Only in New York

by Melissa Hill

You've Got Mail meets Only Murders in the Building in this charming enemies-to-lovers romance from the Irish Times bestselling author of SOMETHING FROM TIFFANY'S - now a hit holiday romcom adaptation airing on Amazon Prime.'The perfect read for incurable romantics. Delightfully, deliciously enjoyable' Patricia Scanlan

'Hill doesn't disappoint' Irish Independent

'Another perfect book from Melissa Hill' Closer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

He makes trouble. She makes headlines.LA Publicist Hannah is ready to put her broken heart behind her and start afresh. So when a celebrity client offers to lend her a luxury penthouse apartment in New York City, Hannah jumps at the chance.

But it turns out that balancing a new job and new neighbours is harder than Hannah imagined. With a troublesome – yet undeniably attractive – client making headlines for all the wrong reasons, and the secretive curmudgeon next door seemingly on a mission to get her out, Hannah has her hands full.

It’s going to take all her best PR tricks to win over each of these cynics. But it isn’t only their walls that begin breaking down. And as Hannah starts to open her own heart to all the possibilities the city has to offer, a chance at love might be closer than she thinks.

This is New York, after all.

🗽🗽🗽

Readers are falling for Only in New delightful five star read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A deliciously fun enemies-to-lovers romance that sparkles with charm, sass, and just the right amount of emotional depth' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Loved this book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A wonderful slow-burn … I was gripped from start to finish'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Get ready to fall in love with New York, and perhaps a little bit with Hannah too' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Captivating' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The chemistry is fantastic' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Perfect for fans of witty romance and heartwarming stories of new beginnings' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'So fun … highly enjoyed' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A dream to read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Pure feel-good magic with just the right dose of sass and heart' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect for fans Dreamy locations

💓 Enemies-to-lovers

🏒 Sports romance

🐈 Adorable sidekicks

🔥 Slow burn romance

⛅ Grumpy X Sunshine

Genres: Romance, Fiction

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 22, 2025

About the author

Melissa Hill is a USA Today bestselling author living in Ireland’s beautiful County Wicklow. Her page-turning contemporary novels of family, friendship and romance are published worldwide and have been translated into twenty-six languages.

A Hollywood adaptation of her international bestseller Something from Tiffany's, by Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine and Amazon Studios, was released worldwide in Dec 2022.

Other novels including A Gift to Remember and The Charm Bracelet have been adapted for screen by Hallmark Channel USA, with multiple other titles currently also in development for film and TV.

For more info, visit her website at www.melissahill.info

Facebook: facebook.com/melissahillbooks

Instagram: @melissahillbooks

Melissa also co-writes forensic thrillers with her husband under the pseudonym Casey Hill. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

Reviews

[Jean Moy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was painfully slow. Nothing was happening until the last few chapters. I skimmed the last quarter of the book just to see what happened at the end. It really had nothing to do with New York so the title didn’t make sense to me either.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay...I wasn't invested in their story til the very end, was a bit boring up until about 2/3 through. Aside from the story, it very much felt like the author and editor don't know much about the NHL or PGA...and the typos got to me, the publisher needs to re-proof this

[Jennifer O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book sm. The chapters were the perfect length, I hate when they are too long. The enemies to lovers trope worked so well and wasn’t forced. I do think the ending was a bit odd just so they could fit in the plot of sending notes between the apartments, like Ward leaving a message for Hannah in the coffee shop was just a bit weird. Love the character development of them both, ngl wish Ed was real rather than it being Ward.

[Dawn Tomaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to figure out but I loved it.

[Caitlin Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost DNF, skimmed through to the end

[Tammy Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Melissa Hill’s books! Predicted the ending and was not disappointed! Great feel-good read!!

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this book was 150 pages less, it would have been at least a 4 star. It went on way too long and the notes between P1 and P2 made me cringe a little.

It felt like one of those movies where nothing happens until the last 10 minutes. I could even go so far as to say it felt like a hallmark movie, which isn’t a good thing.

[Steve Flig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun. I was thinking "Mills & Boon for Gen Z" (unaware that Mills & Boon actually still exists). Audio Book version ideal light entertainment for my car commute this week. Unlikely to become a fan of the genre though. I was initially attracted by the title, having just visited the Big Apple for the first time, but I was disappointed by how few meaningful references to the city there were.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The number of spelling and punctuation errors was astounding…how did this get published? I feel bad saying that because the author put her time into this book, but I had 0 connections to the characters and their romance did not make any sense to me, nor was it believable.

[Karen Quiroz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but with errors

Author needs a better proof reader but cute story. Pacing was on point. Good summer read. I would recommend this quick read.

[Laura❄️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to HQ for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Hannah is a publicist and after her last relationship blows up and nearly destroys her career, she’s takes up her clients offer to stay in her penthouse apartment in New York while she is touring Europe. Starting again in her firms New York office, managing a grumpy neighbour and a new client who is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Hannah’s really got her hands full. The grumpy old neighbour next door is determined to make her life hell but can she win him over? And is love just round the corner as Hannah bonds with her new client?

This was a fun read, it was enemies to lovers, grumpy and sunshine, sweet and romantic. I quite happily lost myself in this book for a few hours, it’s really well written and so funny in places. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book as it’s just so good, it was a nice light read for me after I have had a really challenging week and Hannah was so endearing. I enjoyed it as we saw her slowly get under her new client Ward’s skin and she reveals the real him, this book really stands out as it’s two very emotional broken people coming together and slowly bonding.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only in New York was my very first Melissa Hill novel, and I have to say—I’m impressed! This book is a fun, witty enemies-to-lovers rom-com with a grumpy x sunshine twist and all the New York City vibes you could want.

The story follows Hannah, an LA publicist starting over in NYC. She’s juggling a tough PR job for a troublesome hockey star, an unexpected luxury penthouse stay, and a mysterious neighbor who seems determined to make her life difficult. Sparks fly, humor ensues, and romance blooms in the city that never sleeps.

What I Loved:
✔ The chemistry between the leads—full of tension and banter.
✔ The authentic New York setting—it really felt like a character in itself.
✔ A peek into the glamorous yet stressful world of celebrity PR.
✔ The humor! Some scenes genuinely made me laugh.

A few plot points felt predictable, and the middle slowed down a bit, but the ending tied everything together beautifully. For my first Melissa Hill book, this was a fantastic experience! If you love feel-good romance with a big-city backdrop and a mix of humor and heart, I’d definitely recommend it. I’ll be checking out more of her books for sure.

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy in exchange for honest review.

[Hiba Meftouh · Rating 3 out of 5]

finally finished this book
i would say it was good at first but the pacing was dragging to the mud
1st the charachters
ward and hanna were good and thier charachter over all was great even tho i started hating hanna when it came to the end she was easily capable of taming edward but couldn't take matters to her own hands when it came to kendrik i wish she. was the one to expose him and take matters to her own hand
there was no actual development to her character bcz she was always running constantly from her problems

writing wasn't terrible yet it wasn't good at the same time
it was dailogue heavy specially when it came to ward feelings
when it cames to passing it was terrible it felt dreading for so loong and i wanted to see them as a couple like a good proper full day with each other with them being themselves and having fun the ending was great enough to make forget all about this

[Rachel Sargeant]

Publicist Hannah needs to get away from a disaster in her work life, so she gets transferred to her company’s New York office and takes up the offer to housesit a celebrity client's sumptuous apartment. Hannah’s first assignment in her new location is to manage the public image of Wade, a grumpy ice hockey star.
Told from the viewpoints of both protagonists, the book weaves an enemies-to-lovers story that depicts a dazzling version of New York, complete with designer labels and glitzy showbiz events. Alongside the escapist setting, there is a subplot on a serious, topical issue.
Ideal for fans of slow-burn sports star romances.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

[Amanda Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, even though I figured out the neighbor was the hockey player very early in the book. It was just too obvious.

However, my one issue with the book is that it should have been copy edited more. There were a lot of mistakes, from repeated words to missing words. There was a disclaimer in the preface stating that the book was written, produced and edited in the UK and that some spelling, grammar and word usage would vary from US English. However, I don’t think those differences account for the issue mentioned above. When the mistakes appeared, it took me out of the story, which should never happen with a book.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Melissa Hill’s books, and it has been a long time waiting for a new book. My expectations were high and I was proven right. I adored this book and loved the relationship between Ward and Hannah and Hannah and her grumpy next door neighbour. The back and forth notes between them really reminded me of an old school version of You’ve Got Mail. It was a nice lighthearted book. The only small sticking point this that there wasn’t a lot of description about New York City itself, but it’s a small thing.

[Sarah Delwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between the major typos (I’m not talking British spellings vs American, I’m talking characters’ names spelled differently multiple times throughout the book) and the cheesy knock-off plot from You’ve Got Mail, I’m underwhelmed. Why is it so hard to write characters who can honestly discuss their thoughts with others and stop ghosting people due to misunderstandings? It’s trite and I was annoyed from halfway through to the end. It’s ok if you need a light diversion and you don’t care if it’s spelled Shelly or Shelley, but I’m kinda sad I wasted a week on this one.

[Carlie Easterday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly average book. A lot of typos, though, which made for a nice laugh but also got a bit annoying! Also, as a sports medicine major, I couldn’t help but cringe when Ward said his ACL tear kept him off the team for three months. In reality, that is a 6-8 month recovery, possibly even more. When so much of his story revolved around his injury, there definitely should have been more research done.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted something light and easy to read and this ticked the box. It was very predictable and the writing was so-so. I liked the fact that the male love interest was an asshole at the start. The last few romances I've read, the love interest didn't have any major negative qualities so there wasn't much development with the character but there was here with Ward. It was refreshing watching the character develop as the story went on.

[Bonnie A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish

I read through Chapter 16 (16 for Pete's sake!), hoping to see Ward change just enough to be likeable. No dice. His being nice to a bedraggled cat just wasn't enough. The rest of the time, he was self-pitying and hostile. Ugh. I liked Hannah a lot. I'm sure Ward would end up redeemed by the end of the book, but I knew I wasn't going to buy it. Not when it was taking so long to get there.

[Tana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed this love triangle. Finally an author sharing both the female & male side of the story.

Hannah was an LA Publicist who came to NY to mend her broken heart. She works with Ward; an ice hockey athlete, to make a better public opinion of him.

There’s always two sides to a story & many many hand written notes.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story!

I truly enjoyed the premise of Only in New York. A great idea for a story! The main characters, Hannah and Ward, were likable and life-like. But, I have never read a book with so many errors. I felt like I was reading the rough draft. Look past all the mistakes and this is a fun read.

[Elyse Mcnulty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only in New York by Melissa Hill was a fun Rom-Com read. Hannah and Ward’s story are compared to You’ve Got Mail and Only Murders in the Building and this is certainly true. My only caution is the beginning is very slow and does not really pick up until 3/4 of the way through. At this point you think you know how it will end but…I will not leave any spoilers. Enjoy

[Jesslin Chandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I genuinely like the first half as i wanna see more of this secret pen pal close proximity romance. But, for romance book with little f2f interaction between the leads and no smut, the execution has to be perfect. While the plot is fun and the issue towards the end thickens the plot, i just don't feel any romance between the Ward & Hannah, wish their closeness is explored more in the book.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed

I needed a story that was light and fun but enough of a complicated plot to keep me interested. This book perfectly fit the bill. Struggling to work together professionally, the characters unknowingly were becoming close.

[Suzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about Hannah and Ward. There were times I felt the story was too repetitive but a feel good ending. It was pretty obvious from the beginning about Ed - so it did feel a bit anticlimactic when it was finally revealed at the end.

[Brandy Bellittera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly wanted to love this story. But the massive amount of typos and editing errors were hard not to cringe at. I felt robbed of the chemistry Ward and Hannah could have truly shown in their story. I wanted to root for them, but things fell flat.

[Emily S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, light, fun read.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG so cute so fun!!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK. The editing, especially towards the end, was terrible…typos, spelling, repeated words, it was very distracting.