I had a hard time getting through this book. It started great, but then kind of lost me at some point and I had to force myself to finish. I think it could have been a little shorter Andy maybe less characters—- I felt like I was getting confused

This is an unusual book which tends to jump around a bit. This, I didn’t mind. I liked the different approach and enjoyed having to focus and “keep up.” However, I found the characters largely unlikeable and difficult to engage with and that really detracted from the experience for me.

This was wacky to say the least. The plot jumps and unlikeable characters didn't work for me. It took forever to get into it and it seemed like there were several different plots going on at the same time, but they never quite came together.

Okay I have no idea what that was lol... I was intrigued by the zaniness of the premise. I liked the beginning but was quickly turned off by the all over the place nature of the writing and storytelling style. I also had issues with the protagonist's desperate attempts at a relationship with the younger brother of her dead husband - who was literally the age of their son... The whole thing just didn't sit well with me and I wasn't able to connect to any of the characters or the storyline. I was not able to finish as a result. This one wasn't for me...

What did I just read? I can’t even gather a solid thought.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book, but it was poorly executed.
I felt that the author had 100 ideas and tried to include 99 of them.
There was even an adventure that felt a bit like the Goonies.

Anyways. Pretty interesting.

Thanks for the arc! I look forward to the future books by this author, just cause I’m super curious.

This wasn't what I expected and I didn't end up enjoying the writing style as it read much younger than what I was led to believe it was intended for. Not bad, but not for me.

This book was all over the place. I don't mean the back and forth in time. I mean everything else. It was written as if by a very immature young person who could not decide what direction to take so they took 'em all! There was a lot of ewwww factor, too. Start with a secret marriage and death on a train track and somehow get to a woman almost 40 seducing a teenager before they go in search of Hawaiian treasure and I think you get a small portion of what this book is about. I just couldn't really enjoy it.

Why did her husband jump onto the train tracks? Read how cat's life is 20 years on from her awful tragedy and watch the spindle form as she gets involved with her late husband's family. Who can she trust?

On December 8, 1980, 18-year-old Connie is ready to start the next stage of her life. She and her new husband, Dan, are about to start a new life in Hawaii, where they will soon be joined by their baby. But as the world is about to learn of a tragedy at the Dakota, Connie is about to experience an unfathomable personal tragedy.

Twenty years later, in June 2000, Connie returns to New York City from London, where she has been living unhappily with her mother. Both have been drowning their problems in alcohol, and Connie has added young men to her coping strategy. She is determined to seduce Dan's much-younger brother, Sam, mainly because he so resembles Dan, unmindful of the fact he is young enough to be her son.

Staying at the famed Chelsea Hotel, Connie is drawn into the Weston family's drama and can't escape her own demons. With the help of Anthony, a nerdy computer geek who has loved her for 20 years, she embarks on a bizarre treasure hunt to Hawaii.

At best, this novel is zany, but at times, it veers into just strange territory. The characters are difficult to keep track of and most (with the exception of the under-appreciated Anthony, despite his secrets) are not particularly likeable, but with its inside views of Manhattan in 1980, it is still appealing. #TheAToRockaway #NetGalley

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book. I feel no sympathy for the characters, the plot was truly bizarre and confusing, with random mystical elements mixed in with a treasure hunt, alcoholism, some weird seduction...? It didn't click for me.

It starts off with a tragedy. Leads you through coping, love, and adventure. But man, was it all over the place.

I did really enjoy the way the author was so descriptive and made you feel like you were right in the scene with them. I also loved the New York aspect. I’ve always loved that city and the intrigue that surrounds The Dakota.

However, it was a little too disjointed and hard to follow for my tastes.

Those who like a little wacky adventure will enjoy it for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and S.W. Hessel for allowing me to read this.

A really good read about loss, what leads up to it, and how we deal with it after. I think the author did an incredible job making you feel like you're right in the story. Definitely a read worth picking up.

4/5 Stars

Such an entertaining read, I had to top and laugh at the ridiculousness that I was reading, I mean this author’s imagination is running wild in this book. Connie comes back to NYC after being away for 20 years, but she has come back to NYC with a master plan that’s too FUNNY, I had to sit back and shake my head multiple times, this treasure hunt in Hawaii, which ended up being a very wild trip. Even the secrets within the family, even her own late husbands’ secrets, it’s CRAZY! There were times I wanted to stop reading the book because it was too wild, and all over the place at times, the author kept adding new characters from out of nowhere, I thought this book will never end, but then when it came full circle, I was left with the “wait, what??” But entertaining non the less. Thanks Netgalley and Girl Friday Productions for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
I honestly Struggled to get into this book, it was a great story but once I did I enjoyed the silliness and the subplots. It wasn’t my cup of tea but it’s a enjoyable read.

The A to Rockaway is not always ludicrous, but when it's not, it's trite. That's my opinion, and yes, I read the whole novel. I doubt that anyone will walk away from reading it thinking deep thoughts. Yet I found it surprisingly entertaining even when the silliness increased. The Hawaiian treasure hunt, for example. The Spam delights. Author S.W. Hessel shows a knack for crazy subplots. The story does not improve once they return from Hawaii, especially as the author tries to catch us up on what happened later on. Pretty unlikely stuff, but convenient for a wrap.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.