DNF @40% - when it’s clearly marketed as not a hallmark romance but it clearly looks like it’s going to be 😩😩 maybe I’ll finish this another time or restart it if enough friends yell at me to. but, I was not vibing with the MCs at all and it seemed like they were so incapable of being compatible it’s crazy

Oh my goodness gracious, I feel as though this book was written just for me!

I’ve always, always been a fan of small-town stories. Romance or not, if a book, movie, or show takes place in a small town, you can almost guarantee that I’ll be interested. I’ve watched Gilmore Girls more times than I can count, and I’m a sucker for a sweet holiday film set in a little village with a close-knit community. There’s something so appealing about that lifestyle where everyone knows everyone and there’s all sorts of cute and creative events happening each weekend. So, if you enjoy witty banter, sweet romance, and small towns – you’re bound to love this book.

Needless to say, I instantly related with Adina. All she wanted was to escape Manhattan and find the emerging “small town story” in Pleasant Hollows. There was a desire to discover camaraderie, unearth the “corporate villain” who was breaking up the town by adding a giant apartment complex, and have a meet-cute with the town hottie. Cue the hilarity when Pleasant Hollows is really… anything but pleasant.

I laughed out loud constantly while reading As Seen on TV. There were so many moments that just had me rolling my eyes at Adi’s naivety in relation to small towns – but of course, her dream to make those small town fantasies come to life was equally adorable and understandable. I can imagine that there will be so many people who will read this book and feel like they’ve been seen.

One of the things that was so much fun was how many small town pop culture references there were. Now, I didn’t grow up watching Hallmark films, so the nods to the stories, characters, and actors from those movies went above my head a little bit. But even if you haven’t seen a single Hallmark movie in your life, you’ll still understand exactly what Adina wants to accomplish.

In addition to that, Adi’s career ambitions were so phenomenal and inspiring. She wants to see her mom have a better life and be taken care of for once, rather than the reverse (which is what she’s currently experiencing as a 25-year-old who lives with her mom). She’s willing to do whatever it takes to crank out a fantastic story, despite not even respecting or liking the person she’s working for. Her drive reminded me a lot of myself and I loved seeing how she worked through adversity to make something happen.

There were so many sweet moments filled with great depth throughout As Seen on TV. Between Adi’s relationship with her best friend Kate (and their mutual love for small towns), the romance with Finn (and the more challenging topic of seeing him navigate his relationship with an alcoholic father), and the sweet mother-daughter friendship, my heartstrings were constantly being tugged.

This is a must-read, for sure. I truly can’t recommend it enough!

[CW: (major) Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content, (moderate) Misogyny and Cursing]

This book is SO MUCH FUN OMG!!!!! I absolutely loved it! The small town feel to this one was the best, and I really enjoyed it!

As Seen on TV is a book that looks at all those Hallmark movie/cozy small town tropes and turns it on its head.

The author develops the main character in this story so well. I found myself feeling connected to them, which made the heartbreak and sadness so much more to me. I loved Adi and her original desire for the perfect Hallmark romance, but then finding the story in the fact that romances are not perfect and don't have the perfect ending, but the ending that works for you. Finn, as a love, interest, is endearing. He comes with his own flaws and hang-ups, which makes their love story even better. The growing love and romance between Adi and Finn is an enjoyable story. As any romance is, their story is not without bumps along the way, which makes it even more endearing.

I also loved Adi's mother and her best friend Kate. Adi and her mother were so close and I loved that they were able to talk to each other about the things going on in their lives. Kate has the best, best friend vibes and share Adi's Hallmark love and passion.

Meredith Schorr explores some deep issues in this book too, including death of a parent, alcoholism and the difficulty of supporting yourself and having to "wear many hats" when trying to break into your career.

Overall, I thought this was a great novel by Meredith Schorr and it was a quick, sweet read. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

As Seen on TV is a fun read that kept me entertained, with enough of an edge to it to keep it interesting! Adina Gellar is a fledgling writer looking for a permanent gig, when she gets an idea for a story that takes her to a small town. She’s looking for the kind of charm and romance she loves in her favorite Hallmark movies, but that’s not what she gets at all. I enjoyed watching Adi interact with the townspeople, and especially with Finn.

City girl trying to follow her dreams of being a feature writer. She’s fascinated with small town vibes and comes up,with an idea to investigate a real estate investor in small,town Pleasant Valley.
Her ideals of small town life keep being deflated. She wants her experience to be Hallmarkesque.

Story develops really slowly and the heroine is perky and naive. Wish I connected with it.

This story is fresh, fun, and delightful. I loved the way Schorr made me feel in the scenes that take place in the small town: torn, like I should be in love with the idyllic small town vibe, while also disappointed that the town wasn’t pulling its weight as an adorable piece of Americana. This is the heart of what Schorr does so well: makes us feel and see what main character Adina goes through so well, including her reckoning with herself—because no one in this story gets away without some healthy self-reflection. Told with fun banter through engaging characters, this was a delight to read and the perfect escape.

An easy-breezy Sunday afternoon from-com. Perfect for a rainy day. Adi and Finn find the ideal balance of friends to lovers. I'm not a Hallmark movie watcher, maybe I should try one!

A journalist setting out to find an IRL Hallmark town was a fun concept, and the fact that this town played against all the small town stereotypes added an extra level of amusement to the story. A few quirky characters quickly emerged, but honestly, this story was all about Finn and Adina for me. Their exchanges and encounters were filled with witty banter and plenty of tension, and this whirlwind romance had me grinning from ear to ear.

With nods to, as well as overt mentions of one of my all-time favorite shows, Gilmore Girls, this book had to include a stellar mother-daughter relationship, and it did. With her father passing away when she was very young, it had been Adina and her mom against the world for a long time, and it showed. The strength of their bond was revealed with every interaction, and one could only admire the level of love and support they gave to one another.

Considering this was a story about finding the anti-Hallmark small town, it had a Hallmark feel. Low drama with lots of warmth and heart, As Seen on TV spoke to my inner Hallmarkie and left me with lots of warm and fuzzy feelings.

This is a DNF for me.

I was really excited about the premise, but just cannot get into the characters or the storyline. I was already feeling myself drag through it and I just know I’m not going to be able to connect with it going forward.

Annoyed by her life in NYC, Adina sets off to Pine Hollows, hoping to write a story about this small town that seems straight out of a Hallmark movie. She receives a chilly reception upon arrival and slowly discovers small town life may not be as idyllic as Hallmark and Gilmore Girls make it out to be.

I'm a Hallmark movie junkie so this story immediately spoke to me. I didn’t love the first half, if possible there were too many tv references and Adi could be over the top, but I really enjoyed the second half. I loved the connection she shared with Finn and how they acknowledged their feelings and openly communicated with one another. We also get to learn a bit more about Finn’s complicated past and get sweet supportive scenes from Adi’s mom and best friend Kate.

Overall it’s a heartwarming story that shows that the real world is messy and sometimes you need to need to let go of expectations and see where things take you.

Thank you Forever for my advance copy.

DNF at 46%

I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately the story never quite hooked me. Perhaps if I was a big fan of Hallmark movies, I would have found it more enjoyable. There’s nothing terrible about the writing or the story, but there was also nothing compelling me to continue. I didn’t particularly like the main character, Adina, and I wasn’t sold on her chemistry with Finn. Perhaps when I’m in a different mood I will pick this one up again.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

First off, thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of As Seen on TV

The title and cover caught my attention. Think Stars Hollow, As Seen on TV is a charming story that will have you looking at your life through the same lens. So many great LOL moments, likable characters

AS SEEN ON TV spins a well-loved trope on its head, resulting in a charming story that will have you viewing your own life through new eyes. Love the small town feel! Both laugh-out-loud funny and heartbreakingly relatable, this is an absolute must-read!

Very cute story. I love a small town romance (much like the protagonist in this book). A few too many pop culture references for my taste. I feel they took away from the story and made it seem like it was trying too hard.

Annoyed by her life in NYC, Adina sets off to Pine Hollows, hoping to write a story about this small town that seems straight out of a Hallmark movie. She receives a chilly reception upon arrival and slowly discovers small town life may not be as idyllic as Hallmark and Gilmore Girls make it out to be.

I'm a Hallmark movie junkie so this story immediately spoke to me. I didn’t love the first half, if possible there were too many tv references and Adi could be over the top, but I really enjoyed the second half. I loved the connection she shared with Finn and how they acknowledged their feelings and openly communicated with one another. We also get to learn a bit more about Finn’s complicated past and get sweet supportive scenes from Adi’s mom and best friend Kate.

Overall it’s a heartwarming story that shows that real-world is messy and sometimes you need to need to let go of expectations and see where things take you.

Thank you Forever for my advance copy.

It's a bit of a role reversal- in this one, the city dweller comes to the small town expecting to fall in love with its charm and community, and instead finds it's your standard, basic small community. There isn't a festival to be found, the locals aren't exceptionally friendly, and there isn't a homemade slice of pie for miles. Instead, what Adi finds is a crush on a fellow New Yorker in town, and while she wanted him to be the bad guy, he's actually quite nice, philanthropically minded, and not a little bit attractive. This is such a great story about finding the career ladder and shooting for your goals in your twenties, with the floundering and stress of money and relationships being a big part of that time frame.

This was a really cute romcom, which surprisingly had some spice to it too! When I read the synopsis, I was expecting it to be much more G-rated (especially given all the Hallmark references!) but I was so pleasantly surprised.

I am always here for a MC that's Jewish - so I really loved getting to know Adina! Her love story with Finn definitely had some ups and downs, but who doesn't love a HEA - especially with such grand gestures! The pop culture fanatic in me adored all of the modern love story and tv/movie references, too! All in all, a really cute and light read!

I went in hoping for a charming read, but I didn't feel like I really got that. I felt like the author was so busy turning all smalltown romance tropes on their heads that she lost touch with the story. I also really didn't get along with the writing style, especially in the sex scenes. Because of this, I ended up DNFing it.

Adina is a journalist in NYC searching for her big break. In the meantime, she's still living with her mom at age twenty-five, and hustling between her day jobs and freelance writing. She gets inspired by all the Hallmark movies she watches, and comes up with an idea for a story she pitches to hopefully secure her dream job. She sets off to the town of Pleasant Hollow to research her story and help take down the big city developer moving in that will destroy the quaint small town.

Turns out this small town has nothing close to the scenes she has romanticized in her favorite shows and movies. The only thing positive in her adventure to the town is meeting Finn, a true city boy. As Adi struggles to find a story, the relationship between Finn and her heats up. There are so many fun references to your favorite Hallmark movies, Gilmore Girls, Hart of Dixie, and more! It was nostalgic to read all the references to so many shows and movies I've seen.

Things in Finn's life prevent him from opening up, but Adi seems to be an exception as they become closer. I like the backstory for both of these characters and how it initially causes them to have issues, but ultimately they realize love is something that has be worked at and isn't always easy.

This book was such a cute read. I loved how Meredith flipped the Hallmark type life on it's head in this book. It was creative and made for an interesting read, wondering how things were going to work out for Adi and Finn. If you love Hallmark movies then you are in a for a fun ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever/ Grand Central Publishing for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

imagine sophie cousen’s “just haven’t met you yet” crossed over with “gilmore girls…” this novel is set in such a charming town and, just like adi, i am such a romantic and wish that a place like pleasant hollow existed! i’d love to live in a place where everyone knew everybody else and carnivals and other festivities were weekly occurrences! and, adi and i are suckers for grand gestures! i really admired adi’s passion towards writing and her determination to secure the job of her dreams. i definitely connected with her as she navigated “adulting.” she also shares such a tight bond with her mother and the way she never gave up on adi warmed my heart!

now… the romance!! adi and finn have undeniable chemistry and they shared such great banter! finn’s idea of romance may not be at the same level of adi’s but i thought it was so sweet how he knows she deserves the best! one part of romance novels i look for is the resolution. i felt that the journey towards adi accepting finn’s past panned out too fast. it felt a bit rushed and as if all it took was for adi to have an “aha” moment to fix her relationship. despite this, i can’t complain about the moment they forgive each other. oh, and the epilogue was … chef’s kiss and it made me so happy! if you’re a fan of hallmark movies, you will - without a doubt- fall for adi, finn, and pleasant hollow!