Cover Image: Kiss Me in New York

Kiss Me in New York

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Member Reviews

I would call this book a cute, sweet, but relatively forgettable YA holiday romance. Charlotte is on her way back to London with a broken heart when her flight is cancelled due to a blizzard. Anthony is planning on surprising his girlfriend at the airport, but he is the one who is surprised when she breaks up with him after she gets off the plane and runs into the arms of another guy. Together, Charlotte and Anthony make their way through a book called (something like) <u>Ten Ways To Get Over Your Ex,</u> all the while--you guessed it--falling for each other.

Of course, this is all set in New York and occurs on Christmas Eve. The book seems to not mean much because these are high schoolers so how long can a relationship like this really last? The two promise to reunite, as Charlotte is trying to decide what college to attend.

So like I said, the book was super-cute. It was easy to read--I sat down and read the entire thing in a day. It was quotable and cliche, but that's what Christmas is all about isn't it? ;P

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I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. There was so much potential for substance here, but I just couldn't make myself that interested in the characters or their quest. I had to force myself to finish it in order to properly review it.

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If it wasn't set in New York I would have given up reading this book. Did love the locations but not very Christmassy and didnt connect with the main characters.

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I found this to be very cliche and could not connect with the characters. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge love junkie. Anything with love and a happy ending, I'm generally happy for, but this just didn't get me.

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This is a cute holiday read that is reminiscent of The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Breakups, New York, Bulldog Puppy, new love what more can you want. It was a fast read. Even though I am not a fan of instant love romances this one was not that bad---I think the setting helped it a lot. Would I read it again? Probably not but I enjoyed it enough to finish it. Overall, its a light holiday romance that gets you in the holiday reading mood.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This charming holiday tale completely sucked me in. It’s a quick read, perfect for sitting by the Christmas tree with a cup of something warm, with a furry friend nustled up close. Oh and of course, Christmas music playing softly in the background. I adored Charlotte and Anthony by the end, and I would so love to read more of their story.

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Kiss Me in New York is another great story this upcoming holidays. It’s so wonderful I finished it in one sitting! I was so engrossed to this book that I can’t stop reading! It’s not that dramatic even though the two main characters just got dumped. It focused on how the two tried to move on. This is a light-hearted read that will surely make readers fall in love over and over again.

I loved Charlotte. I loved how her character’s a bit adventurous. I can almost hear her english accent whenever I read a line of hers. She seems to be a hopeless romantic yet she has a pure heart. On the other hand, I picture Anthony as a fairly attractive guy. He keeps a strong front to hide how he truly feels, how sad he is inside and how much he worries about things. Both of them were dumped before Christmas which felt really sad because everyone’s supposed to be happy during Christmas. If their story were to happen in real life, I’d think of it as fate.

It was nice to put in some backgrounds of the characters to get to know them well. I understood it all better: why Charlotte was in New York, why Anthony least wanted to spend Christmas with his family and how they both got heartbroken. And I’ll never forget how adorable Mistake (a dog) was!
Catherine Rider did a great job in putting the beauty of New York in words. I watched TV series set in New York and I always loved the place even though it seems dangerous sometimes. I loved how the characters explored NY. It made me feel that I was travelling and having an adventure in New York too. And the fact that was winter and it snowed made the moments magical.

I loved the idea of the 10 steps to get over an ex even though I think it was a little bit cliché because I’ve read some books with a list to follow, similar to the steps. However, it was all so good! I really loved the book. I loved how they went on an adventure and how little time two strangers can become friends and be comfortable with each other.

I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars! I just loved every part of it.

I’ve always wanted to go on adventures like Charlotte and Anthony did. This book made me fall in love with the beauty of life. It made me realize that you don’t need steps to live out your life but you could use a list. A list of the things you want and need to do. Just like with the characters, they had steps but it wasn’t necessary to do it all in sequence. And not all lists have to be followed exactly. The important this is that you have fun like Charlotte and Anthony did. (Although, fun isn’t just the thing they found)

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I really enjoyed reading this book. It had a great holiday vibe and helped me get into the Christmas spirit. Anthony and Charlotte were adorable and their story flowed well. I enjoyed this book because it was quite honest. The humor in it was relatable and so was the breakups. Mostly, I felt that the their relationship was real. They did not fall in love at first sight or looked into each other's eyes and immediately knew. It was a story of two broken hearted people making a situation better and worth it on Christmas.
Although I really enjoyed it, at times the story felt choppy like the events were not caught up to the characters. It was rushed in a way almost like the author did not want to describe the moment but finally get to the end with the perfect scene. The story was a perfect holiday read but it was not my favorite. I would read another story by this author.

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Kiss Me in New York by Catherine Rider is an adorable, dual perspective YA contemporary set on Christmas Eve.  The story follows Charlotte and Anthony who after a chance meeting at an airport, begin an adventure that stretches across a single day in New York City. I loved this story so much for exactly what it was, a feel-good contemporary.  I feel it did exactly what it wanted to do, provide an entertaining story that will make you laugh and feel all the feels.  Again, I must liken it to a Hallmark Movie, in the same vein as Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe (full review here).

Charlotte and Anthony are great, interesting characters.  I feel we got to know more about Anthony as opposed to Charlotte but nonetheless, they were great characters to follow.  Also, I liked how their story wasn't super insta-lovey but it progressed over the course of the day. Also, the element of the self-help book, although not original, was a good time to follow.

The book was a little too predictable, but it did not hinder my enjoyment.  Also, I felt the ending was abrupt but there was an epilogue, so I guess that was okay.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience of this book and I would recommend it for people who enjoy Christmas contemporaries.  It's a short book that can be read in one sitting while curled up in a chair with a hot beverage.  The book is out now!

****This book was given to me for honest review via Netgalley and the publisher.  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.****

Much Love,

Tasha

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This book is cute, very fluffy story about two people who got their hearts broke around Christmas time. They end up going through a program to get over an ex together. It was obvious how this would turn out, but I had fun reading it, though I would say some of the predictability got boring at times.

I did like the two main characters for the most part. I really liked the part where she just buys a puppy. It made me have a little laugh. Like here is a girl that is going back to England less than a day, but she decides to buy a puppy? I'm happy she rescued it, or she assumes so, since she got it from a con man, who probably didn't care about the puppy.

Listen, most of this story is unrealistic, but it is a cute, cozy holiday read. I liked it. Tis the season.

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Kiss Me In New York is one of those sweet Christmas reads that make you smile.
If you liked Dash & Lily's Book of Dares I think you will like this one as well as it takes us all across New York as well and brings two people together during the holiday season.

Charlotte is a foreign exchange student who was just in New York for the semester and is now trying to get back to the UK and her family on Christmas Eve. She's also dealing with a breakup where she thought she was in love.
Anthony is a college student who is surprising his girlfriend at the airport as she gets home for christmas. Except the girlfriend has other plans and they break up.

With both of them now alone on Christmas Eve with no plans they decided to work together to follow along a book that Charlotte bought in the airport "Ten Easy Steps for Getting Over Your Ex".

I really liked both Charlotte and Anthony they were both smart young individuals who were trying to make the best of not fun situations. Both of them had really good back stories and were well thought out and the way we get to know each of them wasn't rushed.
Seeing them get to know eachother and really help each other and start to get over what had happened was so nice to see. Nothing was instant and even though they were only with eachother for about half a day the connections they make and the help that they give each other was a once in a lifetime experience.

Honestly I'm surprised with how much I loved this book because it is a contemporary and normally I struggle to like these. But this one I fell in love with it was a story that takes the best of the holiday spirit and really shows how sometimes its okay to admit that were all just muddling through part of the holiday spirit. Charlotte and Anthony are also two characters I would love to get to see again in the future and to see how there next Christmas goes after the adventures that they had this year.

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This was an adorable holiday story. It was about second chances and find love where you least expect it. There's something magical about New York City at Christmas and this story captures that essence perfectly. The characters are both struggling with heart aches but form a special bond after a Christmas adventure in NYC. I love the NYC setting, and I love the characters. Kiss Me in New York was sweet, and fun holiday read.

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I enjoyed seeing New York at Christmas time from an Italian New York native and a newbie English girl. Even though they just meet during a time they both have fresh heartache, they try to help each other mend it.

I'm not used to reading books that take place in a 12-hour period, but this was a cute little Christmasy story that didn't center heavily on the holidays. I was surprised I liked it and how realistic it was.

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I am reviewing Kiss Me in New York by Catherine Rider. I was given a free copy of it through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes that may follow below are from the text and are not my words.

I am sure that we all have dealt with bad breakups. It is rare for people to never have one. It is also rare that they go well. The dissolution of a relationship is a death of sorts. You tend to go through the stages of grief. Then one day, you finally realize that you will live. This book deals with that. Two heartbroken people and the quest that they take on to find closure and heal.

To say that I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. It was very good. The characters were relatable. I found myself thinking, "I have been there.". The author's use of New York made it another character in a way. You could look at a map and trace the journey that the characters are a part of. I could not help but smile at this. This book deals with so much more than just breakups. It deals with self-esteem issues, grief, self-doubt, betrayal, and pain. Like I said, it is definitely something most have endured.

I am rating this book Four Stars because there were moments where it was predictable. It also had some moments where it drug a little or characters were introduced that weren't exactly necessary. I will most likely read this book again. It was a very fun read and I will be recommending it.


InkedBookDragon

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This book was adorable; a super cute Christmas read that had my teeth aching with the sweetness. Yes it was a little bit of a cliché, and yes I knew how it was going end, but I was so happy the whole time I was reading it.
Kiss Me in New York is the story of an unexpected meeting at JFK airport of Charlotte and Anthony, both of whom have recently broken up with their respective partners. Charlotte is English and stuck in New York thanks to the snow and Anthony is a native New Yorker. The story is told from both perspectives but for the most part, it is told through the eyes of Charlotte (who manages to be a YA contemporary character who I didn't want to punch in the face so there's that for a success!) They’re both fabulous characters who have choices to make other than who's going to date who. It’s thought-provoking and fun, and you root for them throughout.
Between them, they try and get over there exes by following the tips in a book called ‘Get Over Your Ex in Ten Easy Steps.’ The steps are loosely followed as the pair gets into all sorts of hilarious consequences leading to an ending which is super sweet. If you're a fan of Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, then this book is for you. It is super short, can be devoured easily in one sitting and is a must read over the Christmas season!

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This was a light modern day clean Christmas romance. The main characters, Charlotte and Anthony, were both suffering from horrible break ups and manage to find each other in the JFK airport and dash off to whirlwind activities. I appreciated that there was no sex in this book. Thank you author! I thought it a bit far fetched at how much was going on on Christmas Eve--youth out for parties, a singles dating game so that aspect didn't resonate with me. This is a fun holiday read that I would recommend to others!

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I felt the romance vibes in the air. yes, it was!! the book is very good at telling romantical story. So if you're into that type of read, you need to check this one out.

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This book is too cliched. Im not enjoying reading this at all. That is why im DNF'ing it.

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The storyline of this book isn’t terrible. Considering it’s probably supposed to be a cheesy holiday romance, it’s pretty okay. Sure, it’s unrealistic, but if all books were entirely realistic, they wouldn’t be much of an escape. My problem with this book is that it is written so very poorly that what could have been a bearable plotline was actually extremely irritating.

I found the opening chapter to be very confusing. First, who finishes a semester abroad on Christmas Eve? Second, what was even the point of introducing the Hipster Hottie in the beginning? Looking back, Charlotte had a much cuter meet-cute with this rando than with Anthony, only for us to find out his only purpose was to be the source of Anthony’s misery. Next, I am having trouble figuring out how exactly Charlotte could have this much anger inside of her after having broken up with her semester-abroad-fling. Seriously, this girl is raging and she was with the boy for only a few months. Girl has some anger issues. She even notes later on that they “were only together for a semester.” So like, she knows how ridiculous she’s being.

The part about following the steps of this relationship guru book is entirely unrealistic, but for the sake of cheesy holiday romance, kind of makes sense. What doesn’t make sense, is this writing style. Seriously, it reads like a 13-year-old is trying to visualise what it will be like as a high school senior. The pizza scene? I cringed reading it. Same with the scene with the carolers (and Cheese, good lord). If the author didn’t try so hard to sound poetic about the whole thing, it might be bearable. Still, what is with this line – “I brace myself for him to lose it, go full-on Brooklyn (what does that even mean?) – whatever that is (then why are you saying it?) – maybe pick up the needle and forcibly tattoo Joe in revenge.” Like what is even going on? Granted, the whole tattoo scene is a mess – who randomly goes into a tattoo shop and lets the artist free will who is probably almost 100% high? The entire book feels like it was written by someone who has no idea (or has forgotten) what teenagers actually act like (I realise that Anthony is not technically a teenager, sue me).

Let’s talk about Anthony though. He reminds me a ton of that guy from 500 Days of Summer. The one played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt who feels like he deserves the girl and stalks her trying to convince her she loves him? Anthony doesn’t do that exactly, but he has the same kind of attitude. First off, one of his first lines is “then I guess you don’t understand love.” Neither do you, small child. Later, he intentionally hits Charlotte with a CitiBike to get her attention. I realise the author probably meant that he just nudged her, but seriously, write that, don’t describe a full-on attack with a two-wheeler. And then we have the “maybe I hadn’t given up football thing.” What purpose does that detail serve? The book does not go on about his lost love for football. And then we get the whole mother-cancer-backstory, which was the worst (I’ll get to Anthony’s family scene in a bit). And then Anthony does the whole “she’s not like other girls” thing with thinking that Charlotte is above selfies – well fuck you Special Snowflake, selfies are the best and sometimes really help with self-esteem. Also, what is even wrong with feeling the way you look and wanting to document it? (I am a big selfie promoter). And then we get a little glimpse into his mind when he sees an old couple and thinks “I wonder if this is their last Christmas together,” like good lord, take your moody emo ass and put it elsewhere don’t bother thinking about this charming couple and whether or not they’re going to DIE. There are so many side tidbits and inner dialogues like this that I can’t even keep track of the actual story. And how he goes on and on and on about Maya. Like seriously, it is so evident to me that he felt the relationship was much more serious than she ever did. He sounds like a lost puppy (again, like 500 Days of Summer guy). And then he goes and thinks to himself that he was doing so well at not thinking about Maya – hello? Have we been reading the same story? She’s all he ever thinks about! And then we have a prime example of well-off white boy privilege, when they are caught sledding in Central Park at night and get caught, and he oh-so-casually drops that his brother is a cop. And then the cop casually calls in to check. And then the cops give them a lift home because clearly this lawbreaker is telling the truth? And then we get to his house where he drops in on his laughably stereotypical Italian family (where he calls his grandmother Grandma instead of Nonna, like every Italian family ever, does – do your research authors). Here we have them being all happy and then suddenly forlorn because damn it’s the anniversary of poor Isabella’s death (did I mention that part of Anthony’s tragic backstory yet?). And then when Charlotte arrives, they tell her their entire lives’ history, even though they literally just met her. And they automatically assume she is having boy trouble because she cannot decide if she wants to come back to New York – like hello? Moving to another country is a hella big decision that requires serious thought and does not have to revolve around a boy?

New paragraph. The end where they get separated by train is laughable. Like honestly, that is so typical that I am not even mad. Because then we get the whole “screw this I am going to the Empire State Building” plan of Charlotte’s. Which leads to Anthony declaring his love for the ticket lady once he finally gets there (seriously, he does, I am not kidding). And then to add to his emotional fuckboyness (because I think I’ve established that is what he is), HE ACTUALLY SAYS M’LADY. LIKE AN ACTUAL FUCKBOY.

There is a lot here that I have an opinion on, and a lot that I have an opinion on that I didn’t write. But seeing as how I’ve been fairly terrible to this book (although for good reason), I shall stop there. The best parts about this book are 1) A gay Macy’s Santa Clause, 2) how they literally bought a dog from a homeless man and named it Mistake like how hilarious is that?, and 3) the drunk man on the train that they followed to a singles’ mixer (I swear I cannot make this up). And then there is the part at the end where they are “in love” after only knowing each other for like, seven hours, and that Charlotte TOTALLY made her decision to go to Columbia because she was “in love”, and that Anthony ran past security at the airport to kiss her one final time (we live in a post-9/11 world, people, he would be tasered for that in real life). And the god-awful inner monologues for both of the characters that took up more space than actual dialogue between them. And the interactions between the two characters – the author suggests that they are nonverbally communicating as if they are an old married couple, reading the minds of each other and assuming that this average look on the other’s face has this miles-long meaning. Honestly.

Like I previously said, the storyline of the book IS NOT TERRIBLE. I probably wouldn’t mind reading it, if only the writing was bearable, like, at all. It’s entirely unrealistic, but hey, that’s what books are for. I almost feel like re-writing this entire story, just so that it can get the writing it deserves. But nevertheless, I suppose if none of the things I have pointed out in 1400 words annoys you, maybe give this a shot but damn, don’t expect to feel any different afterwards.

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