I was really looking forward to reading this one after absolutely adoring Kate Robb’s debut novel, 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞, as it was probably one of my favourites of 2023. The premises of 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 sounded like a continuation of Robb’s whimsical style with Brynn and her roommate Josh finding themselves transported into Brynn’s favourite TV show, Carson’s Cove. The show ended abruptly 15 years ago, leaving its fans unhappy about its lack of closure. Brynn and Josh quickly realize that they have been sent into an alternate TV world to give the show the happy ever after ending every fan deserved, by taking on the roles of its main characters.

As much as I wanted to adore this book, it fell flat on a few aspects for me. At times, I found myself really disliking or annoyed with most of the characters, especially the FMC, Brynn. Josh on the other hand was a gem and I enjoyed his POV. I wanted to feel more of connection between the two, but it felt rushed and forced.

I do believe I might have been at a slight disadvantage (by my own fault) going into this novel, with all the 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐤 references, when I never actually watched the show (I know, I know).

All and all, great concept, I adore Kate Robb and her writing style nonetheless and can’t wait to read more of her novels!

✵𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖱𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗈𝗆 𝖧𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖯𝗎𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖦𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗉, 𝖪𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖱𝗈𝖻𝖻＆ 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝖦𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖢𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐.✵

loved this plot of the book, really enjoyed the characters and the way they were with each other! Loved the banter and the character development between the fmc and mmc

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
DNF around 30%.
I wanted to like this one. I was really intrigued by the premise and the beginning completely held my attention. But once the MCs starting becoming physically transformed into the TV show characters and falling in love with fictional characters, I found it hard to suspend disbelief and enjoy the plot. It was just too weird.

This was a really cute, light and fluffy romance. I enjoyed the magical realism and the nostalgia. While I haven't seen Dawson's Creek, which this is heavily influenced by, that didn't take away from my enjoyment. I still felt the early 2000s teen tv show vibes from the many other influences. I flew through the book, finishing it in just a few hours. There were a few points where I felt like I didn't quite understand the rules of the 'magic' but overall this was bingeable and a nice refreshing break from some of the heavier books I've read lately. I also felt like it ended a little too soon for my liking and I would have liked another couple chapters for the relationship to develop a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This book had such cozy vibes. It was pure nostalgia from start to finish and I absolutely devoured it! If you grew up watching fun little teen dramas in the 90s or 2000s I think you’ll adore this book. And you’ll probably spot all of the cute little nod’s to them that the author put in, I know I did 😂 but if you don’t there’s a fun little check list at the end. If you’re in the mood for a love story that feels like coming home, with just the right amount of spice, then I definitely recommend adding this one to your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a weird read, I'm kind of unsure where to begin but bare with me while I attempt to summarize my thoughts.

In this story, Brynn has been having a pretty rough go of things and is feeling a bit lost in her life. She has recently gone through a divorce, wherein she also lost a lot of friends due to them being mutual friends with her ex-husband, and feels a bit like she's floating through life. She is living with our MMC Josh to help afford rent, and taking comfort in her favorite teenage soap, Carson's Cove. Suddenly, her and Josh find themselves having been transported to Carson's Cove and are expected to live out the remainder of the soap's storyline to give it a proper ending as the sweetheart FMC and the town bad boy.

This concept sounded super fun to me and I was very excited to read this, and through the first 20%, I LOVED this. I thought it was going to fall somewhere around a 4-5 stars. I even told friends that I had a super good feeling about this one. I could feel the chemistry/tension between the main characters, the banter was fun, I heavily related to the little bit of the FMC we had gotten to know so far, it was dual POV (which I love as does I think every other person on the planet), I was having a great time. Then we got into Carson's Cove... which I thought is where the story would really pick up and I'd get even more into it, but unfortunately it super lost me. First of all, it got this strange energy about it that felt almost thriller/mystery-ish? But it was still very much a romance book and not really delving into the fact that what was going on was SUPER creepy. Then there was a sort of love triangle between our FMC and MMC and another character on the show, and perhaps it's my personal dislike of love triangles, but this really threw off the romance/chemistry between our 2 main characters for me. Our FMC pining over the other man from the show the whole time TO Josh of all people was super bizarre and instead of rooting for them as a couple, I honestly just started to feel bad for him and wish he would find someone that chose him first, which is not at all what I want to come out of a romance book feeling.

However, all of that said, this did hold my attention and was extremely binge-able. While this storyline was not for me, I think Kate Robb's writing style absolutely was, and I definitely plan to pick up more books from her in the future, as I think there has to be some others from her in the future that will be hits for me. Her writing is addicting honestly, and even though I had some gripes with the storyline, I wanted to keep reading.

Overall: Really fun premise that unfortunately didn't stick the landing for me. 2.75 stars rounded up.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley for an early e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Teen Beach Movie meets Funny Story by Emily Henry

The first few chapters had me hooked by giving me roommates with potential vibes. But then they got sucked into a tv show, which also had potential.

However I felt like many things were not developed. There was so much more the author could’ve done with the romance.

I liked aspects of the magical town and the plot of being stuck but it felt predictable. Or I would immediately remember how much potential things could have.

The main characters had deep backstories that really could have been fledged out and weren’t.
Continuity wise the town can’t say cuss words because it’s a tv show- and at one point a side character fully said the s word (felt like a slip of hand)

I am in love as much as Brynn and Josh are! I am obsessed and pleasantly surprised, this is a fun little romcom and it super cute and precious. There was no real couple conflict or third act breakup nearly all of the issues where do by a psycho forcing them to play house. Josh is super chill and supportive i love that for Brynn, Brynn is a bit more in need of a therapist but overall precious and i adore her. I am just like here myself constantly rewatching or rereading my favorite series. I will def be rereading this and i will finally be picking up Kate Robb’s first book This Spells like Love, Kate Robb might just have made it onto my automatic buy pile after this. 10/10. No notes.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I requested a bunch of romance on here because I wanted to try it out. However, romance is just not working for me at the moment. I think its more me than the books themselves so I will be giving this one a neutral rating.

I am not a huge fan of some of the tropes in this book and it just wasn't working for me. There is nothing wrong with this book but it just wasn't my taste.

I hope others love it.

Oh man, this was SO FUN, I loved it. I admit it’s probably not a 5 star book on its own, maybe 4-4.5, but for nostalgia purposes I had to bump it up. I loved the whole Dawson’s Creek-esque setting obviously, but also the Buffy references delighted me, as well as all the littler ones to different shows that I caught and didn’t catch. (I liked that the author included a little section about them at the end!)

I really enjoyed how the sweet happy veneer of Carson’s Cove started to wear off and how Sheldon started to get more and more creepy and menacing as Brynn started to not follow his plan. Brynn and Josh’s chemistry was so good and I really liked their relationship. The third act conflict/climax made me super emotional and the way things resolved was soooo satisfying. One of the things that never worked for me about Dawson’s Creek is how Jen and Joey were so often at odds during the series and they never really became friends, and while that wasn’t quite the same in this universe (with Sloan having Poppy as a best friend), I liked that part of Sloan’s happy ending was becoming real true friends with Luce.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own and freely given.

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb is a delightful read that captivates readers from beginning to end. Robb skillfully creates the charming atmosphere of a small-town Hallmark romance, but with a magical twist that sets it apart from the rest. Whether you find yourself rooting for the bad boy to win the girl, or for the girl to finally achieve her long-deserved happily-ever-after, this original and binge-worthy book is sure to capture your heart.

Holy cuteness! This book was like a giant hug in paperback format. I loved the concept. It was so well thought up so perfect

Brynn is divoreced on her thirtieth birthday. She binges on her beloved 200s teenage soap which ended on a cliffhanger. She wishes on a birthday cake for a happily-ever-after. She wakes next morning in her soap world and she becomes the main female character in the world. Exept that she falls for her roommate Josh....

I enjoyed the magical element It was a fun read. Great characters... Really enjoy the fast paced plot.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Now this is a romcom!! It reminded me so much of the greatest era of campy romcoms in the 200os. It was just fun to turn my brain off and completely just fall into this wild ride.

"Prime Time Romance" by Kate Bromley is a super fun and heartwarming read! Brynn, who’s just turned 30 and is newly divorced, wishes for a happily-ever-after and finds herself magically transported into her favorite 2000s teen soap, Carson’s Cove. It's so cool how she wakes up as Sloan, the show’s sweetheart, and her roommate Josh becomes the bad boy, Fletch. Their mission is to make the show’s main characters fall in love to get back home, but things get messy when Brynn and Josh start falling for each other. It's a whimsical mix of nostalgia, romance, and second chances that kept me hooked!

Brynn has been unhappy. She just got divorced and is living with Josh so she is able to pay her mortgage. Brynn has this obsession with Carson's Cove, a 90's t.v. show. After five seasons, the show left on a cliffhanger and never came back. No one was happy with the outcome. On the night of her 30th birthday, a birthday cake shows up at her door. Brynn makes a wish to get the perfect happily ever after. The next morning when she wakes up, she finds herself in Carson's Cove. Josh is there too! They aren't Brynn and Josh. They are Sloane and Fletcher, the characters from Carson's Cove. We find out that Brynn (aka Sloane) has to play out the happy ending that everyone wanted. She is unable to leave until this happens. Brynn realizes that the characters, and the show, aren't as great as they seemed.

I wasn't sure if this premise would work, but it did! I loved the 90's/2000 nod to shows like Dawson's Creek (Team Pacey!) I wish there was a little more romance with Brynn and Josh. Great story! Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to Dial Press for this advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.

This concept had me really excited as I love a good 2000s teen soap opera. However, I think while this was a great idea in theory, the execution left a lot to be desired.

Recently divorced Bryn is struggling: she hates her job, she's financially struggling, and her new "friends" have forgotten that it is her 30th birthday. While watching her teenage comfort show Carson's Cove that finished on an unsastifysing cliffhanger, she makes a wish for the happily ever after they both deserve. The next morning, she finds herself in the show playing the role of Sloane, the girl next door. However, her roommate Josh has been dropped into this universe too as the role of Fletch, the bad boy of the small New England town. They find out they've been brought here to finish the script and get the happily ever after everyone thinks the town deserves. But cracks start to break through the shiny veneer of the town and Bryn realizes the her favorite TV show might not be as wholesome as she thought.

I wanted to like this, I really did, but I really struggled with this after the 40% mark. I honestly think that if you had changed a few minor details with the "villain" in this, it could be passed as a horror movie. What was supposed to be a lighthearted and fun jaunt in the town felt a little bit like a nightmare at times. I hated that what was a comfort show for Bryn ended up becoming something she no longer enjoyed the longer she stayed.

I also felt like there was no chemistry between Josh and Bryn. It was really hard to read Josh's chapters as he had no prior knowledge of the show so the reader feels just as clueless as he does, which isn't that fun. The romance spark between these two felt a little bit random too as the reader is told in the beginning that Bryn and Josh don't really know each other that well outside of being roommates for a short period of time. I think the chemistry and the book would have been way more successful if Bryn and Josh had been good friends and he had secondhand knowledge of the show so his chapters didn't feel like both Josh and the reader are fumbling around in the dark.

I really struggled with Kate Robb's debut last year, but that is not to say that this book isn't good. I just don't think Kate's writing is for me. I think if you really enjoyed her previous release and you're a diehard fan of Dawson's Creek (unlike me, I missed that boat by a few years), you might like this one.

okay this was a good one. I love reading books with a modern magical realism in the plot. it was funny, relatable at times and cute! the sitcom aspect of this was so dear to my heart as I (a millennial) grew up stuck to the tv! the romance between the two main characters was sweet! funny with all the pranks and overall I enjoyed this book tons!

This was a cute romance read and i found it to be different from books i normally gravitate to. I throughly enjoyed it!

A cute romance. This is a lot different than most other romance books I’ve read. I liked the concept of the two main characters being transported into the FMC’s favorite tv show. Definitely made me think of Dawson’s Creek. The romance was great but I wanted to feel a little bit more connected to the characters.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!