Prime Time Romance is a must-read for fans of '90s and '00s teen dramas. With its nostalgic pop culture references and slow-burn romance, this book is a delightful throwback. While the characters could have been developed further, the fast-paced plot and addictive storyline make it a worthwhile read.

After reading Prime Time Romance, I definitely need to rewatch my favorite teen drama, Dawson’s Creek. This book gave me all the nostalgia for that show and other teen dramas I watched as a teenager and even in my twenties. It even has some easter eggs, not only from Dawson’s Creek but also from other teen dramas from the 90s/00s.

Imagine your favorite TV show ending on a cliffhanger and the TV network deciding to cancel it, where you are left unsatisfied with no HEA for your favorite TV characters. (Looking at your Netflix since you love canceling shows.) But what if you are given a chance to live your life as your favorite character from that TV show, giving them a chance at the HEA they never got, plus finding yours, too? This is what happened to the FMC, Brynn, when she had a birthday cake show up at her door, and she got to make a wish. Not only is she thrown into the world of her favorite show, but her roommate, Josh, is there with her, too, living as the bad boy character. The issue is that the only way for them to leave is to give the main characters from that show the HEA they never got, but what if Brynn ends up having feelings for Josh, her roommate, while she’s there in the TV show world? She wants to have her own HEA, too, but unfortunately, she has to remember she’s there for the TV show’s main characters and not herself.

I enjoyed this book and found myself smiling, while reading it due to how it reminded me of everything about the 90s/00s teen dramas I used to watch when I was in my teens and early twenties. You know the emotional rollercoaster the writers used to put us through with those shows, especially Dawson’s Creek. Who was the girl going to end up with, and why were you always rooting for the bad boy to be with her? At least, that is what it is for me. I wanted Brynn to find her HEA with Josh, even though she was supposed to find her HEA with the main character of the TV show. Josh wasn’t a bad guy, either. He was such a sweet guy and reminded me of Pacey from Dawson’s Creek.

This was an adorable book that brought all the feels. It’s a slow-burn romance, so it does take a bit for the main characters, Brynn and Josh, to realize they are falling for one another, but once it happens, you’ll be rooting for their HEA.

I give this book four stars and look forward to reading more from Kate Robb. Yes, this was my first book from Kate Robb, and it definitely won’t be my last.

If you grew up watching all the TV teen dramas back in the 90s/00s, then you definitely should read this book. It may very well make you want to rewatch those shows. Thanks to this book, I know I’m going to rewatch Dawson’s Creek for the millionth time.

What to Expect:
🩷Small Town Romance
🩷Forced Proximity
🩷Roommates to Lovers
🩷90s/00s Nostalgia

What a fun and original rom com plot!! Brynn’s life has failed apart after her divorce. Living with her roommate Josh to be able to afford the apartment she kept in the divorce, she finds herself unsettled and clinging to the comforting reruns of her favorite tv show. A TV show her and Josh find themselves in after a run in with an Uber eats driver. I loved Brynn and Josh’ growth as separate characters and together. The banter was great and it felt like a cheesy hallmark movie in the absolute best way!

Super fun mashup on Pleasantville and Dawson’s Creek with tons and tons of Easter eggs and references to teen dramas of yesteryear. Brynn is having a rough time of things being recently divorced, having shallow friendships, and going on the worst first dates ever. She’d rather be sitting at home on the couch re-watching her favorite TV show, even though it ended on a cliffhanger and the main character did not end up with the dreamboat crush. And somehow, she and her roommate Josh wake up in the fictional TV world and are tasked with settings things to rights. Except the dreamboat crush is not what he seems and Brynn ends up growing feelings for Josh instead, changing the narrative of the fictional town. It’s fun and steamy and chaotic in all the best ways. I had so much fun listening to this audiobook and loved all the little callouts to the teen shows I used to love.

So I really liked the beginning, but there were details where I was like…why was that relevant? Why did we need to bring that up if it didn’t do anything special for the plot?

Like maybe I spaced or something but she never stood up to her flakey friends who didn’t value her? So then what was the whole point of spending the first couple chapters with them.

I thought the romance was pretty meh. I didn’t like nor dislike them.

Prime Time Romance is a cute romance. Pick your vibes: Dawson's Creek, The Truman Show, Pleasantville...they all kind of fit. The premise is that two roommates IRL end up in the set of a show, but it's real to the people in the show, and the roommates are playing iconic characters. In order to get back home to their real lives, they need to give the main character a perfect ending: win the pageant, get the guy! There are pageant antics, dramatic romantic gestures, and redemption arcs for previously villainized characters. It's a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this charming novel.

Prime Time Romance is a whimsical and romantic story that reminds you of your favorite comfort show.

Brynn is recently divorced and dreading her upcoming 30th birthday. Chilling at home with her roommate Josh, an Uber Eats shows up at her house with a mysterious birthday cake. Making a wish that her life was more like her favorite tv show, Carson’s Cove, Brynn and Josh wake up the next morning to find that they’ve magically been transported into the show, and Brynn is the main character. Having to play the part in order to get themselves back home, Brynn is torn between giving the character the happy ending she deserves and the life that she truly wants.

This was an adorable and pretty quick read. Filled with nostalgia, Reading this book reminded me of late nights watching Dawson’s Creek or Gilmore Girls. Those comfort shows that have a little bit of drama, but generally everything works out OK. But just like in this book, these shows, romance novels, and favorite movies are comfortable and safe, but real life doesn’t always work out that way. It’s messy and complicated, but that only makes it so that you appreciate the good times even more. Brynn and Josh are thrown into this situation and while they started out friendly, it was really nice to see their relationship grow as they both realize what they really want in life. I thought it was really great to see Brynn’s character growth, and her acceptance of her self and finding happiness in her own life, despite all the messy parts. This is a really quick read and a nice little escape from reality. I enjoyed it a lot, and I look forward to more books from this author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own..

I adored this book. The writing was amazing and the pacing was great. The main characters were so spot on with romance novels. Great writing and moments of humor.

Read if you like:
✨ Magical Realism
🏘️ Small Towns
📺 Nostalgic TV Shows
🎂 Birthday Wishes
🙅🏻‍♂️ Bad Boys

This book is for the girlies that thought Rory was meant to be with Dean, but as they grew up and their frontal lobes fully developed realized that Jess, truly is who Rory was meant to be with.

When Brynn rewatches Carson’s Cove for the comfort and ends up making a birthday wish that sends her and her roommate into the show 15 years later to give the small town good girl her happy ending that she was robbed of when the show went off air without wrapping up the storylines when ratings dropped.

But when things don’t feel like that ending is actually the ending Brynn feels the beloved Sloan should actually have it gets a bit messy, especially when her roommate Josh is cast as Flech the town bad boy and Brynn starts to feel the feels for her roommate instead of the small town boy next door she always thought Sloan was meant to be with. But when the person who sent her and Josh there to give the HEA that Carson’s Cove deserved isn’t happy that she isn’t playing her part as expected, how far will Brynn take her role in order to get out of Carson’s Cove and able to return to her real life?!

Thank you to Dell for my eARC & physical ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The way that Kate Robb captured the difference in worlds and explained it to us had me intrigued from the moment it started.

The questions she leaves us wanting answers to keeps your attention as you inhale the pages.

On her 30th birthday, Brynn makes a wish and finds herself in Carson’s Cove (home of her favorite tv show) with her roommate, Josh. Brynn’s job is to give the main character (Sloan) her happy ending after the show was unexpectedly cancelled on a cliffhanger. While in Carson’s Cove, Brynn realizes the show hasn’t aged well and the nostalgia she feels watching it is replaced by an understanding that things weren’t as great as they seemed.

The 2 explicit sex scenes felt out of place when the rest of the book is fairly PG (for example, the characters can’t swear in Carson’s Cove). I also thought Sheldon (an extra from the original series) came off as a creepy stalker throughout most of the book and his obsession with Sloan’s happy ending felt unwarranted. However, I did appreciate Brynn’s maturity and growth. Overall, this was a very quick and easy read.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, well this was FUN.

PRIME TIME ROMANCE is about recently-divorced Brynn who finding comfort from losing what she thought was her HEA in her favorite 2000s teen soap opera. (Which, relatable.) To afford her mortgage, Brynn lives with roommate Josh, a bartender dealing with his own grief.

When a birthday cake surprisingly shows up on her and Josh’s doorstep, Brynn makes a wish for the one thing she’s always wanted (but has failed to achieve herself): a happily-ever-after. Then, Brynn suddenly wakes up in the fictional world of Carson's Cove -- with Josh in tow. Everyone seems to know them, except they’re not Brynn and Josh; they’re Sloan, the sweetheart of Carson’s Cove, and Fletch, the town’s bad boy. And to get home, they have to make Brynn’s wish come true by ensuring Sloan and Spencer, the hometown heartthrob, end up together after the show ended unexpectedly on a cliffhanger after five seasons.

Unlike her own life, things always have a way of working out in Carson’s Cove...until they don't. As they spend more time together in their soap-opera world, Brynn and Josh realize that Carson’s Cove might not be as perfect as seen on television . . . especially when they start developing feelings for each other in a plot twist no one expected.

I thought this was a fun, nostalgic story that gave me vibes similar to A NOVEL LOVE STORY by Ashley Poston, but with a teen drama instead of a fictional book town. It's not especially deep, but still an enjoyable read with swoon, humor, and heart.

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. PRIME TIME ROMANCE is out 9/3/24.

When I first heard the premise of this book I was so excited! It sounded like such a fun, unique story & I was ready for allll the nostalgia!

The Easter eggs like some of the names were so fun, I mean Spencer & Chad Michaels ?! Kate knew what she was doing 🤣

I did enjoy the beginning of the book, I think Kate Robb’s writing was witty & funny & a lot of it read like I was watching a show.

However, it did lose me in the middle. A lot of the book read very teen/YA & it took me out most of the time with how cheesy it was :/ I also was unable to connect to the romance, & the spice felt completely out of left field lol

It was an okay book, but I was expecting more out of it

When newly divorced Brynn and her hot bartender roommate Josh wake up in her favorite 90's teenage drama, they must work together to figure out how to get home and their own happy endings.

Wow! This book was so much fun and filled with easter eggs. Here's what I loved:

The plot: This was genius. Who wouldn't want to go to sleep and wake up in your favorite TV show? Here, the show is 90's but all grown up. This is a TV lover's dream come true to see what would happen to your favorite characters after the show goes off the air. Not only that, but Brynn also gets to become her favorite character which was also super fun.

Brynn and Josh: These two were amazing MMCs. While Brynn is really lost in life and finds herself hiding within Carson's Cove, she is still endearing. Josh is a book boyfriend for sure. He's super hot and funny and lovable.

The throw backs: If you grew up in the 90's and early 2000's and watched any kind of teen TV shows, you will find tons of little hidden gems in this one! Keep your eyes peeled.

All in all, this was a great romcom with a TV twist.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Brynn is divorced and wants to find a new HEA. She lives with Josh to help pay the rent but doesn’t know him well. He bartends at night and their paths don’t cross much. Her escape is her beloved teen tv series Carson’s Cove from the 90s. Think Dawson’s Creek, 90210, Gilmore Girls or whatever pops into your mind. When she makes a birthday wish somehow she and Josh wake up the next morning in Carson’s Cove. The series was canceled without having a good finale. It is up to Brynn and Josh to figure out an ending or some way for them to get back to their own lives.

The premise is clever. And I love the vibe of familiar tv tropes. The author even lists many of the shows that inspired parts of the story. Overall it is a feel good story and includes some heat. I would have liked to have more scenes of Josh and Brynn together developing their romance. But they do share their backgrounds so I feel I know them. And there are some genuinely funny moments along with the tv nostalgia. This fits the definition of a rom-com and it is easy to recommend.

Prime Time Romance was everything you could want in a rom com. If you’re like me, you’ve watched all of the teen heartthrob shows more than once, and always wanted that sparks-flying meant to be romance on the screen. Especially if the show ended differently than you wanted.

Well, Brynn gets to give one of her favorite prime time characters the happily ever after she always deserved 15 years after the show stopped airing. Aka the coolest birthday wish a girl could ask for, right?

With homage to Dawson Creek, One Tree Hill, and even a quote from my favorite show: Greys Anatomy, Prime Time Romance wraps nostalgia up in a perfect bow. I will read this again and again.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Kate, and the publishers for an early read of this book. General warning: If you don't like reality TV/teen reality TV shows like 90210, Degrassi, etc., I'd scroll by and this won't be your cup of tea. BUT if you loved 90210, Degrassi, etc, stick around!!

General Description: Brynn spends the beginning of the 30th birthday with her roommate Josh, who she's barely spoken to in the 6 months he's been her roommate after her divorce, when she was left with a mortgage on her own. When a birthday cake shows up via an app delivery service, Brynn happily blows out the candles to wake up in her favorite TV show: Carson's Cove. However, Josh is there too. Josh has absolutely no idea what is going on. But together, Brynn and Josh have to play their parts in order to get home, But can they play their parts or will they be stuck in Carson's Cove forever?

All the goods:
- Brynn's arc throughout this book was fantastic. I feel like it was paced perfectly and I really loved her!
- Josh is the most down to earth MMC I've read in a while and it was truly refreshing.
- The entire idea of Carson's Cove had me dialed into the book the entire time.
- I felt the explanation to why we ended up in Carson's Cove and how we left Carson's Cove left be satisfied, but...

The loss of half a star:
- ...a bit of the magic to me remains unexplained that keeps bugging me related to one particular person.

Overall, if you like 90210 and Degrassi and want a book that brings you back there but focused on romance, this is your next read!

Prime Time Romance is a cute, feel good romance at the core.

Brynn and her roommate Josh get transported into her favourite tv show to fix the ending. While trying to figure out what magical circumstances brought them into a tv show, they end up fixing the town and falling for each other.

Brynn and Josh were very cute and I liked the magical element but there was a weird vibe the whole time. There was really no logical explanation and the whole cast of characters kind of seemed creepy? Like being in a run down theme park and all the workers are suspiciously happy.

Prime Time Romance is a charming and unique rom-com following Brynn and her roommate Josh who are transported into a world based on her favorite teenage drama show, Carson's Cove. Unable to leave until the two give the main characters the happily ever after they deserve, Brynn and Josh are forced to stick to their roles. However, as Brynn gets close to her love match, she finds that all she wants is to stick by Josh's side instead.

I wanted to love this as much as I loved Kate Robb's first book, but I just couldn't feel the romance! I think the main issue I had with this rom-com was the pacing, everything in the plot and story flowed well except for the romance between Brynn and Josh. To me, their relationship fell second to the magical realism plot and Brynn spent most of her time trying to play out her favorite show. While I found the small town and 2000s references to be very whimsical and entertaining, as a romance book, I don't think Josh and Brynn had enough standing to fall in love the way they did. I swear Brynn spent way more time with side characters than she did with Josh, and even though they had some swoony and deep moments, I couldn't feel their connection at all. Even though this wasn't for me, I think Kate Robb's stellar writing and storyline have the potential to work for so many other people and I will be on the lookout for her next book!

Prime Time Romance took me back to the nostalgia of 2000s teen dramas and I didn’t realize how badly I needed to go back there at age 31.

First, it was the pop culture references for me. I’m simple in the sense that if you add some well placed pop culture references, I’ll be in. The fact that they were all nods to amazing TV shows that fit right into the book was even better.
The magic realism aspect was really well done and I enjoyed that the main characters stayed themselves while being others.
I also appreciated that the storyline turned out to be the perfect reminder that the things we think we want the most, aren’t what they seem, especially in fiction.
Josh was absolutely swoon worthy and I loved that Brynn was able to break out of her post divorce fear bubble and find that he’s actually the man of her dreams.

I fully binged this book just like the 2000s series it’s reminiscent of and fully enjoyed it. It was the greatest trip down memory lane, and after also loving the author’s debut novel, I’m incredibly excited to see what she does next.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the gifted ARC from NetGalley.
Publication date 9/3/24