Review for Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton

This book starts with our main character Jessie and her best friend Emma arriving in New York City where they’ll be staying with Jessie’s mum for the summer. Sounds like every girls dream right? Well unfortunately for Jessie there’s quite literally trouble in paradise! Turns out that Jessie and her mum don’t have the most idealistic relationship with her mother more concerned about her career than her daughter. Will their rocky relationship ruin Jessie’s trip of a lifetime? Or will New York work its magic on the out of touch mother and daughter? Meanwhile New Yorker Finn is having troubles of his own. Finn’s in love with beautiful, perfect, made for him, Sam. So what’s the problem? Oh Sam only happens to already have a boyfriend- Finn’s best friend. With a summer of near misses fate brings Jessie and Finn almost together several times. But in a city of 8 million people and a duo with problems the size of the Empire State Building will Jessie and Finn find one another?

Jessie Hearts New York City is a cute, fun, summer read. Throughout the book Jessie and Finn are constantly thrown together but never actually meet. Their paths cross on countless occasions and as you get to know both characters you realise how perfect they would be together if only they would just meet! The whole concept of fate and those small chances that define the future was a really sweet and unique aspect to the book that gives Jessie Hearts NYC that extra sparkle that makes it stand out from other contemporary summer reads.

Fate and chance play a big part in this story, so what better place for it to be set in than New York the city where dreams come true? I loved the New York backdrop Keris Stainton created for this story and loved exploring the biggest and most exciting city in the world with a heroine as fun as Jessie doing all the must do touristy things.

Overall this book is sweet, fun and ideal for a beachy summer read. However Jessie’s life isn’t all perfect with her strained relationship with her mum and I loved that extra layer to the book. It made this perfect summer fairytale Jessie is living that more realistic- something I think teens are going to relate to. Jessie and her mums issues all play a part in the overall story and fit together with the running theme of fate really nicely. The book really comes full circle that way making it a bit meatier than your typical happy go lucky read.

Jessie Hearts NYC has everything a girl wants in a summer. It has the foreign destination, the will it won’t it happen romance, a sweet and likeable heroine that girls will relate to and most importantly of all that “this is the summer where everything is going to change” vibe that makes summer time so magical. If you’re looking for a romantic, fun, read this summer this is the book for you.
My Rating 4/5 stars

Thanks go to the author for sending me this book to review