ARC Review: In a New York Minute

Posted April 13, 2022 / Book Reviews / 0 Comments

I received this book for free (hey, thanks!) in exchange for an honest review. I promise that this does NOT affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. For real.

ARC Review: In a New York MinuteIn a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
Genres: Adult, Contemporary
Published by Hachette on March 15, 2022
Also by this author: One Last Summer
Format: eARC (320 pages) • Source: Publisher
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four-half-stars

A clever, tender, and romantic "Nora Ephron romp for the modern ages" (Christina Lauren) for readers of Jasmine Guillory, Abby Jimenez, and Sophie Cousens, this laugh-out-loud debut is a perceptive reminder that fate can have a sense of humor, and that love can happen . . . In a New York Minute.

Franny Doyle is having the worst day. She’s been laid off from her (admittedly mediocre) job, the subway doors ripped her favorite silk dress to ruins, and now she’s flashed her unmentionables to half of lower Manhattan. On the plus side, a dashing stranger came to her rescue with his (Gucci!) suit jacket. On the not-so-plus side, he can’t get away from her fast enough.

Worse yet? Someone posted their (entirely not) meet-cute online. Suddenly Franny and her knight-in-couture, Hayes Montgomery III, are the newest social media sensation, and all of New York is shipping #SubwayQTs.

Only Franny and Hayes couldn’t be a more disastrous match. She’s fanciful, talkative, and creative. He’s serious, shy, and all about numbers. Luckily, in a city of eight million people, they never have to meet again. Yet somehow, Hayes and Franny keep running into each other—and much to their surprise, they enjoy each other’s company. A lot. But when Franny’s whole world is turned upside down (again!), can she find the courage to trust in herself and finally have the life—and love—she’s always wanted?

This was definitely on my radar as a top anticipated read for 2022. I tend to love the rom-coms from Forever Romance and was hoping Kate Spencer would be added to my auto-buy list. Spoiler alert: definitely has been!

This story centers around a meet cute that goes viral. Franny is having a terrible day – she gets laid off from her job and then her dress rips in the subway door, exposing her butt to the world. Luckily a kind stranger (Hayes) shares his fancy suit jacket with her so she can get home. They start trending as #SubwayQTs and inevitably meet up again in real life to appease the masses.

I like that this was an “opposites attract” romance. They were both drawn to each other for different reasons and complemented each other well, despite being so different. Franny is loud and confident while Hayes is a bit awkward and professional. On paper, they don’t make a ton of sense. I also love that New York City was like a third main character in this story, as it often is! I live close enough to NYC where I could go there every weekend if I wanted, but I don’t like the place in real life – just enjoy reading about it in books. This was another book that made me feel that New York magic. I loved that Franny and Hayes were both passionate about the city but had very different experiences there. They were able to share their favorites and admonish the other person for not having experienced very specific restaurants or touristy places. Their banter was absolutely top notch.

The other side characters (Franny’s friends Cleo and Lola as well as Hayes’s friends/cousin Eleanor and Perrine) were equally wonderful. Everyone was very fleshed out and supportive of our MCs whenever they needed it. I loved reading these friendship feels.

Franny was hitting a rough patch with work and was also exploring some family dynamics that she never had before. There were lots of sweet conversations with her friends or Hayes where everyone supported her needs and provided guidance as needed. There was just so much support in this story and I was really here for it. I loved watching Hayes open up and better balance work with his personal life, and come to terms with why his marriage ended before. Like I said: lots going on!

Unlike many books I’ve read lately, I was always in the mood to read this. I got halfway through over a few reading sessions and then blazed through the second half in one night. I couldn’t put it down. The black moment generally made sense but dragged on a little longer than I would usually prefer (especially because the romance was the longest slow burn of all time), but it was all worth it in the end.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. I adored nearly every New York minute of it.

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