I have been hearing a lot about the upcoming book "The Roxy Letters", so was excited when I got a chance to read an advanced copy of it. "The Roxy Letters" is the story of Roxy, an aminal-loving deli-maid at Whole Foods in Austin, Texas, and is written in a series of letters to her ex-boyfriend (and ex-roommate) Everett. She is tired of her job that doesn't seem to lead her anywhere. Her best friend Annie, and former deli co-worker, just got hired as an assistant in Whole Foods corporate offices, leaving Roxy in the deli by herself. She is an artist who can't seem to produce any art since her ex-boyfriend, Brant Bitterbrush stole one of her designs for a logo on a line of baby lotion (that Whole Foods carries). She does't like how big corporations, like Lululemon are taking over her beloved Austin. She can't seem to do well in her relationships with men. And Everett moves out to go live in the house of a questionable meditation group. Eventually, Roxy decides its time to take a stand, and works to organize a protest against Lululemon in an attempt to make her beloved city of Austin what it used to be!

I didn't hate this book, but i did't love it either like I was hoping I would. Roxy's quirkiness was cute, but as times made me dislike her as well, making it hard to connect with her as narrator. She acted like a much younger person than she was supposed to be, making one questionable decision after another. The narration through the letters definitely worked with the character, and definitely seemed to fit as something she would do, and for me, it helped make it quick and easy reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with and advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "The Roxy Letters" is scheduled to be released on April 7, 2020.

This book was so quirky and fun. It fit right into Austin's tag line of "Keep Austin Weird." I absolutely loved reading Roxy's notes to her ex-boyfriend as he moves into her house and refuses to hang out with her. I was laughing out loud at this book. It is the perfect read to pick up to lighten your mood during this insane Corona Virus outbreak.
The entire story is told through a series of letters to Everett, but don't worry because the book read entirely like a normal story with dialogue and everything.
You're heart cannot help but side with Roxy and hope that her hot mess of a life all works out. I loved rooting her on, but she is a bit like a train wreck--and you just cannot look away (or stop reading!) Bravo to Mary Pauline Lowry for crafting a hilarious rom-com and helping me escape from the seriousness of our current situation.

This was definitely the most fun I’ve had with a book in a while. Roxy is a dynamic, no-holds-barred narrator. I’ve seen this book compared to ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette?’ and Roxy’s character is definitely comparable to Bernadette although their stories are quite different.
This book won’t be for everyone. Roxy’s brash, no-nonsense personality can make her seem bitchy and self-centered which I can see being off putting for some readers, and there’s really not a big redemption arc for her.

I have seen quite a bit if hype around this book. I enjoy the catchy cover. I appreciate where I felt this book was going.

However, I did not enjoy it at all. I felt the main character was hard enjoy. The writing did not flow very well. I DNFed this at 42%. I just was not able to complete it. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to read it in advance. I am sure other readers will find that a great hit.

Oh my goddess. What a cute little book to read ❤️ #theroxyletters #marypaulinelowry #simonandschuster #netgalleyreview #arc this is a letter filled of letters by Roxy herself writing to her ex boyfriend which turns in to a Dear diary. It's an adorable funny read. You will get caught up in the mess that is Roxy's life. You will chuckle as this character finds herself lost in life. Attempting an OM convention. Protesting. A pharmatrial. And all of the other mishaps she seems to find herself in. During this #coronavirus #quarantine get yourself a book or books and #read. This is definitely one you will want to pick up. #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookreview

I was really excited to read The Roxy Letters and wanted to love it, but in the end it just wasn't for me. I do recommend giving it a chance though.

For Roxy, adulting is the hardest thing she had ever had to do. Her heart is in the right place and I loved reading about her road to self-discovery, and the growing pains in her personal and professional life. Luckily, she is surrounded with supportive friends and bestowed positivity by the goddess Venus, Roxy may overcome this bump in the road in her life. “Oh my goddess”, please help her because Roxy was a complete disaster at 28 years old.

In this book, Roxy writes letters to her ex-boyfriends and roommate Everett. The letters never reach Everett as she writes to him openly about her life as a struggling artist while also working as a deli maid at the original Whole Foods in Austin, TX. Initially, the letters were about collecting the rent, and slowly progresses to more of a self-introspection about her life and life choices. I loved the progression of the story and how Roxy truly is full of goodness and heart. I felt for her and I felt my own feelings about Roxy also progressed from, “oh my goddess what is she doing” to “yassss finally something is going right”!

This book was a light hearted and sexy read. I did both the book and audio which was narrated so amazingly by Jayme Mattler. Jayme brought Roxy’s character to life and what a fun read this was for me.

I loved this quirky, unusual read. It was enjoyable the way it was written in letter format once you got used to it. I love the characters, especially Roxy, the Venus loving protagonist, and her bipolar friend. It was very funny, and parts of it had me actually laughing out loud. There was a lot of blue language, and I didn't feel that there was a need for as many f-bombs. I personally do not like the c word, but I understood the author's need to use it in the story for character enrichment. But the story was entertaining and light and I could understand how Roxy felt. She's a bit self-absorbed and is stagnating in her job behind the counter at Whole Foods. I found this to be a story of self-discovery beginning with her writing letters to Everett. She's able to communicate her feelings and grievances through these letters and they become a therapeutic way of dealing with everything that is going on in her life. They are funny and sad and a reflection of her problems and the problems in today's world. I think once a reader adjusts to the format of the letter writing they'll love this book.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and exchange for a fair and honest review.

Roxy isn't a complicated lady. She's just your average pet owning vegan currently single who works at the deli in Whole Foods instead of working on her true passion--her art. In this tale, she's spending her free time writing letters to an ex, although in the beginning, that ex is still living in her house with her. Through these letters you get to meet Roxy's friends, neighbors, and family.

A big win for this book is that it has that over-the-top fun ridiculousness that makes you want to keep reading, even when it gets so ridiculous you kinds start hating the main character either because she obviously keeps making the wrong choice or because she's completely oblivious to how self-centered she is.

That will make you want to keep reading. However, the biggest distraction is the tactic of writing the book as a series of letters. It is a huge distraction for a couple of reasons. First, Roxy is writing these letters to her ex Everett who happens to be her roommate--in the beginning. He soon moves out, so the letter situation no longer makes any sense, because Roxy makes the point every few chapters that she is not sending these letters along to the recipient, but instead making it as a journal.

The second reason it is so distracting is because while writing it in this form, the reader loses out on a lot of detail. Roxy is addressing someone that already knows things about her and her situation, so there are obviously certain elements left out. And when Roxy gets to the point where she is writing about things that Everett is actively participating in, she skips a ton because he doesn't need a rehash when he was there himself.

The letter writing makes you lose sight of Everett--do readers ever really get to know him at all? This book without the letter writing would have be a much more entertaining read.

Compared to Bridget Jones....Its better just saying.

Such a witty, sexy and very entertaining read I can't remember the last time I read a book so fast and laughed out loud multiple times. So happy Netgalley invited me to read this for an honest review.
So grab a very tall glass of ice coffee sit back and enjoy Roxy's journey to self-discovery and maybe a bit of romance too.

Synopsis:
Meet Roxy. She’s a sometimes vegan, always broke artist with a heart the size of Texas and an ex living in her spare bedroom. Her life is messy, but with the help of a few good friends and by the grace of the goddess Venus she’ll discover that good sex, true love, and her life’s purpose are all closer than she realizes.


Again, My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read The Roxy Letters? It doesn’t come out until April but you have prob seen it! It’s racy, it’s fun, it will make you blush! If you’re a conservative reader it will get your right out of your comfort zone! ☺️🥰🙃 Add this one to the list!! I really liked this story and it was a quick read!

DNF at 16%. Unfortunately I just couldn’t connect to Roxy. I was finding her annoying rather than endearing and found I was putting off picking it back up. That’s a sign that this one wasn’t for me. Thank you to the publisher for the free copy to review.

I did find this book about an artistic, love-lorn, angsty vegan in Austin somewhat entertaining, but I don't think I'm the ideal demographic this story would appeal to. Written in the form of letters written to an ex-boyfriend (who at the beginning of the story is also her roommate,) we follow the hapless Roxy as she struggles to make ends meet by working at a deli in a Whole Foods and bemoaning her other ex and lack of artistic motivation.

While the satire is often hilarious, I think that it might resonate more with people who live in Austin, Texas, though gentrification happens elsewhere so, who knows? Some of it is over the top. For example, the bit about the club of OMers (Orgasm something, forget what the M stands for) which consists of lonely women and clit-rubbing men who give them orgasms.

I felt that there was entirely too much whining and rampant self-doubt expressed by the protagonist and the arc of the narrative was predictable, in spite of the splashes of surprise here and there. The themes of self-confidence, 'true' friendship, as well as 'true' love were rather heart-warming in the end, but it seemed to take so long to get there.

Yes, the characters, including Roxy, are quirky and funny, but overall, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I slogged my way through it, wishing for it to wrap up already. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with a pre-publication eARC.

I loved this book. The writing style is different so it takes a couple chapters to really get into it but once you do, it’s great! A witty, nice & light read. Definitely recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! There were several times that I found myself laughing out loud or smiling to myself while reading it. Roxy, the main character, is quirky but so likeable and hilarious. I really enjoyed how she interacted with different characters and all the little side story lines that came about. I was always excited to keep reading to find out what outlandish thing would happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, light read that they will fly through. I both read and listened to this on audio and the narrator was great as well.

"I felt a great,, unexpected anger well up in me. I did not want to be able to relate to these people at all. I wanted my fears to be special and absolutely unique."

Ugh. This sums up Roxy. She's whiny, self-absorbed, spoiled, and so so boring.
She is not Bridget Jones.
She is not Bernadette.

She's an artist in Austin who doesn't do any art. She's a vegan working the deli counter at Whole Foods. She blames everything and everyone around her for everything.
I had to keep reminding myself that she was almost THIRTY, not 20.

The premise of the story being told by her letters was a cute gimmick for the first 2 chapters. Then Edward moves out and she just writes these interminably long and detailed letters in a notebook instead? At that point the author should have just gone to first person narration. The letters are tedious and only make Roxy more unlikable. So much navel gazing!!!

Her friends Annie and Artemis (who I keep thinking is called Annelise) were interesting, quirky, and realistic. I want to know more about them. That would have been a more interesting story and Roxy could be a fringe character.

I feel so so bad for Everett (who I keep thinking is called Edward). He dated this loser and she'll just keep popping back up in his life until the end of time, overexplaining everything.

If this wasn't a book I was given for NetGalley, I would have stopped reading about 25% in.
Instead I felt obligated to finish on the off-chance that Roxy grows or changes or something!
(view spoiler)

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

I really enjoyed The Roxy Letters!

I read this one during a super busy time in my work life and it was the perfect distraction - entertaining and fun without being mindless. Roxy is a mostly vegan millennial, working as a deli maid at Whole Foods. She's sort of trying to get her stuff together, but also is sort of in a funk.

That premise didn't do much for me either. What did is that this is a book about friendship - it's got the vibe of Bridget Jones at times, but with a 21st century Austin update. And when I say "friendship," I mean friendship: These people don't try to cut Roxy down; they aren't perfect, but they are legitimate friends. How great, to spend some time with them.

The Roxy Letters is structured as a book of letters to her ex-boyfriend; I gather that didn't work for everyone but I got used to it after a few letters. And yes, I would consider Roxy to be a bit narcissistic - but aren't we all? Especially in our own private thoughts/letters!

Really enjoyable read. Come for the strong voice, stay to make Austin weird.

I first was drawn to this book by the description and the cover. I was needing a more light book and I thought this book would do it for me. I definitely got light and funny, but the overall feel of the book just didn't do it for me.

Roxy is a down on her luck artist that is stuck at a job she doesn't want to be at, simply so she can "adult and pay her bills". She still has feelings for a past boyfriend, she is living with an ex that she writes letters to (but doesn't give them to him), she has a dog that keeps causing her problems, a neighbor that may be a crackhead, her best friend just got promoted at their work and she makes friends with another woman that initially was rude to her. Can you see where I'm going here? Her life is a dramedy and I was curious where the heck this story was going to go and when all the craziness would end for Roxy.

I liked the letters that Roxy was writing at first, but then they pulled me away from the actual story. I almost thought Everett (the ex/roommate she was writing to) may have been a figment of her imagination because I never really felt as if he was a part of any of the situations (don't worry; this did change a little). I was just being told all these scenarios based on letters from Roxy. She was funny and all the things that were happening to her were just beyond, but I couldn't connect to anyone but her. All because of the letters. It was just her words, in her head and it really pulled me away from connecting with any of the major supporting characters.
Otherwise, the story was enjoyable and we got to see a woman that grows and picks herself up from the ashes to succeed in a way she may not have thought possible. But it's all based around this romcom type of book. You should want to laugh along with her, but I was sighing and thinking "not again", "really?", "come on".

This wasn't the book for me, but it did have an alright feel to it. Just wish the letters could've been combined with other ways of telling the story. I think it would have made it easier to connect with the characters and Roxy's journey.

“I always hoped that someday I would meet someone and I’d like them and they’d like me and it would just be as easy as that.”
_
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced copy!

I was so excited to see a book that takes place not only in Austin, Texas but also at a key intersection that has played a huge role in my life! Having lived in Austin for the last five years (and practically growing up here as all of my family are UT grads, hook ‘em), I feel that I might have picked up on more of the historical Austin references than some readers might. How cool is it that this book comes with its own mural right here in Austin? It was so much fun to go and visit!

I am such a fan of the way the author wrote this book. Our main character Roxy’s story is told through letters written to her ex-boyfriend who just so happens to be her current roommate. Roxy leads a fairly chaotic life, but is ultimately just going through the aches and pains that we all go through as we try to navigate this thing called life. This book is a true testament to the #keepaustinweird movement, and I love it. Consider yourself warned, this book will make you blush – at least it made me!

Books told through letter format can go either way for me. Unfortunately, the narrative combined with this writing style just didn't hold my attention. I also really struggled to connect with the main character because of some of her language choices.

While the summary sounded appealing and quite cute, I ended up finding it over the top and cringe-worthy. It ended up distracted me more than anything else and I had to put this one down after struggling through the first quarter of it. Some of my favorite #bookstagrammers loved this one, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.