Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - The Ex Talk

Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

16 reviews

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

This was a highly enjoyable listen! I will say that I am predisposed to like stories involving radio or podcasts or narration, so this was kinda made for me already.

📝 I really liked this story. The FMC, whose POV the story is told from, is an interesting character with some unresolved issues, particularly around the loss of her father a decade ago. And she has baggage from past relationships that leads her to make less than stellar choices with MMC. MMC has his own issues too, and he is younger and less experienced than FMC in terms of relationships/sex.

The MCs start a radio show that is hosted by two exes (them). The only thing is, they never actually dated. But the show gets really popular and well, obviously stuff happens with that.

🎧 This was first person POV, only from the FMC. The female narrator did an amazing job with the content and the story itself was engaging. I think she had to walk a fine line, because it is a fact in the book that the FMC has a "girly" and often "grating" voice, but you don't want to actually alienate the listeners for the book, so she had to perform something feminine, that is close to, but not actually, grating. I thought her voice was incredibly pleasant but I don't have internalized misogyny about feminine sounding voices so ymmv.

🌶️ 3.5/5 there were a few explicit sex scenes (btw the narrator executed these scenes to perfection).

🏳️‍🌈✊ There was a lot of diversity represented in the story. Asian MMC and white Jewish FMC. Multiple queer and ethnically diverse side characters. An African American (the patriarch is from Nigeria) family joining into FMC's.

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blackveilbeccy's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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? No

4.0

I was a little slow to get into this one, but about a third of the way in it just clicked with me. I adored the MMC and I felt the relationship was super cute in the end. Both the FMC and MMC were relatable in different ways and their relationship development felt natural. Most of the side characters were well developed. The workplace dynamics and the rivals to lovers trope were both done well. Despite a lot of the heavy topics discussed in the plot, this still managed to retain a little fluffiness, a little lightheartedness and humour.

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beebowbabe's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.5

Rachel Solomon is for the girlies. I read Business or Pleasure first and I must say I love the way she discusses topics that are often deemed too superficial or such, but are on the minds of myself and many women I know. How she does that, and also makes me horny, I'll never understand 😂

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luna_lovelace's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.75

I wasn't expecting this book to make me cry! Shay talked a lot about her dad and the grieving she went through. It was truly bittersweet and tugged at the heart strings.
I appreciated how the author didn't shy away from giving Dominic AND Shay flaws that they had to face.

I didn't expect Dominic to stay at the station after what their Boss pulled, but I loved how he owned up to his mistakes in the end.

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vj_thompson's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book started out slow but once the initial plot of Shay and Dominic host the radio show together happened, it got good. Seeing their relationship develop was absolutely adorable. The relationship felt normal aside from the miscommunication. Ugh, that sucked. The story surprised me. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did.

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thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a fun romance! I love fake dating, as we all know. XD

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bbygirl21's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I enjoyed this book. I just probably wouldn't read it again. It was a great story and has some great characters. But my issue is that I've read something really similar to this before and i felt this one was a little too slow for me.

I'd still recommend it. The plot was good, I loved the characters, and there were a lot of really funny moments scattered throughout.

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