As Seen on TV
Author: Meredith Schorr
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Adina grew up and lives in NYC. She and her mom moved there from a small town after her dad died when she was 3. Adina finds herself disenchanted with the big city, romanticizing small town USA after watching too many Hallmark movies and episodes of Gilmore Girls. As an aspiring lifestyle journalist who cannot catch a break, she pitches a piece about a big time developer buying property in small-town Pleasant Hollow, just outside NYC.
As Seen on TV is a delightful small-town romance that follows its own path. When Adina arrives in Pleasant Hollow, she is shocked at the fact that it’s nothing like she expects. The locals are indifferent and even supportive of the new development. Additionally, she can’t believe that the locals aren’t welcoming her with open arms and trying to charm her into staying. I loved watching Adina struggle to find her way as all of her preconceived notions of where the grass is greener crumble before her eyes. It’s hilarious how she attempts to adjust by trying to make the town fit her story. We witness how Adina’s own life parallels each iteration of her story plans. It isn’t until she stops trying to force her own take on the town and listens to the citizens that she finally gets her story and hears what her own heart wants and needs.
I really appreciate that the author doesn’t fall back on over-used plot twists to create unnecessary conflict. The fact that there is so little conflict with the town and developer when Adina expects it actually is fun and entertaining. And then there is Finn, her small-town love interest. He is charming and handsome, and his only flaw… He is actually from NYC himself. It’s clear that they click from the start, but those darned preconceived ideals prevent them from thinking longterm. How they eventually get to their HEA is sweet, and worthy of a Hallmark movie.
In the end, I adored As Seen on TV. It’s the non-Hallmark, small-town romance that still manages to be a Hallmark story, teaching us that it’s good to open your heart to all possibilities and don’t judge a book by its cover.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Jen
About the Book:
Emerging journalist Adina Gellar is done with dating in New York City. If she’s learned anything from made-for-TV romance movies, it’s that she’ll find love in a small town – the kind with harvest festivals, delightful but quirky characters, and scores of delectable single dudes. So when a big-city real estate magnate targets tiny Pleasant Hollow for development, Adi knows she’s found the perfect story – one that will earn her a position at a coveted online magazine, so she can finally start adulting for real…and maybe even find her dream man in the process.
Only Pleasant Hollow isn’t exactly “pleasant.” There’s no charming bakery, no quaint seasonal festivals, and the residents are more ambivalent than welcoming. The only upside is Finn Adams, who’s more mouthwatering than the homemade cherry pie Adi can’t seem to find – even if he does work for the company she’d hoped to bring down. Suddenly Adi has to wonder if maybe TV got it all wrong after all. But will following her heart mean losing her chance to break into the big time?
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Publisher: Forever Publishing
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (352 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher/ NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)