Back to the Burbs

by Avery Flynn and Tracy Wolff

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Christena Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first half of this book but the second half really dragged for me. The MC, Mallory, became extremely stubborn and her character growth was non-existent until the absolute bitter end. This could have been a real winner if it was a bit shorter and the conflicts with her love interest, Nick, were less contrived. She constantly called him hawty but he was nothing but but a gentleman throughout. It was confusing. On a positive note, the writing was decent for sure. (Other than the overuse of the word 'apparently') There was a lot of potential here and the narrator on Audible was 10/10.

[Jennifer Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this was a fun & quick read to me. I enjoy most everything written by Avery Flynn and this was no exception - I don't read her for the deep & complicated story setting, I read her for the distracting and entertaining story and this was one of those. If that's your goal in reading then you'll enjoy it as well!

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5... MC is frustrating. Audible narration- 5/5

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

Back to the Burbs was a quick and fun read.
Mallory our MC is trying to find herself after a messy divorce. It’s understandable how angry and bitter she is.

I loved the plot about inheriting a hoarders house. I found that really interesting.

Overall I thought this was a good light book.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[Erin Latz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read- witty, entertaining, with a bit of romance but not overly saturated that it's cringe.

[Denise Hlavka · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Audible)
Chaos, nasty divorce etal., bring Mallory back to her parents house, at the same time her dear great aunt passes away. Mallory was close to her aunt and inherits her home BACK IN THE BURBS of New Jersey. The house is a disaster, back taxes are owed and her family encourages her to clean it out and sell it off. But even after Mallory discovers what a horrible hoarder her aunt was, she still feels strongly about keeping the property.
The first part of this book was warm, funny, true to life characteristically, and very enjoyable. It was the first book in a long time that had me laughing out loud. For real.
Alas, the second half began. Where our heroine Mallory had seemed spunky and tough and fun, she turns into a very dumbed up version of herself. She can’t see that her husband was a creep but that doesn’t mean every man is. This in NOT a young girl; she’s 35, and her words and actions turn high-
schoolish, silly and out of sync with the plot of the story.
I don’t know if this was a collaboration of writing, or if one author wrote 1/2 and then one finished. In either case, it was a weird feeling . Plus the steam and spice with very nice neighbor, Nick, was over the top, which also didn’t feel like the the Mallory in the beginning and kind of cheapened her after all the pronouncements of taking things slow with any future men.
4 rating for 1/2 of book (especially for the laughs, and the delicate handling of hoarding), 2 rating for the silliness of much of the second half. Maybe just read 1/2 and pretend it’s a novella?
10 big stars for the narrator!!! She was fantastic and perfect and conversationally convincing.

[Lynda Riggers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying, I am no prude. I have been around the block more than I care to admit and I can swear (and often do) with the best of them. But, when I started this book I was taken aback by the amount of swearing. This, added with the anger of the protagonist, was a bit much. However, I am a finisher and an author. And I know the amount of HARD work it takes to write and finish a book and bring it to publication. That alone made me continue reading, and WOW am I glad I did.

What a great book! So much going on. Every twist and turn and debacle that could happen, did, and Mallory, our man-hating heroine just kept plugging along. She worked through most of her anger, and even turned the potty mouth into an effective, funny tool. And for the record, Mallory had every reason to be bitter and full of expletives.

I recommend setting your fragile sensibilities aside and diving into Back to the Burbs - you can thank me later.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. The book was free on Audible, thank goodness. The protagonist was terrible. Every choice she made was maddening. Her sense of humor was annoying. I don’t know what the authors are trying to do here…. Write a book about a rich girl who leaves a rich guy they acts for 1 week like she wants to grow from it, then gets involved immediately with someone else? What happened to remodeling the house? HOA fees? Oh right she lots of money and that was tied up in a bow. Honestly the only reason I didn’t give it 1 or 2 stars is that it was an easy listen, even if I was rolling my eyes and saying, “oh come ON” out loud to the audiobook version.

[Yasmeen · Rating 1 out of 5]

The character basically ends up the same way she started except married. No character growth, it felt like dramatic plot tropes were used at every corner, and very basic/rudimentary metaphors they were laughable. The writing was mediocre, maybe the same level of sophistication as my texting, which I think isn't very goood. I wanted something light and fun but got really annoyed by how 1D Mallory's character is. I'm glad I checked it out of the library and didn't spend a dime on this. Not interested in any more of this author's work

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded to 4 - This book has so much potential, parts of it are very good. But the MC, Mallory, as narrator was just too much… She was never happy about anything, and at times I didn’t like her at all. She seemed determined to self-destruct. That being said, there’s a fun story here that, IMHO, could benefit from less lugubrious narration.*Easy for me to say, I know… It’s a good book ~

* I mean the written narration; the audiobook is well done.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like each author picked a half, with the stronger writer going first. This hooked me, as the first half of the book was fun and interesting. The second half... If I wasn't invested in the story, I would have simply stopped reading.

The premise isn't far off from most chick lit. It's a fun read, but I don't highly recommend it.

[Crys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can thank jury pool duty for allowing me time to read this story. I really enjoyed the FMC snark and commitment to prioritize herself (after a one sided marriage) throughout the book. I’d like to know how Mallory gives off the “only good guys need apply” vibes allowing her to catch 2 pairs of eyes post separation so I can help some sisters out. 😋
I was proud of her for having the capacity to take surprise news and take in family under her roof so well and without pause, despite her being mid crisis (renovation, de-hoarding, divorce, new job, dating, finding herself, trauma). Hell just one of those chaotic issues is enough make me pull my hair out. My SO and I personally spent a rough 2 yrs to semi-rectify my in-laws hoarding situation once they decided it was time to downsize from the family home to a retirement condo.
I was pleasantly surprised by the spicy scenes with a very attentive MMC. ok let’s be real that’s always a win for me lol.
🤔I think I might strive to become more like Mrs Halloway if not Aunt Maggie when I grow up. Getting older is isolating enough and life’s too precious to let it fly by calmly. Let’s stir it up.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I needed. Back to the Burbs was a train wreck of epic proportions. The main character Mallory has literally lost everything and everyone seems to make her decisions for her. Feeling as if she is nothing but a doormat to those around her, Mallory falls into a state of disrepair, kind of like the house left to her by her late Aunt Maggie. Throw in a grumpy hot neighbor and HOA violations out the wazoo and Mallory is left with zero fxxks to give.

This book was frustrating, funny, twisted and unique. The main character is a mess of epic proportions and her story was pathetic, yet it made for the perfect entertainment and all around fun. Like the saying goes “When it rains, it pours.” Describes our main character perfectly.

Overall this book was entertaining and enjoyable. It has all the troupes covered: cheating ex-husband, enemies to lovers, divorce, rock star comeback and so much more. A quick and fun read that is sure to have you laughing or yelling.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were about 3 hours of entertaining content in this story. The rest was primarily focused on the main female's idocy, repetitive insecurities and lack of gumption. As most romance novels are predictable (that's why most of us listen to them - the hope of good things to come and happy endings) this one was typical. The cheating husband theme was also very familiar for this genre. What became extremely redundant was the whining insecurity of the female lead. It seemed to take forever to get to the end of her unsuccessful pep talks to herself. Her anger and judgment of others based on her experience with a louse of a husband was nonsensical. Her ability to wallow in self pity was almost a reason to not finish. Also, it was really difficult to tell what was actual dialogue vs inner thoughts. There was also an abundant use of the "F" word, which I do find offensive and indidcative of poor writing skills. I did laugh a few times which warrants two stars, but this book definitely falls into the barely mediocre rating.

[Jennifer Cotto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gotta say this book was VERY reminiscent of my Grams! Floor to ceiling hoarding was her to a T.

The story is about Mallory who inherits a house from her aunt, it seems like a great idea because she is getting divorced, has no job and is living with her parents - it’s the perfect start of a new life for her…..except the house is in a total state of disrepair and Mallory has absolutely no money to fix it up. Her parents think she’s crazy for trying to take on this house.

Once she gets to the new house and starts looking it over she discovered that her aunt was a secret hoarder rooms full of floor to ceiling stuff you can’t even get into the rooms. When she’s out throwing away Bags and bags of trash, she meets her annoying neighbor, Nick, who hassles her constantly about mowing her lawn because it looks like a jungle. Mallory is not ready for a new relationship, but she does find Nick very attractive.. does she give into her feelings for Nick or will she shy away because she’s not ready for a relationship?

You’ll have to read the book to find out!
XO

[Lenerz Reads by Ear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this book! I’m usually into short romance reads, listening to those type of audiobooks, but having a hard time find them now a days since I’ve practically bull dozed my way through them so I can’t find many anymore that I’m interested in. Anything over 6 hrs is a stretch to me because usually that means the story seems never ending with way too many unnecessary twists and turns of heart ache. But this isn’t that book. I loved how Nick and Mallory ended up having parallel lives and found that they were sooo perfect for each other. I thought that Nick’s mother and her aunt would’ve been great friends if not best friends in the past. I had hope that her sister would’ve ended up with the contractor since he was just as nice and hot as he was described, perhaps later??? But all in all, it was nice story with book cover that depicts an actual scene in the book. Great collab of the authors!

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has the makings of an interesting plot, but the writing was awful. The main character is almost 40 and talks like she's 18. I don't mind swearing in books, but the level was unbelievable especially for a professional who was a law office manager--which is another issue. For the MC working in a law office, she has no idea about anything going on in her husband's law office. SHe has no idea that she would be entitled to 1/2 in divorce. She is clueless at times, angry at the wrong people, and lets other people (parents and soon-to be ex husband) walk all over her.

The dialogue is banal, and the situations unbelievable (not 1 but 2 hot guys fall for this insipid woman who lack a personality who is still married).

SHe is supposed to be fixing up an inherited house, but she goes on dates, drinks all the time, and doesn't really do any rehab.

This plot would be great in the hands of someone like Mary Kay Andrews.

DNF at 65% on audio

[Marsha Rafalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded to 4.0

Mallory has just separated from a cheating husband and lost her apartment and her job because her ex is her Boss and their apartment is in his name. Her Aunt Maggie’s recent death has only made her emotional state more precarious. When she learns that her aunt has left her a house and that her aunt was a hoarder of massive proportions, Mallory decides that she is done with letting other people’s emotions direct her life. The dilapidated house, a super hot contractor and a handsome more-than-sexy next door neighbor who also happens to be her new boss is more than complicated enough.

This book was a light, entertaining romance with enough feelings and story line to make it a very pleasant read. The characters were attractive, interesting and open to learning and growth. The plot was amusing enough to keep me interested throughout the story. Recommend to readers who enjoy romance with heart.

[G.A. Benoit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super duper average contemporary romance where not a lot happens and you can predict the end but it’s very easy and light in a good way.

And the main point of conflict is that all characters are not communicating effectively or at all, fyi.

(Setting: Mallory inherits her aunt’s hoarder house upon the heels of her divorce. She leaves NYC to immerse herself in the recovery and restoration of a suburban house that has racked up its fair share of HOA violations. Not ready to enter a new relationship, Mallory faces choices such as hot young contractor or hot crotchety neighbor. Mallory has very low self esteem, likely because of the circumstances of her marriage/divorce, and she tends to have a cloud of gloom above her at all times.)

[jennifer olender · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character is a fool. She constantly makes poor decisions. She misreads the most basic situations and disregards anything positive happening in her life. The story is completely unrealistic, starting with the perfect man living right next-door who just so happens to have money, rescue animals, help old ladies, offer to repair her house and clear clutter - for free, give her a high paying job and fall in love with her!?! The corny jokes throughout the story fell flat because they were much too juvenile for 35-year-old woman to make. While it is an easy read, I would not recommend this book.

[❋ Booked Out Today ❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back to the Burbs by Avery Flynn and Tracey Wolff

Romance | Comedy | Family Life

•Mallory, 35 years old, finds out that her husband has been cheating on her. She loses her job, her money and her great-aunt Maggie. After Maggie’s death, she’s willed the keys to her house. The house is in need of major repairs. Luckily her new neighbour is willing to help.
•Mallory was a loveable MC and sense of humour was great. I did found this dragged a bit towards the end and the sudden turn in the relationship seemed a little unnecessary but overall it was enjoyable and giving Hallmark movie vibes.

★★★★ 4/5

[Cynthia George · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the book on audible, since the reading was on point, it made the experience really authentic.

The vocabulary wasn’t great, in the sense, I didn’t have any regrets only listening to it, since the conversation and the general narration were mostly colloquial.

The plot is predictable, and toward the end, the protagonist becomes silly bordering on ridiculous. Most of the scenes are straight of a typical hallmark/Netflix feel good romcoms.

All in all, I wouldn’t invest too much time on it. Was listening to it on my commute and so it was good way to pass the time in traffic.

[Kimberly #Audiofile · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star listen
i appreciated this book, very interesting and real, i bought into this relationship and secondary characters lives also.

i found myself giggling at times and also understanding why certain things happen.
i liked the narration and felt like this was written quite well.

worth the listen i also believe this is free through kindle unlimited read and listen

[Sylvia Hanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quirky, very modern love story follows Mallory as she repairs her great aunt's house and her life following years of mental abuse from her cheating spouse. Several times throughout this story, you'll want to shake some sense into the main character, but you'll love her so much all at the same time

[Andrea Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and light. The main character is going through many life changes and struggles, but really shows that a good attitude and hard work pay off! I liked her humor and self-deprecation, it did not get annoying or old, as some other reviews state. Plenty of plot material, no parts got slow or redundant. A very fun read!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first half of this one as it was entertaining and humorous. The second half I really disliked the main character and how she treated Nick. It’s a quick rom com and isn’t my normal genre but was available with Prime reading and had audio available. The audio was good and I enjoyed the characters.

[chelsea mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator was really good on audible.

The book is good, but the lead is very frustrating. She is self sabotaging most of the book. But I think some of the conflict in the last of the book could have been less about her blooming romance and more on her past.

But the writing is cute. Easily book to listen to, but she is very over dramatic and is very mean to the love partner.

[Misty Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll be rooting for Mallory through the entire story. She stands up to her doubtful parents and proves to herself and those around her just how much she can do with a little determination. My hopes for this book to have a love triangle were squashed way too soon. I really enjoy these characters. They felt relatable.

[Elizabeth LaComb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love to beginning of the book, but at one point when she didn’t date the contractor And went with the neighbor who was also a lawyer it just felt too played out before I was really hoping there would be more drama between the two boys two dating candidates, but she wrote him off so quickly.