Book Review: As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr

About the Book:

Title: As Seen on TV

Author: Meredith Schorr

Publication Date: June 7, 2022

Publisher: Forever Pub.

Synopsis: 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?

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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My Review:

Adina is an aspiring journalist from New York City who hears of a developer coming to a small town close by. After pitching an article idea to her boss, Adina heads out to Pleasant Hollow in search of a Hallmark-esque story to write about. However, when Adi gets there, she realizes that things aren’t always as perfect as they seem on TV. Then she meets Finn, who works for the developing company, and Adi’s wonders whether she might have found her own happily-ever-after.

Adi is such a relatable character, and I really enjoyed her stories. Adi is driven and determined to fulfill her dream of being a journalist. She juggles a lot of responsibility and faces real-world issues like raised rent, living in a pricey city, working several jobs to make ends meet, and more. I liked her ambition, though some of her actions and decisions were a bit immature and frustrating at times. She is naïve, but I like that she stands up for herself. Adi also loves Hallmark movies, which is so cute considering she begins to experience her own Hallmark-ish romance. She’s funny and hopeful, and she has some great relationships in her life.

Adi’s relationship with her mother has total Gilmore Girls vibes, which was great. I love this mother-daughter duo. They are so close and staunch supporters of each other. They gain comfort from each other, and their bond is lovely. Finn, Adi’s love interest, is another intriguing character who goes through a lot throughout the story. I liked Finn. He has such admirable and worthy goals, and he sounds almost too good to be true.

The growing romance between Adi and Finn is another part of the story I enjoyed. They have a lot of chemistry, and I like that their road to happily-ever-after has several bumps. Finn has some issues that he needs to work through, and his backstory reveals a lot about his struggles. Their relationship isn’t perfect, but it’s clear Adi and Finn care for each other, and there are parts of their relationship, especially toward the end of the story, that are super sweet and cute.

Overall, I thought this was a charming story. It’s a quick and light read with a cute romance and great relationships. I read it after a particularly heavy book, and it was the sweet, light read that I needed. I think readers who enjoy contemporary romance or rom-coms will probably enjoy the book.

Special thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.