A showrunner and her assistant give the world something to talk about when they accidentally fuel a ridiculous rumor in this debut romance.Hollywood powerhouse Jo is photographed making her assistant Emma laugh on the red carpet, and just like that, the tabloids declare them a couple. The so-called scandal couldn’t come at a worse time—threatening Emma’s promotion and Jo’s new movie.As the gossip … movie.
As the gossip spreads, it starts to affect all areas of their lives. Paparazzi are following them outside the office, coworkers are treating them differently, and a “source” is feeding information to the media. But their only comment is “no comment”.
With the launch of Jo’s film project fast approaching, the two women begin to spend even more time together, getting along famously. Emma seems to have a sixth sense for knowing what Jo needs. And Jo, known for being aloof and outwardly cold, opens up to Emma in a way neither of them expects. They begin to realize the rumor might not be so off base after all…but is acting on the spark between them worth fanning the gossip flames?
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The cover for Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner drew me in, and after reading the synopsis, it sounded like the perfect Beach Read to me. And it was!
I really enjoyed getting a peek into the behind the scenes on a television show and also the life of someone famous. And, although I’m not a fashionista, I enjoyed reading about the fancy clothes and events.
The romance itself was super sweet and started off perfectly for me. There was the right amount of tension when it came to Emma first figuring out that she does have feelings for Jo and then the awkwardness that comes once she realizes it. The middle got a bit long for me in regards to if they will be getting together, but Wilsner added enough side stories and other characters that were really well developed, that it was still enjoyable.
And I thought it was wonderful that Wilsner represented lesbians, bisexuals, Chinese-Americans, and Jewish people and cultures. The #metoo movement and the predatory actions of Hollywood are also looked at too. Adding even more layers to Something to Talk About.
If you’re looking for lots of hot lesbian sex scenes, you might be disappointed since you don’t get one until almost the very end. But if you’re looking for a sweet romance, then this book would be perfect.
A slow-burn romance between a former Asian-American child star turned writer/creator and her Jewish assistant.
Nothing happens while the boss/assistant power dynamic is in the way–contrary to the rumours the two women must field and the obvious sparks between them. It was so refreshing to have the obstacle be social/media rather than a person or a lie.
Wit and a simmering romance build to an inevitable happily-ever-after. Give this fun romcom a try.
This book is a fabulous debut with real and engaging characters that covers a lot of issues sensitively. Jo Jones is a Chinese American ex-child movie star turned award-winning writer and producer. She’s gay but never commented on her sexuality and has never had a public relationship. She’s in the running to write a script for a traditional male character (think Bond/Bourne), but facing thinly veiled racist and sexist criticisms and has had enough of the press.
Not wanting to go to yet another awards ceremony on her own and face people asking her about the project before she’s signed on, she invites her assistant, Emma along to act as a buffer. But when they are photographed sharing a joke on the red carpet, the press claim they are in love. Jo issues a ‘no comment’ statement, as she’s always done, but the rumours won’t go away.
There’s nothing going on between Jo and Emma, but as their working relationship develops, so too do other feelings. Jo starts to get to know Emma’s family, as her nephew plays in the same little league as Emma’s nephews, and both sets of friends and family try to get our heroines to see what is obvious to everyone but themselves.
Something to Talk About is a very well written book with a huge heart. It deals with misogyny, Hollywood, sexual harassment, family dynamics and falling in love in a sensitive and believable way. My only reservations are about how long it takes our two gorgeous ladies to get together. As I read it, I kept looking at the percentage bar on my kindle as it crept up and up. On Meryl’s website she writes:
‘Meryl writes love stories about women who take so long to kiss you want to fling yourself into the sun.’
So true! I was yelling ‘JUST KISS ALREADY’ and they finally got it on in the final pages of the book. I felt this was a real shame as bringing their sexual relationship in earlier would have brought so much more to the story as we would see how it changed and deepened their relationship. This may have been a confidence issue with the author but it needn’t have been as she’s a great writer.
If you’re happy with a slow burn and love character development then you’ll love this book. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading what Meryl writes next – MORE SEX NEXT TIME PLEASE MERYL!
Something to Talk About is the debut book from Meryl Wilsner, and I look forward to their future books. Jo Jones has been a household name since she became famous as a child actor. She needs a buffer to pull the spotlight off her and the rumors of her possible involvement with the Agent Silver movie at the SAG Awards. She takes her assistant Emma as her “buffer” date, except they end up on the red carpet together and Jo and Emma are photographed together laughing and holding hands. The rumor mill goes absolutely crazy, and from the very beginning, the no comments don’t really seem to be doing the trick.
My first impressions of both Jo and Emma were they both were strong women. Jo is a decade older than Emma and has been a fixture in Hollywood pretty much her entire life. She has written the scripts for the television show Innocents for 5 years and is now writing the script for Agent Silver, her very first movie script. Emma dropped out of film school, but dreams of being a director one day. She started out in props on Innocents and is such a dedicated and hard worker, she moved up to Jo’s assistant within a year. Emma does way more at her job than most assistants would be doing, and Jo tells her she does the work of an executive producer and is more than willing to make her one. Emma just needs to hire her replacement as Jo’s assistant over the summer hiatus.
I really liked both Jo and Emma as individuals and together. They had an amazing working chemistry, and I could tell from the very beginning they had pretty strong feelings for each other. I had to laugh that until the SAG incident and the media coverage that followed, neither had ever really explored what those feelings meant to their working or personal relationship. My only issue with the entire story was lack and often miscommunication between Jo and Emma. I guess because Jo was older, I expected her be more forthcoming with her feelings. I did love she was super protective of Emma, just as Emma was protective of Jo. I guess because I knew how they both felt because there was so much internal dialogue, I expected one of them to step up sooner and share their feelings. I will say once they finally both were open with one another about their feelings, the payoff was more than worth the wait.
Something to Talk About was a wonderful debut story. I loved Meryl Wilsner’s voice and can’t wait to see what they write in the future.
Rating: 4 Stars (B)
Review copy provided by publisher
Jo Jones is a former child star turned script writer. She’s about to make her move from television to movies writing a new script for a beloved action character (think James Bond). There are many who doubt Jo’s capability to do the script justice. To avoid being inundated with with questions, Jo invites her assistant Emma to accompany her to the SAG Awards. Emma’s job is to act as a buffer – at least that’s what Jo tells Emma (and everyone else) but could it really be more?
Emma has been Jo’s assistant for about a year and Jo has never asked Emma to accompany her to an awards show. Of course she’s going to go despite being completely out of her comfort zone. She’ll always be there for Jo.
The next day, the tabloids are running with the rumor that Emma and Jo are dating. While Emma admits to having a crush on her boss her feelings don’t run that deep and she would never dream of crossing that line, and knows Jo would never either. But now that it’s out there both Jo and Emma start considering “what if”.
I think that, besides providing a sweet romance, Something to Talk About really digs into the workplace romance trope, in the era of MeToo, with expert precision. Meryl Wilsner really spends time ruminating on the power dynamic between Jo and Emma and while it’s clear to readers that their feelings aren’t coming from a place of one party putting pressure on another party, or pushing feelings that aren’t there for threat of job loss, it also acknowledges that these are very real considerations to take when you have feelings for someone who is your boss (or vice versa when you may be a boss and have feelings for a subordinate). I think it’s something that has been lacking from other workplace romances I’ve read in the past and even more recently. Characters looking at the potential repercussions of their actions from all sides.
There’s a lot of tension of “will they or won’t they” because, really, it’s a slippery slope to contemplate even with Jo and Emma both being consenting adults. I think that Meryl Wilsner handles everything really well, and you’re really rooting for Jo and Emma to figure out a way to make things work, but you’re also preparing for the fact that they just may not.
I will say that it took me a bit to get into the characters. But I think once you get into the story more, Jo and Emma’s personalities are, at times, products of the industry in which they find themselves. Jo has learned to be a bit closed off or “cold” with people. Being a child actor has ingrained within her that oftentimes the fame and celebrity will have people presenting a fake visage. Jo closes herself off as a means of protection. Emma is seemingly very open with everyone. Since she is the point of contact for people who want to get on Jo’s appointment list, it’s understandable that she be friendly and welcoming. Over the course of the book, you see this waiver about her character as she deals with the paparazzi and the press. The best moments are the moments they have just for each other. When their walls come down, maybe just a little, to reveal their true selves. Since the story is so full of lines and trying not to cross them, there are quite a few times where things are left unsaid between Jo and Emma. Things that could have been done to avoid conflicts from escalating, but as I said it’s all about navigating the slippery slope of feelings.
I really enjoyed this debut. I loved Meryl Wilsner’s writing and I cannot wait to see what comes next. If you’re looking for a slow burn romance that deals with the workplace dynamic in a genuine way, look no further than Something to Talk About.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Super cute, very slow burn F/F romance. Loved the age gap between the characters, and the Hollywood setting.
This slow-burn romance pulled me in from the first page. Set behind the scenes on a hit television show, when gossip starts about a showrunner and her assistant, the two women slowly begin to realize there might be some real feelings fueling the false rumors. Utterly irresistible.
I really enjoyed this sweet and witty romance. Looking forward to reading whatever Meryl Wilsner writes next.
Typically in romance novels, you have a period of will-they-or-won’t-they until the two main characters get together, but then there’s The Big Hurdle(TM) keeping them apart, until they ultimately overcome and get back together.
That is not what happens in this book. Instead, we open with The Big Hurdle(TM) and spend the rest of the book playing will-they-or-won’t-they. Emma is the personal assistant to Jo Jones, famous actress and showrunner. When she attends an awards show with Jo, she manages to accidentally start a rumor that the two of them are dating, immediately thrusting Emma into the unwanted spotlight. This book is original and timely (with references to #MeToo, so trigger warning) while also cute and full of warm and fuzzy moments. It takes a bit to get to know the characters, especially the seemingly ice queen Jo, but by mid-way through they feel like our friends. This book is certainly Something to Talk About…
“How novel,” she said. “This is perhaps the first time two women seen together weren’t labeled gal pals.”
I knew I was either going to love Something to Talk About or hate it, with no in between. On the one hand, as a lesbian in a long term relationship with an older woman, I’m a sucker for age gap romances. I’ve loved them since I was a teenager printing Miranda/Andy (from The Devil Wears Prada) fanfiction out in my school library and racing to snag it before anyone else could see. On the other hand, I’m too impatient for most slow burns, and extended mutual angst/pining drives me up a wall. Something to Talk About has all of those things, but in the end, everything must have balanced out because I genuinely loved this book!
I binged Something to Talk About within a twenty-four hour period (oops!). To be honest, I think I would have enjoyed this book even if there hadn’t been a romance plotline (though I’m unendingly grateful there was), because I loved Jo and Emma’s dynamic from the start, even when it was still purely professional. Once the two leads began to recognize their feelings for each other, the extended, angst-ridden mutual pining was broken up by scenes with two hilarious supporting characters: Avery (Emma’s snarky but fiercely supportive older sister) and Evelyn (Jo’s pithy lifelong best friend). These scenes also provided a fun contrast between the way our leads behaved around each other vs. how they relaxed when interacting with loved ones. I’m tempted to start a petition for Wilsner to write a spin-off novel where Evelyn and Avery have to plan Jo & Emma’s wedding as the brides’ respective Maids of Honor, because it would be hilarious.
Something to Talk About was already on my radar, but my friend Dom’s Goodreads review is what finally pushed me to read it. Dom did an excellent job of addressing the concern many readers will have about a boss/employee romance novel in the #MeToo era, so rather than trying to reinvent the wheel I’m going to quote that section of their review:
“One thing that stands out to me is how this novel handles power dynamics and consent. […] This novel does deal with a definite mentor/mentee romance, but Wilsner takes great pains to navigate the situation with the imbalance in mind. At no point did I make the human facial equivalent of the unamused emoji at my pages; in fact, it was so comforting to see an interaction style I love handled in such a graceful way. Jo and Emma are both aware of the complications them deepening their relationship could cause.”
Final Thoughts: Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner was a fun, easy read that’s perfect for Pride or any other month of the year! I would definitely recommend giving it a chance, even if you (like me) aren’t usually a fan of slow burn romances!
Something to Talk About At a Glance:
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Themes/Tropes: Slow Burn, Mistaken for Dating, Mutual Pining, Age Gap (> 10 years), Mentor/Mentee (with care taken re: power imbalances)
LGBT Rep? Yep! Our two leads are Emma, who is bisexual, and Jo, a closeted older lesbian.
OwnVoices? Yes, OwnVoices queer
Content Warnings (CW): Sexual harassment
A fresh and fun romance, featuring two witty, intelligent women coming to terms with both their careers and their growing attraction to each other in a glittering Hollywood setting. Meryl Wilsner is a great new voice, whose perspective is both extremely welcome and desperately needed.
Something to Talk About is a delicious slow-burn with the kind of Hollywood ending that will make you believe in soul mates. Emma and Jo’s story of overcoming obstacles to fight for true love will have you swooning and smiling long after you’ve finished the book.
[A] supremely readable slow-burn romance that had me yelling, ‘JUST KISS ALREADY!’ as I flew through the pages.
This is a f/f romance book set in Hollywood! Jo Jones was a child actress and is now a writer/producer in the industry. Emma is her assistant who dreams of becoming a director someday. After Jo brings Emma as her date to an awards show, they get swept up in rumors about the two of them dating.
The romance is definitely a slow-burn. There’s a slow build-up towards Jo and Emma realizing they do have romantic feelings towards each other. They go from having a professional relationship to becoming friends and then eventually lovers.
?Jo and Emma’s cute moments together had my heart fluttering. Their relationship is so wholesome and they wholeheartedly care about one another as seen by how Emma does way more than just being an assistant. She became Jo’s friend, one of the few people she trusts in the industry, and even someone who helps her get through the week. Likewise, Jo is attentive towards Emma as well and she continues to support her with her dreams.
This book tackled sexual harassment specifically in Hollywood and the #MeToo movement. I feel that how it was tackled represents the reality in the industry especially with how abusers can still continue to get projects while the victims suffer from the fallout of the situation.
Overall I really liked this one! To be honest I don’t gravitate towards slow-burn romances. When I picked this up I honestly didn’t know it was one but luckily it worked out fine.
Jo, a child television star, is now producing a very successful television series and is being considered to direct her first high-profile action movie. Her personal assistant, Emma keeps her on track and organized. Emma has a little crush on her boss but keeps things professional. When they attend the SAG awards show, Emma is along to be a buffer between Jo and the aggressive paparazzi. A shared moment on the red carpet is captured and the photograph splashed across the tabloids and social media. Jo refuses to comment on the spreading rumors that she and Emma are a couple. The hoopla over the photograph dies slowly, but it has consequences.
Wilsner has created two characters that are likable but hasn’t developed them well enough for the reader to want to know either one of them. Jo is the least developed character – we know nothing about what makes her tick other than she is in the closet and was a child TV star – so she remains an enigma throughout the book. Emma is the creator of much of the book’s angst and fights with herself throughout the book thus seeming very immature. The two main secondary characters, Jo’s best friend and Emma’s older sister and best friend, are interchangeable.
The publisher is touting this as a slow-burn romance, but most of the slow-burn does more than burn, it slows the book down and seems contrived. As the book progresses and Emma finally admits to herself, after much angsty internal back and forth antics, that she wants more. The angst – which a goodly portion of the book is about – is about the characters’ attraction to one another. The author could have reduced some of the angst and done more character building that would have given her a better book. Another thing that seemed off is the cover – it’s like clip-art and doesn’t do either the characters or the book justice. The Epilogue is a joke and seems appended to the end of the book to ensure the readers understands that this was a happily-ever-after story.
There are many better written and plotted lesbian characters throughout the LesFic genre. There is much being made of the fact that a mainstream publisher has finally published a lesbian romance, but modern lesbian fiction has been around for decades and the publishers in the genre have done a much better job of publishing slow-burn romances than this one. If you want to read really good slow-burn romances between two women then check out Bold Stroke Books, Bywater Books, Bella Books, Ylva Publishing or any one of the small publishing houses specializing in lesbian fiction.
If you like long-suffering characters and books that are over-angsty, then this is the book for you. If you want to read good lesbian fiction, read books from one of the publishers mentioned above.
My thanks to Berkley and Edelweiss for an e-ARC.