Two powerhouse authors bring you a hilarious tale of one woman’s journey to find herself again.Ever have one of those days where life just plain sucks? Welcome to my last three months—ever since I caught my can’t-be-soon-enough ex-husband cheating with his paralegal. I’m thirty-five years old, and I’ve lost my NYC apartment, my job, my money, and frankly, my dignity.But the final heartache in the … the final heartache in the suck sandwich of my life? My great-aunt Maggie died. The only family member who’s ever gotten me.
Even after death, though, she’s helping me get back up. She’s willed me the keys to a house in the burbs, of all places, and dared me to grab life by the family jewels. Well, I’ve got the vise grips already in hand (my ex should take note) and I’m ready to fight for my life again.
Too bad that bravado only lasts as long as it takes to drive into Huckleberry Hills. And see the house.
There are forty-seven separate HOA violations, and I feel them all in my bones. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s “accidentally” torched the house yet. I want to, and I’ve only been standing in front of it for five minutes. But then my hot, grumpy neighbor tells me to mow the lawn first and I’m just…done. Done with men too sexy for their own good and done with anyone telling me what to do.
First rule of surviving the burbs? There is nothing that YouTube and a glass of wine can’t conquer.
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I was immediately sucked into Back in the Burbs. Right from the get go I wanted to be Mallory’s friend and supporter. Mallory has spent her whole life doing what other people wanted her to do and after being completely overrun by her soon to be ex-husband she finally takes a stand.
One of the things I liked best about Back in the Burbs is that even though Mallory desperately wanted to be independent in every way it didn’t happen as planned, which makes total sense. Throughout the book she developed more and more and became the person she was truly meant to become. I also enjoyed Mallory’s journey through her Aunts belongings (of which there is A LOT). There were some tender moments, but also some funny ones.
I adored Nick so much. Even when he when he took over or tried to take over you know he did it with the best of intentions, and that once learning more about Mallory he realized why some of that went wrong. I felt like they were such a good pairing and he was the perfect guy to show Mallory not all guys are jerks.
There is a side story I don’t want to spoil, but I thought it made a wonderful addition to Mallory’s life and her story.
My only issue with the book is the ending felt a little rushed, but I so thoroughly enjoyed that it’s not even that big of a deal.
I absolutely loved this book! It was laugh out loud funny. Mallory is trying to piece her life back together after finding out her husband is cheating on her. Having put everything aside to build up his law practice, she has to start over. Her great aunt Maggie passes away and leaves her estate to Mallory, including her house. Unfortunately she has very little money and there are major repairs that need to be made. She decides to give it shot. One of the biggest issues is bringing the house up to the HOA’s standards. Meeting the neighbor, and major hottie, Nick puts her on edge as he is giving her crap about her grass. From there they decide to work together to bring the house back to life. This book was a real treat to read. I loved it from the very beginning. The characters grab you the minute you read them on the page. A definite must read!
Back in the Burbs is an enemy to lovers romance (my favorite), by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn.
What first drew me to this book was one; I’ve read Avery Flynn before and think her writing is very witty and funny. Two, the blurb, the enemies to lovers trope, and the cover, because, let’s be honest, it is so super cute.
What I loved:
The book is hysterical. I hate feeling like I am giving away spoilers, but the heroine, Mallory, inherits her very eccentric great aunt’s home, and it’s a mess. Not only is poor Mallory’s life a mess, but now she has this house, and you guessed it, an enemy neighbor.
I thought the writing was smart and thoughtful to the characters in the book. A lot is going on, so the authors did a good job of taking care of the story.
I was worried in the beginning that Mallory was going to be a bit of a doormat, but I was very pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. Mallory’s character grows throughout the book, and it’s so lovely to watch her develop a backbone.
What I didn’t love:
The book is wordy and long. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but sometimes so many descriptions and information that isn’t absolutely necessary can become daunting.
There is a lot of side plots going on. To the point that I almost thought they could have written a whole second book just about the Mom and the other secondary characters. It just seemed longer than it had to be.
Overall.
I very much enjoyed Back to the Burbs. It’s hilarious, and I loved the heroine, and her character developed. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a laugh, but settle in because it’s not a short and sweet read.
I am a true believer that in fiction and in real life, everything good you do, comes back to you. If you think everything is bad in your life, it’s because something good is coming to you.
Just like that is the story of Mallory, a passionate and goal-driven woman. Who after years of supporting the one who claimed to be the love of her life, removes her from her future, leaving Mallory with a lot of problems. But she didn’t count on Mallory having an ace up her sleeve, although to be honest, neither did she.
This is a story that you enjoy watching Mallory’s growth because you can mirror her and move forward as she does. She is an amazing woman and life sends her many challenges, which she overcomes because she is an oak. I admire her with all my being and I would love to be as strong as she is. I would like to think that Mallory is the strength and talent of Avery and Tracy because their essence is in her.
Life doesn’t give you challenges that you can’t overcome and Mallory not only does, but she finds that which she sought for a long time. And her prize is one that many of us wish we could get.
I screamed, sang, danced, got angry, cursed, and had fun like I haven’t had with a book in a long time. Avery and Tracy are a dynamic duo and a total thrill bomb, they did what they pleased with my heart. Congratulations and thank you for so much.
Personal note, Watch out for the HOA
“So, talk to me about dumpsters.” “You want to talk dirty, huh?”
ESPAÑOL
Soy fiel creyente que en la ficción y en la vida real, todo lo bueno que haces, regresa a ti. Si piensas que todo está mal en tu vida es porque algo bueno viene hacia ti.
Justo así es la historia de Mallory, una mujer apasionada y llena de metas en la vida. Que después de años de apoyar al que decía ser el amor de su vida, la remueve de su futuro, dejando a Mallory con un montón de problemas. Pero no contaba con que Mallory tenía un as bajo la manga, aunque para ser honestos, tampoco ella.
Esta es una historia que disfrutas ver el crecimiento de Mallory, porque te puedes reflejar en ella e ir avanzando conforme lo hace ella. Es una mujer increíble y que la vida le manda muchísimos retos, los cuales va superando porque es un roble. La admiro con todo mi ser y me encantaría ser tan fuerte como ella. Quiero pensar que Mallory es la fortaleza y el talento de Avery y Tracy, porque su esencia se encuentra en ella.
La vida no te da retos que no puedes superar y Mallory no solo lo hace, sino que encuentra aquello que buscó por mucho tiempo. Y su premio, es aquel que muchas desearíamos obtener.
Grité, canté, bailé, me enojé, maldije y me divertí como hace mucho no lo hacía con un libro. Avery y Tracy son un dúo dinámico y toda una bomba de emociones, hicieron lo que quisieron con mi corazón. Felicidades y gracias por tanto.
Nota personal, Cuidado con la HOA.
This book is a delight! Mallory is mid-divorce, jobless and just down on her luck when she learns that she has inherited her beloved Aunt Maggie’s house in the suburbs. Which would be great if the yard wasn’t a jungle, the porch falling apart, and a ton of HOA grievances that need handling. Plus, she had no idea that her aunt was a major hoarder and the home is filled to the brim with stuff. Nick is the straight-laced, sexy neighbor down the street who would be fantastic except for his pushing Mallory to fix those HOA violations ASAP.
I really enjoyed this book. Mallory and NIck have chemistry from the start. The banter is great. I laughed out loud many times reading this. I loved Nick and the way that he was quietly supportive the whole time even when he didn’t seem as if he was. Mallory is so much fun. She is vulnerable and yet has so much spunk! You just can’t help but cheer for her HEA as you get to know her.
Back in the Burbs is one of those fun, easy reads that is well-written and tough to put down. It just puts you in a good mood. I had not read a book from either author but you can bet they are on my radar now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
Je me suis régalée avec cette comédie romantique comme on les aime. Ce duo d’auteurs nous emmène dans une banlieue avec une héroïne qui compte bien repartir de zéro après de nombreuses épreuves dans sa vie . On va se régaler de ses “mésaventures” avec le syndicat des propriétaires qui vont exiger d’elles des règles assez folles.
Mallory Martin est une jeune femme de 35 ans qui va connaître de nombreuses déboires et qui va tirer un trait sur sa vie maritale. Karl , son ex , est vraiment un sacré numéro et les trahisons qu’il va infliger à notre héroïne ne semblent pas le perturber au plus haut point . Elle va voir en l’héritage de la maison de sa chère tante Maggie un signe du destin et elle va donc tout quitter pour retrouver une maison dans laquelle elle a vécu des moments heureux. Sa surprise sera d’autant plus grande qu’elle est en piteux état. N’ayant pas les moyens financiers pour la retaper comme il se doit , elle va pouvoir compter sur Mikey, un entrepreneur du coin qui saura lui donner des bons conseils. Par contre, elle n’est pas prête de redonner sa confiance à la gente masculine même si le mystérieux homme qui ne cesse d’apparaître près de chez elle est très tentant. J’ai aimé découvrir cette jeune femme qui va tenter de remettre sa vie sur les rails et aller de l’avant. On espère que la magie va opérer entre elle et notre héros et qu’elle aura une belle vie.
Nick Halloway est également un héros que j’ai aimé découvrir. Nous n’avons jamais son point de vue et de ce fait, nous ne savons pas vraiment à quoi nous en tenir avec lui. Il est avocat fiscal et donc notre héroïne pourrait voir en lui un double de son ex mais il est évident que ce n’est pas le cas. Il n’a pas un fond méchant et de plus , nous allons apprendre qu’il a passé du temps avec Maggie lorsqu’elle en avait le plus besoin. Il saura lui apporter de l’aide dans des moments opportuns et même s’il est parfois maladroit, il est évident que notre héroïne saura voir en lui un homme bien. Il représente tout ce qu’on aime dans un héros et on va se régaler en le découvrant en même temps que Mallory. On se demande si Mickey sera un obstacle pour lui et s’il va vraiment privilégier le bonheur de notre héroïne même s’il n’est pas l’élu. Parviendra t-il à apaiser les tensions dans la vie de cette jeune femme qui veut repartir d’un mauvais pied?
Bref, j’ai passé un très bon moment de lecture avec ce roman et si vous lisez en VO, je ne saurai que vous le recommander. On s’amuse avec les personnages et on espère un happy ending digne d’une belle comédie romantique. Tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour passer un bon moment en charmante compagnie.
Bottom line: This book is just a frigging delight!
Mallory is having a rough couple of months. She’s getting divorced from her cheating husband, and now she’s out of a job and a house. Then, her favorite great-Aunt Maggie died. The only good (and using the term loosely here) thing that’s happened recently is that Aunt Maggie has left Mallory her home in the burbs. It’s a bit of a fixer upper, but then again, so is Mallory.
While Mallory is getting kicked a bit while she’s down, it’s still an upbeat book. It has both hilarious and emotional moments, and it has a quirky cast of characters: h-o-t contractors, grumpy-but-good looking neighbors, newly found friends and family, and a down-on-her-luck heroine that you’ll root for. And even from the grave, Aunt Maggie
For those who want to know, it’s kind of mid-range on the heat level. It’s heavy on the women’s fiction side – it’s single POV & we’re here for the ride as Mallory tries to get her life together – but there is definitely some romance. There’s great chemistry and sexual tension between our MC and her hero. And it’s not closed door, but the sex scenes aren’t super explicit.
• Romantic Comedy
• Divorce / Cheating Ex
• Starting Over
• Slow Burn
• Single, First person POV: Mallory
ARC provided by Valentine PR
I thought this book was very funny, frustrating, angsty and entertaining!
Mallory’s life is in the dumpster…her husband is a cheater, she worked for her husband and left her job because of his cheating, and her aunt died. And her parents are jerks! She ends up inheriting her aunts house which is a disaster due to HOA code violations and her aunts hoarding issue.
Neighbor Nick comes over and their first meeting does go so well…along with the next several interactions. Come to find out Nick is the HOA president and is pushing Mallory to cut the grass and take care of other violations.
As their interactions increase and conversations around aunt Maggie increase there is a shift in their relationship and feelings for one another.
They learn each of them have baggage and trust issues, but as long as they are open and honest they can make a go of it. There are some other events that happen along the way that leads to laughs, anger, hurt and forgiveness.
I requested an arc and I’m leaving my honest opinion.
Back in the Burbs by Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff was PHENOMENAL! I was hooked from start to finish and am head over heels in love with these characters!
Mallory is a HOOT! Snarky, a firecracker, someone looking to find herself for the first time in forever now that she’s actually been given the chance, I adored witnessing her find her stride and her attitude and the sass!
And Nick? Well hello handsome, all stoic and stern and controlling and curmudgeonly! He is a clever cogs and when you get to know him more as his layers are pulled back, he is SWOONWORTHY.
Their chemistry is off the charts and their banter kept me giggling throughout! I love that this story took me on one HECK of an emotional rollercoaster ride of a journey, and that the important of being true to yourself, but how you can grow stronger with someone is explored.
If you’re looking for a feel good story that’ll make you smile and give you hope, as well as an appreciation for lawn ornament flamingos, Back in the Burbs is the book for you!
P. S. I wish I’d known Maggie, and that I had a Maggie in my life!
P. P. S. The soundtrack for this book based on all the songs and albums mentioned is EPIC.
P. P. P. S. I aspire to be Victoria when I grow up!
Back in the Burbs will give all your emotions a workout! You have all the moments – laugh out loud, swoony sexy, angry and finally the heart happiness moment. I loved every one of them! Mallory is going through a really, really rough time in her life. Nick is the annoying, but good hearted, guy next door
.
As Mallory and Nick work through the giant tangle that has become their lives, you see the start of a true friendship. As the story progresses, Mallory realization about what her life was, what it is now and what it can be will make you smile. OK, I’m going to confess this, sometimes I got a little exasperated with her but in the end, I was happy.
Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff have given us a really great book that is exceptionally written. Their outstanding characters have been fully developed with remarkable individuality that has each one taking a piece of your heart in one way or another.
“When life gives you lemons, add vodka.”
Another Blogger (Storiesandcoffee) started her review with “why am I such a sucker for hot mess thirty-something redemption story?” My answer to this is, how could you not be when it’s written by these 2 amazing authors! You either love Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff, or you’re wrong. Back in the Burbs is so laugh out loud incredible you won’t be able to put it down. It has some real-world stuff in there like overcoming trauma and emotional baggage. But overall, this book is light-hearted and fun with tons of witty banter. The characters were excellent and very well developed. I absolutely loved everything about this book! I know this review is short but there’s only so many ways to say “amazing” and “read this now”. Thank you, Valentine PR, for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.
5 heart-warming stars!
NOLA504NERDS BLOG
Filled with snark and sass, plus lots of emotion and heart, Back in the Burbs was a fun read that had a touch of everything I love in a romance book!
Mallory was the exact type of lead I love in a book – she’s a bit of a mess but knows she has to pull up her big girl panties and straighten her life out. She’s smart, but also doesn’t take herself or life too seriously all the time. Nick was just perfect – his past has made him cautious of sharing his life, but underneath the grumpiness he displays at times he is a just a sweet guy who cares deeply about those who matter. I just loved all the banter between Nick and Mallory and how Nick just “got” her – but there was also such a sweetness between these two, especially when Nick would know exactly what Mallory needed when she herself often had no clue.
This book had such an amazing cast of characters. I think my favorites had to be Nick’s parents (which explained so much when we finally got to meet them!) I also enjoyed Mallory’s mother as she finds her way and helps Mallory redefine her past so she can move forward. There were so many great laugh out loud moments and the banter between everyone was frequent and funny, but somehow the authors were able to keep things real and did not let things get over-the-top.
This is one that should be on anyone’s TBR – whether you are in the mood to laugh out loud, sigh from emotion, or do a bit of both, this book will deliver all that and more!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley of this book.
Both of these authors are funny and make you feel like you’re in the character’s head, you’ll love these characters so much you’ll be sad when the book ends.
Back in the Burbs had me laughing so hard through out the entire book! I adore the way Wolff and Flynn put together irresistible comedies that incorporate so many inner dialogue moments with characters thinking things I’ve actually thought or would think in those situations. Their combination of feisty, independent female characters with men who love to care for their women is a fantastic combination and one I re-visit regularly with these two ladies! Like this scene about the tall grass. Mallory is fighting with her nosey neighbor who keeps harping no her about getting the grass mowed down and she’s had enough of his belittling her about it!
“That shock hits a little close to home. Karl spent too many of the last few years making me feel unattractive, and I snap back, ‘Yeah, a date. And if all goes well, we’re going to come back here and have wild sex in my tall grass.’”
To give a quick overview, this book is about Mallory. A woman who just found out her husband is cheating on her and she wants a divorce. But her parents come from one of those wealthy elite groups that doesn’t look positively on divorces and is continuously trying to convince Mallory that she isn’t anything without her husband and she just needs to forgive him. BUT, Mallory’s aunt Maggie recently passed away and left her dilapidated house in Mallory’s care and this is one of those moments where something she never expected, gives her everything she needs to stand up for herself and live life the way she wants to, And she does!
“She sounds shocked, but I don’t care. I’m tired of everyone in my life telling me that everything is my fault. I know I’m not perfect. I know I make mistakes. A part of me even acknowledges that I wasn’t entirely blameless in the failure of my marriage. Still, everything that went wrong didn’t happen because my fucking underwear wasn’t sexy enough.”
But her adventure is not without some serious trials and a whole lot of self reflection. But thankfully she’s moving into the suburbs where everyone will be watching what she’s doing and privacy becomes a thing of the past where her very handsome neighbor wants to help her fix the house and bring some happiness into her life. But boy oh boy is it a rough ride for these two hard headed individuals!
An amazing cast of characters and an even more important underlying theme that it’s OK to let people care about you and care for you. Don’t be a doormat, be yourself and if someone doesn’t like who you are, that’s OK too. Wolff and Flynn remind us that we should surround ourselves with people that we care about and those that care about us and that it;s alright to be a little quirky! Even if that means decorating your yard in flamingos!
With so much to love about this story, there’s no reason I wouldn’t recommend it, but I will tell you that one of the more powerful moments in this book was when Mallory finally starts to stand up for herself and begins letting her emotions out. Resulting in telling off a lot of people in her life that she’s held back on out of respect for who they are in her life. But if you’ve ever been pushed around by people throughout your life, you know how important that moment is when you finally tell them where they can shove it and the way that feels afterwards. How much lighter your shoulders and chest feel after letting it all hang loose.
The co-author team of Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff was the perfect writting combination for this laugh out loud romantic comedy.
From the cast of characters to the writing, this book was just so much fun. An excellent romantic comedy filled with craziness, heart, and steam. At the end will leave you with the biggest smile on your face.
These two authors wrote this book seamlessly. From beginning to end I was laughing so much and it’s been a long time since I’ve had fun reading.
This is a book you won’t want to put down, you will fall for the misadventures of Mallory and the sweet grumpiness that is Nick. I promise you.
Mallory hasn’t had it easy ever since she caught her husband cheating with this paralegal. She’s thirty-five, she’s lost her home, her job, her money, and finally her great aunt Maggie. The only family member who’s ever gotten her.
Even after death, her great aunt is helping Mallory get back up. She’s willed her a house in the burbs. Just as she’s received this news she’s being pushed to sell without any discussion with her. Mallory puts her foot down and decides it time to get her life back on track.
When she gets to see the house, there is a lot of work to be done. Plus she has quite a few HOA violations to sort through and a hot grumpy neighbor, who tells her to mow her lawn,
I really liked Mallory and Nick. She was funny and smart. NIck was a grump at first but the more time they spend together you get to see him in a different side of him.
It was really hard to put down and those last few chapters especially made it hard to do.
Thanks so much to Entangled, NetGalley, and the authors for this copy to review.
For a book with such a cute cover, it sure evoked some deep feelings of me needing revenge on a few villains in the story! Rest assured though, it all works out, all while having laugh out loud moments as well as emotional ones. The story line was a bit different than anything I had ever read so it was a lot of fun to dive into!
Mallory is going through a divorce from a major scum bag and inherits a house from her aunt. The house turns out to be a big undertaking, and that’s where the fun begins. Mallory starts out as being kind of a doormat and her first moment of defiance is standing up to her controlling father and keeping the house instead of selling. I did enjoy seeing Mallory get a backbone and start standing up to people, but she almost takes it too far trying to be the opposite of who she was. She came off as a bit immature in her reactions to some conflict. We then have Nick, her straight laced, rule following, too hot for his own good neighbor, who is just the perfect guy but Mallory has to get out of her own way before that can work out.
I feel like although there was a HEA and everything was technically resolved, I could’ve used a little bit more detail and depth in the end. There was also a new friend of Mallorys that I really liked but we never hear about again after their last interaction. I wouldn’t knock a star off for this because it’s just my personal preference, but the entire story is told from Mallory’s POV and I really prefer having a dual POV.
Overall, it was a fun read that I enjoyed and would love to read more from these two authors together!
When you’re looking for a fun, feel-good romance…look not further!
Back in the Burbs is a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy with some drama thrown in for good measure. The main character, Mallory, found her successful lawyer husband eating lunch in the downtown region of his paralegal and their impending divorce has stripped her of just about everything. She slinks back to her parents’ in New Jersey and that’s not the worst thing. Her favorite aunt, Maggie, passed away. The only silver-lining in this dumpster fire of Mallory’s life is the house Maggie bequeathed to her. Until she gets to the house. The dumpster fire just increased in size and intensity. Determined to make a go of things, even without a job, or money, Mallory is convinced her life is going to change. She can take care of herself and doesn’t need anyone – especially a man – to help her.
She clings to that sentiment as she wades through a massive number of HOA infractions, warnings, and threats (firmly cementing the fact that I could never live where an HOA exists). She clings to that sentiment after meeting her uptight neighbor with a thing for the rules. She clings to that sentiment until…well, she doesn’t. It’s a hard pill to swallow when she realizes that asking for help or having help offered is a whole lot different than being told what to do or having things done for you with purely selfish motives in mind. Her soon-to-be ex-husband did a number on Mallory over the past 10 years. The authors did a fantastic job describing a broken woman who did everything in her marriage to keep the peace, while the man (and I use that term loosely) continued to take advantage.
Mallory is great and I found her easy to relate to and completely likable. Mallory’s inner monologues were brilliantly written, realistic, and snarky. Nick is equally great, and I loved how the authors developed him. The interactions between Mallory and Nick begin strained but evolve into something more. Both have baggage and I loved watching them explore and learn about each other. They have chemistry from the start, and I love how it was explored. The secondary characters, especially Sarah and Nick’s parents, were amazing, as well.
In true Avery Flynn fashion, this book has so much snark and wit and I enjoyed every single minute. I love the co-writing of Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff. Both authors top my favorites and must-read lists and together they created a masterpiece in the contemporary romance genre. The authors created a fun story with excellent characters who are full of life, personality, ambition, and emotion. They brought out the emotions of the characters in a way that the reader will run the gamut with them. The book is perfectly paced, written well, and the setting and world building expertly descripted and set up. I read this book in one day because once I started, I was hooked.
From start to finish, this book made me laugh. I actually wet myself in some parts. A really great book.