Book Review: To Get to the Other Side

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for an advance copy of To Get to the Other Side by Kelly Ohlert. 

Trixie isn’t exactly sure what she was thinking when she stopped her car in the middle of downtown Chicago, scooped up a chicken struggling to cross the road, and drove off… but she does know that she has to find a new home for herself and her new feathered friend. The landlord at her apartment doesn’t allow pets and has caught Trixie in one too many pet-smuggling attempts in the past.
 
Bear likes his quiet life with his close-knit family, who own a flower business, but he’s in for a rude awakening when his meddlesome sisters post an ad to rent the spare room in his simple home, without asking his permission. Still, when Trixie responds to the ad, he agrees to let her move in, despite immediate worries about keeping things platonic.
 
Determined to keep her new room, befriend Bear, and give her rescue chicken the care she deserves, Trixie fights to keep her walls up and resist her romantic feelings for Bear. However, it’s not long before the pair’s proximity and chicken parenting ignite flames that have Trixie and Bear testing the boundaries of their platonic ground rules. They have to figure out how to save a family business, pay for mounting vet bills, and navigate their own emotional baggage if they want to find the love that they all deserve.

This is the debut book by Kelly Ohlert and it was a fun, quick romance novel.  I really enjoyed the different character chapters.  My favorite romance style is when I get to read both characters points of views and To Get to the Other Side does that. 

Trixie and Bear are both enjoyable characters.  They have their own personal issues they have to overcome, and both do by the end of the story.  However, Trixie takes a long time to grow throughout the book and I thought her indecision and lack of letting her emotions show made her not as a enjoyable as I would have liked.  Trixie is quirky with funny phrases while Bear is more reserved.  But these opposites have some chemistry.  I felt the chemistry more in the beginning of the book and at the end.  But the middle was both trying to not to succumb to their feelings. 

The supporting characters in this book were very fun.  A chicken, Chick Chick helps bring the two together and I found myself rooting for her.   Bear’s family although over bearing (pun intended) were distinct in their characters and the book funny. 

Overall, To Get to the Other Side was a funny quick book.  It was not my favorite book of the year but I would recommend it to a friend that was looking for a quick read.  I do think I would like Trixie to be a little more likable.  Although she has her distinct personality I felt she needed to show her emotions sooner in the book so you could see the real chemistry between her and Bear. 

Have you read To Get to the Other Side?  Preorder your copy for a December 6, 2022 publication today.