Book Summary: 

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.

My Review:

This was my first book by Rachel Lynn Solomon and trust me, it WILL NOT be my last! I wasn’t sure what to expect and as someone who doesn’t really listen to NPR (or podcasts for that matter), I was genuinely concerned if that factor was going to impact my interest in the story. While those elements are essential for the story, they DO NOT take away from it at all. Rachel gives you just enough background to understand the nuisances of working in public radio. For that reason, The Ex Talk is simply delightful in every sense of the word. I still can’t believe how quickly I read this book and how fast I fell in love with Shay and Dominic.

Shay Goldstein has dreamed of being in radio ever since she was a little girl. Her fondest memory: the “Dan and Shay New Show” she did with her dad at Goldstein’s Gadgets. Fast forwarding 10 years, Shay has made that dream a reality as the youngest senior producer for Pacific Public Radio. While she longs to be on the air versus behind the scenes, Shay has accepted that she doesn’t quite have the “voice” for radio. What she can’t accept – newbie and golden boy Dominic. Quickly becoming her office nemesis, she is sick of him throwing his weight around and acting like his four months trumps her ten years of experience simply because he has a Master’s in Journalism from Northwestern (that he mentions with every other breath he takes). As he is a reporter and she is a producer for Puget Sounds, outside of him disrespecting the booking schedule, she takes solace in the fact that she doesn’t have to deal with him. This tranquility is rudely interrupted when Kent, the station manager, decides to take a proposed talk show idea and make it a reality – with Shay and Dominic at the helm. Not only do two people who can’t stand each other now have to work closely together, they have to pretend they dated, broke up, and were able to remain friends! There is absolutely no way this can possibly go wrong.

I digested this entire book in a day, I just couldn’t put it down. There is so much humor that I can’t remember not laughing! The banter, the slow build, the quirkiness of the characters, all of it just made the story perfect. As mentioned before, I am not an NPR or podcast type person but this book is strongly making me reconsider my stance!

Rachel did a wonderful job presenting and developing her characters. They weren’t just names on a page, you felt like you knew them to the core. In terms of Shay, she was thrown into adulthood when she lost her father. Sure, she was legally an adult when he died but she had just started off life on her own. To listen to how she floundered and fumbled, trying to find her step, makes you understand why she held onto PPR like life preserver. It retrospect it was what kept her afloat, helped her move forward and get through the hardest times. Yes, she collected the pieces of adulthood as she got older, a house, a promotion, new responsibilities, but in more ways that one – she was still that little girl going through the steps. When she was constantly forced to face her fears and failures and realized she had grown strong enough to land on her feet, it made you so proud of her character and wanted to see what would happen next.

Dominic was just the perfect mix of salty and sweet. He was overly confident but so insecure. He was gorgeous but so unaware. He was constantly surrounded but felt completely alone. I just wanted to hug him! When he was open and vulnerable with Shay, those were some of my favorite parts. We also got a dark glimpse at society through his eyes as well. What I loved is that they were not “in your face” preachy moments, but a quick nudge to make you think and realize a perspective you may not have considered or a view you may not have experienced but shouldn’t ignore.

Going deeper, I really enjoyed how Rachel tackled various topics while not taking away from the story. Fact or lie, Shay and Dominic did represent an interracial couple. Ruthie brings to light how that is perceived, especially towards Asians who date outside of their own race. Rachel also touches on the racism Asians face in America as well when Dominic enlightens Shay on some of the comments/feedback he had received from listeners. Lastly, Rachel also demonstrates misogynistic micro-aggression when the station manager only asks the women to take notes “because they are good at it” or only goes with an idea of it is backed by a male counterpart. These revelations bring an unexpected depth to the story and a reminder of every day issues we may take for granted.

Back to the characters, Shay and Dominic were absolutely perfect for each other. They didn’t just want each other, they needed each other but both were too afraid of the intensity of that need. I loved how Dominic hinted at how he flirted and then throughout the story you saw it come true. I swear I lost count on how many times I yelled “He’s flirting with you!!” 

As for the spice, I will admit Rachel snuck that one up on me. With the delivery of the slow burn romance and tiptoeing around the idea of intimacy, I didn’t know what to expect. To be honest, the humor and beautiful storyline were captivating enough but suddenly you hit a scene and you are just like “Wow, ok then!” She does an amazing job keeping the intimacy and passion within the scenes but what I love most of all is how the characters live in the moment, they talk, they share, they connect verbally and physically – heightening the entire experience.

A personal note: I always experience a wave of empathy when a character is experiencing grief for the lost of a parent. Shay makes a comment on page 301 about how losing someone doesn’t just happen once. I read and reread that paragraph because Rachel nailed it! The emotional lost that Shay was still experiencing 10 years after her father had passed was palatable. It never goes away and she said it earlier in the story, even if you wave off the “sorry for your loss” comment and tell the person giving it how much time has passed, to you, to the person who suffered the lost – it still feels like yesterday,

Last but not least – the resolve! I absolutely loved everything about the last two chapters of this book. I was already falling in I love with Rachel’s writing but that ending just solidified it. From beginning to end, The Ex Talk captured my mind, heart, and delivered a spectrum of emotions across my face. I can’t wait to see what else Rachel has written and connect to the incredible characters she creates.