Review by Booklist Review
Charlotte and Anthony are both done with love. Charlotte's headed back home to England after a terrible breakup with her boyfriend during her semester abroad, and Anthony just got dumped at the airport by the girlfriend he came to surprise. When a blizzard strands Charlotte in New York on Christmas Eve, she bumps into Anthony, desperate to create one last story before she leaves the U.S. Heeding a self-help book, Get Over Your Ex in Ten Easy Steps!, the two set out into the city for a spontaneous, romantic Christmas adventure. Rider has crafted a short and sweet, heartwarming Christmas romance that will satisfy fans of Jennifer E. Smith. Told in alternating perspectives, Charlotte and Anthony come to life on the page, supported by the magical atmosphere of New York on Christmas Eve. Even with an inevitable and slightly predictable ending, teens will easily relate to the characters and be driven by the strong emotions at the story's core. Anyone looking for an endearing holiday romance will be delighted by Rider's novel.--Shepard, Amanda Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a sweet and satisfying Christmas Eve romance told from alternating perspectives, two strangers embark on an epic night of soul-searching and adventure. Charlotte, having completed a semester of high school in New York City, is at the airport on her way home to England. She was in love with the city and a boy named Colin, until he dropped her. Meanwhile, Columbia student Anthony just got dumped by his long-distance girlfriend after waiting to greet her at J.F.K. When Charlotte's flight is canceled, she and Anthony commiserate over an airport bookstore copy of Get Over Your Ex in Ten Easy Steps!, then decide to follow its instructions together, crisscrossing the city with comically disastrous and poignant results. Rider (a pen name for Stephanie Elliott and James Noble) creates enticing chemistry between Charlotte and Anthony in this giddy ode to the Big Apple. Ages 14-up. Agent: Alexandra Devlin, Working Partners. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Charlotte and Anthony meet in NYC on Christmas Eve at the airport; Charlotte's flight home to England has been canceled and Anthony was just dumped publicly by his girlfriend. Charlotte is also nursing a broken heart, so together they explore the city with the assistance of a self-help book, Get Over Your Ex in Ten Easy Steps! The book directs them to "explore alternative yous" (makeover time!), do something that scares you, and more. As they progress through the steps, they learn more about each other, somehow end up adopting a dog together, and of course, fall in love. At times, it feels like details are missing (sledding during a snowstorm is sure to cause wet jeans and shoes, but there is no mention) and the romance feels too quick. Some teenagers will enjoy this short, lighthearted, formulaic fare with quick, easy banter, but sophisticated readers should be directed to The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon or Jennifer E. Smith's books instead. VERDICT Recommended only for high school libraries with large romance collections.-Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
British teen Charlotte and New Yorker Anthony, both recovering from breakups, meet by chance at JFK Airport on Christmas Eve. Loosely following a self-help book's ten-step advice about getting over an ex, they embark on an impulsive NYC adventure, falling for each other along the way. The plot is predictable and bland, though devoted romance fans may enjoy the love-after-heartbreak premise. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two lovelorn teens connect on Christmas Eve.A blizzard has struck New York City, grounding Charlotte's plane home to Britain. Charlotte is still getting over a rough breakup, and on a whim she purchases Get Over Your Ex in Ten Easy Steps! from the trashy airport gift shop. Before long Charlotte bumps into Anthony, who has just been dumped by his long-distance girlfriend, returning to the city for the holidays. The pair lick their wounds and unite to perform the 10 steps enumerated as they travel across the city. The author hangs smart character work and swooning romance upon this structure, teasing out the main characters' hang-ups and quirks while effectively fanning the flames of their romance. The book's pace is neither frantic nor too navel-gazey, with these well-rounded protagonists bouncing off a variety of tertiary characters that are less developed but move the plot forward at all times. Charlotte and Anthony, both white, aren't the most original pair, but there's a pleasant ease to their chemistry that will have readers rooting for them. The clichd backdrop of "Christmas Eve in New York" doesn't overplay its twee possibilities. There's certainly a bit of magic in the city, but the grit of the real New York pokes out here and there. A sweetly paced and smartly wrought romance. (Fiction. 12-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
