Publication date: 4 December 2014
Published by Avon
Purchase from Amazon here
The Blurb:
Have you ever given up on love?
When her boyfriend lets her down for the last time, Brooklyn bookshop owner Bea James makes a decision – no more. No more men, no more heartbreak, and no more pain.
Psychiatrist Jake Steinmann is making a new start too, leaving his broken marriage behind in San Francisco. From now on there'll just be one love in his life: New York.
At a party where they seem to be the only two singletons, Bea and Jake meet, and decide there’s just one thing for it. They will make a pact: no more relationships.
But the city has other plans . . .
My Review:
Miranda Dickinson....I love you! What a wonderful book I'll Take New York is (although I expected nothing less!). It is perfect, so perfect i actually hugged it after the last page. I have devoured the pages and was so sad when I got to the final one as I just didn't want it to end. I am definitely a member of Team Bea and such a fan of hers! I feel a massive book hangover coming on.....I am not going to be able to do this book justice with my review.
So, I'll Take New York tells the story of Bea and Jake. As we meet them Bea is living in New York and dating a guy called Otis. She owns a bookshop with her friend Russ and loves her job. Her family have all been gathered together for dinner and Bea is suspecting that Otis is about to pop the big question.....that is if he ever shows up.
Jake on the other hand is moving back to New York after splitting up with his wife, Jessica. She called time on their relationship and he is devastated. He is moving back to New York, closer to his family, where he hopes to start life over and open up a new practice (he is a psychiatrist).
When things go bad between Bea and Otis she goes along to an engagement party with a friend where she and Jake meet up for the first time. During the evening they get talking and find out about eachothers predicaments. This is when they come up with'The Pact' which swears them off getting into new relationships and risking any more heartbreak or misery. The next day they both realise they never exchanged numbers and regret this, especially as they could both use a friend to hang out with.
Ahh but NYC has other plans for them! At the party Bea also got talking to Rosie who runs a florists and they clicked. Rosie gave Bea her number and suggested they keep in contact. As luck would have it is engaged to Jakes brother Ed so when Bea takes Rosie up on the offer of friendship they end up reunited.
Jake and Bea start a friendship which I lapped up. They have both been badly hurt and need to regain faith in the opposite sex, but also just really need someone to be there and who they can have fun with. Even typing about them brings a smile to my face. What brings another equally big grin to my face is that this all takes place in New York, my favourite city in the world. I just adore it! They decide to take eachother to their favourite spots and this was just fantastic for me to be a voyuer. It took me back to my trip to New York a few years ago and places such as Central Park which I had only ever read about or seen on TV, and dreamt of visiting. New York is my perfect location for a book.
Are they destined to be the best of friends or can it become more? And how will their ex's feature in their future? Oh I would so love to tell all but I know that would ruin it for you and I would be livid if anyone had spoilt it for me!
Each chapter tells you the venue it is taking place in. I didn't take much notice of this at first, but as the story progresses and you get to know places such as the book shop, or Jakes office, or tourist attractions better this was the first thing I was drawn to....where were we visiting and what might be about to happen.
The book might seem predictable...a man and woman, both who have been scorned, become friends and live happily ever after. Yeah yeah, we see this all the time. What makes this book any different? The characters and the way they are written. They are fantastic and I loved them! Bea and Jake are so cute and vulnerable. I just wanted them to be happy and knock their heads together that they are a perfect couple. But also as great are the supporting characters who add so much more. I won't name them all, but a couple that stand out are Russ, who is a great friend, if not somewhat intense at times. And Ed and Rosie who are a gorgeous couple. Their wedding is one of my favourite chapters of the book. I was swooning and all emotional!!
But......my star of the show is Grandma Dot. I just love her to pieces. She lives back in England but when Bea is down she starts to send packages to her, just like when she was a child. These packages contain books with passages highlighted, and the most wonderful and moving letters. She is such a wise woman who imparts so many words of wisdom, from the heart. i simply adored her and I couldn't wait to read more about her. I would so love a package like that to land on my doorstep. So magical!
The book is more than a 'chick lit' boy meets girl story. There are some real snippets of wisdom and food for thought when exploring the characters. It is so cleverly written. I ended up bookmarking some quotes or situations as they felt really powerful and I could relate them back to how I behave or view myself and others. One particular quote 'the longer you hide from what you fear, the more seemingly insurmountable it becomes.......when you put yourself in challenging situations you find you have what you need to cope within you' was like magic medicine to me. Miranda is such a talented author and brings places, people and situations to live so easily. They are all so believable and have great, down to earth jobs and traits that it was very easy for me to relate to them (perhaps too easy for some, oops!).
I also warn you that I found myself holding my breath and at one point shouting out loud at the book, well the characters. It truly captivated me and I felt transported into their world. I would love to go and hang out in the bookshop or visit the florists. They feel like old friends and I really hope to hear more about them in a future book.
Thank you to Miranda for writing such a engaging, fun, warm and romantic book. It is perfect for reading at any time but is lovely to snuggle up with on these cold evenings and have some escapism into someone else's world. If you hadn't guessed I love this book and I am already eagerly awaiting her new book. Oh, and finally I have to mention the cover which. Is stunning. I canf wait to see it on the bookshelves. I will be out buying a few copies to give as christmas presents and would highly recommend that you pick up a copy too.
In the meantime I will going to grab her other books for my fix.........
Thank you to the publisher who kindly provided a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
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