‘Kiss Me in New York’ by Catherine Rider (a pseudonym based on the dual effort of authors James Noble and Stephanie Elliott) is a story that will capture the magic of the holidays in but a few short hours of plot. In some ways, the thought of two strangers meeting and spending a day and night together roaming the city of New York, only to potentially fall for each other, seems unrealistic and, at best, moderately ridiculous. Yet ‘Kiss Me in New York’ finds a way to do anything but trivialize the relationship between London-bound Charlotte and New Yorker Anthony.
Reeling from breakups by their respective romantic partners, they find themselves thrust together at the airport, trying to fit the pieces of their lives back together. Whereas Charlotte has had a couple of weeks to try to make sense of why ex-boyfriend Colin ended things, Anthony’s troubles are extremely fresh. His now ex-girlfriend, Maya, has broken up with him at the airport, on that very morning – Christmas Eve, no less – only serving to re-open other old wounds that have not yet healed from past Christmases.
Together Charlotte and Anthony brave the cold, dark, and mostly empty streets of New York City, trying to reclaim who they were before their relationships turned sour. Guiding them along is a self-help book Charlotte came upon in the airport – ‘Get Over Your Ex in Ten Easy Steps!’ Despite thinking that the book is a scam that won’t serve any purpose in helping them put their past behind them, Anthony goes along with it, and they start following the steps, revealing truths about themselves that they thought long – and best – hidden.
As they learn about themselves as individuals, they also learn about each other, showing that even short amounts of time together can spark true friendship. Charlotte and Anthony’s relationship is a testament to the idea that even the unthinkable – love, or at least friends, at first sight – can come to be. It’s just a matter of believing in yourself and letting yourself be open to every possibility.
*Review originally posted on YABooksCentral.com*
You can find ‘Kiss Me in New York’ by Catherine Rider here.