"Homewreckers" was a fabulous read about Hattie looking for love and flipping a house. This book had me smiling the whole time I was reading, and not wanting the book to end.

Flipping houses, these are the shows I watch on HGTV. I sometimes think these houses are staged to look as bad as they seem...I'm cynical. However, now when it comes to reading anything by Mary Kay Andrews. In this book we meet Hattie Kavanaugh who takes on a renovation in Savannah in very rough shape. When a Hollywood producer wants to stage a home renovation Hattie is approached and there you have a novel that's totally enjoyable.

-Hard to get into at first, but as I kept going I really enjoyed it
-I really liked the mystery surrounding the house and I did not guess who did it
-I liked the fixing up the house with the reality tv aspect

Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors because I love her characters and, being from the Savannah area, I love her books about the area. Hattie Kavanaugh went to work restoring homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at eighteen, married the boss’s son at twenty, and became a widow at twenty-five. Hattie makes the mistake of falling in love with her house projects, but that is costing her money she doesn't have.

When a Hollywood producer shows up in Savannah, Georgia, Hattie gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers. Soon, there’s more at stake than a house renovation: during the demolition, evidence is found that points to the mysterious disappearance of a young wife and mother years earlier. Will Hattie finish the house, will they find the murderer and will Hattie find happiness? As always, a great book!

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I’m new to Mary Kay Andrews but I found this book interesting. The beginning captured my attention and it was a fun way to end my summer reading. I liked the twist at the end, too! The middle was a little slow. A great chick lit, and I recommend you read next summer!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Mary Kay Andrews for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted on 9/1/22

Hattie Kavanaugh is a young widow who works for her now deceased husband's family flipping homes near Savannah, Georgia. It's been seven years since her husband tragically died and she really hasn't moved on. She is really short for cash, so when Home Place TV Network contacts her with a possible TV show in the works, starring her, she reluctantly agrees. It's not really her thing, but she needs the money. When they start flipping a historic home on Tybee Island, so much drama ensues. The old owners of the home don't want her there, she has to take a loan from her father to fund the flip, and her crew finds an old wallet within the house while they are renovating it. It's none other than Lanier Ragan's wallet who went missing years before and was Hattie's teacher. Now the law enforcement is involved! Plus, there's the growing attraction that Hattie feels towards her coworker, if only she would give herself permission to move on. The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews has all of her signature moves: a mystery, a gorgeous coastal setting, small southern town life, and a budding romance.

I really liked Hattie from the start of The Homewreckers. I liked her spunk and her talent. I also appreciated her desire to renovate old homes and being a historic home lover myself, I enjoyed all the details of the renovation. While I didn't necessarily feel the romance aspect of The Homewreckers as much as I was hoping, I did appreciate the cold case mystery within.

Once Hattie's crew found Lanier's wallet, things started to get very interesting as Lanier's case was reopened after years of it being a mystery. Slowly the police, as well as Hattie, piece together what exactly happened to her beloved teacher. Andrews includes a lot of small town politics and drama, which is definitely something readers have come to enjoy in her novels.

I loved the setting of Savannah and Tybee Island. Andrews definitely knows Tybee and brought to life that community well, so much so that I wanted to pack my bags and visit once again. How great would a show be where they renovate historic beach houses on Tybee? I'd watch that show for sure! Which leads me to the HGTV vibes this book is giving off--- there's a ton! So, if you enjoy home renovations and HGTV shows, The Homewreckers is right up your alley.

My only issue is that Andrews has included a lot in The Homewreckers. At times it can be difficult to really dive into all the various threads. There's Hattie's new romance, her difficult past, the murder mystery, the town's drama, the renovation, the TV show, and more, but overall she does make it work. Even though it was a lot, I will admit I was thoroughly entertained.

So, are you a fan of Mary Kay Andrews? Did you read The Homewreckers this summer? Is it on your TBR list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Hattie Kavanaugh has had it rough since her teens. Her dad got in trouble, her parents split up, her mom moved away, and she had to move in with her best friend's family. She married at 20 and was a widow at 25 but she didn't give up her love of home renovation. After her first success, her next house was a huge money pit and she's in debt and is at risk of losing her own beloved little home. Now her family consists of her and her rescue mutt and she's even pawned a precious ring that belonged to her late husband's family, just trying to stay afloat. She's a hard worker but nothing seems to be going her way.

A producer, Mo, hears a conversation between Hattie and her father-in-law and he wants to create a show about flipping houses in Savanah, with Hattie as the centerpiece. The show will be on a tight timeline and before Hattie knows it she is going to be restoring a wreck of a home, dealing with people she never would have spoken to in the past, and battling with her designer co-star, Trae. Pretty soon Hattie, whose grief over her late husband has her planning to be alone the rest of her life, is caught between the affections of Trae and Mo.

Hattie's bad luck continues when something belonging to a woman, who has been missing seventeen years, is found on the property of the house she is restoring. Soon investigators are involved, which introduces us to my favorite character, Makarowicz, a retired detective, who wants to get to the bottom of a long ago murder. This story is a romance, murder mystery, and journey of forgiveness and learning to move on after loss, and I enjoyed that the story was so complex and didn't just focus on the romantic side of things.

This was my first Mary Kay Andrews book and it won't be my last! I went in expecting a cute summer romance but was instead hit with a nail-biting mystery with a sprinkle of love. I'm not complaining about the lack of romance! I was so impressed with the way Andrews weaved a mystery within such an already great storyline.

This is my3rd book by this author. I must say this is not my preferred genre but it works each time. I don’t usually like murder plots but this one was light and the setting with the reality themed show worked. I enjoyed the characters and they were likeable.

I must say one payoff to these home decorating shows is seeing the before and after but reading about it was not the same and that was a disappointment.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mary Kay Andrews has written another bestseller in The Homewreckers. She sure has a knack in writing about home renovations and all the facets connected with this undertaking, especially with all the fixer-upper shows on TV now. The main character, Hattie Kavanauch, is trying to renovate a home in Savannah and has many pitfalls and successes with help from all the characters she meets along the way. Sure kept me entertained while reading!

MKA has done it again! As soon as I started this one, I knew I was going to love it. Hattie as a main character is so strong and sassy. Andrews knows southern women that's for sure! I really enjoyed the home flipping aspects of this one and as always, the character's quippy dialogue was so fun. I enjoyed this one more than a few of her other releases, although no character will top BeBe and Weezie from Savannah Blues (MKA- if you're reading this, can we please get a new BeBe and Weezie story?) Overall 4.5/5 stars for me!

Like most MKA books, this was so well written and kept me hanging on. The fictional HPTV and house flipping show were a cute nod to how popular similar shows are in today’s world. I loved reading through how she built the romantic tension and trying to see where we would go next.

That said, the B plot involved a years old murder of a local woman. For me, I was so much more invested in finding out details of the murder and seeing how that would play out than I was about if the TV show would be a success or where Hattie would find love. I know that the point of the book wasn’t this investigation, but I wish it was more of the focus, at least for my own taste.

Overall this was a great read and I really enjoyed another MKA masterpiece.

Hattie Kavanaugh went to work helping clean up restored homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at 18; married the boss’s son at 20; and was only 25 when her husband, Hank, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Broken hearted, but determined to continue the business of their dreams, she takes the life insurance money, buys a small house in a gentrifying neighborhood, flips it, then puts the money into her next project. But that house is a disaster and a money-loser, which rocks her confidence for years to come. Then, Hattie gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, cast against a male lead who may be a love interest, or may be the ultimate antagonist. It's a question of who will flip, and who will flop, and will Hattie ever get her happily-ever-after.

Mary Kay knows who to write witty, charming and laugh out loud books. It's no wonder she's written so many great reads. I enjoyed this book so much. It was an easy read that I couldn't put down.

Thanks so NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

This book was cute but honestly, not my favorite by Mary Kay Andrew’s. I do appreciate how her books always have a back story and a mystery and this one was no different. I also love a good house renovation. However, after loving The Newcomer, this book fell a bit flat for me. It’s a fun beach read if you’re looking for something easy.

This book was a perfect summery read! It was fun and quirky and full of heart! Rebuilding a house is so much like rebuilding one's self and life as these characters discovered and things don't always go according to plan and blueprints, just as life is not smooth and without curves and bumps. Absolutely loved it!

I am really enjoying Mary Kay Andrews' work recently. This almost cozy crime meets rom-com is right up my alley. This also shows a little insight into Andrews' own connection to flipping houses and making them majestic places to live and stay. I really enjoyed spending time with the characters, learning more about who they are and their backstories, as well as piecing together the mystery that accompanied this house renovation. Another charmer!

The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews is a fabulous read, perfect for a beach or vacation trip. Hattie Kavanaugh is a young widow who is trying to turn her life around. I absolutely loved it. It hooked me in from the first page. It was filled with drama, romance, and mystery. Ms. Andrews is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend this book! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Homewreckers in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this book and I have been trying for months. I even had a friend get this book after the pub date so she could buddy read it with me to hopefully help me get through it. She finished it (and gave it 3⭐️) and I still didn’t. I’ve tried a few more times since. I think the main issue I’m having is I just cannot keep any of the characters straight and it’s making the story very confusing.

I think the concept sounds very interesting, though, and if you have an easy time with many characters, this may be the book for you.

Widowed Hattie Kavanaugh went to work restoring old house when she married her husband at 18 and continued working with her father-in-law after Hank’s passing at 25. While working on an old stately mansion, she’s approached by a producer wanting to make a show about her renovations. Doubtful, she reluctantly accepts and is instantly courted by the show’s famous, handsome designer. Is it Hattie’s time to find love for the second time?

Homewreckers is the perfect beach read. I loved everything about it. Full of mystery, laughs, tears and romance, it’s everything Chick lit is supposed to be!

What a fun read! This book had a good mix of character development and background, plot moving storyline, and some mystery mixed in. There was just enough of each aspect to keep me invested and not so much that it felt like too much. I also really liked the main character. Hattie Kavenaugh, was likable and endearing, and carried her own in a mostly male dominated industry This would be a great summer read!