Let’s Get Quizzical is a sweet second change romance. Former high school flames Eli and Charlotte are reconnected when they are competing on their favorite quiz show, Brain Battle. Both of them need the prize money to help out their family situations.

There is some good drama, and the high stakes made for a more intense story. But the condensed timeline means the character growth happens whip-fast.

This was a DNF for me. I started it and it just didn't grab me at all. I'll try it again at a future date because it sounds so fun, but it just wasn't pulling me in right now.

*** Thank you to Kelly Ohlert, Alcove Press and Netgalley for the ARC ***
Publish Date: 10.17.2023

Plot: Former teenage lovers’ paths re-cross when they both appear on a gameshow. Both have a lot on the line – Charlotte has an ill grandma, and Eli has a crumbling home, who’s dad is working two jobs and always one wrong move away from returning to prison. After winning the first game and going on to the next, the two rekindle the love they thought was lost – until they are asked to cheat and win for extra ratings. Charlotte stands her ground with choosing to do things the right way, whereas Eli is struggling more with right vs. wrong and the implications of their second chance romance if he takes the answers.

Review: 3/5 stars
I liked the different theme for this novel. I have never read a book about a game show. I started the book and got about halfway through before hitting a slump. I was very interested in the details about Charlottes like and Eli’s but once Eli took the answers for the game show, I got bored. Eli is a whole ass adult who has codependency issues with his father. As a grown adult, why does he feel the need to do everything for his dad. He was a weak character the more I read about him. Charlotte was also insufferable, making Eli feel a certain way but then goes behind her grandmas back to see her grandfather and while she did come clean, she is still as guilty as Eli just in a different way. She felt so stuck in the past but didn’t see she was repeating same mistakes.

The spectre of the quiz show scandals lives on in Kelly Ohlert's 'Lets Get Quizzical'.

Charlie desperately needs money to cover her grandmother's medical bills. Her ex-boyfriend Eli is also struggling, trying to keep his and his ex-con father's head above water. To both their shock, they end up being selected as contestants for their favourite TV game show.

Charlie and Eli soon learn that all is not what it seems, with the sleazy producer forcing them, particularly Eli to play along for ratings. Ohlert builds the tension as Eli becomes more and more desperate to save his father from returning to jail.

I really enjoyed this book, Charlie and Eli clearly still have chemistry, but Charlie's heart still stings from Eli's rejection of her a decade previously. I really felt for both of them carrying the weight of their families on their backs. I also loved the mystery with the former contestants, if i had any quibble, it was that it was not a much bigger part of the book.

This book is a poignant look at working poor people and the moral and ethical dilemmas they face, all wrapped up in a delightful second-chance romance with two characters I cheered on for.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was so cute !! Loved every second of it, I haven't really read a book where the main focus is based on a quiz but this was refreshing. Thank you for providing me an early copy

This was a fun quick read w/ typical romance tropes :) We’ve got second chance lovers, a good amount of spice & forced proximity.

I loved the reality TV show aspect & the realistic conflicts in the story. Financial struggles don’t just happen when you’re fresh out of college trying to figure out your path- they hit anytime because life happens- and this story used that to fuel your sympathy for both MCs even when you disliked something that one or both of them did. They felt very real and genuine.

I will say that the underlying theme of how important honesty is in any relationship was great, but at times it felt like a bit of a stretch that someone would take it as seriously as the MC and her family did.

And I definitely appreciated a 3rd act breakup that didn’t involve miscommunication so hats off to the author for that as well! :)

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the completely unique setting of a game show and how the book was filled with trivia woven into the plot. A good summer read!

Let’s Get Quizzical is an interesting mix of classic romcom elements, surprisingly nefarious game show shenanigans, a stockpile of fun facts, and a second chance love story. Eli is just trying to get by and help his dad as he works full-time and finishes his college degree. Charlotte is a trivia junkie who is desperate to do everything possible to help her grandmother whose medical bills are piling up. Each of the main characters have strong ties and connections outside of the romance. Both Charlotte and Eli have to navigate familial commitments and their feelings for one another. If you’re looking for a book with a clever premise and string subplots we recommend this one.

Wow! I greatly enjoyed this book!
I absolutely loved the setting in 'Let's get Quizzical'. The romance at the game show is a concept that I've never seen before, which made it very innovative and interesting.
Kelly Ohlert also succeeded in portraying insecurities in relationships without it being annoying. Most of the romance books I read rely too heavily upon miscommunication and difficulties in relationships, which I think is very annoying, but this book had just the right amount.
The spark between the main characters is also TO DIE FOR. They were so cute together, and I loved the scenes in the shower and during the shows.
The only thing that I missed in this book was a bit more scenes in the game show. There was a lot of potential there.
Overall, I think this was a great read, and I would recommend it to everyone!

Thank you to Net Galley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of Let's Get Quizzical by Kelly Ohlert!

Charlie has dreamt of being a game show contestant her entire life. She's been stuffing herself full of fun facts and trivia preparing for this moment. She finally gets her opportunity to participate in her family's time of need to help cover the expenses of her grandmother's declining health.

Eli has always been the "too cool for school", rough around the edges bad boy. Down on his financial luck and needing to help support his father, Eli sees the game show as an opportunity to dig them out of their hole and start anew.

Enter the game show where Charlie and Eli are reunited and forced to team up to help their families after Eli broke Charlie's heart and more importantly her trust in high school.

Overall, the story was a cute, quick, steamy read, but I didn't fall in love with it. I loved the quirkiness of Eli and Charlie, especially Charlie. I also enjoyed the setting of a game show - that is such a unique situation that I have never read before. I felt the tension and rekindling of the relationship between Charlie and Eli could have been drawn out a little bit longer. And for me, there was a little too much emphasis on the lying aspect of things. I understand why it was necessary for the story I just think it could have been scaled back a little.

Let's Get Quizzical by Kelly Ohlert reads like a heartwarming romantic comedy with a twist.
The story follows Charlotte, a family-oriented woman who competes on her favorite trivia game show to win money for her grandmother's care. However, her plans are complicated when she discovers that her high school ex-boyfriend, Eli, is also a contestant on the show. Forced to work together as a team, Charlotte and Eli must put their past differences aside and face the challenges of the game show.

Lets get Quizzical comes with a mix of humor, romance, and drama. I found the premise of the story intriguing, the fact that it revolves around a game show adds a unique element to the typical romantic comedy plot. The enemy-to-lover tension between Charlotte and Eli, combined with the pressure of competing on national television, creates a read that kept me engaged.

Overall, Let's Get Quizzical is a read for anyone looking for a lighthearted romantic comedy with a touch of drama.

This book was..... a lot. The story was great. The characters were fully fleshed out and interesting. The only problem I had with this book was the slang used. The main character referred to her family as Ma, Pop, and Gran which felt very Anne of Green Gables to me. The story was engaging but this terminology and terms like this jarred me out of the story. As the story progressed, the dynamics of the main characters really drew me in, but I struggled to get through the almost too cringy jargon. It was still a fun read, but I definitely feel like a reread would be on audio book.

The book had a slow start, but picked up quickly. After just a few chapters, I couldn’t put it down. Ohlert did a great job with the alternating narration and was able to make the main characters relatable without being too deep into quirks that alienate the readers.

This quiz-game reality show setting romcom where old friends reunite is a cute read, but it didn’t quite hit for me. I had trouble connecting to the characters and getting into the romance, but appreciated what the story offered overall

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was so excited for the concept of this book – falling in love in a quiz setting? My nerd heart be still!

Sadly, it didn’t quite work out for me.

- The main characters seemed so caught up in a teenage relationship. I’m only slightly older than the leads and I don’t buy that so many years later they are *that* hung up on it
- The side stories with the character’s families were heavy and I don’t think they were given the detail they needed – what was the illness? How did Clint have the connections to Lucky/Eli’s dad to swing his bribe?
- There weren’t many interactions between the leads before they “fell” – as a reader I didn’t understand how they were so quickly in love. They needed more one on one time, banter.
- I didn’t like the way Eli had to constantly grovel because of Charlotte’s impossible expectations

What I did like:

- The trivia and the way the show worked – that was detailed
- The scope for the “mystery” element with finding other contestants who may have been blackmailed – this was cool and could have been a bigger part of the plot!
- The steam was written well, not too cringe

In short: it was a fast and easy read, but I couldn’t suspend reality enough to believe the backstory

this was a pretty good book fellas!

it’s not every day you get to see a unique rom-com and this one surely did it!

Let’s Get Quizzical is a fun, reality tv show themed, romance comedy where the main character Eli and Charlotte, go on a reality tv game show.

they’re high-school sweethearts those two. who go through a bad break-up. and meet again on the show. and realise their love still hasn’t faded.

good plot. good story. good characters.

it just seemed a bit too insta-love for me. I get it’s a second-chance romance but they’re already in love with each other the second they re-meet.

but overall a good, enjoyable book.

Just ok for me. One of those books where a lot of the plot would be avoided if the characters talked to each other.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this quirky love story was cute and fun. I love game show romances especially when there is tension between the lovers. I would have liked to see more sexual tension played out between them but overall a well written story.

This was a solid book. The premise was really exciting, two characters on jeopardy-type game show was something new and interesting, and the scandal of the show was well thought. Charlotte and Eli's struggles were unique. However, neither character felt fully formed. I kept being surprised that they were 30, and not in their teens or early twenties. Both of them seemed like the were frozen as teenagers and unfrozen at the point the book starts at. Because of that, I found I wasn't too invested in their story or what was happening to them. If there was a bit more about their lives as adults that might've solved some of my feelings, or if they were younger. All in all, it was a fine book. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc of this book. This was such a fun read! Had me laughing out loud! Definitely a good summer book to read