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bzliz's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I didn’t have high hopes for this which is probably for the best because it was just okay. I enjoyed it enough to finish it but it wasn’t anything special.
I think the author tried to include some more serious subjects that people face in life like sexism, racism, loss and grief, but none of them went in depth enough to feel genuine. The closest was the sexist boss at the radio station getting minorly told off for his awful behavior but it was mostly handled through conversations about him between female characters which means nothing really came of it. There was also some mention of the struggle of interracial dating but it was brief and the main characters didn’t have to deal with any of it.
Shay and Dominic were fine characters but they were hampered by a downright obsession with public radio. There were a couple of romance tropes used to varying degrees of success. The rivals to lovers aspect was fun vs the ‘just one bed’ trope which was super predictable from the moment they were being sent on a trip. And Shay mentioned being pushed up against the wall roughly a dozen times which got old quick.
If you read purely for vibes, this is worth checking out. If you’re looking for something with more heart, you can skip this.
I think the author tried to include some more serious subjects that people face in life like sexism, racism, loss and grief, but none of them went in depth enough to feel genuine. The closest was the sexist boss at the radio station getting minorly told off for his awful behavior but it was mostly handled through conversations about him between female characters which means nothing really came of it. There was also some mention of the struggle of interracial dating but it was brief and the main characters didn’t have to deal with any of it.
Shay and Dominic were fine characters but they were hampered by a downright obsession with public radio. There were a couple of romance tropes used to varying degrees of success. The rivals to lovers aspect was fun vs the ‘just one bed’ trope which was super predictable from the moment they were being sent on a trip. And Shay mentioned being pushed up against the wall roughly a dozen times which got old quick.
If you read purely for vibes, this is worth checking out. If you’re looking for something with more heart, you can skip this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, and Sexism
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Racism and Cancer
blackveilbeccy's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was a little slow to get into this one, but about a third of the way in it just clicked with me. I adored the MMC and I felt the relationship was super cute in the end. Both the FMC and MMC were relatable in different ways and their relationship development felt natural. Most of the side characters were well developed. The workplace dynamics and the rivals to lovers trope were both done well. Despite a lot of the heavy topics discussed in the plot, this still managed to retain a little fluffiness, a little lightheartedness and humour.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny and Panic attacks/disorders
beebowbabe's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Rachel Solomon is for the girlies. I read Business or Pleasure first and I must say I love the way she discusses topics that are often deemed too superficial or such, but are on the minds of myself and many women I know. How she does that, and also makes me horny, I'll never understand 😂
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Sexism
sagireadinglist's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The basics:
-an (brief) enemies-to-lovers story
-an age-gap romance (older woman with a younger man)
-two people having to pretend to be exes as they host a podcast about relationships
-smut? yes
Even though I don't always gravitate toward enemies-to-lovers stories, the premise was interesting enough that I became curious. I like the behind-the-scenes look at public radio and podcasting, but would have liked having more of the podcast transcripts throughout the book (they ended up being more fun to read than I expected) and see how Shay and Dominic warmed up to each other on the show.
Now, onto the couple. The banter was there. Nothing particularly ground-breaking or life-changing, but it was nice to see how their interactions developed. However, I do find the mentions of Dominic's height too excessive and I could only stand so much description about how he's so tall and towering (yes, I get that he's 6"3, can we move on now?). I did like reading about how Shay is still processing the death of her father and how it's still affecting her to this day, and some of her words about the topic really resonated with me, but I can't get rid of the sense that she doesn't really read like a woman in her 30s. Maybe it's the way she acts? A little too aware that she's "millennial trash"? But then again, I'm not in my 30s so I can't comment too much on this.
I did end up liking Dominic quite a bit. He's very endearing, and I ended up relating to him because he and I share the same views when it comes to dating and sex. To be warned, their conflict is mostly centered around communication problems, and even the inevitable unraveling of their show did not get a satisfying conclusion.
Other than that, this was a fun and light read that suddenly made me want to go back to listening to podcasts.
-an (brief) enemies-to-lovers story
-an age-gap romance (older woman with a younger man)
-two people having to pretend to be exes as they host a podcast about relationships
-smut? yes
Even though I don't always gravitate toward enemies-to-lovers stories, the premise was interesting enough that I became curious. I like the behind-the-scenes look at public radio and podcasting, but would have liked having more of the podcast transcripts throughout the book (they ended up being more fun to read than I expected) and see how Shay and Dominic warmed up to each other on the show.
Now, onto the couple. The banter was there. Nothing particularly ground-breaking or life-changing, but it was nice to see how their interactions developed. However, I do find the mentions of Dominic's height too excessive and I could only stand so much description about how he's so tall and towering (yes, I get that he's 6"3, can we move on now?). I did like reading about how Shay is still processing the death of her father and how it's still affecting her to this day, and some of her words about the topic really resonated with me, but I can't get rid of the sense that she doesn't really read like a woman in her 30s. Maybe it's the way she acts? A little too aware that she's "millennial trash"? But then again, I'm not in my 30s so I can't comment too much on this.
I did end up liking Dominic quite a bit. He's very endearing, and I ended up relating to him because he and I share the same views when it comes to dating and sex. To be warned, their conflict is mostly centered around communication problems, and even the inevitable unraveling of their show did not get a satisfying conclusion.
Other than that, this was a fun and light read that suddenly made me want to go back to listening to podcasts.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
bubblybuttercup's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
it was a middle of the road romance. i found Shay unlikeable. And although the slow burn in the first 2/3 was good, it left the final 1/3 feeling very rushed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Sexual content
likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Sexism
Minor: Cancer and Misogyny
kiingchika's review
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I honestly don’t have much to say about this book I can’t lie other than I’m glad it worked out?¿ Would not reread but hey, I learned a little bit about public radio! Dominic and Shay are cute
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Cancer
vj_thompson's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book started out slow but once the initial plot of Shay and Dominic host the radio show together happened, it got good. Seeing their relationship develop was absolutely adorable. The relationship felt normal aside from the miscommunication. Ugh, that sucked. The story surprised me. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol, and Misogyny
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism
Minor: Racism and Cancer
clareasday's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexism, Misogyny, and Cancer
cris_is_in_crisis's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
An enticing story about learning to go out of your comfort zone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content