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Prime Time Romance: A Novel (Dial Delights) Kindle Edition

by Kate Robb (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.8 436 ratings

Part of: Dial Delights (16 books)

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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?

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This Spells Love: A Novel (Dial Delights)
Kate Robb

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From the Publisher

“Fun and full of swoony moments, I had no choice but to devour it in one sitting,”- Jessica Joyce

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Review

“With Prime Time Romance, Kate Robb whips up a magical story that feels both gleefully nostalgic and completely fresh. Anyone who’s ever spent hours watching their favorite TV couple’s best moments on a loop (spoiler alert: it’s all of us) will be all-in on Brynn and Josh’s love story—it’s fun and witty and full of such swoony moments, I had no choice but to devour it in one sitting.”—Jessica Joyce, bestselling author of You, With a View

“Prime Time Romance is an absolute delight from start to finish. Robb delivers all the atmosphere and charm of a small-town Hallmark romance but with a sexy, magical twist. Any reader who has ever rooted for the bad boy to get the girl, or for the girl to get her long-deserved happily-ever-after will fall for this completely original and binge-worthy book.”—Melissa Wiesner, author of The Second Chance Year

“Sparkling with charm, Prime Time Romance cleverly scratches a nostalgic itch. Romance readers will swoon! And anyone who grew up on small-screen tropes will love the dose of reality used to subvert them. This is a magical delight from start to finish!”—Holly James, author of The Déjà Glitch

“Robb writes the hell out of a romcom. I enjoyed every second of this fast-paced, magical, and electric novel.”—Hannah Bonam-Young, author of Out on a Limb

“Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb follows a middle-aged woman who embarks on a quest for love and self-discovery through the world of online dating, confronting societal expectations and her own insecurities along the way. . . . Ideal for fans of The Bachelor and modern-day relationship plots.”—New York Post, “10 best books we read in September 2024”

About the Author

Kate Robb is the author of This Spells Love. She dated a lot of duds in her twenties (amongst a few gems) all providing excellent fodder to write weird and wild 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 bleachers, 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.

1

BRYNN

My date has cilantro stuck to his tooth.

A bright-green leaf is clinging precariously to his left central incisor, and I have been trying, rather unsuccessfully, to give him a discreet you’ve got a little something, but so far, all I’ve managed to do is draw several weird looks from our waitress.

His name is Ford LeClair. He’s a hedge fund manager at a rather large Canadian bank here in Toronto. I swiped right because he said he loved labradoodles, a good cup of coffee, and summer nights on the dock of his parents’ cottage on Lake Rosseau.

His profile had promise.

The man, however, has spent the last forty-three minutes having a one-sided conversation about cryptocurrency, his predictions for next week’s UFC fight, and his recent boys’ trip to Las Vegas.

“Have you been? It’s f***ing epic!”

It takes me a minute to realize he’s finally asked me a question.

“Yes.” My cheeks flood with heat. “I’ve been there once before.”

I don’t elaborate.

Thankfully, Ford does not ask any follow-up questions. Even if he did, I’m not sure how I’d manage to navigate around my reason for traveling to the wedding capital of the world.

Something happens to my dates when I toss into a casual conversation that I’m a twenty-nine-year-old divorcée. It’s like they assign a “level failed” to my dating scorecard. Seeing as I don’t anticipate us even moving this relationship to the dessert course, I don’t see a reason to bring it up.

“So . . .” I change the subject, taking the pause in Ford’s side of the conversation to sneak in a few of my own questions. “Your profile said you’d love to settle in a small town one day. Is there any town in particular?”

This is my remaining olive branch. One last attempt to connect the man and the profile. However, if I’m to be perfectly honest, the majority of my hope that anything would come of this ill-fated match dissolved the moment the hostess walked me to our table, where Ford ignored my outstretched palm in favor of an obvious once-over and then proceeded to tell me, “You look different from your pictures.”

In hindsight, I should have turned right around and pretended it was all some big mix-up, or told him the hostess had accidentally brought me over to the wrong table. But I had made such an effort: new lipstick, my Victoria’s Secret push-up bra, and my sale-rack Nordstrom stilettos that make my legs look longer but also cut the backs of my heels because they’re a half size too small. So I ignored the alarm bells screaming, Run, Brynn. Save yourself, pasted on my best I am totally into you smile, and hoped my instincts were wrong.

Fifty-six minutes later, I strongly suspect that they were not wrong.

Ford leans forward, wafting a wave of expensive-smelling cologne in my direction.

“I’m going to be straight up with you. I put that small-town shit in my profile because I know women want to hear it.”

His honesty is actually refreshing.

“Oh, okay. I guess I didn’t . . .”

“Breanne—” he interrupts.

“It’s Brynn.”

He ignores me and instead takes a long draw of his locally crafted IPA.

“We both know what is happening here.”

I have an inkling, but I want to see where he takes it.

He flicks a glance at his Rolex-esque watch, then inclines his head toward the entrance to the restaurant.

“If you wanna do this, we should probably get going.”

I’m not naïve.

It’s quite clear that “this” means sex. Sadly, Ford is not the first overconfident Bumble date this year to cut to the chase, although he lacks the je ne sais quoi that typically accompanies this delicate dance. And even though I’ve never been one to ask for what I want in the bedroom, I have no problem telling Ford I have no intention of stepping into his tonight.

“You know what? I’m really tired, I think I’m going to head home.” I fake a yawn.

Ford raises his eyebrows as if this fact surprises him. “Not even up for a blowie?”

I should probably be disgusted or, at a bare minimum, annoyed. But my poor little heart has been battered enough that it has formed a protective coating. A thick crust that protects it and keeps my tone even and breezy as I tell him, “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”

Ford stares into his empty beer glass. “I figured I’d shoot my shot. It was pretty obvious this wasn’t going anywhere. But a lot of the women I meet on Bumble want a decent bang out of the deal. And I’m more than decent.” He winks as if this little tidbit may sway me. When I don’t respond, he shrugs and turns his attention to the waitress, who hands him our bill, giving him much more of her attention than I have all evening.

As much as I hate to admit it, Ford is right. Before we even sat down, I suspected that we were a far cry from soulmates. Although he is my type, tall and classically handsome with the deep ocean shade of blue eyes that you could get lost in, he falls short in the most important attributes I look for in a partner: sensitivity, kindness, and actual interest in what I have to say.

I’m not upset we’re calling this date early. I’d much rather be home, engulfed in my fuzzy blue Snuggly, comfort-binging the final season of Carson’s Cove and watching the drama go down instead of . . . well . . . going down on Ford. Therefore, with feigned reluctance, I thrust my Visa onto the table with a “Thanks for this. I had a really nice time.”

Ford, however, waves me and my card off, his eyes never leaving the ample crack of the cleavage of our very blond waitress. I watch as he pulls a pen from his suit pocket, writes something down on the back of one of his business cards, then slips both it and his Amex out of his wallet into the black leather folder holding our bill.

The waitress opens it, giggles at whatever he has written, then leans in close to whisper something in his ear.

It’s like I’m watching the beginning of a low-budget porno, and I don’t know if I should be offended or amused.

The waitress leaves. Exactly three Mississippis later, Ford stands, extending his fist with a non-committal “So, I guess I’ll see you around then?”

I bump him back, knowing full well that this will be the last I see of Ford LeClair.

I intentionally linger for a few moments in our booth, not wanting to completely contradict my previous thought and create an awkward scenario outside where Ford and I have to make polite conversation as we wait for our respective Ubers. When I’m satisfied that he’s well on his way, I swipe open my phone screen and find the red notification bubble on my text app showing eight unread messages.

All of them are from my mother.

Mom: Thirty years ago, I was in labor, about to have the happiest day of my life

Mom: We didn’t have the good drugs like you kids have today

Mom: You were warm and cozy in your mama’s womb. Didn’t want to come out. Needed to do things in your own time.

Mom: Even back then, you were your own woman

Mom: When you finally came, I stared at your pink face for hours. I never loved something so much in my whole entire life.

Mom: Happy last day of being 29. Hope 30 is wonderful.

Mom: I love you xoxoxoxoxox

Mom: You should go out and celebrate! Call up those new girlfriends you told me about and go dancing. You may meet someone. You can’t start the next episode of your life if you keep rewatching the old one.

The last message hits like a sneaky left hook. I’ve yet to tell my mother that I’ve gotten back on the proverbial dating horse. Partially because I don’t want to answer a hundred personal questions about my dates, but mostly because—with Ford as a case in point—it’s not going like I hoped it would.

It’s weird to be dating again. Like reading a book where you’ve already snuck a peek at the last chapter and you know the ending isn’t the happily ever after you were always promised. But I will acknowledge that my mother is right in that it’s next to impossible to meet a perfect man while bundled up like a burrito in front of my television screen, so unless Uber Eats starts delivering dream dates, I’m once again swimming in this very shallow dating pool.

My thumb skims across the screen, typing back a polite Love you, Mom. As I hit send, a new text pops up on my screen from the “Brunch Bitches” group chat.

The “Brunch Bitches” are a group of Toronto girls who, as the name hints, have a regular standing brunch date every Saturday or Sunday at various “it spots” deemed brunch-worthy by Toronto Life magazine. I was added to their group chat about six months ago when I met their ringleader, Lainey Evens, at an advertising agency industry mixer at Tequila Bob’s. She spilled a margarita down my back and insisted on getting my number to cover the dry-cleaning cost. She never did pay me, but she did christen me a “Brunch Bitch” and started texting me on the regular.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CT4YW8J8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Dial Press (September 3, 2024)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 3, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 6.6 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0593596552

Best Sellers Rank: #126,054 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #877 in Women's Divorce Fiction
- #2,039 in Women's Friendship Fiction
- #3,217 in Contemporary Women's Fiction

Customer Reviews:
3.8 436 ratings

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Kate Robb

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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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Jillian
Read This Instead of Watching that Re-Run
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2024
Verified Purchase

Oh all the rom-com-teenage-dramedy feels mixed up for 30+ year olds. Very sweet journey back to the souls of DC, OTH, and more. This story shines a light that not everything was picture perfect on our CW dramas, but instead you need to fight for what is right for you - and your heart.

Super sweet story of finding yourself - and picking your dream - even if it’s not what you originally had in mind.

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Jowhyn
Healing Romance!
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
Absolutely love this story. Brynn and Josh’s adventure is a beautiful story on looking to the future instead of looking back. The writing is engaging and I had a hard time putting it down to do real life. Absolutely would recommend to anyone who loves romance but also to those who have lost so deeply and need to find a way to live again. I received this as an advanced e-reader copy and then purchased it as soon as it was available!

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Heather Adores Books
3⭐
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2024
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ small town, a TV show within a book, magical realism, HS drama adult edition, roommates to lovers, minimal steamage

Brynn/Sloan (29) & Josh/Fletch are roommates, but not really friends per say. When she makes a birthday wish one night they both wake up the next day inside her favorite TV show of all time Carson’s Cove. It is similar to most teen drama shows from the 2000's. Ah, the good old days of good shows to watch without a DVR. And I probably would have watched this show back in the day. My daughter has been watching the oldies and it's fun to peek in while she's watching for some nostalgia.

The characters having a book name and TV show name took a hot minute to realize who’s who. I didn't really feel the chemistry with them. Perhaps since they really weren't friends and just roommates. I did like him. Her, eh, I could take or leave her.

I did enjoy it for the most part. I just hated how hung up Brynn was on how she expected everything to be, which had her making dumb decisions. Overall, weirdly entertaining at times.

Love the cover.

Narration notes:
She was fine. He was fine with his normal voice, but awful with all others, even men. And wow his voice for the lady at the bar made her seem like she smokes 16 packs of cigs a day.

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Kathryn Card
Dawson's Creek meets magical realism!
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2025
This book gave me all the 2000s teen drama TV shows nostalgic feels! I love the story line of Brynn and Josh and how they are transported into Brynn's favorite TV show 15 year after the cliffhanger season finale in order to finish the story! I especially love that both characters took on the roles of already established characters in the TV show in order to integrate into Carson's Cove.

This book definitely gave me all the feels, magical realism, and the spice that I was hoping for from Kate Robb! The story really has an underlying message of valuing what is right in front of you. While I did really enjoy this book I did feel like many points of the story were very predictable making the book drag a little for me.

I listen to the audiobook and did enjoy that we got both Josh and Brynn's POVS with different narration.

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tammywho
Cute and fun
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2025
Kate Robb has written a fun, relatable novel in Prime Time Romance. The story is well written and the plot is a twist on an old classic.

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Katie O'Sullivan
Fun, fast read
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
If you ever indulged in 90s teen dramas, this book is like a slice of chocolate cake to be savored. Fun, fast paced, flirty dialogue and magical plotlines keep the pages turning. Enjoyed every minute of this 5-star read. Totally recommend.

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Jadelyn
Great!
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2025
”You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep rewatching the old one”

OMG this was so good! This was a wonderful romance but also coming of age/moving on book. This was the ultimate genre bending novella, with a sweet romance, coming of age, magical realism.

Brynn (MFC) is divorced young women who is a secret hopeless romantic. Thrown into a TV show (magical) she has to navigate the not so perfect world of film she once dreamed of. This was short and sweet. I loved the references to shows that made my teenage years!

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Meredith
Love the concept!
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2024
3 stars! ⭐️

Prime Time Romance centers around newly divorced, Brynn, and her sexy bartender roommate, Josh. On the night of her birthday, she is home with Josh when someone comes to the door with a birthday cake 🎂. She wishes for something, and next thing she knows... they wake up in her favorite show, Carson's Cove. They can only get home if they fulfill the wish Brynn made that night, so tensions are high!

The concept of this book is an absolute ✨attention-grabber✨ and also what makes this novel so fun! The beginning really hooked me, but it did kind of drag on during the middle. I did thoroughly enjoy getting to know the characters in the show, specifically Luce–she is probably the least cringe of them all. The other characters are so archetypal that they are hard to humanize and see as real people, which adds to the silliness, but lacks depth.

As for the romance, I was rooting for Brynn and Josh from the beginning, but it was very insta-lovey, which I had a hard time with. One moment they were just roommates who ended up in this odd situation together, and the next they were falling in love. I found this not only hard to believe, but also way too fast to allow the reader to form a connection to them. They enter this alternate universe almost immediately, so we barely get any character introduction or development in the real world. I think it needed more of that! The spicy scenes would have been a lot more successful had they created a more solid foundation for Brynn and Josh to grow from. Another small thing that I struggled with was the main characters being referred to as Sloan/Fletch and also as Brynn/Josh. It just didn't make sense sometimes in my opinion.

Overall, this book was a fun, quick read that I would recommend to readers who enjoy a bit of a magical twist in their romances or someone who has a similar affinity to soapy romcoms! 💘

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Top reviews from other countries

Abi Davis-Fletcher
For everyone who knew Joey shouldn’t be with Dawson
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2025
Verified Purchase

Prime Time Romance plays homage to classic small town, teenage dramas. It is nostalgic and cosy, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Though it celebrates how much we all love(d) these shows, it also points out their flaws and proves that the idealised version of small town life is not realistic or something to strive for. For anyone who knew that Joey shouldn’t end up with Dawson, Prime Time Romance is for you.

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David Crow
A sweet escape
Reviewed in Australia on November 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
Loved this cute story! For a girl who adored Dawson’s Creek and loves a good dose of magical realism, this was the perfect blend. Falling into Carson’s Cove was fun. The town and the characters, all suitably a little unreal, were such a great setting for a unique concept for a book.

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Ms. Theresa M. Derwin
All that Glitters
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2025
Verified Purchase
Prime Time Romance
Kate Robb
Publisher: The Dial Press New York (Penguin, Random House Imprint)
Release date: 3rd Sept 2024

It’s been two years since her split with Matt, but Brynn is finally dating again, even though, as she puts it, the dating pool is ‘pretty shallow’. Take her latest date Ford, for example. Definitely a hard pass.
She may have got the large screen TV when she and her ex divorced, but he got all the friends. Thanks to an expected spilled drink though, she did meet Lainey who added her to a brunch chat group and the women get together weekly to set the world to rights.
The night before her thirtieth birthday, she ends up at a random party hosted by Lainey, though she’d rather be at home watching her favourite show, Carson’s Cove. “Carson’s Cove is comfort food in television form.”
They convince her to get them into ‘The Devil’s Playground’ a hot nightspot where Josh Bishop, her roommate, bar tends. She’s fed up very quickly and when Josh finds out she plans to walk home he leaves work to walk her home.
She introduces him to her show, and as her birthday hits, the door rings and it’s a vaguely familiar guy carrying a cake from “Bake a Wish.”
Like that old flick “Peggy Sue Got Married”, Brynn and Josh awake the next day to find themselves literally stuck in the fictional town of Carson’s Cove, where everything is perfect and the only swear words they can use are “fudge” and “frick”.
Well, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, they’re not in Kansas anymore.
With Josh ‘playing’ Fletch the charming barman, it triggers memories and grief in him for the dad he lost and his dad’s bar he couldn’t keep afloat during the pandemic. And whilst Brynn (Sloan stand-in) is desperate to get Sloan and Spencer the happy ending ‘they deserve’ she finds herself dealing with unresolved feelings of her own.
Amidst all of the ‘OMG I’m in TV world’ style therapy, Brynn faces the challenge of the Ms. Lobsterfest pageant, an extreme makeover courtesy of BFF Poppy, and the sinking realisation that perhaps all is not greener on the other side. The shiny veneer of the Cove has lost its radiance and characters like Poppy in particular, are much different with seen through her thirty years old point of view.
Buffy fans will recognise some cute pop culture references to that show in here, especially in relation to the bar. There’s a guy called Danny Strong having his first pint and a busker named Seth and later his band and lots more beside. However, the hi-light is Brynn’s ‘date’ with Spencer about midway through the book. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but suffice to say I snorted my way through that part.
Robb sprinkles in lots more teen TV references including Poppy’s boyfriend ‘Chad Michaels’; most will get that it’s Chad Michael Murray an old favourite from The O.C. and Hallmark Christmas movies.
As with all well constructed romances, there are choices to be made, revelations, laughter, romantic gestures and poignant scenes.
However, as we read, we get the sense of urgency with Brynn and Josh; will they get home or will they be trapped in Carson’s Cove forever?
Suffice to say, you do get your HEA, but you get emotional growth too. And a nice amount of spice as a bonus.
I adored this book and actually would like to see more of Luce, Sherry and Sheldon in the real world.
A wonderful, funny, and hopeful rom com.

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booklover
A Must For Fans of Teen Dramas Like Dawson's Creek
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2024
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When this book first started making the rounds on Instagram, I was intrigued. The front cover, specifically the couple on the deck, reminded me of Dawson's Creek, a programme I loved. And it wasn't just any couple it reminded me of. It was my favourite ship on the programme, Joey and Pacey. Then, when I read the blurb, I knew I had to read the book. Not only is Carson's Cove a direct homage to DC, but the love triangle that is the basis of this novel is the set up of the whole of series 3 and 4 of the show.

When you read a book that has a dedication to Joshua Jackson, you know it's going to be great. When you read the list of Easter Eggs at the end and the author explains that there might be more she's forgotten about, you realise how amazing it is going to be.

This book isn't just a magical realism romance that fluctuates between Brynn and Josh's point of view. It's a love letter to teen dramas of my youth, not just Dawson's Creek but also Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The OC. There are so many “in jokes” that had me giggling and smiling like a loon.

Not only that, the novel is clever and romantic. And it also delves into how we might romanticise fictional stories on television, but when it comes to really living that story, and trying to make it our own, we realise how stuck some of those programmes were in a mould that they never broke out of due to the restrictions of their genre.

I'm excited to read more from Robb, especially her debut novel, This Spells Love. This is a must for any Dawson's Creek fans out there who have grown up and love to read magical realism romances.

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Katarina
Fun
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 19, 2025
Verified Purchase
Really fun and enjoyable

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Prime Time Romance: A Novel (Dial Delights) Kindle Edition

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4.0 out of 5 stars For everyone who knew Joey shouldn’t be with Dawson

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet escape

5.0 out of 5 stars All that Glitters

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must For Fans of Teen Dramas Like Dawson's Creek

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun

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For everyone who knew Joey shouldn’t be with Dawson

A sweet escape

All that Glitters

A Must For Fans of Teen Dramas Like Dawson's Creek

Fun