At the time I chose to read this book, i was looking for something light, and light hearted. This did the trick! A love story/romance book that was just perfect.

I wavered quite a bit with this book. It's an easy read, with no mind-enhancing or lesson learning plot themes. However, I doubt the author intended for there to be.

Our central character is a 33-year old woman named Pepper (she does start to use her given name "Penelope" to give herself some weight). Pepper wants for nothing, yet is continually confused about what she should want for. A string of going nowhere jobs, a gorgeous, loving, and rich husband, and most importantly - a condo in a co-op in the nicer part of Manhattan. The co-op is a study in relationships, one which we get to view through many lenses, which I was thankful for. I enjoyed reading about all the other relationships, although I thought the relationship between black porter Caleb and closeted Russian Sergei could have been given more airtime. There are decades long relationships, both crumbling and not,

The wavering and aggravation is due to Pepper. I understand that technically she's a millenial, so there had to be some highlighting of that, but for the most part, she was unbelievably annoying. I've read other reviews by other millenials where the reviewer is happy to see that the same problems that plague the middle class also plague the uber-rich. Here's the glaring difference between the two: Pepper doesn't need to work! She bounces from job to job, and widely laments it, but then goes home to her million dollar+ and picks out a $50,000 bottle of wine to drink from her husband's wine fridge. I can't relate to having that problem, nor can most millenials. This reads like a coming-of-age novel about a woman in her 30s.

I can't recommend reading this unless you're taking a super long flight somewhere and also have wine to drink. There are better stories about coming into one's own. Read those.

This book surprised me.

Based on the synopsis and the fun cover, I honesty didn’t expect more than a fun little romance where the main character, Pepper/Penelope, would find herself, and that would be it.

This book was artfully written, poignantly sad and joyously happy, and remarkable. The main character, Penelope, went through a lot of change in the novel, and she, like many of the other characters, came out of the other side of the novel happier, more well rounded, more purposed.

It takes a while to get started (at first I thought it was a weird sex book with a rich white woman trying to be a “racial savior”), but once the introduction of the other character’s perspectives occurred, I fell in love with the story and couldn’t put it down. Each character is complex, diverse, and heartfelt. They all have their flaws, but they are also all good people–even if, for some (*cough Patricia cough*) it takes a while to get to that conclusion.

I wish that the synopsis was a little better, because it really does not do the book justice. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, or for it to be as deep as it was. It has the charm of a Mitford book, coupled with the elegant and starkly written sadness of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, tied together perfectly.

My minor complaint is that a lot of the people in the book are rich, or appear to be, and that can make it a little hard to relate at first. Like I said, the book’s beginning is a little slow-going, but once you get through the first chapter, it picks up and becomes incredibly delightful and complex. Vatner handles a lot of difficult issues (being LGTBQ+, racism, poverty, needing therapy, divorce, depression) in an excellent way.

I especially enjoyed the portrayal of Birdie and George. Their sections were harder and harder to read as the book went on (George has depression, which a large focus of their relationship), but they were also some of the most important sections, and I’m glad that Vatner decided to handle topics of depression and suicide in an honest and real way instead of candy-coating the truth.

Overall, I highly recommend Carnegie Hill. It will most certainly make you cry, but you’ll also fall in love with almost all of the characters (maybe not Rick but, you know, give him a chance).

Unfortunately, I'm not finishing this one. I felt uncomfortable reading about all of this privilege. It wasn't fun or satirical but vapid and maddening.

Very slow start, but promising. The author is vivid, descriptive and fun and offers you a real look into the Manhattan elite world.

This book is not a comedy. It's basically a narrative about a bunch of people that live in the same building in New York, and all their first world problems. I couldn't relate to the characters at all.

I LOVED this book!! I love books about NYC and this one was different than my usual NYC books but in the best way. It was real life with good life lessons and still a great story!! I got really inspired reading this book!!

I really enjoyed this book! I would put this in the "chick lit" category, fun and lighthearted with detailed insight into New York society. Lots of characters with varied backgrounds including different socioeconomic classes. There is a lot going on in this New York city building!

Carnegie Hill was an interesting read. I found that the book started out at a rather slow pace and it was difficult to keep my attention focused on the book. I guess this is one the reasons why I would rate a bit low. It picks up mid way and once it does it is hard to put down. There is a lot going on with many people's lives intertwined. Sometimes however it was hard to tell which character was being talked about as the author moved to another scene rather abruptly.
I did like the way the dynamics between the people in the complex evolved. How neighbours became closer and drifted further based on circumstance.

Oh my. It feels like this book was written by Pepper herself. Pepper is the main character in the book. She is one spoiled little brat who has nothing better to do than to mop around the multi-million dollar apartment and be depressed. She has no vocation, no hobby. She has nothing to do. She is constantly depressed. She sees therapist for years. She can't clean, cook or do anything useful even for herself. She is reflecting, over-thinking and over-exaggerates absolutely every little thing.
That's why her perspective is askew, flawed and unbelievably boring for people who actually do things and are interested in things.
Carnegie Hill is a very long, complicated, over-detailed story of an apartment block in Manhattan. There are several couples whose lives reader can see unfold and either ruin or succeed.
By the end of the book I felt like killing them all off. There are old guys who are extremely paranoid and take their inadequacies to one very high level. There are aging beauties who want much more in life than they have. There is Pepper and her long-suffering husband. Even the whole story of Pepper-Rick relationship is told through such a broken mirror that it is ridiculous. People do not really behave like this or do they?
Do you stay or do you go? That was the whole point of the book, in my view. Do you stay in the relationship? Do you fight for it? Or do you go? Do you simply tell your husband off and run away into the apartment he bought and shut the door in his face. As you can see I found Pepper really annoying and superficial.
Do you stay with the book? Or do you leave it?
If you have time for all these revelations you must be a Manhattan Therapist. But then you are paid handsomely for it.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the storyline. I found it unique to the point that I have not read anything quite like this recently. Looking forward to more such books.

While I could appreciate the writing of this book, it was just not at all what I had expected from it. Where I thought it would be more of an upbeat, fun look into the lives of the people living at Carnegie Hill, I got political games and childhood trauma's. Because of that, I did not enjoy this one as I thought I would. That's more to do with my expectations being let down, than with the book itself, though, I think.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Have you ever walked along the streets of Manhattan's Upper East side,, looking up at the stately Condo buildings with WASPy sounding names, hoping for a glance into the lives of its inhabitants? If so, this is a book for you. The concept was good, but parts of the book were too stilted. The fact that I didn't care much for any of the characters made it challenging to get to the end of the book, to se the end result.

This book was an entertaining story of a group of people living in the upper east side of NYC. Their stories are told with a good amount of description to help visualize the various characters and settings. I enjoyed reading about their trials and tribulations. At times the author went back and forth from one set of characters to another with no transition which created some confusion especially in the last two chapters. Aside from that the book was a nice light read. Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Carnegie Hill is a light read that has it's ups and downs. While I found the character's stories interesting, I struggled to connect with the characters. The writing was good but this story wasn't for me.

Carnegie Hall is about an apartment complex in Upper East, I think, side of Manhattan aka the whitest neighborhood in NY city.
We see the story through the eyes of the members on the board of the apartment complex. While the story had some funny moments I found the overall effect sad.
Sadness from their situations despite the money and comfortable lifestyles. It was like watching mediocre reality television.

WOW! Carnegie Hill is a quirky read. It did take me some time to finish it but it was fresh read after a very long time..
I enjoyed this one.

I actually didn't finish this book. Not my style and characters weren't relatable to me. I don't think I'd recommend this book to my friends unfortunately.

I loved the cover and title; this is what attracted me to this story. I grew up in New York City and was looking to connect with some childhood memories of the Big Apple. This certainly scratched some of my nostalgic bone, but not all.

I thought it was well written, but plot and charachters were simply not to my taste. I like more of a pace and found that this sort of fermented in parts. The starting chapters were great, as well as the different view points and perspectives added depth. I just couldn’t relate to the characters, and the city didn’t standalone as a character to make up the difference.

If half a star were possible, I would rate it 3.5.

Thanks netgalley for the ARC.

I REALLY liked Carnegie Hill! This book is perfect for readers who loved Matchmaking for Beginners, Where'd you go Bernadette and Other People's houses.

Pepper, 33, is the quintessential millennial who grew up on the Upper East Side of NYC. She has no career, no passion and no children. Just a good-hearted soul who doesn't want to live with her parents anymore and hopes she could marry Rick, an attractive but mysterious financier. Their choice of residence becomes Chelmsford Arms, and in her effort to do something meaningful with her life, she joins the co-op board. The first chapter is like fresh water splashed on your face. In Pepper's fears and dreams, I see myself. The tenor of Pepper's thoughts intimately reflected my own. Her trying out different jobs and feeling as if she doesn't fit anywhere is universal, and it's nice to see someone with money having the same struggles as middle-class me. Rick is every girl's dream - he works out, he's rich, he can afford a million dollar apartment and he loves her so completely its almost puzzling. The story starts with them but gradually gathers a few more characters into its fold. Birdie, an older woman who was the perfect trophy wife all her life and now faced with her retired, depressed husband, George at their house everyday. George, the guy who tried so hard to be enough for Birdie all his life and now left with nothing but humiliation and a bruised ego after being laid off for being old. Francis, the absolutely crazy old hypochondriac who slowly spirals into sort-of dementia and is looking for meaning in his existence, and deeper connection with his wife. Sergei, the hot Russian doorman, struggling to reveal his sexuality and Caleb, the new porter at Chelmsford arms who falls for Sergei. And these characters are the only ones Pepper could turn to for advice on her own love life. Talk about crazy!

I really like that the novel should be read in perspectives. How Pepper sees Rick is not how he sees himself. How Francis observes Caleb is not how Pepper sees him. It's a deep, realistic and moving portrait of love and marriage. How years together can affect each other's personalities in good and bad ways. It's not a plot heavy book and I'm thankful for it. We all need such contemplative books with polarizing characters. I kind of feel the author tried hard to write unlikable characters and he succeeded. Surprisingly, I still fell in love with this book. A potent dose of realism and dark humor is what this novel promises and delivers. The writing itself could be a little more literary but it gets the job done. The resolution of the various story threads was unsatisfactory because it was happily ever after for unexpected characters but that's life. Humans behave irrationally, not logically when it comes to love. I fervently believe that if this novel was marketed towards women's book clubs, it'll be a divisive but engaging discussion subject, and thereby, a financial success.