Synopsis from Goodreads:
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.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
The Ex Talk publishes January 26, 2021.
I really liked the premise of The Ex Talk. Fake Relationship is my favorite romance trope and I liked the twist to make it into a Fake Ex-Relationship. Add in my love of any book that includes journalists or writers and this book seemed like it was made for me. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but it still did have several enjoyable moments.
I liked Shay and Dominic together. There was some terrific banter between them that put a big smile on my face while I was reading. I really liked seeing them become friends and then become more. I thought they complemented each other well and I enjoyed every scene where they were cute together.
While Shay had likable moments, I found her frustrating most of the time. She was the definition of someone who keeps getting in her own way. She was very self involved and spent a lot of time blaming other people for her problems or her feelings. I especially didn’t like how she handled the big dramatic moment with Dominic.
While normally I love stories about journalists, it was just ok for me here. The book starts with Shay extolling the virtues of public radio and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way. She came off as so superior and condescending. And then her great big idea to revolutionize public radio is a dating show? Really? There was a lot of the characters having these ideas that they thought were so terrific that seemed kind of lame to me.
Overall, The Ex Talk ended up being just ok for me. While I really enjoyed Shay and Dominic’s banter and their growing relationship, the rest of the story was kind of hard to make myself get through. Shay’s total self-involvement, the too frequent sex scenes, and the overall superior attitude of the characters really brought the story down for me.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars
I saw this on NetGalley and was eying it because honestly, I love fake relationship tropes too, but I was waiting to read some reviews before committing to it, so I think I’ll just wait for it to come out and then read it now. Love your review \( ̄▽ ̄)/
Thank you! I think trying it from the library is the way to go!
I hope I have a little more luck with this one than you did. I just got approved for it this past weekend and it will be my next read.
I hope you enjoy it a little more than I did, too! There were some cute and funny moments. And I think you’ll appreciate the setting in Seattle.
I didn’t even realize it was set in Seattle! Sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad depending on how it’s done. I have high hopes now!
I hope it works for you!
Oh boy, I was initially interested in this title, but after your review I’m glad I stayed away. xD Thanks for the warning! A shame it didn’t work better for you though.
Thanks! It was an ok read, but not as enjoyable as I was hoping it would be.
Oh well – not great but at least enjoyable. The premise sounds fun, though. Happy Monday, Stephanie!
Thanks!
Great and honest review! I think I’m going to pass on this one.
Thanks! I do seem to be in the minority opinion, so you never know. I personally think you’re ok skipping it, though!
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