Quick Thoughts: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Ex Talk
by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Publication Date: January 26th 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 358
ISBN: 9780593200124
Genre: Adult Fiction / Contemporary / Romance
Source: Own

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Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon's sparkling romantic comedy debut.

Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can't imagine working anywhere else. But lately it's been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who's fresh off a journalism master's program and convinced he knows everything about public radio.

When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it's this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it's not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts.

As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers. (Goodreads)

The Ex Talk is my first read ever by Rachel Lynn Solomon, and it was such a cute read! (Also it’s a Berkley book, and Berkley is totally hitting it out of the park lately with their awesome romances.) This book had everything I look for in a romance – a great storyline, fun characters, lots of steamy romance. Put it all together and it made for a really fun read.

The two main characters in the book, Shay and Domonic, were absolutely adorable together. I really enjoyed their interactions and watching their relationship change throughout the book. (The romance between the two is fantastc as well.) The storyline for the book was really fun as well, and I love that it’s all about talk radio and podcasts. I do not listen to podcasts nearly enough, but this book really made me want to find some that I can listen to. (FYI, I did a quick search and discovered SO many bookish podcasts that I can’t wait to devour! There are quite a few romance ones I’m looking forward to checking out as well. So if you’re interested, they are out there!)

Overall; I very much enjoyed The Ex Talk, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more of Rachel’s books as soon as possible, including her upcoming young adult novel, We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This, which is currently set to release in June. Check it out, and The Ex Talk as well!

Quick Thoughts: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon

Publication Date: February 26th 2019
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Pages: 830
ISBN: 9781635570298
Genre: Adult Fiction \ Fantasy \ LGBTQ
Source: Own

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A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. (Goodreads)

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon sat on my shelf for the LONGEST time before I decided to pick the book up… And now that I have finally read it, I am kicking myself for having waited so long! I very much enjoyed the book, and it definitely made me want to read more fantasy stories!

I don’t read fantasy novels nearly enough, (though that’s something that I really, really want to work on in 2021.) The Priory of the Orange Tree was everything that I didn’t know I wanted in a fantasy story. The characters were absolutely fascinating, and the storyline was completely captivating. Add in the descriptions that were so well written, I could picture everything perfectly in my mind. All of these things together make for one fantastic read.

This book took me a while to get through, as I decided to read it slowly, chapter by chapter, over the course of a few months. This normally would have frustrated me with any other book, but I very much enjoyed taking the extra time to read this book. It was a fun experience!

And now that I have finally read something by Samantha Shannon, I can’t wait to read more by her! I have The Bone Season series on my list to tackle soon, and I absolutely can’t wait to get started.

Quick Thoughts: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

In a Holidaze
by Christina Lauren

Publication Date: October 6th 2020
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9781982123949
Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance, Holiday
Source: Own

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7 hours, 40 minutes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays. (Goodreads)

I am always excited to read something new by Christina Lauren, and I was even MORE excited to finally have a holiday book by them! (I really need more authors to put out holiday books because they are just so much fun.)

In a Holidaze was the first book I read to kick off my Holiday Reading List, and the story had everything that I want in a holiday novel. The story was super cute, (and also reminded me of Groundhog Day, a movie that I LOVE), and made me long for Christmas pasts filled with big family get-togethers and so much fun. I loved the setting as well, I really need more snowy filled settings in my life right now.

The book is also filled with lots of loveable characters as well. They may not have been related by blood, but they are the best family none-the-less, and I loved them all. (Though I do believe Benny was my most favorite character in the whole book.) Also, the romance in the book between the main character and her long-time crush was super sweet!

Overall; I definitely loved In A Holidaze! It’s a great holiday read, so if you’re looking for a cute one, do check it out!