I love love love magical realism and dual POV novels, but sadly I couldn't get into this one. It felt a little bit forced and I definitely enjoyed Kate's first book a lot more. That isn't to say this is a bad book, I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.25 Stars. Now I knew going in just based on the premise, I was going to give this book at least 4 stars. It was the perfect in terms of millennial nostalgia. I thought the story was cute, and I really liked Josh as an MMC, which is no surprise because I love Pacey. I will say I thought this book was more plot driven then character/relationship driven, but it was definitely an interesting story and a concept I am sure many will find relatable (who wouldn’t want to visit the town of their favorite tv show!).

DNF - I tried to read and the book just wasn't for me, it may be something that others would enjoy if you like tv drama with some magic thrown in but I just could not get into it. I don't think it's a bad book just not something I want to read at the moment or just not to my reading taste.

I'll start by clarifying that I didn't fully hate this book. I thought the plot was fun, it just fell flat to me.

Like it feel like a white teen drama and that it. The end.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up

Ok, while I did rate this book two stars, I want to make clear first of all that this book and the tropes were just not for me and that I do think that this book would be great for other readers. The writing was good, and the story line was interesting, I was really drawn to the premise which really had the 90’s Tv show feel to it, which sounded fun and nostalgic plus the romance. Since it was my first time reading some of the tropes in this book, I wanted to give it a try, very excited but this story and characters were not drawing me in. I had a hard time with the romance, the main characters, have been living together for a bit but there was no chemistry, tension or any type of romantic feelings, it just was not working for me in the beginning so following the development of their relationship as the story went under this circumstance, I was just not invested in story. This was my first time reading magical realism where characters wind up in a TV show, so I was super intrigued but while reading this, I was having a hard time staying focused and was just not making me feel excited to keep reading.
I received an advanced ebook ,via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

4.25⭐️s. A little slow starting for me, but ended up being very entertaining throughout. I liked it better than This Spells Love. The notes from the author at the end said how getting the draft back forced her to put that desire in for an even better story, and I really think that work was noticeable. The story flowed even though it started a little slow. I think if you enjoy the idea of someone sucked into their favorite TV show like Dawson’s Creek or even Gilmore Girls . Then I think you’d really enjoy this book.

Brynn is divorced and pretty unhappy with life right now. Her so-called friends really only use her instead of support her. The only thing that she finds solace in is watching reruns of her favorite TV show Carson’s Cove. One night out, she just decides it’s not worth sticking around. But she’s a little tipsy and lost her phone and wallet. Luckily her roommate, Josh, is one of the bartenders. Josh being a little bit of a white knight takes her home. There’s a knock at the door and someone has a cake asking her to make a birthday wish. Both Brynn and Josh wake up the next morning in Carson‘s Cove. They work must together with this man, Sheldon, who plopped them into the roles of the well-known characters, Sloan and Fletcher. Their mission is to get the happy ending with Sloan and Spencer that never came when the show was canceled. Spencer is the perfect man and everything Brynn wants right now. But along the way, Brynn discovers that her lovable Carson’s Cove and Spencer are not as wonderful and perfect as it seems. Josh finds some of his own way and decides he wants to and is capable of buying back his dad’s bar. Will Sheldon send them back in time? And will the chemistry that Josh and Brandon are developing continue once they’re home?

Thank you @netgalley @kate_robb_writes @thedialpress for the advanced reader copy. #netgalley #primetimeromance

Brynn thought she was looking at a life with her husband and eventually children and a golden retriever, until her husband decided to divorce her. Now she is wallowing in depression and binging on reruns of Carson’s Cove, her favorite series from her teenage years. The series ended abruptly leaving everyone missing the happy ever after they expected. When a stranger shows up just after midnight, on her 30th birthday, he tells her to make a wish and her minds goes to all the things she loved about Carson’s Cove. The next morning Brynn wakes up in Carson’s Cove and the stranger tells Brynn it is time for the two leading characters to admit their love and get their happy ever after. Unfortunately, Josh, her male roommate, is sucked into the story; he becomes the town bad boy while she is the town sweetheart. Things do not go as planned.

I enjoyed watching Brynn struggle though picking up the relationships her character had as a teenager, and now seeing them all grown up and adults. Josh was amazing, I felt like he was the best part of the story. This is a sweet, feel good story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This book was so different and why I really enjoyed it. Think 90210 within a Hallmark town and that's the vibe this gives off.
Brynn is divorced and to help pay her mortgage she has a roommate. They don't spend time together or really know each other. One night she is at the bar where he works, Wants to call a cab to go home but can't find her purse so she asks the roommate for money but he ends up walking her home and that's when everything happens. It was such a fun read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ebook to review.

I really wanted to like this book but I struggled with the alternate universe/magical realism. I loved the nod to 90s teen romcom sitcoms, so much, but magical realism just isn’t for me sometimes. The writing was enjoyable.

Kate Robb became an instant-buy author for me after her first book, this spells love.

This book was adorable, funny, the plot was extremely unique, and the characters were so likable; I’ve never read a story quite like this. I really enjoyed it and I think the thought of being able to jump into one of my favorite teenage/childhood shows and create your own page within that story is so enthralling. Very cool to think about.

I love how Kate gives us character development but not an overwhelming amount. She tells us what we need to know in relation to the characters and plot- and voila!

I only wished for more romantic-butterflies in your stomach moments with Brynn and Josh.

I can’t wait to see what Kate Robb comes out with next!

Thank you NetGalley and to Random House publishing for the ARC edition of this book!

SUCH A CUTE READ!! I flew through this one, it made me laugh and feel so nostalgic. While reading this I was constantly feeling like I was watching an episode of One Tree Hill. There are so many easter eggs in this, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, Riverdale (1997-2000) to even a small line from Greys! It was so fun to find them throughout.

I LOVE magic realism and usually devour any book that has it. I think the idea of waking up in your comfort show is such an amazing idea and Kate Robb executed it perfectly. My comfort show however is Criminal Minds so I lowkey hope it never happens to me LOL.

I loved watching Brynn and Josh go from roommates, to friends, to feeling something more all while trying to navigate being thrown into her favorite tv show. If I had to be super picky I would’ve loved to see more, but honestly it doesn’t change my opinion.

Both of the characters grew during their time in Carson’s Cove: Brynn gave Sloan the ending she deserved, righted many wrongs from the past, and even helped Josh in a way realize that he isn’t a failure. There was a bit of a Twisted Love jumpscare, but it wasn't Josh so I pushed through LOL.

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Kate Robb for writing the cutest, feel good romance.

This one fell a little flat to me, especially compared to Robb's debut novel. I loved everything she was trying to do with the premise of this one. However, I felt like we never fully got to know the characters because we were getting bits and pieces of their own backstories while also learning about the characters they were portraying in the fictional town they had entered. I loved the magical realism and the overall idea of becoming part of your favorite comfort show, but I just wanted to know the actual MMC and FMC more deeply in order to root for them and feel more connected to the story.

A book where the idea behind it is so much fun, but not very well executed. Everyone has that show that was, or still is, their comfort show. It may not be the best show ever, but you’re gonna rewatch it whenever you need that comfort. That’s the idea of this one except both the main characters end up in the small town the show takes place and needing to play a part to get to the “happily ever after” for the show since it ended on a cliffhanger years ago. It starts out strong but things just didn’t make sense along the way or didn’t properly wrap up at the end. A lot of the book had the main characters spend time apart from each other making the ending feel even more rushed. I’m still glad I read it and it’s a very quick read if you’re looking for something light.

✨ magical realism
❤️ insta love

dual POV
3/5 stars ⭐️
1/5 spice level 🌶️

Huge thank you to Kate & Random House for an ARC of Prime Time Romance!

Brynn, a nearly 30 year old divorcee, makes a wish on a strange birthday cake to get the happily ever after she wants. The next morning, she and her hunk of a roommate, Josh, find themselves casted in her favourite feel-good comfort TV series. In trying to find their way home, Brynn and Josh embark on a journey where they not only find themselves falling for each other, but learn about themselves & their values in the process.

I only wish that the ending had a bit more action and resolution - it felt like a quick one!! Otherwise, pick this book up if you’re looking to have a quick but heartwarming read!

““Hey, Josh.” I pull back to say the magic four words that I traveled through time and space to tell him. “I fudging love you.” He laughs, pressing his lips to my forehead. “I fudging love you too.””



ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW


I think joshbrynn gives us the perfect excuse to live the dream we might have had as teens or the thought we might have had once about what life could be if we were living inside our favorite tv show, our comfort show, surrounded by those characters we know and love.

brynn gets to experience that in a moment of her life when she needs a change, to wake up and shale the funk she had for a while. and it happens to take josh along with her, who is having his own problems but is also in a moment when he needs to decide something important of his future that's linked with his past.

now, will the experience live up to its expectations or will it turn out better to keep it real. that's what you'll find out in the pages of prime time romance.




“A wish. What single thing do I want more than anything else in this world? To get back together with Matt? Um, no. That ship has sailed. To find love again? Maybe… but finding love wasn’t my problem the first time. I want to keep it. I want my life to play out exactly as it’s supposed to for once. No plot twists. No Bumble jerks with cinnamon roll profiles. Just friends that understand me and will forever have my back. I want to finally get the perfect happily ever after. So I close my eyes, hold on to that feeling, and blow.”



““Better go get your girl.” I know she means it as a passing comment, but her words hit me hard. My girl. Brynn was just my roommate for so long . Then somehow, in the mess of being here, we became friends. Tonight, that word doesn’t feel quite right anymore. But is she my girl? I’m up and over the bar before I let myself answer that question.”

For her sophomoric act, Prime Time Romance proved to be just as fun as This Spells Love. One part magic realism, one part time travel, and a whole lot of 90s and early 2000s television teen drama references, this book is an entertaining if untraditional love story. If you enjoyed the fantasy teen-movie Pleasantville like I did, a large chunk of the plot will remind you of it.

Celebrating her thirtieth birthday that isn’t exactly living up to the life she imagined for herself, Brynn makes a wish for a happy ever after that’s more along the lines of her favorite small-town teen drama. She just doesn’t expect to wake up IN that series, along with her roommate Josh. Both Josh and Brynn have to live in the roles of Carson’s Cove characters, attempting to give them a happy ever after that was missing when the show abruptly ended. The story is bingeable in the way that waking up in someone else’s life would make every moment a game. I liked that Josh had a role in Carson’s Cove not so much unlike the life he left, almost giving him a second chance at finding his way. And it takes awhile for Brynn to realize what she really wants may not be what her character Sloan wants, and I enjoyed seeing her reconcile her thoughts to that. The romance is cozy and fairly angst free (even if there’s show melodrama) and Josh is such an easy to love hero. This story is just as much about him as it is Brynn. If you’re looking for true escapism with characters who can joke about crossing the space/time continuum, this is a quick and easy read. I received an early copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
Steam: 🪭🪭

This was a cute concept, especially if you’re a girl who loved teen dramas growing up like Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, etc., and especially if you wished you could place yourself into that show with those same characters. It was a fun romance read with a bit of magical realism. I enjoyed the journey that Brynn went on in order to realize that everything she wanted in the past is not exactly what she needed in the future. The book was nothing extraordinary but it was cute and I felt through it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Randon House Publishing, and Kate Robb for an advanced copy of this book.

I got an advanced reader's copy of this book via Netgalley.

If the rating system allowed, I would give this book a 3.75

Brynn is turning 30 and finding herself in a bad place in life. She's been through a devastating breakup, lost her friend group, needs a roommate (Josh) to afford her mortgage, and dating apps are bringing her more duds. That is until she makes her birthday wish and finds herself dropped into the world of her ultimate comfort TV show, Carson's Cove.

If you are or were a fan of any of the popular late 90's/early 00's teen CW shows (Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls) you will probably love this book. I was once a teen girl and I would have likely given my right arm to share a wistful look with Dawson Leery. Heck, I ended up moving to the town where that show and One Tree Hill were filmed (not really because of the shows but it didn't hurt). Some of my best memories in college were making snacks and gathering with girlfriends in our dorm room to watch the latest drama between Lucas, Peyton, and Brooke.

Of course drama is a big part of these shows, and while we would often wish for relationships depicted in those shows, they are far from perfect. That's something that starts to become apparent almost from the moment Brynn wakes up and realizes she is in Carson's Cove. She and Josh clearly have chemistry and it quickly becomes a big problem for the person who brought her to the Cove.

My biggest issue with this book is that there really wasn't time for the love story to be believable. I wish we'd gotten more development of Brynn and Josh's relationship but the book only spans about a week of time until the last chapter or so. I did love getting to see both main characters get their confidence back, especially Josh with the bar. Oh and I will never ship Pacey/Joey and clearly this author does, and who the heck rooted for Logan in Gilmore Girls? He's the worst.

Ultimately, it is a cute book and a good read. It's fun to get nostalgic and try to pick out which parts of Carson's Cove connect back to a real show (the author include some of those explanations at the end of the book, which is how I know she likes Logan, boooooooo).

3.5 ⭐️s

What a fun read! The concept is creative and I enjoyed the direction Kate Robb took with this. I immediately thought of The Good Place, but also the feeling of any small town show you can think of. For some Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, etc. & for me Hart or Dixie! Could you imagine one day waking up in your all time favorite tv show? Would it be a dream or a nightmare? This a fun read to see how it all goes for Brynn (a lovable FMC with an equally, if not more lovable MMC).

*Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️ - This had alllll the early 2000s nostalgia and references to multiple teen favorite shows from them. I really enjoyed the plot and character development, just felt it dragged in a few areas. I think it could have been tightened up with a little more editing, but it was still an enjoyable read and I would pick up Kate Robb again in the future!