Unfortunately I have tried to read and review this novel multiple times. I keep getting to about 15-20% and just want to put it down. I don’t feel appropriate rating due to not getting far enough in to form an opinion. I just don’t think it’s for me! My apologies!

While this book was all about the main character’s growth and development, it felt like all of the characters were flat. The plot was good but I struggled to really get into it.

The Book was not as enjoyable as I would hope. I felt the story did not really go and felt a little slow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I really want to like this but it’s just so boring despite the interesting synopsis. Plot and writing was a mess, FMC was annoying and MMC was like a slice of dull bread.

I couldn’t get into this book so I had to force myself to finish it. It didn’t appeal to me. The characters felt so generic and flat to me.

Quick Summary: A delightfully serendipitous women's fiction/romance

My Review: Twelve Hours in Manhattan by Maan Gabriel is a new classic love story. It has all of the elements of a K-drama mixed with all of the brilliance of a contemporary romance.

About the Book: Is it possible to meet the love of your life after a chance encounter? Is it possible for two lives to cross paths numerous times and be unaffected? Is it possible to share a heartfelt connection that can stand the test of time?

When Bianca Maria Curtis and Park Hyun Min (Eric) randomly meet, little did they know how they would forever impact each other.

My Final Say: This is a diamond find. People definitely should not sleep on this lovely story. It was a deep, emotional read. Ultimately, it was a love story that happened to feature a beautiful romance. It was a story about being brave enough to find, to have, and to keep love, but it was also a story about being courageous enough to love self and to find oneself worthy of the good things that are deserved. I absolutely loved it!

Other: Readers who are looking for stories akin to Serendipity, An Affair to Remember, or Sleepless in Seattle, this would do you well to read. It's all about those right person, wrong time...until the right time comes along vibes. Think K-drama and you've got it.

* I really liked the diversity of the characters. This was a huge plus for so many reasons. Bravo!

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💎💖

A most sincere thank you is extended to the author, to the publisher (She Writes Press), and to NetGalley. I am incredibly appreciative to have been granted the opportunity to review this title. I cannot say enough good things about this work. I look forward to reading more from this writer.

This was such a fun and fast-paced read. I fell in love with the characters, the setting, the plot, and everything else included in this book!

DNF @38%

I wanted to like this book, but it’s not for me. I found the characters unlikeable, and their conversations are very stiff and forced. I also found the author’s writing style a little iffy, and I cannot point out what’s missing.

Thank you for the early copy!

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Thank you NetGalley, publishers, and Maan Gabriel for gifting me a copy of Twelve Hours in Manhattan in return for my honest opinion.

2.5/5 stars

Two worlds. One heart. Twelve hours.
Bianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min, and he’s in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From walking along Fifth Avenue to eating ice cream at Serendipity to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. In that time, they talk about the big stuff: love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.

But real life is more than just a few exhilarating stolen moments in time.

As the clock strikes the twelfth hour, Bianca returns to the life she detests to face a tragedy that will test her strength and resolve—and the only thing she has to keep going is the memory of a man she loves in secret from a world away.

The first part of this book was a struggle to get through, add that to the fact that the second part of this book felt like a completely different book it just made it tough to get through. The premise of the book was really cool, but it fell flat for me. I also didn't feel like the characters connected or that they were very interesting. While there wasn't anything majorly bad with this book there also wasn't anything good about it either. All-in-all I read it but it wasn't very memorable.

I think if I had have been younger when I read this then I could have really seen myself loving it but I just couldn’t get over the insta love vibes it was giving off.

Don’t get me wrong super cutesy romance, very sweet I just think it went on for too long and the second half of the book was really drawn out? It just felt really like dare I say stale? But listen if you are younger I feel like this could be a great read!

I just think that the characters lacked the depth to make me truly love it!

DNF @38%
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars?

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGallery for providing me with a DRC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Unfortunately, even though this book had such a cute premise (one that I could easily see being featured in a rom-com) and some diversity/uniqueness in the characters with Eric being a K-drama star, I wasn't able to complete this one. It makes me sad that I had to DNF this one, because I personally have a soft spot for books set in New York (they just have a magical feel) and more realistic contemporary romance.
Character interactions were cute, I love the descriptions of the setting, but it just fell short for me in the pacing and timeline department.

I got hooked with the blurb but I found the characters bland as I was reading through. The chemistry between the MCs felt orchestrated and felt flat. It was a struggle finishing this book.

This book is about a normal girl and a movie star who meet in a bar and fall in love. Based on that, I was hoping it was going to be a cute, fun romantic comedy that would be a fast read and a great break between all the fantasy novels I read.

Unfortunately, I thought it read like a fanfiction. And not one of the good ones. It had cute moments, but most of it were ridiculous, unrealistic moments that were overly dramatic. Something you’d expect out of a telenovela, but not really a published book. If you go into it expecting all of this, it might still be a fun read, but I was expecting something a bit more mature.

While I enjoyed the thought of two people meeting and falling in love in the span of 12 hours (I love Serendipity), this just didn't feel authentic to me. There was something missing that kept me from fully believing these two characters would be together forever after a night exploring NYC. It was fun and easy to get wrapped up in their adventures though. And I will always love the thought of a famous person falling for someone outside of their circle.

I think this book was cute, but I struggled a bit with the writing style in the beginning. Overall I think it dealt with a lot of serious issues and there was some twists that I did not expect when reading this book. I did not love the characters or the story that much, but it was still cute - just not for me.

I had tried many times with this book but every time I picked it up, I just couldn’t get into the story. This is more of a slow paced novel focusing on the characters, a woman struggling with her love life and on the brink of losing it all and a famous k-pop star who is wanting to escape the pressures of fame. After meeting by chance, they open up about their struggles and through this they are able to help each other grow. I liked the inclusion of K-pop touch which gave it a unique element which was interesting, however I did find that the plot dragged out at points which made it hard for me to get into the flow of the book. I had gone into this book imagining that it’ll be something lighthearted and joyous, instead this had more serious topics and a somber tone which I wasn’t expecting. This novel has a thoughtful concept however this book just wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to She Writes Press and Netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for a review.

I expected so much more, I just couldn't get into this one. No matter how hard I tried, it was a struggle to finish. I considered DNF-ing. I didn't hate it, but I really didn't love it. I just wanted to be more enthralled and I didn't find myself that way.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
12 Hours in Manhattan by Maan Gabriel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 297 / Genre: Women’s Fiction

Bianca’s life is at an all-time low—professionally and romantically—when she finds herself drinking alone in a bar next to her favorite Korean drama super star Park Hyun Min. The two end up spending the next 12 hours together, traipsing around Manhattan after hours, revealing their true selves to each other in an unapologetic free way that only two strangers can do, knowing they’ll never see each other again after that night. Until they meet again.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were relatable, the situations they found themselves in were compelling, and the overall story was interesting—sometimes fun and sometimes heartbreaking.

Thank you @booksparks and @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

The premise was what hooked me. I had high hopes. Unfortunately I wasn't able to really connect with the characters or the story. I can see why others would enjoy it though. It's not a bad book!