Franny was not having a good morning. After being laid off at her job, this generally fun and free interior designer found herself cramped on the subway, box full of her personal items from her office, thinking she'd just been through the worst. But then her dress rips in the subway car door. Flashing the whole of NYC's subway system should have ended in complete disaster for Franny. But then Hayes comes to her rescue, offering his jacket, and suddenly these two complete strangers find themselves plastered all over social media as the #SubwayQTs. But Hayes - the stern, analytical finance and investment guy - believes he has nothing in common with someone like Franny. But then circumstances keep throwing them together. And then their casual conversations get a bit more personal. Drawn together against all logic, Franny and Hayes realize that sometimes your lives change in the blink of an eye and what starts as a hashtag online can end up being so much more.
I should probably feel bad for how many times I laughed at Franny's misfortune at the beginning of this book. But Spencer created such a fantastic plot and atmosphere; even at her worst moments, I could still feel Franny's perseverance even when things seemed at their worst. I know I would be mortified if I had the same subway experience as Franny, and while she didn't just brush it off like it was no big deal (who would? Or even could?) I loved how Spencer's character handled every little obstacle that was thrown her way. Franny is far from perfect, but I loved how that translated into very real reactions to everything. Do we shut down and often self-sabotage when our lives are turned upside down? Do we feel guilty when we feel like we've bad kids, even as adults? Of course we do, and I loved seeing that realness of being an adult depicted so perfectly in a fictional character. Franny could easily be me or any one of my friends, all of us still trying to figure out life in our thirties.
I initially thought Hayes might be too stiff for me to like as a character. He saw Franny when her world was falling apart, and his only reaction was to silently hand her his jacket after it became clear she had no other options. I thought there was no way they could conceivably and believably end up together. But Spencer truly worked some magic with Hayes, gradually turning opening him up and transforming him from a cold, stoic man into the softer, lovable guy that both Franny and readers can fall for. Their meet cute was memorable, but I will definitely be remembering their journey through the ups and downs together just as much.
I actually switched back and forth between the eARC and the audiobook of In a New York Minute. I'm so glad I gave the audiobook a listen; we do get dual narrators, and I love that both Franny and Hayes were given distinct voices. Amanda Dolan did a impeccable job at bringing Franny to life, especially during the times when Franny was emoting stronger than usual. Likewise, Neil Hellegers gave Hayes the exact cadence and nuances I picked Hayes having while reading the printed words. I love dual narrators for stories with dual points of view, and this audiobook was fun to listen to and all around entertaining.
While the romance was plenty spicy, I loved all the other aspects of the plot as well. Spencer gave us opposites attract and second chance romance. I also enjoyed her handling of found families and rekindling bonds with biological families. I thought both Franny and Hayes's character development (both as a couple and as individuals) was enjoyable and very much worth the read and/or listen.
A huge thank you to Forever for the eARC and Hachette Audio for the audiobook for review.
---------------------
Release date: 3/15/22
Format: eARC & ALC
Review copies provided via: NetGalley