Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner is a cute and sexy LGBTQIA+ romance novel featuring one narrator who is a young, bi+ Jewish woman and an older, closeted Chinese-American woman. Some of my friends were talking about it and referred to it as a contemporary romance novel with a bit of a The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibe since, it too, is set in Hollywood, and maybe also because there is a secondary character named Evelyn in Wilsner's novel. (Don't expect anything like the framework in the magazine story in Evelyn Hugo though.)

Like many contemporary romance novels that have been published over the last few years, it has the characteristic, illustrated cover style. Moreover, since the first paparazzi image taken of the showrunner, Jo, and her personal assistant, Emma, on the red carpet is such a pivotal point and image in the novel, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the illustrator created a rendition of that very same moment. That said, there are some liberties at play—a close reading of the novel wouldn't suggest that Emma was leaning over to whisper in Jo's ear—but at the same time, there are key elements, such as Jo's yellow dress, which will recall that moment to the reader's mind. I will say, however, that unlike the covers of the first two books in the Bromance Book Club series, which I reviewed last week, this illustration appears rather flat since the represented characters don't have any believable shadows. I also don't, particularly, like the title treatment, but the story and description are much better than the cover, so I'm glad that I didn't judge it without giving this LGBTQIA+ romance a chance.

In the Hollywood world where the #MeToo movement is alive and well, but, so too, is the reason the very same movement is necessary, Something to Talk About was a breath of fresh air. Yes, this is a workplace romance that is rife with drama, especially of the tabloid kind, but it's not—in any way—the creepy kind. This isn't about the creepy, older boss hitting on her assistant...whether or not the assistant was interested.

Rather, it's a very slow burn romance that starts off merely as a great showrunner-assistant relationship on the set of the tv show where they met, The Innocents. However, when Jo invites Emma to the SAG Awards as a buffer from the uncomfortable questions she expected to have to face from journalists and the paparazzi over her upcoming job on a movie script, they capture an image that—out of context—looked romantic. Afterward, everyone in Emma's family teases her that Jo is her girlfriend, and the tabloids have stories filled with anonymous sources from a leak from their set that kept the rumour of Emma and Jo's relationship alive. Jo refuses to comment on the rumours publicly because she's never commented on her love life in the 30+ years, but despite what she thinks the rumours don't quickly disappear.

While the picture of Jo and Emma sets the tabloids, the employees on The Innocents' set, Emma's family, and Jo's BFF, Evelyn, talking and imagining a relationship between the young assistant and the boss of The Innocents' set, it isn't an impetus for either Jo or Emma to start having inappropriate feelings for one another. Nothing much changes with them initially, though they both find themselves second guessing their normal ways of interacting with one another in front of other people, which is understandable. Jo, in particular, doesn't want the casual way she touches Emma to be misconstrued, and Emma worries about calling Jo, aka Ms. Jones, the nickname "boss" when anyone is around. Over the course of the novel, there is a lot of drama both at their workplace and in their personal lives, and readers will be here for the way it slowly gets both of them thinking about each other in less than professional ways. Readers will slowly fall in love with these characters just as we see them falling in love with each another.

One of the things I loved about this novel, beyond the romance, is that it really dives into the consequences of the rumours, especially for Emma, the young assistant who was falsely assumed to be sleeping her way to the top. For someone like, Jo, who is in her early 40s and at the top of her game, there is very little that can negatively affect her career at this point. (It's possible that she will hit the glass ceiling, but that wouldn't necessarily have anything to do with rumours—whether they were true or false.)

However, things are different for Emma. She's just starting out and rumours like these could taint the way future employers would view any recommendations Jo sent her way. Even more pressing, though, is the fact that a well-established director uses the rumours as a legitimate excuse to proposition Emma in a casually creepy and totally disturbing way. That said, it also offers the opportunity for the book to make a clear delineation between this creep and the way Jo treats workplace sexual harassment and her slowly developing feelings for Emma.

Final Thoughts: Something to Talk About will give you a lot of things to squee over and talk about when your friends have also read this slow burning, but nevertheless, sexy f/f workplace romance.

When I heard about Something to Talk About, I knew I had to read it. Not only is it Berkley’s first queer woman romance, it’s written by a queer author. Something to Talk About follows a famous director, Jo, and her assistant, Emma. On a red carpet, Jo whispers something to Emma and the sweet moment is captured by the press. As Emma and Jo continue to deny that they’re a couple, they inevitably grow closer. This book is very slow burn but I think the great writing and characters make up for it. Something to Talk About also tackles sexism in Hollywood and the #MeToo movement, making it an important read in more than one way. I seriously recommend this one and I encourage everyone to buy a copy. Let’s tell mainstream publishing we want these stories.

Although this story was cute it was far longer than necessary. It took almost a year for the characters to have their happily ever after and when they finally did it felt entirely unbelievable. I was really into this story, loving every minute and reading as quickly as possible. Around 75% of the way through the book however, I was bored. The drama had all dissipated and I didn't understand why I had 25% more to read, it felt like it was coming to a natural conclusion. Except it didn't it continued.

The story itself is cute enough. Big Hollywood writer falls for her assistant and her assistant actually likes her back. But the romance just wasn't entirely believable. I could see why Emma had a crush on Jo when she had her photo on her wall in her childhood bedroom. But Jo's "crush" on Emma felt more like settling solely because she was comfortable with her. I also found the sex scene in the last ten pages totally off mark for the story. The characters "first date" wasn't necessary to the story at the very end, in my opinion it could have been skipped all together and nothing would be lost.

Overall I would suggest this book to someone who wants a sweet LGBTQ romance but I would tell them to take it with a grain of salt considering there are far better stories out there.

A slow-burn f/f Hollywood romance worth reading--but don't expect to swoon.


Something To Talk About is the fifth romance book I've read this year. I don't normally read romance because I do not often see myself in them. For the five romance novels I've read this year four have featured LGBTQIA+ relationships but only one has been f/f. And while it wasn't perfect, it was still enjoyable and relatable. 


In Something To Talk About Wilsner has created a wonderful cast of characters  with a ton of potential but rather than being phenomenal they come across as flat and two-dimensional several times throughout the book. The two main characters are interesting as is their set of circumstances but there was no tension between them like I'd expect out of a romance. The story kept me hooked but throughout the book I had little to no emotional reaction to what was happening on the pages. The other romance's I've read gave me a rollercoaster of emotions and this one simply left me empty. I don't even want anything more from it, that's how bland it is. 

What I appreciate most about this book is one of the main characters has very little experience with relationships and she's 41. While I may not be that old yet I too have had next to no experience with romantic relationships and it was really nice to have a character I could relate to in that way. 

Despite it's blandness I think this book helps to fill a gap in books in general, not just the romance genre. f/f romance/relationships are still hard to come by even though it's 2020. This book was a let down for me emotionally but I'm so so thankful it exists. 

Even with the lack of rollercoaster emotions I'm still giving this book 4 stars. I do think it's well written in terms of structure and the plot is enjoyable. Wilsner also used this opportunity to discuss the #METOO movement and I think she did a wonderful job addressing it.

I hope Wlisner continues to write and I look forward to her next book.

Something to Talk About has a lot of good going for it, between the writing style, the way Emma and Jo like each other so much early on, and how they finally work things out. I just wish the spirit of the first 40% was consistent throughout, because it changed from a book I loved to one that left me waffling between being delighted by turns of phrase and frustrated because Jo and Emma needed to get out of their heads and talk to each other. I was happy for them at the end, but they get together so late in the story that I was relieved to get an epilogue because it added a HEA to what felt like a HFN. If you’re into Hollywood romances, ice queens, age gap pairings (there are 14 years between Jo and Emma), or workplace romances, you might enjoy this one. It will probably depend on whether bad communication irks you as much as it does for me.

Full review: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/something-to-talk-about-by-meryl-wilsner/

This was a solid debut from Wilsner. Two interesting characters and an intriguing plot. Plus, a romance with lots of possibilities. This was my first book by the author so I don't know what to expect. I did get the romance and the intrigue but it dragged in parts.

Something to Talk about by by Meryl Wilsner is a female/female romance that I was super excited about when I was provided the digital copy to review! In my mind I had visions of Red, White, & Royal Blue and how much I loved that book! Something to Talk About however is a quite different! Not in a bad way, just not as steamy or lighthearted.

Emma is the assistant to a powerful Hollywood producer and child star, Jo. A moment between them on the red carpet is caught on camera and sets Hollywood ablaze with rumors. Jo the older Hollywood producer has never publicly commented on her love life and refuses to deny that anything is going on between them. Emma has a bit of hero worship and neither woman seems to comprehend their actual feelings for one another. Most of the novel the two go back and forth not recognizing their feelings and/or denying them. This part was frustrating for me. It seemed that assumptions and miscommunications kept them apart much longer than necessary.

Jo tries to help Emma move forward in her career by setting her up to shadow a famous male Hollywood director. Unfortunately, he is a douche and assures Emma that as long as she provides him similar sexual favors to those (he assumes) she provides Jo, he will help her get ahead as a director in Hollywood. In a twist, the story takes on the #metoo movement as it pertains to Hollywood and how people with power and influence like Jo should address it for females that lack such support.

I enjoyed the characters in this one, though I found their miscommunication frustrating. It lacked the heat and steam that I was expecting but I still enjoyed the book and look forward to more by this author.

Thank you @netgalley and @BerkleyPublsihing for a digital copy of the book for my review.

This book is on sale now so grab your copy ASAP!

I really enjoyed Something to Talk About so much. Jo has been famous since she started in a sitcom in her teens. Now in her early 40s, she’s the showrunner on a hit tv show and about to take on a major movie. She asks her assistant Emma to accompany her to the SAG awards to help shield her from questions she doesn’t want to answer.

When they are photographed together on the red carpet, rumors start to fly that they are dating. They aren’t - but is it possible the world can see something between them before they can?

This was a great slow burn (very slow) romance. I was glad I knew that going in so I just enjoyed it instead of feeling frustrated. I loved the way their work lives, friends and family were also part of the story.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

CW: workplace sexual harassment

"When I need the reminder..." Jo paused, not sure she could actually bring herself to ask for help like this. "you won't let me forget?"
This book is amazing.
The representation of bi-culture in Hollywood has always been important to me, but Something To Talk About raised the bar in the best way.
The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because the romance waits until the very end and then the book is over, and I felt like I didn't get to relish the fluff enough.

*actual rating 3.5 but rounded up

So, I have two major pet peeves that usually turn me off when it comes to romance (besides like actual problematic and abusive behavior) and those are: power imbalances and age gaps. They just have always irked me and I have never enjoyed them but this book has both of those things and I still enjoyed it. Is that because I'm easily entertained and forgiving when it comes to books with sapphic characters? Perhaps. However, I think that has to do more with how the romance was handled and how the characters were written then anything else.

The fact that this is slow burn, and I do mean sloooow burn, was actually beneficial to me in that regard. I know a lot of people have disliked how slow this is and I don't know if I was just prepared for that because I knew about it going into it or if I just prefer reading about characters slowly falling in love with each other but it didn't bother me. Like at all. In fact I feel like I would have enjoyed this less if it would have gone any faster. The speed of the romance didn't bother me and I really enjoyed reading about the characters and their families.

However, the plot was definitely lacking because of this. There just wasn't much of a plot, which is mainly because this is definitely a character driven story, and I wish there had been a little more. A little more what I'm not exactly sure. Just a little more. I will say that I was not expecting this story to address sexual harassment but was pleasantly surprised to see how that was handled. I also enjoyed Jo talking about her struggles in the industry because of her race and the racism surrounding the show she got her start on.

Other than my issues with the plot, I liked the characters a lot and the writing was really solid. If you are turned off by slow burn romances (and truly I can't stress enough that this is slooow burn) then this isn't for you. But otherwise I say go for it.

breakdown of the rep: lesbian chinese-american mc, bisexual jewish mc

A sweet slow burn romance. This was Meryl Wilsner’s debut. This was also the first F/F romance published by Berkley. Jo was a child star, but after a misstep she decides she’d rather spend her time behind the camera then in front of it. Emma has always wanted to be a filmmaker, but for now she is happily working as Jo’s assistant. When Jo attends the SAG awards she doesn’t want to be asked complicated questions about an upcoming project, so she invites Emma to attend with her to act as a buffer. BUT after a photo is snapped of the two of them looking at one another adoringly on the red carpet the rumors start. What follows is an entertaining story filled with banter, miscommunication, missed opportunities, and a whole lot of fun.

I really liked both Jo and Emma even though they frustrated me at times. I completely understood why Jo didn’t want to be the cliché older woman using her position of power to seduce Emma. I also understood why Emma didn’t want people to think that she had slept her way to the top. Oh so complicated. The secondary characters in the story especially Jo’s Bestie and Emma’s sister were great. So many strong women and strong female relationships in the story it was great! The book also did a really good job of addressing the me too movement. Looking forward to more books from this author and more queer authors in general.

This book in emojis 🎬 ☕️ 💅🏻 ⚾️ 👠 🎥

***Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Jo is an award-winning writer for an uber-popular TV series. She’s great at her job—even if she is outwardly cold and somewhat standoffish—and it’s no wonder she’s just been selected to be the head writer for an upcoming action movie. Emma is Jo’s assistant who keeps the ship running smoothly, anticipating Jo’s every need, sometimes even before Jo is aware of those needs herself.

Jo gets tired of answering tough questions about her new movie project, though, so instead of going stag yet again to another awards show, she decides to bring a glammed up Emma to act as a buffer. What she doesn’t expect is for the paparazzi to snag a photo of Jo and Emma laughing together, looking relaxed, gorgeous, and, whoops, smitten with each other on the red carpet. Rumors swirl and suddenly the two women become the center of an are-they-aren’t-they gossip scandal. Jo may be used to the extra attention, but Emma isn’t. Time passes, but the rumors don’t, and now Emma is feeling overwhelmed and confused. Are they just coworkers? Jo will have to decide how to handle the situation…and her feelings for Emma.

MY THOUGHTS
I was excited to read this book based on the description. It was giving me Red, White & Royal Blue feelz, and I was ready for that slow burn romance to unfold. Unfortunately, Something to Talk About is too much of a slow burn. The story doesn’t move quickly enough, and I had trouble connecting to the characters, especially Jo. I get the whole “sexy and reserved boss” angle, but she never became anything more than that.

And while we’re talking about sexy bosses… I hate that this is a romance between an executive and her assistant. I don’t care that they’re both women, it’s still sleazy. Any time you have a relationship between two people who so clearly have unequal amounts of power (did I mention that Emma is like ten years younger than Jo?), it’s just gross. I couldn’t get behind it, so I felt mildly annoyed at their relationship through the whole book.

In short, not my favorite read. It had potential but never quite grabbed me.

I enjoyed this F/F romance. There was too much build up for me though- I do like a little more connection and a little less will they won't they. Besides that the characters felt real and I loved the relationship

I was so so excited to see Berkley Romance publish a FF romance, but unfortunately this was one just a little too much of a slow burn for me. While this one didn't work I'm looking forward to seeing what Wilsner publishes next! DNF at 31%

The slowest of the slow burns in a sweet and longing-filled romance.

I had been hearing some hype about this book for a while on bookstagram before it came out and almost selected it to be in our contemporary romance season 3. Because of the timing of the release and getting access to the audiobook, we ended up not picking it and I'm sad that we didn't.

This book was charming, sweet, and built the relationship from boss/assistant to friends to lovers quite nicely. Considering that it is Wilsner’s debut novel makes it that much more impressive!

I enjoyed Emma’s excellence at her job, her exuberance, and happiness with her friends and over food and generally her desire to be great at her job. Jo was a bit of a tougher nut to crack, but having worked in Hollywood, I can totally pair her description with people I have met in the industry who have to maintain such a facade over their real emotions and life to protect it.

This definitely isn't a "traditional" office romance trope where there is sex in the office, or an illicit feeling. The actual real ramifications of these two dating is very much a part of this book.

I did want more sexual tension and heat... I felt like at the end there was a comment that had me perk up, but the book was over by then.

McDreamy to McSteamy: McAWWWW

Classy to Nasty: Classy and PG 13 Fade to Black for the most part in the one sex scene.

Heroine rating: 🍑🍑🍑🍑 Emma was lovely. I liked her a lot, felt like she could be friends. She was super competent, kind, goofy, and stood up for herself.

Heroine rating: 🍑🍑🍑 Jo was pretty cool too. She was a bit tougher for me to relate too, but I did like the way she cared for Emma, went to bat for her with the director without batting an eyelash and generally felt like Emma walked on water.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I really wanted to like this more than I did :( I was so excited to hear about a f/f romance from a big name publisher. But this fell a bit flat for me. It might just be a personal preference; it was a bit too much of a slow-burn for me and I didn’t love the age gap. The end of the book was good though. I think this will definitely be someone’s cup of tea and it’s great to have more queer representation in romance :) If the author publishes another book I’d definitely check it out because the writing was solid.

I am always up for some lesbian romance, thus I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed the book at first. I thought the chemistry of the two main characters was there although it wasn't tangible yet. However, as I kept reading I grew a bit disinterested. I love a slow burn romance, but this one was just too slow for me.

Overall, it was a good book and the more lesbian romance-fiction is being published the better.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Slow burn of the CENTURY. I loved Meryl Wilsner's SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT so very much! Also, this cover is just gorgeous.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This one was a lot of fun. I've ready very few f/f romances, but I think this is one of the good ones! It did spend a lot of time building up Emma and Jo's relationship, and there were a LOT of misunderstandings, so it took a while to get to the juicy stuff. But I enjoyed it! I'm excited to see what else this author writes in the future, because we definitely need more like this.

Something to Talk About is Berkley's first published F/F romance. Believe me when I tell you that I was HIGHLY anticipating its release. However, as intriguing as the premise sounds, and as monumental as its release is, it unfortunately left me underwhelmed.

Honestly, it hurts me so much to write this. It is a good book, there is nothing off-putting about it, and it even tackles some fairly serious issues, but I was expecting to be swooning the whole way through. Picturing in my head, Red, White and Royal Blue, but with lady loves and it just fell flat. It took me close to a month to finish it, where normally it would take just a few days to read an Adult Romance.

Initially, I found myself connecting with Jo, the older of the two main characters, who happens to be a big shot Hollywood director. We're the same age and a lot of the feelings she was having surrounding her career and relationships, I could relate with.

Emma, Jo's intelligent and capable assistant, is about a decade younger than Jo and an aspiring director herself. The two have been working together for just over a year and slowly begin to notice their feelings for one another may be pushing the bounds of what is acceptable in the work place.

Forbidden, age-gap romance, uneven power dynamic, when will they kiss; I was into it in the beginning. Unfortunately, for me, it never seemed to go anywhere. Jo and Emma struggled with the same feelings over and over and over; never communicating and never progressing in their relationship.

It was like the wheels of the plot were just spinning. I started to get a little frustrated at about the halfway point, but stuck with it. I am glad I stuck with it, at least I know the conclusion.

I think as far as romances go, and I am by no means a sophisticated romance reader, but for me, this was a
little too straight and narrow for my tastes. I understand in reality, these were huge choices these women were making, but make a freaking decision already!

Overall, I am excited that this book exists. I certainly hope that Berkley continues to publisher more Queer Romance for a long time to come!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it and although this wasn't necessarily the story for me, I know a lot of readers are going to really enjoy this one!