There are a lot of random facts thrown in - which is super fun!

💜 Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

The premise of this book was so cute, and I enjoyed it at the start.
Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I was left with a lot of questions and things that just didn’t make sense to me.

I couldn’t understand why a game show WOULDN’T want drama - like everyone was mad at them for (very briefly) not getting along. I also couldn’t wrap my head around their parents/grandparents expecting them to pay for everything.

Tropes + Topics:
🧡 Second chance
🧡 High school sweethearts
🧡 Game show
🧡 Forced proximity
🧡 Only one shower
🧡 Dual POV/first person

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for an advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own.

** spoiler alert ** I was not a fan of the writing style of this book and ended up dnf-ing it. The main characters were not well developed and it started off with the lady, Charlotte, who has always wanted to go on this quiz game show and she just ads random facts here and there which...one of my faovorite romances has a lady who knows all kinds of random trivia, but it was incorporated into the story so it was just part of who she was. These facts just felt like they were put in just to put them in and it didn't really work. But her grandmother has a mystery illness and so the family needs money to try and help grandma figure it out and hopefully make her better.

The guy, Eli, is...he dated Charlotte in high school until he suddenly cut things off and broke her heart. He has his own issues as his dad has been in and out of jail and they don't have a lot of money to pay rent and everything, so he tries to go on the game show as well to win the money they need.

Now the game show was...it I guess films one episode a week and shows it live maybe? When they see each other for the first time Charlotte is not able to keep her cool and hates Eli for what happened in high school. Now the way they were acting, how Eli was still in love with her and how Charlotte never got over whatever happened I thought a) it must have been something serious to be this upset after so long and b) they seem like they are in their early twenties, but they are both 30. I was surprised when I saw that as they did not act like it.

I kept reading, hoping the story would suddenly start working for me, but it kept going downhill. Charlotte hates Eli, but very quickly softens to him cause he is hot and he is being nice I guess? And when you find out what happened all those years ago it was like really? That is all? Charlotte has a thing for always being honest and well...it was a bit much. Most people are mostly always honest, but she was weird about it. Part of why she was so angry is because Eli had talked her into skipping a class and she got caught and he wasn't even there so she had abandoned her morals for nothing! Plus her family couldn't trust her anymore and it took forever to build that trust again and it was so over the top. For one class being skipped. Once. Like...it was weird. And Eli didn't meet her because he was on parole and if he got caught skipping again he would be expelled and on his way to meet her he saw that they would get caught so he didn't show up. Plus his dad was arrested around the same time (how Charlotte never knew this I don't know) and he thought she was better off without him cause his life was going nowhere. He was 17 so I would forgive him, but there was too much buildup for such a meh reason. So yeah. After that I was just like this is not great, why am I trying to force myself to finish when it just keeps going downhill? So I stopped.

“That’s it. Talk nerdy to me.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Mentions illegal activities, blackmailing, and reality show corruption. Contains explicit sexual content.

Oh, this was one spicy read, alright? “Let’s Get Quizzical” follows Charlotte (Charlie) and Eli, two estranged high school best friends and lovers, as they reconnect in a trivia game show, in live TV. It was a shock to start for sure, but after they’re paired up as a team, they’re set on advancing in this game show competition, they both can’t afford to lose. They’ll have to look away from their past and into their future—may that be together or as far apart as possible.

Being told through two points of view, this quirky book filled with fun facts and competitiveness is binge-worthy. Kelly Ohlert’s sophomore romantic publishing absolutely exceeded my expectations. Her debut novel, although entertaining, leaned a bit too much into the childish and nonsensical side of fiction for my liking—this was not the case with “Let’s Get Quizzical.” This upcoming novel lets us see more character depth and complexity, while still holding true to its romantic comedy nature. I really can’t wait to see what else Kelly Ohlert has to offer.

Fair warning, this book was a bit more spicy than I had anticipated. And I mean, I was there for it, but just keep that in mind when grabbing this read. Overall, if you’re a sucker for second chance romances, trivia, and nerdy characters, then “Let’s Get Quizzical” has been personally tailored for you.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: October 17, 2023

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.