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A review by meganpbennett
In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I lucked upon an ARC of In a New York Minute, and I'm glad I did. It's a sweet romance intermixed with some interesting characters and a not quite enough plot.
Franny Doyle is having the worst day: she's just been unexpectedly laid-off, and, to top it off, her dress catches in the subway doors, tearing and exposing her underwear. That's where Hayes comes in: ever the gallant gentleman, he offers her his suit jacket, saying that he has several more in his closet and won't miss this one. It's, of course, Gucci. And, since this is a romance novel (in New York), Franny's worst moment - fired, holding a box with her things, wearing a torn dress - is captured on Instagram and goes viral.
It's a cute story about how Franny tries to make her way in the world, while still running into Hayes, who, despite the disastrous live newscast, is actually a nice guy, just awkward as all get out. There's also a subplot involving finding one's biological family, which come across far too strongly as "the only good family is biological," and not as Franny wanting to know more about her father, whom she never met. It feels like there was a heavy hand with the editing on those sections, because some of them were wonderful and others felt a little forced.
Another thing I wasn't thrilled about was the last few chapters. It felt a lot like the author finished the book, and their editor said, "you what this book needs? An unnecessaryfamily medical emergency and a break up fight! At the same time! And then an out of character grand gesture that feels forced so he gets the girl!" . Far too many books published recently have something similar to that, all shoved into far too short a time to unpack what happens before and during the big finale. I'm not sure where it came from, and I'm not loving it. It takes away from what's going on in the book.
All in all, a good book. I'm glad I picked up the ARC, and I'd recommend it.
Franny Doyle is having the worst day: she's just been unexpectedly laid-off, and, to top it off, her dress catches in the subway doors, tearing and exposing her underwear. That's where Hayes comes in: ever the gallant gentleman, he offers her his suit jacket, saying that he has several more in his closet and won't miss this one. It's, of course, Gucci. And, since this is a romance novel (in New York), Franny's worst moment - fired, holding a box with her things, wearing a torn dress - is captured on Instagram and goes viral.
It's a cute story about how Franny tries to make her way in the world, while still running into Hayes, who, despite the disastrous live newscast, is actually a nice guy, just awkward as all get out. There's also a subplot involving finding one's biological family, which come across far too strongly as "the only good family is biological," and not as Franny wanting to know more about her father, whom she never met. It feels like there was a heavy hand with the editing on those sections, because some of them were wonderful and others felt a little forced.
Another thing I wasn't thrilled about was the last few chapters. It felt a lot like the author finished the book, and their editor said, "you what this book needs? An unnecessary
All in all, a good book. I'm glad I picked up the ARC, and I'd recommend it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Medical content