So you’ve been craving a distraction from the madness that seems to be everywhere? Looking for heartfelt characters with a generous dash of spice? I think we could all do with a bit of that. Rachel Lynn Solomon’s latest release, Weather Girl might be just the thing.
What is Weather Girl about?
Ari Abrams, TV meteorologist, ray of sunshine and sometimes haver of bad days, loves her job. Well, most of the time. Ari’s boss, Torrence Hale is regularly distracted by her rather stormy relationship with her ex-husband (who happens to be the station’s new’s director) with disastrous consequences for the rest of the station’s staff.
Ari longs for a workplace free from temper tantrums, and passive-aggressive notes. If she’s honest, she’d also love Torrence to be the mentor she’d once hoped for. After another event where the bosses “took it too far” Ari hatches a plan with colleague and sports presenter, Russell. They’ve both seen a spark in their bosses, a sign that love might not be entirely lost.
If you’ve seen any of the Parent Trap movies, you can likely see where this is going…
But as Ari and Russell conspire to reignite their bosses love, their meddling brings them closer than either expected.
What I liked about Weather Girl
There’s something especially lovely about an overcast day. Clouds dipped in ink, the sky ready to crack open. The air turning crisp and sweet. It’s magic, the way the world seems to pause for a few moments right before a downpour, and I can never get enough of that heady anticipation—the sense that something extraordinary is about to happen.
Weather Girl, Rachel Lynn Solomon
Weather Girl delivers the buckets of charm and humour that fans can expect from Rachel Lynn Solomon’s books. The prose is well written and atmospheric, leaning into the weather theme with cozy results.
Even though I read this in summer and the sky is clear and blue in Melbourne — I almost want it to rain or snow after reading Solomon’s ode to a stormy day.
But beyond this surface-level enjoyment, Solomon continues to demonstrate the power of inclusion and diversity in the romance genre. A genre, which in many respects seems to be at the forefront of exploring inclusion in fiction.
Weather Girl features Jewish representation, a neurodiverse heroine, and challenges aspects of sexism not often addressed in romance novels.
What I’m alluding to above is that the male love interest of Weather Girl does not fit the romance novel archetype, physically. He’s not ripped, shredded or buff. He’s fat. (I use that term here as adjective, as used in the book, not as a put-down)
While the body positivity movement seems to have impacted the romance genre a little in recent times, there doesn’t seem to be many mainstream romance novels that feature a male love interest who is overweight and the challenges they face as a result in social, and workplace situations.
Body positivity is a gender-neutral concept, though it understandably often has a female focus. Russell is a fantastic hero, and it’s wonderful to see love and attraction highlighted between people who each have their own vulnerabilities.
People don’t fit into neat boxes, so it’s refreshing to find characters who more closely resemble those you might discover in reality. The fact that Russell and Ari are messy, and dealing with their own struggles highlights further the beauty of thriving and normalises their stories.
Things don’t have to be wrapped up nicely, we don’t have to have ourselves all figured out, to be worthy of love and capable of loving those around us. That’s a message that so many of us need to hear, regardless of where we’re at with our mental health journeys.
Other topics covered in this book:
- Teen parenthood
- Clinical depression (including treatment. eg. therapy and medication)
- Adult/child estrangement from parents
- Workplace sexism
- Explicit sex scenes.
It seems like a lot that shouldn’t necessarily work in a rom-com, but somehow it does. There’s a heart of hopefulness that a good rom-com needs, and despite all the dark, that hope and joy is maintained throughout Weather Girl.
What did you think of Weather Girl? Let me know in the comments below.
Enjoyed this post and keen for more? Come say hi to me on social media by searching @stephhuddlestonwriting or by clicking the buttons below.
Steph Huddleston 