Review: In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer

Title: In a New York Minute
Author: Kate Spencer
Genre: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary
Publication Date: March 15, 2022
Review Date: January 5, 2026
Number of Pages: 337 (hardcover)
My Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Blurb of In a New York Minute:

A clever, tender, and romantic novel for readers of Christina Lauren, Jasmine Guillory, 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?

Book Review of In a New York Minute:

Cute binge read chick lit with a lot of heart and depth.

I love books that feature places so prominently. Y’know, when the place feels like a character unto itself, playing a part in advancing the story, adding detail, background and depth. I feel that way about a city I’ve spent almost half my life in, much like Franny, so I totally get how she feels about New York.

Hayes is a successful, good-looking man, and that would be enough to put him in the cliched “perfect man” that features so often in chick lit. But he’s also awkward and uncomfortable and sometimes doesn’t know what to say. He’s real. A fictional trope, yes, but still real enough. And that makes a difference to the story as a whole.

Franny is adorable. She’s strong, but has moments of despondency like everyone else. As chick lit usually goes, there are moments of epiphany and our leading lady not knowing how great she is, but it deviates from the usual genre format and the book is better for it.

The secondary characters are pretty good too, and Cleo and Lola have a great, supportive friendship with Franny. That’s what friends are supposed to be like, and I love that they’re there for each other, in good times and bad.

That’s pretty much all I have to say about this quick, fun read, which I have come to realize is a good thing for chick lit. After all, us chick lit readers, we read these books for a reason. We know all the tropes already, what matters is how you weave a story out of those tropes! In a New York Minute does it well.