears to my eyes. I loved how Rachel explores mental health, specifically depression and the ways that it can impact someone's life, relationships, etc. She doesn't shy away from the gritty, raw pieces of depression. That being said, she shines a light on depression and the ways in which people can, and do! have meaningful lives full of light and love in the midst of dark days.

This book is so good. I'm so thankful I was able to read it. I'm so thankful that I read it RIGHT NOW.

I’m so bummed because I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I did The Ex Talk. The story line just didn’t hook me.

I loved Ari and Russell SO FREAKING MUCH.

This book is a love letter to people who feel “too much” and those that feel that they ARE “too much.”

Ari is a meteorologist with a sunny disposition that hides her darker moments as someone who struggles with depression.

Russell is a sports anchor with an unexpected backstory that he hopes won’t impact his future.

Both of them share bosses who are estranged ex-spouses, whose deranged fights and blowouts make for an uncomfortable workplace. As Ari and Russell scheme to get their bosses back together, they fall for each other as well.

A meditation on how to choose yourself and how to fully show up in your life, Weather Girl is a sweet and earnest read with sizzling chemistry. A solid follow up to her debut, The Ex Talk, Solomon is doing wonderful work with complicated characters.

I loved The Ex Talk so much and was so excited to get my hands on a copy of Weather Girl, Rachel Lynn Soloman's newest book! In this weather-filled saga, the main character Ari Abrams, a meteorologist for her local news station in Seattle, is frustrated with the loud and aggressive banter between her boss and her boss’s ex-husband in the office. One drunken evening at the TV station’s holiday party, Ari and sportscaster Russell Barringer impulsively decide to team up to nudge their bosses back together. But in the process, Ari and Russell develop a romance of their own.

Weather Girl is deeply personal for Rachel Lynn Solomon as the story grapples with the mental illness of depression. I found this topic to be executed beautifully and Solomon expresses through her characters that depression isn't an easy fix, nor does it require an end-goal of abandoning therapy or medication…a common stigma associated with mental illness. I loved the Jewish rep of course, but I wish that Ari wasn’t so quick to doubt herself and those around her; I enjoy reading about characters who aren’t quick to put themselves down. That said, the romance was spicy and oh-so-cute. I can’t wait to read what Solomon writes next!

Content warnings: mental illness, abandonment

I could not have adored this book more.

Ari Abrams is a TV meteorologist who really, really loves weather. While she loves what she does, her work environment is less than ideal because her boss and her boss’ ex (the station’s news director) are always fighting. After a few too many drinks at the holiday party Ari and Russel (a sportscaster from the station) decide to ‘Parent Trap’ their bosses and get them back together so everyone can stop walking on egg-shells at work. They contrive a series of activities and outings to help them fall back in love, but this forced proximity and scheming is making Ari have sunshiny feelings for Russel, and vice-versa.

I adore how real Rachel Lynn Solomon’s characters feel. They’re nuanced and flawed, and extremely lovable. Ari struggles with depression and slaps on a sunny mask to hide it. Russel is chubby and self conscious, and also has a daughter he looks after part time. By the end of the book I felt as if the characters were real people in my life, that I’d known for years, which I think is a sign of a really special talent in a writer.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny in parts, but also has so much depth. Solomon handles heavier topics with a gentle hand that make readers (myself included) feel seen on the pages. I’m so excited to see mental health talked about in fiction more often these days. I think normalizing talking about it, both on and off the page, will help so many people.

A couple of other things that made me love the book even more…it’s set here in Seattle, one of the activities they set up is a swing class (specifically Lindy Hop) which I used to do, and Ari makes her own weather-themed jewelry. #bringbackthebrooch

I slept on this book. A++ representation of struggling with clinical depression, a body positive male lead and diverse range of supporting characters with non contrived problems. It's not getting enough hype for how good it is.

4.5 stars

CW: Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, parental abandonment (past), strained parental relationship, toxic work environment, teen pregnancy (past), mentions of body image insecurity

This book came at exactly the time my heart needed it. Weather Girl pulled on my heartstrings and made me feel seen and comforted. Reading this book was a very cathartic experience for me. The romance was tender while also being deliciously spicy and the characters had me rooting for them from the start.

Ari is one of the most relatable characters I have come across in a while. I felt her struggles and victories so much and I applaud Rachel Lynn Solomon for giving us such an incredible heroine. Ari's experiences were unapologetically honest and raw and it only endeared me to her more. The mental health and Jewish representation in the novel was fantastic as well. Russell was an absolute cinnamon roll and I loved how adorakable and sweet he was. In many ways, his character arc mirrored Ari's in that they are both working toward being their truest selves. I'm normally not a fan of late stage drama, but this time it completely worked and was understandable. I loved the secondary characters, especially Ari's brother, Alex, and their relationship was just the cutest. The discussions about family, love, and forgiveness were especially moving and I appreciated all the different ways those things can look and come about.

Weather Girl is a wonderful novel that I hope everyone will read. Also, I know it's only January, but this may be my favorite cover of the year. All the heart eyes <3

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*