This book had a lot of potential. The concept was fun, and there were moments when I was pulled into it.

Unfortunately, for me the plot and characterization weren't ultimately convincing and believable, and some aspects of the writing (e.g. repetition of certain words) kept yanking me out of the story. It was about 2.5 stars for me, rounded up to 3.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

Twelve Hours in Manhattan is the story of Bianca as she grows and learns to love and advocate for herself.
Bianca is in New York City pitching herself for a job. They cut her off mid-way through and turn her down. This was her last chance. She feels so defeated and small. So, she decides to go to a bar to drown it all out. While there, a stranger talks to her after hearing her explain about the job on the phone to her friend. At first she is annoyed with this man, but then their conversation becomes pleasant, witty, and easy. The man gets a table and leaves, and she surprisingly misses him, but he comes back to invite her to his table. She goes and then realizes that this stranger is actually the main actor from so many of the K-dramas she has been obsessing over, Park Hyun Min. He had called himself Eric, so at first she hadn't placed him. She fan girls a bit, but then their connection continues to grow. They are both open and honest with each other. It's easier because he leaves in the morning and she knows she will never see him again.
Their connection is real despite being over such a short period of time. By the end of their twelve hours, they are both falling in love. But not everything is as it seems, and more than this night isn't a possibility for Bianca. What follows is a well told story about self-acceptance, growth, and love. I highly recommend this book!

I think this book really toed the line between asian appreciation and asian fetishisation. because there wasa lot of refrence to the love interest's "sexy accent" that made me feel quite uncomfortable. I

the main female charcter was also very polarising because one minute, i absolutely hated her (as i thiught she ws very preetntious as she was always like "[moving to new york] is killing the last few ounces of humanity i have left].and the next it was like, "omg relatable".

they felt immature and not like near 40-year-olds. there was little to no communication between the main charcters.

it was also very insta-lovey.

the mom was pushy

Bianca is at a bar in Manhattan, having one of her worst days ever. Nothing is going right for her professionally or personally, until she has a chance meeting that changes everything. Eric chats her up at the bar, and they instantly connect. Surprisingly, it takes her a few moments to realize that he is a famous Korean actor, one that she and her best friend heavily crush on. Eric and Bianca spend the next twelve hours bouncing around downtown, telling stories and learning about each other. Ultimately, they part ways when a secret is revealed, and spend the next two years missing and thinking about each other.

The concept of this book had enormous potential, but ultimately it fell flat for me. I never connected with the characters, and for a romance novel, I didn’t feel the romance. I also wasn’t in the headspace to take in the topics discussed throughout the book. The blurb led me to believe this was a romantic comedy, meet cute, happily ever after, but the reality was a more somber experience. Triggers include abortion, infidelity, drug addiction, and death. This is a heavy read, with a splash of (unbelievable) romance.

If you’re a fan of Korean art (K-pop or drama) and willing to put a little imagination into the characters, you may enjoy this one. For me, I just needed more believable dialogue and chemistry from Bianca and Eric in order to cheer for them.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

TW Topics: Abortion, drugs, overdose, death, infidelity.

I was beyond excited for this story when I found out I was approved for it, but all I ended up feeling was disappointment if I’m honest. I love stories about second chances and where two worlds collide but this instantly became repetitive. The consistent mention of him being someone famous and Korean, and her being someone that was classed as a ‘nobody’ was draining. It was almost as if the main character saw Eric just as someone famous rather than a normal human. The connection between Eric and Bianca felt forced. Eric is often seemed as hopeful while Bianca’s is shown to be very outspoken with a very little filter, but also depressed and fed up of the live she’s living.

At one point, I wanted to stop reading this story until I reached the plot twist and THAT was when I was hooked, the fact that Bianca’s world was not all it seemed, it was not something I expected but I loved that it happened, that her world suddenly got turned upside down and that change was due, it was because of this that her life changed and she got to experience the life she always wanted.

Without giving away too much of a spoiler, the second chance that took place between Eric and Bianca was beautiful and I’m glad that they both got their chance at love, but that soon turned into disappointment when the ending felt too rushed and I was sat there kind of wondering what the whole point of the story was when the ending was so rushed…

Ending this review on a positive note, I loved Bianca’s mum and how kind she was, she and her partner (Bianca’s father) got their happy ending and that was something I was rooting for. The dynamics between characters were beautiful and Bianca has such a good support system surrounding her, especially through her hard times, I love that the author bought attention to certain topics that were sensitive because it bought realisation to numerous things.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this story as an ARC.

I tried to like this. I really did but it was just all over the place. The writing wasn’t great, I feel like there was no chemistry between the two people and I just really couldn’t connect to the storyline.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange of an honest review

like everyone else, this book fell flat for me. the cover and summary gave off romcom vibes and i expected just that but it did not deliver those vibes. the chemistry wasn’t giving what chemistry is supposed to give. not bad but not memorable either.

2/5 stars! The premise of this story was interesting and I was looking forward to reading it. This book just didn't work for me. Based on the cover and premise, I thought I was getting a romantic comedy with a splash of trauma. Instead, this book is exceedingly depressing. The subject matter is really heavy and I found myself being frustrated by the main character and her actions.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This one just never took off. Interesting enough when Park (Eric) and Bianca meet. They keep suspending their inevitable departure from each other, but even the hours they spend together lack spark.

Then there's the long game, and the "aha!" moment that everyone can see coming from a mile away.

This was just a mediocre story.

Overall: 3 stars

I'll tell my students about: sex, alcohol, drugs, overdoses,family trauma, LGBTQIA+

**Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the free ARC prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Firstly, a big thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the ARC.

This was a 3 star read for me. I am very 50/50 with this book, but there is just something missing that makes this book fall a little flat. The concept is really good, and the first part where we see Becca and Eric/Park Hyun Min’s meet-cute is very indulgent. The first part gets you invested in the story, but then the rest of the book unfortunately isn’t as good.

This book reads a bit like a fan fiction – unrealistic, cringey. Because of this, I found it hard to keep myself invested in the story and the characters. Things felt rushed, and some parts didn’t feel like they fit with the story, such as the situation with her mum and dad and their story.

I do love a cheesy romance from time to time, and I so desperately wanted to enjoy this book because what’s more exciting than a romance set in NYC, but I just couldn’t get emotionally invested because of how unrealistic everything was. The plot wasn’t on a steady path – the time jump from part 1 to part 2 was a lot, and we didn’t get to stay in moments long enough to get invested.

I hate giving negative reviews but this book didn’t quite deliver for me. It starts off so well with their meet-cute, but then everything goes a little bit all over the place. This book does have some good, romantic moments, but it just needs something more to get the emotional investment from the readers.

Thank you for granting me access to this early copy.
I dunno what it is but I feel my heart fluttering, could it be this ML? Oh my!

This was a really cute read! I recently visited New York so I feel like that helped me picture the scenes and emerge myself in the story! It wasn't as funny as I expected and the meet cute made me cringe at times but I did enjoy it nonetheless.

Overall, this story was a bit “meh”. While it was generally an interesting concept, but the writing left something to be desired. The characters were a bit flat, and there seemed to be SO much crammed into the plot that the MCs relationship seemed like a bit of an afterthought. It did seem to get a bit better as it moved into “part 2”, but then started to decline a bit the closer it got the the ending. It was all a bit of a jumble and I wanted to like it because K saw the potential, but it left me feeling rather unsatisfied at the end.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and SheWritesPress. All opinions are my own.

When your book starts out with cursing for the first two pages, I can immediately tell that this is not for me. If it was a different type of book, okay, maybe, but not a rom com. No thanks!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge NYC fan I was excited to read a story that explored the city and where I could relate to the areas and places visited, and whilst it delivered on that aspect, the book didn't deliver in the way I thought it would.

A cute rom-com story that explores two strangers meeting in a bar and sharing 12 hours in the city getting to know one another before they go their separate ways, but eventually ends up as a HEA.

I didn't hate it, in fact I enjoyed the premise of it, very hallmark movie-esque but the narrative felt stunted and disjointed at times. I liked what both of the characters had to offer, and the issues that came with both of them over the course of the story, but what lacked I guess was connection.

This was my first ARC and I loved it. Twelve Hours in Manhattan is a story about self discovery, success, mourning and new beginnings. The story was captivating from beginning to end and I was constantly surprised by the plot.

The central character, Bianca is navigating her newfound freedom in her mid thirties in the busy world of New York City. Her new journey begins when she meets Eric at a bar. Eric turns out to be a famous Korean actor who Bianca and her friend Pam are obsessed with. The two spend the night together exploring the city and although they part come dawn, this night will be the start of something new for Bianca.

I’ll be totally honest that I wasn’t sure if this book was going to be for me. While I enjoyed the beginning about Eric and Bianca’s meet cute, I wasn’t sure what could keep me interested for the other 80% of the book.

Boy, was I wrong. I never saw the twist at the end of their 12 hours coming, and I really think that conflict added a lot more depth to Bianca’s character.

I ended up not being able to put this one down once it got going. I really enjoyed the build to them meeting each other again, and didn’t find myself wondering when it was going to happen because Bianca’s story was interesting on it’s own.

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press/SparkPoint Studios for the ARC of this!

It is very hard to like Bianca as she continuously emits self pity and how the world is constantly against her. She lets the past and in particular her relationships create who she is. Yes, the 12 hours she had with Eric was the best moments in her life and helped propel her life forward in a better direction. However, chance occurrences like that cannot define your life. There should be so much more than that. Therefore the expression of love between them seemed very contrived. It was right out of a movie script.

This book just wasn't well written. I could not get into the story. It read flat and the characters felt flatter.

The blurb for Twelve Hours in Manhattan brought to mind that movie, Before Sunrise, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Whereas the cover reminded me of some recent KPop inspired YA romances. This book is neither of those.

It actually started off kind of slow and sad, the main characters are actually in their late 30s, and you are never quite sure if there will be a happy ending.

But it turned into something quite mesmerizing by the halfway mark. I liked the character diversity and the author brought New York (as portrayed in romance movies) to life. I'm not a K-Drama fan, so I can't say if that aspect of the story was realistic or not. But Park Hyun Min definitely sounds like the perfect leading man.

There were some plot points that felt a bit forced to me and threw off my engagement at times. But otherwise, I enjoyed it.