Prime Time Romance was one of the most fun books I've picked up so far this year. Overall, I had such a great time with this read! Kate Robb's writing style and the mix of whimsy, slight darkness, and romance altogether was a refreshing take.

The beginning is a bit slow and long just to enforce that Brynn and Josh are both having A Rough Time - especially with Brynn's "friends" that are never mentioned again. This all took up time that could have been better spent showing the relationship dynamic that exists between Brynn and Josh at the start, or maybe allowing more time to get to know each other in the real world first. But once we were past the mysterious cake delivery, I was hooked.

I was expecting more lighthearted sugary-sweet Gilmore Girls-adjacent vibes but we definitely ended up more along the lines of a true teen drama (but 15 years later), with a hint of the Psych episode where they end up in a Twin Peaks-like town. The almost Loki or old school fae-like figure of Sheldon with his unexplained magic and bargaining was such a great tool to keep us questioning what we knew and what would happen. I LOVED the slight mystery angle and higher-stakes worries around if time was passing at home, if people knew they were missing, and if they could get back in time for Josh's family. While I do feel like their feelings for one another almost come out of nowhere, I almost chalked it up to the magical world they were in - maybe it was part of the magic of the place, where it just takes one moment in a teen drama to lead to a whole romantic plotline, or maybe there were sparks between the characters to begin with. Once you can suspend disbelief for the bigger things in this book, it's so easy to do so with the smaller ones and to just enjoy.

I rated this a 4/5, and I'm looking forward to picking up her first book as this was my first Kate Robb read! Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Prime Time Romance is hands down the most unique story I have ever read! Brynn is floundering after divorce and spends most of her nights comfort watching her favorite teen drama, After a rough night she accidently makes a wish sending her into the imaginary town of her favorite show as the lead character searching for the happy ending she never got due to the show's cancellation. Like so many things reality isn't as rosy as the show. She has accidentally brought her hot roommate along for the ride. He's now in a town he doesn't know as the local bad boy. In order to get home they must give "Sloan" a happy ending which Brynn thinks means with the show's heartthrob. Spoiler- she's not feeling it. She is feeling her roommate.

I loved the nostalgia of the book. It's very millennial to comfort watch your favorite shows. "Sheldon" is giving "Kirk" in Gilmore Girls vibes, but creepy. I think there are some deeper themes too about starting over and finding your way as an adult. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group: Dial Press Trade Paperback for this eARC!

I enjoyed this. It was fun, cute & an easy, quick read. My lightning round quick thoughts are as following: I am obsessed with Josh, I like Brynn, but not Sloane-Brynn, Josh’s storyline following The Bronze & Buddy’s was phenomenal, I enjoyed the “sometimes things are supposed to work out differently than we think they should” and the “sometimes our rose colored glasses hide the truth” storylines a lot, but something was just missing for me.

Brynn & Josh – absolutely loved their storyline. Brynn was great, but I felt like Josh was really the one with the character development. From the first time we are in his POV we see his feelings about Brynn & from there it was just one golden retriever moment after another. I wish we had gotten a little more of his backstory before the alternate reality adventure, but regardless his storyline worked really well. Watching him overcome his past assumed-shortcomings & deciding to not let that hinder him was beautiful. I felt like Brynn’s personal story had less growth, but I still enjoyed her as a character. Their relationship may have been face-paced, but they had me kicking my feet & smiling.

But even though I loved the two MC’s & their relationship, something about the teen-drama tv show alternate reality was off for me. I can’t exactly say what, though. I think maybe the set up needed more setting up? There is a side plot of Brynn not having genuine friendships in her life after her divorce that is set up from almost page one & while it’s touched on a little throughout her time in Carson’s Cove, we don’t see it translate back to her real like. & then the introduction to her fave 2000’s teen drama (Carson’s Cove) is rushed, which is really the set up we needed for the main plot of the story. It made sense in the way the scene was written, but later it led to a lot of after-the-fact explaining (ie., who Sheldon was). Brynn would see or interact with a part of CC & then go “oh btw, that’s [insert].” Maybe it was this, maybe it was pacing, or something else I can’t put my finger on. But something surrounding the aspect of being in CC was just off for me.

All that to say the final scenes in CC really worked for me. I loved the sacrifices Brynn made for those around her & how she finally removed her rose-colored glasses surrounding the town of Carson’s Cove & essentially told them all to do better. It was a great catapult scene & was definitely one of the strongest moments of the book for me. I think I highlighted her entire monologue.

Bottom Line: having read both Kate Robb’s debut & now her follow-up, I think it is safe to say she is a reliable author if you are looking for a light, slightly whimsical, quick read for a weekend afternoon. Both books I read in the span of a day or two & did enjoy, even if I wasn’t completely enthralled. While I did enjoy her debut slightly more than this one, I will definitely continue to pick her books up in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of Prime Time Romance.

Prime Time Romance is nostalgia gold. With nods to Dawson's Creek, it cleverly sucked me in and is now at the top of my favorite romances list. The town, the characters, the magical realism, the main character energy, it's all perfection.

The way Robb weaves magic into her novels, it creates an atmosphere you want to be in and stay in. These main characters are ones you will fall in love with and root for. And I've never cheered on a bar remodel like I did The Bronze!

(Kate, I couldn't agree more - Team Logan & Team Pacey 4ever!)

For every 90s girl that loved teen TV, this one is for you. Brynn is single and obsessed with her comfort show, Carson’s Cove, and Josh is her room mate, that’s a bartender. These two get sucked into a world, not their own, and have to survive as two other people looking for happily ever after.

I enjoyed the characters and the deep dive into the life of a tv show. There was some character building and some where there could have been more character building, but I was happy with the ending.

Oh and at the end of the book the author provides some of the Easter eggs she dropped, I knew 2 of them! Check it out tomorrow to see how many you can find.

A book truly for the stars Hallow/Dawson's Creek girlies. I love books with a dash of magical realism, and Kate does the subgenre SO well! Reading this - especially the parts in Carson's Cove - truly felt like I was watching a teen prime-time drama in the early 00s. She hit EVERY classic beat while also subverting the genre. The way she captured such a specific tone is really what stood out to me about this book.

The friendships and non-romantic relationships were very well done and I love where the trope-subversion came into play here specifically. I wish I had a little more romantic buildup between the MCs, though. That said, for all the Jess lovers out there, our "bad boy" finally wins the day.

This books was so adorably perfect!! We all have tv show we love that doesn’t end the way we want. But is it how it should be?

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Do you have a happy place? A place that brings you comfort? Well, for Brynn, that place was the fictional world of Carson's Cove, and with one wish, Brynn would become the Cove's leading lady.

As a HUGE fan of This Spells Love, I was eager to read Robb's follow up, and I am glad to report that it was a solid hit for me. The premise of this book was so much fun! First, I delighted in the Dawson's Creek-ness of this fictional world, but I also found that the magical element such a great way to set Brynn on her healing journey.

My heart really ached for Brynn. She never saw her divorce coming, and as with most break ups, she lost more than just her husband. Her lifestyle had to change, she lost all their shared friends, and she was just feeling an overall sense of failure.

Carson's Creek came to an end without a definitive conclusion for its characters. Brynn now had the opportunity to finish that story, and it was of the utmost importance to her. She needed the win, she needed to succeed, she could not fail again. But there always is a fine line between what we think we need and what we really need. I thought Brynn discovered so much about herself, and I was so happy she had Josh by her side. He was a wonderful surprise. Josh may not have willingly been in Carson's Cove, but it led to some closure and clarity for him as well.

Filled with lots of nostalgia and humor, I had a wonderful time with Brynn and Josh as they found their way from Carson's Cove back to themselves.

A perfect end of summer read, with lots of teen drama nostalgia. Very much enjoyed reading this book. I was very much impressed how the author managed to create a show within the book and managed to make it blend in with the real world setting.

Have you ever been so obsessed with your comfort watch post-divorce that you accidentally wake up in an alternate reality where you're forced to live out the love life of the main characters or face death by a Gunther-like extra? Brynn has and she doesn't recommend it.

Prime Time Romance is unlike any contemporary romance I've read lately. It's like if Dawson's Creek and Gilmore Girls had a kidnapping subplot but also there's a hot bartender. Wait, I'm pretty sure that happened in both of those shows.

I'm still not sure how I felt about it, but I still read every word.

Thank you, Random House.

After a tough divorce and her thirtieth birthday, Brynn makes a wish for a happy ending and wakes up in the world of her favorite soap opera, Carson’s Cove, with her roommate Josh now cast as characters Sloan and Fletch. To return to their reality, they must ensure the soap's iconic couple ends up together, but as they grow closer, they face unexpected feelings and question whether love can rewrite their story.

This book was just pure, nostalgic, millennial coded fun. It is SUPER readable as in I started it this morning and flew through the pages. I fully enjoyed myself being immersed in the story of Brynn and Josh (hot roommate situation, yes!), and how they wound up in her tv show.

I felt all of the vibes, and I was here for them! I loved watching Brynn and Josh fall in love. Their smaller tender moments of love and care, grief and happiness, learning to really trust each other… very magical. I loved how it discussed the idyllic life may not be what it seems.

Oh! And - Her speech at the end? Epic. Very Elle Woods! Really enjoyed this one a lot. It’s out tomorrow 9/3- so make sure you grab a copy!

*I was provided a digital copy of this book by the publisher, all thoughts are my own.*

4.5 ✨

Honestly, I really enjoyed this one. The concept of being able to enter the world of one of your favorite tv shows and change the ending is so appealing. The show in the book "Carson Cove" gave me the OC vibes and I was so here for it.

I think Josh was such a caring "roommate". The fact that he just gave into Brynn's command as soon as they got stuck in the show, (something HE definitely didn't want to happen) showed me he was going to be the one who fell first and he definitely fell hard.

I loved Brynn's character development throughout the book. While she may have been stuck in the past reliving all the nostalgic feels with the characters of her favorite show, she slowly started realizing that what she wanted to happen with the ending of show may not be what the characters actually need to move on.

With that being said, expect me reading more of Kate Robb in the future!

thanks to netgalley and random house publishing for this arc!

me in the beginning of this book: fuck it, i should finally start dawson's creek
me at the end of this book: jk maybe not

prime time romance is as much of an ode to dawson's creek as i can assume, having never seen an episode. to brynn, carson's cove is her comfort show from her teen years that's followed her through life, including turning thirty and still reeling over an early divorce. when she's asked to make a wish for her birthday, she's transported to the town herself... along with her hot bartender roommate, of course.

after reading a novel love story last month, i thought there would be a lot of similarities between the two. but other than a real person being transported into a fictional world, there really was no overlap.

this was my first kate robb book, and her writing was SO fun; i've had her other book this spells love on my shelf for nearly a year now, and will definitely be picking it up soon. but other than the fun writing and likable main characters, i struggled to be too invested in the book--and i think my issues boil down to the plot.

i'm all for magical realism and not every piece of magic needing a "how" behind it (ashley poston does an AMAZING job with this), but the magic behind brynn and josh coming to carson's cove had just enough explanation that made me want more. sheldon being behind it just made it... creepy, ngl! i almost wish she wrote this book with more of a thriller/horror vibe, because what he asks them to do in order to go back home was definitely the workings of a lunatic lol. and unlike the feel-good vibe that came with the plot in a novel love story, it was hard to take a lot of this book's plot seriously. josh getting jealous over a man that brynn has to pretend to be in love with was so crazy, and i almost wish i could've just read a story about brynn and josh falling in love without being transported into a tv show.

I love love love magical realism and dual POV novels, but sadly I couldn't get into this one. It felt a little bit forced and I definitely enjoyed Kate's first book a lot more. That isn't to say this is a bad book, I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.25 Stars. Now I knew going in just based on the premise, I was going to give this book at least 4 stars. It was the perfect in terms of millennial nostalgia. I thought the story was cute, and I really liked Josh as an MMC, which is no surprise because I love Pacey. I will say I thought this book was more plot driven then character/relationship driven, but it was definitely an interesting story and a concept I am sure many will find relatable (who wouldn’t want to visit the town of their favorite tv show!).

DNF - I tried to read and the book just wasn't for me, it may be something that others would enjoy if you like tv drama with some magic thrown in but I just could not get into it. I don't think it's a bad book just not something I want to read at the moment or just not to my reading taste.

I'll start by clarifying that I didn't fully hate this book. I thought the plot was fun, it just fell flat to me.

Like it feel like a white teen drama and that it. The end.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up

Ok, while I did rate this book two stars, I want to make clear first of all that this book and the tropes were just not for me and that I do think that this book would be great for other readers. The writing was good, and the story line was interesting, I was really drawn to the premise which really had the 90’s Tv show feel to it, which sounded fun and nostalgic plus the romance. Since it was my first time reading some of the tropes in this book, I wanted to give it a try, very excited but this story and characters were not drawing me in. I had a hard time with the romance, the main characters, have been living together for a bit but there was no chemistry, tension or any type of romantic feelings, it just was not working for me in the beginning so following the development of their relationship as the story went under this circumstance, I was just not invested in story. This was my first time reading magical realism where characters wind up in a TV show, so I was super intrigued but while reading this, I was having a hard time staying focused and was just not making me feel excited to keep reading.
I received an advanced ebook ,via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

4.25⭐️s. A little slow starting for me, but ended up being very entertaining throughout. I liked it better than This Spells Love. The notes from the author at the end said how getting the draft back forced her to put that desire in for an even better story, and I really think that work was noticeable. The story flowed even though it started a little slow. I think if you enjoy the idea of someone sucked into their favorite TV show like Dawson’s Creek or even Gilmore Girls . Then I think you’d really enjoy this book.

Brynn is divorced and pretty unhappy with life right now. Her so-called friends really only use her instead of support her. The only thing that she finds solace in is watching reruns of her favorite TV show Carson’s Cove. One night out, she just decides it’s not worth sticking around. But she’s a little tipsy and lost her phone and wallet. Luckily her roommate, Josh, is one of the bartenders. Josh being a little bit of a white knight takes her home. There’s a knock at the door and someone has a cake asking her to make a birthday wish. Both Brynn and Josh wake up the next morning in Carson‘s Cove. They work must together with this man, Sheldon, who plopped them into the roles of the well-known characters, Sloan and Fletcher. Their mission is to get the happy ending with Sloan and Spencer that never came when the show was canceled. Spencer is the perfect man and everything Brynn wants right now. But along the way, Brynn discovers that her lovable Carson’s Cove and Spencer are not as wonderful and perfect as it seems. Josh finds some of his own way and decides he wants to and is capable of buying back his dad’s bar. Will Sheldon send them back in time? And will the chemistry that Josh and Brandon are developing continue once they’re home?

Thank you @netgalley @kate_robb_writes @thedialpress for the advanced reader copy. #netgalley #primetimeromance

Brynn thought she was looking at a life with her husband and eventually children and a golden retriever, until her husband decided to divorce her. Now she is wallowing in depression and binging on reruns of Carson’s Cove, her favorite series from her teenage years. The series ended abruptly leaving everyone missing the happy ever after they expected. When a stranger shows up just after midnight, on her 30th birthday, he tells her to make a wish and her minds goes to all the things she loved about Carson’s Cove. The next morning Brynn wakes up in Carson’s Cove and the stranger tells Brynn it is time for the two leading characters to admit their love and get their happy ever after. Unfortunately, Josh, her male roommate, is sucked into the story; he becomes the town bad boy while she is the town sweetheart. Things do not go as planned.

I enjoyed watching Brynn struggle though picking up the relationships her character had as a teenager, and now seeing them all grown up and adults. Josh was amazing, I felt like he was the best part of the story. This is a sweet, feel good story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest review.