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alexisgarcia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i thought i would not like this book very much when i started this but i was surprised that i liked it a lot more than i originally expected. i liked some of the mental health representation but some felt a little overdone? i did like the representation of different body types (rather than the tall muscular guy and the petite girl combo i see a lot). i hated the third act and the conflict portion which brought the rating down, it felt really silly and overdramatic. overall, this had more depth than normal mainstream romance books and it was pretty enjoyable. i will definitely read other books this author writes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Cursing, Medical content, Mental illness, Drug use, and Grief
clareasday's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Medical content, and Sexual content
abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
A good, sweet read with lots of heart! Fairly lighthearted and romantic but with great emotional depth and still covered meaningful subject matter in a sensitive way. I loved Ari & Russell together and the newsroom setting was a new one & very refreshing. I appreciated the nuanced take on Ari’s mental health and her struggle with depression, and how that related to her relationship with her mother.
I’m not Jewish, but Rachel Lynn Solomon is, and I really appreciate how she navigates the different characters’ relationships to their own faith and heritage. I loved all the moments of Jewish joy, from the family Shabbat dinner to the bat mitzvah towards the end. As an outsider looking in, it feels like a privilege to experience stories that are fictional and still feel informed by an authors lived experiences.
It definitely was a breath of fresh air to have a fat love interest in a romance! I’m pretty sure this is the first romance I’ve ever read where a man was anything but super jacked & thin. I appreciated the conversation around fat being a neutral descriptive word and calling out people who are “concerned for their health”. I would love to see the review / opinion of more fat folks re: how they felt about this representation.
Overall, not a mind-blowing or life-changing novel, but after this second 4-star read from RLS, I now know I can rely on one of her books for a pick-me-up romance & will be a go-to in the future!
I’m not Jewish, but Rachel Lynn Solomon is, and I really appreciate how she navigates the different characters’ relationships to their own faith and heritage. I loved all the moments of Jewish joy, from the family Shabbat dinner to the bat mitzvah towards the end. As an outsider looking in, it feels like a privilege to experience stories that are fictional and still feel informed by an authors lived experiences.
It definitely was a breath of fresh air to have a fat love interest in a romance! I’m pretty sure this is the first romance I’ve ever read where a man was anything but super jacked & thin. I appreciated the conversation around fat being a neutral descriptive word and calling out people who are “concerned for their health”. I would love to see the review / opinion of more fat folks re: how they felt about this representation.
Overall, not a mind-blowing or life-changing novel, but after this second 4-star read from RLS, I now know I can rely on one of her books for a pick-me-up romance & will be a go-to in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Medical content
Minor: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Abandonment
emmysforeverbooked's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved this book so much. It was such an easy, light read for me and the cast was so loveable. Ari reminded me a lot of myself, between the depression and the loving the weather, I saw a lot of myself in her.
I loved how much representation there was spread throughout this book. The main character's depression rep, the love interest's plus size rep, the Jewish rep, the MC's brother's gay rep, multiple characters from multiple cultural backgrounds, there was so much rep and it's very hard to find all of that in one book. I really enjoyed learning more about the Jewish culture specifically, it was really fascinating to me to read about!
Overall, I think if you like Emily Henry or just rom-coms in general, this is a book for you!
The only reason this is lower than 4 stars for me is because there was a third act breakup. I will never understand the point of those, they always make me angry and sad. So that's why this is so low. Oh, and the proposal at someone else's wedding, that made me cringe fr.
I loved how much representation there was spread throughout this book. The main character's depression rep, the love interest's plus size rep, the Jewish rep, the MC's brother's gay rep, multiple characters from multiple cultural backgrounds, there was so much rep and it's very hard to find all of that in one book. I really enjoyed learning more about the Jewish culture specifically, it was really fascinating to me to read about!
Overall, I think if you like Emily Henry or just rom-coms in general, this is a book for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Misogyny
Another warning I would give on the "Moderate" section is parental absence. The MC's does talk multiple times about her father leaving her and her brother and being absent in their lives. So just a little heads-up on that!kelly_e's review against another edition
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? Yes
3.0
Title: Weather Girl
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: January 11, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Feel-Good • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ari has always been fascinated by the weather, so working as a TV meteorologist is like living the dream. Unfortunately for Ari, her boss, the legendary Torrance Hale, is too preoccupied to mentor her properly. Russel, the sports report seems to be the only one who understands how she feels.
Following a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Weather Girl was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, given the sweet premise and knowing there would be a mental health aspect. To say my hopes were high would definitely be an understatement. And unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
What I like:
• the representation. This book has excellent representation of mental illness, plus size portrayal, single parent, and a Jewish main character.
• the unique jobs. I loved that Rachel used such unique jobs as the basis for the story. An added bonus that the idea of a romance between a weather girl and a sportscaster seems fitting.
• the cover. Probably one of my favourite covers of the year.
What I didn't like:
• the romance. I get the romance isn't meant to be the main focus, yet the chemistry between the two main characters didn't feel all that believable.
• underdeveloped plot points. Some aspects of the plot were just left unexplored, which didn't feel quite right, even though this book already tackles a lot.
At the end of the day this was quick read with a cute plot, yet could have been better. For me, there was just something missing or maybe it's the fact it tried to do too much opposed to focusing on developing several aspects more broadly. I'm still glad I read it for the living with function depression aspect alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of The Ex Talk
• readers looking for mental illness representation
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The people who love us the most have the power to hurt us the most, too."
"If anything could confirm that weather isn’t small talk, it’s this. Weather connects us. A shared experience, even when we aren’t in the same place."
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: January 11, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Feel-Good • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ari has always been fascinated by the weather, so working as a TV meteorologist is like living the dream. Unfortunately for Ari, her boss, the legendary Torrance Hale, is too preoccupied to mentor her properly. Russel, the sports report seems to be the only one who understands how she feels.
Following a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Weather Girl was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, given the sweet premise and knowing there would be a mental health aspect. To say my hopes were high would definitely be an understatement. And unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
What I like:
• the representation. This book has excellent representation of mental illness, plus size portrayal, single parent, and a Jewish main character.
• the unique jobs. I loved that Rachel used such unique jobs as the basis for the story. An added bonus that the idea of a romance between a weather girl and a sportscaster seems fitting.
• the cover. Probably one of my favourite covers of the year.
What I didn't like:
• the romance. I get the romance isn't meant to be the main focus, yet the chemistry between the two main characters didn't feel all that believable.
• underdeveloped plot points. Some aspects of the plot were just left unexplored, which didn't feel quite right, even though this book already tackles a lot.
At the end of the day this was quick read with a cute plot, yet could have been better. For me, there was just something missing or maybe it's the fact it tried to do too much opposed to focusing on developing several aspects more broadly. I'm still glad I read it for the living with function depression aspect alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of The Ex Talk
• readers looking for mental illness representation
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The people who love us the most have the power to hurt us the most, too."
"If anything could confirm that weather isn’t small talk, it’s this. Weather connects us. A shared experience, even when we aren’t in the same place."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexism, Medical content, Abandonment, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Fatphobia
depressionshaerikireads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Blood
kb33's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A love story with very real characters with real life issues, including depression. I’ve recently discovered Solomon, and I can’t wait to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy and Fatphobia
cheye13's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Full disclosure, this rating may be skewed by a series of coincidences that occurred the weekend I read it. Like four different times I pointed to the book and said [vine voice] I did that!
But I loved it! The characters felt really well-rounded and complex, and it seemed like they really worked as a pair. I absolutely adore their communication style, how miscommunication was never their issue. They both tried to make comfortable space for the other, both to speak or feel free not to, even before they're together.
I'm still on the fence about the single perspective. It likely helped to really dig into Ari's mental illness rather than leave it more superficial, but I ended up completely in love with Russell, rather than with both of them. Seeing Ari directly through Russell's perspective would've maybe balanced the narrative for me, but I can see how it could've thrown the plot way off track.
It did move quite a bit faster than I expected – I thought Ari's roadblocks would be a little bigger (the recent engagement, her mother's illness), but I still appreciated that she was dealing with them internally as formative pieces of her past, even if they didn't create much external conflict. It is a bit heavy-handed with the romance tropes (as in, what's not clear to Air is still pretty obvious to the reader), but I liked it because it felt like getting to the "good parts" faster.
But I loved it! The characters felt really well-rounded and complex, and it seemed like they really worked as a pair. I absolutely adore their communication style, how miscommunication was never their issue. They both tried to make comfortable space for the other, both to speak or feel free not to, even before they're together.
I'm still on the fence about the single perspective. It likely helped to really dig into Ari's mental illness rather than leave it more superficial, but I ended up completely in love with Russell, rather than with both of them. Seeing Ari directly through Russell's perspective would've maybe balanced the narrative for me, but I can see how it could've thrown the plot way off track.
It did move quite a bit faster than I expected – I thought Ari's roadblocks would be a little bigger (the recent engagement, her mother's illness), but I still appreciated that she was dealing with them internally as formative pieces of her past, even if they didn't create much external conflict. It is a bit heavy-handed with the romance tropes (as in, what's not clear to Air is still pretty obvious to the reader), but I liked it because it felt like getting to the "good parts" faster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
thefatpaperback's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
A cute read! In some places it felt like the cheesy-factor was dialed up more than other rom-coms, but I think it works given the amount of focus that is placed on depression in the book. That balance works. My favorite thing about this read was that our hero, Russell, is a fat man. An explicitly stated fat man, and Ari is aaaallllllllll about his body. It’s handled really well, and I love reading about fat men as romance heroes. Russ is 100% book boyfriend material
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Mental illness, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Fatphobia
sydapel's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.75
this was really sweet, especially if you (like me) loved the romcom 'Set It Up' that came out on Netflix a couple years ago. This has less of the mischievous elements and leans more solidly into the serious elements - mental health and body positivity representation, toxic work environments, parenting and family dynamics. It's done really well and I really loved it. My only criticism is that I would have liked it to be a dual POV, since I missed a lot of Russell's perspective on things. Highly recommend!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Sexual content