The Roxy Letters is a love letter to Austin, Texas.

Having only visited Austin once in high school, I definitely didn't realize most (if not all) of the places mentioned in The Roxy Letters are real. Toward the end of my reading, I finally decided to Google Maps the main locations. That definitely put everything into perspective - so I would recommend doing that if you're interested in learning about the area!

I loved how this book was framed in the form of letters. I always fly through that writing style, and I really couldn't put it down. I loved how it began, and I especially loved Roxy's personality. Lowry's writing allowed me to really feel like I knew Roxy - her life, her quirks, her sense of humor.

There were a few things I personally found odd, but maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. It was a new and different experience for me. One thing - I will say the OM thing really threw me off with how strange it is. But I literally just looked it up, and it's real (OMG...you're in a cult, call your dad).

I really love how The Roxy Letters didn't hold back. It wasn't afraid to cover and encourage what the status quo would deem odd and off putting. It was very open and honest, showing how Roxy was able to look inside herself and really understand what was changing in herself as well as in the city of Austin.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC, for which I have given an honest and unbiased review*

In a style similar to Bridget Jones' Diary, this book is about Roxy, a young artist who is trying to make ends meet, find the right guy, and cope with her low-paying job at a Whole Foods deli counter. The book is written as a series of letters to her ex-boyfriend, but ends up reading much like a diary. Roxy has a LOT of misfortunes that are in turn laughable, cringeworthy, embarrassing, and more. She has a good heart but has trouble finding her place in her world. I had trouble getting into the book (I think because the letter format threw me for a bit), but having finished it, I can see the value in it's messages about the value of friendships, relationships, believing in yourself, and taking things in stride.

Funny and witty! Told in epistolary form which I haven’t read in a while. Didn’t love it but enjoyed it.

It’s a fun and intriguing story. I think I would have liked it better if we had a mix of letters and story. I was good with just letters for a little while until I wanted more from the story.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

I was looking for a fast fun read, so the description of this sounded perfect. Unfortunately, it wasn’t perfect for me. It had some funny moments, but I just REALLY couldn’t identify with Roxy, the spoiled daughter of well-to-do parents who works part time at the original Whole Foods in Austin. She is constantly getting bailed out by her parents for vet bills. Apparently she can’t be bothered to put her laundry out of reach of her dachshund, who loves to eat her underwear and gets plugged up as a result. She has offered her spare bedroom to her ex-boyfriend, and the whole book consists of letters to Everett, in which she narrates her life. If you want to spend a lot of time reading about Roxy’s masturbation habits, strange friends, quest for revenge against another ex-boyfriend, and terrible work habits, you may love it. I didn’t. Obviously, I was not the target audience, so I certainly wouldn’t discourage you from finding out for yourself if you are. There is a bit of a cute love story, even though a bit unbelievable, and the love interest is probably the best thing about the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Shuster for an ARC i exchange for an honest review.

“ The Roxy Letters” had been on every anticipated releases of 2020 lists that I came across. Naturally I was super excited to read this book. I was not prepared to feel disappointment. I didn’t really find any of the characters relatable or likeable. This definitely goes for Roxy herself. I did find myself giggling from time to time at some of the antics that went down. The comparisons to Bridget Jones Diary did not help this book in any way, form, or fashion. I had to push through this book at times and fought the urge to not finish. Some aspects were rushed while others were just underdeveloped all the way around.

*I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

The Roxy Letters is an epistolary novel of letters from Roxy, a blocked artist who has rented a spare room to her ex-boyfriend to make ends meet. Of course, it’s epistolary in name only. The vast majority of the letters are never intended to be read and are safely tucked under her period panties in a drawer. Roxy works at Whole Foods in Austin, the original store. So there is no irony in her anger at the LuluLemon gentrifying her neighborhood, displacing her favorite video store.

Much of the story is about her friendships with two other women and less about the men in her life, though they play a role. There is romance, a fling and a crush, a crush that may develop into something more, but the real forces driving the story are her two women friends who both inspire and push her out of the doldrums and artistic block she is suffering.



I enjoyed The Roxy Letters for what it was, a light-hearted contemporary story of a millennial suffering the career doldrums that has snared many millenials. Roxy is a bit hotheaded and impulsive, but she’s equally quick to forgive and to admit it when she is wrong. I liked her. This is perfect quarantine reading, light and frothy and one that will make you smile.

I received an e-galley from The Roxy Letters the publisher through NetGalley.

The Roxy Letters at Simon & Schuster

Mary Pauline Lowry author site.

Roxy is just trying to get her groove back. As a vegan artist in Austin, Texas, working at the deli counter pays the bills (most of the time) but it doesn’t fill her soul. With emergency vet bills from when her dachshund ate all the crotches out of her panties, she has needed to take on a roommate in order to pay down her credit card and make her mortgage payment, so she allows her ex-boyfriend Everett to move in. But his inability to follow her rules or to pay his rent on time causes her to write him letters about their living arrangement, and as time goes on and the letters get increasing personal, she decides not to hand over the letters anymore but keeps them herself as a sort of diary.

Her letters to Everett tell the story of how she meets Artemis in an awkward shoving match when Roxy was working as the sample girl for a day. It tells of her ill-fated romance with skateboarder and Beer Alley stocker Patrick. It tells of her crush on a man with a tattoo of Texas and how she threw up all over his gorgeous companion when she was inadvertently food poisoned by sushi (a shameful deviation from her devotion to veganism, and one she dearly pays for). It tells of her feud with Whole Foods store manager Dirty Steve and her repeated firings from her deli job. And it tells how she finally found her way back to her art and back to her truest self with the help of Artemis, her Whole Foods former deli mate Annie, and the goddess Venus.

As she struggles to find love, to keep her dog healthy, to keep Austin genuine, to make her own way in the world, and to find her way back to her art, Roxy holds nothings back from her letters. She tells it all with honest forthrightness and humility. And while she may not be able to keep Lululemon out of the city, she can certainly make a splash letting her voice be heard around town.

The Roxy Letters is such a fun ride of female empowerment and embarrassment. Author Mary Pauline Lowry has created an unforgettable character in Roxy, and setting her in Austin is beyond perfect for this quirky vegan feminist. I have heard comparisons to Bridget Jones’ Diary, and I hope that means that there will be more of Roxy’s adventures for us to enjoy.

I will admit, I had a little trouble at first. I wasn’t sure I’d like Roxy in those first couple of letters. But the more of her I experienced, the more I fell in love with her (something that happens to most people who meet her). Now I can’t wait to read more. So if you’re like me and struggle at first, just keep at it. Give her a chance, and she will steal your heart.

Be warned: strong sexual content in this one

Galleys for The Roxy Letters were provided by Simon & Schuster through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I loved the epistolary nature of this book, and the writing is strong, but Roxy is so insufferable it's almost hard to read at times. Her "evolution" was nice but it would have been better to see her grow and mature as a person rather than essentially being rewarded for being awful.

That said, it was a fun trainwreck to follow.

📖 BOOK REVIEW⠀📚
BOOK: The Roxy Letters
AUTHOR: Mary Pauline Lowry
@marypaulinelowry
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: April 7, 2020
https://amzn.to/2wZ2lGd

Roxy writes letters to her ex-boyfriend (and now roommate) reconsidering their cohabitation. Also she has a cat named Charlize Theron which I think is a missed opportunity - maybe Charlize Furon? So she starts to lay down the rules about living through letters. And it’s glorious. She could be talking directly to me, and does with such quirky abandon. It reminds me so much of the Shopaholic series, which is one of my favs.


You can see more in my video review:
https://youtu.be/T1H5YjZ9TgI

Small Summary:
Bridget Jones penned a diary; Roxy writes letters. Specifically: she writes letters to her hapless, rent-avoidant ex-boyfriend—and current roommate—Everett. This charming and funny twenty-something is under-employed (and under-romanced), and she’s decidedly fed up with the indignities she endures as a deli maid at Whole Foods (the original), and the dismaying speed at which her beloved Austin is becoming corporatized. When a new Lululemon pops up at the intersection of Sixth and Lamar where the old Waterloo Video used to be, Roxy can stay silent no longer.
As her letters to Everett become less about overdue rent and more about the state of her life, Roxy realizes she’s ready to be the heroine of her own story. She decides to team up with her two best friends to save Austin—and rescue Roxy’s love life—in whatever way they can. But can this spunky, unforgettable millennial keep Austin weird, avoid arrest, and find romance—and even creative inspiration—in the process?
*****
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

Austin is being changed by gentrification in distinct and destructive ways.
Roxy cannot stand silent on sidelines anymore.

Roxy has allowed ex to move into spare bedroom, not good idea, but is need of the money as job is barely-over minimum employment and her mortgage is whopping. Ground Rules are established.
(they also had me chuckling)

This book was a fun and enjoyable escape.
I read it all in one day, thankful to publishers for an ARC. I know why I kept hearing about this book.
I can picture this book being made into a series or movie.

Reading a book set up as letters is definitely different. Roxy is quirky and all over the place. This book had a youthful approach and made for a great escape from reality read.

There's a certain sense of the character one gets when an epistolary novel is written from one character's point of view and is always to the same person: it presents them out of the gate as self-absorbed, their troubles and perceived slights always a bigger deal than anything going on with the person being written to. In this particular case, Roxy was also hard to root for. She didn't seem like a funny, awkward, relatable woman like Bridget Jones nor even a misunderstood possible genius (but then again maybe not) like Bernadette in Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Instead, she just seemed immature, self-absorbed, and ready to judge everyone else. Perhaps a lot of her complaints hit too close to home for me--I live in Portland, Oregon, and hear a lot of the same complaints she so self-righteously touts--so I couldn't see the humor as much. Roxy just seemed to muddle through but instead of being relatable, it felt exhausting, like a friend you really want to see succeed but never takes responsibility.

I enjoyed the “voice” of the main character, however the letter format was not working for me. I struggled to connect or care about the protagonist, which is a bit of a deal breaker for me.

All the stars... All of them!!!! The Roxy Letters is the exact book I didn't know I needed. This story is entertaining, laugh out loud funny, and the ultimate escape into the world of Roxy. I got major Bridget Jones vibes from this book, nearly every situation Roxy gets tangled up in ends in disaster! Yet this is what makes her unforgettable. At times, I laughed so hard I cried! Mary Pauline Lowry has officially line-jumped right to the front of favorite authors list. I highly recommend The Roxy Letters to anyone who wants a feel-good read (except my mom, who keeps asking to borrow it). Can't wait to see what Lowry comes up with next! Sequel please!!!!!

Roxy is a good friend to hangout out with. The Roxy Letters is a wild, sexy and fun book. It takes place in Austin. It's written in the form of letters to her ex-boyfriend Everett. Interesting characters and plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for this free copy of this fiction book!

This honest book review is my own. 

Eeek, I'm sorry, but this didn't work for me. This is a book of letters that Roxy writes to her ex boyfriend about the state of her life. It's supposed to be a bit like Bridget Jones, but I just couldn't identify with Roxy or the style of this book. I struggled, I skimmed, and I couldn't connect. 

Others have found this book to be super cute and fun, so while it wasn't for me, maybe it will be for you!

[2 out of 5 stars]

This is a fun and breezy read about a 20-something trying to make her life work in Austin, Texas. We learn about her job and family struggles, financial problems and dating life, all written epistolary style in the form of letters Roxy writes (but never delivers) to her ex-boyfriend. Along the way she gets a good job, makes fun new friends and finds potential romance. The plot isn't the deepest, but it isn't meant to be. This would be a fun beach read or for another when you just want something quick and easy to read. Highly recommended.

This book is told through letters written by the main character...its charming and quirky and cute, but I have to be honest. I lost interest early on, mainly because I find books told through letters/emails/texts, etc. harder to follow. Quick and easy read, that was cute - just not my preferred type of writing.

Meet Roxy- 28 year old Austinite, follower of the goddess Venus, animal lover, (mostly) vegan, broke artist, sexually frustrated. She’s underemployed as a deli maid at the flagship Whole Foods where she works with an interesting set of characters. She hasn’t made art in over a year after her ex dumped her and then used her art to market a product that goes against everything she stands for. Money is tight so she has another ex, Everett, move in with her for the extra rent money. But Everett is a bit of a slacker and isn’t ponying up his share so she begins to write letters to him.

It’s through these letters that Roxy starts to piece together her life, they become a journal of sorts, and that’s the means in which the book is written.

This book will not be for everyone. But I friggin loved it. Roxy reminded me a little of myself (though her guy troubles made me very grateful to be gay!). She’s blunt and a little awkward. If you’re not down with in depth sexual details, discussions, and humor, this one probably won’t be for you. Similarly, if you can’t relate to the struggles of 20-somethings in today’s world or prefer your characters to be a bit more refined- stay away. But to me Roxy seemed real. I have discussions as blunt as the ones she has with my friends. I’m just as awkward and blunt. (Maybe Roxy is on the autism spectrum?)

I haven’t laughed out loud at a book in a long time but I did with this one. It’s not my usual type of read and I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction since the pandemic started but this was a fun vacation. Sometimes when authors write quirky characters they come across as contrived but that wasn’t the case with Roxy. It also helps to realize this is satire so if certain things seemed a little over the top, I rolled with it and enjoyed it and laughed. I think it helped that I’m a similar age and live in a city and have spent most of my own life around artsy types. It made so much of the satire and human spot on for me.

I also LOVED that Roxy is a sexually empowered woman. My gosh, is it ever rare to find that in fiction. Male authors can (and do!) reference and joke about masturbation or needing to get laid and everyone laughs. But I’ve never really read a female character who was so open and honest and empowered about it. And her friends shared in that, helping encourage her to find a guy who would pay attention to her pleasure. I’m sure this won’t be for every reader either but I think it’s SO IMPORTANT to have female characters like this. If anything, it showed considerable maturity in Roxy- she knows what she wants. She’s just not always sure HOW to get it, whether that’s good sex and orgasms, a better job, or her artistic mojo back. Similarly, I appreciated that Roxy is a character who loves and cares for her (often very naughty) pets but who knows she doesn’t want children and refuses to let a guy or society push her into that. Fuck yes! You go, Roxy!

Underneath all the humor and satire though, this is a story about female friendship. Roxy’s friends Annie and Artemis are absolutely amazing and even Everett turns out to be a pretty solid friend as well. The antics and hijinks and ways in which Annie and Artemis has Roxy’s bavk was the best part. And while Roxy quips at points about jealousy or having to fake joy when your friends are more successful than you, most amazing of all is that it’s her friends who help her figure out that how I mentioned above, who help her achieve her dreams and desires.

I was honestly pleasantly surprised by how empowering this book turned out to be. It’s an absolutely fantastic, funny read for offbeat women of a certain age. I think there are things that will appeal to others as well but I definitely was an ideal reader of this one and am so grateful to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for giving me the chance to read an early copy. I fear I may have overlooked this one otherwise and I’m so glad I didn’t! Pick this one up if you’re looking for a fun and funny escape, some hilarious sexual scenarios, and absolutely kickass girl power!