REVIEW: Twelve Hours in Manhattan by Maan Gabriel

Twelve Hours in Manhattan by Maan Gabriel: Life is really not going the way that Bianca Curtis had always hope it would, with everything crashing around her, she has pretty much given up all hope. This is when she meets famous K-Drama actor Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric too is trying to run away from his real life and all the pressures that come with being a famous actor.

The two instantly click and share twelve incredible hours together, connecting on all the important levels. But real life is more than a few perfect hours wondering the city and when the clock strikes the twelfth hour real life comes rushing back. And for Bianca this means facing a tragedy that could change the course of her life entirely. Fast forward two years and it would seem fate has decided to give these two a second chance at real love but can they actually make it work this time round?

Okay I’m going to start of by saying I loved the look of this cover! After seeing the cover I was super eager to get my hands on this book in the hopes that it would be some cute romcom set in Manhattan, however what I got instead was one emotional second chance novel mainly about self discovery. I won’t lie the first half of this book really wasn’t for me, there was way to much play by play retelling but once we got to the plot twist in the second half, I began to find myself more invested.

Both characters were interesting. I liked that they had both being going through a bit of an identity crisis in the sense Eric was still trying to find the balance of wanting to be famous but also wanting to be normal, where as Bianca found herself in the situation where her entire world was crashing and her inner strength was being put to the ultimate test. While I liked the connection that they formed, I couldn’t help but find that the actually romance element in this book was on the lower side. In saying this there was a lot of emotion packed into this book, so prepare for a few tears because there are some heavy topics in this book.

As much as I wanted to love Twelve Hours In Manhattan, I just found that this book was not for me, granted that it did have a great plot twist and a moving second chance romance, I just couldn’t help but feel that it was lacking a but for my liking. However if you enjoy K-Dramas, insta love and meet cutes then this book is worth checking out.

Book Info:

Publication: April 18, 2023 | She Writes Press |

Two worlds. One heart. Twelve hours.
Bianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min, and he’s in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From walking along Fifth Avenue to eating ice cream at Serendipity to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. In that time, they talk about the big stuff: love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.
But real life is more than just a few exhilarating stolen moments in time.
As the clock strikes the twelfth hour, Bianca returns back to the life she detests to face a tragedy that will test her strength and resolve–and the only thing she has to keep going is the memory of a man she loves in secret from a world away.