Back in the Burbs

by Tracy Wolff, Avery Flynn

Overview

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 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682815694
Publisher:	Entangled Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	03/30/2021
Series:	Back in the Burbs , #1
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband, and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She lives with her family (including the dogs Gravy, Pepper, Tater Tot, and Eggnog, who are either sleeping or guarding the house from squirrels as well as the cat, Dwight, who is totally plotting world domination) outside of Washington, D.C. She loves to chat with readers. You can email her at [e-mail] and join her reader group, The Flynnbots, on Facebook!

averyflynn.com

Tracy Wolff is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a lover of vampires, dragons, and all things that go bump in the night. A onetime English professor, she now devotes all her time to writing dark and romantic stories with tortured heroes and kick-butt heroines. She has written all her seventy-plus novels from her home in Austin, Texas, which she shares with her family. tracywolffauthor.com

Editorial Reviews

2021-03-31
A young woman in the midst of a nasty divorce inherits a dilapidated house and decides to try her luck living in a new town in this novel.

Thirty-five-year-old Mallory Martin Bach has hit rock bottom. As a result of her soon-to-be-ex husband’s adulterous behavior, she’s lost not only her marriage, but also her home and even her job. Making matters worse, Mallory’s favorite aunt, the only family member who really understood her, has just died. The book opens with the reading of the will and the bombshell that Aunt Maggie has bequeathed her large house to Mallory. With few other options, Mallory decides to leave Manhattan and try living in suburban Huckleberry Hills, New Jersey. When she arrives in the neat and tidy neighborhood, she finds her new house is barely habitable. In addition to the many structural repairs the home requires, every room is filled to the brim with evidence that Maggie suffered from an extreme hoarding obsession. As Mallory begins the onerous process of clearing out the house, she meets the bossy but handsome neighbor across the street, Nick Holloway, whom she finds as enticing as he is infuriating. As Nick begins to prove himself rather helpful, she warms to him. The only problem is that Mallory has already promised herself she will never become reliant on another man. When it feels like Nick is starting to get too close, Mallory has to decide what she really wants out of her new life. Told entirely from Mallory’s perspective, the narrative displays a quirky, conversational tone that is consistent throughout. Full of witty banter, flirtatious glances, and sexy smirks, the interactions between the characters are lively and engaging. Despite the light tone of the prose, the novel deals with weighty topics, including emotionally abusive relationships, mental health, aging relatives, and self-doubt. At the same time, the story also highlights many of the ridiculous aspects of suburban living with humor and sass. From nonsensical housing association rules to the jewelry parties that occupy young mothers, Wolff and Flynn don’t miss an opportunity to poke fun at the burbs. Although the trajectory of the tale is predictable, the journey to its inevitable conclusion is solidly entertaining.

Romantic comedy fans will be delighted by this fun story about relationships and suburban living.

Kirkus Reviews