Plot:

Scarlett O’Brien, utterly addicted to romantic films, has found her leading man. She’s convinced Sean is Mr Right, but the day-to-day reality of a relationship isn’t quite like the movies. With Sean constantly away on business, Scarlett and her new best friend Oscar decide to head to New York for the holiday of a lifetime.

From one famous landmark to the next, Scarlett and Oscar make many new friends during their adventure – including sailors in town for Fleet Week, a famous film star, and Jamie & Max, a TV reporter and cameraman. Scarlett finds herself strangely drawn to Jamie, they appear to have much in common: a love of films and Jamie’s search for a parent he never knew. But Scarlett has to ask herself why she is reacting like this to another man when she’s so in love with Sean . . .

Review:

Having only just recently read the predecessor to this book I had second book anxiety. There was no way that I was going to love this book more than the first one. How wrong can a girl be? Ali McNamara nailed it with this sequel. If anything, it is a much more accomplished novel than From Notting Hill with Love…Actually.

Scarlett is such a determined character yet it is often her dogged determination that gets her into all of these scrapes yet somehow she manages to turn things around and make them work for her.

Oscar made a bigger appearance in this novel and I really did laugh out loud with this one thanks to him and his Sex and the City references!

I did start to get a little angry with our heroine midway through the novel as I thought that one of her decisions was running the risk of ruining her relationship with Sean and I really like the character of Sean but as I said earlier Scarlett manages to somehow make things work out for her.

I think what made this book superior to the first one (which by the way was pretty darn fantastic) is that Scarlett has a change in her character in the fact that she is so much more selfless. Her actions in the first book without being selfish were self motivated. In From Notting Hill to New York…Actually we see her as so much more pure and altruistic.

It is this fact and once again this series of wacky misadventures that make the Actually books so entertaining. I cannot wait to read more of Ali’s reads, one of the only authors so far I’ve came across that I genuinely enjoy each novel I read of hers. There’s just something about her writing. Warm and feel good reads in new ways in each novel.

Also, what a coincidence it was as I went to see a Bradley Cooper film at the weekend (Nightmare Alley) whilst I was reading this when I didn’t know he was going to be in it!

4/5 Stars