Oh lord I absolutely adored this. My favorite part about it was the fact that Ari’s anxieties and mental issues were so well represented. Mental health problems get such a stigma, and I think Solomon handled this particular topic so well.

I loved watching Ari and Russell grow closer through their scheming and plotting. This had a fun, TV news, adult twist on The Parent Trap to it, and I really enjoyed it.

I will definitely be preordering a copy and recommending to my friends!

Slow to start, but super cute. I absolutely love Russell - he might be my new book crush! His dad bod and all, haha. I also loved the focus on the Jewish religion and mental health issues like depression. Very relatable and needs talked about more in books.

I decided to take a few days off from posting, but now I’m bringing you one of my favorite books of the year! Weather Girl, by Rachel Lynn Solomon is out on January 11 - thank you @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the #giftedcopy!

In Weather Girl, Ari is a meteorologist working at a news station in Seattle. She is obsessed with the weather and rarely lets people see a side of her other than the sunshine-y persona she portrays. Ari struggles with depression though, and her ex couldn’t deal with that when he found out (excuse me, but I want to punch him). Anyway, as much as she loves work, her bosses are getting divorced (from each other) and are making things pretty miserable. At the office holiday party, everything goes to crap, and Ari ends up chatting with Russell, one of the sports reporters. They make a plan (think The Parent Trap) to get their bosses back together so maybe things will be better at work. Little do they realize that as they get closer trying to fix up their bosses, they’ll be kindling a little something between themselves, too!

Okay you guys - so there’s a LOT I loved about this book, so I’m gonna give you a little list:
1. Ari’s mental health struggles. I’ve struggled with depression for many years and this was one of the most accurate descriptions of a character with depression I’ve read. I actually highlighted certain lines because it’s me 💯
2. Jewish representation - both Ari and Russell are Jewish and it’s more than just mentioned. It’s a big part of the story. No I’m not Jewish but I loved seeing the rep.
3. 🔥🔥 - the perfect amount of steam and it’s well written.

Basically, I really enjoyed this book - check it out on pub day!

Ari has her dream job as a TV meteorologist in Seattle working under her hero Torrence Hale. However, Torrence and her ex-husband (the station’s manager) make work miserable with their constant fighting. Ari and sports reporter Russell team up to get their bosses back together. The more time Ari spends with Russell, the more she likes him. However, Ari hides her depression behind her sunny disposition, and she isn’t sure Russell will be able to weather her storms. (I had too.)

I started 2021 by reading Rachel Lynn Solomon’s The Ex Talk and loving it, and I’m ending 2021 by read another Rachel Lynn Solomon book and loving it. I read the Weather Girl in one sitting, and I’d highly recommend you pre-order it It was so, so good. I love when a romance dives a bit deeper, and Ari’s depression allows for the discussion of mental health that isn’t normally found in romance. And I loved Russell!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC! Weather Girl is out 1/22/2022, so preorder this now!

This was cute, though I didn't like it was much as the Ex Talk. I felt it was a good exploration of depression and overcoming the feelings that come along with the condition. Having a "plus-sized" love interest was different than what I'm used to but I didn't feel as if that was a main focus, which I liked. Solomon addresses "issues" without making them the focal point. I will read anything she puts out, at this point.

I've seen this in everyone's TBR or most anticipated for 2022. I hope you love it 😊

It was so vulnerable, sweet and funny. I hope this is the direction we are heading with love stories my favorite that I have read this year involved disability and mental health rep and I think it's important. Everyone has some type of silent suffering and they deserve, as much as the rest of us to see what it looks like to be loved because of it. Also, the male love interest is described as overweight and is a bit self conscious about it. Which usually all guys in these books have all the muscles but that's not really real so I'm here for this.

We are all imperfect humans living in this world of perfection on Instagram, tv, magazines and that's the same for Ari Abrams. Hiding her rain clouds behind this ray of sunshine smile and never letting anyone see the true her. She's always been fascinated by weather and by Torrance Hale the local famous weather reporter. Now that she's older and works under her and her ex-husband the news director. The workplace has become quite toxic. So Ari and her coworker Russ decide to try to get them back together.

Though Ari and Russell also might be trying to find an excuse to spend time together. Ari recently being dumped and Russell hasn't dated in years. So many mental roadblocks. Do you ever doubt things are real or that people can handle you?

Once again I am always here to talk if you don't feel like you have anyone to talk to. Masking makes it impossible for even the most observant to see if things are wrong. I can't hide a thing on my face and I'm so dramatic that I want attention so I throw myself at everyone oops. Most of the time I push mute and stare off into my fictional world it's safer there.

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review. I hope it made sense I've been cleaning toys for hours.

Thank you @berkleyromance for a copy of The Weather Girl. I loved how each chapter of the book started a forecast of the emotions to expect in the chapter. Normally, I have seen office romance more enemies to lovers and I liked that this wasn’t the case. I also appreciated how the book dealt with depression and how it’s a journey not something that can be fixed quickly.

I adore the dates and the connection between Russ and Ari. Their friends to lovers was one I was cheering for.

As usual with Rachel's books, once I started reading Weather Girl, I did not want to put it down! I absolutely loved watching Ari and Russell's relationship develop because their connection and their issues felt so real. Some would probably describe this book as quiet because there isn't a ton of angst and the conflict is mostly internal, and that's what I loved about it. These characters are real people with real problems and I felt their emotions so deeply because they felt like my friends, people I would know in real life. Rachel's writing always packs an emotional punch and Weather Girl really hit me right in all the feels. It was perfection and I loved every second of it!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an advanced readers copy of Weather Girl. All my opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

Weather Girl tells the story of Ari, a meteorologist and weather enthusiast who lives in Seattle. Aris' boss, the legendary meteorologist Torrance Hale, is too distracted with an ongoing feud between her and the stations news director (and her ex-husband), Seth Hale, to mentor Ari. After a disastrous holiday party, Ari has had enough and decides to team up with sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer, in an attempt to mend both of their bosses relationships. During double dates and secret gift exchanges, Russell and Ari start to sense that their bosses relationship is mending, and that perhaps setting two people up will result in a new relationship of itself. Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

Okay so most people know I am a Rachel Lynn Solomon enthusiast and will read anything that this woman writes. With that being said, this book totally lived up to the standards and is yet another masterpiece written by Rachel. If you liked the movie "Set It Up" on Netflix, you should definitely read this book. It has the perfect balance of romance and comedy while also talking about serious topics. Rachel has a specific way of writing mental health into her books and this one is no different. We see Ari dealing with depression in a way that most authors tend to shy away from, but it is such a realistic and accurate portrayal of it. The characters seem like real people, and even though some of the things they go through aren't necessarily relatable to everyone, it is still written in a way that you can understand and sympathize with what they are going through. And I mean, who doesn't love a good "Parent Trap" scenario right?? If you're looking for a contemporary romance with great characters, fun plot, real conversations, and quite a little bit of spice, this is the book for you ;)

I am not sure I have ever related to a character more than Ari Abrams (the only thing we don’t have in common is love for the weather and Judaism). Reading a book about a 27 year old who has struggled with depression and family that maybe isn’t the best right after the Christmas holiday felt like kismet. It was the lesson I needed to remember that people will love you no matter who you are, broken parts and all. And the people that don’t? Aren’t worth your time. I struggle with depression sometimes and the part in the book about feeling heavy and knowing something was off but you can’t put a finger on why was the most realistic depiction of depression I’ve read.

All that mushiness aside, let’s talk about the ROMANCE. I am obsessed with Ari and Russ’s relationship. Dating a coworker is always a rocky road, but I am so glad it worked out well for them. I love reading a romance novel with such a diverse cast. A fat love interest with a cute kid? Amazing. My only small critique is that the stuff with their bosses felt a little boundary crossing at time. Or maybe, I’ve never had a boss cool enough to let me be their maid of honor at their second wedding.

Let’s be real, I also highlighted a few sections about ideas I can bring back to my own love life.

Thanks to Berkley for the ARC, I can’t wait for everyone to read Weather Girl.

💁🏻‍♀️ Overall Impression: Really enjoyed, possibly more than Ex Talk. Really deep while still having some light hearted moments.

📖 Synopsis: Meteorologist Ari and Sports Journalist Russel scheme to bring peace to their workplace by reuniting their formerly married bosses but end up falling for each other in the process.

💭 Thoughts: The overall premise of this book was really cute, albeit semi childish (re: parent trap) but actually worked quite well, and I was very skeptical when first reading of their plan (I went into this book blind). But honestly, that’s not at all what this book is about.

Depression.

If you’ve ever experienced depression, whether situational or clinical, then you will enjoy this book. The author, having stated this book is very personal to her, does such an amazing job describing what it feels like to be depressed. It’s more than “just being sad”. The physical systems described by Ari are so spot on that I hope it can help bring awareness to those who have been fortunate enough to not have experienced it firsthand.

Throughout the book, Ari learns how her depression has impacted her life in ways that she hadn’t realized in the years since her diagnosis. How even when you think you have it under control, you might still have struggles.

I loved seeing how she grew as a person and how her relationship with her mother grew as well, who also struggles to manage her depression.

Plus, Russ is not the typical perfectly sculpted male lead. He is a single dad (former teen father) of a musical theater kid equipped with dad jokes and dad bod! Woo!!

Overall, this is still a romcom, but one that tackles a much harder subject that isn’t always talked about, especially in the romance genre.

Go preorder it today since it comes out so soon!!

A friends to lovers stemming from a forced proximity trope is the hallmark of Ari and Russell’s story. Ari works as a TV meteorologist in Seattle and has been struggling with her mentorship with her boss Torence Hale who is forever preoccupied in public fight with her ex-husband Seth, who also works in the same office. Russell works as a sports reporter and reports to Seth, and while Ari and Russell have worked in the same office for years, unable to stand the constant fights between their bosses, their relationship starts with a plot to get their bosses together again. Solomon perfectly captures the stories about a girl struggling with mental health and a story about a man who is fat and merges them together in this romantic comedy, and does so naturally. Ari and Russell’s relationship isn’t instant love, it’s about finding friendship within each other and seeing that friendship transform into something more. This book is sweet, it is spicy, and filled with tension and want, but it’s the emotion and the conversations in between that make this book memorable and beautiful. I laughed, I cried, and I related like I never have to a book before. This isn’t just a novel about romance and finding love, but it’s also about self love and new beginnings for people like Ari and Russell but also normal people like us.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an e-arc of this book!!

It' s no surprise at this point that Rachel Lynn Solomon is truly one of my all time favorite authors. I also think this is my favorite of her collection so far. The way she delved into depression, therapy and learning to put yourself first was absolutely excellent and while I am not depressed like Ari is, I feel parts of myself through her in regard to being sunshine and positive all the time. I also absolutely loved that both main characters were Jewish. They weren't specifically religious, but I loved seeing the different traditions for the Bat Mitzvah and Shabbat dinner. This was a really beautiful story full of love, healing, growth and acceptance. I don't think I've enjoyed the development of not only the main characters but the side ones as well so much in a book. I think everyone really furthered the story and I also liked learning more about what a meteorologist does throughout the work day. This was really special and I loved Ari and Russell together so much. Their contrasts combined with their communication and excitement for one another was so fun to read. I loved it and Rachel killed this one!

To establish peace in the news station, Ari and her colleague Russell devise a plan to get their bosses back together. Their scheming brings them closer, and when their so-called plan begins to work, could they have something real, too? Ari’s depression is also a battle, and Russell has a 12 year-old daughter. Navigating a relationship can be complicated.

This reminded me a lot of THE PARENT TRAP and SET IT UP—cute elements of romance but balanced with the darkness and struggle of depression. Solomon packed the story with so much depth that I was incredibly impressed with how well the characters were developed through Ari’s POV. There were many tidbits, details, and quirks that really breathed life into the personalities. Of course, there was Jewish representation, weather being more than just small talk, and the importance of therapy that I also loved.

I recommend to fans of single parent, forced proximity, and office romances who also love a balance of serious and humor!

Weather Girl is yet another absolutely wonderful romance from Rachel Lynn Solomon. It's decidedly distinct from her other works while still keeping all of the wonderful things you love about them.

Ari is such a great protagonist, and Russell is a fantastic love interest. I'll admit I wasn't convinced of their chemistry in the beginning, but by about a third of the way through I was completely sold. Even before I got behind them as a couple, I loved seeing their interactions. One of my favorites was early on in the book, when they bonded over being two of the only Jews at the office "holiday" party that was, for all intents and purposes, a Christmas party - <i>extremely</i> relatable.

Mental health, particularly depression, is a big focus of this book, and it's handled beautifully. From Ari's own experiences with depression to the ways in which she's affected by her mother's experience with it, everything was treated with such nuance and described so well. It's definitely a more serious subject, but the book still fits neatly into the HEA-requirement of the romance genre - not the most lighthearted read, but a generally happy one nonetheless.

CW: depression, off-page psychiatric hospitalization of a parent

OMG. All of my friends said "read Weather Girl" when I was recently in a bookish funk. I actually put it off for a few days and am SO SAD that I did. I LOVED this book. I loved the mental health story line. I loved Russell. Can we just stop there? Russell is the best cinnamon roll ever and made my heart so happy. I loved the parent trap vibes (however, young RLS, Hayley Mills is the way to go here). This book was one that I picked up while Bluey was on my TV and kept me up way past my bed time in a swoon induced reading binge.

I absolutely adored this book! The Ex Talk was a favorite this year so I was excited for Weather Girl and it did not disappoint!

I loved the slow friendship to lovers between Ari and Russell as they try to play matchmaker for their bosses. I enjoyed learning more about meteorology and working for a tv station.

I loved Russell so much! He was sweet, patient and caring. He was definitely swoon worthy. I loved his interactions with his daughter, Elodie. I appreciated the depression/mental health representation. I loved seeing Ari, Elodie, Russell and their families celebrate Elodie’s Bat Mitzvah and the Shabbat.

Rachel Lynn Solomon has quickly become a favorite autobuy author for me. This had a little slow burn and was sweet and steamy.

I will update with the link when I share to my Bookstagram account.

If you're looking for a well-fleshed-out romance with heart and depth, Weather Girl is ready for you. I knew I wanted to read Rachel Lynn Solomon's next book the moment I finished the last page of The Ex Talk and I'm glad that I did. This book has a heroine and a hero with layers, humor, steamy scenes, and a great connection, but I'll admit that it fell short when it came to *the big conflict*. I hate when a couple's issues could be resolved with an honest conversation. Thankfully, it all works out in the end. Overall, a good read.

Another contemporary rom com with token LGBT characters, heavy handed mental health experience that's more tell than show. I couldn't get into this one. It felt less like than story telling than an agenda. Thanks NetGalley and Berkeley publishing for an ecopy to read and review.

I am so glad to have gotten an early ARC of this book. I really enjoyed The Ex-Talk from the same author and I like this plot even more. Ari Abrams is a weather broadcaster in Seattle and loves her job. She also battles depression and it is handled so well I don’t think it would be triggering to readers. She figures it out in college, takes her meds and sees her therapist. But it is still something that she hides from others.

At a work Christmas Party she shares drinks with cute sports reporter Russell Barringer. They discuss the hostile work environment created by Ari’s boss and her ex husband who both work at the station. they decide to scheme to see if the two wil connect back together and make things calmer at the work place. Of course their planning means they spend time and connect with each too.

Kudos for realistically dealing with depression and the effects it can have on others around you. And major accolades for having a pudgy hero. Russell is a cinnamon role of sweetness. And he has his own backstory too being father at a young age. (Not a storyline you hear very often.). There are steamy times too. Even there things don’t always go smoothly and like good adults they can help each other make things work. Funny that a book with depression left me feeling happy and satisfied. Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publising for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. (4.5 stars rounding up)