This beginning of this book was super promising. It may be one of the first books I've ever wished had flashback chapters. I think that would have made it more 'show' than 'tell' because this book was lots of tell. I loved the trivia and Jeopardy-esque plot. I wish the romance wasn't so rushed yet stifled.

Charlotte has long aspired to be on a game show, so when her chance comes up, she jumps on it. However, this opportunity brings her back in the orbit of her high school ex, Eli, against whom she still holds a grudge. Their relationship is full of friction, made even worse by the meddling of the show's producer.

This was a weird little book. I found the writing excessively wordy and had difficulty relating to the characters. You may enjoy this book if you like:
- second chance romance
- a lot of detail about game show fandom
- characters doing amateur detective work
- quirky characters
- a theme that relies on black and white perspective

Thank you to Alcove Press for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Let's Get Quizzical had the best premise but fall short quickly for me. I wasn't able to make a connection to any of the main characters. I found the pacing to be off and the plot with other points to be pushed to side. Overall, I ended up "not finishing" this book at the fifty percent mark.

“Let’s Get Quizzical” by Kelly Ohlert is a delightful and unique romance story set in the world of TV quiz shows. The book offers an original take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, bringing together two former high school lovers, Charlotte and Eli, who are forced to cooperate on a quiz show. The tension and humor resulting from their past and the need to win create an engaging and entertaining storyline. The novel’s quiz show setting is a fresh and captivating backdrop that adds an exciting dimension to the romance. As a fan of TV quiz shows, I found it fascinating to explore this world through the characters’ experiences. The author’s portrayal of the quiz show dynamics and the audience’s reactions is both engaging and entertaining, making the story feel dynamic and authentic.

The second-chance romance theme is a central focus of the book, and the reconnection between Charlotte and Eli is handled brilliantly. Despite their past grievances, the characters find a way to communicate and rebuild their connection. The gradual rekindling of their romance is both heartwarming and relatable. One aspect of the story that may not resonate with all readers is Charlotte’s obsession with truth and honesty. While the importance of honesty is clear, her extreme commitment to always telling the truth and shutting out anyone who tells even a small white lie may come across as exaggerated to some. However, this character trait also highlights her growth throughout the book.

The humor in the book is well-executed, especially in the form of bickering between Charlotte and Eli during the quiz show. Their interactions add a layer of comedic relief, making the story enjoyable and light-hearted. Overall, “Let’s Get Quizzical” is a good romance novel with a unique setting, strong character dynamics, and a satisfying second-chance romance. The quiz show backdrop adds a fun twist to the story, making it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre and anyone looking for a refreshing take on the enemies-to-lovers trope.

2.5 stars.

"Let's Get Quizzical" by Kelly Ohlert has a decent story, but lacks the chemistry, backstory, and emotion to be successful. I felt nothing for the main characters, Charlotte and Eli. They dated in high school until he broke her heart and broke up with her. Little did Charlotte know that it all boiled down to a miscommunication, which could have been easily rectified with some minor talking. Eli, babe, if you know you love someone.....maybe just talk to them honestly???? I guess that'd be too obvious! Years later, they are thrust together once again on a game show called Brain Battle where they have both been chosen as contestants. One thing leads to another, and they are forced to be partners, eventually reconnecting for a second-chance, forced proximity quiz show romance. Even knowing they share history together, there is no chemistry between the two of them. I *love* quiz shows and was looking forward to this book being fantastic because of its fairly original premise, but it's not very good because Eli and Charlotte are both incredibly boring characters. I like the random facts they both drop, but that's as interesting as they get. They are both in their 30s, but act much younger and much more immature. Charlotte is insanely critical and not easy to care for because she seems to lack empathy and compassion for anyone but herself. The overall pacing is bad and the writing is choppy, which are both problems I had with Ohlert's first novel. I kept hoping this book would get better, but it didn't. Skip this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kelly Ohlert, and Alcove Press for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

The book is based around two individuals who enter a gameshow, which I loved as it was such an original concept. It further played out to be a light-hearted read, I could say I would have loved a little bit more action throughout as if I had to describe the storyline in one word, it would be potentially BEIGE. Some people love easy and minimal head space reads which is why they will love this read and if you are one of those people, yey for you! If like me you've read a million romance reads, you might find this one lacked a few of the charms which make romance reads quite so endearing. I would say this would be good if you need a super easy holiday read, I look forward to seeing what else Ohlert brings us!

I wanted to love this. I was so ready for trivia and the puns. I mean, I don't trust people who don't love puns. However, I unfortunately ended up DNFing this. I have a precarious relationship with second-chance romances. I need to see how they fell in love the first time to root for their second chance. Unfortunately, we are told, not shown, and I didn't care about them getting back together. What put a nail in the coffin for me was their reason for breaking up. It was utter nonsense. She needed to get over herself.

This was a funny, heartfelt, dual POV, second chance romance that sees former high school sweethearts paired up on a reality tv Quiz show game. The stakes are high for both Charlotte and Eli who need to win the money for their families as they battle it out to see how long they can stay on the show.

With lots of forced proximity goodness, the sparks fly and Charlotte has to consider if she can forgive Eli for the past and build a future together in the present. But to make things even more tricky, she discovers the show she's grown up loving has a dark side that will have her questioning just how badly she wants the money.

Great on audio and recommended for fans of the two upcoming game show romcoms, What is love by Jen Comfort and The fake dating game by Tim Janovsky. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Hoopla for access to the audiobook. This is by far my new favorite by the author!

Steam level: open door with a few spicy scenes

As a super trivia nerd and romance novel lover, I wanted this to grab me and never let go. It just didn't. The characters made me sad. I really hope that others enjoy it!

This was a fun and original concept, but it didn't quite hold my attention. It lacked chemistry between the characters, the pacing I needed to keep things exciting, and the ending I wasn't looking for.

I thought the motivations of both main characters were pretty good, but there was still something missing between the two of them. Their chemistry wasn't 100% for me. I wanted more banter or something from them.

Overall, this book was very mediocre for me. Not great, but also not horrible so it just kind of exists to me.

This was so badly written, I could not finish it. The conversations seem really weird and not realistic at all and the set-up is just way too cringy and weird. Did not like it. It reads like a bad fanfiction that you can read online and the writing needs some heavy editing.

The whole game-show seemed a bit too clichee and nonsensical as well

Charlotte and Eli are exes who land on the same quiz game show. It’s the first time they’ve seen each other in a number of years and they are antagonistic at best. They end up getting paired together to win the prize money that each desperately needs for their respective families.

I liked the game show idea premise more than the execution. I think Eli and Charlotte had a lot more baggage than I expected. The way they broke up during high school was anticlimactic and the miscommunication from it (even while they were in high school) was a bit ridiculous. I appreciated the random fact tidbits but then that seemed like most of the story because the characters didn’t have much depth. Finally, we never found out if they actually won the money.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this eARC. Let’s Get Quizzical is out now.

Thank you to Author Kelly Ohlert, Alcove Press & Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions shared are my own.

This was an interesting take on the differences between what we see on a highly edited TV show, versus what those involved really experience. Throw in that our MCs and competitors are teenage first loves who ended terribly, and you've got all the drama you need!

Eli & Charlotte each have their own reasons for needing to win the cash prize on the quiz show they're competing on, but when they're paired together they have to work through their history in front of a live audience to have a chance.

I enjoyed seeing the drama of the behind the scenes and the way the Author tied it all together in the end. If you're a fan of reality TV or quiz shows, you'll love all the fun facts you learn throughout and the format!

For a book leaning on the side of the romcom, this story is incredibly layered and moving. With a formidable command of the characters and the palpable chemistry between them, Ms. Kelly knows how to evoke emotion from the readers. Absolutely loved it.

While I really wanted to love this book, I just didn’t. It was cute, but a little too predictable.

I appreciated that the author didn’t drag out their love/hate relationship, but it felt kind of rushed. They went from fighting to not fighting within 2-3 days. I just don't feel like you would be able to "make up" that quickly if you've harbored that much contempt for someone for almost a decade. It didn't seem very believable to me at all.

The rest of the book was totally fine and I enjoyed the trivia aspect, but the rest was just okay.

When I read the synopsis I thought this book was cute and I just needed to read it. But I must say I have a mixed feelings about it now . I just couldn't connect eith MC. It was a 2.5 stars read for me

Loved this book! It was a funny story with relatable characters. Nice palate cleanser after reading a lot of heavy dark romance and fantasy

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing the ARC.

I struggled a lot to get into this book. I thought the author's writing style was very choppy and somewhat rudimentary. I couldn't really understand why a 30 year old woman was holding a grudge against someone who did something stupid 13 year prior. The plot is very contrived and while there is definitely the quiz show setting, the way the author wrote it felt very secondary to everything else happening.

Not my favorite book. A little boring, a lot of editing needed.

As an avid trivia fan myself, I SO badly wanted to love this movie but I just did not love this one. I found Charlie’s character very difficult to root for— she saw everything in such black and white that most of the time, I found her extremely unempathetic and unlivable as a result. I also just don’t think I loved the conflict— it felt so forced.

I didn't expect a book with quiz show contestants to be so engaging.
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And I'm not even talking about how great all that data that the characters throw out in their dialogue is.
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Charlie and Eli are incredible, but I have to say that Eli took my heart.
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In this second chance romance Eli and Charlie are going through difficult economic situations with their family and when the possibility of entering a television quiz show appears, they both end up being the winners of the first round and are destined to be teammates. against the other contestants
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After Eli breaks her heart in high school, Charlotte wants nothing to do with him, but in order to earn the money she needs to help her family, she must put aside her pride and make peace with Eli.
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For Eli this is the opportunity to not only help his father, but also to fix things with Charlie, his first love and the woman he could never stop thinking about.
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I really enjoyed this book, although I didn't really like the third act breakup, but I love when the characters find their way back to each other.
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Thanks to Kelly Ohlert and Alcove Press for give a copy of this amazing book in exchange of my honest and voluntary opinion