Bug is back with another review!

Title: Anna Takes Manhattan

Author: Lisette Decos

Genre: Romance

I received Anna Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos at Booked at the Ballpark, where they were handing out romance books, and I really think I won with this one. This was such a fun and surprisingly thoughtful take on a rom-com. The premise was simple: Anna decides to throw caution to the wind and say yes to dating opportunities instead of endlessly searching for someone who checks every box on her carefully constructed list. 

As a reality-show writer she spends her professional life immersed in the fantasy of finding the perfect relationship. In her personal life, she does much the same thing, keeping lists, including one outlining what her perfect guy should and shouldn’t be. Instead of continuing to search for someone who checks every box, Anna decides to go on a series of dates with very different guys, each one giving her a new experience and, eventually, a little more insight into herself. I appreciated the balance between romance, comedy, and Anna’s personal journey. There were several moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud and the dating scenarios were entertaining. 

Although Anna has flaws, she is a funny, independent, and relatable character. As she tries to find the perfect guy she is unknowingly finding herself as she experiments with different outfits, hairstyles, and personas. There are plenty of light moments, humor, and conversations that reveal what she is learning about herself and those around her.

As this a romance, yes, Anna eventually finds someone she unexpectedly feels is right for her, someone who truly sees her and appreciates her without requiring her to change.

Although I am not an advocate of romance novels, I really enjoyed this one because it isn’t sickeningly sweet or about a woman simply pining over finding a man. The real story was Anna taking charge of her own journey and finding herself. She makes choices, takes chances, makes mistakes, and learns from them. Most importantly, she discovers that she doesn’t need to check every box or become someone else to be worthy of love. She just needs to be fully herself.