ARC Review: ‘Prime Time Romance’ by Kate Robb
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Prime Time Romance
by Kate RobbPublished by The Dial Press on September 3, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 321
Source: Netgalley, the publisher
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Is love on the small screen better than the real thing?
A young divorcée finds herself in the ideal world of her favorite 2000s teen soap in this “gleefully nostalgic and completely fresh”* romance from the author of This Spells Love.
*Jessica Joyce, bestselling author of You, with a View
Newly divorced on the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Brynn is sick of heartbreak. She thought she had found her happy ending, but now she’s living with a roommate, Josh, to afford her mortgage, and she’s trying to adjust to her new single life. At least she’s got Carson’s Cove to binge, her beloved 2000s teenage soap. The show ended unexpectantly on a cliffhanger after five seasons, and the two main characters, Sloan and Spencer, never got to declare their love for each other. The show is still perfect in Brynn’s eyes; despite all the drama that goes down, things always have a way of working out in Carson’s Cove . . . unlike her own life.
So when a birthday cake surprisingly shows up on her and Josh’s doorstep, Brynn makes a wish for the one thing she’s always wanted (but has failed to achieve herself): a happily-ever-after.
The next morning, she doesn’t wake up in her apartment. She’s in Carson’s Cove . . . and Josh is there too. Everyone seems to know them, except they’re not Brynn and Josh; they’re Sloan, the sweetheart of Carson’s Cove, and Fletch, the town’s bad boy. And to get home, they have to make Brynn’s wish come true by ensuring Sloan and Spencer, the hometown heartthrob, end up together at last. But as they spend more time together, Brynn and Josh realize that Carson’s Cove might not be as perfect as seen on television . . . especially when they start developing feelings for each other in a plot twist no one has expected. Will they stick to the script, or will real love change the story forever?
After reading Prime Time Romance, I definitely need to rewatch my favorite teen drama, Dawson’s Creek. This book gave me all the nostalgia for that show and other teen dramas I watched as a teenager and even in my twenties. It even has some easter eggs, not only from Dawson’s Creek but also from other teen dramas from the 90s/00s.
Imagine your favorite TV show ending on a cliffhanger and the TV network deciding to cancel it, where you are left unsatisfied with no HEA for your favorite TV characters. (Looking at your Netflix since you love canceling shows.) But what if you are given a chance to live your life as your favorite character from that TV show, giving them a chance at the HEA they never got, plus finding yours, too? This is what happened to the FMC, Brynn, when she had a birthday cake show up at her door, and she got to make a wish. Not only is she thrown into the world of her favorite show, but her roommate, Josh, is there with her, too, living as the bad boy character. The issue is that the only way for them to leave is to give the main characters from that show the HEA they never got, but what if Brynn ends up having feelings for Josh, her roommate, while she’s there in the TV show world? She wants to have her own HEA, too, but unfortunately, she has to remember she’s there for the TV show’s main characters and not herself.
I enjoyed this book and found myself smiling, while reading it due to how it reminded me of everything about the 90s/00s teen dramas I used to watch when I was in my teens and early twenties. You know the emotional rollercoaster the writers used to put us through with those shows, especially Dawson’s Creek. Who was the girl going to end up with, and why were you always rooting for the bad boy to be with her? At least, that is what it is for me. I wanted Brynn to find her HEA with Josh, even though she was supposed to find her HEA with the main character of the TV show. Josh wasn’t a bad guy, either. He was such a sweet guy and reminded me of Pacey from Dawson’s Creek.
This was an adorable book that brought all the feels. It’s a slow-burn romance, so it does take a bit for the main characters, Brynn and Josh, to realize they are falling for one another, but once it happens, you’ll be rooting for their HEA.
I give this book four stars and look forward to reading more from Kate Robb. Yes, this was my first book from Kate Robb, and it definitely won’t be my last.
If you grew up watching all the TV teen dramas back in the 90s/00s, then you definitely should read this book. It may very well make you want to rewatch those shows. Thanks to this book, I know I’m going to rewatch Dawson’s Creek for the millionth time.
What to Expect:
🩷Small Town Romance
🩷Forced Proximity
🩷Roommates to Lovers
🩷90s/00s Nostalgia
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About Kate Robb
Kate Robb dated a lot of duds (and a few gems) in her twenties , all providing excellent fodder for weird and wonderful romantic comedies. She lives just outside of Toronto, Canada, where she spends her free time pretending she's not a hockey mom while whispering "hustle" under her breath from the stands, a pinot grigio concealed in her YETI mug. She hates owls, the word "whilst," and wearing shorts and aspires to one day be able to wear four-inch heels again.
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