The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like: The fake dating trope, listening to radio talk shows, workplace rivalries

Reading goal: 20/100 (in other words, way behind schedule)

Shay Goldstein loves everything about her job as a producer with Seattle Public Radio. Well, everything except her new know-it-all co-worker, Dominic Yun, and it seems the feeling is mutual. With the station struggling and her job on the line, Shay pitches an idea for a fresh new show, one that focuses on relationship advice that is hosted by two exes. Her idea gets the green light, with one catch. Since the station can't hire any new hosts, Shay and Dominic have to pretend to be exes on thier new show, which seems perfect given how much they already despise each other. While neither are keen on lying to their audience, both are willing to sacrifice some journalistic integrity for the sake of their job. However, when listeners start to get invested in their fake relationship, and Shay and Dominic start to develop some very real feelings for one another, their jobs, and budding romance may be on the line if the truth is revealed.

As you can see, I am back on my romance reads! The Ex Talk was a sweet, fun, breath of fresh air. Solomon puts a unique spin on the ever-so-popular fake dating trope by making her protagonists pretend to be exes rather than faking a relationship, and it created fantastic tension and drama. It was very entertaining to watch Shay and Dominic fall in love while acting like people who had fallen out of it. Soloman also touched on some more serious topics, such as the sexism Shay faces at work that causes rifts in her working relationship with Dominic. I also think that it was important to see, as Shay and Dominic's show became more popular, the impact the audience of the show has on them. As a frequent consumer of podcasts and pop culture in general, I feel that we can easily forget that hosts are real people telling a story, and it was interesting to see the role the listeners play in Shay and Dominic's relationship even when the mics were turned off. I loved that Solomon was able to explore these themes while also keeping the story light and lovey. I listened to this on audiobook, and I highly recommend it! It felt more true to the story, since much of the plot revolves around a radio show, to hear it rather than read it. Overall, I loved this read, and, if The Ex Talk was a real podcast, you'd better bet I'd subscribe just to get more of Shay and Dominic's witty banter.