I thought this book was going to be a cute rom com, but I knew immediately I was wrong.
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Hattie started restoring homes at 18, married at 20 and widowed at 25. Still so young, with so much life ahead of her, she pours of all her time and energy into restoring houses. Unfortunately, all of her money too.
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When Hollywood comes calling and offers her a renovation reality show called The Homewreckers she begrudgingly accepts. She expects to find chaos behind the walls, what she doesn’t expect was a clue that could crack open a cold case.
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Part rom com, part cold case mystery, this book had a little something for everyone.
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Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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Two genres are blended beautifully together for a cozy story full of mystery and romance. This novel delivers some southern sass, a mysterious death, a house flip, some smooching in the beautiful town of Savannah. LOVE THIS CITY.

Homewreckers will be a hit on the beaches this summer in true MKA fashion. The lot of characters are fun with distinctive personalities creating hilarious banter. This house sounds absolutely fabulous after its much needed TLC.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the advance reader copy of this novel.

Mary Kay Andrews writes a other great southern beach read. Or so you thought, but this book is so much more. This story is a family house flipping business, a romance, a decades old murder mystery and so much more you never saw coming. Thank you to Net Galley, the Author and Publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

MONEY PIT BECOMES A BEAUTIFUL RESTORATION!

Mary Kay Andrews is the Queen of “Fixer-Upper Stories” and she is back with another wonderful plot in The Homewreckers! Readers will be thrilled to meet and fall in love with the main character of Hattie Kavanaugh and get to know the other characters as well. Andrews is masterful in drawing up quirky scenarios that draw you into this story, keeps your attention from beginning to end by adding in surprising twists when you least expect it and is also filled with all manner of mischief, mayhem, and even murder. Readers will not be disappointed in reading this fun story of how a money pit becomes a beautiful restoration!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without my influence.

This is a true summer read - perfect book to bring to the beach or poolside. You have your predictable storyline and romance but with colorful characters and banter to keep it lively and fun. Hattie is such a great character, I love her strong personality and wittiness, and especially the fact that she is a jack of all trades who can get her hands dirty doing carpentry, electrical, plumbing, the works. Not to mention she is smart and wise, though maybe not entirely, otherwise there would not be much of an enjoyable book.

This book combines a breezy, sexy romance, a chilling mystery, loads of laughter, and some great home DIY tips layered throughout - a little bit of everything for everyone. A delightful summer read about flipping houses and finding true love.

I really enjoyed this one. A great mix of romance, remodel and mystery. The story had good characters and I really enjoyed all of the various aspects of the novel. It was a great mix of the three genres. I haven't read this author before, but after this one, I definitely will!!

A combination of a great women's fiction and a mystery in this one book. Hattie Kavanaugh lives in Charleston, SC and a young widow who is working with her father in law to renovate older homes around the city. After a poor purchase, Hattie is trying to undo her mistakes and prove everyone and herself wrong that she can be the future of this company. While at a coffee shop telling her friend her woes, a tv producer hears their conversation and is coincidentally in pursuit of his next show idea.

While the romance part of the story was predictable, but great. I loved the inclusion of the mystery and the author perfectly tied it to the home renovation and tv show, so it didn't feel from left field! The plot perfectly twisted and turned and I was so hooked from beginning to end.

AND Hattie was so fun! With each page, I wanted to find a Hattie and have her as my friend. Mary Kay Andrews creates women who are, sure fictional, but they are fun and quirky and full and the women that you want in your crew. I love that these women are whole and they love they have loss, they work and have fun.

After finishing this book, I immediately wanted to hop into another one of her books and I am making it a goal to get into her backlist and just enjoy the women that Mary Kay Andrews creates.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest story by Mary Kay Andrews, wonderfully narrated by Kathleen McInerney - 5 stars for a wonderful book to get lost in!

Hattie Kavanaugh met her husband, Hank, when she went to work for his family restoration business. But she became a widow at age 25 when Hank was killed in a motorcycle accident. Hattie continued working for her father-in-law, with her best friend as her construction foreman. But their last house renovation lost money and she's desperate for money so as not to hurt the business. When a producer shows up in Savannah with an idea for a reality TV show, she decides it's her chance to make back some money. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for with the house she bought at auction.

I love Mary Kay Andrews' stories - it feels like summer is definitely here when you can immerse yourself in another of her books. I loved the mix of house renovation talk, romance, a cold case mystery, and the Hollywood lights come to shine in Georgia. Highly recommended - this should be your first beach read of the year!

The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews is part romance, part mystery and part DIY-her life after tragedy women’s fiction. However, it is all one well-written intriguing read. I wasn’t sure how the beginning fit into Hattie Kavanaugh’s life in this story but it wasn’t too long into it before the connections were all made. Another thing from the beginning I wasn’t sure who would be Hattie’s love interest. I would have been so disappointed if she had not chosen my choice but great minds do think alike.

More than once I have written that a book kept me turning the pages but this one did more than many others. Not as first because it was interesting but not compelling. Actually it was when the Tybee Island house and murder mystery kicked in that everything took a riveting turn for me. Well done.

I recommend The Homewreckers. This title fits this book but for the plot media show title, I loved Saving Savannah! In this book you get both. Perfect for a summer or beach read this has something for everyone.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love MKA's books! She is how I learned about the deadly "Bless your Heart" comment. As a lifelong New Englander, I enjoy the southernisms she puts in her books. In this latest book, Savannah contractor Hattie has gotten in over her head with her reno/flip of an old home. What makes it worse is that she is dragging her father-in-laws company down with her. When producer Mauricio (Mo) Lopez offer her an opportunity to work for a national home improvement channel and do a show about rehabbing a Savannah house, she initially refuses. Eventually she agrees and all of a sudden she is down the rabbit hole. Procuring a beach property previously owned by a well known area family, she discovers she has to share the spotlight with a studly California designer. The network pulls lots of strings, the timeline gets accelerated, and they find themselves in the middle of a decades old murder.
This story is a pleasant mix of romance and mystery with the addition of an inside look at a home improvement show workings. Hattie, a widow, finds herself attracted to one man and then a different one. The family whose house she bought from the town, makes their displeasure known and small town authorities make the job even more difficult. Then, there is that pesky possible murder mystery. This is a great warm weather read and MKA fans will love it.

Thank you to St Martin Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A more detailed review to come but this book was incredibly cute and refreshing! A good kickoff to the upcoming summer season I enjoyed the plot and the overall vibe. I’m an avid reality tv show watcher so being able to read about one in a book was an interesting and unique idea.

What I really liked was the balance and mix of both the reality show plot but also the air of mystery involving the cold case. Overall I really enjoyed it and think people will love this!

Romance, home improvement, and a mystery… what’s not to love? This Mary Kay Andrews had a lot going on, which inevitably made the read that much quicker. As long as you can suspend disbelief, this is a fun story. Despite a cryptic mystery, there’s a lighthearted tone throughout that makes it absolutely perfect to read poolside this summer. The characters were cute and the pacing was quick. I’m a sucker for home improvement, so I also loved seeing those aspects of the storyline. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolute 5 star. MKA is like a fine wine. Her books just keep getting better and better! 30 years and counting.

—Book Review—

Title: The Homewreckers
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
@stmartinspress
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Happy Pub Day to The Homewreckers!

Thank you to the publisher @stmartinspress for sending me an eARC widget via @netgalley to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion!

Summer begins with Mary Kay Andrews! Who’s with me!? I look forward to her new books every year. Her writing is superb. The dialogue, the pacing and strong characters, especially the woman characters; it’s all so effortless.

While I did enjoy this one, it fell more on the like meter than love for me. What I liked:

🛠 The scenery and atmosphere. Savannah and Tybee Island, GA . . . need I say more. The southern atmosphere was great and as we get into the mystery of this story, despite it being a cozy mystery it definitely had some eery vibes.

🛠 Main character Hattie was tough as nails. I loved that her and her best friend Cass were two bad a** construction woman determined to prove their worth in this man’s field.

🛠 The beach house renovation show. Ok, I don’t watch a ton of tv, but when I used to have cable, I loved HGTV. This was definitely a nod at some of their shows. Crossed with a dating show. That did kind of have me rolling my eyes a bit, but still a lot of fun.

Rating: Somewhere between 3.5-4 ⭐️s. I didn’t really love the romance part of this book. I didn’t believe the forced fake dating between Hattie and the tv show’s designer Trae. I also didn’t buy the chemistry between Hattie and Mo the tv show’s producer. The cozy mystery was great. All in all fans of this author are going to gobble this one up! Out today 5/3!

This book wasn’t really for me. The premise is nice but there is so much detail and such a long drawn out book. I couldn’t get into it at all.

Hattie is a young widow who works with her father-in-law buying an flipping historic homes. She enjoys working with her family and her best friend and doing what she loves. When a television producer approaches Hattie about being on a home renovation show, she wants to say no, but she has sunk her savings into a home and against her better judgment says yes. When Hattie finds herself right in the middle of a mystery, a designer who wants to cut corners, and a television producer that will stop at nothing to get his show, Hattie may have bitten off more than she can chew.

I am a huge fan of Mary Kay Andrews and this book was no exception. It was cleverly written; the characters were diverse, and they all had interesting back stories. The element of a mystery was an added bonus to an already fabulous novel, and one that I loved. I was also kept wondering just who Hattie’s love interest would be, which was an unexpected surprise. The book was an easy read, but it also keeps you guessing which to me is the perfect recipe for a great book. St. Martin’s Press kindly gifted me this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. A perfect five star read for summer friends.

Love It or List It and Fixer Upper fans, listen up! Tune your summer reading dial to Mary Kay Andrew’s Homewreckers, airing today at a book seller near you! Homewreckers pairs headstrong home remodeler Hattie Kavanaugh from Savannah, Georgia, with devilishly handsome TV designer Trae Bartholomew in hopes of creating onscreen chemistry as an abandoned, dilapidated house is restored in a reality TV show. Hattie’s compassionate, lovable father-in-law, Tug, and just the right amount of sarcasm and insights from her protective site foreman, Cassie, add to this delightful cast of characters. When the “showrunner” Taleetha Carr gets involved in tighter launch scheduling along with creator Mauricio, Mo, the cast drama intensifies! While Mo is explaining “sizzle reels” and creating scenes to tape, the unsolved disappearance of a beloved high school teacher heats back up when a wallet is found on demo day! High school memories and secrets are woven into dialogue with nosy neighbors, former owners, city code enforcers, and investigating cops that creates a range of feelings from suspicion to “heart squeeze” moments for readers. Will the TV show help save the struggling Kavanaugh & Sons? Readers will anxiously flip pages for the “before/after” of Hattie Kavanaugh as she saves Savannah’s historic district one house at a time.

Calling it now... This will be a summer hit !! Add it to your TBR list now, The Homewrecker comes out may 5th. This book is a Beachy Romance mixed with reality tv and Murder mystery vibes! So much happening in this book that you don’t want to put it down.

Hattie is a good looking contractor whose life has stopped since she became a widow 7 years before. Everything changes when Mo, a film director, falls into her life, waking her up from her normal routine of fixing up homes. He creates a fixer upper show starring Hattie and a LA celebrity. Everything possible goes wrong with Hatties new project, including a murder investigation. You will just have to read to find out more ;)

Thank you @netgallery for the gifted copy of this intriguing book, that includes all my favorite things.

Hattie Kavanaugh is a home renovator and flipper. Her world stopped seven years ago when her husband, the son in Kavanaugh and Son, was killed in an accident. She still works for the company and puts her heart and soul into the job, but her personal life is missing. When she overextends on a job, her only option is to take on a "reality" TV job for HPTV called the Homewreckers.
She hates the wardrobe and make-up, but falls in love with the property she got at the tax auction (for a steal) over the objections of the estranged family that owned it. The "co-host" she has forced on her is a polished "celebrity" type, but could there be something real underneath. The producer is a nice guy under pressure from the higher-ups.
Added to the usual surprises and delays is the discovery of the skeletal remains in the old septic tank, that is the many years missing body of Hattie's high school teacher. As Hattie asks questions and gets closer and closer to the truth, danger hides in plain sight.
I loved the portrayal of how people are uneven in their progress in life. Hattie was a very capable woman, but her personal emotional life was in limbo. And how her personal history plays into how she perceives situations. I REALLY loved how her in-laws are truly her family even though their son is dead.
Highly recommend this book.

Heartwarming is the word that kept coming to mind while I was reading Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I loved this book. It didn’t give me all the warm fuzzies like some books do, it just made my heart warm. Stewie was a boy that reminded me a little of myself and I totally understood all that he was facing and just wanted to wrap him in my arms and give him a big hug.

Stewie lost his parents when he was a baby and he doesn’t have any memories of them. His grandmother died just before the book started. He has had a lot of loss in his young life. I love Stewie because he values family even though he never had a large family. Now, his older sister takes care of him and his older brother. Stewie is just 11 years old when the book starts. He is a character I can identify with. I didn’t lose my parents but, I didn’t have siblings and we didn’t live near family. I was always a bit jealous when kids came to school and spoke of family gatherings. I wanted that.

I usually don’t read reviews before I read a book and write my own review. I happened to see a review online about this book and that reviewer said the book was too YA for her. I’m glad that I put that out of my mind and read the book with an open heart. There were many older characters in this book although, it was told through the eyes of Stewie. I loved his values. He didn’t tell lies and he always tried to do what he said he would. 

The heart of this book is opening our own heart to someone who is different from us, older than us and seeing what opportunities that are right in front of us to make our lives better and other peoples lives at the same time. There are a lot of lessons to be learned in Dreaming of Flight.