I truly enjoyed this book and the chemistry between the main characters, even if I did want to shake Trixie regularly. The family dynamics and the interpersonal banter really make everything a delight. This seemed like a setup for a series of duology and I cannot wait to read the next one!

Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc.

I adored this cover and instantly requested it because of it. The chicken as a pet made me smile and I enjoyed the randomness of it. Trixie and Bear meet because he decides to rent out a room in his house even though he didn't need to, lucky him to have pushy siblings. Miscommunication tropes drive me crazy!! Just say the words and go from there. Ahh! There were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud and others that were seriously so sweet. I think maybe 50-70 pages less would have be more ideal. Definitely read this if you are looking for a sweet, easy reading, and true rom-com.
2.75 but I rounded up.

Trixie literally stopped her car in downtown Chicago to help a chicken. But in the process she now finds herself needing a new home for herself since the landlord won't allow pets. Bear has sisters who post a add on the paper advertising his spare room without asking his permission nonetheless Trixie soon moves in. But the problem is can Bear and Trixie remain roommates and friends and not cross boundaries? I loved this short read perfect for summer definitely a good second chance romance book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC of To Get to the Other Side in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh wow, I’m really bummed out that I didn’t enjoy this one! The premise sounded so cute and weird, unfortunately it just ended up falling extremely flat. There was no chemistry between the two characters, they were so bland!! I can’t understand how disappointing that is. Trixie and Bear (gag) are both unlikable. The chicken is named Chick-Chick? Also gag haha.

I was expecting more and was given much less.

I thought this story was quirky and cute, but it wasn't exactly my style of contemporary romance.

I knew there was a chicken in this story because why else would there be one on the cover? What I was NOT expecting, was for the chicken to have such a prominent role in the story. It wouldn't have been that bad if the chicken had been given a different name. So many great ones were listed at the beginning of the story, but the decided-upon name was just not it for me.

My next issue was with the FMC. Her trauma and mental hang-ups were so specific that I had a hard time relating to her. I felt closer to the MMC, who I adored, but the FMC was just irritating at times.

My final issue was with the lack of spice. There was a lot of tension, but the intimate scenes were fade-to-black, and I was not expecting that. I read a lot of "well-defined" intimate scenes in contemporary romance, and this felt more like a young adult novel and not a new adult/adult novel.

It was sweet and unique, just not my cup of tea.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you like to have a fun, light-hearted read, ​this is for you!

Trixie saves chicken. Bear saves Trixie and chicken. Trixie and Bear fell in love all thanks to "Chick-Chick" the chicken!

Thoughts:
I really like the plot line however I was kinda disappointed with the execution. There are times the pace is dragging and I didn't connect well with the characters. But still, I had a good laugh reading this. Overall, 3 stars for me!

Cute, funny and full of love, To Get to the Other Side is a charming novel. The main characters, Trixie and Bear (along with her chicken) are adorable together. Things are not always perfect as Trixie struggles with hidden insecurities and Bear with past hurts. I loved the very witty sections that made me really smile.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To Get To The Other Side
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 12/6/22
Author: Kelly Ohlert
Publisher: Alcove Press
Pages: 336
Goodreads Rating: 3.48

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Trixie scooped up a chicken struggling to cross the road, and drove off, she knows that she has to find a new home for herself and her new feathered friend. Bear’s meddlesome sisters post an ad to rent the spare room in his simple home, without asking his permission. Still, when Trixie responds to the ad, he agrees to let her move in, despite immediate worries about keeping things platonic. Determined to keep her new room, befriend Bear, and give her rescue chicken the care she deserves, Trixie fights to keep her walls up and resist her romantic feelings for Bear. They have to figure out how to save a family business, pay for mounting vet bills, and navigate their own emotional baggage if they want to find the love that they all deserve.

My Thoughts: The narrators were Trixie and Bear, from their perspective. The spicy level was low, which I was okay with as it worked for this book. The characters were well developed, witty, engaging, and grew through the book. Trixie came off as likable and relatable and a little annoying at the same time. I appreciate the roommates to lovers trope. The author’s writing was humerous, emotional, sweet, beautiful, and intriguing. This book triggered laughter, happiness, the “awe that is cute” moments, and was a good read for me. I know that this is a debut YA Romance novel for the author, so I would definitely read more books from this author.

Trixie and Bear meet when she is trying to rescue a chicken, who, you guessed it, is crossing the road. But in rush hour Chicago traffic. She dashes out of her car leaving a bunch of angry blocked-in motorists. Bear sees her and helps by dealing with the angry blocked-in folks while Trixie grabs the chicken. Success. And off they go their separate ways. Bear’s a bit disappointed he didn’t get her number but, oh well… Fortuitously they do meet again. Bear’s sisters have run an ad saying he’s looking for a roommate and Trixie moves in… with the chicken.
Dealing with chicken health, fur babies and florist shops, the two being to fall in love. But can Trixie open herself completely to Bear and accept love into her life?

This is a delightful rom-com. It is so funny, especially the ad run by his sisters. If you read nothing else in this book, read the ad! (Aside:it reminds me of the funny personal ad I put out 20 years ago that made a guy snort-laugh and now he’s my husband of 20 years.) But I digress.

This is also a charming romance. Bear is the boyfriend we’d all love. He’s “a mountain of a man” and he’s so sensitive and sexy. He even falls in love with her chicken! Trixie is really relatable; she gets her parents attention as a child only when she performs perfectly and no emotions are welcome! She just can’t share what she has been trained to ignore. But she’ll come around. She can’t help but love her chicken that was crossing the road. Maybe she can love a Bear. Some sexy bits but nothing quite graphic.

I received this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. And honestly: I loved this book.

2.5/5
To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert is a contemporary romance featuring Trixie, who works at an animal shelter, has several friends but keeps everyone at an arms length emotionally and always hides her true feelings behind a smile, and Bear, who loves his family, Grey's Anatomy and pancakes, hates going to clubs and wants to be himself without getting judged. When Trixie rescues a chicken from the middle of the road and decides to keep it, she is forced to find a new place to stay as her landlord doesn't allow pets. And guess what, Bear's meddlesome sisters place an ad to rent a room in his home. Even though he didn't know about the ad, when Trixie shows interest he decides to rent the room. And we get a romance with meddling family, taking care of a chicken, business problems, hospital visits, mounting bills, emotional growth and much more.
The character growth is really great in this one. I appreciate what the author tried to do. The emotional growth that both the characters had to go through was good to see. How gender stereotypes can affect people and the unrealistic expectation that you should always smile and the toll it can take has been done well. The book itself is structured well. There are some really funny scenes.
Still it didn't work for me. I couldn't connect with the story and I think it's because of the writing. I would have liked to know more about the characters. There is a certain conflict which felt too soon in the relationship timeline. Also there wasn't a lot of communication between the main characters, especially regarding the past. I wish we got that conversation.
You can pick this one up if you want to read a book which is easy to read with good character growth, a chicken as a pet, a meddling but adorable family.

Book: To Get To The Other Side
Author: Kelly Ohlert
Pub Date: 12/6/22
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Review ~
To Get To The Other Side is a grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, forced proximity, and roommate romance.

Trixie rescued a chicken on the street that has been hit by a car. She did not want to leave it on the streets so she kept it. But where she lives she cannot have any pets expectably a chicken.

Trixie was left to find another place to live or get ride if the chicken that is in bad health. Trixie decided to move in to a place that someone one was renting out a room and little was that person Bear. Bear and Trixie ran into each other when she find the chicken in the road but now she is living with him. They developed a connection so quick, but they kept avoiding it.

Overall this book was amazing. It was a quick read that was very cute and fun to read. I definitely recommend reading this book!!

This story was adorable and i deathly love Trixie. She was very relatable! The couple had really good chemistry, Bear is such a good boyfriend! It all of the tropes you could want in a romance book. I felt it could have a little bit more action in the book, like a major dramatic change and then a resolution. But other than that, i really liked it :)

I want to first thank the publishers and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

This is a pleasant surprise book for me and I'm rating it a 4.5 stars! I will admit this book is nothing super spectacular but for me it just really hit all the right points.

Trixie, is an avid animal lover, and Bear is a sexy construction worker. I love that they meet for the first time saving a chicken. It's goofy but also so sweet and wholesome. I see myself in Trixie, and I see my partner in Bear which I think really helped me connect to this book.

They fell into so many funny and cute shenanigans together trying to raise money of the chicken's vet bills, but Bear was always right there supporting Trixie. This is a forced proximity troupe in a way because they are living together, but it is not instant love which I appreciate.

If I had to complain about one thing it would be the chicken's name. I have to say I did not think "Chick-Chick" was that creative, but it is no deal breaker by any means.

Overall this was a super fast read for me that I felt like I didn't want to put down. I would recommend this book to just about anyone that like cute romances with suggestive content but not a lot of smut.

This is the first book I have read by Kelly Ohlert. It was definitely a fun and peppy read! I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book and thought this was going to be easily gong to be a 5/5 read. But, the second half of the book seemed to drop off and did not tie up all the loose ends. Trixie never opened up to Bear about her past and the "incident" with the friend that led her to be more closed off. I also wish there would have been more chemistry between Bear and Trixie. They never truly got to know one another while living with each other. I was confused how they fell in love when they were still essentially strangers towards one another.

Sweet, quirky and just plain fun, To Get to the Other Side is a simple, delightful read.

Relatable to any animal lover, the sweet and quirky Trixie with her sunshine personality and perma-smile is just impossible not to like, while Bear, our resident grump with a creamy center and a hidden penchant for drama tv shows and flowers is bound to make you swoon.
Through a boatload of shenanigans, some surprisingly emotional and deep conversations and with the aid of Bear's meddlesome family and Chick-Chick, the best sidekick and matchmaker around, this story is bound to have you laughing out loud and smiling from ear to ear.

4 stars and a bouquet of lilies

I received an advanced copy of 'to get to the other side,'
This was my least favorite book so far from netgalley. The story wasn't for me. It lacked suspense or plot line that kept me engaged to read this book. It took me a while to get into this book. Sorry , just wasn't for me.

How can I start this review without saying to much? I'm goin to start saying it was a book that I enjoyed from beginning to end. It was so unexpected and cute in everyway.

First we have Trixie a girl with a personality like a ray of sunshine and a heart of gold which is found in an unexpected and strange situation crossing the street in her way to work, she founds a chicken in a need of help and with the help of a grumpy and a stranger that helps her stop street trackin while she catch the chicken, she loves pets so much that she adopt and start taking care of the chicken (she work in a pets refuge). Things start going downfall when the vet bills for the chickem started pilling and her landlord kick her apartment because she deosnt want pets on the house. Trixie founds an AD of a place looking for roommate and its pet friendlyand its her range of price.
Ber is ths youngest son in a family full of meddling sisters who are always bothering him of his single statuts. I found it so funny how the sisters posted the AD of him looking for room mate and a grumpy character who regrets no asking for the number of the girls crossing the street, the one who he can't stop think about,but life is about to get interesting for this 2 amazing characters.

We have 2 opossite characters forced to live togheter for unexpected reasons including a pet chicken but in my opinion I think this was super funny and cute. Chik Chik is an esential part of their love story, been room mates and parents for the chicken created a conection to them tha I thinks is super cute. He's a man of few words and she is a girl who talks to much, and as alawys opossite people atracted.

I just love Trix, Bear and Chik Chik so much that everytime I remeber about them I started smiling for all the right reasons.

Thanks NetGalley for this amazing ARC, that made me smile and laugh too much. I seriously can't wait for people to know about this cute caracthers.

this was cute! i liked the storyline and trixie and bear’s relationship, for the most part. it was lighthearted and funny but i will say the first half of the book was better than the second. the first half i was seriously thinking it was going to be a five star read, it was great and everything i love in romance books! it had all of this potential just for the second half to feel rushed and almost flat. trixie became a bit unlikeable and the story began to feel mundane and i wasn’t into it anymore. the pacing was weird at times and there were things that weren’t as thoroughly discussed or explored as they should have been. trixie’s “friend” was never brought up to bear which i thought was weird because that was the whole reason she wasn’t opening up to him. and her dance past? what was the point of that if it was just mentioned in a few inner thoughts? if she liked it that much why didn’t she end up pursuing it again in a healthier manner she always hoped for? aside from a few disappointments, i did enjoy this book.

This book is a light fun read. Since there is half of a joke in the title I hoped it would be funnier but there was very little humour in the book.
The story is about an emotionally unavailable woman, Trixie, who starts to see her own life reflected in that of a high-maintenance rescue chicken.
Caring for this unorthodox pet causes everything in Trixie's life to undergo an about-turn; she gets evicted, her vet bills become unmanageable and she is forced to move and take on several extra part-time jobs.
In the midst of this, she meets the aptly named Bear, who is rough and rugged on the outside but soft and squishy inside.
Bear's overbearing sisters cause some of the few comic moments in the book and their continued interference is what causes Bear and Trixies love story to finally get to the other side.

This is a sweet and light book. It had a good pace for the story, I loved the plot and the characters were well developed. If you like romcom and grumpy/sunshine trope, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for my ARC