Member Reviews
This was a fever dream. You could say it's if 𝘊𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢'𝘴 fairy godmother went rogue.
𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 finds Brynn and Josh misplaced in the world of the 2000s famous teen soap: 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘷𝘦. Brynn is hesitant to start her thirties as a divorcée who still shares her house with her brother's friend - Josh. Josh is content with being a bartender but he's still haunted by what he's lost.
As the two get get sucked in the mess of Brynn's birthday wish and wake up in the fictional New England town featured in Carson's Cove, to fix the unfortunate ending, they might just help along their lives.
The beginning of the story had me hooked but the ending was lackluster. Without giving away spoilers and the plot twists, let's just say it could have been better.
The romance felt too neatly tied up without any angst towards the end like hello? where was the I'll-do-anything-to-be-with-you-forever? And tell me why it was only plain acceptance, like aight-cool-we-can't-be-together? huh.
- ~ -
3.96 / 5✩
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
This book was just not for me personally. I do love the concept but I felt like the characters didn’t have a good connection so I felt like I was missing something?? The pacing was a little off, but over all a super original concept
[Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Dial Press Trade Paperback for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]
Oooo, if you loved late 90's early 2000's teen dramas you're going to enjoy this book (there are quite a few Easter eggs and Robb includes notes at the end that share who and what inspired her). I don't know anyone who loved those shows and didn't daydream about being a part of them (teenage me would have LOVED being Joey Potter).
The book starts off a little slow as we get to know Brynn and Josh. Josh is renting a room in Brynn's townhome because she can't afford the mortgage alone after her ex-husband left her. Brynn is trying to start over after her divorce, yet still a hopeless romantic. Josh is a bartender who is struggling with the loss of his dad and his dad's bar.
When Brynn and Josh get transported to Caron's Cove (a show that Brynn has idolized most of her life) 15 years after the finale, I immediately thought of Dawson's Creek, but I also thought about the movie Pleasantville. Two people get sent to a picture-perfect town only to cause mayhem because life isn't always perfect and things are not always what they seem. What starts off innocent ends up becoming a little sinister.
This is such a fun read. My only complaint is that I wish we had gotten more of Brynn and Josh's relationship. There's character development but prior to their adventure, they seemed to have interacted very little. They have great banter and chemistry, it just would have been nice to have some more moments where they're falling in love with each other.
Perfect if you enjoy:
- Dual POV
- Magical realism
- Small town romance
- Friends to Lovers
- 90's/2000's nostalgia
This book gave me major Teen Beach Movie mixed with Dawson Creek vibes. Brynn and Josh are thrown into a beloved teen show called Carson’s Cove to help the show get the perfect ending it never got after being taken off the air unexpectedly.
This was so good. I loved the nostalgic feeling it gave me and the description of Carson’s Cove made me want to hop in there with them. Being thrown into her favorite TV show was a dream for Brynn at first, but while realizing the things she needed to do to better herself, she helped the people in the town figure out how to better themselves, too. This was a super cute read full of tons of self-discovery on each characters part, and the way I fell in love with each and every one of them made their character development that much sweeter. Brynn and Josh together are also *chefs kiss*.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
This book felt like coming home from school and turning on my favorite teen shows—One Tree Hill, Gilmore Girls, and Dawson’s Creek.
Even though Brynn and Josh were roommates and already knew each other, it still felt a lot like insta love when they were in Carson’s Cove. I would’ve like more romance from them.
Overall, I would recommend this for anyone who’s looking for a cute, nostalgic, and whimsical rom com with a generous dose of magical realism.
Brynn is recovering from a failed marriage and on the cusp of her 30th birthday makes a wish for her life to be as uncomplicated as life in her favorite teen drama. She, and her roommate Josh, get sucked into Carson's Cove and have to navigate to a happy ending. But is happiness what Brynn originally thought?
This book won right from the start with the dedication to Joshua Jackson and the iconic Pacey sweater. Pacey was the emo thinking girl's best boyfriend. Jordan Catelano and Dylan McKay may have been hotter, but Pacey was deep. I mean he took care of Andie and bought Joey a wall! He was underestimated by everyone, even himself. Pacey 4eva!
Prime Time Romance is an homage to these 90s (and early 2000s) teen shows. Inspiration from 90210, Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls, PLL, Gossip Girl, and many more abound. This book is best when being referential and also skewering these tropes. I like how it pointed out how whats cool as a teen is sad as an adult (points for the nod, with the charcater of Luce, to how everyone hated Jen in DC but she's the real hero.) Also loved that Spencer was basically a walking JVB meme!
The main characters were extremely likeable, and Josh definitely gave off BPE (Big Pacey Energy). His character arc was more developed than Brynn's. I wish the novel took everything a little bit further. The ending was a bit cheezy (and abrupt) in the same way these shows were, though the message was good. I wanted to see more of Brynne's evolution.
Kate Robb wrote a fantastic post script showing her love for the teen soaps. I enjoyed this book, though maybe not as much as This Spells Love. I will continue to read all of Robb's work- my inner Joey wouldn't accept anything less. 3.5 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Dial Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was such a cute slow-burn romance where you get to see Brynn the FMC discover that maybe the picture perfect life isn’t as great as it may seem.
I’m not typically a slow-burn girly but I think this storyline was fast paced enough where If the author had introduced the main couple getting together sooner it wouldn’t have felt right.
The character development was great even down to Sheldon discovering that he needed to move on from Carson Cove as well. I also love showing the growth of maybe not all the people you consider friends are really looking out for you more than they are using you for their own agenda.
Overall a great read!
imagine if you are transported to the abc family sitcoms you loved as a teen. this is whimsical, heartwarming and makes me feel like i'm living in a gilmore girls episode. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
I loved this spells love and this one was incredible as well. this was fun, nostalgic and I loved the use of magical realism.
Another fun and joyful read from Robb, with a whimsical twist of magic and a nostalgic celebration of teen TV dramas from the past 20+ years. When Brynn and Josh find themselves swept into her favourite teen TV drama (one that was prematurely cancelled before writers tied up plotlines), they’re given strict instructions to give the heroine “the ending she deserves” before they’re allowed to go home again. But maybe that ending is a little more complicated than it seems on the surface. What follows is a fun dive into the world of teen TV, the clichéd but beloved plotlines about makeovers, friend rivalries, beauty pageants, and sheltering in gazebos during rainstorms, waiting for the perfect kiss. Robb keeps the tone light as her hero and heroine reexamine what they want out of life, while exploring how teen TV drama can be a fun escape without becoming an ideal to aspire to. A perfect fit for readers who enjoyed shows like Dawson’s Creek, 90210, Gossip Girl, Riverdale, Buffy, and The OC, and who find themselves eagerly replaying their favourite scenes, even while knowing real life can be a bit more complicated, but no less full of love and joy.
Brynn turns to her favorite comfort show when life gets hard. The series finale - that she never watches - was abrupt and left many questions unanswered. After making a wish while blowing out her birthday candles, she wakes up in the city of that favorite show with her roommate, Josh, at a loss for words. Realizing they are playing existing characters of the show, they find out they need to give them the ending the fans wanted. But there's a shadow that will right their wrongs if his plans aren't realized.
I was pleasantly surprised when I realized they were placed in the show's setting! I was excited to see what would happen next and where the story would go. Unfortunately, it just never went anywhere. After exploring the town and realizing what needs to happen (and happen correctly) in order for them to go back home, it just got repetitive. I didn't get a chance to even care about the relationship because they hardly spent any time together.
It also bothered me that the cursing/vulgar words were supposed to be censored because the show aired on TV but it's not consistent at all. I don't think I cared for a single character and only finished the book after putting it down for a few days. And it's not even that long of a book!!
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to make a wish and be magically transported into your favorite angst teen tv series from the 90s/00s but then realize it’s not as perfect as you imagined it to be but you can’t leave because some psycho named Sheldon won’t let you until you give the show the ending he thinks it deserved before it got canceled… yeah, I’ve got the book for you.
This is a fun, lighthearted, story about a girl named Brynn who is newly divorced and just really going through it. She was blindsided by the divorce and since has gotten firsthand experience with the abysmal options working the dating pool. Every night she’s been binge watching reruns of her favorite comfort show, Carson’s Cove, which you’ll find is very reminiscent of Dawson’s Creek. When a mysterious Uber Eats driver shows up at her door at midnight on her 30th birthday with a cake, she ends up making a wish that transports both her and her current (and super hot) roommate, Josh, straight into Carson’s Cove. Which is exactly as nostalgic as you can imagine.
The pair are forced into playing the roles of the two main characters— the sweet and lovable girl next door and the towns certified bad boy. Somewhere between picnics dates, lobsterfest Pageant rehearsals and flash mobs with a side of declarations of love they end up discovering themselves and each other along the way. I do wish we’d got a bit more between Brynn and Josh. I’d have liked to see more depth and tension between the two.
If you enjoyed Teen Beach Movie and you’re looking for a sweet and silly, small town romance with a sprinkle of magical realism and a cozy nostalgic feel this one is sure to hit all the right notes!
Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book!
Being a big fan of Kate Robb's debut novel, This Spells Love, I was ecstatic to get a chance to review her second book, Prime Time Romance. It did not disappoint!
The plot of this is somewhat similar to her other novel: girl makes a wish that her life is different in some way and is magically transported to another life. However, everything else is completely different. The idea of a fan getting to live the life of her favorite TV character was extremely appealing. I didn't expect the way things turned out but this was a great thing!
The characters and story were well written, the plot was well thought out, and I really enjoyed the way the relationship between the two main characters built up. It was super cute and definitely a book I will be picking up a physical copy of. Totally recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this wonderful book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - oh how i REALLY enjoyed this! As a girly who grew up in the era of shows like Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Dawsons Creek, this was so extremely up my alley! It was such a unique premise that really took me by surprise, but in the best way! The idea of going into our favorite TV shows is definitely something many of us have wished before, so to see this played out was so clever! I genuinely enjoyed the two main characters and their relationship together. I would have loved a few more scenes of the two, developing that relationship a bit more in the middle, but all in all, a really fun read!
A nice easy romance! Good to lay back and enjoy the read, highly suggest. This was also my first book by this author. I’d definitely read more!
Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for this ARC
I loved This Spells Love by Kate Robb and was so excited to see her with another book out, This book took me back for my love of Teen Dramas 90210, One Tree Hill the nostalgic rom com romance was perfect with a hint of spice. I was not sure how I felt about Brynn in the beginning but I did come around to her and Josh's relationship
A cute and silly little read! While I didn’t love the book as much as I was hoping too, I did have a lot of fun while reading this.
The plot was my favorite part, it was unique and fun and the world of Carson’s Cove felt so colorful. Who doesn’t want to be transported into the world of their favorite TV series? I was super invested in Carson’s Cove as a show and getting Brynn’s perspective on it as a lover of the show, and the whole plot line of having to follow the storyline to get back to the real world was so unique and quirky, I loved the set up.
I struggled a bit with the characters and the romance. Individually, I liked Brynn and Josh, their reactions to the whole situation felt very real and genuine but I felt like they didn’t have many defining characteristics to make me fall in love with them as characters. The romance aspect of the book was also just ok for me, I liked them together but there was nothing that stuck out to me about their relationship and I didn’t find myself swooning over them or rooting for them to get together.
This was also a minor critique but I felt like some of the dialogue throughout this book was a bit awkward or stilted, it didn’t flow well at specific points and contributed to parts of the story that didn’t work well for me.
Overall I really enjoyed the setup to the story but wish it was executed just a bit better. It was a fairly quick read though and fun at certain points, 3 stars!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!
Loved her first book This Spells Love. And loved this novel just as much. Romance with fantasy twists are my favourite. This novel had it all romance, fantasy and a great ending.
If you are a fan of 90s and 2000s teen drama shows...this is the book for you! It is a fun, light-hearted, emotional, funny, nostalgic journey for the reader throughout the story of Brynn and Josh.
Recently divorced Brynn is trying to get back into the dating scene, and finding it's a quite a bit different than she remembers. Josh is Brynn's roommate who is working as a bartender with the hopes of making enough money to save his father's bar. One night Brynn turns to her ultimate comfort show "Carson's Cove," a small town teenage drama that was cancelled too soon, to hopefully up lift her feelings about her dating life. What she doesn't expect is for Josh to watch it with her....or to end up becoming characters in the show. Now, the two must work together to give the show the ending people believe it deserved in order to go home. As they try to complete their own tasks and live as their characters, Brynn and Josh find the answers they need in themselves and together.
This book was a cute contemporary romance that I believe many people will enjoy. It is a the perfect mix of a character driven and plot driven storyline. Brynn and Josh's chemistry is not all that evident in the beginning, but you see the sparks flying as time continues. I would highly recommend this book to everybody!!
3.5! I loved This Spells Love, Kate Robb’s debut novel, and was excited to read her sophomore novel. Prime Time Romance follows Brynn a recent divorcee who is obsessed with a TV show called Carson’s Cove. One day, Brynn and her roommate, Josh, wake up in Carson’s Cove and are living the life of two characters from the show. The only way they can get back is if they get Sloan and Spencer to fall in love and get the happy ending they deserve.
I was intrigued by the description of this book because I have never read anything with this concept. Something I enjoyed from the book was that this trip that Brynn and Josh took was an adventure that helped them resolve a lot of their real-life issues. It was eye-opening for both of them. When it came to their connection and chemistry I think it was pretty average. That’s why I think that book is fun and honestly just a quick and easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Dial Press Trade Paperback for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.