This was such a fun read! Welcome to the neighborhood explores the complexities of being the new mom on the block when your new husband's ex's friends are still around. Cue in competition, comparison, teen angst, and a bit of "the housewives" drama. I enjoyed this book and its character so much. You cannot help rooting for Ginny and her daughter, wanting them to be accepted while remaining true to themselves. A feel-good book with depth and compassion.

I LOVED this book! It's witty and fun with an important message of the value of being true and authentic. I loved that Ginny spoke her mind and confronted people with hard topics instead of so many stories that have characters who hold back and not say what we want them to say/what needs to be said. I devoured this "mom-com" and already can't wait for Lisa Roe's next book!

Thank you to @sourcebookscasa for my gifted copy of Welcome to the Neighborhood, by @lisaroewrites. This cute book comes out on April 5, and if you liked the Class Mom series, you’ll likely enjoy Welcome to the Neighborhood. The book is about a mom named Ginny, her daughter Harri, and the people in the neighborhood they move to after Ginny gets married. Ginny and Harri have never lived in the suburbs before, and immediately get roped into committees, friend groups, and more.

I read most of this on a plane, and was very entertained. Ginny is an easy character to love, and my heart went out to Harri throughout the course of the book. I don’t want to say too much and give things away, but y’all, I couldn’t put this book down in the last 100 pages. There was so much action packed in, and of course I had to see where it went and how all of the characters ended up. Let’s just say that I ended up loving a character that I never thought I would have.

I absolutely adored Ginny's story and even if you don't have experience with suburban moms, this novel is relatable to anyone who has ever started over or wondered if they've made the right choices. I laughed out loud more than once and without giving any spoilers, there's a particularly funny scene with some husbands that reminded me of Bridget Jones. Written with humor and heart, this one is a must grab for your vacation reading this year. I can't wait for Roe's next book!

Welcome to the Neighborhood
by Lisa Roe

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, and by #NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
I enjoyed the book. It was a change of pace from mystery. The neighborhood was not lacking snobbish, crazy people. Very happy Ginny and Harri got back to their own type of world.

Love, love, loved this book! I loved the mother and daughter relationship in the book, and well as how realistic it was. Mom-com for the win!

A sweet and funny fish out of water take on moms and tween daughters. Not a romance book. Enjoyable but not particularly memorable..

Even if your life is nothing like the characters in Welcome to the Neighborhood, you will probably find something to relate to in this heart-warming mother/daughter tale. Ginny, a single mother of preteen daughter Harri, remarries and ends up in a neighborhood that resembles more Real Housewives than real life. Ginny then struggles with helping her daughter fit in with her new classmates while remaining true to who they are. Even though their experience is beyond dramatic, every parent will understand the pain and conflict in Ginny's heart, and every reader will find some humor in this outrageous tale.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

To be honest, this book was a bit stressful from start to finish, purely based on the plot. I found myself SO irritated with the the characters and how they interacted with one another -- I wanted *some* redeeming moments for Ginny and her family. It just felt like ALL conflict, and not enough moments to keep you reading. It needed much more levity. I was worried that by the end, Ginny and Harri would still be stuck with terrible neighbors, an absent husband and father, and bad situation after bad situation. Plus, even as it did wrap up, it was concluded so quickly that the HEA didn't really feel satisfying.

I wanted to like this book, but it unfortunately wasn't my favorite read.

A thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


While slow to start it was hard to put down once it gets going. Quaint, enjoyable and entertaining.

I read this book a while back so I don't remember many details, but I'll say this much. I loved it.

It was slow and dragging in the start, but when things get spicy, I couldn't put it down. More than an adult romance novel, it's something even teenagers can read and relate with (obviously others too).

Now when I mention the general odd one out/ peer pressure theme of the story, most people will drop everything and run, but hang on. Roe handled this sensitive topic do well and kept a perfect balance between the serious stuff and the humor.

Perfectly worth your time!

What a pleasant surprise! I hope this book does immensely well. It was cute but serious at the same time. I keep getting thrown for a loop by this new illustrated book cover trend expecting chick lit every time. But this was the best kind of women's fiction through and through.
Ginny and Jeff have just gotten married--blending their family and their lives. But do they really know each other? Jeff has Ginny and her 11 year old daughter, Harri, move in to the home he made with his ex-wife--gold-digger Stacy who left for a man making more money. But in the meantime chaos ensues with Ginny in the neighborhood where Stacy had so many friends. And then Jeff make a crazy decision about his job. One that for me was the only part of the book I thought to be completely unrealistic. He knows they just got married. Why would he do it? Also, Harri was asking to be homeschooled....and Ginny is an artist who could literally work from anywhere. Why would she not want to give her daughter and herself the amazing experience to go with her husband....SO STUPID!
But the book wouldn't have happened if she had gone....so alas, stupid decisions make for good stories! Ha!
I love that the main theme is a woman finding her place in a new life and helping her daughter along the way, while not adding infidelity or a terrible marriage to the mix. That's the fresh take on women's fiction that is SO needed.

Welcome to the Neighborhood. Not.

When Ginny marries Jeff, she knows it will change her and her daughter Harri’s life. She’s leaving a tiny apartment in Queens and moving to the luxurious home Jeff shared with his ex-wife in suburban New Jersey. It sounds perfect. It isn’t.

First there are the neighbors, led by alpha Mom Margot. The 5th grade fundraiser is approaching. Margot is the Chair and there’s more organization necessary than for a Presidential Inauguration. Ginny, an artist, is tapped for decorations and publicity. Then there are the daughters who will become Harri’s friends. They are very much like their mothers, also weight, appearance and clothing obsessed. Friendly Harri, whose passion is her pet chicken, does not fit in. And then, there is Jeff. Weeks after the move, business travel takes him to Ireland. For weeks.

All of this does resolve for the best in Welcome to the Neighborhood, a funny, charming novel about staying true to yourself. All characters (even the ones you won’t like) are well described, especially Wayne and Zaria. Ginny, however, with her fierce energy and occasional self doubt, is the star. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Lisa Roe for this ARC.

Ginny and her daughter Harri have built a full albeit budgeted life in Queens and then Ginny meets Jeff. Moving from Queens to Jeff's house in New Jersey means a huge shift in how they live, especially since it's much more upscale. It's dizzying to both of them. And then Jeff has to go overseas for six weeks for work, leaving them to navigate through a new world on their own. Yes it's mom lit and some of the characters will seem very familiar in both their meanness and their Lululemon's but...It's fun and it's got a good heart. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fast fun read that made me laugh.

Single mom Ginny has spent years alone, looking out for herself and her preteen daughter, Harri. So when she meets and marries Jeff, she has mixed feelings about moving into his house in the suburbs. While she’s eager to start her new life with her new husband, she feels like a fish out of water. Just like the old adage says, you can take the girl out of the city, but not the city out of the girl.

As if starting over wasn’t hard enough, then Ginny meets the neighbors. Suddenly Ginny and Harri find themselves navigating the world of school fashion shows, PTA meetings, and gluten free lunches. Never ones to care about the status quo, both mother and daughter struggle. Add in a kleptomaniac neighbor, a crazy ex wife, and a husband abroad for work and you’re still just skimming the surface. In a town where even the Iikes of Mr. Rogers would retire his shoes, put on his cardigan, and call it a day, will Ginny give in and trying to keep up with the Jones’ or will she keep looking for a way out?

Welcome to the Neighborhood is an ambitious debut from author @lisaroewrites. Analyzing the trappings of suburbia isn’t new material, but it’s one I find myself often drawn to as a reader. I love stories where things aren’t what they seem and there’s a lot of that in this neighborhood. I empathized with Ginny and Harri, and found myself frustrated with Jeff and well, pretty much all of their neighbors. Growing up in an arguably upscale town might have made this one more relatable, but if you enjoy reading about your housewives instead of watching them, this might be one neighborhood worth taking a tour of.

I LOVED this mom-com! I literally snorted while laughing. It’s so relatable. The relationship between Ginny and her daughter Harri is endearing. I choked up a few times too. I’ve feared moving to a new neighborhood for the same reasons Ginny experiences in this story. I was so happy with the resolution! This is an amazing debut.

Characters: 6.5/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Plot: 7/10
Intrigue: 6/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 6.5/10

Overall Rating: 3.35/5

At it’s core this is a story about a mother and daughter - Ginny and Harri- navigating an entirely new-to-them world of the upscale suburbs when Ginny marries and moves in with Jeff.

Ginny and Harri both encounter a world filled with material things, secrets, bullying and overall bad behavior. Think Gilmore Girls meets The Desperate Housewives.

While there is a minor love story that comes into play it is really about this mother-daughter duo and how they deal with all these life changes.

Overall it was a nice read. I am not raving about it but it was a solid 3.35 star book. I would recommend it for those who are looking for a contemporary book that features a woman in her late 30’s/early 40’s.

Read this if you like
1: single mom
2: friends to lovers
3: a second chance at love
4: mother/daughter relationship.

This is the story of Ginny who fell in love with the handsome and divorced Jeff and decided to move with her daughter Harri from Queens to his home in an upscale New Jersey Suburb.

Ginny is thinking that she is finally is going to live an easy and prosperous life and that she will be able to offer her 11-year-old daughter all that she wishes while given a 2nd chance of falling in love but her new life and neighbours will not make that easy for her and she will find herself trying to fit with her a daughter into a new and different society that is full of fakeness and showing off.
This is a novel about embracing oneself and learning to trust yourself despite the harassment and bullying of other people. It is also about how to fit in without losing our identities.
I liked it and I recommended it hope you love it too.

I absolutely loved Welcome to the Neighborhood by Lisa Roe and am officially dubbing her the queen of mom-coms. Though I am not a mother myself, I still found myself relating to Ginny and Harri's journey of moving to the NJ suburbs. They are certainly an experience! Lisa put together an amazing cast of characters in the community. I found myself turning the pages, wondering what was going to happen next to Ginny and Harri. Lisa also dealt with some difficult issues in this book with a skilled hand.

Ginny and Harri's relationship was the star of this book through, for me. Though their were missteps and struggles as they navigated living in a new community, the strength of this mother-daughter relationship rose above all else. If you are a fan of Gilmore Girls for the complicated mother-daughter relationships and the dynamics of finding yourself in an upper-class setting, you will enjoy this book. What a fantastic debut from Lisa Roe. I cannot wait to read her future releases!

After years of struggling to make ends meet, Ginny, a single mom from Queens, falls for a hard-working and loving man, and relishes the idea of moving with her quirky eleven-year-old daughter Harri to his home in an upscale New Jersey suburb. Though she's never been impressed by material things, she is thrilled that getting a second chance at love comes with the added bonus of finally giving Harri everything she never could before.

And then she meets the neighbors.

Ginny is quickly thrust into the complicated realities of a neighborhood defined by the ever-shifting alliances of PTA moms, Real Housewife contenders, and their mean-girl daughters. When the neighbors' secrets, back-stabbing, and bad behavior take a devastating toll on her daughter and new marriage, Ginny must decide what really matters—and protect it at all costs.

At the start of this debut novel, main character Ginny has just gone from a single mom living in Queens with her 11 year old daughter Harri, to newly married and moving into her husband’s big house in a NJ suburb. There, she and Harri both must learn how to fit in to their new life, especially as they both encounter mean girls of both the mom and kid varieties.

I love the newly growing genre I like to call mom-coms, and this is a good addition to the genre. It definitely made me feel glad to live in a suburb that is a little more down to earth than the one presented here, and that neither I nor my kids have ever had any interest in trying to fit in with conformist popular mean people! Indeed, if I had any quibble about this book, it’s that I feel like a kid who is described as being as unique as Harri wouldn’t even want to be part of the mean girl clique. But I really enjoyed the characters and the story, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Lisa Roe writes next!