“New York, Actually” is a charming tale of two people who believe they can’t fall in love–until a couple of dogs bring them together. So if you love dogs, romance, and New York City, this book has pretty much everything you need.

Molly is a relationship advice expert who’s never not only never been in a real relationship, but her failures in that sphere have been broadcast on national tv back in her native England, and spent several weeks trending on Twitter. Heartbroken and humiliated, she was forced to flee her home country, change her name, and start all over again in NYC. Meanwhile, Daniel is a hotshot divorce attorney who’s never been married, and never intends to be. When he borrows a dog in order to catch the eye of the hot woman he sees running with her Dalmatian every morning in Central Park, all he’s looking for is a fun fling. Until events take a number of surprising twists and turns…

One part romance, one part “chick lit,” “New York, Actually” is a lighthearted romp through pretty much all the tropes of both genres, minus perhaps the clothes shopping. Clothes play an important role in the book, but it’s mainly Daniel’s suits that get center stage when that particular topic comes up. But other than that you have the two damaged hearts finally finding love after overcoming a number of obstacles, most of them self-constructed, you have the supportive and slightly zany friends and neighbors, the high-powered careers in a major metropolis, and the adorable dependents who bring the seemingly-incompatible-but-actually-made-for-each-other heroine and hero together, the steamy sex scenes…you get the picture. I can’t say that “New York, Actually” breaks much new ground for the genres it represents, but it’s an entertaining, readable, well-constructed book, full of good-looking humans and lovable dogs, and sometimes that’s all you need. If you’re looking for an upbeat love story set in the Big Apple, or a break from heavier reading, “New York, Actually” is a fine choice to read through in an afternoon or two.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Buy links: Barnes and Noble, Amazon