A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter take a page out of “The Parent Trap” and come up with a scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with results that turn up the temperature in more places than one.
Did someone say perfect rom-com premise? Because I am 100% here for it.
Weather Girl follows Ari Abrams, who’s always been fascinated by the weather and loves her job as TV meteorologist. The only thing she doesn’t love about her workplace? The ongoing epic throwdowns between her boss, the legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, and her ex-husband Seth who just happens to be the station’s news director. After a Christmas work party that ends with broken glass and disheartened colleagues, Ari finds an unlikely ally in Russ, the sweet but reserved station’s sports reporter. Together, they decide they’re going to parent trap their bosses into falling back into love. What neither of them expects? Falling for each other in the process.
I’ve come to expect a certain few things when picking up a book by Solomon: cosy feels, some laugh-out-loud moments, and at least one scene that feels so unbearably relatable that I want to simultaneously chuck the book across the room and clutch it to my chest and sob at the accuracy. And Solomon did not disappoint with Weather Girl. I got all of that and more.
Let’s start with the characters: Ari Adams, or as I like to refer to her, my dream woman. A woman who has had a dream since she was a little girl, who makes awkward weather-related puns, who prefers rain to sunshine, and who fought her way to become a TV meteorologist. A woman who’s been told by her ex-fiancé that she wasn’t real and someone who is scared of rejection if she does show someone all of her parts. Ari also lives with depression. Solomon mentions this in the introductory author’s letter, so I thought I’d include it here: She says that individuals living with mental illnesses deserve romantic narratives just as much as everyone else and I agree with this wholeheartedly. Including a protagonist with a mental illness in a romcom is so validating—because yes, we deserve a love story, too, if we want it.
Though Ari’s depression isn’t the focal point of this novel, I loved how it shaped the way she approached new situations and relationships and at times, it was almost too relatable to see how she reacted because of the stigma she’s experienced in the past. I felt so seen by the sunshine girl that never wants to show others the dark parts of her because she doesn’t think they’ll be palatable, that people will write her off as ‘too much’. It’s an unflinching portrayal of just how much stigma influences people with mental illnesses and I think including this in an immersive romance like Weather Girl was what truly made this book stand out. I also really loved that the stigma Ari experiences wasn’t “just” a thing that happens to her but that we get to see where these misconceptions about being too much stem from, without ever losing the focus on the present. There’s also a storyline toward the end of the book that made me feel seen like no portrayal of depression ever has—no one ever seems to get that people with mental illness often think that it’s easier to cut someone off before they can do the same to you (a pre-emptive protective mechanism, you might say) but Ari does. And people who live with depression will get it, too.
As if a character that relatable wasn’t enough, we get the love interest Russ, who stole my heart! Beyond having his own baggage to deal with, he also has this incredible enthusiasm for sports and for anything related to his daughter. Nevertheless, Russ also struggles with his image from time to time because of the extra weight he carries. Yes, readers, we have a fat love interest in this book and I am living! Body diversity is finally breaking its way into traditionally published romances and it was so refreshing to see a male love interest who wasn’t the perfect supermodel because guess what? Russ is just as sexy and downright naughty as that six-pack dude from that one movie you’re thinking of right now. Those readers who’d like a bit more open-door policy when it comes to sexy times won’t be disappointed as this might just be Solomon’s steamiest read yet.
Add to that a cast of flawed, lovable and hilarious characters and you get one hell of a ride. If you’ve seen The Parent Trap, you’ll enjoy all the small Easter eggs and if you haven’t, you’ll still giggle when Ari and Russ land themselves in one double date after another with their bosses as they try to fix a relationship they’ve only ever seen in broken shambles. There are moments that had me laughing out loud, moments that made me cry and moments, like a certain hotel room “can you help me change PJs because my arm is in a cast” scene that made me turn up the AC.
What struck me most about this book, however, was how everything was so naturally interweaved. Plotlines flowed together and broke apart in this seamless way that made it feel like watching your favourite TV show that you’ve seen five hundred times but still marvel at. Torrance and Seth’s marriage struggles presented such a nice backdrop to Russ and Ari’s vulnerable first steps. Meanwhile, Ari’s relationship with her mother only made it that much more clearer why she’s looking for stability and a safe haven. Really, the execution of the different elements of this novel was so elegant. Additionally, I loved the little elements that made this story feel so real: Ari making her own jewellery inspired by the weather, Russ’s daughter’s obsession with musicals or even the very unexpected “taking my boss to her grandbaby’s birth” situation that had me cackling. The attention to detail is a big reason for why this story is so immersive and I’ve come to love this about Solomon’s writing.
Whether sunshine or rainfall, Weather Girl is the perfect read no matter what storms you’re facing. With an enchanting protagonist who shows that living with a mental illness and finding the love of your life aren’t mutually exclusive, Weather Girl is a must-read for lovers of The Parent Trap and Set It Up!
Weather Girl is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of January 11th 2022.
Will you be picking up Weather Girl? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A TV meteorologist and a sports reporter scheme to reunite their divorced bosses with unforecasted results in this charming romantic comedy from the author of The Ex Talk.
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?
