January 17, 2022
Spencer’s bubbly, opposites-attract debut romance (following her memoir The Dead Moms Club) doubles as a love letter to New York City, here a character in its own right. Chatty interior designer Franny Doyle’s day starts with being fired and goes downhill from there. In a hilarious meet-cute, she has a wardrobe malfunction on the subway, and quirky, buttoned-up Hayes Montgomery III comes to her rescue by offering his Gucci suit jacket to cover her up. Someone captures the moment on camera, and they become an internet sensation known as the SubwayQTs. The promise of romance fades when their virality lands them on the morning news and Hayes announces on live TV that Franny’s not his type. But the Big Apple continues to throw these two together, giving them ample opportunities to grow on each other. Through alternating perspectives, the reader meets the supportive, entertaining friend groups that buoy the lovers when they’re down. The leisurely paced story detours into several fun if distracting subplots, including Franny’s friend Lola falling for Hayes’s cousin Perrine, and Franny discovering an Italian half-sister. Still, the central couple are both adorable and believably imperfect, and readers will root for their happy ending. This is a joy. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

February 1, 2022
Franny Doyle is having the worst day. First she is laid off from her job as an interior designer. Then, on her way home after cleaning out her desk, her dress gets caught in the door of a New York subway, ripping in the back. Before she is completely exposed, strangers come to her rescue, including Hayes Montgomery, who offers her his Gucci suit jacket. This moment is recorded and ends up going viral online. Suddenly, Franny's humiliation is concocted into a love story between herself and Hayes and is featured on every major online platform. After a disastrous interview about their internet fame, Franny is glad to think that she'll never see Hayes again, but they keep running into each other, much to their own surprise and, eventually, pleasure. This slow-burn romance makes for a delightful, sweet debut as Spencer portrays a unique cast of supporting characters, and Hayes and Franny's opposite-attract, meet-cute story entices with a will-they, won't-they suspense that will keep readers glued to every page.

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June 1, 2022

How can a bad day get worse? After she loses her job, Franny is further humiliated when her dress gets caught in the subway door and exposes her backside to the world. A mysterious businessman in a suit insists she take his jacket, a gesture that goes viral, complete with a hashtag. As Franny keeps crossing paths with Hayes (the chivalrous stranger) all over New York City, a friendship begins and an attraction grows. A jaunty tune welcomes listeners to the audio version of Spencer's debut novel, and narrators Amanda Dolan and Neil Hellegers are entertaining throughout the characters' misadventures. Dolan personifies Franny's exuberant demeanor, instilling her performance with Franny's peppy nature. Hellegers captures Hayes's personality, imbuing his performance with the haughty, precise tone that masks his introverted tendencies. Both narrators give unique voices to the secondary characters, notably Hayes's close friend, his cousin, and Franny's two best friends. Hellegers's weaker portrayal of some of the female characters, however, might distract some discerning listeners from the story. VERDICT Listeners who like some humor in their contemporary romances will enjoy.--Amanda L. S. Murphy

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Starred review from December 15, 2021
Anything can happen in New York, especially when an embarrassing subway encounter transforms into a tender, When Harry Met Sally...-worthy romance. Francesca Doyle is having the worst morning of her life. First, she gets booted from the too-good-to-be-true interior design company Spayce, and then her green silk dress splits in two on the crowded Q train. When a handsome stranger politely offers her his Gucci suit jacket, Franny and "Hot Suit" unknowingly become viral sensations. They're dubbed the "#SubwayQTs," and it seems as if all of New York City is rooting for their meet-cute to blossom into true love--except for the couple themselves. Franny isn't the type "financial do-gooder" Hayes Montgomery III usually falls for--he even says so himself on live TV. Hayes is shy and all numbers, while Franny is loud, clumsy (almost too clumsy), and unfiltered. Yet, the city just can't seem to keep these two apart, and soon enough Franny finds herself working side by side with Hayes on a remodeling project. When one Friday night date turns into 48 hours, Franny and Hayes leave all of their platonic feelings on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Spencer weaves a laugh-out-loud, endearing tale of friendship, family, and love through the honesty of her characters-- Franny's best friends, Lola and Cleo, are standouts--and captures exactly what it's like to feel lost and found in the big city: "There's a split second where the city hits you, greets you, slobbers a kiss on your face like a puppy. It's a jolt, and a shock, and then you move on. But there's a part of you, somewhere, that marvels at it every time." Franny and Hayes both have their flaws, but their moments of self-realization are appreciated and believable, and the romantic tension and words unspoken will leave you visibly swooning page after page. A charming love story that speaks to all the welcome surprises that await in New York City.

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