I expected Burlington by Heather Dixon to be fast paced thriller, mystery and rich people suburban drama that will keep me on the edge of my seat, but unfortunately it didn't deliver.

It had a solid start but after that is it just a repetition of daily mundane things of stay at home moms, but without the kids. Even though most of the characters at SAHMs the children were very rarely featured which in my personal experience is not the case.
There were many shady and love to hate characters that showed so much promise but it just fell flat.

The story was very slow paced, nothing happens almost until the end of the book.
The main heroine although very likeable and relatable person was at moments very annoying for her lack of back bone and being too gullible.

This could be a good choice for those who are just starting with thrillers to slowly ease into the genre but I, the seasoned thriller reader found it too slow and too tame.

2.75 stars.

A story about rich housewives in a suburban town in the US which was a quick read. However, the characters were not fully fleshed out and it was quite slow paced until the ending. You knew something was not right with the neighborhood when two women disappeared but I didn’t feel tension or a sense of suspense. The publisher blurb says that this is ‘A fresh take on belonging, obsession and schoolyard politics’ but to me these topics have been done better in other novels and in a more engaging way. Perhaps telling the story from some of the other mothers’ points of view might have helped in framing the other characters’ behaviours and motivations. This novel has received many 5 star reviews but unfortunately, it fell flat for me.

Thanks to Rising Action Publishing Co. and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Heather Dixon's debut novel, "Burlington," takes readers on a suspenseful journey into the seemingly idyllic world of suburban life, where appearances can be deceiving and the pursuit of belonging comes with a dangerous price. In this riveting exploration of privilege, obsession, and hidden truths, Dixon crafts a tale that delves deep into the complexities of human nature and the lengths individuals will go to in order to fit in.

Mae Roberts, seeking a fresh start for her family, moves to the suburbs with high hopes of a fulfilling and harmonious life. However, her aspirations take a chilling turn when one of the mothers from her daughters' school mysteriously disappears. Mae's initial yearning for acceptance among the affluent and glamorous mothers at Riverpark Elementary leads her down an unexpected path. Gradually, she becomes immersed in their world of extravagant dinner parties, enigmatic secrets, and unsettling rumors of suicide attempts.

As Mae becomes more entangled in the lives of the Riverpark Moms, she discovers the hidden complexities and darker undercurrents beneath their polished facades. When the disappearances of the mothers escalate, Mae finds herself at a crossroads, torn between fitting in and uncovering the truth. Dixon skillfully navigates the fine line between loyalty and curiosity, exploring the fragile balance between societal norms and the pursuit of justice.

"Burlington" is more than just a suspenseful thriller—it's a thought-provoking exploration of the human desire for acceptance and the psychological toll of seeking validation. Through Mae's eyes, readers are led on a journey of self-discovery, where the boundaries between right and wrong blur as she confronts the moral dilemmas that arise in her quest for the truth.

Dixon's writing shines as she vividly portrays the dynamics of suburban life, highlighting the intricate relationships, power struggles, and hidden vulnerabilities that lie beneath the surface. The narrative's tension steadily builds, leaving readers on the edge of their seats as Mae races against time to unravel the mysteries surrounding the missing mothers.

"Burlington" is a compelling and atmospheric debut that delves into the shadows lurking beneath the glossy veneer of privilege. With its engaging characters, intricate plot twists, and exploration of the human psyche, Dixon delivers a captivating story that will resonate long after the final page is turned. As Mae's journey unfolds, "Burlington" serves as a stark reminder that the pursuit of belonging and acceptance can lead to unforeseen consequences, and that the cost of privilege is often higher than one could imagine.

. It was a total page turner. I was totally saying “…just one more chapter” several times waaaaay after my bedtime lol.

This was Heather Dixon’s debut novel.
This book has Stepford Wives & The Real Housewives vibes…chock full of cattiness, backstabbing, finger pointing and frenemies.

I totally could’ve finished this book in one sitting. It kept my attention the entire time and the characters (there were numerous) were easy to distinguish from one another.

I was entertained the whole time but sort of wish there was a bit more at the end.

This is a quick & easy read that’ll help you crush your reading goals.

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of the book but not the execution.

This is a stepford wives-esque thriller about keeping up appearances and and rich women behaving badly. However, I felt like there just wasn't enough tension in this story. A lot of time was focused on describing what the other mothers were wearing and how their homes looked. I wish we had gotten more background and a better look at these women's lives.

This wasn't the book for me, but if you enjoy a quick-read thriller that doesnt require you to think that much, this might be your perfect book!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Heather Dixon, and Rising Action Publishing Co for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I swear in a different life I lived in a cult-y, rich mom neighborhood because I am too obsessed with books about this topic!! This exact premise of Burlington was what drew me in, and now I'm curious to learn more about the city of Burlington, VT to see if any of the story was based on reality hehe. This was a quick, thrilling read that kept me on the edge of my seat at times. It was fun and juicy without being too over-the-top. I could relate with Mae not feeling like she fit in and trying to find her purpose, even though I am not a mother. However, this book was pretty standard/typical for this type of story. There was nothing really unique or different, and I almost wish that Dixon would have taken some more risks with the characters. I also felt like the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly for my tastes, and there were some interesting plot points/characters that I think could have added well to the story if they had been expanded some. So definitely not a bad book by any means, but a typical rich mom suspense story that is good if you want a quick, entertaining read!

This book is set in Canada and focuses on Mae, mother of two young children whose has just moved to an affluent suburb of Burlington as her husband is starting a new, well paying job. Mae is happy to be a stay at home mother and looks forward to becoming a part of this new community. However, from the start, she feels like an outsider with the other mothers all appearing perfectly groomed and turned out at every school drop off and pick up. One other mother, Alice seems to be more down to earth and she and Mae are drawn to each other. Then Alice 'disappears' and Mae starts to wonder who she can trust.
The book tries to be menacing, but although the plot being an intimidating group of women is quite relatable, the subsequent events just seemed a bit over the top. The book kept me in until the end, but I could somehow see it coming all along, so not really suspenseful in that respect.
Throughout the book I got quite frustrated with Mae and ability to gullibly accept things at face value. For all of these mothers at the centre of the story, there was a surprising 'absence' of children. I'm not sure I can recommend this book, as I really don't think it all ties together well. However, the plot did keep me reading to the end. For me 2.5 stars rounded to 3.
Thank you Rising Action Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.

Mae moves from Montreal to Burlington, Vermont with her two children and her husband. In Burlington, she is a stay-at-home mom who tries to fit in with the other local moms. You guessed it — they have straight hair, perfect bodies and are stylish. One of the moms goes missing and none of the other moms seem to care. Mae concludes that something sinister is going on.

This book was not for me. It was hard to believe that Mae felt so deeply about these women because she had just met them. The bad moms were eye rolling. The story was slow and the plot was one you have read before.

Oh boy. I hate to do this, to a Canadian author no less, but I did not like this book at all. I am not going to waste too much time on this review as I wasted enough time reading this book. Harsh I know, but this book was so stupid. Billed as a domestic suspense I did not find it suspenseful at all. The main character, Mae, spends the entire book caring about what the neighbours think and how they'll react to what she does. I am sorry but why should she give a feck what these asshole people think? I kept thinking to myself, grow a fecking spine already! Mae kept doing the things these women asked of her even if she was uncomfortable with it and couldn't find her voice to say anything about it. I found it so damn frustrating that the women were portrayed this way, they were pushovers and easily led.

The unending descriptions of the joggers, hoodies and woollen hats with pom poms these women were wearing were unending and so repetitive. I get it, they like workout wear and are rich bitches! The writing was pedestrian, banal and amateurish. There were too many unlikeable characters (all of them) caring too much about what other people think. One good thing about this novel, it was a short one.

In a town that resembles Desperate Housewife’s, a new family moves in. Mae and her family are the new kids on the block and she feels desperate to fit in like her two daughters.

But something is odd. It’s off and odd but Mae can’t place her finger on why everyone has a smile on their face welcoming them but with a coldness that comes through their eyes.

And when one of the wives disappears, it feels like only Mae cares to find out why…. What is this town and why does the pull of fitting in, still hold her tight even when she knows nothing is normal in Burlington.

A decent debut about fitting in with the elite and their secrets. It was slow moving for me, but my mind kept flipping to desperate housewives and thinking this was a storyline for them.

Also, love the idea of a wife bonus. Where do I get that?😁 fyi this is not a thriller, it’s more a domestic suspense story so adjust your genre picking before opening the story

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. Finished it in 2 days. Highly recommend.

A family moves into a more affluent neighbourhood and the wife tries to fit in with the other moms. There is an elite clique that she's been invited into and she finds out the toxic environment these women have created. There is a bit of a mystery when one of the moms goes missing.

This has the air of one of those "Wives of ..." shows or a "Desperate Housewives" drama. There was too much of the women and not enough of the mystery which, btw, was easy enough to see though for this frequent thriller reader. I guess I thought this would be more suspenseful than soap-y

I LOVED this suburban domestic thriller. I read it in one sitting. This is a common trope, but it was still unique, and I wasn’t able to completely guess the ending.

This book is about a family relocating to a town called Burlington. Burlington is a very pretentious town where everything seems picture perfect. Mae is so excited to relocate her family, get a dream home, and send her daughters to a fancy school.. All seems well until a local woman named Alice goes missing. Then later on, another woman goes missing. Both of the missing women have kids that go to school with Mae’s children. Mae has a hard time fitting in with the moms at Riverpark Elementary. She finally feels accepted by the women but is very worried about the women who went missing. Mae wants to research the situation but others tell her to stop asking questions. She finds this odd and unsettling. Will Mae find out what is going on and be able to protect her family
at the same time? Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I throughly enjoyed it until the very end and would read more by the debut author. It kept me guessing until the end and was a fun one to read.

Burlington, by writer Heather Dixon, tells the story of Mae Roberts, a mom and wife, whose recent move into a posh suburban neighbourhood in Vermont comes with more than she bargained for. As she tries to gain entry to new social circles and make new friends she quickly discovers that Burlington may not be a place she wants to fit into. The moms she meets seem to have it all: looks, wealth, and perfect children and husbands, but when one of them go missing the cracks in their flawless facades begin to show. This was an enjoyable fast paced read and I found myself relating to Mae and her feelings of exclusion and social anxiety. Her quest to find out what happened to the missing mom added just the right amount of thrills and I was following the clues right along with her. This was a great debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author!

3.5 stars.

A book that reminded me a bit of desperate housewives; Small town, big hell. Ideal book for those who like drama among a group of women, but elevated to the group of moms who call themselves THE MOB. Our main character and only narrator, Mae, must decide if she really wants to belong to this group or if belonging has a cost that she is not willing to pay.

Burlington is a mystery/drama novel that will give you desperate housewives mixed with Stepford wives' vibes. Mae and her husband, along with their daughters move to the beautiful suburbs where life looks perfect. She’s accepted into a clique of rich, mean-girl moms. Women start disappearing and no one is talking about it. Their are so many secrets and drama. Mae needs to figure out what is going on so she isn’t next and she can keep her family safe.

What I liked best is the tension which drove me to read Burlington in one sitting. Though not at all fond of the characters, especially the juvenile moms, the mystery kept me riveted. The disturbing thing is, there are exclusive neighborhoods with cliques in real life It was fun to see the story through Mae’s eyes, an outsider not born into this life. There is a little more drama than mystery in this book but it was a super fun read

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Burlington is a debut from Heather Dixon that involves a thrilling mystery taking place in an American suburban neighborhood. The story focuses on Mae and her family as they relocate to a new, beautiful home in Burlington. She becomes involved and fascinated with the lives of the other wives & mothers in this town, but when a woman goes missing, things take a turn.

The setting of this book was fantastic and described clearly, I really enjoyed the feeling of reading about these suburban housewives and the shady stuff happening behind the scenes... The mystery gets darker and deeper the further we get into the story.

Personally, I had a hard time connecting with the characters, the writing style was not my favorite at times and I just didn't feel fully invested in the story a lot of the time. I think I was expecting the mystery/reveal to go in a different direction than it did and it wasn't as strong as I was hoping for it to be in the end. But, Overall, it was a solid and quick read that I would recommend to fans of domestic thrillers.

Burlington
🗓️ August 22, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Mae never thought she would fit in amongst the beautiful and rich mothers at Riverpark Elementary. Though, when she's accepted into their clique and they ask her to be a part of their unofficial neighborhood watch, Mae finds herself slipping more and more into a world of odd dinner parties, secrets and lies, and even rumors of suicide attempts.

It's only when one of the Riverpark Moms disappears, and then another, that Mae must decide what's more important -- fitting in or uncovering the truth.

A fresh take on belonging, obsession, and schoolyard politics, Burlington is a suspenseful debut novel that explores the exclusive world of wealthy mothers and demonstrates how privilege can come at a devastating price.”

Domestic thriller with Mean Girl Vibes. I have read so many 5 star reviews for this debut novel, but it really missed the mark for me. I found it to be a slow and predictable read from the start. The mothers in this book are just terrible, which was how they were written to be. The main characters desire to please everyone and fit in with the “in” crowd made me feel like I was back in high school. I will admit, I selected this book based on the title, as I grew up in South Burlington, just outside of where the story takes place and it was fun to read a book based in my hometown!

Burlington was disappointingly unthrilling. I started off enjoying the claustrophobic Stepford-Wives style vibes, but found it frustrating that the plot relied so much on people steadfastly refusing to talk to the protagonist about what the hell was going on. I may have enjoyed this if the pay-off was worthwhile, but instead the denouement was almost bland.