I initially requested this NetGalley book because the synopsis gave me Pleasantville vibes, which I adored, but with a romantic twist. Instead of siblings being stuck in a show, it’s a pair of roommates who didn’t get to know each other until this moment. While I still got the Pleasantville moments I expected, it also mixed in Dawson’s Creek, 90210, and The Truman Show.

There were definitely some plot holes, like how Sheldon got the power he did to suck them into this world & show, but I still enjoyed myself.

"Prime Time Romance" is a delightful and inventive romance novel that combines nostalgia, fantasy, and heartfelt emotion in a unique package. Brynn, recently divorced, finds solace in binge-watching "Carson’s Cove," her favorite 90s teenage soap. This immediately made Brynn a relatable character for me, having sought comfort in TV shows more than once.

The story takes an intriguing turn when Brynn’s birthday wish for her own happily-ever-after leads to a surreal experience. She wakes up not in her apartment, but in the fictional world of Carson’s Cove, with Josh, her roommate, by her side. This unexpected twist catapults them into the roles of the show’s sweetheart and bad boy, presenting a fresh and exciting narrative. The concept of waking up in a fictional universe is brilliantly executed. The familiar tropes of 90s teen dramas are mixed with the characters’ real-world complexities, creating a story that is both whimsical and grounded. As Brynn and Josh navigate their new reality, the book explores the idea that fictional worlds, while alluring, are not always as perfect as they seem.

The narrative is well-paced, keeping readers engaged as Brynn and Josh’s journey unfolds. The setting of Carson’s Cove is vividly brought to life, evoking a sense of nostalgia for fans of 90s television. The secondary characters, drawn from the soap’s ensemble cast, provide additional charm and complexity to the story.

However, what truly sets this novel apart is its underlying message. Brynn’s journey is not just about finding love, but also about understanding that happiness and fulfillment often come from embracing the imperfections of reality. This theme resonates throughout the book, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Maybe 2.5? It was readable and seemed like a really fun premise initially but there just felt like no point? The romance wasn’t there. There was a weird, underlying sinister energy that never got resolved. And there was apparently another dimension completely created by some random guy that we are just supposed to accept as true??

Thank you to NetGalley for this early read! Prime Time Romance is a fun novel that is a fangirl’s biggest dream and nightmare combined into one. It was an interesting mix of sci-fi and a light read. I wish there was a little more dwelling on the character development from her past with her ex to her future with Josh. However, I appreciate how surface it was without digging deep into issues. It was a quick, fun read. Perfect for fans of Josie Silver and Emily Henry.

When a birthday wish is taken too literally, Carson’s Cove super fan Brynn and her roommate Josh are transported to an alternate universe where they are the main characters in the Dawson’s Creek-esque town. Once there, their only hope for getting home is to give main character Sloan, now played by Brynnn, the happily ever after the fans wanted before the show was prematurely cancelled. This book is great for fans of Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, and Schmigadoon. While the characters and plot successfully hit the tropes and storylines one wants out of a romance novel, this one does take quite a bit suspension of disbelief in order to buy into it.

Imagine getting brought into a canceled tv show that you loved to watch during your teens, by a wish you made on a cake. On top of it, your roommate becomes the bad boy character. Enter one of the characters that seem to be able to make changes in the small town, if you don’t follow the happy ending script. While playing the role of Solane and Fletcher, both Brynn and Josh find out how they feel towards each other. Add in the only town bar that is making a come back, a random flash mob, and becoming friends with a character that you once hated to watch. This book has a bit of spice, romance, and finding what actually makes you happy. Josh is such a green flag🤍

I got all the 90/00s references of the shows I loved, but they just couldn't pull me all the way in.
It felt more that she was fixing the show than learning and healing herself.
And how was no one worried they were gone or comatose for a week?!

Imagine blowing out a candle on your 30th Birthday Cake and making a wish. That night you are transported to a Gilmore Girls/ Dawson's Creek type alternate universe. Surprisingly your hunky roommate (who you may or may not have a thing for) has joined you and you're both recognized as regular characters in the show. That's how Brynn and Josh find themselves lost as characters in Brynn's comfort TV show "Carson's Cove." In Prime Time Romance the journey that comes after feels straight out of the CW channel circa 2005. In order to return to their 'normal lives' they must participate in this epic 4D reboot to give the main characters Sloan and Spencer the happily ever after ending they were never given on the show.
How do they get there? Are they actually physically there or is this all a simulation and the real Brynn and Josh are in some sort of suspended animation? Best not to think about it too hard. This story asks the reader to suspend their disbelief like someone offering a tightrope walk across Niagara falls, and does not reward their trust with any answers.
Also puzzling is the character of Sheldon, as a sort of background "man behind the curtain" character calling the shots who is both menacing and also confusing as his presence created more questions than it answered.
I was really intrigued by the idea of setting a romance in a 2000s teen drama, as I am a big fan of both genres, but I was ultimately disappointed. However the pacing was great, and Kate Robb did a great job of keeping me reading through her fast moving plot and the fun re-imagining of the teen drama, I even loved the guide she included at the end with all her teen drama references. I'm not sure it worked for me, but it was fun to imagine which 2000s teen drama I would like to be dropped into and what story line I would like a chance to fix. The plot, despite its sometimes zany twists, would make a fun book club discussion.

This was a fun read! The story was easy to follow and I really enjoyed the magic of it! Brynn and Josh's story was well written and it had the ending I was hoping for. I had a few ideas of what I thought was going to happen, but was pleasantly surprised when the magic wasn't lost in the end.

*I received a complimentary ecopy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing and Kate Robb

I received an earc from Net Galley/ RHP in exchange for an honest review.
Do you remember that movie where Toby Maguire gets him and his sister trapped in a 1950's sitcom because he thinks WOW that must be the life? This is that book only think Dawson's creek instead of leave it to beaver.
Brynn is recently divorced and lives with her bartender roommate Josh, when her friends forget her birthday she decides to sit and binge her childhood comfort show. Throw in a magic cake, and Josh and Brynn wake up IN her show.
This book had really good bones, the premise was cool, but the romance just wasn't there for her and Josh in my opinion. I found myself more invested in her friendships with characters from the show and honestly the ending just was not it for me. This book was not bad by any means, I really enjoy Katie Robb's writing and if you want a fun plot to read I do recommend this book.

Overall: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plotline: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Tropes: Magical Wish; Roommates to Lovers; Small Town

Themes: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Spice Factor: 2
Enjoyment Factor: 4/5

Review: This premise was so much fun and had a whimsical flair to it! The Riverdale/Dawson's Creek-esque setting was fun for someone who loved the teen slice-of-life shows. The way these two questioned what was happening to them and constantly went against the grain was refreshing, and it made me believe their love story. Brynn was a hot mess. She was such a realistic character, and Josh was a great hero who knew himself and made the best of what was given to him. I wish we had more explanation for the magic aspect, but this was fun and wholesome.

4.5 stars! This book is like Dawson’s Creek meets Pleasantville with a little Truman Show sprinkled in. Such different concept for a rom-com. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book!

For those longing for the nostalgia of watching Dawson’s Creek for the first time as a teen, this is the book for you. Brynn and Josh were two roommates passing in the night until a stranger drops off a cake at midnight on Brynn’s birthday. Without knowing one wish will send them on the mission to complete the story from Brynn’s guilty pleasure show that was cancelled too soon.

Anyone who has ever experienced a show cancelling with no ending, this book will give you the feels of getting to finish a series with the ending you want.

Thank you to Random House for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book in order to provide an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC for this book. This was a quick and easy but in all honestly I was pretty confused by the premise in the beginning. I don’t think I was expecting the storyline to be so centered around a TV show and not sure this should be marketed as a second chance romance considering the outcome.
Pretty quickly on we’re thrust into the TV series, Carson’s Cove, and it honestly the show felt a bit childish. There was really no intro into the premise and switches from real life to fake seemingly out of nowhere. If you’re a fan of Dawson’s Creek, or honestly even Full House, you will be a fan of this because the show is a mix of that with almost too wholesome, borderline eerie, vibes with cliche life lessons.
The plot was pretty predictable and there are really no surprises or frills but hones in the life lesson that people are supposed to change and grow from who they were when they were younger.
It took me a while to get into the book because it felt like the entire beginning/middle was just telling us what the fictional TV show Carson’s Cove was about and I couldn’t fully get into it until about 65% of the way in where the MC was finally realizing her role was not the same as the fictional character she was portraying. The magical realism portion still didn’t make much sense to me at the end and was really never explained.
Overall I thought the book was fine, I didn’t love it or hate it, but by the end I definitely liked it more than I anticipated, I just wish it didn’t take so long to get to a point from where the author was just telling instead of showing. After a while the TV show premise did start to grow on me and I did start really enjoying the fake characters and the character growth of the FMC.

This was cute. I absolutely adored This Spells Love so I was excited to read this. I liked the concept but I'm not sure it was executed as well as it could have been. If I could give half stars this would be a solid 3.5 stars for me. Since I can't, I've rounded up to 4 stars. I really enjoyed the Dawson's Creek vibes. I used to watch that show religiously back in the day so this felt nostalgic for me. The romance was pretty good too though I'm not sure the main characters had much chemistry. Overall, I liked it. It was good, but not great.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this fun, easy book. It wasn’t predictable at all and I really loved Brynn. My favorite show in high school was Dawson’s creek and this had the same vibes. A perfect read for a rom-com lover.

I received a copy of this for my honest review

This story is Pleasantville meets The CW. Taking your comfort show and proving the grass isn't always greener.

I loved this book! The concept was different and fun. It was full of nostalgia for me. Carson’s Cove definitely had me thinking of Dawson’s Creek which I watched when I was in high school. Everything about this book was great. I immediately wanted great things for Brynn after her introduction to us. I love the setting. I love the concept. I loved the characters. Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

The second novel from this author is just as engrossing as her first. Brynn is finally getting over the sudden end of her marriage, one she didn't see coming. She is managing the mortgage on her Toronto condo by getting a roommate. Josh works as a bartender at a popular bar and due to his work hours, Brynn doesn't actually see him that often. Brynn's been bingeing on her favourite television series from her teenager years, Carson's Cove, which centered on a group of teenagers on a small New England island town of the same name. One theme of the show was the love of two of the teens, who never expressed their feelings for each other, although several seasons ended in cliffhanger moments. When the series was suddenly cancelled after one of these scenes as Spencer goes off to college and Sloan travels to Paris, fans were left hanging. Brynn just wants a happy ending, for the characters as well as herself.
The book opens as Brynn is out with some friends, more acquaintances really, she uses her familiarity with the bar Josh works at to get the group in, but soon finds herself wishing she was back home in front of the television. When Josh sees her in need of a way home, he ends his shift early and accompanies her home and watches a couple episodes of the show with her. Just as they are both about to call it a day, a delivery person arrives with a birthday cake, which they both have a piece of.
When they awake, they find themselves in the fictional Carson's Cove, with Brynn living as an older Sloan, back in town for a while. Josh finds himself cast as Fletcher, a guy who lives above his aunt's bar, and has a reputation for unreliability and a bad boy.
With Spencer back in town as well, things seem to be set up for the happy ending Brynn has been dreaming of, but is that really the best outcome for the characters.
I liked how Robb teased a bit with the predictable happy ending, but gave the characters more depth, and introduced a new viewpoint into the nature the main as well as the secondary characters, both friends and rivals.
This had me thinking about the new takes on some shows and movies from the past that reveal some problematic situations and personalities as we look back on them from our, hopefully, more enlightened present.
I also liked the inclusion of real Canadian places, like Orillia into the plotline.
Definitely a page turner for me.

This was a cute read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it kept my attention. I do plan to read more by this author. who doesn't love books about falling in love