Reviews

Honestly, this was perfect. Anne and Gilbert make me giddy, and I credit them with my continued love of rivals to lovers with a MMC who has actually been pining the whole time. This whole book made me so happy, and I was blushing with the ways that Gilbert just loved Anne so much and everyone knew it the whole time. I could have done with a little more Manhattan, just because I love it, but this was exactly what I was looking for—Anne of Green Gables fanfiction that got just the right amount of sexy.

alexalovesbooks's review

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3.5

I've been meaning to read this one since it first came out in 2021 since I'm a big Anne of Green Gables fan, and I knew friends had read and enjoyed it. And I'm glad that I finally ended up listening to it this month!

It was enchanting to read a modern day romance take of Anne that incorporated details from the classic tale in ways that felt fresh and sensible given the updated time period. I've always enjoyed Anne Shirley's dynamic with Gilbert Blythe and the way that it was portrayed here, while not always my cup of tea, still felt pretty reminiscent of both who they were in the original saga and who they might have become in this alternate world. And given that I just loved the original series so much (and Anne so much), there was a very specific sense of delight that Starler's take brought me... especially since she chose to set it in New York and provide a strong bookish aspect to it.

It's not a perfect book (to me), as there were a handful of elements in the plot and romance that I didn't love and felt were a touch underdeveloped/underutilized. But because of my strong feelings about this character and the classic by LM Montgomery, it's really no surprise that I overall enjoyed this.

abbykruth's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

msdish's review

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1.25

I found this book on clearance right after finishing Anne of the Island. I thought it was serendipitous, so I bought it. After finishing it i honestly wish I hadn’t.

Im all for an AU storyline, but I don’t get the sense the author truly understands the characters she’s writing about, or that we even read the same books. Anne Shirley is not in Anne of Manhattan, and neither is Gilbert Blythe. It has a few cute moments, but they lack in depth, the writing felt lazy and the plot had no real substance. At best it was a series of scenarios. The plot went from weak to awful in the last 40 pages.

Frankly, I don’t know who this book is for. If you genuinely like the Anne of Green Gables books, you will not enjoy Anne of Manhattan. If you’ve only watched Anne with an E on Netflix, maybe you’ll find some enjoyment in the read. However, my advice is to avoid it. Just read Anne of the Island instead.

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