In a New York Minute

How can a bad day get worse? After she loses her job, Franny is further humiliated when her dress gets caught in the subway door and exposes her backside to the world. A mysterious businessman in a suit insists she take his jacket, a gesture that goes viral, complete with a hashtag. As Franny keeps crossing paths with Hayes (the chivalrous stranger) all over New York City, a friendship begins and an attraction grows. A jaunty tune welcomes listeners to the audio version of Spencer’s debut novel, and narrators Amanda Dolan and Neil Hellegers are entertaining throughout the characters’ misadventures. Dolan personifies Franny’s exuberant demeanor, instilling her performance with Franny’s peppy nature. Hellegers captures Hayes’s personality, imbuing his performance with the haughty, precise tone that masks his introverted tendencies. Both narrators give unique voices to the secondary characters, notably Hayes’s close friend, his cousin, and Franny’s two best friends. Hellegers’s weaker portrayal of some of the female characters, however, might distract some discerning listeners from the story.