I really enjoyed this book. The story captured me immediately. When it veered into the realm of a sitcom, I started becoming skeptical, but I must say, the author did an excellent job keeping me engaged and I devoured this book! The dialogue was cute and whitty.
This is my first Kate Robb book, and may I say, it will definitely not be my last. It is always so nice to come across a new author who's writing is captivating.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book.

This was such a sweet and fun romcom, and I had a great time reading it. The nostalgia factor of the early 2000s teen drama series setting was so cool, and I loved the whole “what happens after the series finale” vibe. Then, mixing that with two main characters who were unwillingly plucked from their regular lives in present day Toronto created a really interesting dynamic and the perfect stage for some classic teen drama level mayhem.

The book is packed with nostalgia, easter eggs, and references to iconic moments from early 2000s television. The story leans into the cheesy melodramatic style we all know and love in the best way possible and uses it as the backdrop for a great romance and a journey of personal discovery and growth.

This might be a good pick for you if you’ve ever wondered what happened after the last credits rolled at the end of your favourite series, and it might also remind you that you should be careful what you wish for (Please forgive that cliché, it’s totally the vibe, I promise).

I loved Kate Robb’s first book and was so excited to get an e-arc of this one. Sadly, lightning didn’t strike twice with her sophomore release for me.

The book’s premise had a lot of promise but the characters along with the way things played out fell flat. So much so that I put the book down for over a month before coming back to it.

What I can say is that I was invested just enough to want to know how things ended and committed to finishing the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

Brynn is newly divorced and finds comfort in the nostalgia of her favorite teen drama, Carson’s Cove. She makes a birthday wish and is transported (along with her roommate Josh) into the fictional world of Carson’s Cove as two of the main characters.

I really enjoyed Kate Robb’s debut so I had high hopes for this one! It should have worked for me- magical realism combined with 90s/2000s nostalgia should be a home run. However, it just was lacking in romance, small town charm, and the charismatic Pacey-like main character I was hoping for. Lots of side plots and characters made the romance seem secondary and hard to get into. Ultimately I loved the concept more than the execution, but I will still read the author’s future work!

Thank you to Kate Robb, Dial Press, and Netgalley for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

This book left me wanting more. It could have used more romance for sure! I loved the early 2000s vibe - so nostalgic!

Carson's Cove used to be the it show. Think Dawson's Creek but with even more complicated and animated plots that usually have a happy ending. Pop's Diner gave me the Peach Pitt vibes of 90210. It's no wonder Brynn was completely obsessed with this show. It gave her a sense of peace knowing each episode had a happy ending which didn't match her real life, sadly. Brynn is recently divorced and her 30th birthday is here. She decides the best way to spend the hours going into her 30th birthday is to watch some Carson's Cove, even though the show never made it back for a 6th season to show how things ended. Cliff hanger with no ending.

Josh is Brynn's roommate who is a bartender at a hot spot location. He didn't want Brynn commuting home alone so he left work early that night to go with her. He decides to watch the show with her and a knock at the door happens. He opens it to find a mystery man with a birthday cake for Brynn. Weird but she takes the cake because who doesn't want birthday cake right?

Brynn and Josh are in for a huge surprise when they wake up in Carson's Cove, but 15 years after the finale. They are selected to give the show the ending it deserves. Brynn is Sloane and Josh is Fletch who works at the family tavern. They have to find a way to give the show the ending it deserved. Sloane/Brynn knows that will be in the arms of Spencer. Or so she thinks. Josh is proving to be some pretty stiff competition!

Thank you @NetGalley for my copy to review! Thank you to @kate_robb_writes for writing this awesome book to relieve all the angsty teen soap dramas that I loved and was obsessed with!

When I read “This Spells Love” by Kate Robb, I immediately fell in love with her writing, and knew I just had to get my hands on whatever she writes. I could not contain my excitement when I was granted this ARC, and can definitely say that she’s done it again!

Imagine being transported to your favorite tv show, having to figure out how to live a completely different life (the life of your dreams, literally). But what if the life you thought you wanted, really isn’t what you actually want?
This magical rom-com is the perfect cozy read, and it’s filled with 2000’s nostalgia. The perfect friends-to-lovers, small town & magical realism.

Thanks NetGalley & Random House Publishing for this ARC! This book comes out 09/03/24 and I can’t recommend it enough!

I DNF @ 30%
I wanted to like this book so bad, but the whole concept and the way it was written felt very creepy to me.

Such an unusual idea! This is the first book I’ve seen with this storyline and it was such a joy to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending!

This book has a really neat premise!

Brynn is newly divorced and hasn’t made any close friends. Brynn and her roommate Josh are staying up late watching Brynn’s favorite comfort TV show, Carson’s Cove. The show ended on a cliffhanger and was canceled, leaving the perfect ending up to the viewers imagination for the last several years. It is the night before Brynn’s birthday and it seems that everyone has forgotten, but right at midnight, a mysterious birthday cake arrives at her front door. Brynn and Josh cut into the cake before they fall asleep. When they wake up, they find they are literally *in* the Carson’s Cove world. Brynn is able to become her favorite TV character, Sloan. Brynn gets to live out Sloan’s life to find the show’s “perfect ending.”

The beginning of this book had me pumped. I was really engaged in Brynn’s real life - a recent divorcé with no real friends who all forget her birthday. Once we got into the TV show’s world, though, it dragged a bit for me. The romance aspect was there but there didn’t seem to be much real pining, yearning, desire… it just kind of fell flat for me.

Overall this was a fun read though! 💕🫶🏻

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the early chance to read and review “Prime Time Romance.”

I really enjoyed Katie Robb’s sophomore effort. The characters and the premise felt fresh and fun and overall it made me happy and nostalgic for teen dramas from the 90’s and 00’s. The main characters were likable and I enjoyed the progression from roommates to friends to lovers. 5 stars.

A romance revolving around a long love for a teen drama sounds like it’s so up my alley, but Prime Time Romance is so riddled with half-baked ideas that it’s more frustrating than enjoyable. Very regularly I found myself thinking, where did that come from? Why would I care that this is happening? Who is this random Sheldon guy and why is he magic? What is the actual explanation for anything that’s happening? Am I supposed to be invested in these people? Not great thoughts to have.

This is a fun premise with very poor execution.

The book started off really good! Loved the main characters and the way they interacted with rude people. However, the story lost me 50 pages in. Love fantasy and paranormal romances but this was just weird and came out of nowhere.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in return for an honest review.

If you love small town tv drama’s where everything seems perfect and you wish you could live there, you need to read this book! It was so cute and really makes you think about living in the perfect small town. This book was whimsical and a little frustrating at times but I loved every second of it. Brynn and Josh are roommates that get out into an alternate universe and must find the way to get home before it’s too late. I will forever buy anything Kate Robb writes!

This one wasn't really for me! I don't like the "magical" aspect of a romance book. I did really enjoy the beginning and I thought it was going to be a book that I loved, but it just didn't turn out like that for me, which is OKAY! It was my first book by this author- I have another one by her sitting on my shelves, and I can't wait to give her another try!

Interesting concept. Really for audiences who love CW shows and Dawson's Creek and indulging in that teen nostalgia for adults. Felt a bit immature hokey otherwise. Not a bad book just for a very specific audience.

Thank you Madison Dettlinger and Random House for sending me an ARC!

I've got to say I really enjoy Kate Robb's writing style. Prime Time Romance was a real fun read although I would still put This Spells Love above it.

I loved the concept for this book. I think we all know the feeling of loving a piece of media and wanting to exist in it's world or thinking that the creators misstepped on occasion. I also think its important to recognize that our favorite media is not infallible.

Growing up is realizing that something we love does not inherently make it perfect and recognizing it's flaws. It's one of the reason I gave this 4 stars. In my opinion it takes our main character Brynn too long to understand that. In the story it only takes a few days but that is about 50% of the books page counts.

<spoiler>I was shocked at how long it took Brynn to understand that Poppy was not her friend, and she never really thinks that Poppy was never Sloan's friend either. Based on context clues Poppy was the mean girl who never wanted you to succeed while being your "friend".

Another reason this is a four star for me is the makeover stuff. Brynn is beautiful and they do a makeover where they change her hair from brown to blonde, from curly to straight, and her first thought after seeing herdelf is that she is now truly beautiful. I knew this was most likely setting up for a moment later on for her to come to the realization that she is beautiful as herself and she doesn't need to be blonde and have straight hair to be stunning. However in my opion that took way too long and she even has a conversation after the makeover with our main guy Josh and is a little upset he didn't react over the top positive about the change- I'm not gonna lie, I hated that.</spoiler>

I would suggest if you liked This Spells Love to give Prime Time Romance a shot, I don't think you will regret it.

⭐️ 2.75-3/5
🌶️ 1/5

Prime time romance centers around a TV show, Carson‘s Cove. CC is giving Gilmore girls meets one tree hill meets teen beach movie. Lots going on but does it all work?
About 50% in I sort of lost interest in the plot , felt like it dragged a bit and had me skimming to the end at times. I really enjoyed the beginning when the FMC and MMC started off in Toronto. The descriptions of the city were spot on, including the scent on the ttc 😂👏🏼 I found it hard to connect to the characters and follow what was happening given it was the FMC that had to explain what had occurred on different episodes of the show to the MMC and audience at times.
I know Carson’s Cove was a teen show and they couldn’t swear, that was one of the redeeming funny qualities and made me laugh.

Overall, an ok, quick and easy read. Just not my cup of tea entirely!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. I ADORE this book. This was such a unique story, and Josh and Brynn’s acquaintance to lovers evolution was perfect. They each had such a well-thought-out backstory. I loved that not only did Brynn realize that Spencer wasn’t perfect, but Josh got the chance to heal, Luce got redemption, and everyone saw the truth of who Poppy is. Such a fantastic book. A must read!

What do you get when you mix a bit of Pleasantville, Riverdale, Dawson’s Creek, and Vampire Diaries without the vampires? A heck of a sophomore novel by Kate Robb, that’s what! Brynn is newly divorced and about to celebrate her 30th birthday. She’s feeling pretty low about life but her adorable, almost stranger of a roommate offers to join her as she binges her favorite 90s teen show, Carson’s Cove, one night. Brynn explains to Josh (aforementioned adorable roommate) that the series ended on a cliffhanger and there was no resolution for the two main characters. A but of magic happens and Brynn and Josh wake up the next morning in Carson’s Cove and learn that it’s their job to “finish the series.”

I loved this story. It was so entertaining and it was really fun to revisit some of the themes/ideas from my own favorite 90s/early 2000s tv shows. Brynn was an awesome heroine, and she was easy to root for. Josh was a sexy cinnamon roll who you couldn’t help but root for as well. I LOVED how Kate Robb wrote the side characters and used them to help Brynn (and the reader) reflect on the past and how not everything was as it seemed. For example, perhaps the mean girl from your past was never mean…maybe you and your friends were the problem (loved that twist), and your first love is not usually supposed to be your last. Brynn and Josh learn what really matters and that life doesn’t have to be shiny and pretty.

The third act of the story, aka the “conflict” was handled very well (do you know how much I hate the conflict? A lot. It’s a true gem of a story that can make me think, “oooh this is good” when the conflict arrives) and the ending was super cute! I highly recommend this book and will pass it along to all my bookish friends.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group for review consideration via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.