- Meet cute
- Acquaintances to lovers
- Family trauma/drama
- Pet chicken

This book was a cute, fast read. Liked the story and the female and male lead fit together cute. However I feel like it was a pretty slow progression of character growth and then BAM! There it is. Overall a fun book with some good past trauma and family relations, would recommend

This really fell flat for me.
The quirky pet chicken aspect was sort of sweet at first but quickly became longwinded when the chicken seemed to run half the plot. I felt like Chick Chick was more well rounded than Trixie and Bear themselves - they were very two-dimensional, Trixie being the manic pixie dream girl and Bear being that brooding and sensitive trope but ended up coming across as stiff and bland.

I liked the book. Emphasis on liked. Often I thought the characters were way too much in their heads and their thoughts contradicted themself. I understand that you doubt and that you can't trust other people but these characters knew they could trust each other and really believed that. But in the next moment they seem to forget that and said the other person is just like the others. This plot did happen way too often - at least, that's what I thought - and could have been solved earlier. But aside from this, it was a solid book.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC.

This story is about Trixie who stumbled upon a chicken on the road and decided to keep it and named it Chick-Chick. While trying to save the chicken, she was helped by a man who later in the story will become her landlord as she was forced to look for a pet-friendly place to live so she can keep Chick-Chick. She and Bear develop a bond while living under the same roof and they discover the truths about each other while taking care of their chicken.

I really enjoyed this story though it wasn't perfect. I had a perfect view of the moral lesson that the author is trying to convey. I also had a fair share of giggles and butterflies in my stomach. I also grew to find Chick-Chick adorable, I like she somehow played a big role in the story. I liked the character development of Bear and Trixie, their flaws were given emphasis and they learned to analyze their shortcomings together.

I didn't like the part where Trixie's trauma with her ex-bestfriend was repeatedly narrated. I just felt like it was repetitive. Also, I wanna punch Lyle. In the face. With a chair. He's gonna get the "Worst Father of the Year Award" anytime soon. The brief time he came out in the story was enough for me to hate him that much.

All in all it was a heartwarming story and I am rating it 4 stars out of 5.

The book is a very original romantic comedy, as it involves a couple who take care of a chicken. Yes, Trixie's pet is a chicken she rescued in the middle of the streets of Chicago. Because of this, she can no longer live in her current residence, as it is not pet-friendly. Bear (Barrett's nickname) is her salvation, after her sisters against her will put up an ad for rent for one of the rooms in his house.
I really enjoyed the writing, but for me it was a strange experience. The whole idea of the chicken being a domestic animal and not a farm animal and their story as a couple revolves around that, for example, their fight was just over the chicken and nothing else. Of course the whole issue of Trixie being anxious and emotionally trapped played a part as well. But I felt that their drama was lacking more substance.

In Kelly Ohlert’s debut novel, we meet Trixie and Bear who meet in the most unlikely way. Trixie spots a chicken trying to cross the road and stops to save it. Bear is there to help. Next we find Trixie in need of a room exactly like the one Bear has for rent.

We follow along as Trixie and Bear try to ignore their insta-love in an attempt to be platonic roommates.

This books has a lot of popular romance tropes: insta-love, grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, and roommates to lovers.

At the beginning, I had high hopes that To Get to the Other Side would be a cute and funny rom com. However, I felt like there wasn’t enough character development or communication between the main characters. We get bits and pieces of their backstories, but never enough to really know what happened. It’s clear that both Trixie and Bear had some issues with their parents which influence their adult lives. I wish there had either been more details about it or none at all.

Overall, this book had potential. It had moments that made me laugh, but that wasn’t enough to keep me reading. I didn’t feel connected to the main characters and finishing the book was a struggle.

Trixie works for an animal shelter in Chicago. However, when she finds a lost chicken in the middle of the road, she picks it up and bring it home with her, only to find out that if she wants to keep it, she needs to move. The animal shelter cannot accept it either as it doesn't have the facilities to care for a chicken. Trixie now needs to find a place to live, and fast. Enter Bear, a man who grew up surrounded by women and with a father who pushed him to look and be "masculine". He's hidden his true passions for so long to look and sound masculine, but when Trixie and her chicken become his new roommate, Bear realises that there are people who accept him as he is and he doesn't have to reptant anymore.

I found this story super cute. I loved how it challenged the stereotype and masculinity, but my favourite character without any doubt is the chicken 😂.

An upbeat love story that fully embraces its tropes. A peppy, quirky girl meets a sullen bear-of-a-man with a heart of gold when a chicken stops traffic while crossing the road. The pair moves in together and sparks fly, but they're determined to keep things platonic while they nurse the chicken back to health and wrestle with their personal inner demons. She's been raised in a culture of toxic positivity. He's been raised in a culture of toxic masculinity. Together (and with the help of his boisterous, intervening family) she learns she doesn't have to appear happy all the time and he learns he doesn't have to "act like a man" according to someone else's standards. The prose is quippy, leaning into the quirks of its characters and situations. I loved that the heroine worked in an animal shelter, and the ways caring for animals permeated the entire story, such that multiple forms of love were explored. A sweet, fast read, well suited for readers who are looking for non-steam adult romance that celebrates family and all the ways our personal idiosyncrasies make us shine.

I thoroughly enjoyed this clean romantic comedy. It is absolutely hilarious. The female main character is an animal lover like myself which warms my heart. This book address self esteem issues all over the place & made me cry happy tears as these characters learn to be true to themselves & eachother. I have & love chickens & the chicken in this book is extraordinary & is written into the story so perfectly. Here's the book with the HEA.

While this book was very cheesy and somewhat predictable, I still enjoyed reading it. It was a nice simple romance story that held my interest and gave me the ending I was expecting but also wanting. The addition of the pet chicken was a welcome change from the usual dog and pet sidekicks that most romance novels include. Additionally, I love the roommate to lovers trope, so this book was right up my alley.

Roommates* shy MMC vs sunshine FMC

One sit read

Really like the plot but I think the pace is fast. Even we feel the emotional connection between both from the beginning. But also the problematic is in the first chapters, suddenly every time each one have an issue with their past traumas it’s mention (repeatedly). I would like to get into their pasts pass the 50% of the book.

Also it could have more detailed scenarios, I’m creative but not that creative for every place. There’s a park, then the house, then the city, then the shelter none is described.

For the characters, Trixie is sunshine mascarade. But even I know that it’s impossible for someone to smile 24/7 even if something bad happens. I believe that it’s more possible for someone to be extremely POSITIVE rather than smiley. And Bear was more natural and believable, his sisters were annoying in the way that many scenes were unnecessary or pretty forced.

For the spice 🔥 1/5
Pretty invested until the fade to black scene. But it’s YA so I understand.


eARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review
Thank You!!!

I unfortunately could not get into this, I had to DNF. It felt too bland for me which I’m very upset about. I felt like there was little no chemistry between the characters so I’m not sure if it gets better eventually.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Kelly Ohlert for the ARC of this book. I had no expectations going in and man, I was pleasantly surprised! This story is quirky, silly and cute in the best way. Trixie and her love for her rescued pet chicken are adorable, and Bear is a swoon worthy type that I really liked. There were a few small subplot holes that I'd have liked more clarification on, but all in all this was a fun romcom read! This book releases December 6, 2022!

I read this as an ARC thanks to NetGalley. Some spoilers but I’ll try to keep it vague.

I liked this book but didn’t love it. I couldn’t get past feeling like Trixie was a manic pixie dream girl in a lot of ways. It felt like her “I can’t show met feelings or nobody will love me” thing went on far too long and I might have liked this book better if she wasn’t so creepy happy literally the entire book, I kept finding myself asking why Bear liked her so fast so quickly when he could tell she wasn’t being real.

Still I enjoyed the book, loved the chicken and Bear’s family and flower shop, I wish there had been more at the shop because it sounded like a great nostalgic place for the family but they were only there a few times in the book. Not bad, just wanted more of it. Overall, 3 stars

Life is unexpected, just like love, betrayal, hurt, loss. Ever smiling sweet heart Trixie unexpectedly adopted a chicken but little did she know, she has also found HER PERSON while rescuing that chicken. Chick chick entered Trixie and Bear's life in a flash to get them to the other side of their lives. Passion is the oxygen of soul. Trixie and Bear trying to figure out their passions while managing to keep the little chick chick alive. Having 5 siblings is huge but when all those siblings are sisters, it's chaos all the time. Just because of that I instantly, fall in love with Barrett. The story line was beautifully written and I really liked the way author gave importance to each and every character throughout the novel. "Being broken did not determine her worth", this line get me hooked with the book from the start to end and it will stay in my heart forever.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. It's clean romance with a quirkiness.
An injuried chicken, 2 emotionally damaged people, and some general sweetness.
There were parts that were a bit over explained and some repetiveness of the issues both main characters had but in the end I did find that I liked Bear and Trixie.

After rescuing a chicken with the help of a stranger, Trixie finds out that the stranger is actually her new roommate, Bear! Bear and Trixie nurse the chicken back to health and their sweet relationship unfolds from there!

Quick thoughts:
LIKES - I loved watching Bear and Trixie’s relationship develop! I also really enjoyed Bear’s family - especially his sisters!

DISLIKES - Not necessarily a dislike, but I would love to see even more of Bear’s sisters, perhaps in a sequel!

Read if you like:
*forced proximity
*roommates to lovers
*grumpy/sunshine
*a slow burn
*dual POVs
*a pet chicken

Kelly Ohlert's "To Get to the Other Side" is a light-hearted, hilarious and heartfelt read. Leave it to a chicken to bring two beautiful characters together. Chick Chick (The Chicken) is found on the road, helpless and distressed. Enter Trixie and Bear to the rescue! If you thought that this chance encounter sealed the deal, think again. Trixie is a firecracker with a heart of gold, while Bear is an introspective introvert who thrives on structure. The chemistry between the two characters is well written, infused with flirtation, banter and hilarious pop culture references. What makes this book a winner for me is the character growth in the form of confronting their past and actions. There are moments of messy contradictions that make them relatable. Falling In love is like metamorphoses that ignite confrontation and change. I would have loved the character traits to be explored more and more banter between them.

If you're a fan of slow-burn romances, cute and cuddly feels and an animal lover, this one is for you!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for giving me a review copy. This honest review is left voluntarily.

I was excited to receive the ARC copy for review, as I got curious after reading the blurb. But, I did not enjoy the book. The characters could not hook me to keep reading, and neither did the plot.

This book tells the story of a girl who saves a chicken and needs to move out of her apartment since no pets were allowed. Bear’s family thinks he is too much of an introvert and places an ad for a room mate without his knowledge. When Trixie meets Bear, they immediately click and together their friendship grows as they take care of the chicken and each other, they fall in love, but fears from the past stand in the way, Family plays a big part in this story and the message to be true to yourself.