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The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Published: January 26th, 2021
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 3-stars
Thoughts
I ended up reading this one via audiobook and think it was the best medium for me with this story. Surprisingly this has been a great way to get me to read more contemporary books. I always hesitate to physically pick them up and read, but listening to them whilst I do other things has been great. The narrator for The Ex Talk was able to really bring in the feel of listening to talk radio for those moments when the book read like a transcript.
Being an age-gap romance, it didn’t really feel like one. I know our leading lady, Shay, comments on it a few times to remind us as the readers but, in general, I don’t think it did much for the plot. Shay and Dominic could be the same age and I feel like the story would not have been impacted. That being said, I am all for normalizing all types of romances so maybe it’s good this one was so… normal.
I had two main qualms with The Ex Talk though and one of them was that the story felt very long and dragged out - and I listened to this at 2x speed which I think is saying something. There were many moments that felt unnecessary and I was just waiting for it to get to the point. It also had some moments that made me roll my eyes, like the forced weekend getaway. I really had to suspend disbelief.
My other issue with this one was the ending. I wasn’t expecting anything other than the typical happily ever after but events happened that made me hopeful for something more unique. When that didn’t happen, I felt a little let down for something that could have been and the missed empowering opportunity. I don’t think I am fully on board with things after a certain event.
Overall, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me but can still see why people would enjoy it. Still would recommend if the synopsis intrigues you.