August is quickly coming to an end and we had another fun #BuddyReadsToDieFor selection this month!
THE ROXY LETTERS – Mary Pauline Lowry (Released April 7th, 2020)
Book Description:
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.
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?
Chandra’s Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars
If you’re looking for something lighter to lift your spirits and give you some belly laughs, this book will deliver! I actually quite liked the format of everything being letters. Weirdly to her ex-boyfriend, but hey, who am I to judge? And… I almost kinda want to do something like this… but probably won’t.😉
Roxy is quite an interesting character. Though I grew to love her, she grated on my nerves quite a bit. Her constant mentioning of Everett paying rent and saying “Oh my Goddess” and “Oh my Venus” had me rolling my eyes so much I thought I was going to dislocate one. When it came down to it though, I could also relate to her quite a bit… and certainly wish I have the gumption to actually try some of the odd ball things that she did! This may actually be quite inspiring for me to try some things I may not have otherwise!
I was especially fascinated with Artemis and would LOVE a story from her POV. How she brought Roxy out of her shell and how she also became very human herself outside of her eccentricity was probably my favorite part of this entire read. More Artemis please!!
This highly comedic and sexually explicit book was a delight to read. Even in her most annoying capacity, Roxy was a delight and a fun character to be a part of. My favorite fight of hers? With the meth head neighbors of course! If you need some side splitting hilarity in your life, come visit Roxy – you’re sure to leave entertained.
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
I went into THE ROXY LETTERS not really knowing what to expect, only that I had seen good reviews for it. This was such a fun and light read! I loved the format as it was all in letters from Roxy to her ex-boyfriend, and she takes us on quite the little journey from start to finish. Not only do we get a lot of laughs along the way, but we get to see Roxy grow as her letters continue.
Roxy is a character that you won’t soon forget – she’s definitely one that will annoy but will grow on you almost instantly. I won’t lie when I say that she reminds me of some of my friends. I mean, being the same age as the main character will do that. We get a wide variety of topics from Roxy: her ex-boyfriend, her job at Whole Foods, her time with a sex cult, her boss, the cute guy at work, her pets, her meth-head neighbors (I won’t say some of my old neighbors were meth-heads, but there were some sketchy ones back in college), and so much more. Some of the chapters (letters) felt a little like rambling and dragged on, but other than that I really enjoyed this book!
If you’re looking for something fun to read to get your mind off everything going on in the world, then come meet Roxy. You’ll be treated to some hilarious moments and sexually explicit ones as well when you pick up THE ROXY LETTERS. This was my introduction to Lowry and it won’t be the last time I pick up something by her!
Jessicamap Reviews 