Let’s Get Quizzical is my first read by Kelly Ohlert. While her other novel, To Get to the Other Side, is on my radar, I, unfortunately, haven’t had the chance to read it yet. The game show premise plus the fun cover were great factors to entice me to read it. The story focuses on Charlotte and Eli who were together when they were 17. After Eli left her, she is not sure she will ever forgive him. When Charlotte arrives on set to compete on her favorite trivia game show, she is shocked to see Eli and now must face her past. I loved this concept as it gave a new twist to the past lovers’ meeting again. There were two issues that I had with this concept, though. The first is the reason behind the initial break-up and the second is the grudge Charlotte holds over Eli 12 years later. For me, even if Eli broke her heart, I have a difficult time comprehending the lack of communication to talk about it then or even years later.

Both Eli and Charlotte have their own motivations to want to win the game show. Eli’s mom left as a child plus his father has been in/out of jail along with him trying to finish his degree. Charlotte wants the money to help her grandmother and family. She can be a frustrating character, though, due to her obsession with honesty. For her, the truth is black and white, when there are bits of grey. Because of this, it was very difficult to connect with her. I like that there was potential for character growth from this, but I think her insistence that the truth is the only way was a bit much. I think some acknowledgement of times when the truth isn’t needed for the greater good would have been nice to insert while keeping the truth as a priority for Charlotte’s character. I loved the concept of the novel, even if some of the details weren’t quite for me. I can see many readers loving this novel and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Alcove Press, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

I read her debut book and this one also slaps. Loved it and the concept of the game show was super unique! I loved how the characters had flaws but they weren’t annoying in a romance novel. They were subtle but relatable. This book had more spice than her first book which was something I wanted! It was a great read over all.

This was an entertaining book. It was fun, sweet and moved along well, though I didn't love the random bits of trivia information that were placed throughout. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Charlotte and her family are huge game show fans. They have been watching them since she was a kid. She applied to be on any game show for years but had no luck. She even took the time to read each rule to make sure she doesn’t break any in case she was chosen to be on one. One day she was finally chosen to be on her favorite one, and it couldn’t come at a better time. Her and her family need the money for medical bills for her grandma. 

Eli is a personal trainer that is trying to get his degree so he can get a better job. Eli had a rough childhood, his dad has been in and out of jail and is trying to stay on the right track. He can use the money to help him and his dad not struggle so much. He applies to be on the same game show and is picked to compete. 

The day of the first taping we find out that Eli and Charlotte were high school lovers that still had feelings for one another. 

They continue to advance in the game show so that means they have to spend the next few weeks together. The audience loves their dynamic and want to see more, including off the game show. So they decide to explore LA museums and they are seen out and about as much as possible in hopes of the paparazzi seeing them. During this time you see Eli and Charlotte rekindle their love for one another. 

I read this book within 24 hours because I kept wanting to know if they would win the game show. I really liked that aspect of the book but I was a little disappointed that their were a lot of loose ends that we are left with by the conclusion. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let's Get Quizzical by Kelly Ohlert is a fun time. This second chance romance brings Charlotte and Eli back together to play as a team on the game show "Brain Battle." Both really need the money, but can they play nice to get it?

A game show was a concept that I never read and I thought it was really fun. It also included a slimy tv producer and lots of trivia. Charlotte is very into honesty and was a reason that they had broken up before. This was the only thing that I wasn't a fan of. I think her being so obsessed with the past and honesty was a little over the top. Other than that I thought it was a fun book to pick up.

Thank you @netgalley @alcovepress for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 30%, unfortunately it did not hold my attention and it wasn’t something I wanted to push through. Thank you for the opportunity!

What a fun and charming story! I enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes of the game show and how ratings were so important. It did make me wonder if any game shows use diabolic tactics when they have fan favorites competing. With that said, Charlie’s moral compass was a bit too much for me and I feel like she didn’t always give Eli a fair chance. If you’re looking for a unique storyline in your next rom com than this is for you!

I will start this by saying ... I AM SORRY! I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to love this - and... it hurts to say this but...

I couldn't finish it. I've been trying to read this for over a week and it just isn't clicking with me - I hit 56% of the story, saw that I still had like 3 hours of reading and just couldn't face it. I jumped ahead, read their HEA (but missed all the drama that got it there).

Mostly I dislike of this book comes down to Charlotte. I'm all for a character having to evolve and grow, but she's so.... judgmental? Black and white? Lacks so much empathy. It was all too much.

Eli isn't perfect but at least he was slightly more relatable.

This is a story about second chance at love - however the idea is that Charlotte and Eli "broke up" (aka he ditched her and never spoke to her again) in HIGH SCHOOL. When they were 17 years old. They are now on the cusp of 30 and it feels like reading a story about 22 years old's. Their dynamic just didn't feel like it fit their age.

This book felt like it was trying a little too hard - maybe it would have worked better as a short story that was really only about them re-meeting on the quiz show and their chemistry that made them a fan favourite. But adding in all the other stuff (dad with a record, grandmother that is sick with expensive medical bills, grandfather that comes out of nowhere, producer that is threatening them...) it all felt like too much. Too many random facts, too many smirks (come on Eli!) and too much immaturity.

Thanks Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in return for my honest review. Sorry my opinion isn't as positive as I had hoped it would be.

I thought the premise of this novel sounded like fun and sometimes it was, especially when Eli and Charlotte first reconnected on air on the game show. The audience found their interactions riveting and as a reader, I did too. Where this novel fell flat for me was when they weren’t on the show. Over ten years had gone by and for them to still be in love after all that time didn’t seem very believable and all of the excuses, complaints, and family drama just didn’t seem to be all that interesting. Some of my books have complex characters with family drama but there was also a sidekick or group of friends that provided comic relief or gave the reader another way to connect to the main characters, and these two protagonists were very isolated. Neither had friend groups, just family issues that although rang true, just seemed sad and not very interesting.

It’s rare, but I just didn’t feel that connected to anything in this story. I do wish that the game show was more central to the plot. I mean, it kind of was, but for me it was overshadowed by the more depressing aspects of the story and lacked any kind of fun, other than the moment they first saw each other on set. Sorry, this one just didn’t do it for me.

This was a cute read! I loved how the relationship between Charlotte and Eli grew over the course of the novel. Eli was my favorite character, his personality just poured off the page. I would've liked to see more of Charlotte because she felt very much a secondary character towards the end.

My thoughts


Narrative and Plot





Let's Get Quizzical is a second-chance contemporary romance that takes place in the world of brainy game shows, as the name suggests. My personal experience with game shows is limited to a relative once participating in the regional version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.







The story is told from both Eli's and Charlotte's perspectives. They both could use some financial assistance, which comes in the form of a game show. But they do have a bitter history that they need to conquer in order to get to their goals. The plot sounds interesting, but it doesn't exactly deliver on the promise.




There could be so much excitement around the game show and the drama of it all. Of course, there is drama, but it didn't hit the mark for me. The pacing wavered in the middle and by the time it got back on track, it was too little, too late. Remember the tension in the English movie Slumdog Millionaire? It set out to get that kind of tension, but never really got there. Part of it goes to the plot, which focuses on the game show and then the outside. Somehow, the gap in the filming and the structure of the game show took away the tension that we were supposed to feel.










Characters and Conflicts




Eli and Charlotte had great chemistry right from the start. It kept the story going forward. However, towards the end, the story focuses mostly on Eli. He was the active character, while Charlotte remained passive.

The conflict pretty much centered around Eli, too. Of course, Charlotte was part of it but felt more like a passive character.

The ensemble cast was entertaining whenever they were involved. And the ending had the flair and drama of a second-chance romance.



















Conclusion

Overall, Let's Get Quizzical is a one-time fun read for me. If you are into trivia and fun facts with the backdrop of romance, give this one a try.

I love this cover and unique romcom setting or rivals getting a second chance at love on a trivia game show! The author created relatable main characters with unique quirks, insecurities, and family drama that allowed for growth from their juvenile young romance into a more adult connection. My favorite part of the story was seeing the game show segments, learning trivia facts, and the nerdy mains. However, I was disappointed in the cause of the initial breakup (in the past) and thought their romance fell flat in both timelines; I just was never fully invested in their outcome as much as I wanted. However, the on-air banter/tension, the romantic grand gesture, and the solid writing made this cute rom-com a quick and fun read.

What are the odds that your lifelong dream comes true and you're selected to play on your favourite game show but it turns out your teammate is none other than the ex that got away so many years ago! This is the case for Charlotte and Eli. Both want to win the game, both needing the money to help their families but with their past left unresolved, tension arises. Can they do it?

I really enjoyed the game show setting of this book and thought the love story was sweet although a little basic. The ending and grand gesture by Eli at the end was the best though! This is my first book by this author however I'll be on the lookout to read more.

I've had this one on my radar for months. It looked so cute so I requested the ARC. I used to watch game shows with my grandma. When I read the first few chapters I was so excited. It was going to be funny and I was going to learn some fun trivia along the way. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. We are told about their relationship as teenagers but not shown it. They meet up at age 30 both being on a game show and we just know that the guy broke her heart. But the breaking of the heart was weird too. He told her to meet him under the bleachers during school and then she got caught and he didn't. Then he didn't talk to her again. I mean you see him every day at school and never before school, after school, during school, or go to his house and ask what happened? He saw the teacher coming. That's it. That seems legitimate to me of why he didn't come out there. So when they both meet back up they both still want each other, but since we didn't get to see their love actually happen, I did not have feelings one way or the other about if they should be together. We were just told they loved each other and now they love each other again. And then what happened at the game show was weird too. I won't get into it as a spoiler but it just kind of fell flat to me also.

-Never apologize for taking up space.

My sincere thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Let's Get Quizzical by Kelly Ohlert. I give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

First of all, I have to say I love the title Let's Get Quizzical. It gives a fun vibe with maybe a little tension due to the competition involved and implied by the cover itself. I was all in for trying this book by Kelly Ohlert because I really liked her debut novel. This one is a second chance romance which I tend to gravitate towards when choosing a new romance to read. That being said, I really didn't love Eli and Charlotte together. I wish there would have been more about their past to make me believe that they really carried torches for each other for so long. More remembrances with more detail. More depth to their teenage romance. I liked that Eli was doing his very best to be honest and above board with Charlotte all along in a real attempt to make up for his past mistakes. She on the other hand was a little too self-righteous while at the same time thinking just as much about the physical as she was the quizzical. I honestly don't think the book needed the hook-up in the middle. It felt too rushed to me.

My favorite part was the whole quiz show aspect of the book. I thought it sounded so unique and I really liked how it started out with them being thrown back together in this unexpected way. I wasn't as much of a fan of all the other stuff about the show that became part of the new conflict. I was hoping for more getting to know each other again in a deeper way as adults as they worked toward a shared goal. I don't know - I just wanted something different than I got. There was also another sub-plot that I just didn't see any reason for. I didn't think it made sense with the rest of the book. I really wanted to like this book more, but it just fell short for me. I do think that there is an audience for this book, and I don't mind telling people to give it a try if I think they might enjoy it.

This was a very sweet second chance romance - quite unexpected from what I thought when I first read with the synopsis but going back now, it matches pretty much exactly! I don’t know why I had different thoughts about it.

I really quite enjoyed it and it was a very sweet reunion of high school sweethearts but after breaking up before senior year, unexplained, Charlotte has had 13 years to wonder why she wasn’t good enough for Eli, and has focused her life on learning all the trivia so she could get to this one day - getting onto her favorite game show… it just wasn’t what she imagined, especially when paired up with the heartbreaker, Eli himself. They make it work since they both have desperate reasons in their lives for the prize money, and when sequestered together and studying more trivia facts, as well as out touring the town, they learn a not-too-happy fact about the show they would rather forget.

I enjoyed it but it was very low steam (would have enjoyed some more), but do definitely recommend this to all romance readers out there, especially if you enjoy trivia and game shows. That part was quite fun!

I received a copy from NetGalley and Alcove Press, and this is my honest feedback.

Charlotte has a chance to compete on her favorite trivia game show, and she's over the moon. But when she arrives on set, Eli, her high school first love, at least until their shattering breakup is one of the contestants, and they get paired up. And the public loves their bickering.
This is an enemies to lovers, second chance romance. The whole game show premise of this book was super fun. I did not like, however, the premise of the second chance for Eli and Charlotte and whta happened over a decade ago (and the fact that they never talked again for over a decade over this). And Charlotte came across as selfish most of the time. If you want a quick read full of fun facts, this one is for you!
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Achei bem levinho.
Principalmente para quem quer treinar o inglês

Para Charlotte, focada na família, a chance de competir em seu game show de perguntas e respostas favorito é um sonho que se torna realidade – o prêmio em dinheiro pode garantir os melhores cuidados para sua avó idosa. Mas quando ela chega no set, quem ela vê entre os outros concorrentes? Eli, seu primeiro amor no ensino médio, pelo menos até a separação devastadora. Ele tem seus próprios motivos para competir, entre eles o estresse de vários empregos, cursos universitários e um pai que teve vários desentendimentos com a lei.

Quando o departamento de elenco os coloca em uma equipe, Charlotte e Eli estão determinados a cerrar os dentes e tirar o melhor proveito disso. É mais fácil falar do que fazer, é claro, e em pouco tempo o público nacional os observa, sem fôlego, brigando e expondo ressentimentos de anos atrás. Longe de ficarem zangados, os produtores do programa estão em êxtase – os índices de audiência estão subindo positivamente.

Enquanto competem juntos em vários episódios da série, Charlotte e Eli começam a suspeitar que velhas feridas podem realmente sarar. Viajar por Los Angeles em seu tempo livre lhes deu a oportunidade de se conhecerem novamente – e despertou sentimentos difíceis de resistir. Até que os produtores do programa alterem seus planos esperançosos que comprometerão tudo pelo que Charlotte e Eli trabalharam tanto.

O segundo romance caloroso e espirituoso de Kelly Ohlert prova que a melhor coisa a conhecer é sempre o seu próprio coração.

Charlotte is excited for the chance to compete on her favorite game show! If she wins, Charlotte can help pay for the best care for her grandmother.

Charlotte is shocked to see her high school first love, Eli, on set! Eli is competing as a contestant!

When the casting department puts Charlotte and Eli on the same team, both are determined to make the best of it. That's difficult to do, and the audience loves the bickering between the two of them! Ratings are soaring.

As they compete, both realize their wounds can heal. They begin exploring LA together, and they realize that the feelings they once had might be resurfacing.

This is a cute second chance romance. I liked the cover a lot.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This a perfect read for second chance romance lovers and of course quiz game lovers. The book follows Charlotte an intelligent woman who puts family first who gets an opportunity of a life time to be on her favorite trivia game show. It's a dream come true as she wants the prize money desperately. Her optimism is broken when she sees one of her contestants is Eli her high school sweetheart who broke her heart. They both have a reason for why they need the money. It's a refreshing take on second chance romance and absolutely a delight to read. Enjoyed it so much. I look forward to more Kelly Ohlert books