"An Upper West Side Story" by Rachel Cullen offers a delightful glimpse into the bustling streets of 2004 Manhattan, earning a solid four stars. In a city where real estate decisions often dictate relationships, the story weaves together the lives of four diverse characters brought together by chance and a shared need for a place to call home.

Robin Cromwell's quest to find a roommate to maintain her rent-controlled Upper West Side apartment forms the foundation of the narrative. The characters, including the determined Jessica Barlowe and Tory Wallace, each facing their unique challenges, bring depth and relatability to the story. The unexpected connections that form among these strangers living under the same roof create a heartwarming tale of friendship, love, and resilience.

While "An Upper West Side Story" is engaging and heartwarming, there are moments when the pacing could be more dynamic. However, the charm of the characters and the nostalgic backdrop of pre-iPhone Manhattan more than compensate for these minor pacing issues. This novel is a testament to the power of human connection and the belief that sometimes, the most rewarding leaps are the riskiest ones. If you're looking for a story of love, friendship, and the magic of Manhattan, this book is a heartwarming choice that will leave you with a smile.

I found this novel similar to others I have read. There wasn't anything too special about it sadly. Just couldn't get into it. Could not get into it.

Thanks @netgalley for this review copy.

It’s 2004 Manhattan.
Jessica walks in on her boyfriend cheating. And she has to move as well.
Robin is a model and done with men. And she needs to find some roommates because she can’t afford her house anymore.
Tory, 26, thinks it’s time to go live by herself.
Zach, a real nerd, starts with therapy. He never had a girlfriend. And then he meets Jessica, crying right outside Robin’s house. She just got rejected as a roommate at Robin’s. And he offers her a room in his house.
A story about a couple of people at the upper west side, which all comes together.

It was written very easily. In Dutch I would say: it reads like a train.
I really loved this one.
Rich people, lovely people, desperate people. It was everything I was hoping for.

Although later on in the book, it got me a little bit bored. But I still really enjoyed the ride.

If you enjoy nostalgia and you are an “elder millennial” like myself. You will love this little piece of flashback to the early 2000’s just as much as I did! Great book! This throwback style book was such a breath of fresh air. Back when checking your followers on instagram wasn’t everyone’s soul focus. The chapters were short and sweet. The ebbs and flows of this book were easy to digest. And it had me hooked as I read from page to page so swiftly that I was finished with it before I ever even had the chance to glance down and check how far I was through it even once. Such an entertaining little number!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

Remember the world before iPhones, Ubers, and streaming on Netflix?
It’s 2004 in Manhattan, and real estate is the driving factor behind most relationship decisions. Only here can strangers go from roommates to friends to lovers in less time than it takes a co-op board to approve a purchase.

Robin Cromwell is in desperate need of a roommate. She’s lucked into a rent-controlled classic-six on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, but her best friend is moving, and she can’t afford to live there alone. In addition, Robin is struggling romantically and professionally - her attempts at online dating have left her with nothing but amusing stories, and she’s overdue for a promotion she’s unlikely to get. Though the rest of her life may be spiraling downward, Robin will do what it takes to hold onto this once-in-a-lifetime real estate opportunity.

Jessica Barlowe is counting the days until she moves in with her boyfriend in his renovated one-bedroom co-op. That is until she walks in on him with another woman, and all her plans, including where she is going to live, disappear into thin air. Jess is using her degree from RISD to work in a graphics department editing presentations all day - a far cry from her dreams of having her own photography gallery in SoHo. She refuses to give up on her New York City dreams and run back to her family in Northern California. When she meets a stranger in the hallway, it seems crazy to accept the invitation to live together, but sometimes the riskiest leaps are the most rewarding.

Tory Wallace is determined to move out from under her abhorrent parents’ roof, even if that roof is covering a $50 million brownstone on the Upper East Side. The tension at home has reached a boiling point, and she’s finally ready to forgo the comforts of trust-fund-living, and she’ll pick through ads on Craigslist or learn how to cook and take the subway if that’s what it takes.

Zach Sullivan is a successful technology executive living in a modernized pre-war two-bedroom on West 78th Street. While triumphant in his career, Zach has never recovered from a painful incident during his senior year of college, leaving a gaping hole in his personal life. He’d never planned on renting out his spare bedroom, but a chance encounter results in an impulsive offer that will change his life forever.

An Upper West Side Story is an engaging and heartwarming story about love, friendship, and that time in life when friends are family and drinks at a dive bar in Manhattan can solve all your troubles.

The plot flowed, the characters showed great character development. It was nice to read a story that was a throwback to a much simpler time in life. Will recommend to others.

This is one of those books where I read it and it just left me indifferent. There was nothing really super unique here and the characters ended up feeling extremely flat and very cliched for the location. The character's stories ended up feeling very similar and there was no real tension and the drama really had nothing on the line. That being said, it was a quick read and it was easy to breeze right through. This book was just ok for me. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley,

I unfortunately had to DNF this book as I found myself not feeling fully engaged in the story. It might have been, because I have been quite busy and in quite of a slump. I have been debating all this time whether I should state this here in NetGalley or not and I thought that it was only fair since I had taken up on the responsibility to read it after all. However, I do have hope that one day I will return to it because I am curious to see where these women end up and the turns that their lives take. When I return to it, I will make sure to update my review here!

This book was really fun to read! It gives off major Gossip Girl vibes which I absolutely love. Having been born in 2003, I have no memory of life in 2004, so this was honestly really fun to read and go back to that time in the world. I was a little intimidated by the 4 POVs at first, but if I'm honest I really enjoyed flipping back and forth through everyone's life. I enjoyed the complexities that the story offered while making it clear to understand what was happening. Honestly, this is the kind of book where I would want to reread it in maybe 10 years and see just how different things continue to be.

I would definitely recommend this to my friends!

the only reason why i requested this in the first place is because it was giving major gossip girls vibes from the synopsis and if that was accurate i just really wanted to relive that era. so let me just tell you that it did not disappoint. reading this was such a pleasure like the entire time was filled with nostalgia of that pre-internet time when blackberries phones were more classy than any iphone could ever be. it was a nice sweet and fun read and i remember reading this book with steaming cup of coffee in my hand because its simply the kind of book that you put in your "comfort reads" shelf. anyways, if you ask me, i'll say just go for it if you wanna feel good or if you're in a slump or if you have a long travel ahead or whatever. its worth it.

this was great! i love being transported back to the early 2000's- thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Are you a fan of the old TV-show Friends? Then this cozy and easy read might be a book for you.
The story has 4 pov so for some it might feel a bit confusing and for some not a problem but don't give it up.
It is set in 2004 so no Netflix or social medias and "old" phones that we all might remember or even had.

I am looking forward to see if there will be a second book 🙂.

The book is set in 2004 in Manhattan, way before Netflix and social media took over. This was such a fun and lighthearted read, especially for those who are looking for nostalgia and entertainment or want to get out of a reading slump. The chapters were short and enjoyable and the characters were so likeable and easy to connect with.

Thank you Net Galley for the E-ARC of this book.

A fun easy read set in the 2000s so full of nostalgia for readers in the mid 30s. Would recommend as a great holiday read. Thanks to Netgalley for the read.

I loved the nostalgia of this book of living in the early 2000s. It's actually refreshing to get a story set in that decade because so many books now make too many references to social media. I enjoyed the story and the characters, and the setting of city life in NYC. I'd never live there myself, but it's nice to escape and feel like I am when I'm immersed in a book like this.

"An Upper West Side Story" by Rachel Cullen offers readers a glimpse into the intricacies of urban relationships against the backdrop of the bustling Upper West Side. The story revolves around the lives of diverse characters as they navigate love, friendships, and the challenges of city living.

Cullen's portrayal of the urban setting is vivid and immersive, capturing the energy and complexity of city life. The characters in the novel come from different walks of life, each bringing their own perspectives and experiences to the narrative.

The interactions between the characters are dynamic and authentic, reflecting the connections and conflicts that arise in close-knit communities. The exploration of relationships, both romantic and platonic, adds depth to the story, allowing readers to connect with the characters on a personal level.

The writing style is engaging and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the city and its inhabitants. While the novel successfully conveys the urban atmosphere, there were moments when certain character arcs could have been further developed to enhance the emotional impact.

In summary, "An Upper West Side Story" provides a multifaceted look at relationships, community, and city life. If you're interested in stories that delve into the complexities of human connections against the backdrop of a vibrant urban landscape, this book offers an engaging and relatable narrative.

This has been a super nice and cozy read to me, backed with its simplicity and the nostalgia of 2004's Upper West Side--it's almost make me feel the same things that I feel when I watched friends. It follows four different main characters with a completely different background stories are intertwined and find themselves live in the same floor at an apartment at Upper West Side--expect a changing POV between the four of them, but it's been executed so well that it's not hard to follow through. I love how it tells the struggles of each the character, how they managed to overcome it, and of course on how they became close to each other. Also, through it's simplicity there are more depths of the story than it's lighthearted theme.

<i> Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC </i>

Charming novel about people needing roommates on the Upper West Side. Lots to like, but it was mostly a frothy beach read.

4.5 ⭐️ i really liked this book. It was so much fun to follow these characters and see them get closer to each other. Only complaint is that i wish it was longer 😜.

i enjoyed this one. i had to keep remembering that it was set in 2004 because when tory referred to per se as a new restaurant i got momentarily annoyed but if that's my biggest complaint, it could have been worse. i want separate stories of each character but i don't think that will ever happen.

A very fun, nostalgic romance that will be perfect for women in their mid to late 30s. I loved the lives of the women in this story and all the references you would only get if you were in a certain age range. It made the read more fun to feel like I was "in" on all the jokes and nostalgic bits, and this would do well on any display about the 2000s. The only issue I had was our main three woman had a lot of similarities in personality so it was hard to distinguish the stories from one another.