3.5★s
Manhattan Dreaming is a novel by Australian author and Wiradjuri woman, Anita Heiss. After a year with Canberra Cockatoos footballer Adam Fuller, Lauren Lucas is frustrated and less than happy with his attitude. Her best friend and colleague at the National Aboriginal Gallery, Libby keeps trying to convince her that Adam doesn’t deserve her, but it mostly falls in deaf ears.

Libby can’t understand why Lauren, “gorgeous and vibrant and witty and sexy. You’ve got the best smile and every woman here at the gallery wishes she had your legs and your hair” who has “a CV of exhibitions that shows you can mix it with the best in the art world, you’re only one of a handful of First Nations Senior Curators in the country” would put up with a man who’s barely “articulate for a footballer”, treats her so poorly, is regularly seen with other women and is clearly a commitment-phobe.

When her boss at the Gallery suggests she is the right person for the visiting curator fellowship available for a First Nations curator that the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian in New York City is offering, Libby and Lauren’s housemate, Bec decide to stage an intervention that involves favourite foods and NYC movies.

Not much later, Lauren is bidding tearful goodbyes to friends and family, and discovering the friendly welcome New Yorkers offer visitors. In between her interesting days at the NMAI in Bowling Green, her new flatmates show her the town, and New York’s male population shows her what she’s been missing in the world of dating. But for too long, Lauren still has the romantic notion of reuniting with Adam at the top of the Empire State Building, Sleepless in Seattle style.

Even though most readers will have predicted the romantic ending, it’s fun to watch Lauren being treated the way she deserves. Lauren’s job also allows Heiss to drop a feast of Aboriginal artist names, making her novel an unashamed promotion of Aboriginal culture. While originally published more than a decade ago, this edition has been updated to take place in 2023, and from the comments in earlier reviews, it’s an improvement.

The novel does seem to be trying a bit too hard to be both a topical/relevant commentary on aboriginal art, and a light-hearted romance. Nonetheless, entertaining and enjoyable.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.