Title: The Roxy Letters
Author: Mary Pauline Lowry
Narrator: Jayme Mattler
Published: April 2020, Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: 9 hours 39 minues
Source: ALC via Libro.fm
Summary:
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?
My thoughts: In a time where the world is so uncertain and everyone is struggling to find the good in life, this book certainly came around at the right time. This book is quirky, funny and just the perfect book to get you out of a funk and seeing the a little hope in the darkness.
I think what first drew me to this book is the comparison of it to Bridget Jones. Now it’s been years since I’ve seen that movie, but I do know I did nothing but laugh and I could use all the light-hearted books right now, so of course I had to see for myself how this would fare. Listening to it was quite a treat as it’s all letters that Roxy has penned to her ex-boyfriend. And while they start out as a way for her to communicate with Everett who has just become her roommate, it quickly turns into a way for her to get her thoughts out on what is going on in her life because the letters just end up sitting in her drawer, not being given to Everett at all. And let me just say, Roxy manages to get herself into some crazy things!
This book has a little bit of everything in it – a little romance, a little soul-searching, and a lot of being true to yourself and kicking-a** at that. I laughed a lot during this book, though I will say there were a few cringe-worthy moments, but all-in-all this is a fun, enjoyable book that is sure to get you out of any funk you may be in at the moment.
Audio thoughts: This was a fun audiobook to listen to and I thought Jayme Mattler did a great job with it. She really brought this book to life, even though the format of it – all letters – is a little strange. This was the first time I’ve listened to her narrate a book and I really liked the way she handled this book. Her pacing and intonation were spot on and I will certainly be checking out what else she narrates.
This sounds fun and definitely different! I read a Rainbow Rowell book that was almost all emails and while I enjoyed it it did take me a little while to get used to it.
Don't we need the laughs now. The curfew at home is continuing unabated and life is hard within doors.