The Ramblers
By Aidan Donnelley Rowley
William Morrow & Company, Hardcover, 9780062413314, February 2016, 400pp.
The Short of It:
Rambling through life, two friends attempt to forget about the past with glorious New York as the backdrop.
The Rest of It:
Clio and Smith are two close friends from college. Like sisters, they’ve relied upon one another and have experienced both the good and bad that life has to offer. Now, successful and doing pretty well on their own, they’ve each found love and but no matter how comforting the idea of “love” is, they are guarded because of past hurts.
Everyone is reading this book right now and I’ll tell you why. Mostly, because of the glorious New York setting which doesn’t really get going until the last half of the novel but once you get to it, you can’t help but fall in love with the city. The other reason for its popularity, is that it’s a love story cushioned in-between some heavier issues such as mental illness. It’s not fluffy and light but I will admit that the first half had me doubting this. You really need to push through that first half to get to the good stuff.
What I liked a lot, is how the author made Clio and Smith the focus of the story and not the men in their lives. This gives them an independent edge which I think is missing in a lot of stories where love is the central focus. These two women have experienced loss and although hurt, they are cautious and yes, hopeful that there is something better just around the corner.
Final thoughts? The first half and the second half could have been more balanced, but if you stay with it, I think you will find it to be an enjoyable read.
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
It does seem like everyone is reading this right now! Glad to hear it was not fluffy and light (have been turning to cozy mysteries for that lately) and a NYC setting is always a draw for me, too. Hope to try this one soon.
What’s funny is that I lived in New York for a very short while as a kid but Central Park is a memory that I will always have. My son gets to go there for the very first time this April for his choir tour! He gets to sing at Carnegie Hall. I wish I could go.
On my list! I do like the sound of it and the cover is awesome.
One of my favorite bloggers listed this one as a DNF so I was concerned going in. I think if she had kept with it, she would have ended up liking it but I can’t blame her. That first half is rough for those of us that do not like chick lit or romance-type novels.
I have been seeing this everywhere…it seems like an unusual choice for you? It truly does sound good! I guess it’s not as fluffy as I thought it would be.
I’m glad the author added something else to the mix. Otherwise, it would have read too close to chick lit for me. And you know how I feel about chick lit.
I’m seeing this in a lot of places too and I’m definitely interested in it after reading everyone’s thoughts.
The first half reminded me a little of Sex and the City. Even though I was a fan of that show, it’s the last half of the book that won me over. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it going in.
I will admit that the synopsis does not entice me, but that cover? If I were to read it, it would be solely because of that cover. It is one of the more stunning covers I have seen.
And that tiny hummingbird on the cover actually means something.
Even better!
Everyone does seem to be reading this. I’m glad you’re honest about the second half being better and that there needs to be more balance. That tempers my expectations. 🙂
Have you read City on Fire yet? New York seems to be taking center stage a lot lately… I also just read John Crowley’s Little, Big in which, again, the city was such a pivotal character. I’ll check this one out tout de suite 🙂 Have a great weekend, Ti ❤
I am usually always in the mood for a chunkster but lately, I haven’t been! That said, I have City on Fire but have to pick the right time to read it. I think New York can be charming but when I lived there, I didn’t think it so.
Yeah I agree about the cover of the book – there’s an allure to it! There was another NYC novel I was looking at recently: It’s Why We Came to the City by Kristopher Jansma. I sort of had it on my list. hmm