𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧

I loved THE EX TALK by @rlynn_solomon so I was super excited to read her newest release along with #teamsteam this month 💧☔️

👍🏼: I loved this story so much!! Huge fan of all the representation- Jewish characters, LGBTQ representation, depression/mental illness, “dad bods”- this book honestly had it all. I enjoyed breaking of the unrealistic expectations many romance novels often paint for us readers & highlighting of real modern characters ✨

I also loved the main character, Ari, and everything she represented! I’ve never thought much about meteorologists & all they do. The weather theme weaved throughout the whole story was so fun & unique as well! ☺️

Okay I could rave more but I’ll let you all check it out for yourselves!!

👎🏼: Dare I say there could’ve been a little more steam?! 😂🤷🏼‍♀️ honestly it might’ve taken away from the importance of the storyline- so definitely not mad with a little steam here & there!

Thanks to @netgalley & @berkleypub for the advanced e-arc! This one is out NOW ✨☔️

Rating: 4⭐️

Ari Abrams grew up wanting to be a meteorologist, like her TV idol Torrance. The fact that she grew up and ended up working at the same station as Torrance should have been a dream come true. But Torrance's constant fighting with her ex-husband Seth had soured the work atmosphere at KSEA, their TV station, to the point where Ari and co-worker Russell began plotting to try and improve things.

The two had seen signs that the divorced couple still had feelings for each other, so they engineered situations to give the two a chance to re-connect. And by now you might have guessed that Ari and Russell also were finding their way to each other.

This was a sweet story with some decent characters. It's made more complex by some realistic threads. Ari suffers from depression, which is being treated by meds and her time with a therapist. This is a huge deal to her because her mother also had depression issues, untreated, which broke up her parents' marriage and drove her father to leave. Seth has baggage of his own -- he is a big man, with some body image problems, and he is the proud father of a daughter he fathered while in high school, which clearly changed the course of his life.

These are people you can root for, and enjoy their road to each other. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ari Abrams is a really great character. Solomon does a wonderful job accurately portraying someone with mental illness without it being preachy. It was refreshing to see a character who had a complicated and challenging road and showed the everyday struggles and insecurities she faced everyday. I also really really really liked how successful Ari is. I feel like a lot of books lean on the main female character being kind of a mess (therefore her transformation being more drastic) and it was lovely to see Ari driven and successful already. I like that about her personality and it played really well into the image she portrayed to others and her overall character.
Russell is adorable. I have no problem picturing him in my mind, his shirt and beard and the warmness of his personality. It was easy to see them come together as a couple, and how each of their problems weighed heavily on them.

And of course there's the parent trap-like plot that puts them together. I loved the film Set It Up on Netflix so I was totally interested in reading this book, besides Solomon being a wonderful writer (<em> Today, Tonight, Tomorrow</em> is one of my favorite books). The story is very entertaining as you watch Russell and Ari's bosses, a divorced couple who still work together, attach, separate and re-attach again while Russell and Ari's relationship develops along side it.

>Solomon has no problem adding romance and heart to her stories, diving in to Russell's family life and Ari's mental health. I really like the emotional layers underneath this story that adds a sturdy weight to the story that isn't found in other books of this genre.

<em>Weather Girl</em> is overall a fun and romantic book that grabs your attention and doesn't let you go. And there's more to this story than a romance between two people, but also acceptance, forgiveness and maybe loving yourself.

I haven’t laughed this hard reading a book in a while. Like - I woke my partner up one night while reading next to him in bed because I was loud and also my whole body was shaking.

Yes, the book deals with heavy topics. But that’s matched by sass, heat, heart, puns, and (sometimes gallows) humor.

Weather Girl follows, well, weather girl Ari and sports reporter Russell as the attempt to parent trap their bosses back together. Ari is newly single after her ex-fiancee told her she wasn’t “real enough.” Most of the time this is a shallow misogynistic criticism, but in this case its about Ari’s struggle to be vulnerable and emotionally open up about her depression. Instead she doesn’t let people in and makes herself the sunshine, no matter what’s going on.

Oh yeah - the weather puns in this book are ON POINT and that might annoy the heck out of you but I flippin LOVED it. Make it rain please and thank you. Same for the chapter names. SO GOOD!

Anyway…Russell’s been out of the game for a while for reasons I’m not going to spoil but were flippin’ awesome to see represented—and, no I’m not talking about him being a fat hero which is dealt IMO with both care and boundaries (YES to him advocating for himself and yes to Ari for STFU and listening and then changing his behavior. The two are friendly at work, primarily bonding over the toxic AF atmosphere created by their their divorced. Think: lack of mentorship, extreme pettiness and passive aggressiveness, and constant tension.

It all comes to a head (or, should I say: someone loses their head HA!) at the company Christmas party…and Russell and Ani, fueled by pricey hotel drinks, come up with their plan to parent trap their bossess—who’ve they determined still definitely love each other.

If you couldn’t already tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. More and more I can’t deal with characters who’s lives are perfect. Give me the flawed, gimme the human, gimme the disorganized attachment style, intergenerational trauma, abandonment issues, and depression please and thank you.

Weather Girl tackles all these issues and more with care and nuance. Ari’s depression felt so visceral at times. And I deeply appreciated the author’s slash content note which was included AT THE BEGINNING so that we all knew what were getting into and could choose to engage with it or not.

Also: can we talk about how teddy bear russell brings the heat?! Lawd I am in love with this man and his jackets and also would happily be serviced by him. This man LOVES to please and WHEW he’s got it. I so enjoyed watching their chemistry start as nil and then begin to simmer, sizzle and, eventually boil over.

Despite my love, I had a few issues with the book that were enough to take me out of the story and ding it a star
First, the level of Ari’s self-deprecation. Several of my notes just say, “GIIIIIIIIRL” (as in “girl wtf are you doing? that’s ridiculous and makes no sense stop.”).

Secondly, the hypocriticalness Ari sometimes displayed. Yes this is at odds with my “I wanna read REAL characters” spiel above but several times she expected something from others that she’d wasn’t ready or willing to give herself (and always had some excuse as to why).

Thirdly, the weird familial nature of their work. I legit started to make a stink face just thinking about it again while writing this! Are coworkers actually that involved with each other’s lives? It felt weird and kinda creepy to me several times.

To end on a high note, I want to talk about the final conflict. When I’m not reading romance, I counsel couples and whew boy did that last conflict feel FAMILIAR. Like practically verbatim. That moment when you know that you aren’t totally making sense and you know you’re reacting out of fear and primal survival instinct but you just can’t stop yourself.

All in all, I thought Weather Girl was a masterful exploration of two people with lots of baggage and identities that our world often overlooks in the romantic realm being given their time to shine.

And shine bright they did.

Oh and PS: that first sex scene? The way he handles her confession? What follows? Holy fucking hell more of that please.

CW: depression, anxiety, fatphobia, anti-semitism
Sex tags: mutual masturbation, hand sex, oral sex, intercourse, dirty talk

Rachel Lynn Solomon can honestly have all my money at this point. To be fair, that won't exactly make her rich, but the point stands. This woman could jot down a to-do list, and I'd be in line to read it. And as you can probably gather, Weather Girl was another huge hit for me!

The thing about Rachel's books that always, always draws me in, whether they be adult or YA, is that the characters are so well-developed that it's impossible not to care about the outcome. They are always so very relatable, and likable, and yes, flawed, but in a way that makes you feel like if they were real, you'd want to be friends with them.

In Weather Girl, we have Ari, who is a meteorologist and is also dealing with depression. Oh, and her work environment is high key toxic, as her bosses are ex-spouses who fight like actual cats and dogs. So after one especially bad public "altercation" between the exes, Ari teams up with sports reporter Russell to get these two back together- and maybe repair their own sanity in the process.

It's clear that there are sparks between Ari and Russell fairly early on. He seems like such a nice, kind dude, but he's a little reserved about his own past, and Ari isn't exactly opening up too much about hers. I loved that they both had to learn how to be open, and communicative, and trusting in order for their relationship (both friendship and romantic) to progress. And Ari had to do a lot of soul searching herself to work through her depression, and how to be herself while living with depression.

I absolutely loved the focus of mental health in this story. I loved that Ari also had to confront her mother's mental illness and rehabilitation while dealing with her own. And, as the author states in her note, this is an #ownvoices novel:
"I wanted this book to highlight a neurodiverse heroine who happens to be on medication and in therapy falling in love and thriving."

I appreciated that so much, and found Ari's story really moving. The way Ari responds to her depression is so very different to how I react personally, but I felt that I had this whole new understanding for others because of how the author presented Ari. I understood Ari, even if I never felt the same way she did. Which, in my opinion, is why it's so necessary to have stories from so many different perspectives (of all kinds, not just mental health).

And the story is adorable and wonderful, the characters are wholly endearing, and I absolutely could not put the book down and simultaneously wanted to read it forever. So yep. It's a win.

Bottom Line: Another home run (Russell-approved figure of speech, obviously) for Rachel Lynn Solomon. Incredibly realistic and relatable characters and a story I fell in love with, one again.

What happens when two reporters team up to Parent Trap their bosses? Antics, friendship, and an unexpected romance. Weather Girl has an entertaining premise and its characters’ easy, low-key chemistry makes it enjoyable, but what really makes it stand out is how author Rachel Lynn Solomon addresses mental health in this romance.

Ari Abrams is a meteorologist for KSEA news and though she loves her job, her office is miserable thanks to the constant battles between her boss and KSEA’s station manager. The exes are constantly at each other’s throats, but there’s chemistry there that makes Ari think that all the love between them may not be gone. At an office Christmas party, she and sports reporter Russell Barringer decide to nudge their bosses back together. Their plotting leads to an easy friendship springing up between Ari and Russell, and it’s not long before that friendship turns into something more. Ari and Russell never quite grabbed me as a couple, but I still liked them enough to just roll with it. I particularly liked that Russell had insecurities about his looks (it’s a refreshing change of pace) and that Ari thought he was totally hot.

The romance was OK in this book but what really made Weather Girl shine for me was Ari’s mental health struggles and the sensitivity Solomon showed in addressing this topic. Ari has depression and the way Solomon writes it is so realistic and relatable that it grabbed my heart. Even though Ari has been successfully managing her depression for years, it’s not something that goes away no matter how adept you are at handling it. She feels like she always has to show a smiling face to the world, that no one could love all of her. I wanted to see her realize that she could be loved on good days and bad and I loved that Solomon gave that to her.

Weather Girl is a lovely, sometimes messy romance with endearing characters. I loved the Jewish representation in this book as well as the way different families are shown. Solomon isn’t afraid to make her characters imperfect and give them love, which I really liked. All in all, Ari and Russell’s story is an entertaining read to curl up with in sunshine or storm.

This one had me hooked right from the start. Loved Ari and Russ - the parent trapping coworkers. The tie ins to mental health and being vulnerable made this more real than your average romcom. Another brilliant story from Rachel Lynn Solomon!

I liked this cute romcom that’s a cross between The Parent Trap and Netflix’s Set It Up, set in a local news station. Weather girl Ari, and sports reporter Russell hatch a plan to get their divorced bosses back together. In the process, they spend a lot of time together ... and you can guess where that goes.

While I liked both relationships and the hijinks in the story just fine, what I really liked about this story was the frank talk about dealing with and treating depression and the discussion about therapy from men and women (in regards to mental health and in regards to helping with communication in relationships).

So with that, content warnings for talk of depression, teen pregnancy, and talk of body image.

Big thank you to Penguin Random House for an ARC! Oof, this one took a raindrop sized piece of my heart. It was clear in every detail how personal this story was for the author and that made it that much more satisfying. Ari and Russ were so well-crafted - their struggles so real and relatable, it was just a delight.

WEATHER GIRL BOOK REVIEW

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ari, a TV meteorologist, and Russell, a sports reporter at her station, team up to try and get their bosses back together so they’ll stop bickering at work. Little did they know, their scheme to set their bosses up would end up bringing them together in an unexpected way. Wowowow!!! You *NEED* to pick this one up!! These characters are so endearing and I was OBSESSED🥰 Also, the banter, flirting, and steam were all perfection👏🏼

Pick this one up if you’re looking for a cute rom com with:
•balance between lighter scenes & emotional ones
•Matchmaking vibes
•focus on importance of mental health
•Jewish representation
•navigating complicated parental relationships

Overall, this book solidified that @rachelsolomon is an auto-buy author for me!! WEATHER GIRL and her other book, The Ex Talk, have been some of my fav romance books! Def go pick up a copy of this one!!

4.5 Stars

This was a fantastic story with great mental health (depression) and Jewish representation. As a person who suffers from the former, I really appreciate how the author made Ari's depression a major part of who she is and how she handles relationships but made sure depression wasn't ALL that she is. While I can't speak to the Jewish representation, I'm happy to see it so prevelant in a romance. I'm also very happy to read about an average hero with insecurities as the perfect cinnamon-roll hero we all love to read about. I absolutely loved Ari and Russell!!

The parent-trap aspect of Ari and Russell working to get their respective bosses back together to bring harmony to the news station they work at as a weather girl and sportscaster really made this a fun story to read.

This was my first time reading Rachel Lynn Solomon but it won't be the last.

*I recieved an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary/honest review

Ari Abrams loves the weather and her job as a meteorologist at a local TV channel. What Ari doesn't love is how her boss and idol, Torrence is always at odds with the stations news director Seth. The two have been divorced for a few years, but both work at the same station and situations have a tendency to get tense.

Russell Barringer, a sports reporter at the same station comes up with a plan. What if Ari and him were to get Seth and Torrence into situations where they'd end up alone with one another. Would that rekindle their love for one another? Maybe that might make their jobs more enjoyable. Ari would maybe be able to get more mentoring from Torrence and Russell would be able to cover a larger variety of sports to report on. But the more scheming they get into, the more time they end up spending together and their attraction starts to grow. Will they end up not only succeeding in getting their bosses back together, but also finding a way to each other? ⁣

What I loved about Weather Girl, is the way each character was so well developed. Everyone from Ari to Russell's daughter to Ari's mom. These characters who we are so invested in each have their own story to tell and they are all important to the storyline.

Mental health is a vital part of the story in Weather Girl and I feel that Rachel Lynn Solomon did such a wonderful job of letting us into the vulnerabilities that Ari feels while dealing with her depression. Ari's relationship with her mother impacted her in so many ways and while that was hard to read, I really enjoyed how she grew to accept her depression. Some of those moments with her mom were my favorite and I have so many of them highlighted.

I loved the sweet and slow burn between Ari and Russell. Both of them have so many vulnerabilities and I really liked that they took their relationship slow. While Ari is not sure how to share her depression with Russell, he isn't sure how to talk about his daughter or his weight. You don't see that often enough in romances - that a male character also struggles with their weight and how that feels for them. These sensitive topics were done so well in Weather Girl.

As with Rachel's previous adult romance, The Ex Talk, I really liked the references to Judaism in Weather Girl. Both Ari and Russell are Jewish and I really enjoyed the way topics of Judaism were discussed for these characters - everything from not celebrating Christmas to Russell's daughter's bat mitzvah.

Overall, I really enjoyed Weather Girl, this book often felt like a warm hug and I feel like we could all use a little more of that!

Rachel Lynn Solomon's delightful new book is set in the world of broadcast news. TV meteorologist and weather nerd Ari loves everything about her on-air Seattle job. Except the fraught relationship between her divorced bosses, whose personal battles make things tense for everyone at work. After a drunken evening at the station Christmas party, she teams up with shy sports reporter Russell in a crazy bid to Parent Trap their bosses and get them back together. As she and Russell spend more time together, they realize there might be something between them, too. But it's complicated.

This was a lovely book. Solomon tackles heavier themes like body image, depression, family relationships, and single parenthood. But there are also some very funny (and steamy!) moments.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

4 stars!

Weather Girl was absolutely adorable! The plot reminded me a bit of the Netflix rom-com "Set It Up" with Ari and Russell trying to get their bosses back together. I actually ended up loving how Russell wasn't the stereotypical hot alpha male you find in romance novels. Lots of cute dialogue and good characters! Definitely recommend if you need a good rom-com for a lazy weekend.

Rachel Lynn Solomon writes both YA and adult contemporary romances. Weather Girl is one of her adult books.

I'm a bit torn as to whether to call this a romantic comedy or a contemporary romance. I think it's somewhere in the middle. There are definitely some fun aspects to the story. But the book also deals with some serious subjects.

The narrator is 27 year old Jewish heroine Ari Abrams (1st person POV). She is a tv meteorologist who absolutely loves the weather.

The story takes place in Seattle. And features some friendly matchmaking.

Ari works for legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale. And I adored their relationship/friendship.

I also absolutely loved the Jewish representation (bat mitzvahs, Hanukkah, quite a few Jewish characters...)

And I really appreciate the author's inclusion of mental illness. It's super important and worked perfectly in this book.

Ari's job was so fun, as was her brother and his family. And the male main character was great. I really did like so many things about this story. I just didn't love it.

The ending scenes were my favorite part of the book. I really liked how the author tied everything together. Overall this was an enjoyable romance!

I loved this book! The Parent Trap in the form of a sometimes-cheesy, no-one's-perfect, we-all-have-issues office romance. The audiobook was specatcular. I switched back and forth between print and audio to read it as fast as possible.

Having enjoyed the author’s last book The Ex Talk, her latest release was eagerly anticipated. Rachel Lynn Solomon delivered again with this charming and cute romance. Ari Abrams is a meteorologist for a news program in Seattle. She and Russell, her sports reporter colleague, scheme to improve their unbearable work environment by trying to bring their bosses (who are divorced) back together. As the two spend more time together matchmaking they grow closer and a spark ignites between them. The plot is fun, the characters feel authentic and the author sensitively deals with some heavy topics in a meaningful way. This sweet read is a delight.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very special book birthday to my favorite author, @rlynn_solomon ❤️

QUICK SYNOPSIS
⛈Weather girl Ari & sports reporter Russell team up together to solve their bosses’ relationship issues.

WEATHER GIRL has a special place in my heart for so many reasons.

✨the depression representation, which is so crucial in romance books, particularly. It’s important to remember it is possible to love, no matter your mental health struggle - and I wish more romance books tackled this idea
✨the Jewish rep: wow, does RLS inspire me and the entire Jewish community to be fearless when it comes to ~casually~ discussing our identity
✨plus-sized rep, in a male love interest, which I’ve never seen before!!!!

I’m also simply a sucker for a work place rom com, which this entirely is. Although I’d say it’s more rom and less com 🥰 I’m as in love with this book as I am the cover.

Thank you Rachel & @berkleyromance for my free e-copy!

RLS has done it again! I loved so many things about this book. Here’s just a few nuggets:

As someone who knows zero about meteorology, I was so into this part of Ari’s character - unique, refreshing and fun!

Russell was an amazing leading man. So many books are full of insecure women but I loved getting to see a dude be vulnerable too - and it only made him more lovable 💖💖

Loved the Jewish rep - RLS always nails this and makes it so relatable.

Loved the destigmatization of therapy and hiding depression - this was written so well and never once felt preachy or over the top.

Have you ever finished a book and wanted to hug it? I have. It was this book. Weather Girl is so so good. It has parent trap vibes, workplace romance, incredible family (found and otherwise), excellent communication, and is a work of art. But the part that blew me away?? Was the focus on mental health. The way that mental health is addressed brought tears to my eyes. I loved how Rachel explores mental health, specifically depression and the ways that it can impact someone's life, relationships, etc. She doesn't shy away from the gritty, raw pieces of depression. That being said, she shines a light on depression and the ways in which people can, and do! have meaningful lives full of light and love in the midst of dark days.

This book is so good. I'm so thankful I was able to read it. I'm so thankful that I read it RIGHT NOW.