As someone who suffers from depression, this book felt like a love letter. Ari my sweet lovely weather woman - oh my god, the amount of times I related to her. Always being afraid to be too much. UGH. My heart is not okay after reading this, but in the best way possible.

I really am a fan of Rachel Solomon's books. She has such a wonderful way of writing reality into her stories that it makes her characters extremely relatable.

I liked this story, and the relationship between these main characters. There is growth and development, and also misunderstanding and forgiveness. I'm definitely awaiting Solomon's next book.

This month my book club, the LIterary Lovelies, read The Weather Girl for a fun February romcom. It was definitely a fun read with Parent Trap and Set It Up vibes. I can’t say it was the most engaging romcom, but it definitely had some things I liked.

What I liked::
The characters were Jewish- a very underrepresented population.
The lead male, Russ, was a little heavier and was insecure about his body. A nice change from a female who is insecure.
I thought it was sweet that Ari and Russ were trying to help the station owners rekindle the flame and that they all became friends despite the age difference.!
I loved Russ’s daughter and the fact that he became a fathernas a teen and we get to see that side of the equation.
I loved how excited Ari was about her career!
I think it was great that there was a character with mental health issues that helps to remove the stigma associated with it.

I really wanted to love the book but it was missing a little spark that prevented me from getting too excited about it. However, it was still a solid romcom!

I think I got my expectations too high after how much I loved The Ex Talk. I really do adore Solomon’s writing, it’s captivating and easy to follow, but the chemistry fell flat for me. I found Ari and Russell’s first interaction to be a bit convenient and I didn’t feel the spark until halfway through the book. Also, on a very personal note, I can’t really connect with romance books that involve the characters having children. All that being said, it was a fun book with some great steamy scenes, and I’m still excited to pick up Solomon’s next adult book!

This book was such a fun read!! I loved the transparency presented with the depression and therapy talk. It is something that isn't always written about or addressed so I really appreciated it here. Also I absolutely LOVED Russel and I loved that he wasn't your typical male MC with the washboard abs, and all the confidence. I appreciated his realness and his relationship with his daughter and her mother was beautiful. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good love story!

I adored The Ex Talk when I read it last year, so when I saw the author was releasing another adult romance, I could not wait! Much like that book, Solomon once again delivers with a sweet romance between two coworkers, while also diving into some heavier, but important topics.

This story follows Ari Abrams, a meteorologist at a local Seattle news station, and her journey as she navigates her work life and her plan with fellow coworker, Russell, as they basically take a page out of Parent Trap to get their two bosses to rekindle their romance. It also follows along with her personal life including the affects of her mother’s depression as well as her own.

First, I did really find the idea behind manipulating their bosses into falling back in love to be fun and I loved all the homages to The Parent Trap movie itself. I also really liked Russell as our love interest because of the fact he was not your typical love interest. He wasn’t your stereotypical good looking, guy. But, he was so sweet and had the biggest heart and I adored him (plus his love for hockey of course!). The way he and Ari’s relationship blossomed was fun to watch and you couldn’t help but root for them in every way.

The other thing I appreciated about this book was the way the author incorporated discussions of depression within the pages. It never felt forced, but touched on it in such a careful yet very real way that normalized mental health.

One of the only things though that I didn’t love about this book was the ending. Sure, it was a happy ending, but something about the epilogue didn’t quite work for me. I could see why it was written for the characters, but I just wasn’t my cup of tea

A look at mental health with a side dish of romance

Although I’m a librarian and far from new to RomComs, Solomon’s books are a complete surprise for me. I was first drawn to “Weather Girl” because of the awesome cover! I loved the weather-themed chapter titles and the fact that the characters were Jewish.

While a part of me wished for a bit more romance, I enjoyed the main characters and the look inside their backstories. Ari and Russell have their own lives and backstories and these backstories play an important role in what they do in the novel. The challenges that they’ve faced previously in life result in them being often guarded and hesitant to commit in their relationships. This is true with both Ari and Russell and also with Seth and Torrance.

This book is a good romcom, and it has great humorous moments, but its real strength is in its ability to tackle tough topics like depression and mental health, teenage parenthood and single parenthood, counseling and medication as self-care. I loved that the characters weren’t what we have traditionally come to view as “perfect”. These “flaws” give Ari and Russell depth and warmth and the author’s development of a character who is struggling with mental health issues is powerful. I look forward to reading more by this author.

TW: depression, mental health

"The Ex-Talk" was one of my favorite and most-recommended reads of 2021 so as soon as I heard Rachel Lynn Solomon had a new romance being published AND that it featured Jewish characters I was sold. Weather Girl featured all of the swoon worthy moments I want from a romance while also thoughtfully and smoothly tackling themes and issues that are missing from a lot of cute romances. I loved how she really engaged with the characters' experiences with mental illness rather that just reducing it to some passing mention and I really appreciate a plus sized hero. I've read endless books with a plus sized heroine and a hero with a 6 pack but this is the first time I've encountered a plus sized hero! The characters bonding over being the only jewish ones in the office was very accurately depicted as well. I loved getting to know Ari and Russell and will be recommending this one a lot this year!

A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter join forces to reunite their divorced bosses, finding their own connection along the way. But really, this novel is so much more!

I don’t base my ratings and reviews on how much I can connect with the characters because I read to learn from perspectives other than my own. But, in this case, I could relate to the main character so much that it definitely made me love this one even more. I could directly connect with two of the most significant themes of the novel- mental health and meteorology.

As someone on their own mental journey, it was refreshing and empowering to hear from a character managing their depression and going to therapy. As for the meteorology, I grew up loving to watch the Weather Channel and even considered being a meteorologist at one point. What better demonstration of the power of nature than our weather?? So, of course, I loved every single weather pun in this novel.

I also enjoyed how this novel explores love, not only the romantic love between the main characters, but that within families, especially the complexities and messy dynamics within a typical unperfect family.

Overall, I highly recommend this heartwarming contemporary romance- good pacing, lovable characters, excellent mental health representation, body positivity, the fun aspects of meteorology- I could go on and on. Just go on and check it out for yourself!

A huge thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review. I went out and bought a physical copy because I enjoyed it so much!

I love everything Rachel Lynn Solomon writers and this is no exception, fantastic romance AND description of mental health. 90/10 would recommend.

I absolutely loved this book! It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it did not disappoint!

This is a cute romance story with a lot of depth. The story felt so wholesome with the workplace setting and the drama going on in the office, a single dad with a teenage daughter, the MCs becoming friends first and not falling head over heels right away, and the family dynamics. They all felt genuine and authentic and the story progressed so fluently. The author did an amazing job discussing mental health and depression. I loved the Jewish representation. I loved the chemistry between Ari and Russel. I loved Ari’s relationship with her brother. And I loved how Russel called Ari “weather girl”. It was such a sweet and deep read at the same time.

There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t enjoy. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, sweet, and relatable love story with several layers to it, do yourself a favor and read this book!

The sex positivity. I don’t know if rolling out of the Pussypedia into Weather Girl made me more aware, but the sex positivity is HUGE in this one. First, there’s female masturbation, and it’s not some slapstick vibrator fiasco, like many rom coms. Then, there is the definition of sex, in which Rachel bucks the hetronormative and ableist belief, that sex requires penetration to “count.”

While I’m not sure it was her intention, there is also an almost demisexual element in Ari’s relationship to sex, which for many dealing with depression, it could feel similar to them. Ari struggled in the physical element with past partners because she got too in her head, too afraid to let her mask slip, and other issues, which prevented her from fully enjoying sex. However, with Russell, they really built friendship and bond, where she was her authentic self, so when intimacy was layered on top, she had that emotional connection to create a safe, and satisfying sexual experience.

The mental health rep. It’s beautiful. This clearly came from a very authentic, personal place, because the description of masking is too spot on. Masking is a very common coping skill people with depression practice, and toxic positivity strongly reinforces.

A cozy romance, the perfect companion for curling up by a fire or reading in a park. Set in Seattle and all its atmospheric weather glory, the author deftly ties themes of matchmaking, mental health, family and romantic relationships and a work romance together with the weather. I loved the peek into the life of a meteorologist and could relate to a lot of the mental health challenges. I also loved the second chance love story plotline.

I know this has been a popular book lately, but I couldn’t get through it. I put it down and am hoping to try and pick it up again soon. Be sure to check out other reviews, as mine is just an unpopular opinion!

A fun and quick read! I loved the representation in this book. The fact that Russell was the "plus-size" character was unusual and not something you see in books.... ever. I loved that it gave proper attention to Ari's and her mother's depression without making it too much of a mopey story. Sometimes when authors write about mental illness, they take it from a debilitating standpoint, but Rachel did an excellent job of just making it part of Ari's life without it overwhelming the character. I liked the little twist of the bosses fixing them up while they thought it was the other way around. I kind of figured that was what was happening before they mentioned it, but I think it was a cute touch. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a lighthearted read. Especially for a cozy weekend!

This book. This book.
I’m so happy I received this arc for an honest review from netgalley.

So many things about this book were important.

First: the main characters are far from perfect. Ari lives with depression, she has good days and bad days, but tries to hide the bad parts of herself from her relationships in turn sabotaging all her relationships. Russell has a secret part of his life he tries to keep secret because he is embarrassed about his past AND shocker, he’s not a chiseled model with a six pack. He’s an average 29 year old guy that is a sports reporter.

The way Ari’s relationships with her family (her mom), how her depression feels, to how she takes medications for depression, to seeing a therapist IS IMPORTANT. It’s real life. THANK YOU. She’s still a complete person flaws and all. I loved it.

All this mixed with spice and weather puns, weather cuteness in general. I really enjoyed this book. It was cheesy, it was a romcom, but it had more than that. I loved it!

4.5 stars!

After reading RLS’s The Ex Talk, I was excited to read this one for book club! Ari is a Weather Girl who has been working on her Mental Health her whole life and Russell is the sports guy at the station with a 12 year old daughter. The station is a bit of a rough workplace because the bosses are divorced and create a toxic environment. How will Ari and Russ’s scheme to get them to fall back in love play out?

The main focus of this book is mental health. It was executed beautifully. The depth and growth of many of the characters overall, but also from a mental health perspective was beautiful. I particularly loved Ari’s growth. The realization that her initial struggles weren’t from her family in the same way she’d always believed from her childhood; her realization that everyone has a past, not just her; and most of all understanding as it pertained to her mother, how everyone’s journey is different and it needs to be handled delicately. In particular I loved how Ari and her mom’s relationship evolved.

Ari and Russ’s relationship was fun and playful as they tried to get their bosses back together and I enjoyed their comfort level with each other as they spent more time together.

Other favorite highlights:
- Passion: Russ’s passion for hockey and his daughter, loved the hockey game scene and the book Russ and his ex kept. Ari’s passion for weather was adorable.
- Inclusion: Bodyshaming and the presence of the word ‘fat’ having a negative connotation as an adjective; Gay bro and his 2 girls were so fun! The Fact that they were Jewish and the highlight of how it feels to be Jewish living in a Christmas dominated holiday season.
- Millennial vibe: I loved all the minuscule references back to the 90s and early 2000s!
- Loved the ‘set up’ aspect and how things played out in the end with the bosses and Ari and Russ!

I took me a bit to get into which is why a smidge less than 5 stars, but once I was in I really enjoyed it and didn’t want to put it down!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the free ebook in return for an honest and unbiased review!

4.5 stars rounded up for Netgalley's system.
It took a little bit for me to “warm up” to Weather Girl but, once I saw where the story was heading and how introspective the storyline was, I couldn’t put the book down. Ms. Solomon took a chance on writing a romance that also tackled the subject of depression. But, she did this with class and style. I was totally impressed with how she brought these two characters together and had them fall in love. Ari and Russell were sweet and perfect for each other.

Ari and Russell were amusing. Neither one of them were perfect … Ari with her depression and Russell with his self-image issue. But, you could see the attraction and both of them fighting it right from the beginning. Their goal was to get their bosses back together not fall in love. Their plan worked and another one did as well. The second plan was not the one they were expecting and things took a turn for the worse. But, love prevailed in the end.

I was fascinated by the way depression manifests itself differently in people. Ari had one way of handling it and her mom had another. But, support from those around them is what got them through. Trust was also a big issue in this story … mainly trusting another person to be able to deal with you on a daily basis and understand. I give Kudos to Rachel Lynn Solomon for handling this subject with kid gloves yet letting us see the humor and love within the characters. They were very well written … you understood them and all their quirks and idiosyncrasies. I also was interested in the way different religions were portrayed throughout the storyline.

Weather Girl was a tender, humorous, and poignant story.

If you enjoyed The Ex Talk, then Weather Girl is the book for you! From the nicknames, to the swing dancing, to the family get togethers, this romance is adorably sweet and will just make you SMILE 😊 I absolutely love Ari and Russell’s relationship and their cute workplace romance.

One of my favorite things about the book is how honestly and openly it discusses depression, mental health, and therapy. It is a consistent theme throughout the book, and I loved seeing how each character was affected differently or handled it in their own way. The characters also have unique backgrounds and family situations that come together beautifully, including a Jewish MC, plus size MMC, single parent household, and LGBTQ representation.

Absolutely loved it, and can’t wait to see what Rachel Lynn Solomon writes next!

Rachel Lynn Solomon (The Ex Talk; We Can't Keep Meeting Like This) has created a wonderfully heartfelt and hilarious romance in Weather Girl. Ari Abrams has longed to be a meteorologist since she was a little girl. So getting a job at the same Seattle television news station as Torrance Hale, a local weather legend, seemed to be a dream come true. But unfortunately for Ari, Torrance's ex-husband, Seth, is the station's news director, and their tumultuous relationship means the workplace environment is incredibly stressful.

Also affected by the tension is sweet, shy sports reporter Russell Barringer. Tired of Seth's passive-aggressive memos and Torrance's drama, Russell and Ari drunkenly decide at a holiday office party to make their bosses fall in love again, for the sake of the station. But as they bond over wacky schemes to throw Torrance and Seth together, Ari and Russell come to realize that they may also be falling for each other.

Lighthearted but with depth (characters deal with depression, fat-shaming, co-parenting and more), Weather Girl is a fantastic romance. Solomon has created lovely, enjoyable characters, and the laugh-out-loud matchmaking hijinks are a wonderful foil for the heavier themes the book explores. Descriptions of the Seattle area create a charming backdrop, making this an excellent choice for readers who like a little armchair traveling with their romance. Perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory or Christina Lauren, Weather Girl will not disappoint.