I just finished this beautiful, inspiring story, and this calls for a Manhattan toast!
 
"Happy Place" reminds me a little bit of this story. I remember the friendship, or what they called found family. 

➡️ Thoughts:
It was really amazing to end up building a solid friendship with complete strangers, especially if you're living with them, and that's what this story is all about. It all started with these three women looking for a roommate on a website called Craigslist for different reasons, and that's how they found each other. It was just rare that a random stranger would someday become one of the people who would cheer and celebrate your success with you. BUT, OF COURSE, nothing's perfect in everyone's life and journey and that's the other half of our life story. So, go grab a copy of this book and find out how our almost perfect friendship story faces each one of their own struggle's and hardships.

➡️ Trope:
Strangers became roommates, neighbors, and friends.

➡️What I like:
 
- I love how relax and calm this story makes me feel. If a book takes place in New York City, it will be a very comfortable read for me. NYC vibes have been a lullaby for me.
 
- I love how balanced the characters are. I love the connection. CI like that this book also tackles family issues, businesses, money, and job struggles.
 
All in all, this was a really good book. I love it.

Thank you, @rachelcullenauthor ! ❣️🫰🎉

#anUpperwestsidestory
#NetGalley

An Upper West Side Story is an enjoyable, nostalgic snapshot of coming-of-age in a particular time and place- specifically New York City in 2004.

The story centers on a group of 20-something professionals trying to find their way in life, love, and their careers, happening to come together via that eternal quest for housing.

While not from NYC, I am a fellow Gen Xer and remember fondly navigating that era before technology was so front and center, and I enjoyed spending time with theses characters in that moment in time.

Thank you Rachel Cullen, Lime Street Press, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was truly just alright. Which is about what I expected and not a bad thing at all. Sometimes you just need a fun, quick, and easy read that doesn't make you think. And this is exactly what the book served as.

So cute. I love the upper west side and this book definitely did it justice. Made me want to visit NYC soon! The characters were believable and I was invested in the story!

An Upper West Side Story felt very nostalgic and comfy. It was fun to be in a time before iPhones and Netflix and being connected 100% of the time. I liked the short chapters, and the flow of the story telling. And while I liked each of the characters, it did feel like one too many and it was hard to keep track of the story at times. I also would have liked to dig a little deeper into some of the characters, but with the short length of the book and the amount of stories we follow, that just wasn't possible. I definitely recommend this book to someone looking for something short, fun, and not too deep.

📚📖 REVIEW 📖📚
An Upper West Side Story by Rachel Cullen

This light contemporary set in Manhattan in the early 2000's is about 4 people brought together by an amazing apartment building in the Upper West Side. Each person has their own struggles and life issues and are just trying to have the life they had invisioned for themselves. Little do they know that the people they meet could be an integral part of that journey.

I usually dont have a hard time with multiple POV's but I think because some of the characters personalities are so similar that I struggled this time. The only one I could keep straight was Zach. 🤣 I kept a cheat sheet on my phone but I usually just read the name and the first sentence, took a minute and then worked it out in my head. Not a big deal, and definitely not enough to deter me from enjoying the story!

The chapters were just long enough that we received enough information to move the story along at a nice clip, but it also left me wanting more. I found myself getting excited for each switch-up so I could learn more about each character. There was never a point where I wanted to speed along to get to someone else's story.

Such a great quick, light, and enjoyable contemporary story. The perfect read for if you need to get out of a slump! If you've happened to have read Cassie West and loved her, definitely pick this book up!

Thank you @NetGalley and @rachelcullenauthor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The pub date is today!! Keep an eye out!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
Robin needs a new roommate since her best friend is moving to Boston. Tory needs to move away from her wealthy but abusive family situation. Jessica’s definitely not moving in with her boyfriend Brian after she finds out he’s been cheating. Tech guy Zach isn’t looking for a roommate at all, but he meets Jess he pretends he’s looking for a roommate. As the four meet and get to know each other, their lives change in so many ways.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
Rachel Cullen rewinds back to the days of Blackberry phones, Expedia starting out and four individuals in their mid twenties enjoying their freedom. Each of the four have their own issues they are grappling with, but as their friendships develop and they get to know each other, I loved seeing how warm and kind each are. I enjoyed how there were some misunderstandings that proved mostly to be funny. The story never becomes too SITC, and the addition of Zach’s POV and his therapy references is adorable. It’s an entertaining and fun read ❤️

It took me a minute to get into this one, but it was worth it in the end! The book tells its’ story from four points of view, Jessica, Robin, Tori, and Zach. Through a series of events, the crew ends up living in the same apartment complex and their lives quickly become enmeshed. It’s also set in 2004, which is a time I remember fondly, but not as an adult. All in all this was a good, entertaining read. A good beach read, if you’re looking!

A light and quick read. A delightful book!

Some of the plot is predictable but it was still a fun story I enjoyed diving into. Overall a sweet book with likable characters and enviable real estate.

{This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.}

I loved going back to the 'olden days' and reading this great book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This book took a bit to get into but once I was a few chapters in I couldn’t stop reading. Each character was well developed and the story progressed at a steady pace that kept it interesting. I enjoyed the writing style of the author and thought the characters were funny and compelling. Usually, wealthy characters are harder to connect with but the author did a great job of making them very relatable. I will look for more from this author. This is definitely a book to check out for the summer.


Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

The book is well-written and the end is satisfying. As a 40-year resident of NYC I appreciated the city references, though I’m more of a downtown girl. I enjoyed the book, but it could be better. Halfway through it still felt like set up for the story. There was some office work description that felt extraneous and uninteresting, but that might be because I can’t identify with working a corporate job having seldom done that. The characters voices were so similar and the names so common that I had trouble remembering who was who. The stakes throughout seemed low key and less than urgent, though I liked a couple of the character’s motivations once they were finally revealed. I would recommend the book, despite its flaws, and I’m interested to read more from this writer.

If your looking for a story of friendship and finding ones trueself then this is the book for you. Set in New York pre iphone era this book made me a bit nostalgic for simpler days. Cute easy summer read.

Book Releases July 6, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Lime Street Press for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

It took me a while to connect to the four characters. A nostalgic read but not enough story or confluct for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

What a cute and fun read that I devoured in one day.

Three twenty-something’s try and navigate life in 2004 Manhattan. They struggle with friendships, their love lives, their jobs and their finances. I loved Robin, Tory and Jessica and love the friendships that they formed.

Quick and enjoyable read that I absolutely loved!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

This book features four people in Manhattan in 2004 in their early 20s, before cell phones were heavily used, each with their own story. It reads very much like a sitcom, with regular day to day life events and how these four individuals all end up in each other's lives.

What really drew me in with this was the setting and light-hearted feel. I loved being reminded of what it was like to live in 2004, with pagers, landlines, online dating profiles, and the fashion (lots of crop tops and denim of course). Pick this book up if you'd like a quick, fun read about family, friendship, and How I Met Your Mother/ Friends vibes.

Thank you NetGalley, Lime Street Press, and Rachel Cullen for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgally for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is about 4 twenty-somethings living in Manhattan in 2004 navigating day to day life, romance and family. I loved the setting of this book. I really enjoy books set in New York and adding the time that it's set in was so fun. This was also an easy read and easily bingeable. Very lighthearted.

The only thing that I was put off by was some of the dialogue, especially when Tory was involved. It just felt like there was a lot of telling and no showing, which was sometimes frustrating.

Over all, I would recommend this to anyone that loves those early 2000's multi pov movies and needs a book with the same vibes!

3.5⭐ rounded up to 4.

3.5 stars

Really cute, light with intertwined characters who converge primarily via a building on W78th street on NY’s Upper West Side in the early 2000s. Personally irresistible given my own life living on the Upper West Side, and the familiar references were my favorite part.

Chapters alternate by character and distinguishing each was a little confusing in the beginning but then an easy, light read with a sweet heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a digital ARC of this book!

An Upper West Side Story follows four different 20-somethings living in NYC and facing the classic struggles of apartment/roommate hunting, dating, and making big career decisions. It's all fairly relatable, which is a real strength of this book. And while each of the characters has a unique backstory, their personalities and motivations are a bit underdeveloped - in part due to how short the book is. I would've liked to have seen them more fleshed out as individuals, in order to really get the satisfaction of their happy endings. On that note, everything also ties up a bit too nicely for each of them in the end, but it's not so egregious as to ruin the book.

All in all, this is a fun story chock full of NYC references (although with the name of the book being what it is, and as an Upper West Sider myself, I was hoping for it to be a bit more full of specific UWS references) that has enough plot twists and turns to stay interesting. I like that it's set in 2004 in the pre-smartphone era, giving the relationships a refreshingly different feel from a lot of the contemporary stories coming out these days.

If you're looking for a light, almost vignette-esque NYC romance, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

an Upper west side story by Rachel Cullen is a story that I couldn’t stop reading.
4 different individuals on a journey in Manhattan during the early 2000s.
I thought everything about an Upper west side story was amazing.
The novel features an unforgettable protagonists who will resonate with readers.
The cast of characters are well developed and realistic.
This is such a heartwarming and wonderfully written story and it definitely gave me all the feels.
A lovely book of love, friendship, self discovery and found family.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Lime Street Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!