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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4.5 stars
I have been impatiently waiting for Mikey’s book since he was first introduced in On the Rocks. There was just something about the broody, broken-hearted boy that made me NEED his story. And I’m so thankful that I didn’t have to wait for him to be the last book!
Michael & Kylie are everything goals – friendship, relationship, family. They’ve been side by side since they were eight years old, and now that Mikey has announced he’s leaving Kylie has one last chance to admit her true feelings. A list of adventures that are supposed to make him realize how much he loves his hometown brings the two closer together, and sets them on a different kind of adventure – love.
I adored these characters! I loved how his heart started to melt and show his true, sweet colors. Her compassion and love was such a treat, and the banter & friendship between the two was so genuine it made my heart happy. And the best part? It was so real and true, never feeling forced or overly dramatic.
One of the things I loved the most about this story was how it wasn’t excessively sexual. Kandi Steiner can write one hell of a sex scene, but with these two the lack of steam made it even better. It was more natural, and the way their love blossomed was so perfect for them.
Family has been a big theme so far in this series, and this book was no exception. In addition to the unbreakable bond the Beckers have, we got to experience the special relationship between Kylie & her dad, as well as the extended family they had all become over the years. Different types of love were explored throughout the book, giving it that extra oomph that made it even better.
I loved this book and I highly recommend it!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. You guys this book is EVERYTHING!!!! All the stars, all the hearts, EVERYTHING!! Manhattan is the 3rd Becker brothers book, but can be read as a standalone. Michael (aka Mikey) is the youngest Becker brother. His highschool sweetheart Bailey broke his heart and moved to Nashville for her big break. Mikey was left devastated and announces to his family and friends he is moving to New York. Kylie, Mikey’s best friend since they were kids, asks him for 1 summer. 1 Summer to make him realize he still loves his small town and maybe even make him realize Kylie loves him. This is a sweet YA romance. It brings back all the butterflies and sweetness of your first kiss, first love but has some of the angst we’ve come to know and love (hate?) from Kandi. This book is for anyone who has ever been in love with their best friend. Love this book and can’t wait for the last Becker Brothers 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
angst
I can’t even with this one!!! So angsty my heart hurt and I shed some tears. Kylie and Mikey are the sweetest love! By far the best Becker Brother story and that says a lot because I love Noah and Logan! Just when you think Kandi Steiner couldn’t possible top the last one she does it again! Bring on Jordan’s story!!
Mikey and Kylie’s story was phenomenal. These two have been best friends since they were 8 years old. When Mikey is in a bad place from his break up with Bailey, Kylie (who has been in love with him for a long time) really pulls out all of the stops to make him smile again. This story give you all of the feels.
I received an ARC for my honest review.
My heart surged with happiness and joy for Mikey and Kylie but then took a nose dive down into heartache and sadness.
When these two met on the school playground at eight they were both devastated and only someone going through the same could understand the pain. They clung to each other and then forged an undying friendship. That is until Kylie had to watch her best friend, the boy she loved pull away from her as he fell in love. But when that love was destroyed she was there to pick him up.
“I prayed to God that I wouldn’t completely shatter my heart in an attempt to keep that boy in my life.”
After Mikey drops a bombshell of his after graduation plans Kylie is determined to show him all he loves about Stratford and possibly show him that she’s no longer the eight year old best friend but a woman who has always loved him.
“You know what ? You’re right. You should go. Go to the girl who broke your heart and left you stranded, who built up a future with you and then decided on a whim to take it all back. Leave the girl who loves you,”
Will Mikey see what has always been in front of him or will his broken heart drive him away from the one who’s love he has always had?
Miley and Kylie’s story surpassed all my expectations and now has me dying to get my hands on the next Becker brother.
“If you give me the chance—” “I did,” I said, bottom lip quivering hard. “I did give you the chance. But I won’t be second place. I don’t deserve to be.”
I have been loving this series and the Becker family. I love boys that take care of their momma with respect and give her strength. I love strong woman who can also let a guy lead. These characters stole my heart…they have been my favorite in this series by far.
“You think you’re so misunderstood,” I cried. “That no one gets you. But I’ve known and loved you for exactly who you are since we were kids. I have always been here. I have always understood. But this?” I shook my head. “I do not understand this.”
I was laughing, crying (ok bawling), frustrated, hopeful and just hanging onto my pounding beating heart throughout this book. This story just tugged and tugged at my heart and wouldn’t let go. I can’t wait for more in Jordan’s book –Old Fashioned.
“I’m the girl who reads about the fairy tale ending —not the girl who gets one.”
– Love is Painful –
Mikey decides he wants to leave his hometown of Stratford, Tennessee to move to Manhattan. He is dealing with a broken heart as well as the constant pain that comes with losing a parent and feels he needs to break free and leave his old life behind. He was broody, stubborn, he was an idiot at times and very frustrating but he was also sweet, funny, caring, respectful and passionate
Kylie watched as her best friend Mikey, the boy she has been in love with since she was a kid, fall in love with someone else and then watched him have his heart broken and left raw and wanting to escape so she decides to come up with a plan for the summer to show him all the things in their town that make up the reasons why he should stay. She was also dealing with painful memories of losing a parent while wanting to honor those memories anyway she can. She was smart, strong, compassionate, kind hearted, loyal, hopeful and the true definition of what is means to be a friend
– Love is Beautiful –
Watching Mikey wake up to what has been in front of him the whole time and find his joy for life again was beautiful to watch, Kylie had such a beautiful and kind soul, always looking out for the people in her life as well as strangers. There’s not a person in this world who wouldn’t fall in love with her
– Love is Freeing –
This story shows you, you can let go of the pain that holds you back in life and break free, to follow your dreams and passions wherever they may take you, to fall freely in love and hold on to it no matter what and be free to take all the adventures life throws in your path
Mikey and Kylie I adore you and I adore this book. I knew it was gonna be a tear jerker before I even started and I lost count of the amount of times I cried but I loved it with all my heart. Also shout out to Betty, gosh I love her
Kandi once again sets our hearts swooning over the friends to lovers story of Kylie and Michael Becker. This is the kind of heart melting butterflies in the stomach love that has you falling into the world of the characters and blocking out the world around.
Emotionally I’m drained, I wanted to shake Mikey on a few occasions, tell him to see what is in from of his face but he is so caught up with his past love that he is blinded to what is in from of him and for that my heart broke so many times. I loved the slow burn, the slow realisation of what has been there for him since she was 8 years old.
Whenever this lady writes books around Whiskey they are a sure fire winner!
Kylie and Mikey bonded over the loss of a parent when they were just 8. Sometime soon after, Kylie fell in love with him, and has kept that secret inside for 10 years. But now he’s dropped the bombshell that he’s leaving their small town and moving to New York. Um what? So Kylie knows it’s her last chance to tell Mikey how she feels, show him why he’ll miss their hometown if he leaves. The only question is if he’ll reciprocate her tender feelings.
Whew, Manhattan sorta had me tearing up a bit. It was so heartfelt, and I could feel Kylie and Mikey’s angst as if I were right there with them. I hurt for Kylie as she degraded herself for not being the gorgeous woman she really is, as she wondered if Mikey would ever pick her over all else. And I felt for Mikey as he finally stopped being an idiot and realized the gem he had under his nose his whole life.
These Becker Brothers have truly stolen my heart and I cannot wait for the final brother, Jordan, to have his story told!
GAH! This book… It’s refreshing. It’s sweet. It’s sexy and absolutely swoon worthy. It transports you back in time to the youthful days of first crushes, first kisses, first loves. It reminds us of that one special boy who caused the butterflies to take flight. The one who made you smile, made you laugh and made your heart soar. This friends-to-lover’s romance was pure perfection. Kandi Steiner has a way of bringing out any and all emotions that you can feel.
Kylie and Michael are both eighteen and have been best friends pretty much their whole lives. And unbeknownst to Michael, she has been in love with him since she was eight. For years now, she has sat by silently while longing for more. But Michael is completely consumed with Bailey, and therefore, blind to Kylie’s love. When Bailey breaks his heart, Kylie is there to help him pick up the pieces. She is kind and compassionate as she tries to help heal his broken heart.
I absolutely fell head over heels for Kylie and Michael. I loved watching their friendship blossom into something so much more. Their journey was both beautiful and magical. I beyond words loved their story! Kandi Steiner delivered a perfectly, amazing, heartachingly, beautiful story. All of the stars and more for Manhattan and Kandi Steiner!
Manhattan by Kandi Steiner is a contemporary, new adult, friends to lovers romance told in first person, dual POV. It is a standalone and the third book in the Becker brothers series. Book one is On the Rocks, and book two is Neat. While each book is a complete story featuring a different Becker brother finding love, there’s a mystery thread that runs through all three and at this point still remains unsolved. I’d recommend reading them all as I expect more pieces of the puzzle will come to light as the series continues. I’m looking forward to more revelations when book four, Jordan’s story, Old Fashioned, is released.
Michael Becker and Kylie Nelson are childhood best friends and they both have just graduated from high school. Outside of the two years that Mikey dated Bailey, he and Kylie were practically inseparable. Now that they’ve broken up, she’s happy to have her friend back. When Michael announces that he’s moving to New York at the end of summer, Kylie is afraid that she might lose him all over again. She’s been in love with him since childhood but always kept her feelings to herself. So Kylie devises a plan to convince him to stay. She’ll take him on adventures in their small town so that he can remember what he loves about it – and hopefully, Mikey will fall in love with her in the process.
Will Kylie’s plan work? Will Michael decide to stay in Stratford? Or will he stick to his plan and move to Manhattan when summer ends leaving Kylie behind brokenhearted? Read the book to find out what happens.
I loved Kylie and Michael’s story! As characters, they were both very loveable and relatable. The angst and heartbreak that goes along with unrequited feelings had me in tears. I was hooked from the start and read the entire book in one sitting. Beautifully written, emotional, romantic, sweet and endearing with a touch of mystery. I highly recommend Manhattan and look forward to the next book in the Becker brothers series.
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. ***
Such a beautifully written book of friends to lovers romance. The intense story combined with intense, hot chemistry made this a novel to remember. I’m this book, the main characters’ parents had passed away ten yrs prior. Given that my own father had passed away ten years ago, kandi’s interpretation of how to commemorate the deaths in the book was impeccable. Thx for such a wonderful story!
Manhattan was everything! Kylie was a girl after my own heart, and Mikey was her match! I couldn’t get enough of them. This book had it all- from heavy hearted moments, sweet tid bits and comical pieces. The detail that’s packed into all of Kandi’s book is what I love, and Manhattan has it all. It was those details that tied my heart to this book! I couldn’t put it down, and I certainly can’t wait for Jordan’s story!
Kandi Steiner is back in this Small town romance with a younger couple. If you’ve read the first 2 books in this series, you know that these books are complete standalones about a different Becker brother/couple. There is a little mystery that glues them all together, but otherwise you can enjoy these babies on their own.
Not only is this a small town romance but it is a friends to lovers as well. From the previous books, we know Mikey is a hurt little puppy. His first love left him behind for fame and success. He was left to go on with his senior year on his own. But what Mikey couldn’t see right in front of him was his best friend who was always there as far back as he can remember. Kylie was the friend that listened to him in his time of need, stood by his side even when he didn’t ask for it and gave herself to him and his family selflessly. Young love. First love. It all can be so confusing.
“I watched the boy I’d loved my whole life fall in love with someone else, and I’d somehow smiled through it all.”
This story was very different than the previous books in the series and different from a “normal” Kandi Steiner book in that it is about 2 high school senior graduates. They are definitely adults, but I would classify this as a young adult book, with plenty of teen angst and minimal sexual situations. It is a time of change and growing up. A coming of age book that deals with past relationships and family deaths. Of finding oneself and knowing who you are. It was a sweeter side of Kandi.
Manhattan is a story told in dual POV from Michael and Kylie. They are the main characters, but the supporting characters shine as well. Those Becker brothers are there as well as the parents and an “adoptive” grandparent in Betty. Those older characters really stood out in this book. Since this book was about a younger couple dealing with life and changes, those older characters had to come in with the wise and sage advice. Knowing when to say it and how to say it to carry the story forward. They are the epitome of grace and knowledge (and some laughs too). Now Mikey…I wanted to strangle that boy quite a few times. He’s obviously young and going through a lot. But how he handled so much was a little bit of a problem for me. Then I realized he’s young and just hasn’t found his footing yet. I forgave him, but I wanted to see growth. Would we see it? Would he see what was in front of him and could he move on from a past that ate at him?
And then there’s Kylie. That girl was a saint. But again, she kept too many things to herself and life was going to pass her by while she was taking care of others. She’s a learner and she’s taking a gap year, but she had no plans what she’d do with that gap but be there and take care of her father. Which is all fine and well. But she also needed to realize that the world would be able to function without her helping everyone around her but herself. She planned a summer for Mikey to realize all the good around him, but I didn’t want her to lose herself in the mix. Would she stand up for herself and let secrets come out?
This sweeter side of Kandi was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed getting to see Mikey and Kylie’s journey to love and finding it with a best friend. I felt like it was tangible and easily relatable. It could happen in any small town. The plot move forward at a nice pace and we got to see growth from our two main characters. My one thing I had a very small issue with was the mystery aspect of Mikey’s father’s death. We got a little mention and I figured we’d get more from these two. It didn’t take away from the story of this friends to lovers, but it was sitting in the back of my mind throughout and I wanted more of it. I know since the next book is the last one that we will get our answers, just wish we got more clues to it here.
Overall, this book was a little departure from the previous two, but just as enjoyable. It’s a young adult romance that will surely leave you wanting to see what would happen with this couple later on in life. For now, I will take this journey .
“I walked away from the girl who’d broken my heart and ran to the girl who’d pieced it back together.”
Manhattan Book 3 Becker Brothers
By Kandi Steiner
5 Stars
Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! So beautiful! Full of emotions and feels! Very well written! Kept my interest until the very last page! A great story about two people being best friends since eight years old. The girl fell in love but didn’t tell him. She watches him fall in love with someone else.
“You look beautiful. Like a model. A queen. A goddess.”
“To start again, you must go back to the beginning.”
I really loved loved loved this story! A VERY MUST READ!!
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
angst
Manhattan is a slow burn, friends-to-lovers, new adult/young adult romance. Mickey Becker and Kylie Nelson are recent high school graduates who have been best friends since elementary school. Sharing every experience together made them extremely close, but this last summer together is the final chance Kylie has to finally tell Mickey that her feelings have changed and she likes him as more than a best friend before he leaves for New York City. There is a continuation of a storyline behind the Becker father’s mysterious death ten years ago, but it is not a central point in this story and you do not have to have read the prior books in the series to connect with Mickey and Kylie’s story.
We’ve all been a teenager; full of raging hormones, uncontrollable dips in emotions, overwhelming feelings that we don’t understand. Reading Manhattan was like looking back in a time capsule at what being a teenager was like (reminded me how much I did not want to go back and relive those days, but also the passion about EVERYTHING that teenagers feel, and that there is no inbetween). I love that Kandi wrote Kylie and Mikey as typical teenagers, all those ups and downs and indescribable feelings that teens feel. Yes, there were so many moments that I wanted to smack both of them for their idiotic teenager emotions, but that is exactly what they are…eighteen years old which actually made the story perfect. If they had behaved like thirty year olds the story wouldn’t have held the emotional depth that Kandi drew out of them for the stage of life that they were at.
Mickey Becker is a boy who is struggling to find his identity. He’s the youngest of four brothers, who lost his father ten years ago, and lost his long term girlfriend almost eight months ago when she up and left deciding to move to Nashville to pursue a music career without him. The last one really hurt since it was dream he’d had to move with her once they’d both graduated from high school, now he didn’t know what to do with his life, except escape the town he grew up in and all the memories that linger. When he announces that he’s moving to New York once the summer ends he throws his entire family for a loop, but more importantly he changes everything in his best friends life and for the first time ever he see Kylie through new eyes.
Kylie Nelson and Mickey have been best friends since they were eight years old bonding over the loss of their parents the summer they were both eight, they have been thick as thieves ever since. When Mickey announces he’s moving after graduation Kylie finally realizes she’s run out of time. The only boy she’s ever loved could leave and he might never know how she really feels. With only the summer left to hopefully change his mind and show him that not all things are bad about the hometown he grew up in, she has a mission to walk down memory lane and bring back Mickey’s smile.
Mikey and Kylie are absolutely everything. I’ve been anxious to read Michael’s story since On the Rocks. What a journey it was. Full of bumps and crashes along the way. I found it to be quite healing at the end. Kandi thank you for another beautiful story.
This book was a slow burn of friends that turned to lovers.
Kylie has loved Michael forever. She is thoughtful and very wishful of her thoughts/actions. She will do anything to make her best friend and crush stay in their hometown.
Michael struggles with heartbreak and is learning how to overcome this. He is growing up through this and realizing can grow apart. He makes some major decisions to leave what he has always known. Will he still move after all that Kylie does to get him to stay?
The chemistry between these two is so well immersed into the story line. This story is also full of sweet and cute moments.
Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to read what comes next.