The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews
My sketch … Hattie Kavanaugh, a widow, restores homes in Savannah. Hattie loves what she does. She didn’t follow her father-in-law’s advice, “Never love something that can’t love your back,” and her love for a house turns into a disaster as problem upon problem is found. It just might make her father-in-law’s company fold. Money is needed. Now! A *smooth* Hollywood guy shows up & offers a renovation reality show that would, at least, solve the money problems. Enter a male lead, a bossy production something-or-other and besides the issues a 100-year-old house has — someone doesn’t want Kavanaugh & Son Restorations to complete the work.
My review …
The Homewreckers, a silly name for a home renovation show but it wasn’t Hattie’s idea, is outside my usual genre since it is a contemporary romance but the NetGalley reviewers were raving about this book and it was a mystery — so…
The first thing you find out about Hattie is she knows HOW to restore a house. She knows how to run a crew. You will like her.
You’ll also meet Mo Lopez who had the idea for the reality show with a far better name. Let’s just say Mo will grow on you. His first meeting with Hattie doesn’t happen the way he would have wished.
I don’t know about you, but when I read a book outside my usual genre — even one with high pre-publish ratings like The Homewreckers, I hope I’ll enjoy it as much as the other reviewers did. It had to grow on me a bit, but as got to know Hattie and the other characters, the book was a fun read. You learn about Savannah, Georgia’s old houses too.
The plot isn’t just about Hattie doing the restoration reality show. Things start getting dicey for Hattie & the crew. In fact, danger becomes a factor. Someone doesn’t want them to succeed. As for supporting characters, there are a couple of them you, well, you just will NOT like. Others are well-developed and make you wish you had them in your corner too.
Mary Kay Andrews is a fine writer and The Homewreckers is a fun contemporary romance with a good chunk of a well-done mystery. Note there are a few scenes with sexual content and at times some “language”. Personally, I felt the book needed neither. Other than that, a good read.
I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of The Homewreckers from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheHomewreckers #NetGalley #MaryKayAndrews
Great minds think alike – I have this review posting on Thursday!