‘In a New York minute, everything can change …
Holly Johnson is at a crossroads in her life. She wants to make it as a real journalist, and she’s dreaming of falling in love.
She’s so close to getting her break at work, and she’s met a very special guy. Well, she hasn’t actually met him … not yet. But everyone knows most relationships start online these days. And she’s on to a winner with this one. Isn’t she?
But something is not quite right with Andy McCoy – and he’s about to learn you don’t mess with Holly Johnson. She decides to fly to New York to find the truth.
Holly is about to get the shock of her life.
What she finds in Manhattan swiftly turns into a nightmare. But maybe – just maybe – if Holly is true to herself, she can turn this nightmare into a dream come true.’ (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon UK.)
Claudia Carroll has become a firm favourite author of mine in recent years, a reliable author who always delivers a book that’s a great story, easy to read and absorbing. Meet Me in Manhattan is right up there with Me & You, a book of Claudia’s I just loved.
There definitely feels like there are two clear segments to this story and this worked so well. Firstly, we join Holly as she’s about to meet an online love interest for the first time in real life: an American pilot, Andy McCoy, single dad and all round good guy, or at least he seems. When their planned encounters don’t exactly go to plan, there becomes reason for Holly to question Andy. Is he hiding something, does he actually want to meet up, or has she just been taken for a fool? This is a woman who is going to get to the bottom of the situation! With nothing tying her to home at Christmas time, and with the potential for a scoop at work (in media research) off she jets to New York, just before Christmas.
Cue part two, and although I loved part one, I so wanted Andy to be genuine as I felt her falling for him, I loved this second part even more. This book is so atmospheric, Christmas time in New York. Idyllic! Well it would be if Holly were visiting for more positive reasons! The descriptions were just fantastic, I was cosy in my bed reading this but felt like I was there, with the snow around me, discovering the hidden gems of New York that Holly gets to know on this trip. (If I’m lucky enough to go again I have to try at least one of these!). The characters Holly meets are great and seemed just what Holly needed at this stage in her life to mix things up a bit. I’d say more but I don’t want to give away any spoilers!
Needless to say, this book had it all; it really is such a lovely Christmas read. I was sad when I finished it. I wanted more; please can there be more? My only niggle was the epilogue, again I don’t want to say what exactly didn’t sit right with me but just an element of it seemed unnecessary to finish the story off, otherwise I’d say this was pretty much a perfect read for me.
With a tagline of ‘a sparkling, feel-good romantic comedy to whisk you away from it all,’ well I couldn’t agree more. Looking forward to Claudia’s next book already.
Thanks to Avon Books for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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1 comment:
Great review. I have a fear of online dating and I am very worried about someone close to me who has fallen for someone online that I feel just isn't all he claims to be.
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