Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of The Roxy Letters and to NetGalley for a digital copy, in exchange for an honest review.

The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry was just what I needed to get some of this quarantine funk out of my system. It is being marketed as a cross between Bridget Jones' Diary and Where'd You go, Bernadette. Full disclosure: I have not read either of those books and this is not a book I would typically go for. But Simon & Schuster sent me an advanced copy of The Roxy Letters last September and I was invited to an author event. I was honored to meet Mary and listen to her talk about her book. She is ah-mazing and as sweet and fun as Roxy, herself.

The Roxy Letters follows Roxy, a spunky, late 20's Austin, Texas native who loves her pets, friends, and local Austin hangouts. She is single and striving to find the right man to fit into her life. Roxy works at Whole Foods and, while she is proud of the businesses Austin roots, she is tired of working the deli counter and barely making ends meet. While leaving work one day, Roxy spots her once favorite old school movie rental store, turned into a Lululemon. Roxy despises gentrification and corporate greed in her neighborhood and vows to make change happen.

The story is told in letter format, which Roxy writes to her ex-boyfriend, turned temporary roommate, Everett. The letters initially start out as Roxy setting ground rules for Everett and demanding his overdue rent, but quickly turn into diary entries where Roxy chronical her romantic and money woes, lack of motivation for her artwork, and strives to find herself in the process.

The Roxy Letters is witty, endearing, and hilarious. Roxy is one of a kind and such a likable character. I was hesitant at first because she was giving me "Hazel" vibes from Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating. Which, I enjoyed that book, but the whole lead female character is a hot mess is overdone and not for me. Roxy is far from that. Parts of her life are in shambles, but she owns it. I also loved the female friendships depicted in the book. This book is a love story, but not your typical love story. The relationships that shined the most were those between Roxy and her best friends, Annie and Artemis.

Overall, The Roxy Letters hovers between a 4/5 and 4.5/5 for me. It is cute, quirky, relatable, and fun, without being pretentious. Mary knocked it out of the park with this one! If you are looking for something on the lighter side, give this one a try.

read this author for the first time and was impressed, the letters were fun, breezy and enlightening. Kudos on a fast paced entertaining book!

This book is cleverly written as letters Roxy is writing to her ex boyfriend now friend Everett. It's like following a diary of the crazy things that Roxy deals with in trying to find herself. I really began to feel like I was her friend and dealing with these situations with here. Even thought she had no intention of giving the letters to Everett, she continues to write them, she needs to get her feelings out, as she is a blocked artist and I think this is helping her. Really cute characters and she means well, even if most of the things she tries to do for good end up backfiring on her. Really cute fun book!

So it seems this is a love or hate book and for me I was on the Hate end. Normally it would of been an DNF but since it was an ARC I finished in hopes I would like the end or anything better. I enjoyed the letter style. But I hated the main character so much that I just couldn't. Roxy is 28 and can't get her shit together.

Don't get me wrong I love a good vegan, Whole Foods, but she just drove me nuts and there wasn't another character with strong development until Texas and he wasn't enough to whole the book together.

1/5 stars



Thanks to Netgallery, Publishers for an eARC for exchange for an honest review.

The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry is a fun, crazy, inventive and sometimes heartwarming novel about twenty something Roxy growing up despite her stubborn resistance to it. It's also a tribute those friends that have your back no matter the circumstances.

Roxy struggles to pay her mortgage, deal with her meth head neighbors, her boss Dirty Steve at Whole Foods calling her Poxy Roxy, stopping her dog Roscoe from eating her underwear, not drawing even though she's an artist, running into her first true love Brant Bitterbrush (honest that's his name),going to her first meeting for orgasmic meditation (I blushed during those scenes) and finding a way to get rid of the new Lululemon clothing store that replaced her beloved video store and is ruining her authentic Austin, Texas neighborhood. I'm just naming her most pressing problems. Trust me there is much more going on in her life.

Roxy deals with all of these life draining issues by writing her ex boyfriend, who is living with her, letters to let him know the house rules and how her day went since he is never home and has no cell phone.

I laughed out loud so many times reading Roxy's letters and her take on her life. I even fell in love with her cat Charlize Theron. The author has the uncanny ability to make you feel you are right in the middle of the action and even though Roxy has her flaws you cant help but root for her.

Fair warning there is a lot of cursing, descriptive sexual activity, and some drug use but it could not be Roxy's story without these events.

For me the best compliment I could give the writer is that though I smiled as I read the last page I also cried because I am really going to miss Roxy and her cohorts. They became a part of my day. I still am thinking about them.

Please Netflix this book has to be your next book to series! Elle Fanning for Roxy is my vote!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was different for me and took a little getting used to as the story is told in Roxy’s letters to her ex boyfriend. I hung in there and started to enjoy the ride. Rocky was not my favorite character but that was probably the authors point
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The Roxy Letters" is indeed written in epistolary format (meaning it is like a series of letters). I found Roxy to be hilarious and quirky. I enjoyed the format of the book, since the letters were just long enough to be interesting and short enough to keep the plot moving forward. Readers are advised that this book contains profanity and sexual innuendoes and situations.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This book took a terribly long time to wade through. And yes, that is exactly the way I meant to say it because that's about what it felt like. I can see how telling a story strictly through one person's letters could be an interesting way to go, but in this case, it just didn't work. At least not for me. Roxy is amusing, mildly so, but amusing. However, the story isn't what I was expecting or hoping for. Instead, it's a bit tedious and felt really long. I will say that, Roxy writes some really long letters. I did make it through to the end, but this one isn't something that will have a lasting impression.

Poor Roxy! Her life is truly a mess. Her art is blocked, she lives with her ex-boyfriend, has a low paying job in Whole Foods and can’t find a decent boyfriend! To top it off, her neighborhood has replaced a much beloved store with a Lululemon. She’s very upset to see her neighborhood changing into chain stores and losing its individuality. She begins with writing letters for Everett letting him know what she expects of him as a roommate. This continues, turning into a diary of sorts describing her daily life. These are the letters never given to him. It kept me captivated to see if her life would get better or have another calamity.

During this time of pandemic in April of 2020, a light hearted epistolary is a perfect escape. Roxy is a directionless, twenty something, artist working at Whole Foods in Austin and looking for love. The supporting cast of characters are a sampling of young adults looking for their big break. The entire story is written as series of letters to one of her ex-boyfriends. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to take a quick trip to Texas for a break from reality.

This was a fun, easy read. The main character, Roxy, is a real person and likable despite her flaws. The book starts out a bit slowly but as it progresses it draws the reader into Roxy's world providing humor andfun along th way.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The Roxy Letters" by Mary Pauline Lowry. While the book had some interesting parts, I just could not connect with Roxy. Even though we are around the same age, she felt like a teenager stuck in an adult life.

I'll admit that at first I wasn't sure I'd like this one because the format was so different, but ultimately I ended up really enjoying this book.

What I loved about this book:

1. Roxy's character was just plain amazing even though she was an absolute mess. Roxy is a vegan artist/activist that works at Whole Foods while trying to overcome her artist's block that stems from heartbreak. When the book starts she is still trying to get past one ex while moving in another to help her afford her mortgage (what could possibly go wrong 😂). She was a hilarious dog mom that made it her mission to take down the local Lululemon so that her beloved Austin, TX could keep its charm and local businesses. Who wouldn't love a character that devotes so much time to keeping small businesses alive?

2. This book touches on how mental illness can affect a person's personality, addictions, and impulsive behaviors. While living with an untreated mental illness is possible, a person's quality of life can be greatly improved by seeking treatment. While that treatment may be different for each person, it's important to reach out to those who love you and find out what works for you.

3. This book talks about community and the importance of helping others (including our furry friends). While I don't think veganism is for me, I do try to get humanly raised meat.

This book has so many interesting aspects with the plot being one of the best one. If you're looking for a unique enjoyable, but absolutely comical read look no further than The Roxy Letters. I absolutely loved the audiobook (which is narrated by the author) and reccomend listening if your have the opportunity.

Roxy is an artist in Austin, currently working in Wholefoods deli section who is also mostly vegan. She is terribly upset at the way corporates are changing the culture in Austin and is geared up to do something about it. What she does is what the whole book is about.

Roxy is absolutely hilarious and some of the things you read about in this book are totally unforgettable. I am telling right away - there is at least one concept you will never ever forget about! It works as an escapism from the current pandemic situation and makes you laugh out loud. She is a woman who faces difficult situations and how she comes through is truly amazing. She is quirky without a doubt but she fights her way out of her circumstances.

Points for originality, but that originality wasn't enough to hook me with this book. I didn't get Roxy at all. She writes letters to her ex, but I never understand her motivation to address these letters—that feel more like a rambling diary of a young teen trying to form her identity—to this ex-boyfriend/roommate. With every chapter starting with "Dear Everett," Everett felt like an elusive character that I never really got to know; a dangled promise that went unfulfilled. Yes, he was late on rent, and she has no plans on getting back with him, so the point of the letters is to fill him in on every inane detail of her life, her veganism, her job, her sex life and lack of it, her new love interest. Why? Perhaps a diary of self-discovery would have made more sense as an exploration of a character (with some character growth), or a cohesive narrative would have made for a compelling page turner. As it is, I felt no insight into why I should be interested in Roxy, nor did I feel drawn into her story.

While not near as delightful as Bridget Jones and her diary I still enjoyed this book.
The format of letters to an ex was different but I came to enjoy
Austin, Texas is the setting and being a Texan it felt close to me and endearing.
As an older female a book about a much younger woman wasting her life moving aimlessly is not exactly in my most desired to read list but younger readers might identify
.All over it was a quick fun read.

I had been reading another thriller, but really needed something to break up lighter to break up the intense reads I’ve been engrossed in. The Roxy Letters was the perfect fix for this! Told entirely through letters from Roxy to her roommate, this book is quirky and at first seems a little superficial. As an San Antonian, who has spent quite a bit of time in Austin especially since I have a ton of friends who went to UT and even have a friend that lives two blocks away from the Whole Foods featured in the book, it was actually fun to place myself in the experiences that Roxy goes through. I almost felt that one of my friends was simply texting me.
Roxy really bothered me at first, she tends to have pity parties for herself. But as we get through the story she grows and evolves into an actual adult. Roxy is the same age of I am, but Annie is who I related to the most from a personality perspective. She’s driven and takes what she wants from the world. Artemis was by far my favorite character though. Her spontaneity and encouragement were a thrill to read about. All three characters were the perfect triangle and level each other out. The thing I found the best about this book though, was how all three girls fight for each other. They stand up for one and other, look out for one another, and love each other no matter what. They’re the perfect description of what female friendships should be. While romance plays a huge part in the story line, it’s the female friendship that really thrives and brings the whole story together.
I loved that Lowry focused on social rights. While I could never be a Vegan and I don’t necessary agree with all the perspectives the girls had, I love the emphasis on social justice and how even one person can make a difference in the world. Past that, Lowry, did a fantastic job of portraying mental illness as well. I can’t believe how many big topics Lowry covers in such a short and fun book. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good laugh, especially women in the mid twenties to thirties.

This book was a hilarious girl power read!!!!! I loved Roxy's spunk and her determination to get her life the way she wanted!!!!!! Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for my honest review

This was super fun! The format took a little getting used to, but overall it was a much-needed funny read.

A fun read with a likeable and realistic characters. It made me laugh and it kept me hooked till the last page.
I liked how the author was able to create an engrossing plot using letters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.