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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.
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This book is categorized as a romance, but I found it to be a lot more about their careers than their love lives. Yes, there is some romance mixed in, but I was a lot more intrigued by the status of their show than the status of their relationship. The book was great regardless. The dialogue was funny, the podcast they hosted was entertaining, and the family drama they explored was intriguing. I really enjoyed this book!
0It’s a good hearted romance.
With an interesting setting that is different from most.
It’s interesting to see behind the screens of radio, but to be honest, this was the best part about the book. I had a soft spot for Dominic and really liked his character! But I just couldn’t feel the chemistry, I wasn’t swooning and wasn’t really fussed- I feel like with following novels the character development, plot and pacing will grow. And I can’t wait to read more of Rachel’s stuff. But for now, I have to give 2 stars to this novel (because you can’t be too generous with only five stars available to give away!)
I think the ending was super adorable though!
Who doesn’t love big romantic gestures!!
04.5 stars
OVERALL: A well-rounded romance with great characterization and development of the romance. I laughed out loud at some of the sarcastic comments, but this was well balanced by introspective moments I could relate to. Plus, those forearms! *swoon*
Content Warnings: sexually explicit content, (distant) death of a family member, grief, loneliness
My vlog on this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0-aYCKrgrQ
I read this book very quickly, and thoroughly enjoyed it! Shay and Dominic have to pretend to be Exes to put on a new radio show, or else they may face some layoffs. Despite some anxiety about lying and about successfully pulling this off, and the pesky attraction she's feeling for Dominic, Shay is pretty thrilled to have this chance to be on the air and to do a job that she really loves.
A very strong element for me was the writing style and tone of this book--it was very readable and I felt pulled along, wanting to read more and faster! Shay was funny and a little intense, but I totally related to her sarcastic comments and her feelings about wishing she had some more friends and feeling apprehensive about her house and how 'to adult' correctly. The inclusion of heavier topics, including grief, change, loneliness--these elements made Shay a complex character that felt real to me and likeable too.
I felt like there was good development of the romantic feelings between Shay and Dominic--lots of banter and conversation where they were appropriately getting to know each other and had chances to start to like each other. The sexual tension was good throughout. I'd have liked a dual POV book, but I thought this was done very well.
The 3rd act drama/bleak moment was heavily foreshadowed (IMHO) but I ultimately liked the resolution. Epilogue a bit cheesy and sweet, but still fun!
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