The Ex Talk Review

Hello, all!

I hosted a radio show in college for three years and it was such a blast. I loved shooting the breeze and playing music with my friends, so when I heard the premise of The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, I was hoping it'd give me all the nostalgia vibes with a fun romance thrown into the mix. It definitely gave me the vibes I was hoping for, but the romance not so much.

Pub Date: 1-26-21
Adult - Contemporary

For as long as Shay Goldstein could remember, she's wanted to work in radio. She and her father used to bond over public radio, and her dream was to one day have a show of her own. She just didn't think it would be with her least favorite co-worker, Dominic Yun. Ever since Dominic started working at their small public radio station fresh off the heels of his master's degree in journalism (which he doesn't let anyone forget), tensions have run high between the pair.

With their station desperately needing something new and fresh to keep them afloat, Shay comes up with an idea for a relationship advice show hosted by real-life exes. What started as an off-handed comment quickly turns into The Ex-Talk, and her boss decides she and Dominic would be the perfect co-hosts. The pair aren't thrilled with the idea of basing their show on a lie, but when it's made clear that they either do the show or kiss their jobs goodbye, they have no choice but to put their morals aside for the sake of entertainment. As the hype around The Ex Talk grows bigger, so do the lies. While Shay and Dominic may have been prepared to lie to everyone around them, nothing could prepare them for actually falling for one another and the fallout that comes along when the truth is eventually uncovered.

The whole setting of this public radio station gave me Fraiser vibes which is so random but I loved it. Shay was focused and career-driven, yet also relatable in how she felt about not measuring up to others in her age group. Dominic unfortunately didn't make as much of an impression on me. I felt he had his tender moments, but he mostly wasn't too memorable. Because of the disconnect I felt from him, I wasn't as invested in his and Shay's relationship besides just finding it cute. This was marketed as a hate-to-love type of romance, and I didn't feel that was the case. The pair never felt like they fully disliked each other, so for me, it wasn't as big of a deal when they finally got together, but I did like how it was a different spin on the fake-dating trope. I may have just gone into this with higher expectations, but it still was a cute and quick read.

Rating: 3/5