I am so glad I am a child of the 90s & 00s because I grew up loving and watching all shows on the CW (formerly UPN & WB.) Dawson’s Creek was my favorite, and I so badly wanted to be Joey Potter. I was so happy that Carson’s Cove was somewhat pulled from Dawson’s Creek.
Plot:
In this story, Brynn, a recently divorced woman struggling financially, shares her home with her roommate Josh. She finds comfort in immersing herself in the world of her favorite TV show, Carson’s Cove, where everything seems perfect. However, when the show ends abruptly after five seasons years ago, leaving fans frustrated by the unresolved romance between Sloane (the Joey Potter character) and Spencer (the Dawson Leery character), Brynn has been distraught by the unresolved ending and watches it on Netflix all the time.
On the night of Brynn’s 30th birthday, after a terrible night at the bar where her roommate Josh works, they come home to watch Carson’s Cove together. There is a knock at the door from UberEats with a delivery of a surprise birthday cake with a candle. She decides to wish for her own happily ever after like the characters in Carson’s Cove deserved.
The next morning, Brynn wakes up to a shocking reality: she's living in an alternate world where she has become Sloane, the girl next door from her favorite show. Even more surprising, her roommate Josh is now Fletch, a version of Pacey—the town's bad boy. While Brynn initially believes she should pursue happiness with Spencer, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Fletch instead. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and sparks fly as they grow closer.
As Brynn navigates this alternate universe, she wonders what kind of happily ever after awaits her. And more importantly, can she carry this newfound happiness back to her real life as a recently divorced woman starting over?
For my thoughts:
Brynn and Josh were just ok as main characters. I wish there was more witty banter and just more buildup to their romance.
The plot surrounding them had potential, but I just don’t think all the dots were connected correctly. It was kind of a messy execution, and you didn’t learn why it was all happening weirdly until the end.
Overall I was entertained, and thought the novel was cute and a fun beach read.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGallery for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

So many easter eggs and 90s teen references, I felt like I was traveling back in time. I loved the little town setting and the characters. I was very happy with how this book panned out!

There was certainly fun to be had while reading this book. Unfortunately, the overall experience fell flat for me.

What I loved?
-the 90s teen drama references (Buffy, Vampire Diaries, Dawson's Creek, etc - Kate Robb does leave fun extras at the end of the book, including a list of Easter eggs!)
-I love seeing a character grow and evolve, and we saw how Brynn's perspective changed over time

What missed?
-I went in with suspended belief, it's a magical realism (one of my favorite romance sub-genres) after all, but I didn't end up feeling connected to the town of Carson's Cove at all. I just didn't really care what happened for them? I know they were real to Brynn, but they just didn't come alive for me.
-Sheldon just felt creepy, which might have been the point, but it he ominous at times - and for a romance novel that felt misplaced.

Not my favorite but maybe others will enjoy it!


Thanks to Random House & NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Sweet romcom for lovers of Dawsons Creek and 90’s teen dramas. I enjoyed revisiting such classic tropes of this genre. Brynn and Josh’s journey through the existing tv characters was sweet and refreshing. A great reminder that even our favorite characters from 30 years ago, grow and change over time. That we can’t become the best version of ourselves without growth. Thank you for the opportunity to read book!

After repeatedly being letdown by real life, Brynn has decided it’s safer to stay solo- soothed by the sounds of her favorite comfort show, Carson’s Cove. A program she’s watched and rewatched a thousand times, she’s recently brought her roommate, Josh into her unhealthy obsession. But since the show ended in an unsettling way, Brynn has always wondered, and even wished, she could give her fictional favorites their happily ever after.

Then on the night of her birthday Brynn goes to bed, only to actually awaken within her favorite soap, just like she always hoped. Josh is there too, the only thing tethering her to real life and reminding her she isn’t going crazy. After the initial shock wears off, panic turns to productivity as Brynn realizes she’s living a literal dream come true. Then a magical on set extra tells them their assignment- in Carson’s Cove, they are no longer Brynn and Josh, but Sloan and Fletcher-two classic characters of the show, sent there to make things right.

Brynn can’t believe her luck. As Sloan, Brynn gets to step into the shoes of a character she’s idolized for years, and her job is to make the boy next door, and her dream man fall in love with her!? But the more time Brynn spends being Sloan, the more she begins to understand the phrase, “be careful what you wish for”. Now Brynn and Josh have to flip the script, or risk being stuck in a drama filled purgatory forever.

Prime Time Romance has such a fun premise. I mean, who hasn’t watched their favorite shows before, wishing they could live in that world or change a chain of events? Growing up watching so many classic 90s nighttime soaps, many scenarios came to mind- Joey chose Dawson, Felicity never cut her hair, My So-Called Life got a season two…the list goes on and on. Naturally, this lead me to enjoy this story a lot, but it also lead to some careful criticism. In particular, I wish we had seen a little more of the Carson Cove world from an outsider’s perspective before diving in. I also wanted a bit more of Josh and Sloan interaction within the fictional world. Still, the appealing premise far outshines any nitpicks, and makes Prime Time Romance a nostalgia filled narrative worth tuning in for.

This book gave off such strong "Pleasantville" vibes, it was all I could think of while reading.

Obviously, not everything was the same, but there were enough similarities to really strike a chord.

I don't know that I should be comparing the book to the movie, since they're two entirely different things, but if given the choice, I choose the movie. Don't get me wrong, the book was cute. The two main characters were great, as well.

I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good rom-com.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I started out excited for this book. I never mind suspending reality. However, as it continued on, it became very predictable which then made it kind of boring to read. I knew what was going to happen before 50% so then I knew I had to make it through an entire half of a book waiting on it to actually unfold.

I could enjoy the part of the plot where the MC realizes maybe the main characters we loved in our teen soaps were not the heroes we once thought. A look back at most 90’s and early 2000’s shows through adulthood or 2024 lenses will definitely show the glaring flaws.

Also, in what seems to be a sweet, light book, the f-bombs and graphic sex scenes feel very, very out of place. In the end it got a little too hokey and outside of said graphic sex scenes, more YA than nostalgic women’s fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC.

Brynn is fresh off a devastating divorce, living with a roommate so she can afford her mortgage. When her birthday rolls around, nothing goes her way and she just wants to binge her comfort show in peace. When an unexpected birthday cake arrives via Uber Eats, Brynn makes a wish. She wakes up the next morning in Carson’s Cove, the very fictional setting of her favorite show. Her roommate Josh is along for the ride as they have to fulfill her wish in order to get home.

This book is like a warm hug for anyone who loved watching the teen shows of the late 90s and early 2000s. There are tons of Easter Eggs to spot and so many familiar call backs to shows of the past.

Josh/Fletch is very Pacey Witter coded, and Pacey will always be my number one fictional boyfriend. The enemies-friends-lovers arc in season 3 of Dawson’s Creek is a masterclass and where my love of banter was born. I couldn’t help but love Josh.

I loved how Brynn being Sloan allowed her to really see things with fresh eyes for herself too. She had a picture of the life she thought she wanted for both herself and for Sloan, but living in Carson’s Cove showed her that dreams can and should change as you grow up. The happy endings for both Sloan and Brynn were fitting and perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I thought the concept of this book was really strong and unique, but just found the execution to be lacking. The dialogue felt juvenile and the story seemed to drag for me.

Like I said though, the concept is really unique and is a really fun idea. I definitely think someone out there will love this book, it just wasn’t for me.

Still looking forward to reading more of Kate’s work in the future!

This book was an absolute delight. If you’ve ever watched any type of teen romance show or movie you will love Brynn and Josh.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of Prime Time Romance in exchange for an honest review.

Like This Spells Love, Prime Time Romance is a cute book with an important lesson: be wary of rose-colored glasses and taking everything at face value. The premise was very interesting to me although I expected the ending it had. Hello, perfection is rarely ever actually perfect. The place-setting is really strong in this book. I was able to picture myself in the town. I suppose if you've ever watched teen shows, you have great context for the book. If you haven't, the easter eggs and references will definitely go over your head. Knowing the context, for me, added to the reading experience.

Like This Spells Love, the relationship-building between Josh and Brynn could have been stronger because it felt like they went from barely-knowing each other roommates to in love in a snap. I wanted more of Brynn's post-divorce life with Josh to get more of her headspace and trauma in addition to Josh's perspective on the roommate situation. We get more of Brynn's POV as roommates. I needed more of Josh's backstory because he was an interesting character and it would have helped with understanding how much more of a big deal it was that he was running the Bronze (?). The key word for me is "more." More backstory, more relationship-building. While in the show so to speak, Brynn and Josh do a lot of things separately and do a lot of learning separately, which is not a bad thing per se, but the connection point is that they were both stuck there. I needed more connection points. I could see how Brynn fell in love with Josh but not the other way around.

Prime Time Romance
Thank you, The Dial Press,  for the gifted copy of Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Magical Realism
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  9.3.2024
Pages: 336
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

"You can't start the next episode of your life if you keep rewatching the old one."

Two of my favorite nostalgic shows are Pleasantville and Dawson's, and while I loved the movie, Prime Time Romance is the second book I've read this summer that attempted to give Pleasantville vibes but didn't meet my standards.

Of course, I did love the small setting and the "resetting" of character destinies, but the added Dawson Creek vibes just threw everything off-kilter. It felt like the author was trying to fit everything into the Pacey/Joey/Dawson bubble, but it didn't work for me. It may have been that I didn't buy into the chemistry between Brynn and Josh. There was something about them that didn't work - I would have been happier had the ending been different and our FMC embraced life on her own. 

Overall, it was an enjoyable read that entertained me and reminded me of some of my favorite 90s TV shows. I look forward to reading Kate Robb's next novel!

Read if you enjoy: 
🏘️ Small town
✌🏼 Dual POV
🫶🏼 90s nostalgia
📺 Dawson's Creek/Pleasantville

I recommend reading Prime Time Romance if you're in the mood for a little 90s nostalgia, but don't mind the storyline veering closely to your favorite Capeside town.

Honestly, was this the best romance book I ever read? no. But it was a fun time and if someone asks me for a book rec that is quick and easy to read, where you don't have to think too much, I will be recommending this one. This book was incredibly lighthearted and a goos time. The romance was cute, but it was lacking some chemistry between the two characters. I wish there was more and I didn't really feel the connection between the two of them, but that could just be me.

i wasn't sure how i was going to like this book going into it, but the story took me on such a fun and silly adventure, and i was pleasantly surprised! as someone who loves a good, old rom-com and small town sitcom vibe, i adored the premise of this story and how it used those "childhood" attachments to teach such a good lesson that everyone needs to remember. i do with we saw the main characters fall in love a little more - it felt a little sudden and rushed to me, but overall i really enjoyed this read!

thank you netgalley and random house for the arc!

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb
Narrator: Kristyna Ruth Zaharek and Sean Patrick Hopkins
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 9/3

Thank you so much to Dial Press for my advanced copy and PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook.
The story follows Brynn, a recently divorced woman who finds comfort in binge-watching her favorite nostalgic TV show, Carson’s Cove. Living with her roommate Josh to make ends meet, Brynn wishes for her own happy ending—and wakes up one day in the very world of Carson’s Cove. But she and Josh aren’t just Brynn and Josh anymore; they’ve become Sloan and Fletch, two iconic characters of the show.

What a cute story! This heartwarming escape into the world of 90s teen dramas is all wrapped up in a charming, second-chance romance and the perfect follow-up to Robb’s This Spell’s Love.

Watching Brynn and Josh navigate this crazy new reality is so much fun. Their chemistry is spot-on, and it’s hilarious to see them try to follow the show’s script while figuring out their own feelings. It has all the fun twists and turns you’d expect from a 90s teen drama.
I did wish for a few more heart-throbbing moments between Brynn and Josh to ramp up the romance a bit more. But honestly, the throwbacks to pop culture totally made up for it. The book is packed with references that will have you grinning from ear to ear.

Overall, Prime Time Romance is perfect if you’re in the mood for something light, nostalgic, and super entertaining.

Read if you like:
*90s/2000s nostalgia
*Dawson’s Creek
*magical realism
*small town
*dual POV

Thank you to Dial Press & NetGalley for the free e-arc!

READ IF YOU LOVE:
- Roommates to lovers
- 90s/early 2000s tv shows (specifically Dawson’s Creek and Gilmore Girls)
- A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston
- Cheesy rom com cliche moments

THOUGHTS:
The reason that I requested this title on NetGalley is 50% because of the synopsis and 50% because of the cover. I mean the cover is stunning, and one thing about me is I love a 90s/early 2000s teen soap. The synopsis gives major Dawson’s Creek vibes. But, while I was reading the book, it also gave me some Gilmore Girls vibes!

The main things I loved about this book is the magical realism of the plot, and the main characters. Josh really gave me Pacey energy, iykyk. Brynn was so funny and quirky in a good way! I also loved how the storyline of the “show” and what’s going on in the main character’s real lives paralleled. What they learned in the show helped them in their real life.

The few things that I found lacking in this book both have to do with the ending! I feel that the ending was sort of abrupt. Along those same lines, I actually wish the story had a proper epilogue. I would have loved to see how things were further in the future for Brynn and Josh.

I definitely recommend picking Prime Time Romance up when it releases on September 3, 2024! It was a fun and silly time with a good overall message.

Teen Beach Movie meets Dawson’s Creek, this was a fun rom-com based on the premise of what would happen if you and your (super hot) roommate were transported to your favorite teen drama…15 years in the future. Still reeling from the end of her marriage, Brynn makes a wish on a cake with mysterious origins and wakes up in Carson’s Cove as its lovable girl-next-door, Sloan. Neither Sloan nor Brynn got their happy ending the first time around - can Brynn change that now for at least one of them? And will her plans be derailed by her roommate, Josh, who has also showed up in Carson’s Cove as the neighborhood bad boy, Fletcher, looking like a snack? This was cute but forgettable for me - I felt like the characters didn’t get fleshed out enough or experience meaningful growth on page, the insta-love was not super believable for me, and I wanted more on the “how” of this rip in the fabric of space-time. But it was definitely a nostalgic romp through the good teen dramas of yore (check out the author’s summary of the Easter eggs at the end to see if you caught them all) and will be loved by many!

Pub Date: 9/3/24
Review Published: 8/27/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

— 3 stars ★

If you loved teenage drama shows growing up, then I think this would be the perfect book for you. What made me excited for this book wasn't the homage to teenage dramas but the magical element being thrown in - similar to Ashley Poston's novels. It's such a fun way to spice up a normal romance book and add some fun to the story.

However, I didn't care for this that much. I didn't watch a lot of teenage tv shows growing up, so that could contribute to me not liking the plot much. But also, I just didn't get the romance from Brynn and Josh. It felt rushed and almost insta-lovey, as we barely got to see them interact before plopping into carson's cove and after. Out of nowhere, Josh became jealous of Brynn's attraction for Spencer - whether it was to help them leave Carson's Cove or not.

This book was just kind of meh for me. I liked the writing and the premise was interesting, I just couldn't connect with the characters or understand where the romance came from!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of Prime Time Romance exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

This was so fun and so nostalgic! Even though I’ve not watched many of the teen dramas of my day, I still had a great time. I love dual POVs as well as magical realism romances but so often they aren’t combined. So this being both a portal fantasy and dual POV, I was living for it. Getting to see both sides as this odd plot and the love triangle storyline was happening was really interesting and less stressful for me as a reader knowing how Josh was feeling. I loved how both learned a lot about themselves in this weird little town they appeared in. Also, having gone back and watched shows I loved when I was younger, you really do notice things that maybe weren’t all that great or realize maybe you were cheering for the wrong person so I enjoyed the concept of “finishing the story” but also changing it to fit where the characters would actually be after all this time. Sometimes fans don’t know the best ending and that’s okay! I also am obsessed with the Easter egg explanations at the end, pretty much everything after the story the author added was super fun. (JVB WAS perfect in Don’t Trust the B!) My only issue was they fell in love in under a week which…damn that’s so fast.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! (Might just finally watch Dawson’s Creek now…)

DNF. It started off great, but then it just seemed to go quickly downhill. I didn’t believe the connection between the characters, nor did I care what happened. The pacing was slow, and it just lost me.