Book Format & Source: Finished paperback via publisher . I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Review & Thoughts:

The author introduces us to the topics of the story in the author dedication page at the beginning of the book. I love that she features mental health and acknowledges that everyone’s journey is different.
This was such a wonderful romance; one of the best I’ve read in a while and it’ll definitely be my favorite of the month; hands down a winner. It’s got a few super steamy scenes but it’s not overly done or there just because. It all adds to the story and it’s part of the progression and builds with their relationship. I absolutely loved the characters and loved the scheming match-making. I enjoyed the way the relationships grew both romantically and with family. This was a great read and I highly recommend it!
I absolutely loved the reference to The Parent Trap! I’m not one for matchmaking but I love the scheming that goes along with it, doing things in hopes of getting two people together that were made for each other.
Important topics & themes: juxtaposition of fun and serious tropes, depression, mental health, toxic masculinity, female bread winner, jealously, honesty in a relationship, being vulnerable in a relationship
I appreciated the way Ari’s mental health is a big focus and the fact that Russell has a real body. Most men aren’t ken dolls and women are attracted to real men, even if they’re not in super ridiculously good shape.
Romance tropes: close proximity, office romance & colleague relationships, mental health, lgbtq+ characters
Fun & misc. facts:
Ari is short for Arielle…. loved reading about a female main character that has the same name as me. 🙂
I loved the names of the chapters and the cute illustrations that went along with them. One of my favorite chapter names: It’s raining gelt (and Chardonnay)
I loved the way Ari connects with Elodie. I also loved the names of her brother’s kids.
Location: Seattle
This was my first read by this author and I need to quickly remedy that by devouring her previous books.
Future blog post idea: featuring the importance of mental health in female main characters.
Favorite Quote: If there’s anything I’ve learned about depression, it’s that it is an intensely personal journey, one that never really ends.
Recommend for: anyone that enjoys steamy romance, those interested in destigmatizing mental health & depression, own voices novel

My Review Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ – Loved it!

Romance Steam Factor: R – Super steamy

[Thank you to Berkley Romance and Negalley for my gifted e-ARC copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own]

Rachel Lynn Solomon does it again, proving why she is one of my favorite romance authors. Each book of hers introduces relatable characters, LOL dialogue, and fun spins on classic tropes. Read this book if you love:

- The Parent Trap (or Set It Up)
- Body Diversity
- Jewish Perspective
- Steamy moments

It was refreshing to see a fat character introduced, especially that character being the male love interest. Rachel also seamlessly included conversations surrounding mental health and depression, giving the story much more depth than your average "rom-com".

4/5 stars. Will absolutely auto-buy and devour anything this author writes.

☔️ I am going to tell you right off the bat what I liked about this book – it wasn’t riddled with tropes I usually encounter in romance novels. I absolutely loved that this story was different. The relationship between Ari and Russell felt like a real connection that was based on communication and respect and not just hormones. I loved that!

☔️ I love love love books that feature women in STEM fields! We need more of those!

☔️ This is not your typical, light-hearted romantic comedy because it touches on the themes of mental health and depression quite prominently. Initially, this made the book feel a bit more somber than I think was intended. But ultimately, I appreciated the representation of depression and how it can impact and influence relationships.

☔️ I enjoyed the clever, if looong, chapter titles.

☔️ There were a few suspension of belief occurrences and convenient plot points necessary to make the “get our bosses back together” scheme to work, but I didn’t really mind because I was enjoying the story!

☔️ The book ended nicely and appropriately. All in all, I enjoyed it and I think you would too.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @berkleypub for providing an eARC for me to review, which I have done honestly and voluntarily.

Weather Girl is the 3rd book I’ve read by Rachel Lynn Solomon. I’m still not over The Ex Talk, I loved that one so much.

While I really liked this one, I did feel like it was missing something.
I also found our MC Ari somewhat annoying and frustrating. I understand and truly love mental illness rep im books. This is marketed as a romcom and I’m just not sure I agree with that. That may have been my problem, I was expecting a light book but this isn’t it.

Our male MC Russell was perfect, I absolutely loved him! I’m a sucker for a good dad.

I did love the plot, it was very much ‘The Parent Trap’ and I was immediately obsessed.

One thing I didn’t love was the ending. I don’t wanna spoil anything but if you read this you may know what I’m talking about. I just wasn’t a fan of that.

Overall I enjoyed the book and I’m looking forward to what she writes next.

Thank you Berkley for the eARC.

Weather Girl is one of those books I love- it has quirky characters, great banter, and feels light but has some real depth to it. I loved the chemistry between Ari and Russell and how real they were (she has depression and he's overweight). I love the friends to lovers trope when it's done right and this one really hits the mark. This was my first Rachel Lynn Solomon book, but it won't be my last!

It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea but I can see that it would work for others. Overall it was an ok read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Enjoyable read but would have been better published as a YA with slight clean up of the steamy scenes.
Deals with depression in a useful way..suited to a YA audience. Likeable characters. Happy ending.

Book was a cute, fun, office romance. Loved the Parent trap storyline to get bosses back together which happens to make work easier and bring on its own love story. I appreciated the twist towards the end, and the explanations it gave of some things seen earlier in the book. I appreciate the matter of fact info about Ari's depression, it was a nice addition to her character, but definitely not her only personality.

I’m so in awe of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s ability to marry delightful premises (fake exes hosting a radio show??? coworkers trying to help their divorced bosses fall back in love???) with incredibly complex characters & nuanced discussions on heavier topics. I loved Ari and Russell so much, both together and separately. this book was so thoughtful and cozy and sexy and and tender and everything I needed it to be.

This book was like a mixture of the romantic comedies "Morning Glory" and "Set It Up." Essentially, two weather station employees set up their bosses to bring about workplace harmony and end up falling in love themselves. It was cute if predictable, with compelling asides about living with depression and the stigma of young parenthood. Would I buy this in a store? No. Would I check it out from the library? Yes. Good for fans of contemporary romance with deeper themes.

This was my first book by Solomon, and I was so pleasantly surprised. Weather Girl is hard not to love! I was expecting a lighthearted romance, but got so much more than that.

I loved both Ari and Russ both as individuals and together. One criticism I usually have of romance, is a lack of depth in the characters. This does not apply here! We got to see so much depth into the characters. From Ari’s mental health struggles, to Russell’s experience as a teen dad, I felt like I really got to know them.

The premise totally reminded me of the Netflix movie Set It Up, which is one of my favorites. I also was bit of a weather nerd growing up and took a severe and hazardous weather course in college. So of course, I really enjoyed this book!

If you read Rachel’s adult debut last January and thought “hmm, this is nice, but it could use more open-door sex. And it would be cool if the love interest was both Jewish and fat and super sexy.” Well, wow, you are in luck. Because Rachel has served up a hero I’ve not seen before (AND I AM NOT EVEN TELLING YOU THE BEST PART ABOUT HIM BECAUSE YOU GET TO FIND OUT WHEN YOU’RE READING LIKE I DID), and a heroine who is both in therapy and on medication for depression.

♥ Ari has struggled with depression since she was a teenager, and when I say her recollections from sessions with a therapist in high school stopped me in my tracks, I mean they stopped me in my tracks and I quite literally had to put the book down for awhile. I was sent to a therapist in high school myself, and one of the things to come out of our first meeting was the phrase “I think that you might be depressed.” I completely blew her off after that, never went back, and never even considered her diagnosis. At this time in my life, I didn’t know a lot about mental health because my family was so deeply religious and the mentality was usually that if you felt bad it was because you were guilty and needed to confess to god and blahdy blah blah. I had been taught that depression was something you could claim only if you had had suicidal ideation at some point, and since that had never been me, I could never have been depressed.

So I skipped through life believing that my mental health was way healthy and that never feeling awesome was just how I was, because who really felt good all the time? No one I knew.

And then I turned 30 and got to Maine. In Maine, I had a new doctor who said again, “I think you might be depressed.” Only this time, I listened. I started taking medication and seeing a therapist.

But it took me until my late 30s and almost an entire book review to get here. And so, when I read about Ari’s high school therapy and diagnosis, it really made me stop. Because what if I had gotten help twenty years ago? (Don’t do the math, pretend I am still young) If I had accepted a diagnosis of depression at 17, what might my life have been like? It was a sobering but ultimately not unpleasant rumination, and this book is the only thing that has ever connected it for me.

♥ I’ve been so into The Morning Show on Apple TV, and I loved that Ari and Russell work at a news station too. It’s a really fun setting that I haven’t ever seen in a book before. Getting to watch the couple flirt and fall for each other while at work was fun, but it’s the accidental forced proximity that comes when the two try to Parent Trap their bosses where this story really shines. There are group dates, dance lessons, even a weekend trip that ends with Ari in the ER and Russell having to help her change into pajamas…not a thing happens but it’s still super hot and heavy.

♥ Both the depression and Jewish rep are written from an Own Voices POV, something Rachel does exceptionally well in all of her work.

And I have to thank Rachel for personally sending me a review copy ALL THE WAY from Amsterdam!

In conclusion did this make any sense? I have to assume no since I basically just stream-of-consciousness typed a bunch of stuff and didn’t at all try to make sure that everything connected well and flowed nicely. Basically, I love Rachel always, she has never disappointed me, and Weather GIrl is no exception. It is a wonderful contemporary romance complete with a HEA and if you haven’t preordered already I beg of you, please go order it now!

Ari is a meteorologist at a Seattle TV station, where the workplace has gotten uncomfortable since the primary meteorologist, Torrance, is at war with her ex, the Producer. Torrance has been Ari’s idol, and after witnessing Seth and Torrance’s tension, Ari and her coworker, a sportscaster named Russell, decide to try to get their two bosses back together. Ari falls hard for Russell, who is self conscious about his hefty size. Ari suffers from depression, and worries that she cannot sustain a relationship due to depression her mother also suffers. There is more to this romantic comedy than the well written sex scenes, and the serious topic of mental illness. I liked the characters, and would recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Picked this up because I love the title and cover, and I enjoyed Solomon's The Ex Talk last year. A bit heavier than The Ex Talk, but Solomon shows she can handle tougher topics with grace. Still had it's laugh out loud moments! Overall, an enjoyable read and one I will recommend!

Arielle Abrams is a meteorologist with a sunny disposition, who always tries to stay upbeat. In reality, she suffers from depression, something she tries to hide in relationships because guys find that "she's too much" sometimes. Russell Barringer is a sports journalist, and a single dad. When their divorced bosses make their TV station workplace a hostile environment they decide to play matchmaker and get them back together. Which is a great plan because it forces Ari and Russell to spend more time together. 

I loved the open and honest portrayal of depression in this story. Russell and Ari have real, everyday issues and problems that make their characters extremely relatable. From body issues to parenting woes, it’s a modern take on finding love amidst the baggage we carry.

Another bright spot is the Jewish representation in this novel, which is rarely seen in romance. It adds another layer of depth to the already realistic characters.

Weather Girl is a super cute romance! It features a television meteorologist, she and her coworker trick their bosses into falling in love with one another again. The romance in this book was really adorable and I really enjoyed the characters! Bonus points and appreciation for the mental health representation

There's something especially lovely about an overcast day. Clouds dipped in ink, the sky ready to crack open. The air turning crisp and sweet. It's magic, the way the world seems to pause for a few moments right before a downpour, and I can never get enough of that heady anticipation — this sense that something extraordinary is about to happen. Sometimes I think I could live in those moments forever.

4.5 stars, rounded up

Rachel Lynn Solomon is one of those authors I've heard so much hype for, I was simultaneously excited and downright nervous to finally try out a book of hers! What if I'm the odd one out? What if this book lets me down? My fellow Anxious Readers™️ probably know what I mean. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed at all, and in fact, I wholeheartedly plan on reading more of Rachel Lynn Solomon's books in the future, because this was absolutely delightful.

Ari and Russell are such lovable characters, though I'll admit Russell was my favorite of the two. We so rarely get to see fat heroes in romance, and I love that it felt authentic in that Russell does have some insecurities, but it also isn't like his entire world revolves around it. He's such a damn cinnamon roll (though he definitely does mess up a time or two).

Ari was more complicated for me. I adored her depression rep because it felt so genuine and relatable, but she also made choices that frustrated me. I don't mind the miscommunication trope sometimes, but in this case, it felt unnecessary and I was so annoyed with her refusal to face the truth about the situation and Russell's feelings. That said, the reality of living with depression like Ari's is that we do sometimes make these really poor choices and hurt our loved ones by keeping them at a distance, so despite it not being enjoyable to read about, I was certainly able to see why RLS chose to take us down that path.

(As a side note, while we're discussing representation, Ari and Russell are both Jewish and so is Rachel Lynn Solomon. I'm not Jewish, but I wanted to say that I thought it was so delightful and sweet to watch these two bond over their backgrounds and celebrations, and I really appreciated RLS sharing those experiences with us!)

Thankfully, the annoyance with a brief section of the story was not a deterrent from adoring this book and these characters. RLS' writing is so enjoyable and engaging, the tension that builds up between Ari and Russell is believable and absolutely charged with natural chemistry, and Russell's daughter is hilarious and steals the spotlight every chance she gets. I loved how easy it was to root for every single character in Weather Girl and to genuinely celebrate every milestone and success. I can't wait to read more from this author!

✨ Representation: Ari is Jewish and has depression; Russell is Jewish and fat; Ari's brother is Jewish and gay; Ari's mother is Jewish and has depression

✨ Content warnings for: depictions of depression, mentions of voluntary mental health-related hospitalization (a side character, not depicted first-hand), mentions of fatphobia, recent bad break-up

All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 rounded up

It was cute! I thought both romantic leads were great, and I loved the focus on mental health and men's body image. I thought the setting was unique and added a lot to the story. There were a lot of other things I liked here (plus I love this cover), but just like with the author's previous romance, The Ex-Talk, there was something missing for me that I can’t quite put my finger on. Which is a shame. I also wasn't fond of either of the typical third act misunderstandings, and thought they felt very forced and weak. I definitely will continue reading this author’s work though, because overall I enjoy her writing.

Ari, a TV meteorologist and Russell, a sports reporter, team up to put their divorced bosses back together in order to find some peace again in their office: from this synopsis alone, I was so eager to read this book. If you’re thinking about The Parent Trap or Set It Up while reading those lines, you’re right: I found the same fun, highly entertaining, lots-of-fun-scheming vibes in this book than I did in both of those movies, so the book’s marketing is already a win!
Ari is such a lovely main character to follow. She’s passionate about the weather and truly adores her job, something that was so, so refreshing to see. I loved learning a little more about how she worked, too and she just felt like a ray of sunshine to me. That being said, she’s struggling with depression and having a tough time showing off her true colors, at times, hiding behind this perpetual smile. Honestly, I could relate to Ari a lot in that area. I loved seeing her grow thorough the story and rooted for her from page one. Such a great character!
I deeply appreciated seeing the honest mental health representation on page. You might think it’s a bit odd, in an adult romance: personally, I found that the author perfectly managed to juggle between soft romance and deeper, tougher themes like depression in her book, making it incredibly well-rounded and so great to read, too. ANYWAY! We follow Ari as she looks back on how depression has affected her previous relationships, both romantic and within her family, both her own depression and her mother’s. I liked the honest discussions and the presence of medication and therapy in the story, too.
book review weather girl rachel lynn solomon
Oh, how I fell for the romance. It’s slow growing, it’s soft and sweet and kind and not without its tough moments, but the TENSION and chemistry warmed my heart SO much. Russell is a fat, Jewish, single dad and I LOVED seeing him as a love interest, too. To be honest, he was one of the softest love interests I ever read about and I kind of loved him okay.
While being a contemporary romance, Weather Girl also explores family dynamics and I appreciated it so much. There’s Ari’s brother, his husband and their children, they were all SO adorable, but most importantly, there’s the relationship between Ari and her mother. Frayed by so many years spent between them without sharing honestly about their mental health, their relationship is tentatively explored and I loved seeing them building something, trying, at least. It was so lovely!

Rachel Lynn Solomon won me over with her adult reads, as well. Highly entertaining, fun, endearing and with its bits of steamy moments, Weather Girl won my heart and I can’t wait to read more adult books from her soon!

There are parts to this book that I absolutely adored, and parts I just didn't connect with. Overall, the characters of the book were addictive and brilliant and the writing style was fabulous, but I feel like there was a lack of plot. I found myself being slightly bored at times, however, this didn't take away from the strong message this book had. I loved how we saw Ari's battle with depression and it was really nice to see a diverse cast! 3.5 stars!