Prime Time Romance
3.75 ⭐️

I flew through this book! If you’re looking for a romance with a little bit of magic thrown in, you need to check this out in September!

Brynn loves the show Carson’s Cove but it ended before the characters could get the ending they deserved. Brynn and her roommate Josh are watching the show when a birthday wish shows up and ports them into the show. But somehow things aren’t quite as idealistic as they were on TV and they need to figure out how to escape and get back to real life.

This was cute! The TV show aspect was a little strange to be inside but I like how Josh and Brynn banded together and figured it out.

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

I want to take a moment to thank the publishing company as well as NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a fan of Romance, then you need to put this back up. It was beyond adorable and the characters really spoke to me as I was reading this Please put this on your TBR as soon as possible! You will not be disappointed in this book.

This book felt like a mix of Hart of Dixie, Gilmore Girls, a bit of Pleasantville, and for some reason early seasons of the OG Beverly Hills 90210 (??) all rolled into one cute book. As a fan of all of those shows it was right up my alley. There were some parts that were a little outrageous and corny but any show like that also has outrageous and corny parts so that made it feel like they blended in well with the story.
The plot was so fun and I found myself bingeing the book as if I was watching a real-life Carson’s Cove. I was pleasantly surprised to like this book as much as I did.
4/5 ⭐️
2.5/3 🌶️

I enjoyed this book. It was both cute & cozy. Loved all the 90s vibes. Fans of Dawson's Creek will get this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book. I actually really liked it until the scene where Josh and Brynn left the bar at the beginning. It was that scene that made me realize this wasn’t going to be a good time. After that, It took me almost the same amount of time to read this book as it took me to read War and Peace.
I liked the references to 90s/00s TV shows, but they weren’t subtle enough to be clever, and sometimes it felt a little like they weren’t nods, but just rip offs. I love nostalgic teen dramas as much as the next girl, but it felt like too much of this book is dedicated to the protagonist explaining things that happened in a tv show that has never existed. I am unsure how it could have been written in a less exposition-y way, but as it was, it was too info-dumpy.
I actually really liked Josh as a character, but it didn’t feel like there was enough to drive him and Brynn together in a romantic way, so when they inevitably had the most uninteresting sex I’ve ever read, it felt unearned.
I do like the parts where they try to point out issues within the world of the show- things that didn’t age well- that Brynn maybe didn’t notice until she was in it. This is something I have had to grapple with when rewatching shows I once loved. I wish there was more time spent on this. It would have been more compelling if this could have been the main driving force.
All in all, Prime Time Romance was underwhelming for me. It felt like it was written without a plan- or without much of a plan.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Well, I was excited for this and I guess I wasn’t the exact target audience. These main characters… I didn’t care one iota for them or their relationship. They just seemed to be acquaintances and then suddenly love. I wanted more angst, more drama, more anything honestly.

The 90s teenage soap show (Dawson’s Creek inspired… which I never watched so here’s where that “this book is not for me” comes from) and then the characters ‘falling into’ that world was not my jam.

Such a fun premise with great potential for those that would love this kind of comfort show and who always wanted to join their favorite fictional TV characters in that fictional world. Just not for me

3.75/4 stars. It was cute! It gave what I assume are Dawson’s Creek vibes (I’ve never seen an episode). I enjoyed reading about the characters and getting to know their background information. I wish we got a little more development of their relationship because I felt like at times it just kind of happened at least at the beginning. Overall a cute summer read that had an interesting concept.

Ohhh…one more thing… just completely glossed over that they were gone for a week…no one cared or was worried..that was weird.

This was such a delight of a sophmore novel from Kate Robb! The Canadian touches are perfection and I loved this cast of characters! Such a fun premise, I can't wait to read more.

I went back and forth on this book. On the one hand, I was captivated by the world of Carson’s Cove. However, I couldn’t get past the fact that she loses her book in the first chapter and doesn’t seem to care. No 30 year old is this chill about it. Forget if Josh needs back in time, girl, where is you phone?!?

I also really struggled with the required disbelief in this book with the Extra Extra and his motives. The book was fun if you could get past that but it never really built to the romance between the two main characters so the sex and spice feels out of place.

Over the last week, I excitedly poured myself into reading this book that I had such high, high, hopes for.

To be frank, I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to. It really had such a great premise, and I was heavily invested at the start, but then my interest slowly started to fade (which is the kiss of death for me).

The beginning started off strongly, and I was hooked rather quickly, but as the story continued, I felt like it started to drag.

As characters, I felt that Brynn and Josh were average; I did not immediately resonate with either of them, but they weren’t horrible either. Honestly, it was as though they were just present in the story, and I never found the hook I needed to root for them. I also felt like the romance didn’t have the natural chemistry that I love most in romance books.

The concept of book had so much potential, and it reminded me so much of how I would like my story to play out if it was based on my own comfort show obsession: One Tree Hill. I needed the romance to have that spark, the undeniable tension and chemistry that I lust for in books, TV shows, and movies, but Brynn and Josh didn’t have that.

I was hoping there would be more for me to get out of it as a reader, but I couldn’t find that in this story.

Special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group, for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb follows Brynn, a recently divorced woman who is at stagnant point in her life. She feels as though she is unworthy of love, has superficial friends, and a roommate named Josh she barely knows. The only thing to comfort her is her favorite TV Show: Carson’s Cove.

On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, a mysterious cake arrives at her doorstep. With a wish for an idyllic life with no plot twists, Brynn wakes up not in her bedroom in Ontario, but in a beach side cottage of her favorite show. Except, she accidentally brought her roommate Josh with her too.

Now, Brynn and Josh are forced to play the part of characters in a show. Will they give their characters the true ending they deserve, and is the cozy town of the show as idyllic as it seems?

My Review:
First and foremost, this is simply put, a fun book.

I found that the characters of Brynn and Josh, as well as their romance, were never fully fleshed out. And the majority of their personalities were defined by a single problem in their life; Brynn being a divorcee and Josh wanting to run his own bar. Their romance is defined by magical happenings, and not true intimacy.

With that being said, following Brynn and Josh along in this weird space time continuum adventure is a mix of fun and cheesy. The two get involved in typical TV Show antics, saving lives, a pageant show, and much more. It’s a quick and bingeable read that I think will be a great option to keep on the back burner as a palette cleanser book.

So would I wholly recommend this? Not if you’re looking for a soul-crushing romance that brings out every emotion possible. But yes if you’re looking for something that will bring a little bit of joy into your reading.

We are following Brynn, a recent divorcee, whose life has been toppled over, the only people in her life are fake friends and this roommate, Josh. On the night of her birthday this guy comes and gives her a birthday cake that reels her into her favorite tv show.
I was expecting a fun rom com book with shenanigans occurring left and right and Brynn learning something as spends time in this place. Maybe along the way she learns a lesson that will help her when she returns home.
That is not how it went, the place she was sucked into is actively trying to hurt her if she behaves in a way that goes against the mold of the character she is supposed to be playing. She learns that while everything works out for the main character, the golden child, that is not the case for those around her. It doesn’t matter if the mean girl is actually a pretty nice woman that wants to make a safe place for animals at her farm, she can never have a happy ending because that’s not how it works.
I expected more from the romance, I wished Brynn and Josh had known each other in real life more before they were sent into tv land. That would have helped them trust each other more and have made their interactions more fun.
I was super excited about the concept of magical realism. The idea of being transported into a nice cozy comfort show was fun as someone that loves rewatching Gilmore Girls. The execution fell short for me.
The concept was great though so it was a decent book with some really enjoyable parts in it (Luce). Luce was the best part of this book, you go in expecting something out of Mean Girls, and she turns out to be this kind, smart and caring person.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prime Time Romance was super cute and I thought it was really fun getting to see Brynn live out her teenage fantasy, but wasn't too big of a fan of the insta-love thing between her and Josh. It was super rushed and unbelievable for me, but other than that I loved this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From the publisher Random House:
Newly divorced on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Brynn is sick of heartbreak. She thought she had found her happy ending, but now she’s living with a roommate, Josh, to afford her mortgage, and she’s trying to adjust to her new single life. At least she’s got Carson’s Cove to binge, her beloved 2000s teenage soap. The show ended unexpectantly on a cliffhanger after five seasons, and the two main characters, Sloan and Spencer, never got to declare their love for each other.

So when a birthday cake surprisingly shows up on her and Josh’s doorstep, Brynn makes a wish for the one thing she’s always wanted (but has failed to achieve herself): a happily-ever-after.

The next morning, she doesn’t wake up in her apartment. She’s in Carson’s Cove . . . and Josh is there too. Everyone seems to know them, except they’re not Brynn and Josh; they’re Sloan, the sweetheart of Carson’s Cove, and Fletch, the town’s bad boy. And to get home, they have to make Brynn’s wish come true by ensuring Sloan and Spencer, the hometown heartthrob, end up together at last. But as they spend more time together, they start developing feelings for each other in a plot twist no one has expected. Will they stick to the script, or will real love change the story forever?
*****************
My review: Love the premise. Who doesn't want to suddenly be IN their favorite tv show? But a favorite show from one's teenage years may not be what a 30 year old needs. Josh is very likable but it took a bit for me to warm up to Brynn. The Cove characters are hit and miss, except for Luce who turns out to be a friend and not a nemesis.
Everyone has lessons to learn and realizations to attend to in Carson's Cove, especially Brynn. There were some fun and funny parts and I really worried Brynn and Josh wouldn't get home in time, so I guess I cared. Spencer was kind of annoying...but I guess that what can happen when you get to know your "crush"?
I loved Robb's last book so I had high hopes for this one. It was entertaining but I had a hard time becoming part of Carson's Cove and Brynn's plan to get home was slow in coming to fruition. Overall, a decent and fun story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance digital copy of the book in exchange for my review.

4.25!!!

Although I’ve never watched Dawson’s Creek, which the author says is the vibe along with pleasantville, the book gave me a very nostalgic feeling while reading. I was getting flashes of “Teen Beach Movie”, “Freaky Friday”, “Seventeen Again”, and “Halloweentown” vibes from the premise of the story.

The writing was very clear and easy to read. I felt that the pacing overall was well done. I stayed invested throughout. There weren’t any slow moments for me. Unfortunately, as a lot of romance novels, the time span in which the story and romance occurs left me with whiplash, but I ATE IT UP!!! I enjoyed the journey even though I felt some things happened too quickly.

As it pertains to the FM and MM characters, their actions at times didn’t match the age that was established, but overall I did feel their energy/personality stayed consistent. However, some of the side characters gave me a washed out feeling. I think the best way for me to put it is that they were blips to move the story forward, which I guess that can be expected since it happens over a week.

Some things that I wish was covered more was the roommate aspect and the life of the FMC outside of the main scheme of the story. There were some topics mentioned that I think I would’ve liked knowing more about or at least seeing more of the aftermath prior to main plot being jumped into.

I still look forward to reading more books by Kate!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Kate Robb for allowing me to review the ARC of Prime Time Romance 💝

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb was my second book by this author, and I just enjoyed it to bits!! So much nostalgia and magical realism which is one of my favorite tropes. Loved Brynn, she was very relatable and loved all the heartwarming moments she shared with Josh as they navigated the "reality." This was such a fun story and I read it so fast! Will be recommended to everyone and looking forward to more by this author!

I went into this a bit sceptical due to the magical realism aspects but quickly realised that was the fun part. It was a bit confusing in the beginning but I liked the TV show aspect to the story. I loved Dawson's Creek, The Gilmore Girls and the other 90s TV shows so it was a nice cosy familiar setting. Unique as well.

But the romance itself and the characters could have used more development. It had the TV small town wholesomeness with life lessons and emotional growth but I would have liked to have seen more of Brynn and Josh's romance develop. It was a bit confusing as they were 'cast' in teh rolls of the TV show characters and not themselves. The TV show aspect of it wore thin after a while.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't terrific. I thought the author could have done so much more with it. But it's a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial press for the early ARC in exchange for this honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
🏡 Small Town
✨ Magical Realism
🫶🏻 Nostalgia
💜Roommates

Although I have literally never watched Dawson’s Creek, Prime Time Romance made me wish that I did 🤭

I love Kate Robb’s take on magical realism and just like with This Spells Love, this one had me laughing out loud and giggling at my kindle.

Brynn and Josh just made sense together and I enjoyed watching them come to the same conclusion while being stuck in Brynn’s favorite show, Carson’s Cove. Their surface level friendship as roommates slowly develops into more while being stuck together and I thought it was very clever having us learn about Brynn and Josh through their parallels with the characters of the show.

Overall, Prime Time Romance is sweet and super bingeable. When you don’t feel like watching your favorite small town show, pick this one up to read about one instead 🤗

This book is such a fun read and I really enjoyed it. It was very nostalgic and throwback to my younger years. If the shows Dawson's Creek and The Good Place had a baby it would be this book. It was funny, sweet and a throwback to lat e 90's and early 2000's. This book follows Brynn and Josh and their unlikely romance. This book has likable main characters. It is a quick fun read that made me smile and just feel good.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC of this book. I read voluntarily read it and gave an honest review.

I will be posting the above review on Goodreads and Instagram shortly and on BookBub and StoryGraph when it is released on Sept. 3, 2024.

Brynn has yet to completely bring herself back to life after a divorce, frequently finding solace in her favorite binge worthy soapy teen drama relegated to syndication on Netflix… haven’t we all? What is surprising is when she actually jumps into the story to love out her teenage dreams amongst those comfort characters.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the teen drama background plot and wanted more substance in the core story of Brynn and her love interest. A HEA that was pretty obvious from the beginning, this felt more lackluster than I wanted after being in love with This Spells Love.

I was provided a complimentary arc via NetGalley by Dial Press / Random House