Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Soloman-dual review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 11, 2022

Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer.

In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.

Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

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Sandy’s Review

WEATHER GIRL by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a contemporary, adult, romance story line focusing on twenty-nine year old single father/ sports reporter Russell Barringer, and twenty-seven year old TV meteorologist Ari Abrams’.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Ari) WEATHER GIRL follows the building romance and relationship between co-workers at KSEA Seattle news station twenty-nine year old single father/ sports reporter Russell Barringer, and twenty-seven year old TV meteorologist Ari Abrams. Life at KSEA Seattle is no longer what Ari Abrams once thought it would be since the break up of her boss, Seattle’s weather woman Torrance Hale, and her ex-husband and KSEA’s news director Seth Hale. The tempestuous fall-out of a twenty year marriage is affecting everyone at the station, and in this, life has been difficult for everyone involved. At the KSEA Christmas party everything goes from bad to worse, and after a drunken sit down with her co-worker, sports journalist Russell Barringer, our couple devise a plan to push the former couple, back together. As Russell and Ari begin their journey of reconciliation, they find themselves growing closer together, looking forward to a possible future but all is not well in Ari’s life, and demons from the past are about to take hold, when our couple’s plans are discovered, and Ari takes a long hard look at what happened and why. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Ari and Russell, and the fall-out as Ari is unable to let go of the past, believing she is not worthy of her own happily ever after.

Like her mother, Ari Abrams struggles with depression but a good therapist and the right medication have helped our heroine get on with her life but secrets revealed find Ari second guessing her relationship with Russell, and in this, words and actions are misunderstood, and Ari finds herself walking away from the man that she loves. Russell Barringer is a single father, whose first priority is his twelve year old daughter Elodie. Falling for Ari was never in the plans for a man who never expected to fall for anyone else but work place romances make for awkward relationships especially when secrets reveal something or someone else has been working behind the scenes.

The relationship between Ari and Russell is a co-workers to friends to lovers relationship that is pulled together by our couple’s need to reunite their embattled bosses. With each endeavor to reconcile the people in charge, our couple find themselves pushed towards their own inevitable and unavoidable paths. Ari struggles with trying to keep her depression at bay, and Russell’s home life was never meant to be workplace gossip. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are energetic and fun. We are introduced to Seattle’s weather woman Torrance Hale, and her ex-husband and KSEA’s news director Seth Hale; Russell’s daughter Elodie, and his ex Liv; as well as Ari’s twin brother Alex, his husband Javier, and Ari’s mother Amelia Abrams.

WEATHER GIRL is a story of family and relationships, friendships and love. An emotional story of struggle and commitment, acceptance and understanding. The premise is playful and impassioned, and a little slow going in the beginning; the characters are flirty, fun, animated and real; the romance is spirited and captivating.

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Barb’s Review:
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a stand-alone lighthearted romance. We meet our heroine, Ari Abrams, who is a meteorologist for a Seattle TV news station. Ari has always wanted to be a weather girl, starting when she was young and watched her favorite weather woman, Torrance Hale; now, Torrance is her boss, and Ari loves her job.  Ari secretly hides the fact that she suffers from occasional depression, especially due to her mother’s illness, and breakup with her boyfriend; she does go to a therapist, and takes antidepressants. 

Torrance and her ex, Sean (news director) constantly fight openly, in front of their employees, who try to pretend not to listen.  When Ari talks with Russ (sports reporter), they discuss ways to try to bring Torrance and Seth back together, raising the moral at the studio.; together they devise a plan to with gifts, double dates, trips and invitations. While Ari and Russ spend a lot of time together to push their plan, they slowly find themselves becoming attracted to each other. Russ was perfect for Ari, as he was very patient and understanding, as he learned more about Ari, and she began to trust him.  With Ari’s family issues, and mental health, Russ was always there for her; he too had his own issues, bringing up a 12-year-old daughter (Elodie, she was adorable) by himself.

What follows is a fun story, with two couples that we rooted for.  I loved how Ari and Russ were able to pull Torrance and Seth together, and I enjoyed them too.  It was a blast seeing all four become closer, and the banter between them was great.   As we get closer to the end, a few things backfire, with us holding our breath if they can resolve those issues.  The story also touches on various issues, such as depression, mental health, divorce, family. 

Weather Girl was a fun lighthearted romantic story that was very well written by Rachel Lynn Solomon.  I really did enjoy the couples, and how they each helped each other; Ari and Russ turned out to be a perfect pair, rising past their issues to trust love.  I wholly suggest you read Weather Girl.

Copies supplied by Netgalley