Following the stellar debut of Ex Talk, Rachel Lynn Solomon delivers a second workplace romance set in Seattle. Neurodiverse Jewish American Ari Abrams is a meteorologist at KSEA TV station in love with her job. Jewish American Russell Barringer is a parent of a preteen and a sports journalist at KSEA. While stronger chemistry between the leads would’ve made the story more engaging, this is a promising second book from Solomon.

Full review on Booklist, Dec 1st issue.

It's been about a month since I finished Weather Girl and despite busyness and moving on to new reads, I still wish I had pages to come back to in Solomon's latest swoony romance! She is an absolute star at writing chemistry and build-up between characters, and these two rival the romantic sparks in Solomon's The Ex Talk. Another staple in Solomon's stories are protagonists and supporting characters that are fully developed and feel like they could walk right off the page and into the real world - I especially thought that about Ari, our meteorologist heroine who has this romance growing with sweet, likeable Russell, but she also has a host of other things going on beyond the romance (too often adult contemporary/romance turns into 'love and only love' as the plot and I get tired of reading about it real quick. Not the case in Weather Girl!) I appreciated the subplots containing Russell's body confidence, Ari's mental health and family dynamics, and a focus on her career development. I've read books by authors trying to "tackle depression" as a topic, only to be frustrated that they depict the character as inapproachable, a loner, or one that is defined by the diagnosis. Ari, instead, shows readers the effort that goes into living *with* depression, some of the shame that can go into talking about it with others, and how important it is that we DO talk about it to 1) lessen the stigma and 2) provide an accurate representation of depression. As always, I can't wait to share this book with friends, recommend to my local libraries, and buy a copy of that CUTE cover for my own shelf!

This was a cute and fun romance novel.

I really liked the quirky characters. Ari’s love of rain and weather puns made her so endearing. Russels love of flashy jackets and quiet warmth made him a lovable lead.

I appreciated how thoughtfully the author incorporated Ari’s struggle with depression. She made is a center point to the story but didn’t make it completely overwhelming to the story. For me, it seemed like a realistic representation and not an extreme.

My only complaint is that the ending drama felt a little rushed. With how slowly Ari’s depression was explored, I feel like her insecurities at the end were quickly set up and then resolved. I wish a little more time was spent in the resolution between her and Russel.

Overall and fun and quirky romance!

My first book by Rachel Lynn Solomon was The Ex Talk and I absolutely adored that one. It was an easy five star read for me so I had really high expectations for this one. It fell a little flat for me unfortunately. I loved the Parent Trap-esque matchmaking that Ari and Russell took part in with their bosses, but their romance felt like it was missing something. I loved the discussions about depression and mental health, but again it felt like something was missing. Ari's relationship with her mother wrapped up so quickly and almost too perfectly that I found myself questioning what even happened. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't loved The Ex Talk so much, but as always with her books, her descriptions of Seattle were so fun and had me googling local restaurants to check out.

Warm and comforting; I love a fat male love interest, especially when that love interest is a cinnamon roll single dad. One of the best parts of an RLS book is the well rounded cast of characters and this is no exception; I loved the dynamics of both Ari and Russell's families, and that the resolution of the station's storyline was so satisfying.

To preface: Adult romance is not my genre, but I absolutely adore Rachel Lynn Solomon's writing and her characters.

This was no different. I absolutely loved all of the characters she crafted and the ways she had them interact. At times, things felt a little TOO quirky, bordering on twee (a weather girl who is obsessed with rain and makes her own weather-themed jewelry was a bit much at times), but she always found ways to ground the characters and make them feel real, honest, and vulnerable.

The sensitivity when discussing Ari's depression and anxiety was heartwarming and encouraging and I think will do wonders for the romance genre when it comes to these serious topics. I will say, at times, it felt a bit forced as I do think millennials with depression have become much more normalized over the years, but that's neither here nor there.

The one thing that didn't SUPER work for me, was the way the act 3 shakeup that happens in all romance novels came about. It felt a bit rushed, sort of came out of nowhere, and then was wrapped up just as quickly. It just felt like Ari had come a long way and so her reactions to Russell during their conversation were confusing a bit out of the blue.

Overall, romance is still not my genre, but I will read anything Rachel writes.

An absolutely delightful read! The characters of Weather Girl are so loveable and so real, their stories leapt off the page. This book has two love stories at the heart of it, both of which I loved, but it also has a lot of honest conversation on topics like mental health and on the nuance of relationships (both romantic and familial). It's ultimately a book about people realizing they deserve to be loved, and finding people who will love you on your sunniest days and your rainiest days as well. I loved this one so much and highly recommend.

Thank you Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the gifted book

Read for:
• Seattle setting ☔️
• Parent Trap/Set It Up vibes
• Workplace romance
• Well done depression representation
• Realistic characters, relationship struggles, and communication.

TV meteorologist, Ari Abrams, works for the woman she spent her childhood idolizing. Unfortunately the reality of working for her is nothing like what she’d dreamed about. Ari teams up with sports reporter Russell to bring their respective divorced bosses back together in the hopes of creating a better work environment.

This was such a great book! I really enjoyed it for all of the reasons mentioned above, especially the Seattle setting and the (in my opinion) very well done depression representation. I appreciated the way that depression/therapy/medication are handled in this book. It was one of the more realistic takes on this subject that I’ve read. It’s not overly heavy handed and is a very natural part of the story/characters. I also appreciated just how real the characters and their struggles were.

Love love love! Thank you netgalley and Berkley romance for the eARC! I was full of smiles and literal lols the entire way through this book and it was just one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I have ever had. Just the right amount cheese, so many moments that felt extremely real and authentic, so much representation, there’s really nothing not to love here. I can’t wait to watch everyone become obsessed with this in January.

Rachel always knocks it out the park! With relatable characters and a moody Pacific Northwest setting, this book will give you the comfort of a good cup of coffee. I devoured it in one night and couldn't stop thinking about it long after I read. MUST READ. PREORDER!!

I enjoyed this light-hearted rom-com with the many references to weather. Ari is an interesting character who manages to show a positive side to everyone despite her depression. Throughout the story we are reminded of her mental illness and how she manages it. I like that Ari is portrayed in a realistic way, and that she struggles with issues - it made the story more relatable to me. Even her relationship with Russell is sweet. Reading about them made me smile.

The two main characters in Weather Girl - Ari and Russell - are both Jewish. I enjoyed reading about the bat mitzvah they attend - it made me want to attend one! Especially the one described in the book! A great diverse romance read.

This sweet, slow-paced romance was both cozy, comforting, and a little steamy. I really loved the melodic warm nature of these characters and how their interpersonal journeys played a huge role in their relationships

This book was an absolute delight. I loved The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, and I was so excited to get my. hands on this one. It did not disappoint. Ari Abrams has always loved weather and is a meteorologist for a local tv station, and Russell Barringer is the station's sports reporter. The two are friendly coworkers until a disastrous holiday party that brings them together with a shared mission: convince their bosses, who are newly divorced from one another, to get back together and stop making their work experiences a living hell. As Russell and Ari play matchmaker, they start realizing that there's also some chemistry there, too.

I loved so much about this book: It was perfectly paced with just the right amount of steam and plenty of moments that had me saying, "Awww". What I loved most was the characters. Ari and Russell felt real, and I couldn't stop rooting for them. There were realistic discussions and depictions of depression, complex family relationships, body positivity, and insecurity. Both of the main characters were Jewish, and I appreciated that representation as well in their discussions of Hanukkah, bat mitzvahs, and other day-to-day Jewish traditions.

This one is so fun and I really recommend it. Thank you so much Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for a digital ARC!

Today’s weather may be freezing, with a chance of flurries, but this one gave me all the warm & fuzzies inside. This was my first Rachel Lynn Solomon and it definitely won’t be my last.

This one had everything! Ari’s one liners and quirky personality really made me laugh throughout. I liked the fact that her depression was written in such a real way. I felt like I could really relate with how she was feeling at times and it definitely resonated with me. I enjoyed that RLS didn’t type cast Russ’s character into the typical hot sports loving bro. I loved that she made him into this sweet teddy bear character that was easy to like right off the bat. And the steam!! I wasn’t expecting some steamy moments in there so that was definitely a pleasant surprise. I do wish there was more character development on Ari’s part throughout the book instead of more towards the end, but all in all I really liked this one a lot. 4.5 ⭐️ (rounded to 5)

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and Rachel Lynn Solomon for this e-arc. Check out Weather Girl on its pub date 1/11/22!

Every time I read a book by Rachel Lynn Solomon, all I want to do is gush about it to everyone I know. It is so hard to pick a favorite book by Rachel, because they are all incredible and each one I proclaim as my favorite, but Weather Girl was phenomenal.

To me, what Rachel does best in her books is write characters that feel so real that you feel like you know them. She gives us characters with representation — in this book both lead characters are Jewish, mental health plays a huge role for multiple characters, and Russell is not only a single dad, but he is also a plus sized hero that was so nice to finally see in a book.

Ari was a standout character. It was great to have her be so open in talking about her depression, going to therapy, dealing with days when she couldn't put on a fake smile and pretend that everything was okay, and understand her issues with her mom and work towards building a new relationship with her. Russ was so caring and ranks very high on my list of favorite male characters. As they moved from friends to lovers, their relationship felt so authentic and I loved that they were always looking out for the other.

The Jewish representation in Rachel's books always makes me as a Jew feel seen. I could relate so much to Ari and Russ as they were two of the few Jews at their company's holiday party and how people think if they add one Hanukkah decoration it is now a "holiday" party. I loved all of the talk of Jewish customs, the celebration of Shabbat, and Russ' daughters Bat Mitzvah that took place in the book.

Rachel truly outdid herself with Weather Girl. It will make you feel all the emotions, and if this isn't on your TBR yet, highly recommend adding it!

3.5 stars rounding up...

Love’s first flush and love that’s been exhausted and burnt out, as well as the types of love between people—essentially, love in all its definitions—seem to be what comprises the little bit of emotional jigsaw meta that ‘Weather Girl’ has. Yet there’s also a NA/vibe or even a very ‘teenage drama’ feel to it especially since the plot revolves around matchmaking and the kind of rom-com tropes that are well-rehearsed and well-repeated in books and film.

Rachel Lynn Solomon executes it pretty well nonetheless. The peculiar slant of ‘Weather Girl’ is that there are really 4 protagonists (2 primary, 2 secondary), whose intertwined stories are narrated through Ari Abrams. As the tv station’s meteorologist and one of the protagonists, Ari’s own love life gets put through the wringer the moment she’s persuaded to buy into a somewhat silly plot to bring the station’s quarrelling bosses back together—for the sake of all the employees' sanity. Enter Russell Barringer, the cute, quiet sports reporter who comes alongside her as her partner-in-crime, then shows that he’s much more than just a ‘fat’ guy aiming to go beyond college sports reporting.

As such, the direction of the storytelling isn’t new and wholly expected, particularly when it deals with trying to fix other people’s business until you forget to sweep out the leaves in your own yard, though Solomon certainly deals with weightier issues like depression and teenage parenthood throughout it all. But as much as I did enjoy Ari’s and Russell’s relationship forming out of their crazy plotting, it did feel as though their rocky patch was deliberately thrown in (like a mountain made of a molehill in a deliberate misunderstanding of words that also looked out of character) for the sake of creating conflict and an eventual happy-ever-after resolution at the end.

Truthfully, I took a long while to finish ‘Weather Girl’, but stopping and starting over again didn’t make it any less difficult to catch up where I left off. Solomon’s writing has a high readability factor that is probably one of the book’s key draws here in that it presents the reader the chance to take it up as and when they want to. And this is a factor that I never really considered in my reviews previously, having devoured most of the rom-coms I’d gone through in the past few years in a few hours, or at most, a day. But my pandemic-reading habits have changed of late, and the Solomon’s flowing storyline and writing made a huge difference in adding to my overall rating of the book.

This was a great quick rom-com that has everything you want in the story! It was fairly realistic and didn't seem too "only happens in books" theme. I am really excited for this one to release and I have already preordered it to get my own copy!

This is a wonderful quick read that has all the staples of a rom-com with some truly stand-out elements. I loved everything about it, from the depictions of Ari's struggle with mental health, both her own and her mother's, to our fat Love Interest who has long since come to love and appreciate his body, but still carries the trauma of body image issues with him. I really enjoyed the "let's set up our bosses so they stop making the office so miserable" premise, and felt it panned out in as realistic a way as possible. I really love that Ari's depression is treated in such a healthy, ongoing way. She goes to therapy and takes her medication responsibly, but that doesn't make her magically "cured." This is something she has to live with, all the time, and that doesn't make her a failure, it makes her human. I also found the local news station setting really fun and not something you see or know about a lot, so that gave this an extra special element. The slow friends-to-lovers romance was also super satisfying.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for an advanced copy of Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Weather Girl was one of my most anticipated Winter 2022 books and I enjoyed this Parent Trap-esque book about a TV meteorologist and sports reporter who scheme to reunite their bosses and maybe find themselves getting close in the process...

This had a little bit slower of a start than I was expecting, but once it got into it, I couldn't put the book down. It's a bit heavier than your normal rom-com with mental health being a major theme of the book. Ari, the main character has depression. I liked how it focused on her figuring out how to be honest about her depression and that her next relationship she needs to share all of herself and that it's ok to not always be the sunshine and it's ok to not always be the sunshine.

This had some great steamy scenes and I liked that the characters felt read (dad bod Russell), the news setting and the great chemistry between Ari and Russell.

4/5

Whooooaaaa I did not think I was going to read this in one day, but once I started I could not stop. It was really the same with The Ex Talk so I really do not know why I was surprised that I read it that quickly.

This book was REAL and dealt with hard topics relating to mental health. The main character, Ari, is a weather girl who is all sunshine and rainbows at face value but deals with her depression behind closed doors. This story really had a parent trap vibe going on with Russ and Ari trying to get their bosses (who are divorced) to maybe get back together when they become too much to take. As it happens, along the way Ari and Russ start to fall for each other. Let me just say, I love Ari and Russ. I really did. They were a good match.

I really liked this storyline but I think what really made this book standout to me was how it addressed mental health, self acceptance and how we got to see Ari work through everything Yes, this is a romance book don’t get me wrong, but in my opinion it was not the forefront of this story and I was not mad at that. It was great story nonetheless. .

Okay Rachel Lynn Solomon, I see you! Can’t wait to read everything else you write!

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