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A review by naturally
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
the concept of fake-exes-to-lovers and the public radio setting really sell the ex talk. dominic and shay have enjoyable banter and chemistry - their relationship is a fun and smart spin of the fake-dating trope. it's fresh, and different, and rachel lynn solomon's writing style made the story a compelling read. additionally, i adore the level of detail given to shay's occupation as a producer/radio host. there was a lot to learn about the radio industry and podcasting too.
i'll hold my hands up and say that i enjoy a problematic/unlikeable heroine from time-to-time. shay starts out having a dose of sympathy the death of her dad, her mother and best friend in loving relationships while shay is single and unlucky in lover etc to balance out her flaws. but she becomes insufferable by the third act.
the exploration of sexism in the workplace was okay...but under-baked. shay's thinking lacks intersectionality. her mantra of What Would A Mediocre White Man do was...weird considering she doesn't often acknowledge her own white privilege. as a white woman, she doesn't give much thought to how dominic may face barriers as a man of colour. moving onto the depiction of characters of colour...i liked the diversity, however i felt there were maybe missed opportunities to integrate different cultures/practices beyond Judaism. e.g. shay's (future) stepfather was nigerian, but he and his children all had anglican names and there was no mention of their culture.
dominic was a cute love interest, but he felt a little too put-together for a gen z/zillenial man. overall, he was a lot more patient and mature than shay was. he's never done anything wrong a day in his life, in fact!!! and i don't think he was in any way at fault in the third act!
the ex talk is a fun time! there was a lot to love, but also a lot to loath. the plot was very messy too like, did PPR not have a HR manager? bc how was the company able to just pay for an Air Bnb with one ONE bed, so shay and dominic could get to know each other??? .
i'll hold my hands up and say that i enjoy a problematic/unlikeable heroine from time-to-time. shay starts out having a dose of sympathy
the exploration of sexism in the workplace was okay...but under-baked. shay's thinking lacks intersectionality. her mantra of What Would A Mediocre White Man do was...weird considering she doesn't often acknowledge her own white privilege. as a white woman, she doesn't give much thought to how dominic may face barriers as a man of colour. moving onto the depiction of characters of colour...i liked the diversity, however i felt there were maybe missed opportunities to integrate different cultures/practices beyond Judaism. e.g. shay's (future) stepfather was nigerian, but he and his children all had anglican names and there was no mention of their culture.
dominic was a cute love interest, but he felt a little too put-together for a gen z/zillenial man. overall, he was a lot more patient and mature than shay was. he's never done anything wrong a day in his life, in fact!!! and i don't think he was in any way at fault in the third act!
the ex talk is a fun time! there was a lot to love, but also a lot to loath. the plot was very messy too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Sexism