Her New York Minute - Darby Baham (HSE #3032 - Feb 2024)

Series: Friendship Chronicles (Book 4)
 
Eyes on the prize…
Her career -- or her love?
 
From the moment Brit Olivia Robinson lands in New York City, she's single-minded in her ambition: take America by storm and become the best portfolio manager the New York office has ever seen on her way to a big UK promotion. Romance? No way. But after a chance airplane connection with handsome Thomas Wright, the instant spark that ignites is unlike anything she's ever felt. Thomas's role is clear, especially as Liv settles into her temporary new life. She needs a friend -- nothing more. If ambitious Liv pauses on her zoom to the top, though, can she find room for Thomas in her heart and her life -- permanently?
 
Eh. I wanted to like this book. It has never taken me three days to read one of these books, but I kept finding it easy to be distracted from it. It felt more like a book about Olivia and her friends than a romance. It seemed like Thomas had very little page time. The story was told entirely from Olivia's point of view, and I missed getting his point of view on what was happening. It was like half the story was missing. The series is called "The Friendship Chronicles," but I could have used less girl time and more romance.
 
When Olivia arrived in New York from London, she was excited about the job opportunity ahead of her. She has her entire career planned out with no room for distractions. Meeting a nice guy who strikes sparks was not in her plan, but Thomas is laid back and willing to be friends. I didn't care for how she kept him to a text-only friendship for months before deciding to grace him with an in-person meet-up.
 
I liked Thomas. He is a nice guy who deserves better than Olivia. He is sweet, caring, intuitive, and understands her. I liked his support and encouragement despite her taking him for granted.
 
I understand that she had her fears of getting too close, thanks to previous relationships. But Thomas was clearly different than those other men. I had high hopes for her when she took their relationship to the next level, but she blew it when she got word of an upcoming promotion. She lost what little credibility she'd built up with me with her treatment of Thomas. There is some redemption after a conversation with one of her friends gives her plenty to think about. The ending has promise, but if I were Thomas, I'd be cautious.