I totally understand that my reading habits are very different from the vast majority of people reading this review, but is it just me who will pick up a heterosexual romance to, like, reset? Because Rachel Lynn Solomon’s books are great for that.
To be honest, Solomon’s chokehold on me is unbelievable. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be so excited to read about straight white coworkers falling in love, but that’s just the power that she has.
Arielle Abrams is 27 years old and working as a meteorologist at her local TV news station. She’s recovering from being dumped by her ex-fiancé, hiding her depression from almost everybody in her life and just trying her best to enjoy her job.
Which is hard to do when your bosses are also divorcés, constantly getting on each other’s nerves but definitely still in love with each other. So Ari does what any logical person would do: schemes to get them back together, with the help of sports reporter Russell Barringer. And as the two of them meddle in their bosses’ lives, they just might start falling for each other as well.
Why do I love this silly book so much? It’s just fun. I say this as someone who is entirely uninterested in, and not attracted to, men: Russell is the dream man. He’s a single dad (his daughter is 12 years old — the product of a teen pregnancy — and incredibly self-aware). He exhibits absolutely no toxic masculinity. He’s extremely kind and awkward.
And Ari might be my favorite of Solomon’s romcom protagonists. Her depth of character is wonderful to experience; she’s such a nerd about weather, her mommy issues feel very real and her mental health is represented in a very vulnerable way. Her therapist is also a fantastic character.
I think it was good of Solomon to not write a POC main character or love interest this time around (which she has done in her previous romcoms, to varying levels of reception). Not only does it avoid any potential cultural sensitivity issues, it also allows for there to be more representation of identities she’s familiar with (namely, being Jewish and mentally ill).
Finally, I couldn’t help but be invested in the KSEA higher-ups’ second chance romance. Torrance and Seth are ridiculous. This felt like “The Parent Trap.” I love it.
“Weather Girl” comes out on Jan. 11, 2022. I received an early copy from the publisher, Berkley, in exchange for a review.
