In AS SEEN ON TV, Meredith Schorr hilariously takes iconic small-town-tropes and turns it on their head. Adina Gellar, a journalist on a mission to earn full-time writing status at a magazine, visits Pleasant Hollow in pursuit of a story that will tug at the heartstrings of readers: a condo complex is being built by a real estate mogul in the small town, threatening to destroy its traditions and businesses. Surely Pleasant Hollow residents are opposed.

But when Adina journeys out to Pleasant Hollow, expecting a hidden gem and the type of place that is so often shown on TV and in Hallmark movies, instead she gets the opposite. Expecting sweet cherry pie at the local bakery? Nope. A charming B&B that welcomes you like family? Try again. Friendly townspeople who ask you about your life story and relationship status? Not this time. In Pleasant Hollow, it’s just a small town that actually welcomes big, new development instead of rallying together to fight it.

But what’s worse? The handsome man she meets at the B&B isn’t her movie-status meet-cute but is instead the man in charge of overseeing the real estate project. This is a fun and entertaining read, especially for fans of Gilmore Girls and Hallmark movies. Don't miss this one in June!

This was a cute, fluffy, read. A cheesy romance, but perfect to read on a summer day. Yes, parts of it were cheesy and parts were a little unbelievable, but it was cute. I do admit, a former newspaper journalist, some of Adi’s methods were a bit cringe-worthy and made it seem totally reasonable why she couldn’t lock down her big journalism job. But overall a good read.

Probably 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4..

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

You know how “they” say that to grow you have to leave your comfort zone? Adina (Adi) Gellar is stuck. Living with her Mom, working 2 part time jobs while freelancing articles that pay by the word, she’s trying to land a full time role as a writer for her favorite publication. In desperation she pitches an article and the editor throws her a challenge: write the story, get 20,000 views and he’ll hire her.

As Adi spends her time in a small town that she expects to be cookie cutter Hallmark, her illusions are quickly shattered. No festival, no bakery, nothing that she imagined. Instead she finds Finn and they start a casual relationship, at least at first. Finn warns Adi he isn’t relationship material and she eventually finds out why he thinks that way.

I liked the story, the characters and the premise. I loved that the author’s acknowledgment started out with excitement that the reader made it this far, it shows how invested she was in the book. The settings are familiar, I don’t live far from them, so I felt some of Adi’s pain. Fun story, quick read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

As a fan of Hallmark movies, this was such a fun read! Warning: it’s not the PG Hallmark movies though… There’s definitely more of an adult theme here!
Adi a struggling writer who loves Hallmark movies, happy endings, and small towns (or so she thinks). This follows her on a journey to find the perfect story to write and to land a dream job (and if she meets a dream guy along the way: bonus! ) Finn is a dream guy who comes with some baggage. The story follows the two of them on the journey to figure out if they have what it takes to live a Hallmark movie happily ever after, or learn that in only happens in the movies seen on TV.
Thanks Net Galley for the advanced copy !

Real life isn't like a Hallmark movie, and in As Seen on TV, we see that it doesn't have to be to get a romantic Happily Ever After. One of my favorite things about the story is the authors wink to all the idyllic small town shows, such as Gilmore Girls. Of course, Pleasant Hollow is the anti-quaint small town we are used to, and the contrast if a fun twist. This is a light read and I enjoyed our main character Adina who was driven and goal-oriented. The romance with Finn was fun and I was rooting for the happy ending very quickly.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to review this cute romance.

3.5 Stars. I really wanted to love this book based off the summary. Small Town Romance! Hallmark Movies! It sounded perfect, but unfortunately the story fell flat for me. I did not love Adina's perspective and felt maybe the book would have benefited from a dual perspective because I really love Finn. He was a perfect dreamy book boyfriend. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Books for the ARC.

Adina believes in all the Hallmark romances about women finding their true love when they leave the big city for a small town. So she is delighted to learn a big city developer is trying to build condos in a small town 60 miles north of New York. It's an opportunity to get another freelance byline and see a Hallmark plot in action. Only, reality may not match the movies.

I love Hallmark movies and watch them extensively in winter. So on that level, I could relate to the main character. In other ways, her voice didn't speak to me. She was quite immature, and the idea that she lived with her mother and didn't contribute to rent surprised me. In contrast, Finn had a great depth of character. But that means I didn't see the two as a great match. And some of the deeper aspects incorporated into the novel felt rushed or oversimplified.

It wasn't a great fit for me, but I recommend this for readers who appreciate small towns and grand gestures with a side of sarcasm.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

As Seen on TV is such a cute, mostly lighthearted romance, with a small side of spice!

I was initially drawn to this book because I saw that it was for fans of Gilmore Girls so of course I had to read it! This book pays homage to Gilmore Girls and Hallmark movies in so many ways!

We follow main character Adina Geller who is dreaming of becoming a full time writer (hello, Rory is that you?). One night she has the inspiration to visit a small town in upstate New York being infiltrated by a big city real estate plan, and write the Hallmark movie perspective on the negative effects it’s having on the town. An avid Gilmore Girl and Hallmark fan herself, Adina has a picturesque image of what she expects in a small town, friendly faces, charming local hotspots, loads of town events just like in Stars Hollow and a meet cute at every corner. When she meets Finn Adams at the local B&B, she thinks she’s hit the nose on the head. Unfortunately, she quickly realizes that the small town life is not all she thought it’d be, most residents are happy that the “big bag real estate mogul” will be breathing new life into their community, and Finn is a city dweller just like herself.

I really enjoyed this sweet romcom! A great reminder of the classic line “the grass is always greener”. Without giving any spillers away, there were two “hiccups” in Finn and Adis relationship, and I wasn’t a fan of the second one. I would have rather the author not introduce such a major issue and blowup without much time to piece the story back together. However I still loved this charming meetcute love story!

This book truly has the worst characters. Adi is so self centered and pouts when things don't meet her unreasonably high expectations. Her emotions are all of the place, as is her relationship with Finn. I knew it would happen all along, but the way it happened was so random and just didn't work. I should have DNF'd this, but at least it was short. ⭐️⭐️

If you like Hallmark movies where the woman rushes off to the small town, and meets quirky, loveable townsfolk...This kind of flips it in reverse. The MC, looking for a scoop to write about goes to a small town that's being taken over by a corporation and is...fine with it. It's kind of funny, but the main character is kind of clueless for a NYC girl. It was...fine. I honestly think I'll forget about the plot in a day or two, but it was a pleasant way to pass the time.

This is the first book of Schorr's that I've read and it was so good! I loved the MC, Adi, who is a journalist, believes in Hallmark magic, and isn't willing to settle! The male MC, Finn, was fabulous, and Adi's best friend, Kate was the best friend everyone wants! While this was very much based on Hallmark movies, it was a fun spin of the small town not being everything expected of it!

Read this if you love:
🎞️ Hallmark movies
👭 Gilmore Girls
🌳 Small towns
🌆 NYC
🥧 Pie

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t really know where to start with this one…but I can say that this book really wasn’t the book for me. If I hadn’t been reading it as an e-arc, I would have put it in the DNF pile and moved on.

The first half of this book was painstakingly slow, the second half definitely picked up but I still struggled to get through it. Thankfully short chapters made me force myself to read one small chapter here, one small chapter there.

I think the main character was a little too immature and honestly, Finn didn’t really do it for me as the main male character in this story.

I never want to discourage someone from reading a book, as always read it and form your own opinion. I’ve read books I’ve loved that others didn’t like, or didn’t like a book other people love. My only advice is, reading shouldn’t be a chore!

I wanted to like this book so much but unfortunately it was a bit off a miss for me. It's blurb says it's a delightful rom‑com about a city girl who goes in search of small-town happiness, only to discover life—and love—are nothing like the TV movies. And I absolutely love small town romances and Hallmark movies so I was excited for this book.

The book felt a little too immature for me. It seemed like Adina had never left NYC and couldn't wrap her head around that all small towns aren't the TV depicted small town. I had to laugh when she was like people on the street didn't immediately want to know her life story and invite her to the next town festival (which she was shocked didn't happen here). And thinking a town is going to be enraged over a new condo. Maybe I'm just jaded by life.

If you don't mind a younger heroine who is still trying to find her place in the world this could be a cute romance. It definitely felt more New Adult or YA to me and maybe if I knew that going in I would have felt differently about this book.

CONTENT WARNING: alcoholism, verbal abuse

I was so excited to read this book, especially considering that it features a Jewish MC, written by a Jewish author, during Jewish-American Heritage Month. And while I have never in my life watched a Hallmark movie, I fell in love with this story.

It started off kind of slowly, with plenty of references to Hallmark and other made-for-TV romance movies, as well as Gilmore Girls (which I have seen and enjoyed thoroughly). Like Adi, I’ve never spent much time in a small town, and must admit that I have also drawn similar conclusions about these locales being idyllic paradises.

However, when she arrives at the town, it’s anything but what she expected. The people aren’t warm and welcoming, the town isn’t a cohesive and cooperative place, and the real estate development isn’t the big villain that she expected. Adi is simultaneously jaded about dating prospects in NYC, and wearing rose-colored glasses about what she’ll find in Pleasant Hollow.

She didn’t come across as a very good journalist, often making disastrous first impressions and not doing her proposed job very well. But she wound up being more of a Carrie Bradshaw than anything else, and I was HERE FOR IT. The story is fairly slow-paced, but it was still a really quick read, and who wouldn’t fall in love with Finn, the LI? I know I did. It also captured that period in life where you haven’t achieved goals, and are still figuring out the whole adulting process, as well as learning more about yourself.

The Jewish representation wasn’t heavy in this story, but it was there and I greatly appreciated that. In addition, there’s other types of representation as well—Adi’s best friend is Asian-American, and her aunt is a lesbian, although the aunt doesn’t play into the story heavily.

“Mom and I weren’t observant enough to go to temple, but we did honor all the major holidays, the Jewish New Year being one of them. We always invited friends, including Kate, over for a celebratory dinner.”

This was a fun and fast read, and once I really got into the flow, I couldn’t stop reading. It was a cute, fluffy story with some laugh out loud moments, and it was the perfect thing to sandwich in between heavier reads. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Schorr’s books.

I had a lot of hope for this book, but it ended up being a bit disappointing for me.

Firstly, the romance was meh. I wasn't even sure who the love interest was going to be, and when I did, it just felt incidental. I wanted much more chemistry,

Secondly, I thought the conflict wasn't engaging enough for me to stay interested throughout the whole novel. The stakes weren't high or interesting enough.

I liked the flip on the small-town charm idea, but overall, AS SEEN ON TV wasn't a winner for me.

A thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

My rating 3.5 stars

This was a fun one!
Adina Gellar, a New Yorker, living with her mother, trying to break into the journalism industry. She loves Hallmark movies. The small town settings, the quirky townspeople, and of course the love story. When she gets a chance to write a story about a small town with a big investor coming in to build condos, she dreams this is her chance to jump start her journalism career and with any luck, her very own Hallmark romance.
Finn Adams has had a tough past but is so grateful for the job that will help lead him to his dream position. Just as soon as he gets these condos built in the small town of Pine Hollows.

I'm a huge Hallmark movie lover so I absolutely knew this book would be a good one. I absolutely loved that this small town was the exact opposite of what you see in Hallmark movies, or even small town romances for that matter. I was actually laughing out loud at the townspeople she comes across. The author couldn't have done a better job creating the anti-small town romance feels. I also liked the references to real Hallmark movies, actors, and Gilmore Girls!

What I didn't care for was the hero, Finn Adams. In my opinion he never really redeemed himself in the end. I don't feel he deserved forgiveness for what he stood by by and allowed to go on. The simple sorry he gave wasn't enough in my opinion.

3.5 - This is a sweet story that accidentally becomes the antithesis of a Hallmark movie. Adina Gellar is over dating in NYC, so she pitches a story to an online magazine about a small town in upstate New York where a real estate mogul is building a large apartment complex. She sees this as the opportunity to become the protagonist of her own Hallmark movie, but when she arrives she brutally realizes small towns aren't what they seem like on TV.

Adina is a lovely protagonist, and I loved her inner monologue. She has a clear focus throughout the book as she needs to finish her story to land a full-time position at the magazine and help her mother financially. The story moves fast and doesn't get bogged down by too much exposition. Finn is a typical, swoon-worthy love interest with no shortage of his own problems. Adi is confident that she can handle anything Finn can throw at her, including whatever about him makes being in a relationship "complicated." I also really loved that the author provided a more realistic view of a small town as a place where everything is not charming.

I do wish there was a bit more depth to the story. The author touches on some deeper ideas such as alcoholism, homelessness, debt, and financial insecurity, but we never dig too deeply into the issues. For both Adi and Finn, their issues feel like they're only on the surface and didn't give me an emotional connection. There are moments that feel just a tad cheesy, but I think that fits in with the Hallmark movie theme.

Overall, this is a quick, sweet read that I think anyone who likes Hallmark movies will love.

Adina Gellar loves Hallmark movies - You know the ones: typically set in a small town and "against all odds" the two main characters fall in love. Well, that is exactly what she is expecting in the Pleasant Hollow (which is just a few hours outside of New York). Except Pleasant Hollow doesn't care about the big-city developer moving in on their town, nor do they have quaint little events in the town square. Pleasant Hollow doesn't even bake their own baked goods! It's a travesty really. That is until Finn Adams. Is Finn her dream man that she was supposed to meet? Or just another one of those disappointments from Pleasant Hollow?

Despite being well written, I just couldn't get into this novel. It took me waaaay longer than it should have to finish a 300-some page book. I mean, I liked Finn as a character well enough, but Adi? I found her to be very annoying. Once she realized that Pleasant Hollow was not a cozy town like in Gilmore Girls or any other made-for-tv romance movie, she still does not group up. She felt like a teenager to me, instead of a full grown 25-year old woman.

I wish I had more to say about this book, but like I said, it just wasn't for me. It didn't grab my attention. I hope others have better luck with this one! I see lots of good reviews, but I just can't give it more than 2/5 stars.

review: as seen on tv by meredith schorr
rating:3 stars
release date: june 7

i would like to preface this by saying, i love rom-com books but dislike hallmark movies. does that make me a contradiction?? anyways…

this book plays into hallmark tropes (especially the perfect small town where the city girl goes to fall in love with a guy who wears flannel) BUT in a new way! when Adi goes to the small town of Pleasant Hollow what she expects to find is a Hallmark Town with sweet residents who are angered at the recent real estate mogul’s apartment complex in their neighborhood. oh and maybe a small town boy to fall for?? what Adi DOES find is the exact opposite: the people of Pleasant Hollow are crabby (at best) and completely unbothered by the encroaching city – in fact, they kind of *want* the city life. the other thing she finds? a city boy. who, of course, she falls for (because life is not as seen as on tv.)

this one is cute and quick to read. i liked it but didn’t *love* it, here’s why: i found it very predictable (kind of like hallmark movies). i didn’t feel overly invested in the characters and while i understand that the whole theme was “things aren’t as they seem” i do wish there was one small town resident who had a redeeming quality and more of a role in the narrative. the best part of this book was the end (and i mean that in a good way; it’s worth getting to!). i loved finn’s grand gesture… and the epilogue was super creative. also, really enjoyed how schorr called out real places in NYC!! (love bubby’s pie with my whole heart)

i recommend! thank you to netgalley for my e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a fun little rom com! However, I didn’t feel like I connected with the characters as much as I would have liked; I think I was just looking for a little more depth. I did really like Adina’s mother and I got a laugh out of how Pleasant Hollow wasn’t the quaint little small town that Adina assumed it would be. The book overall was well-written and had a pretty good story line - I would recommend if someone is needing a cute, light romance with mild spice.