This was sweet and kind of silly, but I struggled to connect. With the characters, with the story, with any of it. I think the main issue for me is that we’re not exactly sure where the focus of the story is. Is it on Bear and Trixie’s budding relationship? Is it on the chicken they’re trying to raise in a major city? Is it on their relationships with their families? Or is it on their difficulties being honest with each other and true to themselves? The story struggles to pick a lane. While I do love that Bear and Trixie seem absolutely suited for each other, and they help each other navigate through some challenges while eventually finding their way back to one another, their relationship is chaotic, and once again, I struggled to connect with it. The main characters give off major Nick and Jess from New Girl vibes, and while I love a quirky main character, I couldn’t seem to get on board with Trixie’s brand of quirky. Despite my inability to connect with the story it was a fairly easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much for the eCopy of this book! I really enjoyed reading this one. It's been a while since I read a good romcom but I really love this one. The plot was good and so are the characters. I love the flow of the story and I really enjoyed this one.

I felt like the story had a great beginning, but then it became uneventful and too predictable. I didn’t fully understand why the MCs were so against becoming a couple and didn’t quite get the conflict in the story.

It was a cute story and I did like all the characters (especially Bear’s sisters).

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Alcove Press and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Laugh out loud enjoyable. Trixie’s a unique character you’ll love and cheer for.

"Leave it to a chicken to throw my life into a tailspin." This novel has the most unforgettable meet-cute —in the middle of the street, chasing a chicken across the road to rescue it! The whole story is a true delight! We get (loving) meddling siblings, missed connections vibes, sweet family relationships, sublime sexual tension, and lovely character development. There's an ice-cream truck mission, pancake-making, intriguing side-characters —and the potential chicken name Hennifer Lopez! but they go with Chick-Chick in the end.

♡ She's a former-dancer who works at an animal shelter; He's in construction, and "built like mountains". Because of their ages and the economy right now, they both have side gigs. When Trixie and Bear move in together and need to earn some more money to pay for Chick-Chick's vet bills, shenanigans ensue! (Featuring spandex off-brand superhero costumes, chaotic dog-walking, and wholesome neighbourhood lemonade stands.) Ohlert integrates this into the narrative so easily that you hardly notice it, yet it helps ground the story firmly in a familiar reality. (I know that it's skillfully done because I recently had to stop reading two other books because I could not connect with the romance when I was so saddened by the characters' drowning in hustle culture and the desperation of late-stage capitalism. I felt nothing but enjoyment of their adventures here!)

♡ I loved all Trixie's quirky, colourful outfits (and mismatched socks!) and I love how much Bear loves them too. I love that Bear is a Grey's Anatomy fan! and that he knows Jeopardy episodes by heart! (They spend a lot of time watching reruns on the couch together. He's more of a homebody, which is relatable, but he also injures himself and ends up in a cast.) He makes her food, they go grocery shopping and cook together, help when they're running late for work in the morning, but there's also awkwardness and arguments, so we get a lot of the roommate moments you probably hope for.

♡ There's HEAT between them! Do not be fooled by all the pastel on the cover! The sex is off-page, but the important capital-R Romance moments —the longing stares, the forearms, fantasizing, the pulling bodies onto laps, rough hands tugging down hips, faces buried in chests, steamy dancing and near-kisses— that's alll there, and it's brilliantly done! I love that most of the time, Trixie is the bold one who makes the sexual advances. Ohlert gives us the always-dreamy "How did you get him to do that?" "I asked." moment! And complimentary silliness like this: "The sexual tension between us was as thick as Tom Selleck's mustache."

♡ There's parental heartache that's lingered from childhood in how both these characters cope with emotions, and in how they treat themselves. Trixie's parents made her feel like she had to be polite and friendly and "perfect" at all times, and Bear's dad made him question anything not "masculine" behaviour. I found the portrayal of their struggles very real, and even more understandable and natural to the characters as the story progresses.

♡ Note on the animals: I'm a person who legit will not watch a movie if there's a dog involved at all, because I simply cannot handle the emotional impact of an animal potentially being hurt —even if it ends up being perfectly fine in the end! I will not cope, my world will be shattered. And I was fine reading this! Be aware that when the chicken is rescued, it is not as smooth and fluffy as the cover depicts, its health has deteriorated from being out in the street, and there are some ups and downs with its treatment and recovery at the vet, but somehow Ohlert manages to make the descriptions both evocative and emotionally manageable. I've been in those situations with pets before (treatment cost is more than I can afford, staying up all night and all day with a sick animal, feeling helpless, the sickening guilt and worry of seeing your animal limping when injured) and so I could see the reality in them, but To Get to the Other Side stays light enough —or maybe keeps the difficult moments brief enough— that it isn't weighed down. And did you know chicken wheelchairs exist? Bear hand-makes one for Chick-Chick, and it's the sweetest!

Content warnings: memories of bullying and public humiliation, toxic masculinity (challenged), Trixie's got trauma from strict, judgmental, manipulative parenting and a toxic roommate who betrayed her trust. Bear's dad is rude and mean and cruel, but only appears briefly once or twice.

Loved this book!
Trixie and Bear meet when she is chasing a chicken, and then once she comes to view a spare room in his house. He had been wanting to see her again, but is reluctant to share his space or let any one too close, thanks to a fairly toxic relationship with his Dad.
Bear's interfering family are trying to help, but will they make things better or not?
Looking forward to more books from this author.

An adorable romance that tugs at your heartstrings. I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and how relatable some of their insecurities were. I wish we would've gotten a bit more of Trixie's backstory, but it was a fantastic read, regardless. Highly recommended!

This is a fun and quick read. It’s witty and cute. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Another ARC from NetGalley and Alcove Press for a review. This book was a great light-hearted rom-com read! I really enjoyed the puns, jokes, and banter in this book. I thought it featured great character development and relatable characters that made me love this story. It was a fun read that went by really quickly.

Book tropes: grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, strangers to roommates to lovers, angsty.

Trixie finds herself homeless after rescuing an injured chicken in Chicago. She responds to an ad for a room for rent and encounters the burly man named Bear who helped her rescue the chicken. Trixie works odd jobs to help pay for ChickChick’s extensive vet bills while still working full time at an animal shelter. The forced proximity to Bear in their shared home is the catalyst for both Bear and Trixie admitting their shared feelings.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found some details repetitive at times, like Bear’s bullying in the past and Trixie’s problems with her parents. Their problems were somewhat superficial and could have been addressed had Bear and Trixie openly communicated their feelings instead of letting it snowball. Ultimately, I would recommend this book.

So hoped right now this read because I needed something funny. This was super funny and cute the whole chicken thing was just a bit much for me. They are co parenting an injured chicken. This was an adorable meet cute but it wasn't a favorite for me.

This book didn't suck me in like I hoped it would. I wanted to like it so bad! I will still purchase for the library, as I'm sure others would enjoy reading it and decide for themselves. Still thankful I was given the opportunity to read and review it.

I really wanted to love this book. It was cute and I was drawn in by the puns and a sweet meet. From there it was downhill. I was so confused by this story that went back and forth. The characters traumas were unusual and not fully unpacked. It just wasn’t the book for me. Thanks to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

ARC provided by NetGalley 🤍

This book was such a light read and i’ve definitely laughed a lot throughout.

Trixie is the sweetest girl and she is like this ball of happiness everywhere she goes. Bear is like the complete opposite. I love grumpy/sunshine books so that’s what immediately drew me toward this! The chicken was definitely interesting to read about - i mean, not many people save stray chickens !

This book was very heartwarming and super cute. I liked the forced proximity that was also added and i think everyone needs a friend like Trixie!

I was immediately hooked by this book and thought the meet cute was amazing. I'm not sure at what point the book lost my interest but before long I was skimming through just to and finish it. It felt like the book was a lot longer than it needed to be b/c the main characters didn't communicate well with each other.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Alcove Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Alcove Press.

OMG! Who dares to say no to a roommate: who’s freaking hot, bicep flexing, a great pancake flipper, chicken wheelchair builder, flower arrangement designer, Grey’s Anatomy binge-watcher, wine gourmet: yes, dear Bear is my dreamy combination for book boyfriend!

That sweet guy saved the damsel in distress Trixie from traffic monsters as she tries to save a chicken’s life in the middle of highway!

Trixie, who always smiles,social, friendly, carrying polka dotted dresses proudly, working at animal shelter, may be the kindest human being who can risk her living situation to help saving the life of a chicken ; including struggling with depth to pay her hospital bills!

When her landlord gives her notice to find another place to live with Miss Chick Chick, she starts looking for a new house ! Luckily dear Bear, a homey guy, also a man in few words, suffering from antics of four demanding sisters, realizes his sisters posted a hilarious ad attracting tenant candidates like bees to honey: informing that he’s looking for a roomie!

When Bear storms out from his bathroom to chase after that poor army of people who ask questions about his home, he realizes the girl he chickened out to ask her phone number is just standing there to rent his room!

Well, both of them have their own financial issues! So they promise themselves to keep in their pants and resume their platonic friendship even though the chemistry is palpable and entire sisters of Bear do everything to bring them together.

Bear only wants to help the gorgeous woman in quirks he can’t get enough of and keep Miss Chick Chick alive ( yes: he has two different roommates! Trixie didn’t mention she would bring her healing chicken and Bear was too kind hearted to kick them out!)

They have so many up and downs because of their emotional baggages. Mostly Bear was the patient and caring one who always gave the space Trixie needed and Trixie was a little irritating with her emotional turmoil but I still liked her a lot. She was quirky, generous, vivid, lovable!

I was planning to give 4 stars to this read but I fell in love with Bear and his entire clan ( I loved family meetings time) so I gave extra half star: rounded up 4.5 stars to 5 extra sweet, entertaining, spandex wearing super hero stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert

I was so excited to get this ARC from Netgalley and Alcove Press. I’ve been following Kelly on TikTok for a while and have seen her talk about this book. It definitely did not disappoint.

Trixie works at an animal shelter and makes it her mission to save every animal she can. So when she finds a chicken who was unable to cross the road, she scoops it up and takes it home. But with a landlord who has a strict no-pet rule, and a hurt chicken, Trixie decides she needs to find a new place that is pet friendly.

Bear is a grump. He enjoys keeping a low profile and staying out of the spotlight. That is until Trixie ends up being his roommate. The two could not be more opposite, yet, Bear finds himself captivated by Trixie's sunshine personality, and smile. Being roommates may be harder than Bear thought, and throw a pet chicken in the mix and all rules get thrown out the window.

A great debut novel! The banter was SO great and all the puns and jokes had me laughing throughout this book. If you enjoy grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, and roommates to lovers, then this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

The premise of this book was something that really gripped me. Our main protagonists Trixie picks up a chicken from the side of the road and due to the fact that her landlord doesn't allow pets she has to find another place to live. Insert Bear's house and the fact that his sister put up a room for rent without him knowing. When Trixie applies he desides to give her the room and that's basically where our story stars.

The character development was something I really liked about the book and I also think it's the book's strong suit, however I could not connect to the story as I would have liked. It dragged, especially in the middle, and felt a lot longer than it actually was. Overall I would say it's a decent story and I enjoyed reading it, but it's not the absolute best I've read.

An interesting rom com with a chicken. A chicken who was trying to cross the road. Didn’t see that one coming. But it was fun.

Round up to 4.5 stars!⭐️

Who tells the funniest hen jokes?
Comedi-hens.

Listen this book was straight up hilarious! I can’t remember the last time I laughed like this.
The story follows Trixie, an absolute ray of sunshine out to safe every stray animal she can find, which now includes Chick-Chick, her pet chicken who didn’t cross the road so successfully. But with a landlord who has a strict no pet rule, and Chick-Chicks’s medical pills pilling up, she finds herself having to move into a new apartment that is pet friendly, and luckily, a Bear needs a new roommate.

Bear is a bit of a grump, speaks in monotones of grunts and taking his huge size into account, doesn’t like being the centre of attention. His whole life is turned up-side down when a polka-dot wearing smiling ball of pure enthusiasm ends up being his new roommate. With his heart racing every time he sees her, this new living arrangement might be harder then he thought. Especially when he realizes living with her will mean co-parenting her sickly pet-chicken. With a cluck here, and a cluck there, they fall into a cozy habit of watching Grey’s anatomy together, making pancakes,going on picnics with their chicken and stealing secret glares at each other. Its only a matter of time until Trixie and Bear fall in love, as Bear’s whole family EGG-spected.

Absolutely brilliant, heart-warming, hilarious and so sweet. If you like any of the following tropes, this is the book for you:
🐓Grumpy/sunshine trope
🐓Forced proximity
🐓Roommates to lovers
🐓Co-parenting (its a chicken it counts)

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this wholesome and hilarious books! I can’t wait to read anything and everything this author writes in the future.

2.5/5
To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert is a contemporary romance featuring Trixie, who works at an animal shelter, has several friends but keeps everyone at an arms length emotionally and always hides her true feelings behind a smile, and Bear, who loves his family, Grey's Anatomy and pancakes, hates going to clubs and wants to be himself without getting judged. When Trixie rescues a chicken from the middle of the road and decides to keep it, she is forced to find a new place to stay as her landlord doesn't allow pets. And guess what, Bear's meddlesome sisters place an ad to rent a room in his home. Even though he didn't know about the ad, when Trixie shows interest he decides to rent the room. And we get a romance with meddling family, taking care of a chicken, business problems, hospital visits, mounting bills, emotional growth and much more.
The character growth is really great in this one. I appreciate what the author tried to do. The emotional growth that both the characters had to go through was good to see. How gender stereotypes can affect people and the unrealistic expectation that you should always smile and the toll it can take has been done well. The book itself is structured well. There are some really funny scenes.
Still it didn't work for me. I couldn't connect with the story and I think it's because of the writing. I would have liked to know more about the characters. There is a certain conflict which felt too soon in the relationship timeline. Also there wasn't a lot of communication between the main characters, especially regarding the past. I wish we got that conversation.
You can pick this one up if you want to read a book which is easy to read with good character growth, a chicken as a pet, a meddling but adorable family.