The Ex Talk review

*TW death of a parent (prior to story, but discussed)

I adored Rachel Lynn Solomon’s most recent YA rom com, Today Tonight Tomorrow. Read my full review here. When I saw that she had an adult romance coming out I was hyped. I low key am loving that some of my fave YA authors are writing adult romances. This is one of the few books that I remember exactly where I was when it was announced, why? I have no idea lol. I guess I was that excited. So when NetGalley & the publisher approved me for an eARC I was so excited.

This novel follows Shay Goldstein who has been working in public radio for the past 10 years. She loves it and it was her saving grace when her dad died. However, when Dominic “I can’t stop name dropping my fancy master’s degree in journalism” Yun starts working at the station things get tense. Shay can’t handle that Dominic is acting like he knows public radio. Shay has been at this for ten years, she knows public radio. At a pitch meeting Shay casually throws out the idea that their new show whould feature two exes who host a relationship show. Her boss decides they are going to do this show and decides that Shay and Dominic should pretend to be exes. It is “enemies to exes to lovers” and it is a time.

WHAT I LOVED:
I love the characters that Rachel writes, this is my third book by her and her characters are just so flushed out. They have quirks and random personality traits and they just seem like read people

I loved that this focuses on public radio. RLS worked in public radio too so that is makes it even cooler.

I loved Dominic and Shay together their banter and flirting was TOO CUTE

RLS just writes books that are addictive and so much fun. I was smiling so much while reading this

I could relate to both Dominic and Shay’s loneliness in adulthood and Shay’s whole, “I can barely adult” thing.

Shay’s relationship with her mom and her grief about her dad
Shay’s mom had some of the best one liners I was LOLing
Just overall the themes of family
Def cried at one point



*minor spoilers* Dominic like actually acknowledges a lot of semi problematic things he does and apologizes for it. Often in enemies to lovers they don’t have that communication and it was nice to see

The ending!!!

I loved seeing a Korean love interest and when they go get Korean food LOL

WHAT I DID NOT LOVE
I felt that the pacing of their relationship was a bit off

I did not love how there was so much lying – even though I get that is basically the entire plot lol

So fun and tender, with just the right amount of nerdy. 4.5 rounded up!

Shay Goldstein has worked for a public radio station in Seattle for the last 10 years. Shay proposes a new show called The Ex Talk - a show where exes go on air to talk about what went wrong in their relationships. Her boss decides Shay and new-comer Dominic Yun would be perfect co-hosts, despite having to fabricate a past relationship.

Oh man, this enemies-to-lovers was so genuine and charming! I loved the public radio aspect of this story, especially the details of what goes on behind the scenes, and the show transcripts blended so perfectly! The sweet family relationships and chemistry were wonderful too. Oh, and WWAMWMD has forever changed me!

Overall, a sweet rom-com that I would love to see on screen!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this advanced copy!

This book made my heart soar. Rachel Lynn Solomon is one of my absolute favorite YA authors (all 3 of her so-far published books have been 5 stars) and this is her adult romance debut! The story follows Shay and Dominic, co-stars at a public radio station in Seattle, who start a new radio show together masquerading as exes, although they have never really dated and actually don’t like each other at all. The show gains popularity really quickly, and it’s no wonder why: Shay’s and Dominic’s banter is LOL funny and so witty. A lot of books try to write witty dialogue but this book actually succeeds in doing it!

The characters’ chemistry leapt off the page and as the story progressed, I wanted them to finally kiss so badly! I loved the enemies turned fake exes turned lovers storyline – it was such a fresh take on tried & true romance tropes and I seriously had so much fun watching them fall for each other. This is a book I would read again and again when I’m looking for something to make my heart happy, and that is not something I say lightly. THE EX TALK is officially on par with my all-time favorite books and I cannot recommend it enough. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of this book, so do yourself a favor and pre-order your copy now so you can treat yourself to some joy when it releases on January 26th, 2021.

This was a great read!

Shay is a born and bred talk radio lover whose been working as a producer at a Seattle public radio station for the last decade. Dominick is a Master's degree wielding wannabe journalist that just started at the station, but is already making headway. When the station is in need of getting more listeners Shay and Dom are persuaded to host a show together where the pretend to be exes and give out relationship advice. What could go wrong?!

Enemies to lovers is the best romance story type and this crack at it was wonderful. Having just read Rachel's most recent YA book Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, which is within the same trope, it was hard not to compare the two. TTT was a slower burn, which I liked a little more. However, The Ex Talk was still a wildly engaging story with characters worth loving. Once the popularity of the show started growing in the story, I found it hard to put down. Overall, as far a romance books go, you'll be hard pressed to find something as funny or fast paced as The Ex Talk.

I love this so much! Rachel's books are some of my favorite books out there and this was no different. Dominic and Shay really balance each other out very well, their banter and their working together. I love drunk Dominic, I think he is so funny! I love this book!!

LOVED IT!
Charming/slow burn/romantic comedy

Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun work for a public radio station in Seattle. While struggling for new ideas to keep the station afloat, Shay proposes to host a new show called The Ex Talk. A show where exes go on air to talk about love, relationships, and what went wrong in their personal lives. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic would be perfect co-hosts, and with the help of social media, their show skyrockets to the top.

This book is unique! I loved the connection between Shay and Dominic, it felt genuine and relatable. You get to see a lot of background into radio life, and broadcasting. I also loved the Buffy references, and Shay’s relationships with her family. It’s a little predictable, but overall sweet. This would make a cute rom-com movie.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sending me an advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was amazing

I would recommend if you're looking for

-m/f fake exes
-enemies/rivals to lovers
-age gap
-grump/sunshine
-close proximity, office romance
-a cute puppy named steve rogers
-beanie babies
-only one bed, vacation
-slow burn, great sexual tension
-an appreciation for Buffy (Team Angel!)

I read this book in one sitting I could not put it down. It gave me The Hating Game vibes in the best way. This book was so original. It has been a long time since I related to a MC so much. I understood Shay about to turn 30, single, dealing with blatant sexism at work, and how rough the single life is and making new friends at that stage in your life. She was honest, flawed, and just funny. This was a true romcom.

Dominic was a grump, with a secret cinnamon roll hidden inside and I loved him in all of his beanie baby loving glory. The tension, the banter, so well executed. I loved the choice of using the transcripts and the social media to propel the story forward. This was a fresh take on the fake dating trope which is a favorite of mine.

The grovel too at the end was so original and had me laughing and sighing in equal measure. I cannot say enough good things about this book. WWAMWMD are words I will now be living my life with. Thank you for this gem of a book.

Rating: 5 (honestly all the stars)
Steam: 4

CW: grief, anxiety, sexism, misogeny

This was so fun and unique! I loved Shay and Dom's chemistry, I loved the public radio parts, I loved the family and friends. I also enjoyed the transcripts of the show, that made it feel more real. I would 100% listen to a podcast like this!

I had been eagerly anticipating this book since it was announced, as a massive public radio nerd and romance reader, and I'm happy to say The Ex Talk did not disappoint! I always love Rachel Lynn Solomon's Seattle settings, because in so many ways, her books feel like love letters to her home city. And, again, as someone who grew up listening to and has always loved public radio and podcasts, Shay and Dominic and co. truly felt like my people. I loved reading about their work at the station, but even more than that, I loved the way their romance developed. I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope, and even though it almost always involves some sort of miscommunication plotline, I thought that was handled well in this book. I also really enjoyed the friendship side plot in this book; it felt very relevant to my life as someone in their late-twenties. Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot and will be recommending it to all my romance-reading friends!

ed and raced through this.. and now am tapping my fingers and waiting for news of what this author has coming next!

Here's what this non-romance reader truly appreciated about The Ex Talk:
- Shay & Dominic's story was believable and not-contrived
- Their chemistry is palpable (and there are several scenes that prove it)
- The enemies-to fake exes - to lovers storyline doesn't overpower the rest
- Shay stands on her own two feet; Dominic is not there to rescue some damsel in distress
- That I felt like I was really in the studio, on Orca Island, and all over Seattle with these two!

The writing itself is a masterclass in world-building, relationship dynamics, and keeping readers flipping to the next page. If you're already a romance fan, you won't be disappointed. And if you're like me, and don't usually fall for the genre, I highly encourage you to jump in with this one!

Is it possible for one of my favorite romcom reads of 2020 to be a 2021 release?

No, seriously--I'm obsessed with this book. Shay and Dominic are coworkers at a public radio station, and Shay is put off by Dominic's hotshot, newcomer attitude ("I have a MASTERS in Journalism!") and the possibility that she's not the new kid on the block anymore. With the station struggling, their boss forces them to pretend to be exes for the station's new show--The Ex Talk. While the animosity may be real, the former relationship isn't. But what happens when they start to catch the feels? Well, you'll have to read and find out...!

Right off the bat, I want to stress how AWESOME this concept is. It's truly original and nothing quite like I've seen. It's a little bit enemies-to-lovers, a little bit fake dating--except it's not, because they're fake exes who maybe in the end need to cover up the fact that maybe they are dating? How CREATIVE! I love it. The detail put into the conversations around radio and Podcasts had to have required intense research or a background in the field, which added so many interesting tidbits to the story. And Shay and Dominic--I mean, could we GET any better leads? Their chemistry and banter and heat--wow! Dominic is pure #BookBoyfriend goals and drunk Dominic is not ideal but certainly entertaining. I binged this book so hard and fell in love with it within the first few chapters--and the ending didn't disappoint.

One thing I'd like to note is throughout much of the book Shay is extremely self-conscious about the way her voice sounds on the air (too high-pitched and feminine). I could relate so much to this. I still remember my college mock trial coach telling me I needed to lower my voice, and when giving it a try and asking if that was better him just telling me, "It's a long-term challenge." As a woman, it is all too often our voices are described as "shrill" or "grating," when there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. Shay has the best mantra of all to deal with this: WWAMWMD? What Would a Mediocre White Man Do? Sometimes we need to remember that...

As someone between the ages of Dominic and Shay, I also found them extremely relatable. Shay's struggled to "adult" and feeling alone in the house she strived so hard to be are extremely real. My point in all of this is to say that this is a wonderful cutesy fun sexy romcom, but there's also a lot of great, interesting, real-world details that I loved and could relate to. I have nothing bad to say about this book.

5 stars - 10/10

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Ex Talk” is about a woman in her late twenties, coasting through life alone. She creates an idea to save her job and is forced to work with her rival on a radio show, where they lie about dating and dole out relationship advice, while of course falling in love. The book seems shallow at first glance, with hidden depth underneath, coping with the many raw emotions that life throws at you. Overall, “The Ex Talk” was a great read!

This book is so sexy and fun. With the authors classic setting of Seattle we get great insight into the city with plenty of pop culture references and local spots around town . That atmosphere really helps shape the book. I’m always down for a hate-to-love type of romance and this book doesn’t disappoint. It has a great plot and story line too.

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her public radio station for years and although she’s always wanted to be a host of her own show, she’s good at her job.

Dominic Yun is a recent graduate and colleague at the station and Shay really really doesn’t like him. Not only is he younger than her, but he’s constantly telling everyone how he went to grad school (yawn) and is going to be a great reporter. He’s already guest starred on her own show (!) and the boss seems to really like him.

When a turn of events has Dominic and Shay hosting their own show – The Ex Talk – about exes and them playing the exes (even though they’ve never actually dated) they start to spend more time with other. Both of them soon realize that maybe they didn’t hate each other as much as they thought they did.

I really enjoyed the concept behind The Ex Talk. I loved how bits of the show were incorporated into the book and a lot of those scenes had me laughing out loud. The slow burn between Dominic and Shay had me feeling all the butterflies. Dominic is such a sweet and likable cinnamon roll hero. I loved how Shay and Dominic seemed to understand one another’s idiosyncrasies. Both of them were going through some big changes in life and I really felt their vulnerabilities.

I learned a lot about public radio while reading The Ex Talk, which was actually quite fascinating! I don’t think I ever thought to think there’s producers running a talk show or that there are a lot of behind the scene individuals making a radio show run so smoothly.

Another aspect of this book I really liked was the diversity in this romance! I honestly haven’t read too many romances with Jewish representation and I loved how Rachel Lynn Solomon incorporated so many cultures (Korean, Nigerian, Indian) as well as LGBTQ representation in The Ex Talk. I love to see that happening more and more in romances.

If you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers, fake (ex) relationship, office romance then grab The Ex Talk when it releases January 26, 2021!

This book was the perfect enemies to lovers / fake dating story of my dreams!! Shay and Dominic are two opposite ends of a coin that just worked so well together. The tension between them from the first page is just absolute gold. Fake dating is always so fun to read and watch as they realize actual feelings behind the fake ones. The podcast aspect of this is also amazing. It’s so nice to read about radio shows or podcasts, they’re so popular now and I love listening to them. I definitely would’ve subscribed to The Ex Talk! Overall, I loved this one. It’s a super sweet (and sexy) book and I will definitely be recommending this to everyone once it’s released!

OK, I really liked this one! Super sexy and very sex positive, romantic and delightfully squee inducing, very sweet love interest, lots of great discussion about media and creative careers, complex family dynamics, and funny, too! I read and write about a lot of rom-coms and it's probably my favorite genre, but there are times when the tropes and characters can feel same-ish. This was a breath of fresh air!

i loved this one so much, so much 🥺l
i wish i could read it again for the first time.

shay and dominic were so freakin, stinkin cute and funny and quick witted. i loved the dialogue and back and forth on their radio show, The Ex Talk.

i loved them as characters, their back and forth their push and pull. the little things that built the tension, small things that were straightforward but still have you a belly flip.

the side characters were amazing, ameena and tj and ruthie. and the redemption was sweet! the payback was delicious!!

i CANNOT wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this beauty.

To save her struggling public radio station, Shay agrees to create a podcast called The Ex Talk, in which she and a fellow employee, Dominic, pose as ex lovers. It's a ruse, but they are able to get away with it, and they become wildly successful media stars -- until their secret is revealed in humiliating fashion. This is a great romance -- Shay and Dominic actually do fall in love, which causes some problems for them because everyone believes they are "exes" even though they never actually dated. So, lots to explain! The dialog and banter are really funny, and the characters are relatable and realistic. I look forward to recommending this book to readers who enjoy contemporary love stories with a little bit of humor.

This book was cute- I went back and forth trying to decide if I bought the relationship especially since the guy was just SO young. They did have great chemistry, and I enjoy enemies to lovers. Also learned a ton about public radio.

I devoured this book. It was excellent on so many levels. Current, young, funny and sweet. I appreciated that it was a new premise involving podcasters. I'm already tired of the books about 'influencers', so this was a nice change!