Isn’t It Obvious?

Rachel Runya Katz recently released her third romance, Isn’t It Obvious? And as before, this is a delightful blend of smart characters, emotional circumstances, and an unlikely love story. This book is a lot lighter than her previous novel, Whenever You’re Ready, and more in line with her debut, Thank You for Sharing.

Isn’t It Obvious? opens with an awkward meeting between Yael and Ravi when she catches him leaving out her window after a one-night-stand with her roommate. Imagine Yael’s surprise when Ravi then shows up as a volunteer at her after-school queer book club. In a strange twist that neither knows about, Ravi also signs on as the audio editor for Yael’s new bookish podcast; both are using different names, thus the hidden identities. As Yael and Ravi fall in love over email, their in-life enemies-to-lovers relationship is also evolving in ways neither is prepared for. But can they work once they learn the full extent of each other’s identities?

What I Liked:

• The contrast of falling in love via email vs. being sort of enemies in real life. I *loved* this whole aspect of the book. In their professional relationship, Ravi goes by his true first name (Kevin) and Yael goes by her podcast persona, Elle. She develops a “competency crush” on Kevin, and through long emails discussing all kinds of topics, they both start to fall in love with the mysterious person on the other side of the screen. But in real life, Yael kind of hates Ravi, he’s defensive around her, and it’s mostly a begrudging volunteer relationship and nothing more. Except for their mutual attraction… But does that attraction mean they’re betraying their pen pal crushes?
• Talking about books! Like Yael, I also have a lot of feelings about the classics that high schools push students to read. And I love the queer book club she starts! There is so much bookish goodness throughout Isn’t It Obvious?, and I enjoyed both the book club discussions and the podcast literary analyses. As an English major and lifelong bookworm, I was living for this.
• Intersection of cultures. Ravi is from Trinidad; Yael is biracial and Jewish. They each discuss their respective cultures and identities, as well as the intersection of those identities with also being bisexual.
• Ravi’s family life. Ravi’s brother is recently divorced and parenting his four-year-old daughter alone, so Ravi has moved to Portland, Oregon to help them out. He’s committed to making sure both are okay, supported, and cared for. I loved seeing this alternative family unit and how it impacted Ravi’s choices about pursuing his own romantic relationship.

Audiobook:

Tamika Katon-Donegal and Leon Nixon both do an excellent job of narrating as Yael and Ravi, respectively. I especially love the accents they each give to Ravi’s character—it really brings him to life. I wasn’t particularly familiar with what a Trinidadian accent sounds like, and this made it so much easier to envision his character. This was such a well done audiobook!

Final Thoughts

Isn’t It Obvious? is among my favorite romances this year. I loved the characters, the personal issues they’re going through, and the coincidences that push Yael and Ravi together. It was so much fun to read, but full of depth, too. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish, and I’m excited for whatever is next for Rachel Runya Katz.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Isn’t It Obvious? here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz
Audiobook Narrator	Tamika Katon-Donegal and Leon Nixon
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Portland, Oregon
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	October 21, 2025
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

“I’m obsessed with everything Rachel Runya Katz writes.” – Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author

After a meet-disaster, a podcaster and her producer fall in love over email without realizing they know (and hate) each other in real life.

When high school librarian Yael’s secret podcast starts to take off, she decides to hire Kevin, a remote freelance editor/producer so she can manage juggling her mental health, day job, and the queer teen book club she’s been hosting at school after hours. To maintain her anonymity, they communicate strictly via email and Kevin only knows her by her podcast persona, Elle.

Little does Yael know that Kevin, who in real life goes by his middle name, Ravi, is the same man she tore apart for climbing out of her bedroom window after a one night stand with her roommate, Charlie. And she certainly never expects him to show up to volunteer at her book club.

In person, Yael and Ravi clash until their sparks turn into something more. Over email, Elle and Kevin are starting to fall hard when they decide to keep things strictly professional. But when Ravi discovers the truth, will keeping it a secret mean the end of everything he’s built with Yael/Elle? And what happens when she finds out? Will they fall twice as hard, or cut ties in more ways than one?

Rachel Runya Katz’s Isn’t It Obvious? is a sharp, funny romance about loving the whole person and finally taking a chance on love.

Includes fan favorite tropes:
– enemies to lovers
– epistolary / falling in love through messages
– hidden identity
– slow burn romance
– forced proximity
– workplace romance

“This kind of hidden identity story is my absolute favorite, and I am on my KNEES with gratitude that Katz wrote one just for me. I adored every toe-tingling moment…” – Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of The Art of Catching Feelings

“Smart, sexy, and sincere… Yael and Kevin’s banter-filled interactions in person will have readers giggling and kicking their feet!” – Samantha Markum, USA Today Bestselling Author of Love, Off the Record