Shay Goldstein has built her life around a Seattle public-radio station. Dominic Yun’s arrival brings professional friction, then an uncomfortable proposal: the two colleagues must pretend they used to date and offer relationship advice together on air. Losing their jobs is the alternative. Penguin Random House / Berkley
The premise promises enemies to lovers, but Romantic Parvenu finds a gentler form of dislike that fades early. Read this for a workplace romance in which performance turns into tenderness, rather than a prolonged feud. The public lie gives an otherwise warm courtship a real professional complication. Romantic Parvenu
Recommended for witty radio chemistry, a tender workplace romance and characters whose grief and insecurity matter beyond the flirtation. The hostility is comparatively gentle; the invented breakup and professional deception require some tolerance.
Provisional Eikna score: 4.0/5. Four core dimensions cover 85% of the quality weight. Ending satisfaction and reread appeal remain unscored; heat is excluded. Researched editorial assessment; no firsthand reading claimed. Evidence confidence: moderate.
A numeric heat level has not been established. Read the review’s heat and content discussion for attributed descriptions before choosing. An unknown level is not a closed-door or no-spice promise.
The heat-level guide explains detail and frequency; the glossary entry for spice separates sexual content from quality.
The romantic outcome is not established in this summary. A romance label does not independently confirm an ending. Consult the discussion before choosing if closure is essential.
For the difference between romantic commitment and wider plot closure, compare HEA, HFN and cliffhangers.
Standalone or continuing-series status is not established in this summary. Read the existing format and series guidance for any available context; do not assume a missing series entry means the book stands alone.
The series-order guide explains what to check when a complete romance belongs to a connected world.
| Title | The Ex Talk |
|---|---|
| Author | Rachel Lynn Solomon |
| Inspected edition | Berkley · paperback |
| Publication scope | January 26, 2021 · inspected US paperback |
| ISBN-13 | 9780593200124 |
| Edition page count | 352 pages |
The Penguin Random House / Berkley identifies the work. Publication dates refer to the stated edition or release scope, not automatically the first appearance of the story. Unknown identifiers and formats are left open.
The show depends on presenting an invented shared history as genuine advice. As the audience grows, the lie becomes harder to contain. Penguin Random House / Berkley
The attraction has to develop inside that performance. If you enjoy romantic cooperation that creates practical trouble, the premise offers something more specific than simply sharing an office. Readers who find deception exhausting may want a romance with less professional risk.
Publishers Weekly praises the on-air banter and transition from rivalry to attraction. It connects private insecurities with the relationship rather than treating the show as the entire story. Publishers Weekly
Kirkus finds the dialogue witty and Dominic unusually emotionally open. That supports a recommendation for warmth, not only sharp exchanges. Kirkus Reviews
Romantic Parvenu values the single-heroine narration: Dominic’s feelings must emerge through his behavior, not direct access to his thoughts. Romantic Parvenu
PopTheButterfly enjoys the writing and character development but does not find Dominic appealing. The short objection is a useful contrary preference; it does not establish a broad failure of characterization. PopTheButterfly Reads
Kirkus connects Shay’s radio ambition with grief for her father and praises the surrounding friends, family and colleagues. Kirkus Reviews
Romantic Parvenu highlights ordinary adult concerns around housing, friendship and work. Those details may make the niche radio setting more accessible even if broadcasting is not your interest. Romantic Parvenu
Kirkus describes steamy tension; PopTheButterfly also reports sexual content. This is an adult sexual-content choice, not a verified closed-door romance. Our numeric heat scale and scene frequency remain unassigned. Kirkus Reviews
Reported reader considerations include grief, death, language, misogyny and sexual content. PopTheButterfly Reads Romantic Parvenu describes a coercive, misogynistic boss. Professional pressure and the central lie may also affect your enjoyment; this is not an exhaustive warning list. Romantic Parvenu
A good fit if you want flirtation grounded in jobs, insecurity and adult connection. Pass if your priority is sustained mutual hatred, or if pretending to be exes on a supposedly truthful radio show would overshadow the romantic appeal for you.
PW finds the couple easy to support. Publishers Weekly A contrasting blogger enjoys much of the book but dislikes the romantic hero and the trope framing. PopTheButterfly Reads Those observations can coexist: appealing craft does not guarantee attraction to a particular lead. We use the disagreement to explain fit, not to average their ratings.
PopTheButterfly labels it a standalone. No continuing-couple commitment is established by this research. An explicit HEA or HFN ending classification remains unverified, even though checked criticism reports a satisfying romantic experience. PopTheButterfly Reads
A direct US product edition has not been verified. The Amazon link is a title-and-author search, with no specific format or availability promised. A verified Bookshop or Libro edition link is not yet available for this review.
We may earn a commission from purchases through our links, at no extra cost to you. Search Amazon for the title and author.
Quality scale: 1 substantial weaknesses; 2 weaknesses outweigh strengths; 3 mixed; 4 strengths outweigh limitations; 5 exceptional sustained strengths. Half points are allowed. Weights: romance 30%, characters 20%, writing 20%, emotional impact 15%, ending satisfaction 10%, reread appeal 5%. A provisional overall score divides the supported weighted sum by its supported weight and rounds once to one decimal. Heat is descriptive and excluded. These scores express the evidence-based judgment explained in this review.
Persuasive chemistry, softer antagonism
Provisional dimension score: 4/5.
Insecurities give the leads dimension
Provisional dimension score: 4/5.
Strong dialogue with a purposeful narrative choice
Provisional dimension score: 4/5.
Tenderness supported by several checked responses
Provisional dimension score: 4/5.
Sexual content reported; level held
Formal ending classification unknown
Not assessed
No. They are colleagues pretending to have a romantic history for a radio show. The invented past becomes complicated by genuine attraction. Penguin Random House / Berkley
Checked criticism describes relatively mild irritation rather than enduring hatred. Consider it a gentler workplace version, with the professional lie supplying much of the pressure.
A checked blogger calls it standalone. Our research has not established an explicit HEA or HFN classification; positive romantic verdicts are not substitutes for that evidence.
Compare two colleagues whose antagonism becomes attraction. Choose this for a more direct workplace-competition premise; The Ex Talk adds an invented romantic past and a public performance.
Try another professional romance where wit and personal obligations both matter. The literary setting offers different working pressures from a radio partnership.
Choose it when unconventional circumstances and private vulnerability appeal more than office conflict. Its communication route differs from pretending to be former lovers.
The enemies-to-lovers guide includes this book among other choices. Compare those options if its premise appeals but a limitation gives you pause. The Romance discovery guide explains the surrounding reading route and what to check before choosing.
Recommended for witty radio chemistry, a tender workplace romance and characters whose grief and insecurity matter beyond the flirtation. The hostility is comparatively gentle; the invented breakup and professional deception require some tolerance. A good fit if you want flirtation grounded in jobs, insecurity and adult connection. Pass if your priority is sustained mutual hatred, or if pretending to be exes on a supposedly truthful radio show would overshadow the romantic appeal for you.
Search Amazon for the title and author when this balance matches what you want to read.
Checked October 6, 2026. The How this assessment was researched preserves attributions and research limits. Unknown details do not establish absence. Purchasing links use our account.
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Kirkus Reviews — The Ex Talk: The exact-title review lists Contemporary Romance among its categories. Classification verified; checked 2026-10-07.
Berkley — The Ex Talk: Radio producer Shay clashes with new colleague Dominic over his confidence in his expertise. Their station puts them together as hosts who pretend to be former romantic partners; the invented breakup becomes complicated by real attraction. Opposition-to-romance mechanism verified; checked 2026-10-07.
The contemporary enemies-to-lovers collection compares this arrangement with workplace rivalry, comic revenge, mistaken impressions and old relationship damage, so you can choose the particular relationship opposition you want to read about.