This was really cute - I loved that Solomon highlighted underserved themes in romantic lit (specifically depression, and a fat hero). This was great, I highly recommend.

There is something about connecting with a book so much that you’re nodding your head as you read. I saw myself in our main character Ari. The relationship with her mother, striving to hide a part of herself from others and trying to fake it till you make it kind of scenario.

Ari is a talented weather girl for her local news however the hostile work environment is driving her crazy. Her boss and ex are always at each other’s throats so she and sports reporter Russell, team up to play “parent trap”? They will try to bring their bosses together.

Russell is single dad with a definite dad bod. And I didn’t hate it. It’s real. It’s what real life is. There spice was there, romance and love. Such a cute and real story that I connected with on so many levels.

Thank you Netgalley & Berkeley Publishings for the eARC. Weather Girl is out 1/11/2022!!

I really enjoyed this one.

It was a sweet story about two people falling in love as they work to get their bosses back together and make the office a better place to be.

I really liked how Ari & Russel’s relationship developed. I liked how they actually talked about things and shared some of the more challenging feelings/situations.

I especially liked the Jewish rep & seeing how it was just normal and not made to be a big thing. As it should be.

The representation of depression, not just experienced by Ari but also her mother and how it impacts them in various ways. Though I have never experienced depression to that extent, to me it felt very realistic.

Overall, just lovely little read.

This book deserves a round of applause for putting mental illness and therapy into the forefront and doing it justice. So kudos to @rlynn_solomon for that, as well as a powerful, realistic depiction of depression without it being overwhelming or sad.

Ari Abrams has struggled with depression for years but has a therapist and takes medication to manage her symptoms. It doesn’t define her. She’s a meteorologist for her local station, and she works with her mentor since childhood, Torrence Hale. Only it isn’t clear skies at the station — Torrence is too busy butting heads with her ex husband Seth Hasagawa Hale to pay much attention to Ari. Similarly, Seth doesn’t give much time or attention to his newest sports anchor, Russell Barringer. After an event where Torrence and Seth trash a hotel, Ari and Russ team up to essentially parent trap Torrence and Seth into getting back together for the good of the station.

Ari is externally an optimist to both counteract and hide her depression. After all, her mother’s mental illness caused her father to leave and Ari and Alex to fend for themselves. Until now, Ari’s mom has resisted treatment, but after a horrible depressive episode, she has been admitted to the psychiatric hospital. Ari grapples with this relationship, and it’s really a beautifully done story between them, realistic and sweet even though it’s hard.

Ari, fresh off of a major breakup, is not planning on dating, but the chemistry with Russell proves too intense to ignore. She has a crush on him immediately - tall guy with a dad bod, belly and all. Russell is self conscious about his size, but he’s accepted himself, and it certainly doesn’t bother Ari. I thought this was especially well done, their attraction and chemistry was believable - he is kind to her in a way she hasn’t experienced before. It’s a LOT sexier than I expected - no complaints from me!!!

Ari and Russell are both secularly Jewish with traditions that they share. This is an interfaith, interracial, queer people existing without fanfare world and I love it.

This book is out Jan 11 - you guys really need to read it 💛 Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC!

This was my first Rachel Lynn Solomon book, and it definitely won't be my last.

I loved this book. I'll be reading and rereading it over and over, because it's so rare that you feel SO SEEN in a book you're reading. You know?

Ari resonated with me in just about every moment of Weather Girl. Her struggles with depression are real, open, and more honest than I've seen in a lot of books. Solomon captures the distilled essence of what depression looks like, sounds like, feels like--with such clarity that I was tearing up, seeing similarities I share with Ari. I particularly was moved when Ari would talk about her depression vs. her sunshine personality, and how she feels she has no choice but to have this peppy personality so people don't see the underlying darkness. That just...wow. Hit me in the gut.

I also just want to talk about the Jewish rep here, because THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE THEM. This book, like some others I've read lately, are true lessons in writing Jewish rep. Ari and Russell's Jewishness is there, it's obvious, but it's not something that's blown up. It's ingrained into the characters, whether that be through the occasional mention of Shabbat, or Hanukkah, or just the traditions shared in the book. It's all of these little moments that added up to making me cry tears of joy, because can you imagine seeing yourself, your traditions, reflected back in a way that truly relates to you?? Like, you can tell this book is about Jewish characters, and it's just so well done. I'm just such a dork and I'm so in love with Ari, Russell, and Weather Girl.

OH. Also. The spice was top notch. So was the plot. Basically, come for the plot, stay for the incredible and richly detailed characters who are the best.

Ari Abrams loves to talk about the weather and she’s landed the perfect job as a meteorologist on TV. But her legendary boss, Torrance Hale, is too preoccupied with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she’s always wanted. Determined to make the station a better place for everyone, Ari teams up with Russel, the down to earth sports reporter, to help their bosses reconnect. But their plan ultimately backfires when they discover the chemistry building between them.

This book checked SO many boxes for me! The romance? Wow. The representation? Stunning. Well-written and lovable characters? Yes please!

Ari and Russell were a breath of fresh air! They were so open and real with one another, no games. On the outside looking in, it may not seem like they have much in common. But they connected on topics that were so much more important.

I think the author did a wonderful job discussing depression and therapy. She did it in such a gentle and honest way so I feel, in my opinion, it shouldn’t be triggering.

Honestly I can’t say enough about Ari! Her passion for the weather was so inspiring to me and I loved her drive for professional growth. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and forget why we chose the profession we’re in. She inspired me to find the joy in my job!

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Berkley Romance for my E-ARC!

Thank you so much to Rachel Lynn Solomon and Berkley for providing me with an eARC in exchange from my honest review. WEATHER GIRL is scheduled for release January 11, 2022.

I knew I was going to love this book from the moment I opened it. It started with the dedication page and the letter to the reader. I loved them both so much. Sometimes you don't know you need to hear something until you see it in front of you written on a page. Rachel had me tearing up before the book even began.

Ari Abrams has her dream job: a meteorologist. She works for Seattle's legendary weatherwoman Torrance Hale. Russell Barringer is a sports reporter whose boss is Torrance's ex-husband. Ari and Russell are finding it hard to enjoy their jobs since their bosses are too busy getting mad at each other, which ultimately puts a damper on the whole newsroom. So Ari and Russell come up with a plan: get their bosses back together. While they're meddling with their bosses' relationship, they start to build a relationship themselves.

This story gave me major Parent Trap vibes but in a workplace. Rachel Lynn Solomon has consistently crushed the workplace romance in both of her adult romance novels. I am also obsessed with every chapter title. They're so clever and witty, they had me laughing out loud.

You can tell this book is so personal to Rachel and her readers. It may be a fiction book, but it's emotional, raw and honest. It covers a lot that people don't like to openly talk about. The main character is depressed and on medication and goes to therapy, which is something you don't see a lot in romance novels and is very present in the storyline.

There's a lot of other representation in here as well. Of course with a RLS book, we have a Jewish main character and Jewish love interest with some Jewish themes and references. There's also fat representation with the love interest, which is talked about openly as well. The main character's brother is gay and married with two kids through a surrogate. Every topic is handled so beautifully and seamlessly, I wish there was more of this in romance novels.

Rachel Lynn Solomon DOES NOT MISS. Ever. Read this book, you absolutely won't regret it.

CW: depression/mental illness, abandonment by a parent, divorce, psychiatric hospitalization (off-page)

Weather Girl is the newest romance from Rachel Solomon. Weather and Sports come together in the sweetest way possible when Ari and Russell decide to “parent trap” their bosses. Cue up the double dates and we are off on a lighthearted, yet steamy office romance. Bonus points for Russell and his “dad bod” and Ari and her depression. It is a breath a fresh air to read a romance novel that mirrors real life. The characters seemed to be pulled from real life and I would love to be friends with of them. So much of the characters back stories helped to mold them into their present day lives, yet both come to realize that their past does not need to dictate their future.
Weather Girl was my first Rachel Solomon novel, but it will not be my last. I was incredibly happy to have my home state of Michigan play a part of Russell’s story. Hockey and snow for the win!
Thank you very much to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this Arc with me.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#WeatherGirl #NetGalley

It’s definitely not an everyday/ easygoing contemporary romance rather a contemporary romance that very well tackles some of the severe subjects like mental health and the implications of the toxic work environment. However, this one definitely falls under my current fav contemporary romance novel I’ve read lately. ‘Cause ghosh this was everything!! I really liked how raw and authentic the characters and their respective issues has been portrayed. Along with that, it was a well paced and an easy read for me!!

Ari and Russell- a meteorologist and a sports reporter- decide to Parent Trap their bosses Torrance and Seth and find.....love for themselves. Ari's always worshipped Torrance but Torrance has become, ahem, difficult since the divorce from Seth. The subtle campaign designed to bring them back together is clever but it also bonds Ari and Russell. While this is a rom com with steam. there's also a thoughtful look at depression. Ari's been managing hers since college but she hasn't shared about it, not since her mother dismissed her despite her own struggles. This is nicely written and plotted with good characters I found myself caring about. Loved the kids - Elodie, Cassie, Orion. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I loved it and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. And the why is because it features really authentic and relatable characters that felt like people I’ve known my whole life. Beyond just Ari and Russell, you get to know Torrence and Seth fairly well, as well as snippets of Ari’s brother, brother-in-law and mother. None of these characters were perfect (except for maybe Ari’s niece and nephew), but they also weren’t flawed in cliché or unbelievable ways. It made it feel very natural and comforting to read and I got caught up in caring so much about the outcomes for these characters.

The reality of these characters went beyond their personalities to also include their body-types; I appreciated the intentional choice to not make Russell a washboard-abed hero. One of the quotes from the book that stuck with me was after Russell referred to himself as fat and Ari started the knee-jerk reflex to respond to him, Russell responded “It’s not a bad word. It’s just an adjective. It’s just the way I am.” He goes more in depth in talking about how his body-type has impacted him from there, but I just really found that powerful; I have trouble thinking about other romance heros I’ve come across recently portrayed this way. He’s also hilarious, sweet, nurturing and so thoughtful and conscientious, while also hiding a fiery side underneath it all.

Finally, I really found Ari’s portrayal of her depression and the way she struggled to let people see how she is truly feeling to be really honest and relatable. I think even people who don’t live with depression will find Ari’s struggle to let people see and accept all of her as something they can connect with. I’ve noticed a trend where author’s write honest and vulnerable notes at the beginning of books where sensitive and potentially triggering topics are addressed, especially when that topic in some way reflects their own life-experience, and I really like it. I would suggest everyone read Rachel’s author note at the beginning of this one, especially if you’re at all concerned about the subject matter of depression. I never find them particularly spoilery, but if you like to go in blind, definitely flip back to the front for that when you’re done!

I loved the chemistry and connection between Russell and Ari; watching them get to know each other and share secret parts of themselves was a wonderful way to watch them build emotional intimacy. And when their physical intimacy starts to build, after a very respectful but somehow still scorching hot caretaking moment? Wow. And their nicknames for each other? Just adorable.

I want to bundle Russell up and put him in my pocket.

I appreciated there was a heroine with depression and she still got to fall in love, albeit accidentally. Russell could have so easily have been written as a dude-bro sports reporter and he was this calm, steady, treasure of a man instead and I couldn't have liked him more. They felt inevitable as soon as she threw her hair up in a top knot and tipsily came up with the matchmaking plan at the disastrous Christmas party. I enjoyed their story.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Rachel Lynn Solomon for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Highlights: friends-to-lovers, cinnamon-roll hero, Jewish rep, mental health rep, fat rep.

I requested Weather Girl from NetGalley without reading the synopsis because I really liked The Ex-Talk, and without realizing that the premise is similar to the movie The Parent Trap. In this book, a TV meteorologist and a sports reporter team up to reunite their divorced bosses to make the working environment of their news station less stressful. I must say, I found this premise a bit juvenile. I wasn't sold on it. I enjoyed Weather Girl and I appreciated Jewish and mental health rep, but I didn't find this book as funny as The Ex-Talk. Overall, if you are looking for an inclusive romance with a positive message, I recommend this book.

I've been a Rachel Lynn Solomon superfan for years, so I was ecstatic when Weather Girl was announced and thrilled to receive an arc copy. Solomon consistently writes thoughtful, dynamic Jewish characters, making them fall in love in the swooniest ways, and she doesn't disappoint in Weather Girl!

The book follows optimistic Ari Abrams, a TV meteorologist. Ari has her dream job, but her legendary Seattle weatherwoman boss Torrance Hale's constant fighting with her ex-husband, Seth, the station's news director, prevents Ari from the mentorship she desires. Russell Barringer, a sports reporter, working for Seth, shares Ari's pain. After a catastrophic Christmas party, Air and Russell join forces to heal their bosses' relationship pushing their bosses back together with double dates and purposely engineered situations. As Ari and Rusell spend more time together, their chemistry flares, and being close to Russell means showing parts of herself Ari hides from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

I love a Parent Trap/Set it Up premise, and Solomon delivers. Watching Seth and Torrance's second chance romance unfold alongside Ari and Russell's was beautiful. Seth and Torrance were well-rounded characters, but Solomon smartly ensured their story didn't steal the spotlight. Instead, they provided hilarity and insight so Air and Russell could take the stage.

Solomon crafts a sweet slow burn creating deliciously tropey situations building emotional and sexual intimacy and tension that had me turning pages faster than my ereader allowed. Ari and Russell were alive and burning even before they kissed for the first time. When the tension boiled over and the steam exploded on the page, I cheered aloud (and got a strange look from my sister).

Ari's growth and the depression rep throughout the book was wonderful. Each step and fall Solomon pens, I felt. Ari's self-discovery journey beautifully unfolds, and watching her become comfortable in her vulnerability was rewarding.

Even though the book is only Ari's POV, Russell is incredibly fleshed out. In the best ways he's such a dad, from his compassion to dad jokes to dadbod and understanding ways, he countered Ari perfectly. Solomon didn't shy away from the messiness of teen parenthood, and I appreciated how it was handled. My eyes burned while reading how besotted Russell was with Ari before she ever realized it. But, once she did, I squealed at every swoony steamy scene they had.

One of my favorite things in the book was the weather symbolism/themes, which reflected all of the characters SO well and provided an additional layer to an already romantic and intricate story. The writing and banter were top-tier. I LOVED how Solomon built Russell and Ari's community. Russell's daughter, Elodie, is an independent character with page-time, humor, and spunk, and Alex, Ari's brother, is such a supportive light for Ari.

I laughed. I squealed. The premise was executed perfectly. The Jewish and depression rep was fabulous. I adored Torrance and Seth's dynamic and romance. I fell madly in love with Russell and Ari, and their love story will stay with me. I cannot wait to reread it!

My prediction for 2022 is Weather Girl is going to be a hit. Rachel Lynn Solomon knocks it out of the park again with Weather girl! There’s just something about her books that are so easy to enjoy. She manages to write feel good stories while also having in-depth characters with complex personalities and dealing with real problems. I feel like for people who don’t read romance, it’s a genre that’s over looked as being frivolous but writers like Solomon show that there’s so much more to romance than sex.

And with that segue, this book is SEXY as hell. So many authors tone down their sex scenes as they become more popular in the traditional publishing world, but not this book. I am pleased to announce she brings the steam, respectfully but also HOT. A+ for sexual tension and dirty talk. There’s solid consent, and talk of protection that has helped modernize the genre in recent years.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the characters! It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve read a romance that wasn’t enemies to lovers. Don’t get me wrong I love a good story with sparring characters, but there was something extra sweet about Ari and Russell’s friendship turned relationship. The slow build of their attraction felt so realistic to me! And them as characters just felt very real and relatable.

There were part of Ari and how much she felt her emotions that I could understand personally. Her battle with depression was incredibly emotional and refreshing to see, something I myself deal with mirrored in her character. And the few mentions of Russell and being fat. The fact that he doesn’t shy away from the word and even says that “fat isn’t a bad word, it’s just what I am” at one point. For so long I’ve wanted to read a romance with a hero that doesn’t have perfect abs. It was nice that this wasn’t an integral aspect of the story either, it’s mentioned a couple times as it’s something that is part of who Russ is, but it’s not dwelled on. Their bodies in general aren’t talked about much. Again I think this is part of what makes these characters feel like they could be real people.

On top of all of that, the Seattle setting is as cozy as ever and I love the scenes that take place in the newsroom.

I can see this being a 2022 favorite for a lot of people, me included!

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a stand-alone lighthearted romance. We meet our heroine, Ari Abrams, who is a meteorologist for a Seattle TV news station. Ari has always wanted to be a weather girl, starting when she was young and watched her favorite weather woman, Torrance Hale; now, Torrance is her boss, and Ari loves her job. Ari secretly hides the fact that she suffers from occasional depression, especially due to her mother’s illness, and breakup with her boyfriend; she does go to a therapist, and takes antidepressants.

Torrance and her ex, Sean (news director) constantly fight openly, in front of their employees, who try to pretend not to listen. When Ari talks with Russ (sports reporter), they discuss ways to try to bring Torrance and Seth back together, raising the moral at the studio.; together they devise a plan to with gifts, double dates, trips and invitations. While Ari and Russ spend a lot of time together to push their plan, they slowly find themselves becoming attracted to each other. Russ was perfect for Ari, as he was very patient and understanding, as he learned more about Ari, and she began to trust him. With Ari’s family issues, and mental health, Russ was always there for her; he too had his own issues, bringing up a 12-year-old daughter (Elodie, she was adorable) by himself.

What follows is a fun story, with two couples that we rooted for. I loved how Ari and Russ were able to pull Torrance and Seth together, and I enjoyed them too. It was a blast seeing all four become closer, and the banter between them was great. As we get closer to the end, a few things backfire, with us holding our breath if they can resolve those issues. The story also touches on various issues, such as depression, mental health, divorce, family.

Weather Girl was a fun lighthearted romantic story that was very well written by Rachel Lynn Solomon. I really did enjoy the couples, and how they each helped each other; Ari and Russ turned out to be a perfect pair, rising past their issues to trust love. I wholly suggest you read Weather Girl.

Weather Girl is much more than your typical rom-com. It deals with an honest look at depression and how it impacts your relationships with your family, has a plus size love interest, and how to overcome a toxic work environment.

I really enjoyed the first half or so of the book. I liked the scheming to get the bosses back together and how it was very easy to see the connect between Ari and Russell.

However it sort of lost me in the second half. I'm not sure why, maybe the predictability of it or a bit of repetitiveness? I'm not sure.

Oh, also, this one is NOT a closed door romance at all. It may seem innocent enough in the beginning but then... 🔥🔥🔥

“Eventually, you deal with something for long enough that it becomes such an intrinsic part of you, and you can’t imagine yourself without it. You accept it, maybe because you think you deserve it but also because you’re scared that if you tried to change it, it wouldn’t work. It feels easier to live in that somber place because you don’t know who you are otherwise, and you’re worried about putting in all that effort without a guaranteed outcome.”

Ari Abrams, a meteorologist in Seattle, has recently ended her engagement. She works at a local new station under her boss, Torrance, whom she has looked up to for years. Torrance’s ex-husband also works at the station, and she and her ex have a very toxic relationship which affects everyone around them at work. One evening after the work Christmas party, Ari and Russell, a fellow co-worker in the sports department, decide to work together to get Torrance and her ex back together to improve the environment at work (think The Parent Trap). Ari and Russell find out that they enjoy spending time together during the process.

This book was advertised as a romcom but honestly it was so much more than that. There are some heavy topics within this book and it’s one of the reasons I ended up loving it. The main character, Ari, suffers from chronic depression. It was so wonderful to see the author have a main character struggling with something that millions of people struggle with every day. Ari takes medication and goes to therapy, but she keeps this to herself and hides behind her sunshiny persona. Her ex-fiance left her after he found out about her depression and her father left her mother, who also suffers from depression.

There is often a stigma when it comes to depression, anti-depressants and therapy. I love that the author has Ari take matters into her hands and get the help that she needs to take care of her mental health. No one should be ashamed of getting the help that they need.

Things I loved:
Jewish main characters. I am not Jewish, but it was so refreshing to see Jewish representation.

A main character suffering from depression, who uses anti-depressants and goes to therapy. I feel that this was done in a very sensitive and accurate way.

A plus size male love interest. I love that Russell didn’t fit the stereotype we often see in romcoms.

I loved learning more about meteorologists! I wanted to be a storm chaser when I was younger!

Teen pregnancy, especially through the eyes of the father, and how hard it is on the parents.


This book was maybe a tad on the too steamy side for me. I actually wasn’t expecting it based on the tone of the rest of the book.

Content warning: language, depression, strained mother/daughter relationship, sensitivity towards weight, teen pregnancy and some very steamy scenes.

What first drew my interest to this book was the description of the main character; Ari, an outwardly bubbly protagonist who privately battles with mental illness who also happens to be the weather forecaster for a local Seattle TV station. Add a bit of a "Parent Trap" situation to get her bosses back together with the help of her unforgivably cute co-worker, Russell, and bam! Color me interested.

I can't quite seem to think of any other book I've read this past year with a similar plot so kudos to the author for something a little different in a sea of repetitive romance plots. I was also surprisingly impressed by the inclusion of a “plus-sized” male love interest. Russell, Ari’s co-worker who is a sportscaster, is described as your standard good-looking guy but with a bit of a belly (that he is realistically self-conscious about). And while these body issues are addressed and talked about, it is not the sole plight of the character. Oftentimes an author will make this the single personality trait of an overweight character and I did not get that at all with Russell. So, yay!

I also found Ari to be a very likable and relatable character. I liked that the book begins with establishing that Ari has been managing her depression long-term with the help of medication and therapy. She is aware of what can trigger a depressive episode and what steps she needs to take in order to help her through it. Again, her mental illness is not used as a personality trait. The author does a great job showing that you can be an individual who copes with a mental illness and not have it be the sole issue of your life.

Interestingly enough, the main thing that piqued my interest about the book is my main critique. The plot of Ari and Russell scheming together to get their respective bosses back together was kind of lackluster. It is established that right off the bat that her bosses, who were once married, do not get along and are continuously antagonizing each other through petty workplace microaggressions. So for them to get back together that quickly, no matter how much they secretly still loved each other, seemed a bit forced.

Overall, I found the book to be well-written with just the right balance of seriousness and humor as well as an adorable romance that oftentimes left me with a big goofy grin on my face while reading. I would definitely recommend this book to fellow romance readers.

After starting with a bang with The Ex Talk, and proving herself with Weather Girl, I will never not read a new release from Rachel Lynn Solomon.

This book had things I didn't even know I needed in a romance novel - frank talk about depression, a plus-size love interest of the male persuasion. But of course, it also had all the hallmarks of a good one - HOT sex scenes, chemistry, likable protagonists, and a conflict that could be solved with one conversation.

This is a great one for any romance lover out there.