I’m so bummed because I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I did The Ex Talk. The story line just didn’t hook me.

I loved Ari and Russell SO FREAKING MUCH.

This book is a love letter to people who feel “too much” and those that feel that they ARE “too much.”

Ari is a meteorologist with a sunny disposition that hides her darker moments as someone who struggles with depression.

Russell is a sports anchor with an unexpected backstory that he hopes won’t impact his future.

Both of them share bosses who are estranged ex-spouses, whose deranged fights and blowouts make for an uncomfortable workplace. As Ari and Russell scheme to get their bosses back together, they fall for each other as well.

A meditation on how to choose yourself and how to fully show up in your life, Weather Girl is a sweet and earnest read with sizzling chemistry. A solid follow up to her debut, The Ex Talk, Solomon is doing wonderful work with complicated characters.

I loved The Ex Talk so much and was so excited to get my hands on a copy of Weather Girl, Rachel Lynn Soloman's newest book! In this weather-filled saga, the main character Ari Abrams, a meteorologist for her local news station in Seattle, is frustrated with the loud and aggressive banter between her boss and her boss’s ex-husband in the office. One drunken evening at the TV station’s holiday party, Ari and sportscaster Russell Barringer impulsively decide to team up to nudge their bosses back together. But in the process, Ari and Russell develop a romance of their own.

Weather Girl is deeply personal for Rachel Lynn Solomon as the story grapples with the mental illness of depression. I found this topic to be executed beautifully and Solomon expresses through her characters that depression isn't an easy fix, nor does it require an end-goal of abandoning therapy or medication…a common stigma associated with mental illness. I loved the Jewish rep of course, but I wish that Ari wasn’t so quick to doubt herself and those around her; I enjoy reading about characters who aren’t quick to put themselves down. That said, the romance was spicy and oh-so-cute. I can’t wait to read what Solomon writes next!

Content warnings: mental illness, abandonment

I could not have adored this book more.

Ari Abrams is a TV meteorologist who really, really loves weather. While she loves what she does, her work environment is less than ideal because her boss and her boss’ ex (the station’s news director) are always fighting. After a few too many drinks at the holiday party Ari and Russel (a sportscaster from the station) decide to ‘Parent Trap’ their bosses and get them back together so everyone can stop walking on egg-shells at work. They contrive a series of activities and outings to help them fall back in love, but this forced proximity and scheming is making Ari have sunshiny feelings for Russel, and vice-versa.

I adore how real Rachel Lynn Solomon’s characters feel. They’re nuanced and flawed, and extremely lovable. Ari struggles with depression and slaps on a sunny mask to hide it. Russel is chubby and self conscious, and also has a daughter he looks after part time. By the end of the book I felt as if the characters were real people in my life, that I’d known for years, which I think is a sign of a really special talent in a writer.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny in parts, but also has so much depth. Solomon handles heavier topics with a gentle hand that make readers (myself included) feel seen on the pages. I’m so excited to see mental health talked about in fiction more often these days. I think normalizing talking about it, both on and off the page, will help so many people.

A couple of other things that made me love the book even more…it’s set here in Seattle, one of the activities they set up is a swing class (specifically Lindy Hop) which I used to do, and Ari makes her own weather-themed jewelry. #bringbackthebrooch

I slept on this book. A++ representation of struggling with clinical depression, a body positive male lead and diverse range of supporting characters with non contrived problems. It's not getting enough hype for how good it is.

4.5 stars

CW: Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, parental abandonment (past), strained parental relationship, toxic work environment, teen pregnancy (past), mentions of body image insecurity

This book came at exactly the time my heart needed it. Weather Girl pulled on my heartstrings and made me feel seen and comforted. Reading this book was a very cathartic experience for me. The romance was tender while also being deliciously spicy and the characters had me rooting for them from the start.

Ari is one of the most relatable characters I have come across in a while. I felt her struggles and victories so much and I applaud Rachel Lynn Solomon for giving us such an incredible heroine. Ari's experiences were unapologetically honest and raw and it only endeared me to her more. The mental health and Jewish representation in the novel was fantastic as well. Russell was an absolute cinnamon roll and I loved how adorakable and sweet he was. In many ways, his character arc mirrored Ari's in that they are both working toward being their truest selves. I'm normally not a fan of late stage drama, but this time it completely worked and was understandable. I loved the secondary characters, especially Ari's brother, Alex, and their relationship was just the cutest. The discussions about family, love, and forgiveness were especially moving and I appreciated all the different ways those things can look and come about.

Weather Girl is a wonderful novel that I hope everyone will read. Also, I know it's only January, but this may be my favorite cover of the year. All the heart eyes <3

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 is a fun friends-to-lovers romance ignited by the two protagonists creating a plan to rekindle their bosses’ romance to restore a healthy work environment. I always find that I enjoy romances more when they deal with real-life issues and have depth beyond the romance. 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 definitely checked these boxes while being adorable and humorous.

Rachel Lynn Solomon gets so much right in 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭. Ari, the female protagonist, suffers from depression. Solomon’s handling and descriptions of depression were so accurate. She also discusses the fears having a mental illness often instills as far as relationships go. While my depression has presented very differently than Ari’s, I deeply related to her feelings.

𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 is one of the few contemporary fiction books I have read that have Jewish characters. This was refreshing and done in a way that is representative of those who are mostly culturally Jewish, as so many people I know are. Solomon also wove in plot related to the fact that Christmas is the default American winter holiday and how often employers and others get “holiday parties” wrong.

I enjoyed Solomon’s writing and thought it made the book easy to breeze through. I loved that she crafted a romance where adults actually acted like adults. I am so often annoyed by adult characters, particularly in romances, that act immature and childish. My only critique is that there were a few events that I can not imagine happening in real life… or at least not at any place I have worked. Professional (nude) couples massage with your boss, anyone?

Overall, I loved 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 and can see it being one of the best romances that I read in 2022. I cried, I laughed, and fell in love with the genuine characters of this story. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in contemporary romance books!

Thank you @berkleypub & @berkleyromance for the egalley!

Weather Girl
by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Pub Date: January 11, 2022
Berkely
* Contemporary Romance
A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk.
a Jewish heroine and a Jewish hero
• a heroine with depression who is on medication and in therapy
• a fat hero
• open-door sex scenes slightly steamier than The Ex Talk (I measured this by copy-pasting those scenes into a new doc and comparing word count, as one does)
• so many weather puns
thanks to Berkely and NetGalley for the ARC. I fell in love with the characters.
4 stars

The first book I read in 2021 was a book by Rachel Lynn Solomon titled The Ex Talk. It was actually my very first review for Smexy and I loved it so much and was super excited to find a new to me author whose voice just worked for me. I’m excited to say that Weather Girl was maybe even better. There was so much to love about this book that it’s kind of hard to figure out exactly where to begin with this review.

Maybe the best place to begin is actually with the author’s note. One thing to know about my reading habits: I love a good author’s note and I’m a stickler for reading them. Sometimes, they don’t say more than a litany of thanks but often times, they’re a great source of finding out what motivated the author to write this particular story, their intentions, maybe even the research they undertook to write this book. Done well, they can provide an extra layer of depth and understanding to a novel that, at least for me, really enhances the reading experience. Most author’s notes come at the end of the book but for this book, Rachel Lynn Solomon has included a note to the readers right at the beginning, laying out possible triggers (depression) and also highlighting why it was so important to her to write this book. It’s a romcom with a depressed protagonist and while she admits that on paper, those two things shouldn’t mix, she wanted to write a rom com that also had a air of realism to it. And she wanted to focus on a heroine who is depressed and on meds for her depression, finding love even in the midst of the heaviness of her life, and a hero who would see her, all the bits of her, and love her not despite her mental health issues but through all of the light and dark periods. Because, as Rachel so astutely puts it, that’s the most romantic thing of all.

Here’s the second thing to know about me: I’m very, very particular about rom coms – they seem to have become a catch all descriptor lately and far too many of them don’t meet the criteria (in my opinion, YMMV). I can honestly say that despite the heavy themes in this book, this book actually made me laugh out loud in several places and I really can’t remember the last time a rom com has made me do that. Ari (short for Arielle) Abrams is a TV meteorologist, working at her dream job, directly with the woman who she’s professionally idolized since she was a young girl. Or, rather, it WOULD be a dream job were it not for the fact that Torrance Hale, the legendary Seattle weatherwoman who’s been a lifelong source of inspiration to Ari, is making their news station a toxic work environment, due to the fact that her ex husband is the station’s news director. Every day at work is tense and drama-filled, with Torrance and Seth, her ex, having public spats and unwittingly drawing the rest of the employees into their drama. When their constant bickering culminates in Torrance heaving Seth’s Emmy through a glass window at their work’s Christmas party, Ari decides she’s had enough.

Joining forces with sports reporter, Russell Barringer, they decide to parent trap their bosses, working under the theory that if Torrance and Seth rediscover their feelings for each other, maybe their workplace would be calmer and less toxic.. Unprofessional? Yes. Unethical? Probably. Entertaining? Oh, absolutely yes. And so, in the course of parents trapping their bosses through swing dance lessons and dinner cruises and a work getaway trip that includes an incredibly awkward couples massage for four, Ari and Russell find themselves falling for each other as well.

But Ari, recently dumped by her fiancé who accuses her of not being real enough, has secrets. Growing up with a clinically depressed mother who refused to ever seek help, she herself got diagnosed while in college and has been in therapy and on meds for years. The way that depression is discussed in this book is so well done, so accurate and compelling and heartbreakingly real, it just gutted me. But she’s reticent to share these parts of herself with other people, especially anyone she’s ever dated, for fear that no one would stick around for the dark parts. After all, as she justifies it to herself, her father left her mother (and the whole family, really) because, in her mother’s words, she was too much for him to handle. I know you might be reading all this and wondering, which part did I laugh at?!? Just trust me though, even though there is a lot of Ari grappling with her depression and her fear of being abandoned, the book does have light moments as well.

Then we come to Russell and let me just begin by saying that we rarely get romance novel heroes who are fat and are a little self-conscious about it, and how much do I love Rachel Lynn Solomon for giving us a hero who embodies all of that. Russ became a dad when he was a teenager and has a 12 year old daughter who loves musicals. He’s a devoted dad, on friendly terms with the mother of his child, loves sports, and hasn’t had a date in 5 years. Yes, that’s right, 5 years. So, when he finally ends his drought with Ari, it’s every bit as charming and delightful and sexy as you would expect.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the first time that Ari and Russ get intimate. Ari, because of her trust issues, has trouble orgasming when she has sex for the first time with a new partner. It takes her a while to loosen up and her antidepressant also plays havoc with her libido. I love that all of this is a part of the story, it just makes it so much richer and full of depth. Russ, being the absolute kind and decent hero that he is, tells Ari that the most important thing to him is that she has an orgasm, and it doesn’t matter whether it be by his doing or her own. He has zero pride and exhibits a complete lack of toxic masculinity because to him, it’s not important for their first time if he is the reason she achieves satisfaction so long as she has a good time. And then, in one of the steamiest sex scenes I’ve read in a long, long time, they both reach climax and the whole scene is so tender and sweet and intimate, because it’s made so abundantly clear just how much these two lovely humans care for one another.

There is so much respect between the two, so much care is taken, that it’s really easy to see how and when they fall for each other. Both of these characters are scared for very different reasons and watching them be brave enough to take that leap of faith into love is both beautiful and inspiring to witness. While this is a romance with the requisite HEA, it’s a book that makes it clear that depression doesn’t come with an easy fix, it’s a lifetime to having to manage something that doesn’t ever have a rhyme or reason in how it disrupts one’s life. And ultimately, that’s the real beauty of the book, that Ari, after a lifetime spent having to hide the real version of herself, finally feels free to be her most authentic self, and in the course of coming to terms with all that that means, finds love with someone who sees her and wants and loves every version of her there is. And like the author’s note states, that’s the most romantic thing of all.

Content Notes: on-page depression, on-page therapy, parental abandonment, toxic parental relationship, teenage pregnancy, marital strife, reference to societal fatphobia, ignoring of FMC’s Jewish faith by her former fiancé’s family, lack of attention paid to both MC’s Jewish faith by their workplace on numerous occasions;

One day maybe I’ll be less blown away by how much I identify with Rachel Lynn Solomon’s characters. I’ve been making a point to read more books with rep I can relate to but Rachel’s books feel intensely personal for me. I am grateful to read about Jewish families like mine and Jewish characters finding love, and also to read about characters who describe depression in a way that sounds so much like my own experience.

Weather Girl is a vivid and fun romance between Ari and Russell, who work at the same news station in Seattle. Ari is a meteorologist and Russell is a sports journalist, and they team up in an attempt to improve their work environment by encouraging their bosses (who used to be married) to get back together, “Parent Trap” style.

Like The Ex Talk, the core plot of this story did give me some ethical discomfort, but the way this one plays out is definitely fun and won me over. Similarly, both stories felt realistic and larger-than-life at the same time.

Russell has a 12 year old daughter who is in preparation for her bat mitzvah. He also has some insecurity around being fat. Arielle (Ari) has a fraught history with her mother’s depression and her father’s abandonment of their family, so even though Ari takes antidepressants and goes to therapy, she doesn’t open up about it with anyone, even her former fiance. I can’t speak to being a parent, but I am familiar with a lot of impacts of depression and seeing Russell and Ari develop trust and chemistry was a delight that felt very true to life. They stumbled along the way but they found their way back to each other. Their intimate scenes together reflected their vulnerabilities and their honest appreciation of each other.

This was a strong winner for me, I was really invested in these characters. I tend to really enjoy when a character’s career is discussed, and in this book we get insights into both MCs careers, and then some! It was a perfect balance of detail that doesn't alienate the reader. There is a bit of a secondary romance as well, which was a cute bonus. This is my third book by this author and it solidifies that I will gladly read anything she writes, and I am excited for her future adult romances.

CWs for prior parental abandonment of a MC, toxic workplace environment, on page fall that injures a MC (arm fracture), broken engagement, MC thoughts around the desire to be a parent,

Rep: white Jewish woman MC with depression, fat white Jewish man MC who is a father

What happens when a meteorologist and a sports reporter join forces to pull a Parent Trap on their unbearably toxic divorced bosses? Find out in the delightful new romcom Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Ari Abrams has her dream job working for her idol, legendary Seattle meteorologist Torrance Hale, but her boss is too busy picking petty fights with her ex, the station’s news director, to spend anytime mentoring Ari. On top of that, Ari’s fiancé just called off the engagement on account of Ari not being real enough and she’s having more and more trouble staving off the bad days that come with her clinical depression diagnosis. After a particularly terrible incident at the office holiday party, she and co-worker, Russell, hatch a scheme to reunite their bosses with hopes of a more tolerable workplace. One guess what other romance starts to bloom.

This is a lovely book that covers a lot of territory. There’s the depression (very responsibly depicted with medication and therapy), the romance, and complex parental relationships. There’s the great Jewish representation I’ve come to expect from Solomon’s books, as well as a chubby love interest—something I’m honestly not sure I’ve seen in an adult romance. We’ve made some progress with plus-sized heroines, but they always have chiseled leading men (something I have a bit of a bone to pick with, but that’s a rant for another day). It was nice to see a—what’s the equivalent of a size 2 for men?—a man without a six-pack portrayed as attractive.

Personally, I could have used a few more scenes with the two main characters. I really liked Russell and wanted a bit more of him. I also sometimes have trouble relating to mental illness depicted in romcoms because there’s a requirement of a happy ending. Not that I’m saying there can’t or shouldn’t be, but I’m not sure every loose end should get tied into such a perfect rainbow. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one and loved seeing all the representation.

Thank you so much to @berkleyromance @berkleypub @netgalley @lovearctually for my copy, and to @rlynn_solomon for her amazing books! They’re always a joy to read. This one is out today. It should warm you up no matter what the weather!

I really enjoyed Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon! I'm pretty sure this is my first book from her, so I'll definitely be checking out more of her work soon.

This was a really sweet romance between a meteorologist named Ari and a sports reporter named Russell. In order to create a more pleasant working environment for themselves, they decided to scheme together to reunite their bosses, who used to be married. But their well meaning meddling seemed to backfire when sparks between the two of them began to fly instead! This was a cute romcom story that gave me everything I wanted in the genre. But it also had more to the story and dove a little bit deeper, which I really appreciated. While it had romance, a little bit of comedy and charming characters this book also tackled the topic of depression and mental health in a very gentle way.

Main character Ari dealt with her clinical depression for most of her life. I thought the way the author portrayed Ari was quite well done. The topic of mental illness is often lightly grazed over in books, but here it was discussed openly and genuinely. Watching Ari grow as a person and learn how to be comfortable with what she needs was really great. And finding support in Russell was great as well. He had his own unique story and past and I enjoyed the way the two characters came together and supported one another. I feel like the mental health awareness in this book is pretty spot on.

The story also touched on elements of family. Ari's relationship with her mother was a bit strained but her relationship with her brother was just amazing! One of the best sibling relationships I think I've read in a long time! And let me tell you, if you enjoy some steam in your romcoms, this one has got it! I also loved the playful chapter titles that had fun weather elements.

All in all, I have nothing negative to say about this book! It was a fantastic read and I highly recommend adding it your reading selections this year!

Rachel Lynn Solomon has written one of the sweetest, most heartfelt contemporary romances with Weather Girl.

As someone with depression who also wants my own life, friends, and romance outside of that, Ari has my whole heart. And Russell is absolute love interest perfection. The Set It Up–like premise takes a backseat to these two emotionally complex characters. An absolute gem.

I received a digital advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Weather Girl in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own! And I'm hiding this review because of thoughts I wrote while reading that I would like to share so be-warned!

Five Stars !

CW: Depression, body image, parental trauma

First of all - the plot. The concept is a play on classic tropes popular in movies like Set it Up and The Parent Trap - which is really fun to see play out. Working at a Seattle Tv Station, meteorologist Ari Abrams and and sports reporter Russell Barringer work to help their divorced bosses (Torrance Hale and Seth Hale, whose drama is SERIOUSLY affecting the office) back together. We follow Ari and Russell as they recreate their old dates, send their bosses gifts from one another, and drop nuggets of wisdom in conversation to bring Torrance and Seth closer once again. Along the way, Ari and Russell get to know one another and sparks FLY - will they succeed in bringing more than one couple together through their antics?

This book made me smile, laugh, and cry. Rachel Lynn Solomon was excellent at balancing lighthearted and joyful romance while also discussing serious topics of depression and body image in an informed manner. I really appreciated her exploration of Ari's depression and how someone who is *seemingly* sunshine and rainbows can still be struggling. There is more that could be said here but I think I will cut myself off because I will write too much - my point is that I liked how her mental health was handled in the story! I also liked how Rachel Lynn Solomon addressed body image through Russell in the story and I personally felt like it was done in a non-triggering way.

One thought I had is that I REALLY appreciated that Russell being a single dad was NOT cause for a breakup in the story. I really don't like the trope of parenthood breaking up couples so I was so happy to see that his daughter was not drudged into any relationship issues between Ari and Russell, and in fact brought them... together...

All in all - this book was so cute and heartfelt and one that I will be trying to make everyone read and I will reread it myself. I really liked the dynamics between all of the characters and side-characters, the jewish representation, and the tropes were done in a refreshing and fun way!

Thank you to Netgalley for the free eARC copy of this book! It was amazing to read a romance with a character who is navigating depression. This type of representation is so important for the romance genre and I'm thrilled it exists. It was sweet, lovely, and so real!

I LOVED Rachel Lynn Solomon's The Ex-Talk. The banter there was FIRE. I liked Weather Girl, too, and as a ex-journalist, in both of her books, I have found so much to relate to. She's very good at writing about workplaces, especially journalistic workplaces. That said, to me, Weather Girl wasn't as vibrant and high stakes as The Ex-Talk. That said, I almost cried during a beautifully-written bat mitzvah scene so that was just heartwarming!

I've read many romances with plus-sized heroines, but this the first romance I've ever read that featured a plus-sized hero! He was such a dynamic character whose personality and development wasn't completely based off of his weight or others' perceptions of it.

All of the characters in this story, in fact, were dynamic and well-written! Every aspect of their lives were explored, from religion to mental health issues to work dynamics, without it being overwhelming. The slow-burn romance between Ari and Russell was paced perfectly!

Sensitive topics like depression and fatphobia and blended families were introduced and discussed so respectfully and sincerely, which is something that I find a lot of books are lacking. This is my first book by this author, and I'm so excited to see what else she has written.

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon, book one in her Fortunes of Lost Lake series. Ari and Russell are the most lovable characters; separately and together they are true magic. They were friendly coworkers until they decided to scheme to make their work environment more bearable by nudging their divorced, argumentative bosses together; setting up Ari and Russell to notice each other as more than coworkers and friends. Ari, a weather reporter, struggles with depression and feelings of inadequacy stemming from her childhood and her mother’s refusal to deal with her own depression. Russell, a large, overweight sports reporter, who became a dad as a teen, hasn’t dated since separating from his daughter’s mother; which has been years. While they each had baggage and issues to deal with before they could successfully work as a couple, they were quite clever about bringing their bosses together; trying to rekindle their love and marriage. Their main objective was to improve the work environment, but so much more was accomplished. Ari and Russell shared a strong attraction and off-the-charts chemistry that you couldn’t help but cheer for them to be together. I thoroughly enjoyed reading my first, but not last, book by Ms. Solomon and highly recommend Weather Girl to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This one was just okay for me. I really appreciated the representation in the story, and think that was a highlight! I really want to read more romance with diverse characters like this. I also thought that the heroine's backstory and profession were really unique and added a fun element to the story. Unfortunately, I had a hard time buying the chemistry between the hero and the heroine. I also found the "set up" narrative to be too copy and paste from the movie Set It Up on Netflix. It didn't feel original enough for me to be invested in these character's stories. This was one okay, just didn't have that spark for me!

As a fan of The Parent Trap (the Haley Mills version, not the Lindsay Lohan remake – and yes, this ages me but I’m okay with that), this book sounded right up my alley. Two coworkers team up to reunite their divorced bosses and surprise surprise, end up falling in love themselves. I loved the representation in this book (Jewish main characters, a neurodiverse heroine, and great mental health discussion) and the location (rainy Seattle) but it fell a little flat for me. I just didn't feel the chemistry between Ari and Russell. However, still an enjoyable read and worth picking up if this sounds like something you're interested in. And if you enjoyed Set It Up on Netflix, this is basically the book version.