I loved the MCs of Part Time Romance and their dynamic; it was charming and sweet. The premise of the story was unique and creative and with that touch of magical realism that seems to be a Kate Robb calling card. It was a quick, fun read that definitely transported me back to my favorite teen dramas.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

What would you do if you fell asleep and ended up in your favorite comfort TV show? With your hot roommate?

Brynn has to figure out if her happily ever after is worth it in this whimsical romance. While I enjoyed reading this story, there were a few things that have me giving it a pretty average ranking.

First, what I liked: the unique storyline and the overall message that you can (and arguably, should) evolve and sometimes that means growing out of or apart from the things and people you love.

For what I didn’t love: the characters felt fairly one-dimensional, we didn’t get to know them well at all and this greatly impacted my perception of the romance. I did not feel the chemistry between the characters and felt the “love” was surface-level and hard to believe. Neither one had even an inkling of romantic feelings or noted attraction towards the other until around the 50% mark. Finally, I understand they had to play their parts for this fictional town but the different names really pulled me out of the story. It was just a lot to keep up with.

Overall this was a fun and light read, I just felt the romance was lacking. I would recommend if you have liked Robb’s previous work. Thank you to the Dial Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book because i too like to rewatch old comfort shows. However, unfortunately this book didn’t hold up to my expectations for it.

Where to start… this book is an homage to my teen years. I was one of the many obsessed with Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, Vampire Diaries, anything on the WB/CW primetime lineup. And my mom let me watch Beverly Hills 90210 way too early. This also gives off heavy Pleasantville vibes, and I loved every bit of it. Josh and Brynn are roommates who barely know each other. The night before Brynn turns 30, she makes a wish, blows out a candle, and ends up trapped in her favorite tv show, along with Josh.
They’re both dealing with their own real life emotional conflicts that parallel the events taking place in the roles designated to them in this alternate universe. While the romance between Josh and Brynn may seem rushed, I enjoyed the pacing of the story, the fun plot, the writing and the side characters, and character development.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Part Time Romance was a magical reminder that a happily ever after is closer than you think. I love how Robb celebrated flaws and mistakes as growth and progress. Real life is better than the tv screen, and sometimes things not working out is exactly how they SHOULD work out.

This was a quick and fun read. A must read if you ever watched Dawson’s Creek.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Kate Robb for the ARC!

Release Date: September 3, 2024

Holy crap this book was AMAZING. It’s like Teen Beach Movie with easter eggs that relate to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries, and Riverdale. Everything about this book is chef’s kiss.

This is my FIRST 5 star ARC too!!

This book was so cute. The whimsy of teenage drama meets grown up life and Kate did such a wonderful job mixing both worlds in this fun contemporary romance. When a wish goes wrong and our main characters end up in a favorite teen small town drama, we get a glimpse of how even our teenage crushes grow up and find new definitions of goals and love.

I really really loved this story. It was perfect, fun read. I focus so heavy on writing style and I just loved this one.

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb was such a delightful read. Inspired by all the soapy teen shows of the 2000s we all loved.

If you're looking for a feel-good read that seamlessly screams romcom charm with a healthy dose of nostalgia, then Prime Time Romance is for you. Kate Robb has crafted a story that's as addictive as your favorite binge-worthy TV show, with characters you'll love.

Definitely ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked this book but didn’t love it quite as much as This Spells Love. I did enjoy the creativity in terms of the storyline and the characters. I LOVED the references in the back and the recipe. It adds something really personal, memorable, and tangible to the story! I think I would have *loved* it if I had grown up watching Dawson’s Creek or a similar show. I would definitely recommend for anyone that watched Dawson’s Creek and/or loves a friends-t0-lovers story!

I will continue to read Kate Robb’s books since I love the creativity she adds to her romances! It is something new and fresh!

I want to start out by saying I adored this premise. Getting sucked into a 2000s teen drama a la Dawson's Creek? Fantastic. Brynn being a 30 year old divorcee who binge watches her comfort show she watched as a teen maybe a bit too much to cope? Relatable. She just wants everything to work out like it does in her favorite show. Which had a controversial cliffhanger ending. So, when her birthday wish to live out that sort of life comes true and her hot bartender roommate gets dragged into the show with her, shenanigans are bound to ensue, right?

Well.. sort of? Here's where I get into spoilers/what didn't work for me. The side characters often felt paper thin. The supposed love interest of the show was boring. Bland. Vanilla. But sugar-free diet vanilla, not that rich, comforting flavour. Poppy, the alleged best friend character, just SUCKED. She was just a mean girl hiding behind "Besties forever". And I get that was sort of the point. However, then we get characters like Luce, who was Poppy's rival in the show. I love Luce. I want to be like Luce. Luce has tings she's passionate about. She has a farm and genuinely just wants to live her life. She's fun and nice to Brynn/Sloan. Why did Luce get to have depth but Spencer and Poppy didn't?

And then there's the- what do I call him? Antagonist? Plot device? Macguffin incarnate? Whose name is Sheldon. Apparently he's like this infamous extra who is often seen in the background of the show. Somehow he shows up and drags Brynn and Josh into Carson's Cove and pulls the strings? But he also might be a real person? Dude was creepy. And I think we either needed to lean into that or pull away from that. Because his very existence implies there might be answers of how this works. And no, you aren't getting answers on how we get from real world to Carson's Cove.

Onto the romance. How did I get a slow burn that also felt rushed? There's supposed to be tension because Sloan (played by Brynn) is supposed to end up with Spencer, the golden boy. But Brynn's real world roommate is playing bad boy Fletcher. One of these men feels like a real human being. The other feels like a cardboard cutout. Josh has drive an charm to him. He validates Brynn, listens to her, tells her when this all seems absurd. He tries to make the best of things. And Spencer... exists. I just wanted some actual tension. For it to be an actual struggle at some point.

Also, there were some 2000s-isms that I understand why they were there, but they really put me off. There's a makeover scene. Quintessential teen drama makeover, right? For a pageant. Where Poppy, the former star cheerleader drags out FMC Brynn to the salon for the BIG MAKEOVER. What does that entail? Straightening her curly hair and bleaching her brunette hair blonde. There are also some comments made by Poppy about Brynn's weight that did not sit well with me. I know the setting was the world of a 2000s teen drama, but that felt kinda gross.

Oh. And the ending. That felt RUSHED. Like I was at the final fifty pages going "How the heck are we tying up all this in 50 pages or less?" By rushing through it. Most everything got tied up. I wouldn't say neatly. There are still some questions left unanswered. (How did Sheldon pull any of this off? Did Brynn get canned from her job due to disappearing from the world for a week? Didn't anyone notice our two MCs were missing? How'd Josh get the money for the auction for his dad's bar?)

Also there's a running through the airport scene. Not literally, but you know exactly what I mean. One character runs to tell the other that they love them and all might be lost if they don't make it in time. Except, there are no stakes for that scene. Both of them are back in the real world at that point. It's only been a week. Why wouldn't Josh still want Brynn?

The writing itself was alright. There were a few too many pop culture references for my liking. But I don't really have any complaints about the writing overall.

This steamy rom-com story is about a divorcee and her male roommate end up in her favorite teen soap TV show. I had a hard time connecting with this story and got a little lost at times.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This one took me back to the early 2000's and I am not mad about it!!! Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5/5.

Honestly, in the beginning, it was a book I had almost no interest in reading and I did put it on hold for a little while until I picked it back up again. However, when I picked it back up and continued to read, I found myself really getting immersed into the world the author sets for us. I even found myself falling in love with some of the characters (with Luce being my absolute favorite one)!

The romance in the book itself is very sweet and pretty slow to burn, which I absolutely loved. I didn't mind the magical vibe of the book where the female lead's wish actually becomes true and she finds herself in her favorite TV show - the realistic part of my brain was fighting off every single magical element so hard trying to make sense of it all. But it just works and it's just a fun story to read!

This was very enjoyable, I loved the main characters and their dynamic, it was very cute and relatable. It was unique and creative, and they did a great job of making the characters seem realistic.

🎧Song Pairing: I Don’t Want To Be - Gavin Degraw (Iykyk)

💭What I thought would happen:

A little birdy told me to check way out of reality so I’m guessing the main character from a show comes to life…kind of right?

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

Think Pleasantville meets One Tree Hill (or Dawson’s Creek but I never really watched that). Okay I am aging myself with those references 😂

I swear Kate Robb and I are soul sisters. Her writing style, pop culture references, and love for Pinot in a Yeti mug…I see you girl 😂

Twas a fun delight! Would recommend 💕

Read if you like:
✌🏻Dual POV
🩷Have an unhealthy attachment to a tv show
🍺Bartenders
🔮Magical Realism
🤬Get offended by salty language (OH FUDGE!)

3.5 rounded up.
This book is for those who found yourself into the 90’s shows like Fawsons Creek, Party of Africa etc. you have a comfort show that you love based in the late 90's to the early 2000's (shows like Dawson's Creek and the like) and wish you were a character then this is a great book for you. I enjoyed this book but did have to push myself to push through some long parts and British humour I did not understand. I will say it is well written and many readers will love it and it was entertaining and sweet with a touch of spice.

4.5 ⭐️

29 year old divorcee, Brynn, is trying to get back out there but is failing miserably. After a particularly bad date on the eve of her 30th birthday, she finds herself out at a club she has no business or desire to be in. A club that just so happens to employ her newish, very unfamiliar but spectacularly hot roommate. After Josh helps her get home, Brynn resumes her happy routine of rewatching her favorite comfort show, Carson’s Cove, in her snuggly. But when an unexpected Uber Eats worker delivers a birthday cake, she wishes for a life like her show — no unexpected plot twists, just happy endings.

When Brynn and Josh wake up the next morning to find themselves thrown into the set of Carson’s Cove, they must pull together to give the show the happy ending it never got to have or risk being stuck there forever.

Oh man, I loved this book! It was cheesy and romantic in the best way. But the premise of the book truly kept me guessing the whole way. I found myself completely unable to put this one down. And the beach/sunshine vibes are perfect for the upcoming season.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

-birthday wish gone wrong, roommates, duo pov 🎬🎂💫
-such a unique storyline and fun read that *literally* sends you back to the series you watched as a teen
-Josh and Brynn were a cute couple and I enjoyed their relationship
-thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

3.8⭐️

This book is so adorable and sweet. It's like taking a trip down memory lane, back to the late 90s and 2000s- pure nostalgic bliss!
Brynn Smothers is a 29 year old divorcee who has sworn off love after her divorce to her ex-husband Matt. She does not want to get hurt again. On her 30th birthday, she receives a cake and makes a wish. The next morning, she and her roommate, Joshua Bishop, wake up in the last place they'd expect- Carson Cove.
Brynn has been obsessed with Carson Cove, a television drama show, ever since she was a teen. It's very much like Dawson's Creek or One Tree Hill, and it has been her coping mechanism for as long as she remembers. However, when she wakes up, she is not Brynn, but instead, she is Sloan Edwards, the main character of the show. She is tasked to give Sloan the happily ever after she deserves. That is the only way she can leave and go back to her real life as Brynn. The only problem is she starts falling for her rookie, Josh, and he is not Spencer, Sloan's love, but instead, he's Fletcher, the bad boy.
This read was so cute and refreshing! It was like a jump back in time, and it was great watching Brynn evolve and change her views on love while learning that there isn't only one path to happiness. Great read!
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Kate Robb for this heartfelt read!