3.5 - This is a sweet story that accidentally becomes the antithesis of a Hallmark movie. Adina Gellar is over dating in NYC, so she pitches a story to an online magazine about a small town in upstate New York where a real estate mogul is building a large apartment complex. She sees this as the opportunity to become the protagonist of her own Hallmark movie, but when she arrives she brutally realizes small towns aren't what they seem like on TV.

Adina is a lovely protagonist, and I loved her inner monologue. She has a clear focus throughout the book as she needs to finish her story to land a full-time position at the magazine and help her mother financially. The story moves fast and doesn't get bogged down by too much exposition. Finn is a typical, swoon-worthy love interest with no shortage of his own problems. Adi is confident that she can handle anything Finn can throw at her, including whatever about him makes being in a relationship "complicated." I also really loved that the author provided a more realistic view of a small town as a place where everything is not charming.

I do wish there was a bit more depth to the story. The author touches on some deeper ideas such as alcoholism, homelessness, debt, and financial insecurity, but we never dig too deeply into the issues. For both Adi and Finn, their issues feel like they're only on the surface and didn't give me an emotional connection. There are moments that feel just a tad cheesy, but I think that fits in with the Hallmark movie theme.

Overall, this is a quick, sweet read that I think anyone who likes Hallmark movies will love.

Adina Gellar loves Hallmark movies - You know the ones: typically set in a small town and "against all odds" the two main characters fall in love. Well, that is exactly what she is expecting in the Pleasant Hollow (which is just a few hours outside of New York). Except Pleasant Hollow doesn't care about the big-city developer moving in on their town, nor do they have quaint little events in the town square. Pleasant Hollow doesn't even bake their own baked goods! It's a travesty really. That is until Finn Adams. Is Finn her dream man that she was supposed to meet? Or just another one of those disappointments from Pleasant Hollow?

Despite being well written, I just couldn't get into this novel. It took me waaaay longer than it should have to finish a 300-some page book. I mean, I liked Finn as a character well enough, but Adi? I found her to be very annoying. Once she realized that Pleasant Hollow was not a cozy town like in Gilmore Girls or any other made-for-tv romance movie, she still does not group up. She felt like a teenager to me, instead of a full grown 25-year old woman.

I wish I had more to say about this book, but like I said, it just wasn't for me. It didn't grab my attention. I hope others have better luck with this one! I see lots of good reviews, but I just can't give it more than 2/5 stars.

review: as seen on tv by meredith schorr
rating:3 stars
release date: june 7

i would like to preface this by saying, i love rom-com books but dislike hallmark movies. does that make me a contradiction?? anyways…

this book plays into hallmark tropes (especially the perfect small town where the city girl goes to fall in love with a guy who wears flannel) BUT in a new way! when Adi goes to the small town of Pleasant Hollow what she expects to find is a Hallmark Town with sweet residents who are angered at the recent real estate mogul’s apartment complex in their neighborhood. oh and maybe a small town boy to fall for?? what Adi DOES find is the exact opposite: the people of Pleasant Hollow are crabby (at best) and completely unbothered by the encroaching city – in fact, they kind of *want* the city life. the other thing she finds? a city boy. who, of course, she falls for (because life is not as seen as on tv.)

this one is cute and quick to read. i liked it but didn’t *love* it, here’s why: i found it very predictable (kind of like hallmark movies). i didn’t feel overly invested in the characters and while i understand that the whole theme was “things aren’t as they seem” i do wish there was one small town resident who had a redeeming quality and more of a role in the narrative. the best part of this book was the end (and i mean that in a good way; it’s worth getting to!). i loved finn’s grand gesture… and the epilogue was super creative. also, really enjoyed how schorr called out real places in NYC!! (love bubby’s pie with my whole heart)

i recommend! thank you to netgalley for my e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a fun little rom com! However, I didn’t feel like I connected with the characters as much as I would have liked; I think I was just looking for a little more depth. I did really like Adina’s mother and I got a laugh out of how Pleasant Hollow wasn’t the quaint little small town that Adina assumed it would be. The book overall was well-written and had a pretty good story line - I would recommend if someone is needing a cute, light romance with mild spice.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Well, that was cute. Was it the next great novel? No. Was it a pleasant day of reading? Yes, yes it was.

If you are (like me and approximately 98% of the population) and are obsessed with Hallmark....Gilmore Girls...Hart of Dixie (thank you Meredith for that reminder...I love that show) then you should pick this one up. It's cute and has a sweet little ending that I really enjoyed.

I was drawn to this book based on the blurb and the Gilmore Girls/Hallmark comparison. While part of it takes place in a small town, it's more about Adi's comparing Pleasant Hollow to every small town show or movie ever made and her disappointment that it's nothing like that. The pacing felt too slow for me, and there is a 'sugar causes diabetes' joke in there that I will forever call out as unfunny and untrue no matter what book it's in. All that being said, it is a sweet story. I did, for the most part, like Adi and Finn's relationship. The writing is good, and the story flows, but it just wasn't for me.

I DNF this at about 40%. I loved the hallmark references and the plot had so much potential but the main female character drove me crazy. She was supposed to be a journalist but she lacked the basic skills and kept trying to mould the people and surroundings into the story she wanted to write. A lot of people loved this book though so I may try to finish it later but I wasnt excited to be reading it anymore so moved on.

I really enjoyed this book! Adi and Finn are interesting characters who meet in a town so different than the ones found in Hallmark movies. The idea that all small towns reflect those found in the movies was certainly dispelled in this book.

Adi is a free-lance journalist hoping to gain a full-time job with an online magazine. She currently lives with her Mom, but desperately wants to start her true adult life. She has 2 other part-time jobs in addition to her free-lance work, but there are not leading her to the career she truly wants.

After she successfully pitches her idea for her story to a prospective employer, she sets off to write a story set in the small town of Pleasant Hollow. Her assignment is to get the town’s perspective on a new large development project which is currently being built. The town is filled with plenty of quirky characters that kept me highly entertained.

Finn is the attractive construction manager who is in charge of the job site. He’s also staying in the same Bed and Breakfast as Adi is. As they two begin to learn more about each other, it’s easy to see their chemistry. But what they truly want for their own lives is something very different.

I enjoyed the Gilmore Girls-like relationship between Adi and her mother and the references to the show throughout the book, including the town’s name and Adina’s surname (same as Rory’s friend Paris). On a more serious note, the author does a great job of discussing difficult subjects such as alcoholism with compassion. This balance of comedy and serious subjects makes for an enjoyable read.

As Seen on Tv is a sweet romance book. I found the characters to be relatable and enjoyed the storyline especially watching Adina grow from thinking the ideal romance would be a Hallmarkish romance to realizing that real romances can be messy.

Adina is a freelance journalist, barista and spin instructor, but her dream is to be a fulltime pop culture and entertainment writer. When a night viewing of Million Dollar Listing inspires her for an idea for an article to an online magazine, she is hoping to get a fulltime position with, Adi leaves NYC for a visit to Pleasant Hollow, NY. A big-time developer is building a condo complex and Adi is thinking that the residents of the small town clearly must be upset at the rich developer coming in to ruin their town. Picturing a small town reminiscent of Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow, with quirky locals and town activities, Adi is shocked to find Pleasant Hollow not so pleasant. The saving grace is Finn, who is actually there from the city, overseeing the project. Adi continues to try to find her story but trying to encourage Pleasant Hollow to be the small town from a Hallmark lover's dream. Then there is her relationship with Finn... is it something more or is it just a small town/break from life fling?

I loved the idea of this book. As a lover of Gilmore Girls and small-town romances, the thought of someone going to a small town and it being the antithesis of Hallmark movies and Gilmore Girls made me laugh. The relationship between Finn and Adi didn't click for me. Adina felt very immature. They didn't have much chemistry. Her attachment to him after such a short time and her expectations on him felt very forced. And his whole personal situation that caused conflict felt unfinished... the stuff with his sister was thrown out there but never served much of a purpose to his development or the story. He may as well have been an only child. His relationship with his dad was clearly unhealthy and being fixed so easily in the end was unrealistic to me. I wanted to love this book, but there are so many great romance books I've read recently and since I couldn't connect to Adina, it was hard to root for her and her happy ending.

This was a fun, steamy romance featuring an aspiring NYC journalist and Hallmark movie enthusiast who hopes to find inspiration in a quaint, Stars Hollow-esque town. When Adina arrives in Pleasant Hollow she thinks she'll be able to find a made for tv movie type style of love story good enough to sell to an online magazine. Instead she finds the town isn't the picture perfect one she had envisioned and Finn, the hot NYC transplant, isn't the man she thought he was either.

Full of heart, humor and great characters. I loved how the author doesn't shy away from tough topics, like homelessness or the challenges of having an alcoholic parent. Adina and Finn have to fight for their HEA and I soooo enjoyed the ride. Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copies!

I really liked the premise of this one and thought how the author took a typical small town romance story and flipped everything upside down was not only adorable but also clever. I adore both small town romance movies and books so many of the references made me giggle in appreciation. Small town life does not always mean cute little festivals, insta love and quirky neighbors and that’s more than apparent in Pleasant Hollow. It was a really unique take on the genre and I totally appreciated reading something fresh. I found Adi to be very relatable, she was fun and witty and said so many things that made me laugh. Finn as a sort of anti hero was still charming in his own right and I believed their relationship story as well as their chemistry. I think the narrator, Emily Lawrence was great too, she made listening an enjoyable experience. Overall a fun and light read that will be perfect this summer.

I really couldn't get into this book, and there is a chance of the wrong book, at the wrong time here. Unfortunately, the MC felt a bit too immature for me. Perhaps I will try again in the future.

2/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Not for me. The general premise was promising, and I love the cute small town vibes. But I didn’t care for the love interest, and things got sexy too fast, so it felt awkward.

DNF @33%

This book was so promising! I loved the premise of a city girl going to a small town to chase her Hallmark movie love story (so basically the reverse character goals of Book Lovers by Emily Henry) but the execution leaves something to be desired. The characters are one dimensional and lacked depth. Adina drove me crazy as she not only expected every townsperson to immediately become her best friend but would actually get mad or upset when they didn't act like they were on the set of Gilmore Girls.

I really loved all the nods to some of my favorite romantic comedy movies and TV shows, but I needed Adina to have a bit more of a dose of reality--it felt like she was 15, not 25. The Jewish representation and reality being an adult with a degree who still had to work several side jobs to make ends meet was excellent and I'd love to see this in more books. This one just didn't quite work for me.

As Seen On TV
by Meredith Schorr
4 stars
Adina is a struggling journalist just trying to get a full-time job, as she pitches different stories for TEA an online magazine. She finally lands one about a real-life small town Hallmark movie. When she visits Pleasant Hollow the small town that drew the inspiration nothing goes according to plan she has to change up her story and her views.

This book for me was just slow at first which, I think all of the books I have been reading are a slow build for me. Adina is obsessed with Hallmark movies which I am to a point but she has too much hope for a small town being more Hallmark than they ever actually are. Adi has always thought her parents had the perfect marriage, so when she finds someone that catches her eye and makes her heart flutter she thinks it should be all bliss. It does take a while but she finds out that you have to learn to accept and you have to put in the effort for relationships to last and work. It ended on a cute happily ever after note that just took longer to get there than what I felt necessary.
Thank you, Net Galley, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eArc for an honest review.

I didn’t really love this book. I liked the idea of visiting a small town and seeing what made it special, but it just felt like the redeeming qualities of the town and why people liked it should’ve been highlighted a little more. I do feel like Adi expected a lot and they acknowledged that it was unrealistic but she came off as very rude. I was also confused by her relationship with Finn. I didn’t get the feelings of love at first sight or a really strong relationship I just thought they had slept together a few times so to hear her saying she was in love with him was confusing to me. I also think the things she said about Finn after he said nothing to support her would not be forgotten so quickly. Just like I don’t think Finn’s dad could realistically go from where he was with grieving to sober and nice 6 months later. I also don’t think their tumultuous love story makes sense as a TV adaptation…

This is a perfect novel for anyone spends December binge-watching made-for-TV movie featuring 90s sitcom stars traveling to quaint and quirky small towns to fall in love with plaid shirted woodworkers. As Seen on TV is, itself, binge-worthy. I definitely sat down with this and didn't get up until I was over 200 pages in.

This book upends all the classic finding-love-in-a-small-town tropes, throwing in a splash of Gilmore Girls vibes, as Adina chases down a story that she hopes will launch her journalism career...only, the town doesn't quite cooperate.

I always like protagonists who don't quite have their shit together professionally. Adina is kind of subverting that classic Hallmark trope, too: the city woman chained to a lucrative-but-soulless job. Instead of discovering love with a handsome, gruff diner owner, she finds herself falling for a fellow New Yorker.

I loved all the little asides and references to Hallmark movies. Adina and Finn definitely felt like people with actual chemistry. This was a total pleasure to read and would also make a perfect gift for that friend who always tells you which holiday romances to watch or skip.

I enjoyed the opening scene and the idea behind the book. After a few more pages it lost my attention and felt boring. DNF


*************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.****************

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

DNF @ 35%.

I really hate DNFing books, especially ones in my favorite genre, but I found myself actively disliking it by 20%. I thought the premise was cute: girl goes in search of her own Hallmark story only to find love in unexpected places. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy how it was implemented.

The MC was very immature for a 25-year-old, and her overconfidence annoyed me. She had very little chemistry with the love interest from the get-go—I heard a lot about how he was hot but didn’t FEEL it.

The story could have taken many different directions, and I just didn’t happen to vibe with the direction it took—which is fine! I’m sure someone else will love it.