Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

24 reviews

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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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. 

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imds's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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katfrenn_reads's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. On my romance exploration journey, I would probably rank this book between book lovers/beach read and people we meet on vacation. 

I really loved Solomon's exploration of childhood abandonment, parental mental illness, personal journeys with depression, and blended families/dating with children. It is clear that Rachel takes so much care to explore our own relationships with stigma and mental health. Ari was such a complex and wonderful character and I loved spending time in her head (: 

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apolen's review against another edition

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4.0


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babudarabu's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.0


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lindsm94's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

4.25

This book was so heartfelt and cute. I appreciate the way mental health, therapy, family trauma, and being plus size was worked through to be just part what makes someone who they are, not a fault. So much growth in the characters by the end of the story. Could see this making the cutest movie. 

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riona_y's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective 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


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wilybooklover's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

This book had some of the most realistic characters I’ve ever read in a romance. Ari, Russell, and even the side characters felt like real people with real problems and I loved that. Ari and her mother are portrayed as having chronic depression and while I can’t speak to the accuracy, it felt like it was depicted with care and sensitivity. Russell was a teen dad and speaks about the hardships and judgment he faced because of it. It was lovely to read a close sibling relationship too! 

I loved that Russell was a fat hero and that Ari still found him sexy and attractive from their first interactions. It’s such a nice change of pace from the usual muscular six-pack body type we usually see, and one that I personally find much more attractive. (Not that I think every hero should be personally attractive to me, just that it would be nice to have a little more diversity for those of us who don’t like abs!) There’s some discussion of fatphobia and Russell’s insecurities, but I thought his body was handled with love and care. Ari and Russell had great chemistry and tension together, and this book had some unexpectedly hot and creative sex scenes. Their romance was soft and tender and full of heart. 

While I did think the third-act conflict was believable and in keeping with Ari’s characterisation, I hated that they didn’t reconcile until the very last page before the epilogue. I would’ve liked an additional chapter or two because I like to see the couple happy together after the reconciliation (otherwise the ending feels too abrupt). I also felt like the characters’ relationships with their bosses were a little weirdly close. And I'm sorry, but even if you ask permission
proposing at someone else's wedding is just odd.


I'm baffled as to why this was called a romcom though because it wasn't funny (a problem I have with most modern 'romcoms' to be honest!). 


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kelly_e's review against another edition

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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." 

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leannanecdote's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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