Really fun & gently magical romance to scratch the itch - not ground-breaking but perfect for the genre.

This book was absolutely amazing and deffo up there with one of my top reads of the year!

I loved how it was basically a teen drama show set in a small town!

The dual POV was done SO well! It had minor spice but it linked to the story and characters well so that was also really good!

Full review to come on insta!

Newly divorced and turning thirty, Brynn is done with heartbreak. She’s sharing her home with a roommate, Josh, just to make ends meet, and escaping into her favourite 2000s teen soap, Carson’s Cove, where life always seems to work out—unlike her own. The show ended abruptly, leaving its central couple, Sloan and Spencer, without a happy ending. But when a mysterious birthday cake arrives and Brynn makes a wish for her own happily ever after, her world flips upside down.

The next morning, Brynn and Josh wake up in Carson’s Cove, and they’re not themselves anymore—they’re Sloan and Fletch, the bad boy of the show. Their mission? To give Sloan and Spencer the happy ending they deserve if they ever hope to get back to real life. But as they navigate the over-the-top drama of the show, real-life feelings between Brynn and Josh begin to surface, leading to a plot twist neither of them expected.

With humour, heart, and a dash of nostalgia, this is the perfect feel-good read. The concept of being transported into a beloved TV show is both fresh and well-executed, while the chemistry between Brynn and Josh makes for an engaging slow-burn romance. It’s a delightful palate cleanser—light, fluffy, and full of laughs—that leaves you with a smile and a perfectly satisfying ending. Fans of fun rom-coms will devour this book from start to finish.

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This was a super quick and readable magical realist romance! Will I remember I've read it in a few months from now? Probably not. But did it provide a nice distraction and tie in perfectly with my recent craving to rewatch some old teen dramas? Yes, yes it did. 3.25 stars to be specific

At first I was thinking I would DNF this as it took me a couple of chapters to get into it but after that point I fell completely in love with this book - it’s characters feel so whole and real and the town, as fictional as it is, felt so well thought out that I could imagine sitting on lawn chairs with Luce getting drunk on strawberry wine. The chemistry between Brynn and Josh was so well written and I loved seeing things from both of their perspectives.

This was an interesting concept! Newly divorced Bryan and her roommate Josh find themselves inside Brynn’s favourite tv show!

I loved Brynn and she was very relatable. It was a slow burn, but the relationship development was lovely. A nice fun read.

I read this spells love last year, it was my first magical realism romance and I loved it. So of course when penguin wrote me that I would be getting an arc of this one I screamed.

Kate robb did it again, this book is amazing.

👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 The chemistry between the two main characters is incredible. After their first scene I was already dying for them to be together. The relationship develops slowly in the most swoon-worthy way I loved it.

🎞️ The book takes place in a made up small town that's the set of the female main character favorite tv show.
Not only did the author write a book, she also created an entire tv show inside of it. The characters are so funny and the vibes of the classic teen dramas are top tier.

✨ I loved this book and gave it 5 stars!

Such a lovely read, I really hope this one does well - the friends to lovers trope isn't my favourite but this might just sway me, with the great chemistry and slow burn between Brynne and Josh, who are both really likeable characters.

I really enjoyed this book and give it a solid 3 stars.I engaged with the characters immediately, and the development between Brynn and Josh was so believable because it wasn't rushed.

The bottom line is that it was such a fun, lighthearted read with a little bit of spice tossed into the mix.

This spells love was my number one book i read earlier this year and has become one of my favourites ever so when i saw this one i knew i had to give it a read.

It is wonderful and brought me back to my teen years and my love of sitcoms such as Dawsons creek! such fabulous cosy vibes and a good dose of nostalgia!

Firstly thank you to Katie Robb, NetGalley and Penguin for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book of Katie Robbs I have read and it did not disappoint. If anything it was another level up to This Spells Love which was another great read.

The pacing of the story is great and I was instantly engaged. Especially as our lead protagonist  Brynn is having a rough time with the loss of friends and love due to divorce and seemingly dealing with some fake_fair weather friends at the start of the story.

I fell in love with Josh, Brynns roomate who had more layers to him than just the gorgeous bartender.

The fact they wake up in a 90s TV show world and as time progresses things morphing and not being as perfect as they initially seem gave me pleasantville/Truman show/isn't it romantic vibes. It was a good commentary on how 'perfect' and 'happily ever after' isn't always what we think it is.

I enjoyed all the side character interactions, except for Sheldon as that man has issues, but special shout out is needed to Luce and Sherry. Also the fact the main characters couldn't swear was hilarious.

I could say so much more but I don't want to give any spoilers I'd just say read this book! It's fun it's sexy and I can't wait for more from Katie Robb.

I'm off to get my physical copy to add to the trophy shelf

There's just something about romance books with a magical element that really makes me want to pick up that book, and that was the reason I wanted to read this one. Brynn and her roommate Josh accidentally end up in Brynn's favourite tv show, where they have to play the part of characters in the show who are in love.
This book was so good and the small town vibes were definitely giving me stars hollow/gilmore girls vibes but the reality of being in Byrnn's favourite show was kind of depressing as the characters were not as happy as they seemed, which definitely made the plot a lot more interesting. Despite really liking both Brynn and Josh's character, I think this book lacked a little on the romance and it was hard for me to root for them when we had barely any romantic interactions between the two of them.
This book definitely gave me the same vibes as 'A Novel Love Story' by Ashley Poston, so if you liked that book you should try this one.
I definitely want to carry on reading this author's books because the plots always sound so interesting.

“Prime Time Romance” is the cutest love story.
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I loved the premise. Where after making a birthday wish, Brynne and her roommate Josh wake up mysteriously in Carson’s Cove. The small town that is the heart of Brynne’s favourite 90s teenage soap “Carson’s Cove”. And they will only get home if they manage to secure the Cove’s sweetheart’s happily ever after.
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Romances with a twist are my favourite. And so I adored Brynne and Josh’s story. The storyline was captivating and enchanting and I couldn’t put this book down and could have quite happily have given up adulting to read “Prime Time Romance”.
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The chemistry between Brynne and Josh was sizzling. And I loved the way they supported each other, fought for each other and wanted the best for each other. Josh was a gorgeous golden retriever MMC and I loved him. I just wanted him to have his happily ever after and I felt so sad when he was sad.
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But one of my favourite things about this novel was the Easter eggs. This book was full of nods to the teenage soaps that I grew up watching. Beverley Hills 90210, Buffy, Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls and more. They were all lovingly referenced in “Prime Time Romance”. And I was here for it.
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A brilliant romance. That I loved.

What would you do if you found yourself living inside of your favourite show that you keep rewatching?

This is exactly what happens to newly divorced Brynn, and her roommate Josh gets dragged along for the ride.

Forced to play the roles of the show’s characters in order to get home, will Brynn see that perfection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be? Or maybe that there’s more to characters than what you see on the screen… And will Brynn ruin the show’s happily ever after by falling for Josh instead of the romantic lead?

This book was a really fun and nostalgic read for someone who grew up on teen shows exactly like Carson’s Cove. I didn’t quite love it as much as I loved This Spells Love, and there were a few plot holes that niggled at me. However I didn’t feel the need to pull at that particular thread because it is what it needs to be - and easy, fun and light romance.

If you loved shows like Dawson’s Creek, The OC or One Tree Hill, this is a book you may need to pick up.

I love everything Kate writes!!! this was so much fun and i loved all the references throughout! Kate writes such loveable characters and the plot had me gripped the whole time

‘Prime Time Romance’ by Kate Robb is a really fun nostalgia trip! We are introduced to Brynn, a recent divorcee who is reflecting on life as she approaches her 30th birthday, and her flatmate Josh, a handsome bartender with a kind heart and troubles of his own. Brynn’s favourite TV show is the fictional ‘Carson’s Cove’ which ended unsatisfyingly years ago after a network cancellation. When a birthday wish results in the two flatmates waking up within the show’s universe, Brynn is determined to get to the ending she - and all other fans of the show - deserve!

There are so many layers to this story, but for me a key message was that the best endings might be unexpected and that there’s beauty and perspective in growing up. I absolutely adored the numerous references to different TV series and had fun spotting them (plus the author helpfully includes a guide at the end which was a nice addition).

Giving this 4 stars and definitely recommend it to anyone who grew up watching Dawson’s Creek, The OC, One Tree Hill, or any other fabulous teen soaps!

I received an advance copy from the publisher for review consideration. Opinions my own.

"Isn’t It Romantic" meets "Pleasantville" in this really sweet roommate romance, with magical realism and a comfort TV show that may not be as it seems. I cannot stress enough that I fudging (if you know you know) loved this, the concept is refreshing but the story itself lacked depth and dragged on for me.

Having never read Kate Robb’s books before, but hearing nothing but high anticipation and praise for this one, I was delighted to jump in. This captured incredibly well the essence of TV shows in the early 2000s and how important comfort films and shows are. When times are hard, escapism is ideal, and for a lot of people that is into books or shows:
"Carson’s Cove’s predictable patterns were a balm. A steady presence as life as I knew it shattered around me."
I myself know that if I did not have Jane Austen adaptations and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, I would not be where I am today. And I would be devastated if being there for real was a disappointment, something which is again explored well here.

Robb provides an Easter Egg Hunt section at the back of the book which explains a lot of the inspiration behind her story, from its plot, to character and place names. Its main plot is akin to cult classic Pleasantville (1998) where a TV repairman gives a remote to two children and gets transported into their favourite black-and-white 1950s sitcom about an idyllic family. Carson’s Cove itself is inspired by Dawson’s Creek. The Bronze, the pub in Carson’s Cove, is named after the nightclub in Buffy. Poppy’s surname Bensen is akin to Ashley Benson, who played Hanna in Pretty Little Liars. There are plenty of other examples but these struck me the most.

I really liked the concept and I knew I would when I read the blurb. In a lot of ways it is a great read: it was a good concept, there was a bit of humour, some serious moments, some self-discovery, there were some predictable things that happened (which matched the vibe of things being a comfort because they are predictable and safe), the romance itself was sweet too. My favourite funny moment is probably when they realise they cannot physically swear when they’re in Carson’s Cove.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this as much as I’d have liked. Some of the characters felt shallow because there was not much going on and some questions at the end never got answered. Right now, this is a 3.5 for me. Had characters been fleshed out that would have been great. It feels more like a young adult book so I would have probably enjoyed this more if I was younger.

The ending where she is given another cake and is to make a wish, is so perfect!

I was looking forward to reading this book having enjoyed the magical realism element in books previously.

Unfortunately, I struggled to finish this one. I wasn’t onboard with the premise of the Carson’s Cove set up and although the characters were interesting and relatable, they weren’t enough of a pull.

If you’re a lover of shows like Dawson’s Creek, The O.C and Beverly Hills 90210, you’ll appreciate the nostalgia of the Carson’s Cove backdrop and the recognisable side characters from that 00’s era of tv shows.

A solid 3 ⭐️ read for me. It’s cute and quirky.

"Prime Time Romance" by Kate Robb is a delightful and engaging romantic comedy that explores the world of television and the unexpected love that can bloom behind the scenes. Robb’s writing is full of humor, charm, and sharp wit, making this novel a page-turner that’s as entertaining as it is heartwarming.

The story centers around a protagonist who works in the fast-paced world of television—whether they are a producer, a writer, or perhaps even an on-air talent—navigating the challenges of a demanding career while dealing with the unexpected arrival of romance. The novel captures the excitement and chaos of the television industry, with its mix of drama, high stakes, and behind-the-scenes antics. Amidst this backdrop, the protagonist finds themselves falling for someone they never expected, leading to a romance filled with banter, tension, and plenty of swoon-worthy moments.

Robb does a fantastic job of creating relatable, three-dimensional characters who bring the story to life. The chemistry between the romantic leads is electric, and their journey from colleagues (or perhaps rivals) to something more is both satisfying and full of emotional depth. The supporting cast adds an extra layer of fun and complexity, rounding out the vibrant world in which the story unfolds.

"Prime Time Romance" is perfect for readers who enjoy contemporary romance with a bit of workplace drama and a lot of heart. Kate Robb’s novel is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about finding love in unexpected places, especially when the spotlight is shining bright. With its witty dialogue, lovable characters, and a plot that keeps you hooked from start to finish, "Prime Time Romance" is a delightful escape into a world where love is always in the script.

I love this, we all fantasise over book boyfriends / locations so I really enjoyed exploring this romance in the world of Carson's Cove.