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In a New York Minute

Review

In a New York Minute

Remember that movie Sliding Doors? If you ever wondered what might have happened if Gwyneth Paltrow’s character had gotten stuck in the subway doors, you might have landed on the premise of Kate Spencer’s IN A NEW YORK MINUTE.

In a distinctly New York City meet-cute, Franny Doyle has just been laid off from her job at an interior design startup. Desperate to get back to her Brooklyn apartment and drown her sorrows, she makes a dash for a crowded Q train --- only to have her gauzy dress get caught in those sliding doors, ripping all the way up the back. Fortunately, a handsome stranger comes to her aid, giving her his Gucci suit jacket and rescuing her from a PG-13-rated wardrobe malfunction.

"...a feel-good romance that still is grounded in real-world issues.... These issues are handled with seriousness and sensitivity, as is the budding relationship between Franny and Hayes."

Franny feels an instant attraction to the man, who she and her friends dub “Hot Suit,” but she’s pretty sure she’ll never see him again. This is a city of eight million people after all! But it turns out that one of their fellow subway riders filmed their whole interaction and has posted it to Instagram. Now Franny and “Hot Suit” have their own hashtag: #SubwayQTs. A morning television show catches wind of the viral video, and soon Franny and her mysterious rescuer have been invited to reunite on camera.

In the television studio, “Hot Suit” (whose name, it turns out, is Hayes Montgomery III) is still just as hot --- but he’s also dismissive of Franny, who, in turn, is flustered and downright annoyed. She’d be perfectly happy never to see him again, but fate appears to have other plans, as their paths continue to cross again and again. If, as Hayes insisted on campus, they’re totally not each other’s type, it’s undeniable that they’re starting to really enjoy their time together.

Spencer, who previously wrote a memoir about grief titled THE DEAD MOMS CLUB, has penned a feel-good romance that still is grounded in real-world issues. Franny, who’s never known her birth father, confronts the possibility of knowing his identity --- and learning that she might have relatives she never even imagined. Hayes, whose first marriage ended in divorce, contends with fears that he will never be able to make a relationship work. These issues are handled with seriousness and sensitivity, as is the budding relationship between Franny and Hayes.

Spencer also excels at developing secondary characters, who play a larger role in this novel than in many romantic comedies. These include Hayes’ cousin and his business partner, as well as Franny’s two best friends. But, as the title suggests, perhaps the most important supporting character here is the city itself, which plays a major role as the backdrop for the love story. Spencer includes plenty of charming details about the city, the kinds of small moments and big possibilities that will have readers longing for a trip to the Big Apple, perhaps in search of their own meet-cute.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl on March 18, 2022

In a New York Minute
by Kate Spencer