Struggling writer Adina Gellar is looking for the perfect story to land her a full-time position as a staff writer at Tea digital magazine. When she hears about a big-time developer planning to build an obnoxious condo development in small town Pleasant Hollow, she sees her chance. After all, it’s a Hallmark movie come to life. She even has her very own meet-cute with Finn Adams right after she arrives in Pleasant Hollow. What can go wrong?

Billing this as Hallmark Movies meets Gilmore Girls had me jumping at the chance to read this. After all, those are two of my favorite things. However, we quickly learn that Pleasant Hollow is the antithesis of all things Hallmark. Adina struggles to find people who will actually talk to her for her story, and when it’s not working she decides to switch her story focus. Finn turns out to be integral to her time in Pleasant Hollow, first as a supporter and then as a friend. I really liked the relationship between Finn and Adina. Adina’s mom and best friend were also great. Dialogue was fun and there were a lot of heartwarming moments. Although not what I initially expected, this was definitely worth the read!

𝟹.𝟻 ⭐️ // 𝙰𝚜 𝚂𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚅 (ARC ebook)

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Adina has many jobs, but her dream is to become a journalist for an online magazine called Tea. When she has an idea for an article about a real estate developer creating an exclusive building complex in a small town outside of New York City, she jumps on the opportunity. Her goal is to showcase it as a real-life Hallmark movie, but when she arrives, the town is anything but what’s seen on tv. Will she be able to launch her career without her proposed article, and can she trust her feelings for a man she just met?

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
As Seen on TV was marketed towards “fans of Hallmark Channel and Gilmore Girls,” so I was immediately saying, “Sign me up!” While it didn’t give me Gilmore Girls vibes, the cheesy, rom-com movie references made me happy. The story was predictable at times, and I wish the author leaned more into the diversity that was introduced. Overall, the story was still very cute!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 —
💕 Romance
🗽 Based near New York City
🖤 Diverse Characters
🏃‍♀️ Faced Paced
🥰 Feel-Good Story

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐟 —
📺 You enjoy watching Hallmark movies
✍️ You aspire to be a writer
🥧 Homemade apple pie is your favorite desert
😅 You think adulting is hard sometimes
🥓 It’s necessary for you to always order bacon at diner

𝐓𝐖: alcoholism, parental death

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As Seen on TV is a Hallmark style romance where the main character visits a small town in an attempt to take down the large real estate company buying up land to build on, and also to maybe find love. Adina needs a win, she needs to write a story to solidify a permanent job with the magazine she is working for. But when she gets to Pleasant Hollow, it has none of the aspects of a stereotypical Hallmark movie. Most people aren't friendly, the stores are not cute or quaint, and there's no pie to be found. And the only eligible man is the developer she's come to take down - but she can't seem to stay away.

Maybe I would've had more fun with this one if I was a fan of Hallmark movies - but the whole concept seemed very contrived and Adina just refused to be flexible and she tried to force this town into being something it isn't. And she wasn't always very nice about it. I did appreciate the Jewish representation and the idea that not every small town is this idyllic place made of rainbows and unicorns but that doesn't mean the town isn't fine just the way it is.

Trigger warning for alcoholism and verbal abuse in parts of the book. The hero is dealing with some demons and is the typical "I can only do casual because I'm too broken for a relationship" and Adina is the typical "I can't do casual but will because I hope you will change". Because that ALWAYS works out well?? I don't know, it seemed way too trope-y even for me and I just didn't have a great time with it.

However, if Hallmark movies are your jam - definitely check out this book. Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean it won't be great for someone else.

**Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

As someone who grew up in a small town and has a deep love of Gilmore Girls and Hallmark movies, I knew I wanted to read this book! Adi is in.a bit of a rut in her life, and especially in her work as a writer. When inspiration strikes, she ventures off to Pleasant Hollow to write a real-life Hallmark story about a sweet, charming small town getting taken over by a big, bad development company. And maybe, while she's there, she'll find her small-town romance too! But when she gets there, she realizes real life is not always what TV makes it out to be. The small town isn't all that sweet and charming, the development company isn't all that bad, and there is a guy she may be falling for - but he's the city guy.

I liked how this story showed the true reality of small towns - they aren't all as charming as Stars Hollow! Though I wish Adi would have seen that reality a little sooner in the book rather than continuing to force something that wasn't there. I adored Finn and felt a lot of empathy for him as he shared about his family and the effects alcoholism had on him and his dad. I actually really liked the ending of this one, with both Finn and Adi trying to grand gesture the other in their own ways, and committing to being open and communicating honestly.

If you are a fan of pop culture - and specifically Hallmark movies (and you don't mind a little spice with your Hallmark!) - you should pick this one up!

I have to be honest – I didn't finish this one. I hope to go back to it and give it another chance in the future, but it honestly just tested every last nerve I had.

I got about 10% into the book when I couldn't take it anymore. It was too much stereotyping, being disappointed, and placing illogical expectations on strangers and inanimate objects that did not live for the sake of meeting the main character's expectations and ideals.

I understand going to a town and being disappointed, but there's a point where you need to adjust your expectations, and she just wouldn't. Instead, she just kept going on and on about her disappointments and couldn't seem to get over herself.

Additionally, while I love Gilmore Girls and Hallmark shows and was excited for the comparison the synopsis and other reviews presented, the fact that they regularly comment on wanting to live a hallmark movie is a bit over the top – especially when it was referenced regularly.

Sadly, this book just isn't for me. I hope many other people enjoy it.

This book is perfectly titled. It's a Hallmark movie transposed directly to page - with a twist.

I really liked the cleverness of this book and how it subverts the expectations of the genre - purposefully.

City girl, Adi, has a great idea for an article that could help boost her career. However, her falling-in-love-in-a-charming-small-town-like-a-Hallmark-movie trope just doesn’t seem to be working… on so many levels.

Will Adi find love? Will she find a good story so she can get published and maybe get a full-time job as a journalist (instead of working part-time as both a barista and a spin instructor)? You won’t know unless you read As Seen On TV which comes out June 7, 2022.

This book was such a cute read! It reminded me a lot of a Hallmark movie. The storytelling was great and kept me captivated. There’s great chemistry, banter, family drama, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for this cute romcom by Meredith Schor.

Freelance writer Adina Geller is a little sick of her big city life in NYC and desperately wants to impress a magazine to get a full time writing job. When she is green lit to write an article comparing a small town that a developer is taking over to your Hallmark small town movies she sees it as her big break. But when she gets to Pleasant Hollow she finds it not the Hallmarkest small town she pictured it. Her article hits a snag because of that. The only thing impressing her about the small town life is Finn Adams. Although he isn’t the small town boy of her dreams, he runs the developer building project in the town and lives in NYC as well. While they are having fun Adina must salvage this trip to write the article of her life for her dream career. In this town two hours from home that isn’t what she thought it would be help her find the things she wants out of life in ways she didn’t expect?.

Favorite thing about this book Adina and Finn romance. Those are the parts I remember the most and enjoyed the most. There was chemistry, humor, and drama. Although some of the drama didn’t click with me. The story of their romance was with made me keep reading. The ending was very swoony and really fairy tale like. It did take me some time to get into this one. Adina first few chapters in Pleasant Hollow wasn’t the most cheer worthy of character as she tried to fit the town to match her dream of small towns. It got better the longer the story went though. I would like to see her interview more towns people when she saw there was something to the town and the people. Wasn’t the biggest fan of Finn’s issues storyline but could relate to it. Loved Adina’s relationship with her mom and best friend Kate in this. When we started seeing them more was when I started rooting for Adina as a character.

Overall a really cute com com that anyone wanting a big city meets small town feel would want to pick up.

I am giving this 3.5 stars (upgraded to 4 stars on this scale).

As Seen on TV follows Adina Gellar, a journalist who’s trying to break into the field and go from freelancer to a full-time role. When she hears of a businessman targeting a small upstate New York town for development, she thinks it’s the perfect story to give her a break. Only when she arrives in Pleasant Hollow to research the story, it isn’t what she expected. The town isn’t out of a Hallmark movie, and the town isn’t resisting the development. Everything is more complicated when the only person she really connects with in the town works for the company doing the development.

This was an easy read, but it missed the mark for me. There are references that fans of Hallmark movies will appreciate, and there are moments filled with humor. Personally, I had a hard time connecting with and rooting for Adi. I appreciated her ambition, but I didn’t like how she reacted when she learned her story wasn’t what she thought and how treated many of the people in the town. Finn was a highlight for me, but it wasn’t enough to bring the rating up.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As Seen on Tv by Meredith Schorr
337 Pages
Genre: Rom Com/ Romance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is my perfect book! The main character Adina is a journalist looking to land her full time dream position. All she needs is the perfect story. Adina is obsessed with Hallmark movies, so when she finds the perfect story in a small town she knows it’s meant to be. However real life is a little different than the movies.

Adi meets who she thinks is the small town sexy guy Finn, who ends up being the big city manager of the company she wants to take down in her story . Finn is sweet but she knows how all those city boys are not what they seem. Adi is surrounded by a loving best friend and mother who are her world. Adi realizes maybe the small town she wanted isn’t truly there. Is she able to figure out how to make it all work out: love, work, life?

This book is my dream book because it’s all things Hallmark and hits on a Gilmore Girls type story also. The town is called Pleasant Hollow I mean that sounds perfectly familiar 😍 I read this book so quick and it will be one of my comfort reads for many years to come. I highly recommend this book especially if you love Hallmark movies, Gilmore Girls or just a great cozy read.

Super cute book if you're all about the Hallmark Movies and enjoy some good banter then this is the book for you. This one was a really good read that would be perfect for the beach or pool side the story just flowed so good. I really enjoyed each of the characters in this book.

The anti-Hallmark movie!

I originally thought As Seen on TV would be the usual television movie (you know what I mean) where everything is perfect, and people are really friendly and want to be your best friend the minute they met you. But Adina Gellar found out that nothing is like she expected in Pleasant Hollow trying to write a story about the new development “The Hollows” in a sleepy like town in New York. If she succeeds, she will hopefully get a full-time job at Tea and maybe finding her true love if she opens her heart to Finn Adams.

As Seen on TV is a cute takeoff of an anti-Hallmark movie because falling in love is difficult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a super cute romcom! Who doesn’t love a hallmark loving romantic lead? This was really fun to read because while it seems different than a hallmark movie, it actually ended up fitting into that category perfectly! This was a great book to get you out of a reading slump and perfect summer bead read!

Thank you Forever for my gifted copy!

A small town romance but with big city feels. This slow-burn light hearted story is a hallmark movie in the making. As Seen on TV is a one seat read, and to be honest I've never seen the Gilmore Girls so I did not get the references. Adi and Finn were adorable love interests. My overall rating is 3.5

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5

A cute, fun romance that incorporates my absolute favorite thing - Hallmark movies. Journalist Adina Gellar discovers a story that has all the makings of a Hallmark movie - a small town is targeted by a big-city real estate magnate for development. She pitches her idea and goes to the small town of Pleasant Hollow to cover the story. She meets Finn and believes he may be the star of her own small town romance..until she discovers he works for the company she is trying to bring down.

This was such a great premise and my love of hallmark movies made me love this even more. It was hilarious how Schorr twisted the Hallmark tropes and the banter was on point. I wanted a bit more chemistry, but overall, this was a solid romance.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars (release date June 7, 2022)

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a cute contemporary rom-com set in upper New York. Adina Geller is a struggling NYC journalist trying to land her first full-time writing job and weed through a dismal pool of men uninterested in a real relationship. She is enamored with made-for-tv romance movies, the Gilmore Girls, and the allure of small town life. When she finds out about a big city real estate magnet developing a large complex in a small town, she thinks she's finally found the perfect story that will finally land her the dream job and maybe even her dream man. Except the small town is nothing like the ones on tv, the only man she's found, Finn, is from NYC, and the story she thought she could write doesn't exist.

I liked the flirtation between Adina and Finn and there was definitely chemistry. There are plenty of pop culture mentions and while I don't watch made-for-tv romances, I do love Gilmore Girls and loved all of the references. Initially I liked Adina's energy and the fact that she didn't give up, but she eventually started to come off as self-obsessed and tone-deaf to what others around her are going through. There was one scene in particular with Finn about 80% into the book in which she was so off the mark, so selfish and in the wrong, that if I had been reading a physical book instead of my ipad, I would have thrown it against the wall. Trust me, you'll know it when you read it. For that reason, I had to lower my rating. The ending of the book in which we got our HEA seemed rushed to me, but I did like how it ultimately ended. The spice level in this book is a 1.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). All opinions are my own.

I love Hallmark movies, but always yearn for a bit more spice. This book totally delivered on that vibe!

Adi is looking for her Hallmark movie moment when she stumbles on the perfect town: Pleasant Hollow. A big city developer is working on bringing housing to this small town, which fits in perfectly to her expectations. Except, nothing is pleasant in this town: the townspeople are rude to her, they don’t dislike the idea of the development, the single guy is hot with an unpleasant personality, and, worst of all, there’s no homemade pie.

Adi expects to meet the big bad developer, but instead finds Finn. Who is smoking hot with a large helping of dysfunction. In Adi’s attempt at recreating a Hallmark movie a la lifestyle article, she never dreamed she’d fall for the city guy.

Books that make me feel good are my jam and I just adored Adi and Finn together! He made me feel exasperated at times, but his grand gesture more than made up for it. Adi as a character grew throughout the story and I’m glad she found a voice for herself.

Finn’s back story was heart-wrenching and, while I understood his actions, I wanted to throttle him several times. There were plenty of steamy moments to make up for it, though! There was undeniable chemistry and my favorite scene was where he pushed her up against his car.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Pub for an ARC!

This is a feel good book with a sweet romance. As Seen on TV is a great escape. It’s a rather quick read. So it’s easy to finish in a couple hours.

I have read some great rom-coms this year so the bar was set high and, unfortunately, As Seen on Tv, just didn’t meet my expectations. Adi was immature and naive and hard to relate to and the plot was too sweet, slow and uneventful. To me, this story read like a young adult novel which was not what I was looking for nor expecting.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for this ARC for which I provided an honest review.