I unfortunately did not love this one. I never had an issue getting through it, but I felt it was a little too silly and didn't have a major character development like I would've wanted.

Josh and Brynne were a cute couple together, but I couldn't figure out why they actually had feelings for one another. They go from living together, yet barely interacting, to suddenly being in love with each other.

I do think people out there will enjoy this one, I just think it wasn't for me!

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

DNF @ 21%

Unfortunately this isn’t for me.
While the first few chapters were extremely promising- fantastic writing, relatable FMC, romantic intrigue, once we got into the TV setting I just couldn’t continue with this. I found the premise, as well as the dialogue and characters to be too cheesy and on the tip of the nose for my liking.
I can see where the story is going in terms of depth and themes of grief/moving on after suffering hard times, etc but I am the vibes just aren’t pulling me in to continue.

Thank you Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

I read this book word for word so that I wouldn’t miss a thing, I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated the concept and characters. The pace was super quick and I liked that quite a bit. Prime Time Romance follows Carson’s Cove-loving Brynn and her roommate Josh, when Brynn makes a wish to have her own happily-ever-after. The premise is that the TV show that Brynn loves so much didn’t get the ending its characters deserved because it was left unfinished, so the next morning after the wish was made, Josh and Brynn wake up in beds that aren’t their own, in a fictitious town in which they are forced to be characters (not too different from their real selves, but having to deal with the pressure that came with being forced to be and live someone else’s life) and give them their own ending according to a script. And I loved that so much! At first, I was a bit wary of Josh’s character, not because of what people think him to be, a failure, but because I didn’t know how this love story was going to go. I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied in the ending!

3.5⭐️

Charming and delightful! Robb blends magical realism and nostalgia so wonderfully and I love how her stories revolve around wishes and second chances after realizing that perhaps the grass wasn’t greener on the other side and embracing the messiness that is living.

I really enjoyed how Robb’s storytelling leaned into and highlighted how the “predictable storylines” in the shows we watched (and perhaps rewatch), gave us a place where we could be seen while growing up and even hope and comfort in times of uncertainty. As someone who loves classic romcoms and the classic teen dramas on The WB, this was such a fun read to escape into and I relished every pop culture reference.

I do wish the ending hadn’t been quite so rushed, I would’ve loved to see the resolutions explored more.

I LOVED this book! This book combined everything I loved from A Novel Love Story and Funny Story into one perfect romance. Recent divorcee, Brynn, wakes up in the town from her favorite 90s teenage soap, and her roommate Josh is with her, except they’ve taken the place as two characters in the show. The magical realism concept of this story was so relatable, we can all agree we’ve wanted to live in our nostalgic teenage shows!

Reminds me a lot of Teen Beach Movie but with a show that was more akin to Gilmore Girls (?) (I haven't actually watched GG, but that's the vibes it gives me). I liked the concept and I think it could become a good adaptation, but it just wasn't that memorable to me. It is still a fun read though and I'd still recommend it to people.

It's Brynn's 30th birthday and she's at home on the couch with her roommate Josh, when someone knocks on the door with a cake, and tells Brynn to make a wish. When she wakes up the next day, she's been transported to Carson's Cove, her favorite TV show that ended abruptly after five seasons and never got the ending it deserved, along with her roommate, Josh. Brynn is transported as her favorite character Sloan, to the town in Massachusetts where the show takes place, and Josh is transported as the character, Fletch. In a series of events, Brynn gets to live her life out as Sloan, to give her the ending she always felt she deserved with her best friend Spencer. Will Sloan and Spencer get the fairytale ending Brynn always wished for? Or will things end differently than she hoped?

This book was very cute and I loved reading it, a super sweet romance story!

Thank you Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

If you can suspend reality for a bit to go on a trip through 90's sitcom memory lane, this is the book for you! As an avid Dawson's Creek fan, this was a perfect fit for me. It was a little silly (magical realism and all) but I ate it up!

The characters were charming, and the plot was definitely unique. I highly recommend for fans of Kate Robb's other work This Spells Love, as well as any millennial romance readers.

Thank you again for the ARC!

3.75/5 for me! This book was really cute and a light-hearted read. I got very nostalgic “Dawson’s Creek”/other early 2000s tv show vibes and I can tell that’s definitely what Kate was going for. I appreciate that this book did what most of us often want to do: to dive into a show, live the lives of our favorite characters, and give them an ending that they deserve. I found this book to be pretty cheesy for me at times, but I sort of expected that prior to reading since the plot is similar to some rom-coms.
The main characters were so lovable and easy to root for. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I think I will definitely pick up her other book and any future books of her’s!
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Who doesn’t wanna get lost in their favorite tv series??? I’ll pack my bags now if you told me I could go and find Damon Salvatore for myself! Loved the 90’s/00’s nostalgia that comes with reading this book! I also really loved the magical twist this story has. Magical realism 🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 books, I need more!! Both main characters end up in their favorite tv show and find out that they are there to give the show the ending that it deserves. There are some bumps along the way 👀🤨

This book took me to the nostalgic 2000s which I adored and honestly miss a lot.
The set up is so cool: a newly divorced woman finds comfort in 2000s TV shows. And that was so relatable!
The book takes a magical turn when Brynn and her roommate find themselves in the world of the show they watch which is how they learn to navigate their own feelings.

Cool read definitively

DNFing at 50%

I just don’t think this author is for me? I wasn’t a huge fan of This Spells Love and wanted to give her another try. This just didn’t work for me.

-the magical realism aspect was wild from the get go, which I should have guessed from reading the first book.
-I cannot find it in myself to care about the fictional tv show that the entire book is based around. I just can’t.
-every single character sucks?? They “real” characters have their own issues and they seem like normal enough problems to make the story work in a normal setting but in the “fake” world, it’s just too much. Too much trying to be funny or catchy or fit the tv role.
-the “fake” people in the story all literally suck. Terrible friend. Terrible love interest. Don’t get me started on the extra extra.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House/Dial for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This just isn’t for me and sadly I think the author is no longer one I will pursue.

Thanks to Penguin Random House / The Dial Press for an eARC of this one via NetGalley! These are my honest thoughts!

I've heard a lot of wonderful things about Kate Robb's This Spells Love, which, sadly, is still sitting on my tbr pile in my library at home! BUT! I'll be reading it soon because I loved this story!

Suspend disbelief and go into this one blind like I did, and I think you'll have a lot of fun! Brynn ends up making a wish on a mysteriously delivered UberEats cake on her 30th birthday with her roommate Josh, and it lands her on the set of her favorite early 2000s TV show, Carson's Cove. She gets to play her favorite character (or rather, become her favorite character), Sloan, and Josh gets cast as the rebel bad boy bartender Fletch.

This book was such a fun twist... I loved so many things about it. I adored the little easter eggs that any 30-something millennial who loved The WB/The CW shows growing up will recognize. I liked that Brynn and Josh were previously in a forced proximity situation (they live together), but it took them being magically transported to an island that they can't escape to really get to know each other and trust one another. Both characters grew so much inside this little fictional town where "everything works out how it should." I loved that Brynn's blind acceptance and comfort in the show transformed as she lived out the storylines. She was able to see some of the plot and make some changes that FELT right, even though they weren't "following the script." Josh was forced to slow down and contribute to the community in a genuine way, the first time he's done so since losing his dad's bar after he passed away. Outside of their reality, both main characters are able to figure out what their next best step is, and they're able to share that with someone who is important to them, which I loved.

A couple of things bothered me (i.e. there kind of being two love interests - one in the "show," and one as Brynn "in real life"; the magic is never really explained; the build up to the relationship needed just... a tiny bit more for me to really buy it), and the more I sit and think about it, the more the tiny stuff added up to a little disappointment in some of the gaps in the story... primarily, the big reveal at the end with Sheldon... and the unexplained magic/town/characters? My time in the story was fun, but this is just a solid 3-star read.

Out September 3, 2024!

I absolutely adored this book and it has quickly become one of my favorite reads of this year so far! Kate Robb’s writing was so fun and easy to follow! I found Brynn’s desire to seek comfort in her favorite TV show so relatable! I thought the idea being forced into that TV’s show universe so interesting and it made for a great set up for her and Josh’s relationship. Brynn and Josh has such good chemistry! I loved watching their relationship grow! This is perfect for those who are a fan of forced proximity, magical realism, and slow burn! It was such a refreshing and fun read!


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for this honest review

Gosh fudging dang it!

I finished this book in5.5 hours and I needed more. This book was so cute and I loved the idea behind it. Although originally based a lot on Dawson’s Creek, I never watched that show and still got mad Gilmore Girl town vibes (I’m looking at you gazebo!)

✨small town magic
✨roommates
✨90s/00s nostalgia
✨whimsy
✨dual POV

This story felt very YA for me and just sweet, so I will say our smutty scenes were a little shocking and descriptive for what I was really expecting. I loved the small town romance vibes and that Brynn and Josh really grew together. They really didn’t have much background besides being a divorced woman and him being a part of the #ddg. I honestly wanted to learn more about them to see them really connect but in the end I was so focused on the happy ending being that it isn’t always what we expect it to be instead of the romance focus.

I think I’m still left with a lot of lingering questions, but even those didn’t stop me from devouring this book. I don’t know if it was just because it was so cozy and sweet or if my fever brain just didn’t care much.

If you're in the market for a feel-good read that blends romcom charm with a healthy dose of nostalgia, look no further than Prime Time Romance. Kate Robb has created a story that's as addictive and easy going as your favorite binge-worthy TV show. <3

It’s my first time reading a Kate Robb book and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to dive into Prime Time Romance!
This story is perfect for millennials who love when pop culture invades the books they’re reading in the best possible way. The nods to Dawson’s Creek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chad Michael Murray, and other gems from the early 2000’s were such fun little Easter eggs throughout this book.
Prime Time Romance is one of my first experiences with magical realism and the success of its execution has made it a sub-genre that I’d like to explore more in the future. Robb toes the line of this sub-genre so well, bringing the reader along for a journey that’s silly and fun, but also emotional and heartwarming.
I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between our main characters. It seemed authentic and the pacing was done really well. Our male main character is swoon-worthy while coming across as a real human, not just a blueprint. Our female main character is a bit of a lost and wounded animal, but she finds herself and finds balance throughout the story.
Overall, this was a romance that I was pleasantly surprised by and I think you will be too!

This book was a pretty good read! I rated it a 3.5 stars. I reminded me a bit of the movie pleasantville and felt very nostalgic.

Prime Time Romance is a fun story for people who loved early 2000s teen dramas. I think we’ve all thought “what if that hunky character and I fell in love?” well, Brynn gets that opportunity when she’s transported to her favorite shows town Carson’s Cove. But is it everything she thought it would be?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was excited to read this story as I enjoyed Kate Robb's last novel This Spells Love. This story had a similar plot line except while in This Spells Love it was a magic spell, in this one the main character wakes up in the world of her favorite TV show, think Dawson's Creek vibes. I wanted more connection between the love interests and felt that many of their feelings for each other were very forced and not natural. I'm not rushing to read more from this author but appreciated the creativity she was trying to make work in this novel.

This book gave me nostalgic, feel-good, early 2000s sitcom vibes, and I loved it. The plot is built on the fact that Brynn wants a predictable, easy, no-frills love life, so when she gets transported into her favorite show, you can anticipate how the story will go. But that’s the beauty of these types of shows - the life lessons hit hard, and you shed a tear when the characters grow.

I appreciated Josh’s storyline and his character arc as well. I love a dual POV done right, and Kate nailed his perspective! I certainly crushed hard on him throughout the novel.

Overall, this is a cozy & fun magical realism romance read. I didn’t want to put it down, it was so entertaining!

Thank you Kate Robb, Dial Press, and Netgalley, for the ARC!