The Ex Talk (26 in 2026 #12)

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon Title: The Ex Talk Publisher: Berkley Date Published: 01/26/2021

Read Dates: 06/10/2026- 06/11/2026
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Ex Talk is a single POV workplace romance with a twist on fake-dating. Two antagonistic radio co-workers who never dated have to fake being exes for a show if they want to keep their jobs! Shay has always wanted to work in radio, and works behind the scenes as a producer. When she pitches the idea of a relationship advice show hosted by two exes, her coworker Dominic, who thinks radio should be for serious reporting, is quick to shoot it down. Their boss thinks their bickering has potential and green lights the show, but only if the two of them pretend they’re the exes. Now Shay has to find a way to work with Dominic to keep her job, and decide if a job that requires lying to everyone is worth keeping!

This book has a lot of great tropes and themes: workplace romance, fake (former) relationship, (small) age-gap, found-family, storylines about making and maintaining friendships, and grief & loss . I really loved it, even though I had very violent thoughts about their boss! I understood Shay feeling a little stuck and worried about changes, and could sympathize with Dominic struggling to build new friendships as an adult. I loved their banter and bickering and the two of them together!

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.