Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the gifted copy

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up

This was a super cute, palate cleansing, quick and easy read. There is romance, self discovery, magical realism, and friendship.

This book gives Pleasantville vibes as our main characters are thrust into the world of a teen drama TV show that Brynn loved back in high school and still leans on now for comfort in its predictability, as her life is seemingly coming to pieces.

I enjoyed the way the book used the story to deconstruct teen drama TV shows and shed light on how incongruent to real life they truly are. The “villain” was an extra extra and was equal parts funny and annoying. The love story was well paced and swoon worthy.

Overall the was just a fun read. Nothing super deep or impactful. Definitely cheesy at times. But it was enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this unusual romance where the heroine finds herself transported to her favorite teen drama‘s small town as one of the characters, 15 years later. The teen heartthrob is back in town, so is are her frenemies and the bad boy who is back too, but with a twist. Charming and funny with a side of steam, this small town romance has Dawson‘s Creek and Gilmore Girl vibes. Releases 9/3. highly recommend!

📺 Book Review 📺
|| Prime Time Romance ||
|| Author: Kate Robb ||
Format: NetGalley ebook
Release Date: September 3, 2024
Read from: August 29, 2024 to August 29, 2024
2024 RG: 111/100

MCs: Josh and Brynn

🎂 Roommates
🎂 Slow burn
🎂 No 3rd act breakup
🎂 Dual pov
🎂 Dawsons Creek x Pleasantville
🎂 Grumpy x sunshine
🎂 A magical birthday wish


Brynn is a Carson’s Cove fanatic. It’s her absolute comfort show that got her through high school, friend drama, and even a divorce. Her one wish is that her life would be as perfect as her favorite show. On the night of her thirtieth birthday, a man shows up with a cake. And when she wishes for no more plot twists, she wakes up in Carson’s Cove? And the only way back home is to give Sloan (the FMC) the happily ever after ending she didn’t get before? But what if that’s not what Brynn wants?

Josh is bartending on the night of his roommate’s (unknowing) birthday. He can’t let her walk home in the dark alone, so he goes with her. Back at the apartment, the mysterious man has left the cake. He lights the candle because it’s not a real birthday until you make a wish, right? But Brynn’s wish drags him in too and he wakes up in the unfamiliar land of Carson’s Cove- Brynn’s favorite show.

It’s not long until they realize that maybe their dreams are different than they once thought.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

“You can’t start the next episode of your life if you keep rewatching the old one.”

I swear everytime I picked this up, I could hear the sounds of Paula Cole's "I Don't Wanna Wait" playing in my head. I am a tried and true Dawson's Creek Girly. Although I was young when it came out, I wanted to do and watch everything my older cousins watched. then in my early twenties, I did a deep-dive rewatch. Capeside is comfort to me + Pacey Witter is one of my top TV boyfriends. All this to say, there was no universe in which I was not going to enjoy this book.

Brynn is in desperate need of her comfort show - Carson's Cove - on a continuous loop on her TV screen. It's the only way she can escape from her newly divorced reality as she careens towards a birthday she doesn't much feel like celebrating. But when a cake appears on her doorstep, she makes a late-night wish for a happily-ever-after. That wish had magic in it, and the next day both Brynn and her very good looking roommate, Josh, wake up in Carson's Cove. Can they give Brynn's beloved characters a new ending? Will they find a new ending of their own?

This was a fun read with a lot of heart. It was fun to revisit the tropes of a teen sitcom as an adult, and change the ending to leave our beloved Capeside -- err, Carson's Cove -- a better place. The development of Brynn and Josh's relationship was well paced, fun, and full of great banter and tension. Did I picture James Vanderbeek as Spencer? Absolutely. My primary complaint was the closeness of the names Spencer and Sheldon? I had to really think about who was who. [Personal problem, I know!] Plus, I loved, loved, loved the "easter egg" section after the close of the book. I think maybe Kate Robb and I could be besties?

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

Brynn is about to turn 30 and feels like her life is taking a first class ticket on the struggle bus. The night before her birthday Brynn tries to relax with her favorite show, Carson’s Cove. Where everything and anyone is beautiful and there’s always a happily ever after. Her roommate Josh asks her to make a birthday wish.

When Brynn wakes up she’s not in her apartment. She’s in Carson’s Cove! She is the main character of favorite series. However time reveals not everything is rainbows and butterflies. And the only way to get home is to give herself a new happily ever after!

I thought this book was really original! I was nervous about the dual timeline/characters but I was pleasantly surprised how well they were written. No confusion at all!

My only criticism is wanting more between Josh and Brynn. I wanted to feel more passion or even tension between them. I was also hoping for more romance between Brynn and Josh post Carson’s Cove!

I loved all the little references to my teenage show, Dawson’s Creek. If you’re a fan, you need to read!

Thank you Dial Press & NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved Kate Robb’s debut so very much, and absolutely was not disappointed with her sophomore novel!

This is a BLAST of a premise: Brynn is a heartbroken, 30 year old divorcee who has found solace in watching her favorite teen drama over… and over. One could cal her the shows biggest fan, and some sort of cosmic force notices this when she makes a wish on her 30th birthday and is transported to the very town she’s fallen in love with on the screen. The catch: her handsome, bartender roommate was sent with her.

This was just so, so incredibly fun. I LOVE a rom-com with a dash of the magical and this had the perfect taste of that. It’s hilarious, suitably cliche (given the premise), swoony and heartfelt. I loved Brynn and Josh, they have electric chemistry both as friends and as more. The antics the two of them find themselves between are so entertaining and upbeat, and the conflict is also really well handled. There’s a serious dash of 🌶️spice to this one, and the way the couple built toward this point was *chefs kiss* 💋

This book was so easy to devour, it’s snappy and witty but also intriguing and different, it has a beautiful romance that is easy to root for, and a premise unlike any I’ve ever read before. The ending felt a liiiiiiittle rushed, which is the only reason I’m giving this 4.5/5 stars. I will absolutely be a Kate Robb fan from here on out, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Thank you to Dial Press & NetGalley for this gem of an eArc!

This book was so fun. As a lover of teenage dramas, Prime Time Romance was right up my alley. I have definitely watched a series finale for my favorite show and wished I could change the ending so the idea that Brynn gets to do just that was super interesting to me.

Since I grew up watching all of the 90s and 00s teen drama, this one hit with all of the nostalgia. Carson's Cove was a perfect mix of all the classics (the OC, Riverdale, Gilmore Girls, etc) and the characters fit the mold perfectly. I loved that our two main characters are messy and imperfect and while they don't quite fit in in the picturesque Carson's Cove, they add their own something to the place and unintentionally make it better in the end. Josh and Brynn are complex and complicated and really well suited to bring out the best in each other. While their relationship sometimes felt a little insta-lovey, I didn't mind because I liked them both so much.

The pacing and the plot were incredibly well done. Every scene felt thought out and important to the overall plot. From the first moment Brynn and Josh wake up in Carson's Cove to the end where they meet again in the real world was perfectly timed to push the story forward without moving too fast or two slow. The journey Brynn takes especially from loving being in her favorite tv show to realize it's not as perfect as she always believed was everything I was hoping for to get us to the resolution that the messy real world will always be better.

Overall, I'm a big fan of Prime Time Romance. It was exactly what I was expecting and such a fun time. Kate Robb's writing and her use of magical realism lead to a very fun book.

This book was a gift! I love the way Kate Robb writes alternate universes that seem to take place in the same timeline. The magical realism is delightful! This one just happened to have nostalgic 2000s TV vibes. The alternating POVs were done well and I liked being in both Brynn and Josh's heads. There were so many nods to pop culture and I was a HUGE fan of that. I also so related to Brynn watching her comfort show over again — hello Gilmore Girls for me! I enjoyed the romance immensely but I also enjoyed the various character development. There was no shortage of drama, but there was also a nice sense of community. I had a lot of fun reading this and couldn't put it down! Thank you to Dell Romance for the arc to read and review!

This was so much fun. It literally transported me to the tv dramas I watched in middle school and high school. Dawson creek, the oc… such a cute one! A real life woman is transported into the tv show of her teenage years, with her roommate. When tasked with winning a pageant and falling in love with the boy next door, she finds that the world she once thought was perfect was actually flawed. Will she fall in love? Return home? Find her happily after? The characters were fun, story line was ridiculous… but it has all the feel good drama of my youth. A must read for anyone who loved teenage drama of the early 2000s.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

PRIME TIME ROMANCE is a fun adult romance that's perfect for people who grew up watching 2000s teen dramas and wishing they could be a part of it. brynn, newly divorced and almost 30, has to live with a hot bartender roommate to pay her mortgage. but when a stranger shows up at her door with a birthday cake, brynn wishes for a happily-ever after. only when she wakes up, she's in carson's cove with josh, her roommate. except they're no longer brynn and josh—they're sloan and fletch, the sweetheart and bad boy of carson's cove, respectively.

i grew up watching shows like dawson's creek, gilmore girls, and other 2000s teen dramas, so i knew as soon as i picked up this book that i was going to love it and i wasn't wrong. brynn is such a messy but lovable character and seeing all the chaos and shenanigans she got into in carson's cove had me laughing out loud. i also loved how seeing her and josh fall for each other and how they managed to get home after all.

read if you like:
- 2000s teen dramas
- messy mcs
- tv references

thanks to netgalley and the dial press for the advanced copy! PRIME TIME ROMANCE comes out september 3.

Good, not great
The premise was interesting but the writing fell flat - The emotions were missing and I really hated that

Such an enjoyable, fast-paced, adorable read!

Though this concept has been done before, I really enjoyed reading about Brynn and Josh's adventures in Carson's Cove. Kate Robb really nailed the setting, as I really felt the vibes of Riverdale and Dawson's Creek. It wasn't overly cheesy or cliche, but charming at first and then sickly sweet as you realize more alongside Brynn. I really loved the exploration of the cliched roles people are placed in, how there is little room for growth or change, unless we really push for it and try to see it. The romance was sweet, and overall the story was super cute and fun!

Thank you so much to Penguin and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook and to Dial Press for the advanced readers copy.

This is case where I should have read the synopsis before requesting the book. It has to be just the right book with magical realism in it for me to invest myself in the story...and this wasn't it. Brynn makes a wish on her 30th birthday and somehow she and her roommate, Josh, wake up in Carson's Cove, a 2000's teen drama show that ended without resolution. Some guy named Sheldon appears, though I'm not sure who he is, and says they can't go home until she completes the ending of the show.

I had a difficult time with the romance in the book. It was super insta and I didn't feel it. Brynn and Josh had been roommates for a while, but they didn't know each other. As soon as they land in this alternate universe, they have feelings? I didn't buy it. They haven't really spent any time together.

I did mostly listen to this story, and the narrators are Kristyna Ruth Zaharek and Sean Patrick Hopkins. They were both wonderful and definitely helped keep my interest in this story. It is dual POV, too.

Overall, not my favorite, but I will still check out the author's upcoming books.


Reading Progress

I would like to start off with saying that I loved "This Spells Love"! I had very high hopes with this one, the premise seemed like fun.
Kate Robb reminds me of Ashley Poston a lot with the whimsical and magical realism themes of her books.

Unfortunately this one didn't do it for it. I can't really pin point the problem, but from the beginning I found the story disjointed. I didn't connect with the writing, and the plot seemed like it was rushing through. I was not invested in the characters at all and to be honest I had to pause a few times to just refresh my mind and start again. In the end I chose to DNF this one because I found no joy at all in reading it, instead I was actually irritated.

I will not be posting this review anywhere as it's not my intention to spread negativity, but as this is a space where I received this arc for my personal opinion I will share it here.

Thank you so much for the arc, I hope the next one works better with me!

I liked it, good solid read!

If you love 90's and 00's Prime Time Dramas you will absolutely adore this book and it's story.

It is full of the feel good tv you love and chased with a shot of reality that makes you relate with the characters

When your life is turned upside down and you are put into your favorite show what would you do?

What a cute story! And so creative. This one took the idea of, “if television shows were real…”.

Brynn and Josh are apartment-mates and never really got to know each other, but all that changed when her birthday wish came true and she and Josh were transported to Carson’s Cove as two of the players in the story. The author is really creative with the whole plot line. I kept wondering how it was all going to turn out! This book delivered some good life lessons while it was leading us down the garden path.

I really enjoyed it! Four twinkling stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Be careful what you wish for!

When Brynn, a divorcee and uber-fan of the teen drama series Carson’s Cove (think Dawson’s Creek), blows out the candle on her 30th birthday cake, she wishes “to finally get the perfect happily ever after.” So, when she wakes up the next morning in Carson’s Cove, which she described as “comfort food in television form” and the show that helped her through her difficult teenage years and was a balm after her life fell apart post-divorce, she’s cautiously excited. Unfortunately, her roommate Josh, who she’s just recently realized she’s attracted to, has traversed the space-time continuum with her. According to Sheldon, the evil mastermind who caused their teleportation, the only way to get back home is for Brynn to play Sloan, fall in love with Spencer (the teen heart throbs who never got their happy ending when the show was abruptly cancelled), and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, after 15 years, they aren’t the same people and the idealized, made-for-tv version of this charming small town isn’t what it appears to be. What’s a woman to do when she gets everything she wished for, but no longer wants it?

I generally enjoy a romance with a bit of magical realism, and this unique story is no exception. I do wonder how Sheldon was able to make it all happen, but beyond that, it was fun to see how perfection on the screen hides the messy reality that is life. This story has a bit of everything: pseudo-villains, false friends, a love triangle, small town romance, falling for the bad boy, female empowerment, and more. The chemistry between Brynn and Josh is smoking, all characters are well-defined, the dual POV was a plus, and the pacing is on point. If you’re looking for a fun, low stakes romance, check this one out. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Dial Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. This book gave so many nostalgic vibes. A good second chance romance book and definitely a really good debut novel for this author!

This Spells Love was a favorite read of mine last year so I was SO excited to read Kate Robb’s new book!

I was a HUGE 90210 fan. Seriously I wept when Dylan’s wife got murdered and he left the show. I really was inconsolable for days. I also was a Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill stan and wished I could be living life like those characters.

The premise of this story was so original and so fun! Imagine if you could become a character in one of your favorite shows and rewrite the ending! Or if the show got canceled, give it an ending! I really loved following along on Brynn’s journey where she gets transported into her favorite show Carson’s Cove and becomes the leading character.

I love Robb’s writing. She incorporates magical realism into her stories seamlessly. She also writes characters you really end up loving. Brynn is such a likable character and so is her roommate Josh. I loved the character development and also the dual POV. There are also themes of found family, knowing who you are, and stepping out of your comfort zone.

I just loved this one so much and can’t wait for you to read it!

4.5 stars!

I enjoyed Kate's first book, This Spells Love, so was excited to see her sophomore title also had a bit of whimsy in it. This book was fun and a quick read. It hit a lot of nostalgia notes for Millenial readers who grew up on Dawson's Creek and other teen dramas. But ultimately it fell a little flat for me. I wanted a little more backstory on Josh and Brynn and I wished Brynn would have had more of a backbone throughout the story.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.