The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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 cohosts, 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.
~~~~~
This book hooked me right in from the get-go. From the first chapter you have these two characters at each others throats. And right from the start I wanted to punch in Dominic Yun’s face so I knew there’d be great tension throughout and it was set up sooooo well. Shay was a heroine that I absolutely adored and related to so well. She struggles with those mid-late 20s pressures which I think is very relatable for anyone who is in their late 20s and still single with family and friends always harping on you (it’s me, I’m anyone). The banter was fantastic. And I felt like this was different from what you’d expect of an enemies to lovers romcom. First of all, it was way more diverse from the top. We actually got to explore how these characters participate and celebrate within both of their cultures. It dealt with grief and loss and that heart gripping fear of job security (or lack thereof) in your 20s. It was a really great read and I had so much fun with this book.
The book follows Shay through a first person POV, starting with her grievances with a new colleague who doesn’t respect her space (specifically sound booth C which she had booked for the day and he stole out from under her. The nerve!). Shay has worked her way to the executive team for ten years and this newbie is fresh out of Uni and thinks he can stomp all over her hard work? She’s having none of it. Of course as we go along we see that he’s just trying to prove himself, and honestly, what young person today isn’t doing everything they can to prove their worth in the workforce? In the wise words of Olivia Rodrigo: “it’s brutal out here”. Shay is, however, especially irritated because radio is the one thing she can rely on. Her job is her life. After losing herself to the grief of losing a parent and being the forever single one in her friend/family group, she doesn’t have much else in her life to focus on. I loved that the author focused so much on the struggles of that late 20s single life. I related to it so much and it was slightly comforting to know that those feelings are sort of the norm for those of us in that situation. You’re in that time of life where you’re between the friends that are responsible with growing families and friends that are still partying every second night. It’s a confusing time so I like that this book took the time to focus on that and how much of a struggle it can be. I think it made Shay such a real character that you couldn’t help but relate to her and root for her (even when she was in the wrong).
Of course, because her and her new colleague, Dominic, have such antagonizing banter between the two they’re hand picked as the perfect hosts for their stations new show “The Ex Talk” as they already sound the part. However, both characters have pretty strong morals on lying to their listeners and that becomes a big obstacle that helps the two bond over a common problem. Obviously they fall in love and the drama unfolds from there. Dominic’s characterization is my one complaint with this book. He was adorable and perfect but… we didn’t get to know him that well. We spent so long on Shay’s background and inner turmoil that there wasn’t much room to explore Dominic as a character. He’s described as “hard to read” by Shay quite a few times and I think it was meant for us to feel that way as well. But we got all the way to the end without me feeling like I knew him as a character any better. He was just a love interest and didn’t have much more depth than that which was disappointing because I think he could have quickly become my favourite character of the book. I really loved the banter and the interactions between the two and how they grew as characters and as a couple but I just wish we knew more about the second half of this amazing pairing.
It was a very cute story and definitely relevant to today’s world where podcasts are king. I know if this were a real show I’d have been listening to it from the start. I gave it 4 stars. It’s a great playful read to spice up your summer!