An Instant Indie BestsellerPublic 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 … 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.
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If you are a fan of romcoms, or romance, or excellent writing—basically, if you enjoy anything that’s good in life, I can guarantee that you are going to LOVE this book.
Cute
The magic of this book is in the details. Rachel Lynn Solomon has a special way of writing that puts you right in the story. All the little details mean that you are completely immersed in the scene and so you are able to really see, hear, feel everything the characters are. It is really a wonderful experience.
On top of that, Solomon’s characters are fully formed. Shay has worked in public radio for a decade. It’s all she knows and she loves it. When station ratings lead to a new direction, Shay finds herself working on a podcast show along with the new guy. Said new guy is Dominic. Dominic has a masters in journalism and, fresh out of college, has stars in his eyes for the idea of telling the hard news whereas Shay loves telling the stories of humanity. These two do not see eye to eye and so we have a classic enemies to lovers romance. What is truly beautiful about these two is the journey they go on, both separately and together. There is vulnerability and loss and overcoming change that neither really saw coming, pushing them out of their comfort zones.
The setting of public radio in the Seattle area was so enjoyable. Solomon puts you behind the scenes without getting too caught in the weeds with unnecessary information. I found it both interesting and entertaining. One of my favorite parts of this book was the banter, especially the transcripts of the episodes that Shay and Dominic recorded together. It was altogether great!
The Ex Talk is a fresh, captivating, steamy romance with chemistry and heart. Solomon has landed herself on my must-read authors list as I anxiously await her next work. Highly recommend!
I loved this wonderful story. It’s delightful! WWAMWMD is my new mantra! Shay and Dominic are spectacular and I want a sequel. I was that 9 year old girl listening to car talk with her dad. We listened to public radio, and watched public television. Those are the shows I remember from my childhood.
This was cuter than I was expecting and a little less enemies to lovers than I wanted, but I really did enjoy it. I really fell in love with Dominic even if Shay was compltely obvlious to all the signs he gave her. It is a cute light read.
Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, but that’s not exactly what The Ex Talk is. Instead, it’s actually a fake exes relationship combined with my other favorite trope, enemies-to-lovers. Shay and Dominic were such fun characters! Because they host a radio show together, the audiobook was excellent. I felt like I was listening to their show during those parts of the book. The Ex Talk is funny, steamy, and just all around a really great romcom read.
If you liked “The Hating Game” you’ll love this book. I liked it a bit better because of the diversity of cultures- Jewish, Nigerian, South Korean.
The dialogues are witty, the two heroes have great chemistry. The plot is credible and the heroine goes through a satisfying emotional arc.
The Ex Talk has been hyped for months and it’s true! It’s delightful and relatable and full of amazing chemistry. I have to recommend it to any fans of The Hating Game.
Shay gets the opportunity she’s been wanting under less than ideal circumstances. Her current show she produces is concluding and she is now the newest co-host of The Ex Talk with none other than her sworn office enemy, Dominic. He’s younger and smoking hot and stands for everything in radio she does not like. Pretending to be exes with her nemesis is bound to go wrong.
I’ve heard wonderful things about Rachel’s YA work and am looking even more forward to reading those now.
I read the physical book as well as listened to the audio. The narrator is fantastic and emits Shay’s voice amazingly well.
I loved this book. The slow buildup was real and fun. The HEA was so worth it. Shay and her dog were so funny. Her Mom’s story was also heart tugging. Shed a few happy tears at the finale. Read this and enjoy!
3.5 Rounded to 4
It took me a while to get into this one. I initially had a hard time connecting with Shay and didn’t like her character much. She tends to fall in love too easily and it feels like she has to have the man in her life validate that she is worth keeping…and that irritated me a bit. Also, at the age of 29, she seems a tad immature with how she approaches relationships and life in general. Maybe the author meant to portray her that way? Or maybe it’s just me …
Kent is irritating but then most men in a position of “power” are. Women are constantly overlooked for promotions and are seen as the ones to “take notes” instead of being treated equally so in that respect the author wrote him very well. He is a loathsome character.
I absolutely adore little Steve Rogers and LOVE that he just came in and took over….all what…7lbs of him? That’s one fierce Chihuahua lol
The craziest part for me though, is that the media is always trying to portray how truthful and honest they are…yet we are reading a book about how they are being dishonest and essentially catfishing their audience .. to make money and keep their jobs. There’s always a bit of truth in fiction so I find it funny that the author (who has worked in public radio) would choose this as a topic. Especially in our society today.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad read, but for me it wasn’t a great one either. It’s quick, has some hilarious banter (I absolutely LOVED the podcast portions), and made for an easy, entertaining read.
The Ex Talk was a super cute, fun read! I loved the Jewish representation in this novel, enjoyed the diverse cast and rich, vibrant supporting characters and settings. Shay and Dominic were such a fun enemies to fake exes to lovers couple. All in all, I’d highly recommend.
Book 63 towards my goal of 275! 4/5 stars for this hate to fake dating adult romance! Such a fun premise. Great main characters. This one was a bit long, a few parts drug along, so had to dock a star. Overall fun read! Love a radio/podcast element in any book lately! Definitely recommend. Does contain a few steamy bits.
You guys know I’m not a fan of any romantic tropes and “hate to love” may be my least favorite of all. The Ex Talk started out kind of slow for my liking but ended up growing on me in the last 1/2. I’m not a fan of insta-love, but I expect sparks to fly within the first 75 pages, maybe.
The first half consisted of Shay second guessing her every thought and idea, along with analyzing the meaning behind everything Dominic said to her. She was older by a couple years, but she acted more like a childish 18 yo IMO. She definitely had issues speaking up and telling people how she felt, on the job, with her mom, best friend, hell with everyone. It would’ve been great to get Dominics POV.
The sex scenes were quite steamy and although Dominic was less experienced, he seemed to know all the right things to do. The scenes were racy, but seemed one-sided with him doing all the giving.
There were a host of diverse characters- race, religion and sexual orientation- but it came off as a bit too much and too deliberate.
I really liked the backstory on grief and learning to love again after losing someone you love. Also, the story showed how public radio is becoming a dying industry, replaced by podcasts, and how some radio programming can be dramatized for extra appeal. The concept for discussing failed relationships and ghosting reminded me of “The Breakfast Club’s” segment where people call men/women who ghosted them after a date.
The Ex Talk was an entertaining workplace enemies to friends to lovers romance. I’m always a fan of the forced proximity and fake dating tropes as well. This is my first book by the author and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future.
What worked for me:
– I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and sense of humor. The pop culture references were hilarious (Buffy! Beanie Babies! LOL). The public radio backdrop was also very unique.
– The narration by Emily Ellet was wonderful and I thought she did a fantastic job voicing all of the characters regardless of age and gender. I did find her performance during the more intimate scenes a little too breathy, but definitely an A+ for enthusiasm.
– Both Dominic and Shay each have their faults, but I really loved them together. They had a very delicious slow burn buildup. I do wish they would have been more open and honest with each other, but I understand to a degree that past histories definitely influenced their actions. When those walls came down though, swoon swoon swoon.
– The diversity. It’s not often that I encounter an Asian hero in romance. It was refreshing and the secondary characters were equally wonderfully diverse.
What didn’t quite work:
– Shay’s hot and cold behavior towards Dominic gave me whiplash. She didn’t come across as an almost 30 year old at times. I wasn’t a big fan of her reaction after the dinner with Dominic’s parents as well as after the PodCon disaster. I understand she was scared and hurt, but she acted very immature. I also didn’t like that it was Dominic who was forced to move the relationship forward/make the grand gestures. I felt that Shay should have been more receptive to having an adult (albeit difficult) conversation to work things out.
– Kent. His character was very predictable and I’m not sure I felt like this storyline found any resolution. He was never really held accountable for his actions. Yes, there was some satisfaction at the end, but it didn’t address the larger issue of his misogyny and sexism.
– The weekend getaway. This worked for the plot (hello forced proximity), but it doesn’t sit right with me. Yes, sweet and sexy moments happened, but it was manipulative of Kent and just felt gross.
Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 3.5 stars
CW: death of parent, cancer, anxiety, sexism, misogyny
The Ex Talk
By Rachel Lynn Solomon
I adored this book so much for the wonderful romance in a public radio setting between Shay Goldstein and Dominic Yun. It’s a well written and fabulous story about coworkers turned enemies, turned faked exes, turned cohost, who really turned into real exes that finally turned into real romantic partners, in a hot and steamy romance that my heart is swelling so much for.
The dialogues and banter were amazingly well written as well as the other characters in the story. The romance was so exciting and Solomon can write a beautiful love scene you will swoon over. I thought that the pacing was great with some surprising turn of events have such a wonderful HEA. I was completely enamored with this novel and now have become a huge fan of her writing.
This was an incredible read I highly recommend.
Romance novel about two public radio talk show hosts who don’t like each other initially, but when Shay Goldstein suggests an idea for a show where two exes talk about their relationship, “The Ex-Talk”, Shay and her nemesis, Dominic Yun, are asked to pretend that they dated and broke up. They are both hesitant, not wanting to lie to their listeners, but they want the show to succeed, so they agree to it.
Since this is a romance, of course, they fall in love. But, with every romance, there are ups and downs.
Smart, witty, and filled with steamy sex scenes, this was an enjoyable love story about facing your fears, and finding someone who will support your dreams
I discovered author Rachel Lynn Solomon when voting for the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards. Her novel Today Tonight Tomorrow was a nominee for Young Adult Fiction. I read it and loved it, and was pleased to see she had an adult romance coming out this year called The Ex Talk. I ordered it a signed copy from Seattle bookstore Third Place Books, and got right to it when it arrived.
The Ex Talk introduces us to Shay Goldstein, 29, single, and in love with public radio. She works as a producer for a local Seattle station, and is not impressed with recent Northwestern grad, new hire, and rising star Dominic Yun. Of course, being a romance novel, the two are paired up to host a new show. The problem with this relationship show, The Ex Talk, is the premise that Shay and Dom are exes, when they have never dated and barely know each other. Neither is comfortable with the lie they will be telling listeners, but both are eager to have the opportunity.
As the book progresses, they get to know one another better and their show becomes an instant hit. Shay is dealing with her mother’s impending marriage and the possible cross-country move of her best friend, and coming to terms with her own loneliness. She is also fighting her developing feelings for her younger cohost, who is not the person she thought he was. In this day and age of everything being easily accessible online, it is only a matter of time before someone discovers Shay and Dom are lying to their audience.
Solomon’s writing is fantastic. Her characters are richly developed and easy to like. They are sharp and witty, and the story she weaves is not only believable, but a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend this one and would encourage anyone put off by the romance genre to give this one a try. You won’t be disappointed.
This was my first Rachel Lynn Solomon read, but it definitely won’t be my last.
THE EX TALK is a workplace, fake-relationship romance with a twist: instead of fake dating, the antagonistic coworkers pretend they are exes in order to cohost a new show on relationships. I loved this unique premise and thought it was executed really well. Shay and Dominic go into it with a real dislike of each other, so the fake-ex thing doesn’t feel like a big stretch, which made their eventual realization (and subsequent horror!) that they enjoy each other’s company after being forced to spend time together, getting to know each other, all the more fun.
I also really enjoyed the public radio setting! The author clearly has a deep love and appreciation for public radio, and it made me want to carve out more time for NPR, my local MPR, and podcasts.
If I’m being picky (and let’s face it, I’m always picky ), there were a few things that didn’t quite work for me, including the grand gesture. I think I’ll be in the minority on that one, though.
If you’re a fan of opposites attract, enemies to lovers, and fake relationship tropes, and you’re looking for stories featuring PoC protagonists, definitely give THE EX TALK a try!
RATING: A- (4½ stars)
(Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.)
Review to come.
In a plot twist that will shock nobody, another Rachel Lynn Solomon book fans itself out on my favorites shelf like it owns the place.
Shay Goldstein is a producer at a public radio station in Seattle where she handles a demanding host and her chia seeds. Dominic Yun is a shiny young reporter, the boss’ new favorite, and seems to take himself way too seriously. Too serious to co-host a new show about dating that hinges on the fabricated story of him and Shay being exes… except his job is on the line. And Shay, who has long held dreams of being on air, realizes Dominic and this lie may be her only chance to realize those dreams. (There definitely aren’t any other reasons they decide to take this leap together, like, you know, intense chemistry, romantic feelings… definitely not… )
There are so many things to love about THE EX-TALK. Fun details are sprinkled throughout, like the shelter dog Shay adopts, Steve, who is lovingly described as a hot mess. Shay has a funny, smart, supportive best friend in Ameena and good relationships with her co-workers. The story touches on grief (Shay has lost her dad, who inspired her love of radio), re-finding your place in the world after a long term relationship ends and the difficulties of making friends as a working adult. Podcast addicts will appreciate the accuracy and familiarity of the scripted snippets of Shay and Dominic’s on air banter, and romance readers should have their fans ready. PREPARE TO SWOON. As the internet gets closer and closer to discovering the lie at the center of the new hit show, Dominic and Shay’s romance gets more and more real.