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You know that feeling when you are reading a book and you can just tell from early on that it’s going to be a special one? That was the feeling I got while reading The Ex Talk.
Let me preface the rest of this review with saying that I am NOT a romance reader typically. I don’t dislike romance, per se, but I definitely don’t seek it out and read copious amounts of it. While I do enjoy a good love story, a lot of times I struggle with how unrealistic they can feel or how easily a character forgives something that another character does. But somehow, this one evaded all of the things that I hate and proved to me that I CAN read and enjoy romance in a way I didn’t think I could.
While this book had more steam than I typically prefer, I found that, since I loved the characters and their relationship, I didn’t find myself as bothered by it. So while I usually prefer closed door romances, this one worked for me (and yes, it is open door; with about 3-4 sexy scenes, for those wondering).
Here are 5 things I loved about this book:
1. This book explored MULTIPLE tropes instead of just being a one and done. Like the fake relationship trope? It has it! Enemies to lovers? It’s in here too! What about forced proximity? YEP! Workplace romance? You best believe it’s here. I thought Rachel Lynn Solomon weaved all of them together perfectly in a seamless work that felt like a warm blanket on a cold winters day.
2. The characters were a super diverse cast that had me angry and laughing and loving them all at once.
3. The banter! A good rom com needs ALL the banter, and this one NAILED IT.
4. The portrayal of so many kinds of love – love after loss, love that “felt too quick”, first love, old love, etc.
5. The ending. An ending for a book is KEY for me, and I didn’t feel like this one left anything to question. The loose ends were tied up perfectly, but not so much that it felt like OVER resolution, you know?
I will 100% be adding Rachel Lynn Solomon to my MUST READ list.
Content warnings below:
Loss of a parent
Graphic sexual content
Grief
Misogyny
Sexism
Graphic language (but not overdone)
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Jenna, Stop Reading! 