Rating: 3.5 stars rounded down
Recommend? For fans of Emma Straub - this reminded me of Modern Lovers

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was good but not mind-blowing. A light read with interesting characters and although it's more character-driven rather than plot-driven, I thought it was well-paced. The characters felt like stereotypical New Yorkers in the same way that the cast of the Gossip Girl series did - sure, these eccentric individuals exist in NYC, but the majority of people living there are not ex-rock stars and artists wholly consumed by their craft. I do think the characters were well-written though; they were complicated, with good sides and bad. I especially enjoyed the kids, and especially disliked how unhappy every single person was in their marriage.

I read this book after reading Alyssa Cole's When No One is Watching, and it did make the lack of both racial diversity and discussion of gentrification jump out at me. Since the book is literally called Cobble Hill, I wish there was more discussion about the neighborhood itself, including things like how the characters chose to live there, how that choice affected where they sent their kids to school, etc. I think those themes could have created a tension in the book driven by the world the characters were living in, rather than the characters themselves leading that drama.

Cobble Hill was very entertaining, I will say that. A major pull for me was of course the Gossip Girl connection because I absolutely loved that show! But if you're looking for Gossip Girl 2.0, this ain't it. It's more of an "adult GG" and what happens when they grow up.

It's about 4 families and is set in a small Brooklyn neighborhood. This was my first book by this author, and so it took me awhile to get into the way she story told. The characters are multi faceted, dynamic and some very odd but I found myself confused at times trying to keep up with the various plot lines.

Not sure if it's me and maybe I had too many preconvpreconceived notions going in but it didn't quite hit the mark of what I was expecting. All in all I am glad I got to meet these characters (some more than others) and am looking forward to trying this author again. Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read Cobble Hill in exchange for an honest review.

Cobble Hill is an upscale neighborhood in New York with rich and not so rich families. The story follows the families and their interesting lives.

The book was a good read but did not really have a plot. Each family has their story and sometimes they were mixed with each other but there was no overarching plot.

I had never read anything by Cecily von Ziegesar; however, I am familiar with Gossip Girls so I decided to give Cobble Hill a try. I finally struggled through to the bitter end, but it took months.

Cobble Hill is a Brooklyn neighborhood populated by a group of unlikeable characters. I didn't relate to any of the characters, and the story didn't seem to go anywhere. In fact, the characters just seemed to go from one unpleasant incident to another,

Unfortunately, I would not to be able to recommend this title.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#CobbleHill#NetGalley

“He stopped reading and looked up. ‘You’re all right,’ he said. ‘We’re all all right. The ending’s happy, I promise.’”
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I love books about the relationships and interactions between a group of people, whether it’s a large family or co-workers on a retreat or new friends in a neighborhood. COBBLE HILL fits right into this category of ensemble fiction that I love, as the novel follows a year in the lives of four families who live in this Brooklyn neighborhood. all of the characters bring their own quirks and flaws to the community as they struggle to lead meaningful, grownup lives. fun, smart reading for fans of MUSICAL CHAIRS and ALL ADULTS HERE. 4/5⭐️—I liked it! Out November 10.

I did not like it as much as I had hoped I would. I found it hard to connect to any of the characters and really did not love it.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. I read all of the Gossip Girl books and loved them so I was very excited for the latest from this author. Unfortunately, the book starts off slow and doesn't pick up. I was dreading turning every page and just gave up. Thank you for your consideration

An excellent slice-of-life local drama. Believable but distinctive characters, and fun touches that make Cobble Hill feel like the characters could be living there in real life. Local readers and others will enjoy!

This was a delightfully zany book that tells the stories of 4 well-off families in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. A very famous writer who hasn't written in 6 years, a flirty school nurse, a pyromaniac little boy, and a quirky inventor obsessed with his missing wife are just a few of the varied characters that von Ziegesar brings to life.

Cobble Hill was a fun and unique type of book! I have never read or seen Gossip Girl but am adding that to my TBR (and TBW) list after reading this book and knowing that the author is the same as Cobble Hill. As I was reading Cobble Hill, I felt as if I were reading a screenplay for a TV series, and one that I would binge watch. Will there be a next for Cobble Hill? I was intrigued and entertained, and gobbled up page after page easily and excitedly. The characters were realistic in an eccentric way, and I was eager to read what each one would do next. It was a delicious and refreshing read and I am looking forward to reading more by this author!

I love the residents of Cobble Hill — they're filled with quirks and interesting backstories. However, when it came to the plot of the novel itself, I really struggled to get through it. There just wasn't enough driving the story to hold my attention.

This novel is chock full of interesting characters, that make up the 4 families living in the Brooklyn neighborhood over the course of a year.

While I found the characters and their stories interesting, I felt the novel lacked a general sense of purpose. It wasn’t a great love story or a murder mystery or a thriller. It lacked an edge, which I thought the <i>Gossip Girl</i> author was sure to bring to the table.

I was very excited for this book, which may have lead to my having too high hopes. I enjoyed the Gossip Girl books for what they were and certainly loved the Gossip Girl world that Cecily von Ziegesar created. I just don't think that same world-building was present in Cobble Hill. The characters weren't as dynamic, the plot wasn't as driving. None of the things I enjoyed about Gossip Girl were there. von Ziegesar's writing may have improved (or her editing team) but without those other elements the same readability was absent. I got about half way through this one and didn't want to give it any more time.

Satire at its best! A hipster Brooklyn neighborhood inhabited by every character you might expect and a few you wouldn’t, stolen home food deliveries, a way to turn urine in to water and a couple of performance artists- gossip girl this isn’t but it is an enjoyable book that will make you laugh out loud!

I was constantly reminded of Casual Vacancy, except this story was moved to a well-to-do area in Brooklyn and the characters were not nearly as endearing or realistic to me as Rowling's. At some points the writing lacked nuance and felt blunt at times,

I was a big fan of Cecily von Ziegesar’s “Gossip Girl” series back in the day, so I was very excited to read her upcoming adult novel! And it doesn’t hurt that it has one of my favorite covers I’ve seen this year.⁣

In “Cobble Hill,” we get to know the Brooklyn neighborhood through the intertwined lives of four families, all full of creative personalities. There’s a former rock star, drum-playing school nurse, famous author, elusive artist, and more, all with secrets and complicated relationships.⁣

Overall, this book was a mixed bag for me. It had a quite different feel than the Gossip Girl books, which I enjoyed. The quirky cast of characters and slow burn plot easily kept my interest. And I loved how the interwoven stories gave the book the feel of a real-life neighborhood and “slice of life.” I love when the setting of a book feels like a character in the story.⁣

On the other hand, I felt as though the story never delved too deeply into any of the characters, making it difficult for me to feel super invested in them. And many of the plot-lines were left somewhat unresolved. I won’t give any spoilers, but this book also included a storyline that I really dislike in books. I do think that these criticisms are based on personal preference, and vary from reader to reader. It reminded me a bit of a quirkier “The Gifted School,” so if you’re a fan of that book, or other stories about privileged families with drama, I think you’d enjoy this one!⁣

3.5/5 stars

I really thought this book was going to be different then it was. I liked the characters, but I just kept waiting for something to "wow" me and it just never happened. This bunch of quirky neighbors happen to meet each other and become somewhat friendly. They all have their own back story and that creates a lot of the things that happen in current story. This book just fell a bit flat for me but I did finish it because I wanted see how it ended. This was a 3 1/2 for me but I'm rounding up to a 4 star.

I have not read nor watched the Gossip Girl series so Cecily von Ziegesar is a new author to me, I liked the blurb of the book and am really glad I got it from NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. It’s well written and shows how New Yorkers live. I liked the characters too; they were unbelievably quirky, idiosyncratic and funny with a little angst and unrequited love thrown in the mix.

The plot is "What the heck did I just read?" But in a really good way and was very character driven. I liked that about it because the characters were all interesting and distinctive. There were a lot of them but I had no difficulty trying to keep up with them or telling them apart. So while not a complex or thought provoking read BUT if you are in the right mindset this is fun and easy, so for me I completely enjoyed reading about the lives and mishaps of the residents of Cobble Hill.

This was an entertaining story filled with quirky characters. It was a light, easy read but I would have liked a little more depth to the characters stories.
Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this novel by Cecily von Ziegesar - buckle up and prepare for a ride on the crazy side! 4 stars for a interesting character study.

The book is centered around 4 families living in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. There is writer Roy Clarke, his wife, Wendy, and teenage daughter, Shy. Stuart Little is a former famous musician, living with wife, Mandy, and son, Ted. Peaches is a nurse in Ted's school, married to Greg, with teenage son, Liam. Then there are the artist couple, Tupper and Elizabeth. These 4 families become very intertwined as we watch each of them go through their days, struggling for meaning and purpose, working on their relationships. But it all adds up to some kind of funny/crazy!

I loved some of these characters - basically all the women were so relatable in their own ways. Mandy was a hoot. Feeling like her only purpose was to be the cheerleader in Stuart's life, she ends up faking a serious illness to explain why she stays in bed all day. Be sure and guard your food delivery boxes! Peaches wanted to be a drummer/writer and ended up being a nurse to help support the family. Now she spends the days combing through kids' hair for lice. She has a crush on Stuart from her younger days. Wendy persuaded her family to move from London to NY where she grew up - now she's struggling at her magazine job and lying to Roy. Shy is also trying to fit in her new world but is definitely an outsider.

Each of these stories winds in and out of each other. I thought it was a funny, exaggerated view of what we all go through as women in life's various stages.