This is the first book I've read by Kate Robb, and I honestly can't wait to read This Spells Love. Kate's writing is gripping and kept me on my toes. I couldn't stop reading. To be honest, Prime Time Romance was pretty short, so I devoured it rather quickly.

I love that Kate mentions Toronto. Being from here myself made it special and really cool. I ended up getting all the references, which I genuinely appreciated. I love the 2000s vibes I got from this book it is very nostalgic of Dawson's Creek. Readers will find themselves relating to the characters and enjoying every second of the story. It is a straight nod to the teenage shows of my youth. Which is so fun.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I read Kate Robb's debut book, This Spells Love, in one binge-sitting, and thoroughly enjoyed it - from the pacing to the characters and love interest. She has a way of adding just one element of magical realism to a contemporary romance without getting bogged down in the details and ins-and-outs. Prime Time Romance is another romance in a similar vein: it tells the story of a woman learning to trust in relationships and stability again, after a divorce seemingly out of nowhere, and her reliance on her favorite sitcom to add predictability and comfort to her life.

I totally get that. And I also think this book would be a perfect romance book for anyone out there who has recently gone through a breakup and has a deep understanding of that need for predictability. Carson's Cove reminds me of Dawson's Creek and Gilmore Girls, while having a great time of delving into the non-primary characters of a cast, like our archnemesis Luce, and our BFF Poppy, and asking, "What if these characters were real, living lives outside of the screen?" How would characters feel about that comfort and guaranteed happy endings if they weren't the main character, but rather the ones guaranteed to be screwed over time and time again? Robb has done a great job of fleshing these aspects out thoughtfully.

Where the book falls short is our two main characters. Neither feel like they have much personality in dialogue or in writing, outside of what is told to us as their "background" story. We know Brynn is learning to trust again. We know Josh has misgivings about his ability to run a business and carry out his father's legacy. But none of that is truly reflected in their character voices. I don't necessarily root for Brynn and Josh to get together, but rather just feel annoyed at Brynn for her rose-colored lenses when entering Carson's Cove and spending so long trying to get with Spencer -- and also, understand that this makes sense for character development. I guess all of that would be fixed with simply shortening our first half of the plot a bit, which felt slow to me, in the lead-up to our main plot changes. It felt like it took so long to even get to "entering Carson's Cove" that I had to put the book down and pick it back up several times to get to what is already written on the blurb on the back! Also, this is may be just a personal take, but I found Poppy's takedown to be fascinating - I wish I got more of her, and saw more of her "ending", just for pure satisfaction.

Overall, I thought this was a worthy romance read that has a new twist that feels refreshing and exciting to read. I wish there had been more time or chemistry-build up between our two main leads, but ultimately, felt like this book had a beautiful arc, from introducing and giving us a vibe for Carson's Cove and why it was important to Brynn's life, and then giving us an ending that felt natural and honest.

Kate Robb never misses! I absolutely loved this book. Brynn and Josh (Sloane and Fletcher) are the kind of characters that you can’t help loving and rooting for after you read the first page.

I love their friendship and Josh’s willingness to help Brynn in both the real world and the alternative universe, Carson’s Cove, that they find themselves in.

The TV show alternate universe is such a fun premise! The longer Brynn and Josh are in Carson’s Cove, the more they learn about supporting characters like Luce and Sherry. I enjoyed that these two characters are got more than what they were originally written out to be!

Robb has a talent for writing these beautiful and fun alternate universes and I knew this from reading “This Spells Love”. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

5.0/5.0
- Magical Romance
- Friends to Lovers
- Small Town
- Good Spice
- Great Supporting Characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book. Prime Time Romance will be available to purchase on September 3, 2024, and is available for preorder NOW!

***Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and author Kate Robb for the ARC!***

***Sorry, but some light spoilers below***

My Grade: B ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another great read from Kate Robb! I admit that I have never watched an episode of Dawson's Creek or Gilmore Girls, but I have definitely seen enough of Buffy, Riverdale, and 90210 to know that I was going to be absolutely pulled into this magical story with huge stars in my eyes! Plus, Pleasantville is one of my all time favorite moves, so there's that. I loved reading Brynn and Josh navigating into Carson's Cove and its residents, and I am excited to read more of what Kate Robb delivers!

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5.
For me, what makes this book not a 5 star read is the sex scenes. I really did not like them at all. I thought they were incredibly boring, not creative, and completely rote. I much rather would have liked a ton more of that delicious slow burn and kissing, and instead just had the actual sex scenes go fade to black.

The Good Stuff:
-The 90's TV show nostalgia was on point!
-Brynn and Josh's chemistry was wonderful! I love a good friends to lovers trope. Even though they were not completely "friends", they were friendly, it counts.
-A great dual POV.
-The supporting cast was awesomely delicious! I loved Poppy and all of her red-headedness shenanigans!
-I love stories with unexplained magical occurrences. I know that others want a full explanation of why things happened, (like Lost critics who wanted answers), but I feel that sometimes It's not needed. It's fun to just go with the flow and I thought that Sheldon was a perfect deliverer of the perfect wish.
-The authors notes after the book were terrific! I loved the Easter eggs, boyfriends, and the cake recipe! Thank you so much for this!

The Meh Stuff:
-Chapter 35. I needed a boom and I got a fizzle! I wanted to see them run into each other's arms and kiss each other fiercely! Disappointed.
-The sex scenes. (see above)

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press Trade for the ARC e-book.

If you were a fan of 90's rom-com series, this book is for you. Think Dawson's Creek meets The OC. Brynn is trying to rediscover herself post-divorce and after a night out with friends is brought home by her roommate, Josh. After a knock on the door indicates a late-night cake delivery she makes her wish, "find my happily ever after". Things don't go as planned as both Brynn and Josh wake up in Carson's Cove, the setting to Brynn's favorite rom-com. As they navigate the 'perfect' life as the town's sweetheart and bad boy, things get complicated.

Not all endings have to be perfect and what we once thought was the definition of perfect may change the older we get. As someone who loved Pacey Witter in Dawson's Creek, I was hooked. Katie Robb's "This Spells Love" was the reason I wanted to check this one out.

Coming September 2024

Brynn, a soon to be 30-year-old, is still getting her dating life back together after her sudden divorce. She, like a lot of women, are tired of the muddy dating pool. The one constant companion and life comfort is the TV show Carson’s Cove. The show has helped her through many of life’s difficulties. The night before her 30th birthday Brynn ends up at home watching her beloved Carson’s Cove with her roommate Josh when at midnight there is a knock at the door. Someone delivers a cake with one candle, Josh lights it and has Brynn make a wish. The next moment both wake up in Carson’s Cove as characters on the show. Brynn can finally get closure on a show that was cancelled without an ending. Through it all Brynn and Josh start to find out what it is they really want and to push aside those negative thought.

If you enjoyed watching Pleasantville, Dawsons Creek, Buffy, and Riverdale this book is for you. At the end of the book the author provides “easter eggs” on their inspiration for various parts of the book. For my kdrama fans, though not the exact same situation, I thought of W and Extraordinary You.

I wasn’t sure what Brynn did for a living until the end, I quickly skimmed multiple chapters to see if I missed it. If I did, it didn’t leave an impression on me, which is not meant to disrespect the author, it just didn’t stick with me as being important.

The only real question I had was, what happened to their lives in their own timeline. Did no one miss them or check on them?
This is an amusing and lightly spicy romance with an entertaining storyline. I enjoyed the book, it was a pleasure to read and would recommend it to my fellow bibliophiles.

Loved it, getting sucked into a tv show definitely turned out better than I thought it would. I’m glad they got the happy ending that seemed like it would never come. I also love the cover, it drew me in from the start.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for the digital advanced reader copy. Below is my honest review.

Brynn is twenty-nine years old and recently got divorced from her ex, Matt. She's decided to try and get back out there and is dating again even though she would rather be in her apartment in her pajamas watching Carson's Cove on Netflix. Brynn is not a hopeless romantic and thinks public declarations of love are absolutely mortifying, but she loves watching them on TV. Her roommate Josh is her brother's friend who works at a local bar called The Devil's Playground. They aren't really friends, but after a bad night on her 30th birthday, he brings her home and watches Carson's Cove with her. At midnight, an UberEats delivery driver drops off a birthday cake for Brynn from Bake a Wish. Brynn makes a wish to finally get her perfect Happily Ever After.

When she wakes up the next morning, she finds that she and Josh have been transported to the magical TV town of Carson's Cove. Brynn is supposed to be playing Sloan (beloved girl next door) and Josh is playing the part of Fletcher (town bad-boy/black sheep). Sloan is supposed to get her happily ever after with Spencer (hometown heartthrob) because the show ended abruptly on a cliff-hanger leaving most viewers feeling disappointed fifteen years ago.

I really enjoyed the magical element of this story and how the characters were transported into their favorite TV show. The story was funny, but also thought-provoking. This book would be perfect for fans of Dawson's Creek or any other 2000's dramadies.

I absolutely loved this book!! One Tree Hill was my world back in high school so I totally relate to being obsessed with a show and the characters. I found the plot so fun!

Brynn and Josh are everything! I love the slow burn tension! They really became friends and built a solid foundation. The steamy scenes were hot! Kate Robb brought the heat!

Kate Robb is an auto read for me now! I can’t wait to suggest this title to friends. 💓

If the mention of 90’s teen dramas like Dawson’s Creek evokes a wave of nostalgia, then this book might just transport you back to that era.

Having fallen for Kate Robb’s debut novel last year, I eagerly delved into another speculative romance penned by her, and I'm thrilled to report that it lived up to my expectations.

Brynn finds solace in rewatching her beloved teen show, Carson’s Cove, during a rough patch in her life. However, one fateful night, she and her roommate Josh receive a mysterious cupcake that whisks them both into the world of the show. In this surreal landscape, Brynn gets to live out her dreams, aiding her character in Carson’s Cove to win the heart of the boy next door she's long admired. But as she begins to fall for Josh, Brynn starts questioning the perfection of Carson’s Cove and the so-called ideal man, Spencer.

Admittedly, the plot of this book ventures into the realm of the fantastical, with magical elements that may not always align logically. However, if you can suspend disbelief and simply enjoy the ride, you're in for a treat.

Personally, I found this book immensely enjoyable! It reminded me of the movie Pleasantville crossed with the charm of Gilmore Girls. Kate Robb has a knack for crafting captivating alternate universe romances, and this sophomore effort is no exception. My only gripe is that I wished it were a tad longer. While I often advocate for shorter books, in this case, a few more pages delving into "Sloan's" relationship with Poppy and additional scenes with Josh could have elevated it even further.

Nonetheless, I devoured this story and now find myself eagerly anticipating Robb’s next literary creation. It's safe to say that if you're in the mood for a whimsical, heartwarming read, this book won't disappoint.

This book was so good, I read it in two days. It got a bit confusing in some parts like when she first gets to Carson Cove but otherwise it was a great read. I’m so glad it has a happy ever after ending, honestly my favourite trope!

Read date: March 15, 2024.
Published date: September 3rd, 2024.

Prime Time Romance is an absolutely fantastic romance with a speculative twist! Newly divorced Brynn is divorced and reeling from the indignity of having a roommate to cover half her mortgage. She has conveniently convinced herself that her hot roommate is off limits, which is easy enough since he works as a bartender and they are often ships passing in the night. But when they sit down to watch an episode of Carson’s Cove, her favorite comfort show, a mysterious cake delivery and the resulting wish send them into the world of the show, with the promise that the only thing that can return them to the real world is Brynn falling in love with the title character and getting the happy ending the show never got when it was cut off. The only problem is that the movie perfect Spencer, the MC, is not actually so perfect in person, and Josh, the hot roommate dragged into playing the role of the town’s bad boy, is actually pretty perfect. Sparks fly and magic happens. This was absolutely fantastic, and I loved it as much as I loved This Spells Love, Robb’s debut novel.


Thank you to Netgalley, Dial Press, and Kate Robb for this eARC. This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Do you have a favorite show that just provides instant comfort when life has you down? Brynn is approaching her 30th birthday filled with loneliness and just a feeling of meh after her divorce. After a cake mysteriously arrives on her 30th birthday, she and her new roommate Josh wake up in the fictional town of her favorite show, Carson’s Cove. Is life in her this quaint New England town as cozy and wonderful as it is on the small screen? Prime Time Romance is such a cute and fun read! And geriatric millennials out there might just be wishing for an escape to Capeside to see the beloved, familiar faces of Dawson’s Creek ❤️

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram in April!

I FUDGING ADORED THIS BOOK. I need a sequel ASAP Kate! The chemistry between characters, the story, the creativity, all top notch. I even read the acknowledgments, and the surprises (I won’t ruin it) after. If you’ve ever had a teenage tv drama boyfriend or crush , this one’s for you. It brought me back to my MTV The Hills, Laguna Beach, Gossip Girl, OC days. At first I wasn’t sure about the plot. I really didn’t think I’d like the setting of the book, but as I got into it I found it was about more than just that. It was a true HEA. I will read anything this author comes out with next. Even if it’s a calculus text book… I’d read it. I hope this convinces other readers to pick it up in September 2024.

This was such a feel good sweet romance novel. I truly could see this on the big screen as a movie. It's sort of 13 going on 30 meets... I don't even know! But I loved it. Wishing on a cake and waking up in a fictional land, only to find out things weren't as peachy as they seemed in the show itself, was genius. I loved Luce, and Spencer gave me such modern LA Prince Charming vibes in his stupid doofus way where he clearly couldn't tell that his feelings weren't reciprocated. I loved the way the fictional characters behaved like NPCs sometimes in that most things didn't phase them and they kept on going like normal, and I loved the twist at the end where the town got a little bit less drab, and the reason behind that. I loved that Sloans happy ending wasn't what Brynn originally thought, and I loved the surprise villain twist. It left me achy in that feel good way.

This was my first book by Kate Robb. This book had such Dawson Creek vibes! I was a little underwhelmed in Josh and Brynn’s buildup.

On Brynn’s birthday she blows out a candle and is plopped back into her favorite comfort TV show.

But overall the small down feel was fun and it made for a really cute read!! The pacing was good and I felt like this book would make a great show or movie

I thought this was a very good book! It felt very comfortable! I honestly can’t wait to read it again

Oh, I loved this book. It was such a fun read with a refreshing, unique plot. I liked that they weren't just stuck in another universe; there were other elements to the whole situation as well. The characters were likable and had great banter. My attention was held throughout the book.

As a Dawson's Creek fan I found this really fun as well. I also loved all the little features in the back of the book.

Again, it's just a unique, refreshing read I would definitely recommend as something cute and quick!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Kate Robb for allowing me early access to this novel.

3 ⭐️
3 🌶️

Prime Time Romance is the first book of Katie Robb’s that I have read. This book had a really interesting plot, and I liked that it was different than what is most commonly on the market right now. I started this book and finished it within a matter of 18 hours.

I liked the female main character. She had a lot of spunk and energy about her that wasn’t like the typical female lead that we see in romance novels. I also enjoyed the male main character and liked that he had depth to his personality and backstory versus just being a pretty face.

One of the biggest things that fell a little flat for me in this book were the Easter eggs that gave nods to the television shows that inspired this book. I hadn’t seen any of the shows that the tidbits were pulled from besides Riverdale. On that note, however, I did find myself seeing the characters in this book as the actors who portray similar ones in Riverdale.

I felt like there was a lot of showing and not a lot of telling in this book. Certain elements and information felt spoon-fed for me instead of readers piecing information together as they go. However, this does enhance an experience where you can kind of turn off the deep-thinking part of your brain and just melt into the story.

My favorite quote from this book was: “All of the things I wanted to say are forgotten as I lock eyes with a man I’d cross a hundred dimensions to find.”

The ending of this book was EVERYTHING. It made up for any of the little things that I may not have agreed with and made me so happy. I loved the author’s note and especially loved the little Bake a Wish recipe at the end. I would LOVE to either see or create a playlist for this book, I feel like it would be full of all of the best 2000s songs!

This was my first book of Katie Robb’s but it definitely won’t be my last. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to experience this book in an advanced format.

My review will be published tomorrow on my Instagram page, @graciesbooknook, and again when the book is published in September. I will tag both author and publisher to ensure it can be found.

“I don't want to wait for our lives to be over.
I want to know right now what will it be.”

If you read the above lyric and immediately felt nostalgic for 90’s teen dramas like Dawson’s Creek, then this might be the book for you.

I fell in love with Kate Robb’s debut last year, so I was excited to dive into another speculative romance by her. I’m happy to say that this book did not disappoint.

Brynn has been going through a rough time. Rewatching her favorite teen show, Carson’s Cove, always makes her feel better. One night while watching an episode, she and her roommate, Josh, get a mysterious cupcake that ends up transporting both of them into the show. While there Brynn gets to live her perfect life in Carson’s Cove helping her character get the love of the boy next door that she spent her teen years pining after. Is Carson’s Cove really as perfect as Brynn as always thought, and is Spencer the perfect man? Brynn starts to question everything as she starts falling for Josh.

I’ll admit that this book is a bit out there in plot, and the magical aspects aren’t really explained in a way that makes sense. If you’re able to ignore that and just have a good time, I think you’ll like this book.