“It’s okay to mourn over yourself, because once you’re done crying and screaming, that’s when you’ll truly be free. […] You need to accept the person you’ve become. Love her. Be proud of her. Don’t live with regret. Don’t let insecurity eat you alive. You are worth it. Forgive her.”

In Maan Gabriel’s second novel, Twelve Hours in Manhattan, we meet Bianca Curtis, a woman who is on the brink of losing everything when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan where she’s dwelling on her misery. Eric turns out to be one of the most famous Korean actors at the time, Park Hyun Min, and is in town for one night only to escape the pressures of fame and celebrity life. The two of them spend the following twelve hours together walking along 5th Ave, getting ice cream, and even sharing moments at the top of the Empire State. During their time together, they talk about life, love, happiness, and freedom—the freedom that both of them so desperately seek, thus proving that sometimes confiding in a stranger and pouring out all your worries is all one ever needs to feel seen, heard, and understood. But not all that glitters is gold and after those twelve hours pass, and Bianca returns to the life she wants to escape from, a tragedy strikes that will test all her strength. Only the memory of the man she met one magical night will keep her going. Will life make their universes collide again?

Premise aside, Twelve Hours in Manhattan is a bit more serious and tragic than it’s made to look like with some extremely heavy topics and sad moments explored, so definitely check the trigger warnings before you dive into it as this is not a light-hearted rom-com read.

When part one—along with that magical night—ends, the event that turns Bianca’s life is jarring and gut-wrenching. It’s a huge emotional shift not also in the story, but narration wise and feels like a whole different book. It’s the catalyst that will spark a change in Bianca and help her experience the life she’s always dreamed of, not without the help of an incredible support system.

As for the characters, sometimes they felt a bit flat and whilst it’s easy to empathise with them, it’s also hard to connect with them at times on a deeper level, especially with Eric. The constant reminder of her being a “nobody” and him being the “big star” feels a bit repetitive and their connection feels a bit forced at times too, but it still makes for a nice read. The side characters are loveable, especially Bianca’s mother, who offers a great deal of advice on life, love, grieving, and forgiveness. As for Bianca and Eric’s relationships, the second chances are lovely and one can’t help but root for them so they get their chance at love and freedom. Their meet-cute pulls you in as it’s amiable and enchanting, and gives this K-drama feel to the story.

Despite the somewhat rushed ending, the story is engrossing and sentimental. Whether it’s ones career, obligations, people in one’s life, fame, or whatever else, it all circles back to that fear that prevents people from being truly free. A freedom that also comes from grieving and forgiving oneself from past decisions and experiences that can be traumatising. These are recurrent themes in the story and the novel goes back and forth to really delve into this the whole way through. Gabriel definitely knows how to keep the readers hooked and emotionally invested.

All in all, Twelve Hours in Manhattan is a story of second chances, love, acceptance, overcoming, and forgiving oneself—perfect for those who like fairytales and older k-dramas or a meet-cute romance with a darker undertone by exploring drama and pain.

I did not finish the book. The premise of the story was very promising, the setting dreamy - something every Kdrama fan would love, however I didn't connect with the characters and found their initial meeting a little hard to believe.

Bianca felt a little immature, and the things she said to Eric made me cringe.

I will try to get back to this book on another day.

The heroine is at a low point of her life when she meets the hero at a bar. For twelve hours, the two explore the city to escape the realities of their lives. When it was over, they separated, the heroine was dealt a serious blow to that will test her resolve. With the memory of her precious time with the hero, time passed and then they meet again...

This is the second novel by the author. It's a women's literary work that covers some serious topics with a little hint of romance. I liked how the heroine persevered but there were moments when she was not as likable. I also would have liked to read more about the hero's life, which I felt would enrich the story a bit more. Overall, not a bad book.


** Thank to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

Twelve Hours in Manhattan is a story of growth, love and acceptance. The FMC, Bianca goes to New York City for a job opportunity that falls short and she ends up at a bar to wash away her disappointment.

This is where she meets a stranger and the rest of the book is about how kismet their encounter becomes. They both openly reveal truths about themselves and develop a connection that has them both spiraling With feelings of love.

However, not everything is as it seems and these few hours are all they will have together. This is a story of self-acceptance, growth and love. Such a great read - I highly recommend this book!

Well, this was a whirlwind or instalove and drama.

It did sort of have that kdrama feel to it, but I felt like the story just pulled from scene to scene without time for anything to be processed. Even the first fourth or so of the book which focuses on the fateful twelve hours really just feels like hundreds of shorter, disjoint scenes instead of one continuous night.

So while I did like some of the kdrama vibe, I didn't like the instalove and I didn't enjoy the pacing.

This was a DNF for me I really tried to get into it came back to it a few times but just couldn't. Not really sure why it didn't work for me but just couldn't really connect to either character. I want to thank NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you to She Writes Press & Tabitha Bailey as well as the Author Maan Gabriel for the ebook ARC of this novel.

"After a chance meeting in New York city, Bianca Curtis and “Eric,” better known as insanely famous Korean actor Park Hyun Min, spend twelve perfect hours together only to be torn apart at the end of the night by the realities of their very distinct worlds. But their story isn’t even close to over yet…

For readers who love the hugely popular k-dramas and works by Jen Frederick, Susan Park, Tif Marcelo, and Axie Oh , Twelve Hours in Manhattan (April 18, 2023 – She Writes Press) is a fun and intriguing character-driven story where two people come together to escape one’s work failures as the other tries to escape overwhelming success and fame with an inescapable draw between them."

I am not a k-drama person and I don't think I've read any of the authors listed in the blurb, yet, but they will be added to my TBR. When Bianca first meets "Eric" she doesn't realize at first he's one of her favorite Asian actors...she's on the verge of broken in so many ways and just wants to get drunk, and is a good part of the way there when he starts talking to her at a bar. They end up spending the next twelve hours together, telling each other things only strangers who will never see each other can say, and then as all good things end, she has to go home to New Jersey and her slowly exploding life.

Without giving it all away skip two years and they meet again. Things are different for both of them so they decide to see if the connection and sparks they didn't act on last time are still there and they are. Again...bad stuff breaks them apart.

This book is about a woman finding herself, being able to define herself outside of a relationship or job and then acknowledging she deserves good things. I enjoyed Bianca and Eric's story. Bianca's storyline alone is worth reading this book. The romance is there but it's not SPICY, so if you like it a little less detailed you will appreciate this book.

Maan Gabriel is a new-to-me author but when a chance to read her novel, Twelve Hours in Manhattan dropped in my inbox, I was intrigued. It sounded like a fun, light read—just what I needed after some of the heavier stories I've read lately. Well, it was fun and light as well as so, so good. Such a great story and such amazing characters.

Bianca and Eric meet just by chance and end up spending twelve hours together, getting to know each other and supporting each other in ways no one else had before. Sometimes it's easier to open up to strangers than to someone you are supposed to know very well. And then they go on their merry, or not-so-merry, way. No regrets, well maybe just a little regret, and no looking back.

But can they forget about those twelve hours? When and if they are thrown back together, will the chemistry they had be the same?

I totally loved the twelve hours that I spent with Bianca and Eric and was heartbroken when they went their separate ways. And then Bianca's life spins out of control. The author did a fantastic job of making me feel all of the feels and I was on an emotional roller-coaster ride right along with Bianca. I thoroughly enjoyed Twelve Hours in Manhattan and look forward to more stories by this author.

**I want to start by being fully transparent; I received this as an ARC from publisher and NetGalley BUT that does NOT sway my feelings/opinions at all. This is a fully unbiased review formed from my own thoughts after reading. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me this eARC copy**

Twelve Hours in Manhattan gave me kpop mixed with Hallmark vibes.
I do not like how the novel started off if I am going to be honest, felt a bit immature with all the cursing.. at around 85% I wanted to call it quits but I pushed through.
Its cute, but missing something.

Bianca has lost a possible job that she needed desperately and now she is crying in her beer in a bar in Manhattan. She strikes up a conversation with the cute guy next to her. This conversation changes her life in more ways than one!

The guy next to her just happens to be a famous Korean actor, Park Hyun Min, or better known as Eric. Bianca eventually recognizes him and does her best to act cool. But as the night progresses she realizes there is more than a little connection.

Bianca and Eric are adorable together. However, I did like him better than I did her. She annoyed me a little bit. She is whiny and very dramatic in places. But, Eric is rock solid!

I loved the setting of NYC. These two enjoy so many great spots in this fabulous area. And like I said before, their connection makes the whole book. This story will have you laughing and crying all in the same paragraph.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Need a cute story set in a great city…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

DNFed at 40%. I'm reading this on a weekend and I figured it's not right that I waste it on a book I'm not enjoying.

For some reason, I'm not connecting with the characters and the writing. Eric and Bianca's first interaction was just so unendearingly awkward and full of unsolicited pieces of advice. Who talks like that during a first meeting? Their conversations appeared too forced and I felt zero chemistry. Zilch.

By the second third, it seemed like I'm reading a different book and the transition gave me a whiplash. I don't mind heavy themes in my reading but I want the progression to feel natural.

This may appeal to others but sadly not for me.

Still, thank you to She Writes Press, NetGalley and the author for my early copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

This wasn't what I was expecting. I definitely had a hard time connecting with the story or empathizing with the characters. As always, I loved the NYC setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Sigh. I think I disliked this book because I built it up in my head. Based on the cover, title, and synopsis, I thought it would be about a fun, exciting night in NYC comparable to Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen or something lol. This was like the opposite of that. It was so slow and serious. And I thought practically the whole book would take place over a 12 hour span but it was only like the first third of the book! The middle third was boring. And then the end was so abrupt!

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc! Unfortunately, this book was not for me

Recommended: if you know what you're getting into
For a complex and expansive story that covers years of pain and grief and hope and fear. NOT for a lighthearted story or any kind of rom-com tale

Thoughts:
Overall this was a decent story, but my experience reading it was tainted in two key ways (more below). For quick reference, this is what I think is important to know before reading this book:

Things to know:
- this actually takes place over the course of three YEARS and the titular twelve hours are only the first quarter or so of the book
- this is NOT a romcom or lighthearted read
- this book has a lot of pain and grief that characters have to sort through
- this book is a good read, but best if you know what you're going into

I had two main issues with this book: expectations and confusion. This book gave the impression with the title, cover art, and summary, that it is more of a rom-com lighthearted story when it absolutely is not. Being something deeper and darker isn't a bad thing, but it was extremely jarring to adjust to that on the fly when it was way more grim and pained than I had believed it would be from the media introducing it. In particular, it was compared to Susan Lee's Seoulmates which is so incredibly incorrect a comparison that the only thing they have in common is a Korean character and some elements of romance.

The second issue, confusion, started to become more of a problem in the last half of the book. There were scenes of dialogue where I couldn't figure out who was talking because their name wasn't mentioned, and I would have to trace back to try to figure out contextually who might be saying something. Multiple times I just had to give up and move on without being totally sure.

That issue was unenjoyable, but it escalated towards the end. A pivotal conversation and ensuing event that define the ending of the book still aren't clear to me what happened or why. I am not sure what the people involved were trying to say, why they reacted the way they did, why it affected future events so much... I just have no idea. That really took away from the ending because it was like I was left behind while it moved on to give me whiplash in the ensuing responses.

Despite that, though, the story itself was engaging and emotional! Bianca was a bit of a sad sack in the beginning part and it wasn't really clear why until a bit later on, but dang was there sympathy once we learn more about her life. I really wanted to cheer for her happiness and see her achieve dreams.

Freedom is a constant theme in this story, as well as the opposite of being trapped. Whether by obligations, career, people in your life, fame, or any other number of things, it all comes back to fear the prevents people from achieving the freedom they seek in this story. I so desperately wanted a happy ending to their story, and you'll just have to read it yourself if you want to know if they get one or not. It's a back and forth ride the whole way through, so be ready for some emotional investment in here.

Thank you to NetGalley, She Writes Press, and BookSparks for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review!

3.75-
This is such a cute and quick read! On a Friday evening in a bar when Bianca is at her worst she meets Eric, who she soon realizes is her favorite K-Drama actor. They spend a whirlwind 12 hours together but then reality intervenes and they each go their separate ways, neither forgetting that magical night.
I honestly was expecting the entire book to take place during the 12 hours so I was pleasantly surprised to find the story is expanded from there. While I loved the chemistry between Bianca and Eric from the beginning, I found the overall story to be predictable. That is to be expected though since pretty much every romcom follows the same formula.
As much as I liked the characters they didn’t feel very believable to me. Bianca is 36, but I felt like I was reading about a 26 year old. It wasn’t just her, though, it was all of the characters. I felt like while the character development was there it took a little more time to see any real change.
On a whole I really enjoyed this. I love stories where a celebrity falls for a regular person, probably because of all the daydreaming of such instances when I was in high school and this book captured that story line beautifully. Thank you NetGalley and She Writes Press for an advanced copy of this book. This hits the shelves on April 18th.

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Publication Date: April 18th 2023

Author: Maan Gabriel

Review: Soooo Cute! This book had a crazy couple different plot twists that I was honestly not expecting. I personally don’t feel like this isn’t the typical second chance love this was a fight from the start. No cheating tropes here either. I did feel like it ended pretty quickly I felt like we needed more with Suzie, you didn’t really get to feel the love between them when they finally came back to each other I just ended. BUT we do love a man who falls first and grovels.

Very worth the read.

*2.5

This has an interesting premise but the execution falls flat. They were cute in the 12 hours but then the two year time jump really through me off. And after the time jump I feel like they didn't really communicate but that could just be because we got more time jumps after they got together. It was so weird.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I was excited to read this book. However, the arc copy was very hard to read. The formatting was off and it was very hard to tell who was speaking. I really hope it was just the arc and the finished version will not look like this.

Bianca and Eric's meet cute was cute. However, when they started to roam the streets together, their initial dialogue felt weird. I didn't feel the instant attraction between the two of them and although it seems like they're being playful, it just comes off weird.

When Bianca goes home, it was very shocking what happened, but I feel like this storyline didn't fit the overall story. I understand there needed to be a way for her to remove herself from her marriage, but I felt like the drug abuse/overdose was too out of left field.

I started to become invested in the story when Bianca and Eric eventually cross paths again. I like that she was able to find a new job and had to kind of prove herself. I enjoyed the times she spent with Eric. A few of the things that happened towards the end were crazy. Overall, a good read if you're a K-drama fan.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley, She Writes Press, and Maan Gabriel for allowing me to read and review.

While this may be someone’s favorite read, it just wasn’t mine. I tried to love it, I really did. I just couldn’t connect with Bianca. I wasn’t a huge fan of the instalove. I felt as though there was too much drama - too much going on - at times. The 12 hours in Manhattan felt rushed and I was hoping that the book would revolve more around their time together. And, lastly I just don’t think the writing style is for me.

It was a really cute story, and I’m glad Bianca and Eric were able to choose each other in the end. But it just didn’t pull me in and keep me in throughout reading it. While this wasn’t a favorite of mine, that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it!

Wow, what a ride this book's been!

This book is not your go-to if you're looking for something fun, entertaining and light to read. I'm actually still trying to recover from everything Twelve Hours In Manhattan made me feel and I'm not sure I'm being 100% successful right now.

The story follows Bianca Curtis who is, literally, at the brink of losing everything: she didn't get the job she was sure she would, and she's about to get evicted from her house. So she decides that the best decision in the middle of all is to get drunk in a bar in Manhattan.

Enters Eric - a mysterious, thoughtful and handsome stranger who starts conversation with Bianca and who, as Bianca finds out a bit later, is the most famous Korean celebrity - Park Hyun Min.
Hyun Min is actually in New York City for one night only to escape the pressure of his own fame.

Conversation after conversation, these two strangers spend 12 magical hours together, pouring their heart and soul out for one another, and falling in love.

I adored getting to know Bianca and Eric. Biana with Eric. Eric with Bianca.
Them meeting, become acquainted, getting to know the struggles and dreams they didn't dare to share with closest friends, and seeing them creating something so especial that only belongs to the two of them.
Their connection is unique and their love is so special, and whilst going through the book you just want to press pause and live in those 12 hours forever, where they're happy and when they're together and where real life doesn't get in the way.

But as Cinderella's fairytale came to an end, Bianca, too, must return to her life and say goodbye to this beautiful stranger who, in just 12 hours, changed her life forever. Little did Bianca know that the scary reality waiting for her wasn't only about losing her house, but about a big tragedy she definitely wasn't expecting.

Even though this book has romance and second chances and the long journey towards true love, it's full of so many sad, tragic moments that just make your heart ache. It really is more about Bianca's personal journey and getting to where she's supposed to rather than a love story.
I genuinely feel for Bianca. She's a strong woman, but it was painful to get to know her life and everything she's been though all the years.
But it also makes me happy the long way she went and that, ultimately, she really got her life to a place she wanted to.

"I've missed you more than you'll ever know. And I've fantasized seeing you somewhere, anywhere. I've practiced what I'd say to you in my head over and over. (...) I spent twelve short hours in Manhattan. (...) And now you're here, and I've found it. In you."

"What? Did you find?"

"Love."

Thank you NetGalley, She Writes Press and Maan Gabriel for the ARC of this book.