**4.5-stars rounded up**

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her local public radio station since she graduated from college nearly a decade ago. She enjoys her job and can't imagine ever working anywhere else. Dominic Yun is Shay's newest coworker. He's fresh out of a Masters Degree program in Journalism at a top school and boy, does he love to tell you about it.

He's the current hot-shot at the station that all the higher-ups seem to love, but frankly, his very presence drives Shay a little batty. Sure, he's good-looking, tall and smells nice, but why does he have to be so darn condescending?

Pitching ideas to try to boost the ratings of their slightly floundering station, Shay presents an idea for a relationship chat show. The concept is that exs would cohost and explore what went wrong in their relationship, tying in other popular dating topics at the same time. To Shay's surprise, her boss okays the project with enthusiasm.

The only catch is, he expects Shay and Dominic to co-host. It's true they've never dated, but there is certainly enough animosity flowing between them to convince people that they have. Neither of them feels good about having to deceive their audience, but they also feel like they don't have much choice. Ultimately, both Shay and Dominic begrudgingly accept the assignment.

They first need to make up an entire story behind their 3-month dating life, memorize it and stick to it. With that comes the opportunity to get to know each other better. It's no secret that I am a fan of Rachel Lynn Solomon's work.

If I am not mistaken, this book is her debut in the Adult Romance space. I really enjoyed my time with these characters, although I will say they did both seem extremely young. At times, I could have easily been convinced they were in high school interning at a radio station; except then I would be reminded of the fact they both had completed college and had their own apartments. Then, of course, there's the steamy bits.

Those were well done. No further clarification required. It's true, I enjoyed this so, so much. I loved Shay. I loved Dominic. I loved Shay's adopted dog. There's miscommunication, flirting, workplace debacles and soft, romantic moments. It's just a lot of fun.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. This story gave me all the feels and I look forward to picking up Solomon's upcoming YA-release, We Can't Keep Meeting Like This.

Rachel's adult romance debut was everything I was hoping it would be and MORE! I seriously don't think I could tell you one thing I didn't like about this book because I absolutely adored it and never wanted it to end. For starters, it has my two favorite romance tropes: enemies-to-lovers and fake dating (sort of), plus there's forced proximity and the always enjoyable trope of only one bed. I also love the fact that there's an age gap between Shay and Dominic, with Shay being the older one. I would definitely say the romance is a bit of a slow burn but it makes it much that more enjoyable when the steam finally happens, and let me say that the amount of steam was just *chef's kiss*. I loved how much Shay and Dom bickered back and forth with one another and it just felt like the sexual tension between them could be cut with a butter knife. Shay and Dom were just so perfect for each other and they had the best chemistry on and off the air.

I also want to talk about how throughout the entirety of this book Shay is still learning how to cope with the loss of her father when she was in high school. It really struck a chord with me because I felt like Rachel did a good job of portraying how even years later, the pain of losing a parent doesn't just go away. There are days where it feels like it's subsided, and days where it hits you like it just happened yesterday. I felt for Shay and I understood what she was going through.

This is honestly such a feel good book that still manages to deal with important topics like grief, and being mistreated in your place of employment due to misogyny. Rachel has of course included important representation, with Shay being Jewish and Dominic being Korean-American. The humor was top notch and there were so many good quotes, such as WWAMWMD?, forearms and foreplay, something referencing a particular Jonas brother, and a sexy Gritty costume. There's absolutely know way you aren't the tiniest bit intrigued to figure out what all of those are, so you absolutely need to pick up The Ex Talk and thank me later!

Thank you so much Rachel, Berkley Romance, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review what is now one of my favorite romcoms!

The Ex Talk was the cutest book I have read in a long time! I can honestly say that I loved everything about this book. Shay and Dominic were so adorable together. I loved their hate to love romance and their fake dating but now ex’s trope. I know some people had a problem with what Shay and Dominic were doing for the sake of their show and careers, but I did not mind it. Even with the lying, the show ended up helping many people, so the benefits outweighed the costs. I also really loved the ending. This book had everything that I could want!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the dynamic between Shay and Dom. The conflict that was presented. And I really enjoyed that Shay being Jewish wasn’t the main thing about her, but that it wasn’t ignored. So often it is either all or nothing.

I wanted to love this book but MAN did it draaaaaaag on about the radio stuff. Like, I get it y’all have to have a hit show and all that... I was tired of waiting for them to get together.

We love a good romcom, and The Ex Talk is so completely wonderful! This novel has one of my favorite tropes, enemies-to-lovers, and it nails it! This delightful contemporary romance should definitely be on your TBR list! Check out the details and one-click immediately!

I absolutely LOVED The Ex-Talk! The banter was fantastic, the enemies to lovers/fake relationship was done so well! I appreciated that it was just steamy enough but not overly smutty! This is a great book to recommend to friends who arent big romance readers & want to give it a try! That cabin scene was my favorite! If this was a real podcast I’d totally listen!

Anyone who loves public radio will enjoy this fun, original romance! Colleagues at a Seattle public radio station, Shay and Dominic, hate each other. Shay thinks Dominic is narcissistic and condescending and she's pretty sure he thinks she's inadequate as a producer. Yet, to save their station, they start a show called "The Ex Talk," where they pretend to be exes who now answer callers questions about their relationship. The problem is, the more time she spends with Dominic, the more Shay starts to fall for him. What will that mean for the show and is their relationship, real and fake, doomed to fail? This was a fun read and the characters were unique and likeable. Though I preferred Solomon's other book, Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, I enjoyed The Ex Talk and will recommend it to fellow romance readers.

This book was perfection! Who doesn’t want to read a contemporary romance in a public radio setting, with a strong, ambitious female lead, and an equally ambitious but cinnamon roll male lead?! I loved this enemies to lovers rom-com where the characters actually communicated! I also enjoyed the family history sub-plot and how the author tackled grief of losing a parent.

Not going to lie, stories based on a lie or deception make me sooooo anxious, waiting for the blow up. But this was a great enough read that I was able to fight that off and enjoy the characters, surprisingly very poignant Journeys and love story.

Rachel Lynn Solomon’s buzzy new novel, THE EX TALK (Jove, 352 pp., paper, $16), features Shay and Dominic, a pair of public radio reporters hosting a show in which ex-lovers offer relationship advice — the twist being that they’re only pretending to have dated. The reader gets all the fun of watching a fake ex-relationship become the promise of a real future one.

The book is told completely from Shay’s perspective, but the transcripts from the (delightful) radio show give us enough of Dominic’s voice that it never feels one-sided. It’s a very funny book, laced with loneliness: Rom-coms need tears the way bread dough needs salt, and here the mixture strikes a perfect balance between sweet and savory.

I loved The Ex Talk! All my fave tropes bundled up in one well-written package. I really liked the public radio aspect. The ending was perfect, it made my heart smile and still the same humor the rest of the book did. I’m a huge fan of Solomon’s writing now and look forward to her next book. The Ex Talk came out at the end of January & fans of romance will love it!

I loved everything about this book. The writing style was easy to read and follow. The characters were easy to like, and the banter was entertaining. I loved the MC's development over the story and watching her evolve in her career, as well as her personal life. I loved the best friend aspect, and watching that bond evolve throughout the story. I especially love the enemies to lovers aspect - I'm a sucker for that trope, hands down. I also loved the idea of the whole radio show/podcast thing, I don't think I've read - let alone even seen - many books based around a radio station/public radio and I think it's a fun unexplored area to base novels within.

This was a smart romantic comedy with all the right elements. A bit of drama, a dose of angst, and a whole lot of sweet moments between two very unique characters. Themes include fake dating, radio broadcasting, loss and grief, workplace romance, multicultural romance, and familial relationships. Great writing and a lovely plot.

It is an adorable book. Shay Goldstein has worked for a radio station in Seattle for almost ten years. However, Shay has had some differences with her new colleague, Dominic Yan. Shay's troubles are just beginning, as the radio station needs a new concept to survive. Shay proposes a new show called: The Ex Talk. Who better to star in it than Shay and Dominic. It is a hilarious enjoyable story. The chemistry between Shay and Dominic is lovely. It is a book that I enjoyed from the beginning to end and that I remember as if it had been a movie. I thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked that the author flipped what is typically a stereotype and made Dominick more vulnerable and emotionally self-aware than Shay. I liked the secondary characters, who were extremely diverse. I always tend to enjoy stories set in the Pacific northwest. So, those were all pros for me.

My biggest negative was that I couldn't get on board with the main character. I found Shay annoying and quite immature, especially as she was constantly going on about her age (a five year age difference isn't a big deal, but I could maybe get on board with the fact that the life experience difference between 24 and 29 is quite a bit more than say, between 44 and 49). I don't think she treated her friends and family particularly well and, thank God I have not lost either of my parents, but it seems to me that she definitely needs some (additional) therapy to help her cope with the death of her father (ten years later!). And, while I like a good NPR listen here or there, I really didn't understand her life-long obsession with it.

Hands down my favorite read of 2020 so far!

Shay has been slaving away at Seattle's public radio station, dreaming of the day she'll get her big break. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine it would come in the form of the tall, young, grad school-bragging, newbie who always gets under her skin. In a turn of events, the two are tasked with hosting a new show, The Ex Talk, featuring two exes - Dominic and Shay. Although the two never dated, the chemistry and sexual tension is absolutely there! Can the two keep up the charade of being exes, fooling their friends and families? Or are they really the ones being fooled?

Written with a mix of transcript from the radio shows, Solomon weaves a funny, relatable story with just the right amount of romance to keep it spicy.

I'm so obsessed with this book. It was exactly what I was looking for in a romance. The concept was just so fun, and the characters were fantastic. Sometimes, I felt like Dominic was a bit too perfect, but it was great to see some of his flaws appear at the end—made it feel like a great full-rounded romance!

The Ex-Talk follows Shay and Dominic as they become co-hosts of a public radio show to try and help save their station. The only problem is that the premise of the show is that they’re exes and they’ve never dated. Convincing themselves they are just storytelling and that the lie won’t hurt anyone, their show becomes a hit and they realize that just maybe they’re into one another.

Interesting radio setting and good chemistry between characters, the romance buildup was fun though I did expect more witty banter. Some conflicts were resolved so easily that they seemed unnecessary.