The concept of this book was so fun! But I feel like it feel a little flat?

30 year old, Brynn, has no real friends, is super single and is still kind of reeling from the divorce… so she finds comfort in an early 2000’s teenage drama show called Carson’s Cove that was abruptly canceled after 5 seasons and ended on a huge cliffhanger!

On the night of her 30th (her “friends” forgot her birthday)! She makes a wish that unintentionally sends her and her roomie, Josh, to the town of Carson's Cove.

She is the main girl character, Sloan, and she is convinced she has to win over the town heartthrob, Spencer, and boy next door... So in order to get her and Josh back home she has to give the show the ending it deserves - haha newsflash - her real love was really right in front of her the entire time. And maybe things aren’t always as perfect or meant to be as they seem to be?!

When Brynn lands in this perfect town of Carson’s Cove she quickly realizes it’s actually not so perfect… Sloan's best friend Poppy, is not really a nice person. Spencer does not give her butterflies but she finds herself drawn to Josh, who is masquerading as, Fletcher, the town "screw up"...

I enjoyed Josh's backstory a lot... the stuff about his dad and trying to own and run his dad's bar back in his hometown was so sweet and wholesome. I felt so bad when he had to sleep above the bar in Carson's Cove, it gave him minor "PTSD" but actually ended up being a good thing because it made him realize how much he wanted to try and buy back his dad's bar and run it again.

Overall, I enjoyed this story? But I felt like the love between Brynn and Josh just happened so quickly… there was not a lot of build up… and then it just happened?! And I found myself needing MORE!

But this was still a cute and fun read and I’m thankful for NetGalley for the ARC ebook!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Robb for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Prime Time Romance is about Brynn, a newly divorced woman on the brink of 30. She lives with a roommate, Josh but they don't have much interaction as they work opposite schedules.

When a cake is delivered for her birthday, she makes a wish and the next day she wakes in her favorite teenage TV show, Carson's Cove.

Carson Cove is Brynn's go-tv show when she needs a pick-me-up. It ended on a cliff hanger and was cancelled before the show had a proper ending. She and Josh must live in TV land and give the show its proper ending.

Prime Time Romance has all the 90's and early 2000 teenage TV show vibes-Dawson's Creek, Vampire Diaries, 90210, Gilmore Girls...it has all the vibes. This is such a cute story and Kate Robb has a way with writing a good world hop, as also done in her debut, This Spells Love. Great author, great stories.

This was such a cool premise but it took so long to set up that the romance element was left a bit stifled. I never got any swoonworthy vibes and the middle of the story seemed to drag.

This book will be a hit with romance readers who enjoy magical realism and want the pure nostalgia of late 90s and early 2000s tv!

📅 Pub Date: 9/5/2024
✍️ Author: Kate Robb
📚 ARC: NetGalley / Random House / Dial Press
📖 Book Review:

Have you ever fallen in love with a TV show that didn’t end the way you wanted to? Did it get canceled before it could be wrapped up? Have you ever wished you could see the ending, or make it yourself?

That’s what Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb is all about. Brynn, newly divorced and seeking solace in her favorite teen show, Carson's Cove, finds herself on an unexpected adventure. A disastrous night out with her hunky bartender roommate, a binge-watching session of Carson's Cove, and a birthday wish made on a mysterious cupcake lead Brynn and Josh to wake up in none other than Carson's Cove itself.

This book is pure nostalgia for anyone who adored early 2000s teen dramas. The Easter eggs referencing shows like Dawson's Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are delightful to spot throughout the story. It made me feel like I was living my own teen drama obsession (One Tree Hill, if you must know). There are plenty of storylines I wish I could go back and change, and Brynn gets to do just that.

Brynn is determined to give her favorite characters their happily ever after, but she has to decide if it’s worth giving up her own. This book was a five-star read for me, and I can't wait to revisit it after its official publication on September 5th, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, Random House and DialPress for this eARC. If you’re a fan of teen dramas and second chances, this book is a must-read.

I’d say this is a 3.5 rounded up!

Brynn, newly divorced and adjusting to single life with her roommate Josh, wishes for a happily-ever-after on her thirtieth birthday. The next morning, she finds herself in the world of her favorite TV show, "Carson’s Cove," with Josh. In this alternate reality, they must ensure the show's characters, Sloan and Spencer, end up together to return home. As they navigate this fictional world, Brynn and Josh begin to develop real feelings for each other, challenging the scripted storyline and their own expectations of love.

I was initially skeptical about this book, but after the first few chapters, I was fully invested. I enjoyed the concept of the main female character (FMC) being transported into her favorite TV show and experiencing it firsthand. Although I've never seen "Dawson's Creek," I assume "Carson's Cove" is based on it. The FMC's explanations of the show's episodes to the main male character (MMC) provided great context and made the TV show backstory feel well-developed.

Each of the main characters had their own journey of self-discovery, and while I don't usually love insta-romance, I found the overall storyline endearing. I'd recommend this book to anyone with a comfort show they return to time and again, as they will find the FMC relatable and might even wish to be dropped into their favorite storyline.

The one criticism I want to mention about this book was that the antagonist was more sinister than I'd expect for a romcom. Like, if the author had wanted to, they could pivot this book thriller territory if written a bit differently. Don't let that deter you from reading this though; it's not actually too intense, just something that stuck out to me as I was reading.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Kate Robb, and Penguin Random House for a chance to read this ARC.

“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲”

𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 had such a cool concept that I thought I would definitely loved. But, there was something missing for me. Maybe the lack of emotional connection or lead up to the to MC connection.

When Brynn’s friends forget her birthday she finds herself wanting nothing more than the comfort of her favourite show Carson’s Cove. When a mysterious birthday cake shows up at her door at 12:01 AM on her 30th birthday she makes a wish and finds herself waking up in an unfamiliar place- Sloane’s bed from Carson’s Cove. Her mission is to finish out the show in place of the main character.

Overall, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how I feel. Maybe due to my mood reading I would have enjoyed it a little more. But, I feel like there were missing pieces and confusing at times.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dial Press, and Kate Robb for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This story has: dual POV, roommates to lovers, instalove, space time continuum magical realism, spice and silly television-esque hijinks.

If you were a fan of the WB in its golden days (Dawson's Creek/One Tree Hill)- this book is for you! This concept of finding yourself in the midst of a reunion of your favorite show, as a main character, is such a fun use of magical realism. I loved the little Easter Egg tied to the shows-- especially how Poppy is married to Chad Michaels (Chad Michael Murray anyone?) and our MMC is Joshua (Joshua Jackson- our beloved Pacey). I loved how we ended up seeing that these shows did not age well- namely with literal pageantry and mean girl antics.

I would have loved to get more of Josh's POV living with Brynn and not knowing her at all. Once they were smashed together into this crazy scenario the chemistry between them was palpable.

I really enjoyed watching this story unfold and seeing how Kate Robb wove them into this fictitious town and storyline.

I had the privilege to read Katie Robb's previous book; This Spells Love and found it to be very likable and even enjoyed the magical realism despite my usual aversion to these types of theme's. I was please and surprised to love her second book; Prime Time Romance even more. The main characters of Brynn and Josh are so likeable and the sass is strong here! My favorite thing in a couple is a snarky whit and good old fashioned chemistry. They both had it overflowing in this story.
The premise is that they are roommates that don't really know each other well. Brynn is coming off the end of her marriage a few years ago and felt that she didn't see the end of it coming. She's about to turn 30 and life for her is not going in the direction she imagined. Josh has a backstory as well that just makes him even more attractive for the efforts he made to try to save his dad's bar.
The magic starts when Brynn wishes for a HEA for her life and she and Josh are thrown into the make believe world of one of her favorite past high school dramedy soaps.
I felt the nods to several shows like Dawson's Creek, 90210 and so on. The other notable reference to me personally is that one of the characters has my name (Sherry) spelled correctly (you cannot imagine the number of ways this is spelled) and one of the characters in the soap has the same name as my own son (Fletcher).... cute little anecdote that I loved. Great book! Thanks NetGalley for the advance copy!

I was so happy to receive an ARC for this book, I've never read anything like this before! I enjoyed the concept so much and it's definitely made me want to read more magical realism. The town of Carson's cove was described so perfectly, it reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls or One Tree Hill. This feel-good small town romance gave me all the feels! I love the friends to lovers trope but I do wish there was a couple more heart-felt moments because towards the end their story felt a little rushed. Pick this up if you want the perfect dose of 2000's nostalgia!

I loved this book so much! The concept of being transported into the tv show plot was so unique. Brynn and Josh had such great chemistry with each other. I loved how as the story went on, Brynn realized her favorite characters were not all she thought they were. This one had great banter, amazing chemistry, sweet moments, and the perfect dose of magic.

sigh. i was so so sooo excited to receive an ARC for this book because I loved This Spells Love, it was one of my favorite reads last year. and i expected to love this book as much as the other. sadly, i was very disappointed. this book took me almost a week to get through. it didnt really do anything for me. i thought the wishes and alternate reality situation in Carson's Cove was super cool but everything else fell flat. i felt like Brynn and Josh had ZERO chemistry. They were just kind of thrown together and then fell in love in like 2 days?? it was so slow none of the characters stood out out to me, not even the side character. Except Luce, she was okay. i just wan't looking forward to finishing it or seeing where it went. and when Brynn got back i feel like Josh wasn't even excited. i also love witty banter but this did not and the only funny thing was the fact they couldnt cuss. overall, was not favorite. 3/5 thank you random house and net galley for this e arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was not a huge fan of the storyline. I found it weird that she was a huge fan of this obscure show and then had to go into the show.

This book was really different from anything I’ve read in awhile, and I mean that in a positive way. The plot of this was unique but also very predictable, just like your favorite sitcom. I liked Brynn and Josh and enjoyed their chemistry but there wasn’t enough of it. It makes sense plot wise but the focus on Brynn (Sloan) and her TV boyfriend, Spencer, really took away from the romance with Josh. Also Sheldon gave me the creeps…

This book had me from the dedication. If you want to take a second from reality and step into your favorite 90s/00s teen drama then this is the book for you. To get a chance to live in a town you only got to experience through your screen, this book gives you that nostalgia feeling. I only wish it came with the forehead kisses from Pacey (Dawson’s Creek).

Thank you to Dial Press Trade and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of "Prime Time Romance" by Kate Robb in exchange for my honest review.

"Prime Time Romance" was an absolute delight! It transported me back to my high school days, reminiscent of watching One Tree Hill with friends every Wednesday. The magical twist of Brynn and Josh ending up in her favorite sitcom was a brilliant touch.

I found myself completely immersed in the story, not wanting it to end. Brynn's character was wonderfully relatable, especially as she learned that life doesn't have to be perfect and to expect the unexpected in love and life. The book's nostalgic nods to the 90s and 2000s, combined with its whimsical and adventurous spirit, made for an incredibly enjoyable read.

Overall, "Prime Time Romance" is a fun, adventurous, and heartwarming story that I highly recommend!

Magical realism, early 200's the drama nostalgia and a small-town romance what more could you ask for? This was simply adorable. I was a big fan of Kate Robb's first book This Spells Love and this book is an incredible sophomore book. We meet Brynn who like most of us has her favorite comfort show and Josh her roommate who is a bartender. They end up magically in the town where her favorite show is based and have to play out a new ending. It has whimsy and so many fun easter.eghs.and nods to shows we loved in the 90s and early 200s. A must read!

Kate Robb knows how to craft a love story! If you are a fan of the classic soapy 90s and 00's teen romance shows, this is the epitome of that! I loved the character arc's for our two leads, Josh and Sloane. It was the perfect escapist romance. There is magic in her writing on every page, with humor and emotion pouring out of every word!

How cute was this rom-com?! I was looking foward to reading Kate Robb’s sophmore novel, and this did not disappoint.

The idea of this novel is so original and straight out of my early 2000’s high school dreams. The whole notion of how we are terrified of failure in a relationship, and sometimes we just wish we could be in our favorite tv show rings so true.

I really enjoyed reading this one; a fun take on the expectations of happily ever after that we all have.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC; all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Robb, and the publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.5 stars

There was something just so comforting and nostalgic about this book. I adored the romance between the main characters. I loved the fact that the FMC was a divorced twenty-nine-year-old turning thirty. Our main characters get sucked into a 2000s teen soap. I thought this was such a cool concept. I’m so glad that I got to read it. I can’t wait to read more by Kate Robb.

I highly recommend it!