Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this. It wasn't entirely to my taste because I didn't find it relatable enough to root for or against many of the characters but it was a good story that I will try again one day.

I really wanted to like this one more because there were definitely some characters I liked, but in the end, I DNFed this one because I just couldn't get into it. The story was kind of all over the place, and it just didn't hold my attention. I appreciate the opportunity to give it a try, though!

This book sounded like a lot of fun. I love a NY setting and it sounded like a Sophie Kinsella storyline. However, excessive foul language and graphic sexual details are too much for me. I like to keep my books a lot more on the PG side. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one to anyone. That said, if these things don’t bother you, take my thoughts with a grain of salt!

While I enjoyed this but, I didn’t necessarily love it. I did love the whole sex in the city vibe but I didn’t feel the story was as compelling as it could’ve been.

Penelope “Pepper” Bradford if finally living out from under her parents’ thumbs and moved into her own apartment in the Chelmsford Arms - purchased by her financier fiancé Rick. From there we meet her neighbors and the staff of the building, and witness the trials and tribulations of their respective relationships, friendships, and marriages, none without their complications. A little draggy in spots, bogged down by the overwhelming amount of depression in the building, a rather morose read, though not knowing what the various characters might come up against next compelled me to keep going at the same time as kind of wanting it to be over. 2.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My Thoughts
I’ve been trying to read this book for a very long time since it was a NetGalley book I requested. Sadly, I did not like it. Here are my pros and cons for Carnegie Hill:

Pros
1. I did think it was an interesting look at how people are perceived. What you think about someone can be miles away from reality or how that person thinks of themselves.

Cons
1. Too many characters and too many of them were irritating and unlikeable. There was simply too much going on and not enough development for anyone.
2. I feel like the book tried to make some huge social commentary by addressing a bunch of “isms”; however, all of that fell flat and none of it was really covered well.
3. The pace dragged for me frequently. I put it down from time to time and didn’t pick it back up for months. It just wasn’t engaging for me.
4. The book would have benefitted from some better editing.
5. I didn’t like the ending at all.

Summary
I finally finished this book and, sadly, I’m not sure why I did other than I felt an obligation to NetGalley since I agreed to review it. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Dunne Books for a free eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Marketed as a a book about a married couple, I expected to relate to the characters. This story just involved too many people, most were irritating, and none who were developed enough to carry the story to a point where I was invested. And then, it just ended?

Characters fell flat and were unlikable. The story was hard to relate to and didn't feel like a romance.

Carnegie Hill should be a light beach style read. When I started reading, it felt along the lines of the "White Girl Problems" series, which was great, as I loved those stories and the mix of a complete lack of self introspection and a general lack of empathy to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, Pepper spends a lot of time with self introspection, but takes an absurd amount of pride for doing things that could deliberately make her life worse. She's uncomfortably proud of her lack of commitment to a career and that she'd never date someone her parents liked. It made it hard to connect with her as a character, even as a total opposites sort of reading, as she aware of her own issues from the beginning, but saw them as positive character traits. Overall, there are some heartwarming scenes and some moments when you can't help but feel anxious on behalf of the characters. The ensemble is the real star of this book. From the sweet residents of the building to Pepper's parents, these characters were charming and real. They very much stole the story. I'd love to see Vatner's take on a slice of life story, rather than focusing on a single main character such as Pepper.

This book is so well written. I loved how Vatner used multiple point of views to tell this story. I found myself liking even the most unlikable characters. Pepper is also one of the most relatable character I've come across in awhile. She has flaws and gets depressed and shows how money truly isn't everything. This book tackles aging, depression, racism, and elitism in a way that includes everyone. I started this book thinking I would probably enjoy it, but it was so much more than I would have imagined!

I always love a good feel good chic- lit

Penelope “Pepper” Bradford moves into the Chelmsford Arms with her fiance' Rick, who is a wealthy financier. She joins the co-op board, and starts making friends among her neighbors. Her parents meet Rick for the first time and compare him to a used-car salesman and beg her not to marry him. They threaten to boycott the wedding, so Pepper stubbornly digs her heels in and plans an even larger wedding than she had originally wanted. Once married, she discovers married life isn't all she thought it would be, and she wonders how all of the older couples that she lives near have managed to do it.
This book gives you a behind-the-scenes look at all the marriages.... a kind of voyeuristic look at how all the marriages are really holding up behind closed doors. This was so much fun to read. I highly recommend it!

Pepper is engaged. At 33 years of age, she is floundering in life. Her parents still have too much influence over her life. Pepper and Rick live in a fancy apartment building with mostly older couples. Rick works in financial services and seems to have a close relationship with a female client. Does it cross the line? Her parents encourage her to dump him. She turns to her neighbors for advice and discovers no one has the perfect relationship. An endearing story about love, life and relationships.

I really loved this! It was a lot of fun, well written and the characters were well developed! I highly recommend this for others!!

I went into Cobble Hill, really expecting Gossip Girl for adults, but I found was a more of a neighborhood ensemble novel, like Jonathan Vatner's Carnegie Hill or Candace Bushnell's One Fifth Avenue. Cobble Hill's in Brooklyn, so these neighbors are all in separate houses, not in the same building, creating a wonderfully gossipy, interconnected setting more like in Abbi Waxman's Other People's Houses, or Rosie Millard's The Square.  I really enjoy these ensemble books about neighborhood secrets and affairs, as well as the way the characters impact each other.

The first 30% of this book dragged. With so many characters and a slow build up, this book requires quite a bit of patience to get to the second half where the story picks up and becomes more enjoyable. None of the characters are truly likable but they all grow and develop to various degrees. Just make sure you’ve brewed a strong pot of coffee to get you through until you get to that part of the book...

Wow, this book had SO many characters. I had so much trouble getting into it. I really wanted to care, but I just didn't. A bit of a bummer.

I hate to say this book really dragged for. I wasn't able to form any connections with any characters and most of them were quite unlikable.

We meet Pepper, a 33 year old woman with no job, no life, and no ambition. She just moved out of her parent's house and lives with her fiancee Rick. She lives in Chelmsford Arms, a NYC apartment complex for the snooty and hight and mighty.

Holy crap the amount of characters in this book and the majority that I didn't care for. What bunch of boring and troubling people. Rick was just a hot mess and a piece of crap (you'll see if you read the book), Birdie is trying to spice up her relationship with her husband George, but they're both lost and confused me. Francis just complained too much like Pepper, and Caleb just had a normal life which was bland.

I don't know, this book just did not do it for me. The writing was horrible, the characters were so flat that I couldn't even relate to them. I'm not saying I wanted to have an exact depicted life of a fictional character, but I wanted to at least go: "Man I know how they feel". The author could've done better. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Dunne books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

My opinion is hard to give because I couldn’t actually finish this novel. I tried on several occasions, hoping it was just me, but I could not get “into” this storyline. The characters did not seem very dynamic to me and the plot was not something that jumped off the page. Personally, this is a swing and a miss. Hopefully someone else found this to be a grandslam!

I finally finished it, but it took me a long time. The book was alternately interesting and deadly boring. The characters were unpleasant and immature. This one was not for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.