I quite liked this book. Told through multiple perspectives, this book is full characters you love to hate but can’t quite leave behind. I love the city of New York and this had enough kernels of truth to remind me of the people and places that I’m so fond (and not fond) of. It wasn’t especially deep, although it had moments that were thought-provoking, especially ideas around love and marriage.

My one critique is that it jumps around a lot in setting, time, or character POV mid-chapter without any notice, breaks, etc. It can be hard to follow. This could be because I received an early copy of the book pre-production. Hopefully this quirk is edited out. Thanks to netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I loved the varying plot lines and felt very Melrose Place meets co-op fun. Character development was ok, felt like it could have been a little better, but overall liked the pacing and the story and the quick read! Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Overall, a solid debut novel by Vatner but rather a slog to read. Overall, this seems to be a novel about various forms of partnerships/relationships if you will. Relationships include marriage, betrothals and just getting off the ground twosomes. Then there are the familial relationships, work relationships etc etc.
It is a very good basis for a story - it's just rather long winded and the characters didn't draw me in, some were rather predictable.
Writing about many owners in an apartment building is a tough task so I would read Vatner's next novel in the hopes he pares down his story to one or two less directions and more character development.
Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher an advanced copy of this book.
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Carnegie Hills gives the reader a look into the world of people who live and work at the Chelmsford Arms, a wealthy apartment building in New York City. Pepper and her fiance, Rick, are some of the youngest people in the building. Pepper wants to make changes to the strict rules and tyranny of the co-op board, while navigating relationship troubles with Rick. The older couples in the building won’t be able to help much, because they’ve got lots of relationship troubles of their own. However, the secret romance between Caleb and Sergei, two employees of the building, might be the best model for Pepper. This book had such a fun cast of characters. They were all unique and had their own stories and peculiarities. Some of them were annoying, but they were all interesting to read about.
Pepper wants to know if long term, happy marriages are possible, which is what most of the book deals with- teaching valuable lessons about love and forgiveness. Carnegie Hill is a terrific story with lots of drama and humor and unforgettable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

There was nothing not to like with this book. I really felt drawn in and in my mind it reminded me of Melrose Place.

Having lived in a complex not unlike Carnegie Hill, the author certainly knows his subject and has done his research. I just wonder now, which character I was most like!

Highly recommended.

Extremely slow moving book with some very heavy stuff in this book. It felt awkward and misplaced. I didn’t like the characters either. They kept encouraging each other to do the wrong things. Absolutely not my cup of tea.

3.5 stars - here’s my review on Goodreads:

I received a preview copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m a little late in finishing the book, but here’s the deal: I am officially tired of reading coming-of-age novels. That said, Carnegie Hill was mostly fun to read as I am a real sucker for a New York based story. There were qualities of this book that I absolutely adore. I like the idea the petty politics of a building co-op board and I love reading about nosey, snooty neighbors. I just felt like the book didn’t take me anywhere. I’m going to chalk that up to the fact that I have perhaps read one too many coming-of-age novels this year. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jonathan Vatner does next, however. For a first novel, his work in showcasing such a colourful cast of difficult characters is commendable. Maybe next time more depth of story?

A collection of love stories that cross age, religion, race and sexuality - and how to prevent secrets from destroying them.
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I am not from New York and I think I didn't quite grasp the concept of the featured block of apartments and the committees that run them. I am definitely missing something from this respect. From the story I gather that Carnegie Hill is an affluent area of New York that appeals to the very wealthy and very white population. So then, this is a book about rich folk's marriages with a couple of staff thrown in for good comparison.

For a long while the point of this story is not clear: is it about the thirty-something woman who is about to have her dream wedding to her gorgeous, flash and slightly fake fiance, the running of apartment building or the secrets the staff hold?

Carnegie Hill is all those things. It makes a nice change to read about love and marriage in such detail, for people in their eighties (gives us all hope!) It looks at an array of secrets and why couples feel they should have them and what happens when these secrets are shared. Anecdotes about what is good to tolerate in a relationship and when values indicate that it's time to bail. Plenty of romantic fiction here.

There are several interesting characters and life or death issues plus a significant racial incident. The writing is clear and generally easy to follow, even the little bit of time jumping works effectively. As everyone's story concludes, the paragraphs from different characters meant re-reading is required, thus losing the impact. However, overall, a pleasant and thoughtful read.

#NetGalley #carnegieHill

This book was ok. It did not flow well for me. I struggled with some of the characters and the story.. The end gave good resolution, I liked some parts with Francis but other parts just did not work for me.

If you're looking for a romantic comedy-type book then this one is for you! I loved it and thought it was so cute. It reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones' Diary. It explores relationships and NYC wealth in a great way. I didn't love the character but I did care about her and want to see how the story turned out. Overall, I would recommend!

Carnegie Hill... the characters were kinda weird reads. In the end it all came together. Three fourths of the book was tough, but the last quarter made it worth the read.

I went into Carnegie Hill expecting an adult-version of Gossip Girl and I got… well, if I am being honest, I do not really know what I got. Its flimsy plot lacked coherency; an aspect of the novel that was only amplified by the seemingly-endless number of point-of-view characters and the fact that, once the plot finally rolled back around to each one, they were five steps ahead of where you had left them. It was almost as though I was watching a television series and kept accidentally skipping episodes, or I had left a video game only to come back and realise that I had forgotten to press pause: it lacked progression, build-up in any form apart from stark, nonsensical jumps in time. And, all in all, I found Carnegie Hill to be a jumbled cacophony of ideas and voices; too mangled and confused to make any of the grand statements that it was ultimately aiming for.

DNF

thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book, all opinions belong to me.

I think that this book was definitely really slow, I didn’t really care for the main character. She was really hard to connect to or even make me care about what happens to her. I’ve been super pressed for time lately and I think that’s what made my decision to stop reading this book easier. I feel like why force myself when I know that there are books that I love.

DNF at 50 pages.
This book was too slow, too boring, and stuffy. I couldn’t get into it and all the characters seemed flat as well as one dimensional.

My thanks go to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy. This work of fiction started out like gangbusters and left me feeling confused in the end. What the heck is the author’s purpose here?

The premise is that Pepper, the child of hugely wealthy, influential parents, has left home to live an adult life without her mother’s interference. She meets a man from a working class background and they fall in love; they purchase an apartment at the prestigious Chelmsford Arms, and the ancient chairman invites her to join the building’s board of directors. She likes Pepper’s pedigree, and the board is comprised entirely of elderly people, so it’s good to have some fresh perspective. Or so the old lady thinks.

At the outset, I think this will be a satirical poke at the rich, and as the story unfolds it is on its way to being just that. We see the building through Pepper’s eyes, and we see it through the eyes of the door men that work there. The only people of color here are employees, and Pepper’s effort to create a more diverse community meet a wall of resistance. And Pepper’s fiancé, whom her parents distrust, turns out to be untrustworthy. There are several places that make me laugh out loud, and I have high hopes.

But as we move on, the message becomes muddy and the pace slows considerably. Pepper’s fiancé has his own concerns, and we see things through his perspective—all points of view are told in the third person omniscient. Part of the time he seems to be exactly the dirt bag that Pepper’s parents say that he is, but part of the time he is just a loving, misunderstood guy. Ultimately, after a plot that goes all over the place with no apparent destination, it is he that proves to be the most dreadful racist of all of them.

When the board meets, Pepper makes the acquaintance of two other couples, both of them elderly, and both apparently in content, long-term marriages, and she believes they will be her role models, since her own parents are divorced. However, neither couple is happy, and we see their relationships deteriorate. Indeed, the healthiest relationship she sees is between two of the doormen, who are closeted at first, but later come out.

None of these characters is developed much, but the one that seems least credible to me is Sergei, who does a complete turnabout in his willingness to come out of the closet and be in a public relationship with Caleb. We don’t see any kind of struggle on his part and the change is abrupt. Given the importance that Vatner attaches to these two men, I would have thought we would see much more of Sergei’s perspective leading up to the transition.

The worst part for me is that in the end, all of the characters seem much more equal to one another, the filthy rich having their share of misery and the working class being content. Give me a damn break.

Despite this rant, it’s clear that Vatner has talent. There are several passages that make me sit up and take notice. The challenge he faces is in creating a bigger picture with better developed characters, and better pacing. Since this is his debut, he has plenty of time to grow, and I look forward to seeing what he publishes in the years to come.

I love books with ensemble casts of characters, and I really enjoyed this one. The world in this story is confined to one upscale building in New York and its co-op board and tenants. Pepper is in her early 30s and engaged to Rick, but they are the youngest tenants by an average of 40-50 years. Pepper wants a marriage and life like all the older couples she meets in her building, but as we meet each couple we see how they are all struggling to keep things together.

Some reviews have mentioned unlikable characters, but what I saw were just deeply flawed individuals, most of whom understood their flaws but who struggled to deal with them. Patricia is probably the most problematic, and although she is given a very sympathetic back story, her circumstances don’t really excuse racism. As well, I found it hard to believe that Pepper just suddenly notices the inherent racism in her rich white life, when it’s the exact same life she’s been immersed in since birth.

Two of my favorite characters were the only other younger couple, Caleb and Sergei, who work in the building. Unfortunately, they are given the least attention but I still enjoyed what we are given of them.

Overall I thought the characters were very interesting, and I enjoyed seeing how they struggled with their long relationships and the changes that being older bring. Some deal with loss of their work lives along with their identity, and many deal with health issues. Carnegie Hill could be seen as a very sad story, but it is also about life. I was mostly heart-warmed watching them all deal with love and loss and learning to live the best lives they can.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I understand why this wasn’t a hit with some readers, but I enjoyed it and it earns five stars from me.

DNF -
I tried starting this book, but couldn't get into it. The main character was a little annoying, and I didn't click with her. I won't be publishing this review elsewhere since I didn't get past the 25% mark.

This was one of those books that I really went back and forth about. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I found some of the characters annoying and the plot- line dragged a bit for me. It wasn't a horrible read, but I didn't find myself needing to rush through it to finish it. I felt like some of the relationships felt forced. I don't know, I just couldn't get into this one as much as I wanted to!

When Penelope "Pepper" Bradford moves into an exclusive apartment complex with her fiancé Rick, she believes their love is so strong they will live happily ever after. But when Rick's "fidelity" choices prior to their wedding as well as other issues begin to way on Pepper's mind, their relationship becomes far from happy. It actually turns destructive for both of them.

As Penelope integrates herself into the apartment complex she decides to join the co-op board to keep herself occupied. She begins to make friends with some of her neighbors and what she uncovers is that no one has the perfect life.

Patricia, the president of the board whose decisions seem to be those all must agree with, has many issues with apartment applicants as well as with board members becoming too friendly with the apartment staff, although she herself does not need to follow her own rules.

Francis and Carol who have been married and arguing for over 50 years both must face life-changing health issues which they choose to handle differently. Can their relationship survive?

Birdie and George, another elderly couple also face a marriage crisis. George has been deeply depressed since his retirement and Birdie can't seem to get him to do anything about it other than take pills. She feels it may be time for her to move on and begin a new life.

Sergei and Caleb met working at Carnegie Hill and have fallen in love. Sergei cannot fully allow his feelings for Caleb to be known. Caleb wants to shout how happy he is from the rooftops. When Caleb does something without thinking it out, can Sergei forgive him?

Pepper looks at her neighbor's relationships and realizes she too has big decisions to make. How can she become the person she wants to be without hurting the ones she loves.

I would say Carnegie Hill is an updated version of Peyton Place, for those old enough to remember the show which was filled with eccentric people and drama galore.

Carnegie Hill is a terrific story with much drama and many laughs.

Thank you #NetGalley #CarnegieHill #JonathanVatner #ThomasDunneBooks for the advanced copy.

I absolutely loved this book and admire the depth this author went into with all the characters. He made every one of them so very interesting!
So many unreliable narrators in this story!
It was fun to read the totally different points of view. Jonathan Barnet has nailed the personalities of New Yorkers and I loved all the descriptions of familiar places around the Upper East Side.
This novel is completely character driven - there really is not that much action and the drama comes from interpersonal relationships.
Some of the dialogue is so satisfying, like the way Penelope holds her own against the head of the co-op, and some scenes are cringe-worthy ( just about any chapter her swarmy fiancée is in).
I also really felt for the older, disallusioned couples, trying to connect.
The only critical judgement I have is that the summary did not do the book justice - it is more quirky than funny, in a good way, and a lot deeper than the light, quick read the summary suggested.