sharply written page turner. Opening with a seemingly normal day at school drop off, except one of the moms has disappeared. And Mae Roberts doesn’t understand why no one seems bothered by this. Not only does it leave you wondering what happened, it also explores the toxic side of mom-ships. A perfect book club pick, or read on your own, but expect to lose sleep because you’ll be up all night devouring it!

I was excited for this dark academia esque thriller but it sadly fell flat for me. It was a bit confusing and ultimately boring for me

A thrilling domestic drama of neighborhood community, mom cliques and murder. The suspense is highly addictive and I loved to hate the mommy cliques which of course rubs off on to the children.

I have lived in three countries other than my home country in the past decade or so, and each time, I managed to live on the fringes as an expat/outsider by not having the need to interact on a daily basis with any kind of society, be it people from my home country or the locals. We lived a little like Hermits, which is only feasible if you are a self-sufficient couple (or so I feel). The minute children are in the picture and need to attend some form of gathering, the social context becomes more pronounced for the parents.
I am now a few years away from that, and I cannot predict which country I will be in then, but it is not something I am very eager to embrace after having been away from society for so long.
I begin with this long-winded point just to emphasise what this book is about.
Our lead protagonist is a reasonably young mother who decides to be a stay-at-home mother in a new town when her husband gets a job that can afford them the luxury of moving to a more fancy location and setting up a home in a way that neither has been used to. Then, the ominous atmosphere starts to trickle into their lives.
In this suburban area, the local stay-at-home mothers have formed a clique, and things do not go well for those who stray from the accepted norms.
I liked the way the people were introduced and the conflict in Mae's mind as she clings to her family and what brings her happiness. I think the reveals were a little too dramatic for me. It is not unrealistic to imagine them happening, but given the pacing of the rest of the story, I felt it a little jarring.
I think people who read this genre more often will find themselves more comfortable with the plot.
I liked the author's writing and would recommend her to fans of the genre. I would definitely pick up another of her works if I get the chance.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I read roughly 50% of this one and couldn’t get through the rest. Perhaps it was because I had just read a bunch of domestic thrillers but the characters did not engage me enough to want to see the story through to the end.

A suspenseful story about the challenges of motherhood and the pressure to be perfect. Though Mae has it all, she still struggles to fit in with the wealthy moms she encounters in Burlington. The story delves into suburban life, the choice to become a stay at home, and proving your worth even though you've technically "made it." An interesting read.

You’re quickly drawn into the lives of the wealthy residents of Burlington.
It’s a suburban drama with yummy mummies behaving badly.
“Mae Roberts is certain her new life in the suburbs with her family will be everything she’s always wanted. That is, until one of the mothers from her daughter’s school goes missing”
Mae must decide what’s more important - fitting in or uncovering the truth
A domestic suspenseful drama that delves into the realities of parenthood and the choices we’re sometimes forced to take and the lengths we’ll go to, to maintain a facade.
Gripping and intriguing, loved the mystery surrounding the missing woman and how it panned out.
Thanks @hdixonwriter @RAPubCollective and @netgalley for the eARC

Mae Roberts is certain her new life in the suburbs with her family will be everything she’s always wanted. That is, until one of the mothers from her daughters’ school goes missing.

Burlington was a perfect mystery/thriller set in the backdrop of wealthy suburbia. It asks a multitude if questions: what would you do to fit in? How far are you willing to go before you break? Mae has to answer these questions while simultaneously trying to figure out what has happened to her friend, who has mysteriously disappeared. This book kept me on my toes and so intrigued throughout reading. I highly recommend.

Thank you to @netgalley and @risingactionpublishingco for letting me review this book.

The book was billed as a domestic thriller, a genre I usually do not gravitate towards- a mix of Stepford Wives & Mean Girls- but after going to college in Vermont, I thought I’d try this out. I went along with the beginning because I could totally understand moving to a new place with kiddos and wanting to find a new community with the kids parents. It didn’t keep me In suspense, felt more like a slow burn domestic drama with some mystery and thrill at the end. I may not have been the target audience, but could see it lending to a good book club discussion.

This book had plenty of interesting twists and turns. I enjoyed it a lot, even if it didn't feel especially "new" -- but it was a very good debut and I will absolutely read more of the author's work in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for the chance to read this book!

Great setting, smooth prose, but the characters were a bit flat. The resolution and ultimate twists were terrific--wish the writer had had better editing help in the middle of the book.

What a fantastic read ! This was the perfect pace, full of shocks and twists throughout the whole book. I loved it and can't wait to read this Author again .

I love a good neighbourhood drama story! This one revolves around Mae who has recently moved to a new suburb with her family. She initially tries to make friends with the mothers at the new school where her children attend but she finds the women a bit intense and intimidating. The more Mae integrates into their inner circle the more apprehensive she becomes especially when two of the mothers go missing. Surpislngly no one seems to be too worried about them and this is when Mae decides she has to do something. This was definitely an interesting suspense story that I flew through.

In her impressive debut novel, Heather Dixon delivers an engrossing thrill ride of a read that’s very Big Little Lies meets The Stepford Wives with a whole lot of twists thrown in for good measure.

Mae Roberts thought she’d be living her dream life in the suburbs but after one of the moms—the only one who made any kind of attempt to get to know Mae—disappears she has to question if moving to Burlington was a good idea. When she finds herself finally admitted into the inner circle of Riverpark Elementary’s exclusive clique, she learns the deeper truth about these women and the web of lives they’ve all woven. And then another mom disappears…

This fast paced story pulls you into Mae’s world where no one speaks the truth and everyone has something to hide. It’s a story about trying to fit in, feeling alone in the act of motherhood, and how far someone will go to protect what they think is important.

BURLINGTON is the perfect suburban mom suspense with lots of tension and misdirection that will have you guessing all the way through to the end.

My thanks to Rising Action Publishing for the advance reading copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Loved this fast paced thriller. I enjoy neighborhood thriller books and this one did not disappoint at all. Well written first book for this author. I really
Liked the character of Mae as well. And other characters were easy to dislike but they weren’t horrible.

Mae and her family of four move to the affluent town of Burlington. The Moms of Burlington rule the social hierarchy and they are ruthless. Then one of the moms disappears. Then another. What is happening? Something is amiss in the town of Burlington. This book had a lot of potential but it was so SLOW. I kept waiting for a big reveal, some "A-ha" moment that explained the disappearances in town but it was just a meandering read with too many unnecessary details. The story just drug on aimlessly. I am sorry- I tried but it took me forever to finish. It just wasn't very good. I just reviewed Burlington by Heather Dixon. #Burlington #NetGalley
2.5 stars

I am so thankful to Rising Action Publishing Co, Netgalley, and Heather Dixon for granting me both digital and physical access to this twisty thriller before it published on August 22, 2023.

This was a solid domestic drama debut from a new Canadian author. I really enjoy stories about motherhood, marriage and the challenges of parenting and this one was about all of those things combined.

Perfect for fans of authors like Liane Moriarty or Chandler Baker. We get to know Mae as she moves into a new wealthy suburb and tries to fit in with the elite mom group who are all concerned about being perfect wives and mothers until one of them disappears and suddenly this perfect group starts showing their darker side.

A great exploration of the stress and exhaustion of trying to compete to be what society considers a 'good' mother and the difficulty of making and maintaining friendships as an adult and excellent on audio narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the author for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I'm looking forward to reading the author's upcoming women's fiction/romance when it releases later this Fall!

I read someone describe Burlington as Desperate Housewives meets Mean Girls and that is so accurate! A face paced read, where you don't know who to trust. I didn't particularly love any of the characters but that didn't ruin the book for me. A fun domestic suspense!

I read this book in one sitting! I am always drawn to books about small, “perfect” town/communities and this one hit the spot.

This is a mix of “Desperate Housewives” and “Mean Girls” and if you are new to the neighborhood – good luck trying to fit it. When the main character – Mae moves in she tries her best to get accepted into the group but also to stay true to herself. Then one of the moms goes missing and Mae is determined to find the truth behind her disappearance. There are secrets, lies, twists and surprises. Great thriller!

Thank you NetGalley, Rising Action Publishing Co. and the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.