To dig herself out of a financial hole Hattie agrees to be on a home renovation show - a HGTV-like program that is produced to romantically link Hattie and her designer co-host without her knowledge. Add in a years-old unsolved local mystery as well as a dash of romance and a pinch of humor and you've got Mary Kay Andrews' 2022 novel. It was a fun read - perfect for reading by the pool.

“The Homewrecker” is a contemporary fiction book by Mary Kay Andrews. I have a number of Ms. Andrews’s books marked to read, but this was my first.

What I really liked was the premise - restoring an old home, having a reality TV show made about it, and possibly finding romance along the way. In other words - a perfect summer escape read. I have to admit - I’ve never watched any of those home repair reality shows, but this was my second read about just that type of thing. But call me a bit surprised when there’s a murder mystery thrown in - oh, yes.

Things I really liked:
Ribsy - throw a cute playful protective dog into a story and the dog grabs my attention.
The supporting cast - great character development, support, and humor given to everyone who needed reality checks, knocked down a peg, or even uplifted when necessary.
Mo - backstory was well laid out and I liked how he seemed to actually care about not only the case, but also the people.
The murder mystery - I love how Ms. Andrews incorporated a story from 2021 (while renovating her own property, a wallet was found) and changed it enough to become a twisty mystery. I like books that are more dimensional, so this one having so many layers I found enjoyable.
The renovation - I’ve never watched a house renovation reality TV show (yes, I asked aloud once who the Gaines’ were - note, don’t do this in a Target by their Magnolia collection) and consult YouTube for anything house related (and would have my handyman on speed dial), but there’s something I really enjoy about reading about fixer-uppers and making them presentable. The designer’s design choices - not my choice in this book, but Hattie and Cass’s parts (and even Tug’s) I found enjoyable and informative.

What I didn’t like as much - the romance. Yes, it’s a romance book and I knew that going in, but - honestly - the murder mystery and the renovation parts I felt were the more interesting. The potential partners - eh, not sure it would work long term with either one, but maybe that was the point. While I know that no one was to cheer on the designer, from the beginning he just annoyed me.

Overall, a rather enjoyable read, perfect for a summer read on the beach - at least for me. Looking forward to reading another book by Ms. Andrews.

The Homewreckers is a very well written book. Loved the plot and the character dynamics. Ms. Andrews has written another winner. This is my unbiased review.

Hattie Kavanaugh is a young widow who works with her father-in-law’s restoration and house-flipping business. After sinking her savings into an unsavable flip, Hattie is approached about becoming the star of a new home renovation show “The Homewreckers”. They encounter many obstacles including a woman's body found in the septic tank of the home they are flipping.
I loved the character Hattie, she is lovable,quirky and charismatic. The story was very easy to get into and fast paced.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. I enjoy books by this author…quick fun reads…the characters in this story are likable and quirky. Rebuilding history…putting old houses back together…selling old homes…romance…researching what happened before… murder…television reality shows…these themes run throughout this book…cuddle up under a warm Afghan, enjoy a cup of steaming tea…get lost in this book…enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mary Kay Andrews knows the south, and writes about it in a way to let her readers know that not only does she know it - she loves and respects it.

Savannah is such a wonderful place, and reading this book has me itching to get back.

Great characters, great story!

Hattie Kavanaugh has had a rough time. She was married at the young age of 20 and already a widower by 25. Her husband died in a terrible motorcycle accident. With a broken heart but not a broken spirit, Hattie takes her life insurance money and her house renovation know how and starts a new business flipping houses. Her first project is a big hit, but the very next one is a big loser. With Hattie’s confidence totally shaken a new opportunity comes her way. She is offered to star on a new reality show about beach house renovations. Will this be the path to Hattie’s happily-ever-after?

I always look forward to Mary Kay Andrew’s new books each year. THE HOMEWRECKERS was another big hit for me! I just loved the variety of the subject matter that she put into this story. It had some romance, some humor, some history, and even some mystery. This great, quick and easy beach read gets all the stars from me!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press!

Hattie Kavanaugh is a young widow who works with her father-in-law’s restoration and house-flipping business. After sinking her savings into an unsavable flip, Hattie is approached about becoming the star of a new home renovation show “The Homewreckers”.

The Homewreckers was a wild, compelling ride of a book from beginning to end. It’s a little bit romance and a little bit mystery with a lot of drama thrown in for good measure. All of the characters have well developed back stories, especially Hattie. She’s written in such a genuine way that it’s hard not to want her to succeed. The mystery really had me surprised until the end.

I really enjoyed this book. I read the first 75% in one sitting because I just could not put it down. This is only the second book that I have read from Mary Kay Andrews but I look forward to reading many of her previous works in the future.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. At first, I thought this was going to be a boy meets girl, girls hates boy, girl falls in love with boy book. While it was that, there was a good murder mystery involved as well. TGhe mystery part made the book for me. I love a good whodunit.

The author kept it fresh and had me guessing until almost the end.

MKA always delivers a perfect summer beach read. This book has it all, mystery, romance, heartbreak, and a reality show. I loved Hattie. She has spunk and charisma. Mo Lopez sees these qualities and decides to take a chance on her for this next reality show. The cast of characters is perfect. You find someone to like, hate, and root for in this book. The mystery of the missing English teacher adds to the story and all the chaos that ensues trying to renovate a house in 6 weeks.

The story is fast paced and easy to get into. Perfect for a day at the beach or a vacation read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book. I really enjoyed the characters and the story line. Romance and mystery, just what I loved. I also really liked there was no graffic sex scenes in this book

Nothing makes me miss home more than reading a Mary Kay Andrews book! I love all things Southern and she hits it out of the ballpark with this story. A down on her luck home remodeler gets the chance to try to make good on some recent losses by starring in a home maker show. What follows is love, mystery, and lots of fun! Another great read by MKA.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and the invitation from Net Galley to review this book after my review of The Santa Suit. All I can say is this was a delight to read!

Hattie Kavanagh is a young widow and house flipper who works at Kavanagh and Sons with her in laws flipping houses when she is approached by a producer for a TV show called Homewreckers that will be filming in her area. She agrees and is joined by interior designer Trae Bartholomew. They encounter many obstacles including a woman's body found in the septic tank of the home they are flipping. I liked the foremat because you have what's going on with the reality show and the mystery of the missing body and whodunit. HIGHLY recommend.

A fun, entertaining read that hits all the notes Mary Kay Andrews fans love about her books. This one features a behind-the-scenes look at an HGTV-type home remodeling show, and some unexpected twists from a decades-old cold-case that pops up to keep things interesting. And, of course, romance. An easy summer read to dive in to & enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews
I have not read this author in a while and thought I'd give it a try. Expected a romance comedy but was surprised with twists and turns and mysteries.
Story starts out with Hattie and her foreman Cass finding out just how bad the plumbing was on reno they are doing with their own money.
It's worse than what they expected as she picked it up in a foreclosure. Mo is on the scene also and overheard them talking at the breakfast diner. He is able to talk to Cass and Hattie and they are ready and he has an inkling that the redo is in Hattie's blood, she can smell, touch and hear things just walking through the old houses.
He wants to make the town better with the redo, by employing a lot of people for months.
Great story line and learn so much from just reading about the jobs that are necessary...
So many rules, restrictions being in the historic section and some things do go right...
Super learned so much about restoring walls and signs to watch out for and what to expect if things are worse, or not.
Besides the romance blooming in front of the TV and in media magazines there are mysterious things going on: old wallet of a teacher who had vanished.
Things get downright scary... So many are looking out for Hattie and she doesn't realize he's NOT that into her...
Girls remember her, house was arson and Mo is there to protect the property. So many obstacles against getting this home renovated in time...
Never would’ve guessed who had killed the woman and all the turmoil with the restoration. very cool ending.
Received this review copy from publicist at St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Goodness, I love Mary Kay Andrew's writing. The Homewreckers is no exception. The story of Hattie, Mo, Cass and Trae is completely engaging from the start. I instantly fell for each character, who were all so thoroughly developed and well-drawn they quickly felt like old friends. The backdrop of restoring old homes and recovering clues in a cold case created a perfectly riveting read that I wish I could experience for the first time all over again!

Another great story from Mary Kay Andrews! I look forward to reading her novels and this was another perfect rom com.

The homewreckers was a thrilling Hallmark movie type book. There was a lot of action to guess who the culprit was, while also watching a love story unfold. Sweet Hattie lost her husband years ago and is trying to get through each day and move on little by little. She doesn't like change that takes her away from the type of life she had as a wife, so a reality show was not on her list of things to do. She makes some mistakes and feels bad for wasting her in-laws money, so she is forced into this gig, but it's exactly where she needed to be, even with the drama that came along with it.

I absolutely loved this book! Honestly, I've never read a Mary Kay Andrews book I didn't love, but this one really hit it out of the park! The book tells the story of a woman who restores homes and finds herself in the middle of a mess of a reality show. It was lots of fun, a super easy read, and included a bit of mystery. I couldn't put it down!

I look forward to Mary Kay Andrews new book every year. This book features Hattie Kavanaugh who is a young widow living in Savannah. Hattie is a contractor working with her best friend and her Father in law. After losing money on the last house they worked on, Hattie agrees to let a reality TV show film her next project. During the renovation of a 100 year old beach house the crew discovers something that might be a key piece in the disappearance of a local teacher 17 years ago.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I like how there were two stories going on at once. The filming of a TV show during the renovations and the mystery surrounding a missing woman years ago.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book to review.