Review: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Ex Talk
by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: Jan. 26, 2021
Genre: Romance
Rating:

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.

My thoughts

This was a super adorable read. For one, I don’t think I’ve ever read a story that revolved around radio broadcasting. Shay is a producer, so she’s behind the scenes, but still a bit part of the station. Dominic is a reporter who’s all about digging up the truth. So you could imagine how pleased he is when their boss decides they will start a new show to boost ratings, a show where Ex’s will talk about what went wrong and ways to help navigate a relationship. It’s been decided that Shay and he will be the hosts of the show. The only problem is, they’ve never dated.

I just wanna start out by saying how OH MY GOD HOT Dominic is. Even when Shay thinks he’s a pompous jerk, he still manages to be a stand up guy. Sure, he throws his degree round like it’s a shiny new badge to be worn, but she also does little things that make you realize that he’s not a bad guy. Then, when they start to actually talk to each other, we realize that he doesn’t have any friends in the area. He pretty much just goes home to an empty house after work. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing, but he brings it up and says that he’s lonely. Which, I mean, if that doesn’t tug on your heart strings then you have to be heartless. Don’t even get me started on the Beanie Baby collection from his youth. I mean, I can’t rag on the guy because I still have a few leftover Beanie Babies from my youth.Heck,  I remember making my mom drive all over central New York looking for this one TY Beanie Baby from McDonald’s. Yes, I was one of those kids. So, yeah, no judgement here, Dominic. If anything, it made me fall in love with you even more.

If you couldn’t tell already, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. From the progression of their relationship, to the dynamics of the radio industry, I was captivated. If you are looking for a good romance with a dorkalicious swoon-worthy hero, then be sure to check this book out!