ARC Review: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Title: The Ex Talk

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Source: Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: January 26th 2021

Summary: 

Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon's sparkling romantic comedy debut. Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can't imagine working anywhere else. But lately it's been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who's fresh off a journalism master's program and convinced he knows everything about public radio. When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it's this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it's not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts. As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.

This Book. I am in love. I'm not sure what I expected when I picked up The Ex Talk since contemporary novels aren't typically what I read. But once I read the synopsis I was sold. Rachel's adult debut novel did not disappoint one bit. I was flying through the pages of Shay and Dominic's story wanting to know more and waiting for *that* moment. 

I LOVE Shay's character so much. I loved seeing her internal and external troubles with radio, how she is self conscious of her voice and how her ethics are compromised with the idea of The Ex Talk when she agrees to the idea. I also liked how Rachel took time to include the small details, the good and the bad about her father who passed away ten years earlier. Shay felt so incredibly real! I wish she wasn't a fictional character because I wish we could be best friends. 

I couldn't help but love Dominic. At first he comes off as a jackass, but slowly we get to learn the real him and I was quite literally swooning for him. Rachel did a good job about explaining his background too, his insecurities and making him feel just as real as Shay is. 

THE TENSION. The sexual tension in this book is something else. It is so obvious that they are into each other to everyone else but them and I loved that aspect so much. They don't have the traditional "boy meets girl and they fall in love" story but thats what I love the most. I also enjoyed that Shay is actually a few years older than Dominic, I feel like that is something that needs to be more normalized in romance novels is that the girl can be older in the relationship. 

Overall I loved The Ex Talk and I can't wait until it is out in the world so other people can love it as well! Rachel did not disappoint and I can't wait to read more from her soon!