I kept comparing this to fixer upper by Lucy score and other small town HGTV inspired book romances and I couldn’t get into it. I loved the intention of it but it missed the mark for me.

This is the first book in the Domestic Partners in Crime series, wherein a gay couple in the creative arts, Peter and JP, have recently returned to one of the most peaceful of Detroit's suburbs, in order to live closer to the former's aging parents. For reasons not explained in the novel, the renovation of their recently-purchased 1920s home in Pleasant Woods is turned into the first season of a fairly successful HGTV show; the second season of which is put at risk, as the owners of the house they had planned to tackle next had backed out.

When one of their neighbors puts them in touch with the owners of the 1920s house across the street from their own, things start looking up. The house has been empty for a good two decades, but it's otherwise sound; once they get the contract signed, this renovation should make for an excellent second season.

But when Peter and JP find the body of one of their clients at the bottom of the weirdly rickety stairs, everything turns pear shaped in a hurry.

Beware: quite a bit of drinking, both in private houses and at bars; copaganda.

The story takes place inside of two weeks, from the fateful dinner where the protagonists meet the Cash brothers, to the epilogue; and it is narrated in a mix of first person, past tense, by Peter, and third person, past tense, by various other characters, including the victim.

Peter narrates the first couple of chapters, before switching to someone else's point of view for a chapter, then back to Peter for a few chapters, then back to a third character, and so on. Interestingly, while we get at least one chapter from the point of view of most of the more visible secondary characters, we never get even a short passage from JP's.

These switches in perspective, which feel fairly random on a first pass, prove to be rather clever once we reach the climax of the story, even if the final twist isn't precisely shocking.

My main issue with the novel is that I felt emotionally detached from beginning to end; I was never invested in the characters' lives. While the descriptions are fairly vivid, there are some mannerisms in the writing that grated on me more and more, until I was focusing more on those than on the story.

For example, Peter uses full names for most of the other characters every time they appear throughout the novel, sometimes more than once in the same conversation; it was particularly jarring during Tom's funeral for him to refer to the deceased as "Tom Cash". All else aside, it's not as if there were multiple Toms in the book. Or Stephens, or Campbells, or Bobs or Terrys or Nicks.

Even worse, the repetition wasn't limited to character names, oh no.

In the first chapter, Peter tells us that "Fairway Bob had an antiques store named Somewhere in Time, after an old movie"; a couple of chapters later it's, "we got that from Fairway Bob's antique store, Somewhere in Time", followed by, "Fairway Bob had given himself the day off from his antique shop, Somewhere in Time" a few chapters after that--and after that, another character tells us, yet again, about Bob and his antique shop.

These are not, mind you, carefully orchestrated conversations or interviews where our intrepid amateur sleuths get all their suspects to tell them their version of the same events in order to compare notes and find discrepancies, à la Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express. No, indeed; most of the repetition of background facts is all in Peter's internal dialogue.

Another thing that I found jarring was how often the point of view characters, Peter included, noted just how handsome and charming and overall attractive the other men in the story are; so much emphasis on physicality made the various romantic relationships in the story feel rather shallow.

As I read on, I kept hoping for more home renovation and less emphasis on brands, characters looks and attire, but alas, it was not to be. The only time Peter and JP seem to be getting ready to start tackling the house, we have two chapters of the pair looking for (and finally finding) a dead and rotting opossum in an enclosed crawl in space, which leads to...nothing, actually, as it's never mentioned again.

There is also a subplot involving Peter and JP trying to adopt a puppy that meandered about, taking up far too much page space; I think it was supposed to help flesh out their characterization and build up their romantic relationship, but it just didn't work for me.

One scene that annoyed me involved having one of the suspects talking to the cops in the presence of his lawyer. The suspect is never Mirandized and his lawyer never intervenes to shut her client up while he blurts potentially incriminating information that the cop is busily taking down. The excuse given is that it's an "informal chat" and that since the three are friends, it's all good.

What, and I cannot stress this enough, the hell.

In sum, the book could have used some ruthless editing to weed out all the repetition and tighten the writing; there were some subtle clues and, as I said earlier, some clever plotting, that got lost in the noise, weakening the impact of the ending.

Renovated to Death gets a 6.00 out of 10.

Enjoyed the queer representation, home renovation setting, and the subplot about the rescue dogs. The cover is also very engaging.

I can't make up my mind about this book. But despite some problems and quirks, overall, I had fun reading it, so I'm still giving it four stars. The characters were cute. It was funny. Overall, this book was very cozy and provided a good escape at a time when reality was just getting horrible.

But if you do pick it up, keep in mind that despite being a murder mystery, the murder and investigation happen pretty late. The twist is foreshadowed in a heavy handed way that makes it predictable. It gets a bit corny at times, and there really aren't many women in this book.

But if you're willing to overlook the above, it was a fun read!

Set in Detroit, two partners in life and business - Pete and JP are doing home renovations for a show on HGTV. They find the perfect home which is Terry and Tom - twins. The home is the childhood home of the twins that they inherited. While one wants to sell and the other one does not. However, one of them ends up dead and Pete and JP start sleuthing.

I can’t say this was my favorite cozy mystery it dragged on in spots and just didn’t grab my attention.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

After a successful first season of Domestic Partners chronicling the renovation of their historic home, Peter and JP are taking on a renovation of another local home, that has remained untouched since the 1930s.
Owned by twins Tom & Terry Cash, there is some initial resistance from one of the brothers to the idea of renovating it and when the other is found dead at the foot of the stairs, it seems as though this job may not happen …

The story is mostly told from the point of view of Peter (PJ) and there is quite a large cast of characters & none of them were developed enough to have distinctive personalities which made it hard at times to keep them straight in my mind. Several of the gay men seemed to be portrayed in very stereotypical ways.

The writing is fairly poor, it felt immature and there were a lot of repeated phrases and too many irrelevant descriptions – how many times do we need “handsome older man” or “cute”?
The beginning of the story dragged (we didn’t get a body until 30% in) and whilst the descriptions of the original features of the property were very descriptive & evocative, there was a lot of detail that was just completely irrelevant – did we need to know the flavour profile of a beer? and unless you really know your niche brands there were time when it felt like the author was just name dropping … he looked at his watch would suffice, we don’t need to know it’s a Shinola Guardian watch (I had to look it up, apparently a luxury brand, local to Detroit) or that the furniture was Stickley (investment pieces that hold their value).


10% into the book: This is a book about a gay couple. We have gay neighbours who live down the street.
20% into the book: Have we told you that we are GAY?! Did you know that gay people can get married now? We want to adopt a dog.
30% in: Nothing ever happens in this cute place we live called Pleasant woods. Oh, a dead body! (maybe we can start this mystery story now …)
40% in: Police think it was accidental death. The owner of the phone found at the scene didn’t do it. By the way, we are 2 gay men in a relationship, have we told you that?
50% in: Somebody else suspects that it wasn’t an accidental death.
60% in: Lets go to a gay bar to see a drag act
70% in: Oooh, maybe we can adopt that dog after all! Did one of the suspects lie?
80% in: Lets have a chat with our friend the police officer about our theories – though he won’t really listen because “People don’t get murdered in Pleasant woods, Michigan”
90% in: We’ve worked out who did it – it’s obvious … oh dear I’m going to be the next victim!
95% in – we have a “twist”, albeit one I’d worked out about half a book ago! Lets now rush to get to the end …

Overall, it was good to see some gay characters in a cosy mystery. There was a promising plot idea & one I could see working very well, but it was executed poorly here. It is not a series I will be reaching for again.

Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito is a cozy mystery featuring a gay couple who works together fixing up houses for a reality show called Domestic Partners. This was a really fun read and there were so many aspects to the story that felt unique and unlike anything I've read before in a cozy mystery. I'll be honest. I had a good idea who the murderer was, but there were so many interesting side characters with their own reasons for why they would be frustrated or angry with the deceased that it was difficult to confidently make a definitive guess.

Here are a few things I liked about this story.

The main couple (JP and PJ) are very different from each other but they work really well as a couple, which makes sense since they host a TV show together. I liked how they mostly were always on the same page and worked together to prep for their show, as well as figure out if Tom Cash's death was truly murder or not.

I liked their group of friends. Cam especially made me laugh and I really hope he's featured in the next book as well. He cracked me up with some of his observations and I loved that he was so invested in his rescue dog Snoop.

And speaking of rescues, it warmed my heart that a side plot of the story was about how JP and PJ were planning to rescue a dog of their own. So sweet. I loved when they had their home visit with the woman from the pet rescue and wound up killing two birds with one stone, after she wound up revealing a lot of information that would prove to be useful as they continued to try to figure out if Tom's death was an accident or not.

Is there anything I could have done without?

Yes. Personally, I felt like there were way too many physical descriptions in this story. Maybe it's just how the main character was supposed to be, but I felt like every time a character was described it felt... weird. Like the description was describing their attractiveness or whatever. It just didn't sit right with me.

I also wasn't a huge fan of how every character was described as first name/last name. It felt very formal. Or like when the main character would refer to his fiance as his partner or Cam as his bestie. It just felt overly descriptive. because it was done over and over again. Just say their name sometimes! It sounds too repetitive to always use a title when referring to them.

But those are just small things and in the grand scheme of things, I did really enjoy this story. Such a fun group of characters and I really liked the small town setting, with cool restaurants and a fun gay club. I hope that the next book features even more drag queen karaoke!

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. I was really excited to read a mystery with some home reno and queer rep, but I just couldn't get into the writing style. There were just phrasing and descriptions that rubbed my brain the wrong way and as much as I was hopeful for this book I just couldn't get fully into it as much as I wanted. I think this could be a favourite book for someone else, I just wasn't the right audience for it.

Release Date: May 31, 2022

📖📖📖

PJ and JP are partners in life and in business. They recently started a reality show where the well known author (PJ) and the actor (JP) renovate homes. They had success with season one which chronicled them renovating their own home. Season two is going to be tackling the inherited home of Tom and terry cash. Thing go awry when the couple discovers Tom dead. Now to keep on they need to solve the whodunnit and make sure this is a renovation that they DONT die for.

I was excited to read a LGBTQIA cozy mystery as I haven’t seen many of those in the genre. There were certain areas of the book that felt pandering instead of empowering. I fully acknowledge that I am a cis white female so I have authority to make declarations of what is and isn’t acceptable. I appreciate the attempt of inclusion but it felt like it was written from someone who didn’t really understand. For example PJ struggles with how to address his friend in drag appropriately (out loud and in his thoughts), which is weird. There is so much talk about pronouns…why wouldn’t he just ask? #normalizepronouns. The author also mentions an event in the past by calling it "LGBT... Long before they tagged on the Q, the I, and the A." Which felt derogatory to me. I would recommend this book but I also hope the author does better in the future. As a society I feel like we’ve come further than what this book portrays.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#renovatedtodeath #domesticpartners #domesticpartnersincrime #homerenovation #cozymystery #bookstagram #cozymysteryseries #netgalleyreads #bookstagram #instareads #frankanthonypolito #kensingtonbooks

Renovated to Death is a cozy mystery set in Metro Detroit. When couple PJ (Peter) and JP (John Paul) agree to renovate the childhood home of the twins Cash, they are excited to get their hands on the lovely 1920s project. Until one of the twins winds up dead, a tragedy in and of itself that also puts their fledgling deal in jeopardy. The second season of their reality TV series is set to start filming soon, and if the death isn't put to rest quickly, their livelihood will be in jeopardy. Their investigation isn't outrageous and unbelievable like some in the genre. It largely involves PJ and JP gathering gossip from their neighbors, which seems realistic enough behavior. The reveal of information also offered an interesting approach. Instead of a quick murder followed by amateur detecting, we get to see many points of view in the buildup to the crime in question and as secrets are uncovered. We see through the eyes of the victim, the brother disagreeing about the preservation of the family inheritance, the lover fearing he will soon be jilted, and a witness to the death, among others. It's an engaging way to share details and show a range of emotions. This is one of the most chill cozies I've read with even the ultimate showdown coming across as fairly sedate. And honestly, it worked for me.

This book makes me excited for more cozies with a queer cast. The strongest feature of this book for me is steeping the story in queer culture and language with a particular focus on a community of gay men. This is not an example of books that just label a character as gay and then tell the same old type of story with no consideration of broader culture and bonds between queer people. My only complaint is that this is definitely focused on one segment of the rainbow. PJ struggles with how to address his friend in drag appropriately (out loud and in his thoughts), which is weird. And a comment reminiscing about a gay event in the past mentions "LGBT... Long before they tagged on the Q, the I, and the A." Which was a bit of a stab in the back to those of us who were apparently tacked on as an afterthought to the acronym. That doesn't erase the value of what this book offers in terms of representation; just know it's not fully inclusive.

Another nice aspect was seeing a cozy with a committed couple as detectives, meaning we don't have to suffer a half-assed romantic side plot. Instead, we get brunch on weekends, banter, and dog adoption. The level of puppy love (as in love for a literal puppy) was the exact correct level of over-the-top for this dedicated millennial dog mom. They are the best, sweetest, goodest babies and they deserve the world. I was also personally attached to the Michigan setting, from the craft beer and neighborhoods to the twins, one in a Sparty hat and the other a hat of a team-that-shall-not-be-named. Unfortunately, there was a comment about how someone "couldn't even get into State," which soured things for this alumna to a significant degree.

There were some other aspects I didn't care for. The book starts with a major infodump of backstory; the clunky delivery meant I didn't retain much and had to relearn who was who as the story continued. Another writing issue was the repetitive use of certain phrases that became irritating (i.e. always using the same descriptions for the main cast of characters). Another minor disappointment was the lack of actual home renovation compared to what the premise promised. While the couple's past projects are mentioned, this story all takes place before their next season starts filming. On a deeper level, a constant issue in mysteries is the approach to law enforcement. In this one, a police presence is considered nice and neighborhoods are labeled safe and unsafe. It seems uninformed at best. Luckily the story doesn't delve deeper into that mindset, but know that the stench of white privilege is about. Finally, the major twist is not that thrilling. I had it figured out from the victim's funeral a third of the way in, making all the other little clues that follow glaringly obvious instead of clever and sneaky.

So. If you think cozy mysteries should be more gay, check this one out. Thanks to Kensington for my copy to read and review.

If you're looking for a quozy (queer cozy) mystery, this is the perfect book for you! I'm a huge fan of HGTV, DIY, queer stories and mysteries and I'm so in love with the fact that this book has them all. I'm excited to read the rest of the books in this series!

It was just an ok read for me , which means even though i love cozy Mysteries this is one series i won't be going on with .

Here is my review of a new cozy mystery, which hopefully will be a long-lived series, Renovated To Death by Frank Anthony Polito. When it comes to the first book in a new Cozy Mystery series it can be a little overwhelming for the reader who is meeting a whole cast of characters and looking for clues to solve a murder. That being said I always cut the writers some slack when evaluating their first books.

What makes Renovated to Death stand apart from most cozies is that this book is that our amateur is a gay man. In my experience, most cozies are from a straight female perspective. This book takes place in Michigan and the local gay community is integral to the story. At first, I thought the characters were a bit on the stereotypical side, but then I realized this is a cozy with a healthy dose of humor. If you read this book, now you know going in to see the humor!

If you like home DIY and are a fan of HGTV, you'll really appreciate the home renovation talk in this book. The main character PJ and his husband JP (ah, cute couple names!) are hosts of a home renovation show and there is lots of talk about home renovation projects and restoration.

I found this to be a fun, fresh take on the genre and I look forward to future adventures with PJ and JP.

4 stars!

Although this was a cute novel, it didn’t really do much for me! I loved the gay couple for a mystery because i haven’t read one like this before and it was really nice to see and read about.

Renovated to Death was a fun Murder mystery starting a couple JP and PJ whose design show gets complicated when the owner of the house they are renovating dies in the house. Is it an accident or more?

I enjoyed this book and was drawn in by the renovation angle however almost no renovation happened in this book.

I just didn't care for the writing style and the main character and his boyfriend having similar initials seemed kind of goofy. Some of the clichés perpetuated in just the first few pages were irritating. I love reno shows but I don't think I'd watch PJ's. Too bad I had high hopes for this one.

Lighthearted, but impactful. Cozy, but underlaid by a foundation of seriousness. A lot of fun to be had by both characters and readers, yet with an awareness of the potential dark side. RENOVATED TO DEATH is a strongly Gay cosy mystery, Book 1 in the Domestic Partners in Crime Series. PJ and JP are life partners, and hard-working stars of the Domestic Partners home renovation reality show, heading into its second season. Homeowners in a beautiful historic suburb of Detroit, life is rocking until the newest renovation client dies in a fall on the Stairs of the house they are to renovate. Seems simple: a weak step, an accidental fall with tragic consequences. But writer of high school mysteries PJ and former tv cop Series actor JP view it differently, and they intend to uncover the truth.

Ooof. This was... not good.

From a plot standpoint, it takes 30% of the book to get any murder mystery - at one point, we get a whole rehash of a previous chapter at the beginning of the next, as though the character whose POV we were in wasn't there for everything happened. That was weird! And the murder is pretty easy to solve, even if the motivation is shoved in there at 97%.

But the writing... good lord the writing. Everyone is either a "handsome older man" or a " cute young boy" - like, the former phrase occurs 26 times in the book. That's too many! If you did a shot every time someone was described as "handsome," you'd be hospitalized after the first chapter. And in three consecutive paragraphs, the latter phrase shows up four times. I had an ARC, but if this made it into the final book, someone needs to have a sit down with the copy editor.

There are a million weird asides through the book, too, and so very few of them are relevant. How JP's parents died, the name of the place they got their seat cushions from, PJ's dad's commitment to car culture (and PJ's implied superiority for rejecting it), the marital status (confirmed or assumed) of various characters we see once in the whole book, the flavor profile of a Bell's Two-Hearted... what is the point? Why do we need all this? Why couldn't we do more murder mysterying?

And, of course, we can't forget the names of a few side characters, specifically the real estate agent Cheri Maison and local Detective Nick Paczki. Yes, the real estate agent's name is essentially house and the detective is essentially Detective Donut. I almost put the book down for that second reveal.

Anyways, I think this was poorly plotted and even more poorly written, but if neither of those things bother you, it's not NOT a decently fun read.

This was a fun, quick, easy read. I enjoyed the characters although they did seem a little cliche. If you are looking for a book to read in one sitting, with detailed interior design, and has LGBTQ main characters this is for you!

***I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Here it is...***

I am DNFing this book at about 50%. I am a big fan of cozy mysteries, just not this one. I don't know if I'm just not the intended audience, but I just can't get into it. Everything about it feels over-the-top, drawn-out, and too much. I know this is a home renovation cozy, but I found myself going glassy-eyed over the descriptions of the homes. The cast of characters feels cheesy and super extra, enough that I'm not connecting with any of them. I'm not liking this book and would rather spend my time reading something that I can get into.