Manhattan is a stand-alone, small town, country romance in the Becker Brothers Series. Everyone knows not to fall in love with your best friend.But when your best friend is Michael Becker, it’s impossible not to.He’s everything our town knows a Becker brother to be: devastatingly handsome, charming as a thief, and the icing on the cake — a sentimental musician who’s never without his guitar.And … who’s never without his guitar.
And he was mine. At least, that’s what I’d convinced myself.
Our bond was born in elementary school, strengthened by circumstance and the promise to always be there for each other, no matter what. And the best thing about my life was being friends with Michael Becker.
Until it was the worst.
I watched him fall in love with someone else, and helped patch him back up when she left him behind. But when he drops the bomb that he’s moving to New York, I realize it’s my last chance to tell him how I feel. And I ask him to make one more promise.
One summer. One list of adventures to remind him that our small town has more to offer than memories of the girl who left him behind.
One last chance to tell him I’m in love with him.
And I’m just dumb enough to believe that maybe he could love me, too.
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Kylie is all of us- the girl who fell in love with her childhood best friend, silently pining for him for years. She’s the model bestie- she’s supported his love story from creation to demise with someone that isn’t her and supported all his passions- but supporting his passion becomes a huge jolt when he announces after high school he’s heading to Manhattan, in a large part as a way to escape his broken heart. The man in question is none other the Becker baby, Michel- one of the attractive, charming, delicious brothers infamous in their small town.- their amazing, vibrant small town brimming with vibrant characters and that small town charm Kandi writes so well. But, as these two friends spend a final summer together remembering everything they love about the world they grow up in, they find and explore a love that has been with them all along- their love for each other.
Kandi pulls on our heartstrings with these endearing characters-characters whose emotions are so thoughtfully portrayed. You feel Mikey’s heartbreak in the pit of your stomach, I felt hallowed out at the longing Kylie has in her unrequited love for him- remembered the shattering feelings of being young and loving someone who doesn’t love you back. And you feel the kinetic energy- the spark of energy that fills every pore when these two start to explore being more than friends. The chemistry here is so authentic and intimate- Kandi invests in building a rich and beautiful friendship, which not only helps us become endeared to each of these wonderful characters but also creates such a gentle, authentic, and meaningful chemistry that shapes the evolution of their relationship. Kylie is such a sweet soul- the true epitome of patient and selfless love. For years she’s been drowning in her feelings, but she supports Mikey, even when it hurts her to do so- she’s compassionate and caring, and so very thoughtful. And Mikey is everything we love about the Beckers, but even more soulful. Their story is captivating, sweet, and chock full of feeling.
Like so many Kandi Steiner books, Manhattan brings me back to why I read romance- it helps me fall in love yet again with the complex, emotional, vulnerable act of falling in love with someone else- of giving your heart to another. That’s what connects us all- we LOVE falling in love, falling into stories that carry us away to the minds and hearts of others as they discover romance. Kandi is so skilled in transporting us- in painting a focused, tender, and intimate story of the simple, but not easy, art of loving. Manhattan gives you that first love nostalgia, in particular- the goosebumps, tingling electricity under your skin, the butterflies, the tummy dropping yearning that comes with the earth shattering experience of exploring romantic love for the first time, when everything feels so big, so urgent, so revelatory. This is one of her best, and my favorite of the series- I felt young and free, full of hope, and all warm and fuzzy inside. Don’t miss this charmer!
Narration:5 stars! Loved this pairing! Two new to me narrators that I thoroughly enjoyed! Male narrators voice was so southernly sexy. Available on audible escape. Love kindle whisper sync, kept switching back and forth from listening to reading.
Story:5 stars!
My first book by this author and I’m so ready to binge read her backlist!
I started with book 3 and apparently there is an ongoing mystery throughout this series regarding the death of the Becker brothers’ father. Despite starting on book 3, I didn’t feel lost at all.
Manhattan was the perfect friends to lovers story! Fresh out of high school, Michael Becker is determined to leave his small town and head to the Big Apple (New York) in order to escape memories of his first love. Kiley, Mikey’s best friend, has been secretly in love with him her whole life and is determined to convince him to stay.
What follows is a summer of adventures, trips down memory lane, revelations, and romantic love. Throw in a dash of drama, some hallmark worthy groveling, and we have a winner!
Really loved the author’s writing and how the relationship just unfolds so naturally! Nothing over the top or suddenly out of character! A true small town romance that was completely heartwarming. Now to gobble up the rest of the Becker brothers!
This book has left me speeches. Which is not really constructive to writing reviews but I’ll try anyway.
I had a day off today and picked this book up this morning to start reading. Now, 8 hours later, after breaking out of my blanket cocoon, I realize I have been caught so deep in it’s spell that I basically didn’t do anything else today, including but not limited to: eating, leaving the house or acknowledging the world exists.
This friends to lovers story gave me all the feels and had me laughing, sobbing and swooning alternatively all day. I love the Becker brothers and I think this might be the best book in the series so far.
Full disclosure: I have the biggest girl crush on Kylie, she is the most beautiful, kindhearted and genuine character. And Michael… phew, don’t even get me started on baby Becker. Serious #swoon.
What I’m trying to say in this rambling musing is that, plainly put, this book is awesome. And I can’t wait for Jordan’s story.
5 stars! (and an honorary flower for watering Wednesdays #ISeeWhatYouDidThere)
This book is funny, and sweet and all the things a good romance book should be. I really enjoyed it!
Small town romance
Friends to lovers
Country romance
3 of my favourite tropes, add in a Becker brother and it’s the perfect book.
I am so excited to finally have read mikey and Kylie’s story, I loved seeing this pair in the first 2 books and I am BEYOND excited to see them finally get it together.
From the age of 8 this pair became best friends through the mutual grief of loosing a parent. Fast forward ten years and this pair have been each others everything. Poor Kylie had to sit back and watch Mikey date the awful Bailey but she got through it and she got her man.
This book was so well written, it really showed the struggles of being a life long best friend to becoming more. They definitely went through some difficulties getting there but luckily for them their friendship got them through it.
At one point I literally burst in to tears, I was so overwhelmed with the beautiful thing Mikey did for Kylie, what a stunning chapter.
Seriously Kandi this book definitely gave me all the feels.
Now I’m looking forward to meeting Jordan
I can’t get enough of this series and am so looking forward to the final book, but on the flipside I know then that the series is ending… bittersweet for sure!
I adore Mikey and Kylie – they are such a cute couple!! Their story was beautiful and sweet and it is told brilliantly. It is different to the first 2 books because Mikey is younger, but then he also seems so much older with dealing with loss at such a young age.
I loved the interaction from the previous Becker brothers too and of course their Mum.
I am sure you are you are going to love it!!
Manhattan by Kandi Steiner is the third book in her interconnected standalone Becker Brothers series. This is a truly emotional and powerful story of childhood best friends to lovers with a whole load of unrequited love thrown in the mix.
Best friends since they were eight, Mikey Becker and Kylie Nelson have bonded over great loss. As they get older Kylie’s feelings for Mikey develop into love for her best friend. As they get through high school he starts dating another girl, and when that relationship ends he is wrecked – but Kylie is a selfless best friend and is there to pick him up despite the heartbreak she feels at his obliviousness to her feelings. Her efforts to get him over his breakup, make him see the beauty of their small town and all it has to offer start to help Mikey see Kylie in a new light. And so goes the transition from friends to lovers. It’s beautifully written and heartfelt.
With a continuation throughout the series of suspense and subplot, this book COULD be read as a standalone but would be better enjoyed read in order. Enjoy!
It’s a mix between unrequited love and best friends to lovers. Personally I prefer the banter in enemies to lovers books but I love how this book is written. I also love standalones that are connected to other standalones.
This friends to lovers romance made this books top of December’s books for me!!! Kandi Steiner hit #1 in my opinion!!!!! Mikey and Kylie were everything!!!!!!
The last of the Becker brothers and I’m pretty sure that Kandi did indeed save the best for last because I absolutely adored Mikey. The way Kandi wrote his POV, you could feel his emotions coming at you through this book and the impact was raw and open and significant enough that it made this slow burn romance worth the read. There are so many quotes from this book that I loved and could fill my review with them but that would take away from another reader’s experience so I won’t do that except for one. This is one of my favorite lines:
“It was as if the whole world was tilting, like we were spinning out of orbit, like all the laws of gravity were being broken with that singular kiss.”
You see what I mean by raw and emotional?
Manhattan is a story about two friends help each other overcome tragic pasts, making their bond tighter and their love greater so they and navigate this life together. You don’t want to miss out on Mikey and Kylie’s story.
I’m not crying, you’re crying. That story was incredible, heart happy, adorable, and amazing.
Kylie and Michael’s friendship started because they were both mourning the loss of a parent. They understood what the other was going through and had one another to lean on growing up. As the years went by Kylie started to see Michael in a different light, while Michael was blind to it all.
After high school graduation, Michael decides he is going to move to NY. His way of mo king away from all that remind him of his ex. Kylie plans on a gap year and to help convince Michael that he doesn’t have to leave. She creates a plan for the entire summer and after one adventure Michael begins to see Kylie for who she really is. I won’t say anymore, because I really think that you need this book in your life.
Their friendship is real which makes their relationship so easy and welcoming. They know one another better than anyone else. I loved their story and how they didn’t walk away from each other and fought for what they wanted. I really enjoyed this story and the characters. Lots of emotions through it all, leaving me happy and hopeful.
What can I say about these Becker men? I love the whole family, the town (mostly), and every story that comes.
The story of Michael and Kylie was one I was anticipating, but didn’t go the way I thought it would. I have to say that I can relate to Kylie in a lot of ways – always being the friend, never getting the guy, heck the guys never noticed you as a “real” girl.
“I’ve never been the girl who gets the guy,” I whispered, more to myself than him now. “I’m not the pretty girl, the talented girl, the fun one every girl wants to be friends with and every guy wants to date,” I laughed, pointing my thumb into my chest. “I’m the girl who reads the fairy tale ending — not the girl who gets one.” My heart sank with the truth of it all, my shoulders sagging along with it as I whispered, “I’m not the girl who wins.”
Seeing Kylie hurt so much in this story broke my heart. Yes, Michael was heartbroken because of his girlfriend, but Kylie had built up so much hurt over the years that, to me, it paled in comparison to his. Especially when she sets aside the heartbreak she has over wanting Michael to try to convince him to stay in town (okay, partially for her sake) because she knows how much his family loves him.
Through the course of the story, it became apparent that both of them were bigger than this town. Kylie had dreams she was scared to fulfill and Michael had goals he couldn’t reach staying. I think what I liked most about this story was not only the love blossoming between these two, but seeing them find themselves and recognize that they can love their home and come back, but that it’s okay to pursue their dreams.
I can’t wait for the next book — I have too many questions about their dad, the distillery, and what the heck happened in the past!!
NO SPOILERS!
GAH, don’t you just love a Kandi Steiner romance?! Her stories have always brought me immense joy, happiness, and ALL THE FEELS, and I’ve honestly loved them with all my heart. Her beautiful prose has sucked me in every single time, and I can never get enough of her beautiful, inspiring, emotional, and memorable contemporary romances. The Becker Brothers series of standalones have been some of her best works to date, and I can’t wait to devour more from her!
The entire Becker Brothers series has been PHENOMENAL so far, and I’ve dearly loved each standalone, but Manhattan has been my favorite! I absolutely loved Michael and Kylie’s sweet, sexy, swoon-worthy, and romantic friends-to-lovers story. The storyline, the characters, the writing, everything about it was breathtaking. Kandi Steiner took me on a journey like no other, and although it was heartbreaking and emotional at times, I loved every single minute and was ecstatic with the conclusion. On the Rocks, Neat, and Manhattan have all been MUST READ standalone contemporary romances, and I can’t wait to devour the final standalone in the Becker Brothers series, Jordan Becker’s story, in Old Fashioned!
This book has all of the feels. It swings from laugh out loud funny to heart wrenching with sweet moments scattered throughout.
Smalltown country romance stories are one of my favourite world’s to escape to and this one did not disappoint.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. And guys, it was amazing! I’ve now read it twice because I couldn’t get enough. Michael and Kylie are my top couple out of the Becker brothers series and that is saying a lot because I really really loved Neat.
Manhattan is the friends to lovers story of Michael and Kylie. When Michael decides he’s going to get away from their small town and move to New York, Kylie knows she only has one chance to get him to change his mind before the summer is over. She puts together a list of things to remind him of why he loves his hometown. Michael isn’t just running from his town, but his memories. His first love left him high and dry and all he sees is her everywhere he looks. He doesn’t even see Kylie as anything but his best friend.
As their story goes, Michael starts noticing Kylie and their romance blossoms. Y’all, this book had me tearing up. I was rooting for Kylie to win him over so bad and then his ex comes back into the picture and I’m just sitting there screaming at my Kindle. It was a LOT of emotion jam packed into this book.
Michael and Kylie’s friendship is beautiful and has withheld the test of time. And with Kylie being secretly in love with Michael, she knows that if he actually does move, she will lose him forever. Y’all, I laughed, I cried, I cried even harder… I seriously felt every single possible emotion while reading this book. With the mystery of his father’s death and everything the family is experiencing, you’re getting more than just a love story between two best friends.
I can’t wait to see what is in store for the next Becker brother and watch the mystery finally be split wide open. I have so many theories in my head and I can’t wait to see what actually happened.
FIVE beautiful stars for this read! If you haven’t read the Becker Brothers, go check out book 1, On The Rocks and dive in. These books are steamy, fun and full of everything you’ve come to love from a Kandi Steiner book!
A brand new friends-to-lovers small town country romance from Kandi Steiner! You’ll love this book if you love: small town romance, country romance, summer romance, romantic mystery, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, and angst.
After reading Neat, I jumped right in to the youngest Becker’s tale with fervor, and couldn’t put it down. These Becker Boys steal your heart right out of your chest. This one was maddening, as some friends to lovers stories go, the transition isn’t always pretty, but their friendship since childhood was woven into their insanely romantic story. Mikey and Kylie were adorable, at a real turning point in their lives, both searching for who they were, as well as who they could be together. Fighting old haunts, hurts, and struggling with themselves, I found myself screaming at the both of them throughout. The gorgeously romantic way it all came together brought me to tears and exploded my heart right in my chest, I absolutely cannot wait for our last Becker Brother!!
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
The most gut wrenching quote from the story:
“I’ve been waiting my whole life for you to kiss me, Michael Becker,” I said, voice trembling and hoarse. One lone tear slipped from my left eye, and I swiped it away before it could fall past my cheek bone. “How dare you do it when you’re thinking about her.”
My 5 review:
This is such a sweet friends to lovers story. After bonding over tragedy in their lives at 8 years old Mikey & Kiley go through life as best friends. As with all seemingly one sided attraction there is drama and heartbreak until the other realizes just what they have been blind to over the years. This was such an enjoyable story to read and watch their relationship blossom into something more than friends.
Young love. First kiss. First crush. First heartbreak. This is what we’ve all been through and although we may not come from similar backgrounds, that hurt, angst and feelings of betrayal are never forgotten. Mikey and Kylie have been best friends since grade school and with both losing a parent a month apart from each other, their bond was cemented when they grieved together. Kylie to me in this story remained a true friend throughout everything including Mikey’s withdrawal of friendship when he got a girlfriend. Unbeknownst to him, Kylie has been in love with him for awhile and has to suffer in silence when he found and ultimately got dumped by his soon to be star girlfriend. I know for a fact that it’s a hard but stunning transition when you finally SEE someone other than how you’ve always looked at them. I’m glad that the author remained true to their age and didn’t create a sex fest and other inaccuracies of young love. The characters were well rounded and appearances by previous ones in earlier stories was reintroduced. While it may not have been a first choice to read about young ones falling in and out of love, it’s a great reminder that we all start out our lives with innocent and fresh hope, smiles and the belief that we all have something unique with one other person.
Mikey Becker and Kylie Nelson have been best friends since they were eight years old. That same year, Mikey lost his father and Kylie lost her mother and they’ve had an unbreakable bond. They were best friends till Mikey fell for Bailey and that put a big break in their friendship until Bailey left for Nashville and Kylie came back into Mikey’s life. Kylie has been in love with Mikey forever and has the summer to remind him why he loves home and not to go to NYC.
I love the Becker brothers, this story was so good. Love their relationship with their mom. Can’t wait for Jordan’s book and the answers to what really happened to their dad. Great read