A sweet second chance romance that was an enjoyable read. A chance meeting with an old friend leads to Freya and Charlie pooling their time and resources to buy and do up Oak Tree Cottage. It's a mammoth task but just as they breathe new life into the cottage, so do they breathe new life into their friendship.

There are no surprises here, but sometimes that's just what you want in a cosy romance.

This is a story which addresses the current financial situation, Freya is a teacher who is struggling to get onto the property ladder and spends her cash on a room in a seedy flat. Charlie is her childhood best friend who is also having mortgage difficulties. When they reconnect after a chance meeting she decides to do something completely out of character and make a business proposal to him. But have they bitten off more than they can chew? I really enjoyed the first half of this book but got a bit put off with the angst towards the end but overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an enjoyable and heartwarming read, perfect for relaxing by the beach or poolside. I found myself completely immersed in the story and fell in love with the charming characters. The friends-to-lovers theme was particularly appealing, although there were moments when I wished they would just confess their feelings already! Despite the occasional slow pacing, the realistic portrayal of the housing market and cost of living added a relatable and down-to-earth touch. This aspect truly set the book apart from many other romance novels.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for those seeking a feel-good read that combines a delightful romance with relevant real-life themes.

A fantastic book which draws the reader in!
Charlie and Freya, two friends who are unable to buy a house on their own decide to buy one between them, a fixer upper! This is their story.
A light hearted read which made me laugh , what would happen next.
Loads of plot twists the reader couldn’t imagine, add in Ted the dog and you have a sure winner
Great fun and I would recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Uk, One More Chapter, and Emily Kerr for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This was one of those books that even though I knew what was coming next I found that I really enjoyed it. I loved the characters and the banter they had between them.

The story was a little predictable but it was still a good quick read! It was very much a palate cleanser, but very entertaining and so charming!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book. Yes, it was a little predictable but such an easy summery read. Ideal to take on holiday.
Charlie and Freya can't afford to get on the property ladder individually...so they buy a dilapidated cottage together with the idea of doing it up, selling it and making enough to each buy their own places. Freyas grandad becomes poorly and they take in his dog Ted..which complicated things a little. Freyas list of' The Rules' gradually gets worn down and they realise that they are meant to be together. A lovely feel good story.
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A really good friends to lovers romance story, perfect for taking on holiday. After meeting again these two friends decide to buy a house together which needs lots of attention, through diy and self help videos they make a great start but for the weather to put a spanner in the works. Friendship never ends it just waits to be rekindled.

A charming page-turner that will make you want to start your own home renovation right away. Or maybe not. Well, maybe with a partner in crime like Charlie. 😉If you are into cute and uplifting contemporary romance, I highly recommend picking this one up.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested in this story because I liked the premise and I always enjoy a good friends-to-lovers romance. This one just didn't do it for me though. The story was so slow and I understand using miscommunication as a means to create conflict in a story, but there was just way too much of it in Her Fixer Upper. Freya was practically insufferable by the end of the story. She was rude to Charlie constantly and her modes of pushing him away were downright cruel at times. It's hard for me to enjoy a story when I really dislike one of the MCs and unfortunately I just never connected to Freya, so it was hard for me to root for her happy ending. Overall, there were cute moments in the story and parts I did enjoy (like Freya's best friend and her grandfather and his dog), but ultimately Her Fixer Upper just wasn't really for me.

Freya and Charlie were childhood friends. Both of them are desperate to buy their own home, but cannot do it by themselves. So together they buy an old house in a shabby state and plan to renovate it themselves. Can control freak Freya cope with Charlie's relaxed way of doing things or will it cause problems? Will this be the friendship that is built to last or will it become something more? A lovely holiday read, just wish I could see a before and after picture of Oak Tree Cottage!

Super cute, swoon-worthy, warm hearted story. Perfect to curl up and forget the world around you. Loved it. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Freya & Charlie are school mates who lost touch, and meet again by chance at a pub quiz.

They are both struggling to get on the property ladder and Freya a teacher and Charlie who runs his own business hatch a plan to buy a place as friends.
Charlie talks Freya into buying Oak Tree Cottage, a completely dilapidated property that’s been on the market for a while. The advice from Freya’s granddad Arthur is to go for it. Freya’s granddad and his dog ted are great additions to the characters.

A story about friendship, the ‘house rules’ and the developments of the house. Enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

"Her Fixer Upper" by Emily Kerr is a delightful friends-to-lovers tale that will warm your heart. This charming story follows two friends who embark on a home renovation project, which not only brings them closer but also develops their relationship. With ups and downs along the way, Kerr crafts a believable and engaging romance. Although some plot elements and character development could have been further explored, the overall experience is enjoyable. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and their journey is filled with both tender and humorous moments. If you're a fan of friends-to-lovers stories, "Her Fixer Upper" is a lovely choice that will leave you with a smile.

Note: Special thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC

Her Fixer Upper by Emily Kerr.
Freya dreams of owning her own home. Charlie is struggling to get a mortgage. When the two old friends bump into each other on a night out, Charlie jokes that buying together would solve all their problems. He doesn’t expect Freya to say yes, let alone yes to a less-than-perfect fixer upper. Nobody said renovating their dream home would be easy, but will Charlie and Freya fall out of love with the house, or in love with each other…
I really enjoyed this book. Loved Freya and Charlie. 5*.

Freya and Charlie two childhood friends meet up again later in life, both being rejected for single mortgage loans to purchase a house. But if they combine their funding and loan application they can increase their chances, once they get the loan the shenanigans of home repairs come out in funny scenarios. This cracked me up, this is my first time reading from this author.

Freya and Charlie, old school friends who haven't seen each other in years, bump into each other at a time when they are both trying, and struggling, to get mortgages on their own. They decide to club together and buy a place to get them on the ladder. They end up taking on way more than a renovation.

The basic premise of this book was very entertaining and easy to read. The dynamic was great, as the previous connection meant that the chemistry between Freya and Charlie could be there from the start of their narrative without feeling awkward - this made it a lot easier to warm to the characters and root for them both. I found Freya's neuroticism very relatable, with her need to control things and her anxiety towards change and the future. Charlie provided the perfect foil to that with his laidback, easygoing nature and ability to laugh at most situations.

My favourite character in the book was Freya's Grandad Arthur. He was central to the storyline and provided warmth, charm and drama in equal measure, packaging it all up in a funny, insightful and approachable way.

While I enjoyed the progression of watching Freya and Charlie do up their construction site house, I did struggle a little with the fact that the description of the house felt a little overdone. I understand that the author was trying to build a very clear idea of how rundown the house was to add tension to the story, but at times I felt that the focus was more on describing the house than progressing the plot and it made things feel a little jarring for me.

I also found the pacing of the story a bit challenging. The first half of the book felt quite slow and in-depth, and then we jumped forward in time a few months and everything seemed to speed up considerably, to the point where things felt a little rushed and underdeveloped. The relationship between Freya and Charlie didn't progress as naturally as it could have and the drama surrounding Grandad Arthur was explored in a slightly haphazard way.

This was a sweet, simple read but nothing particularly outstanding for me.

Freya is a secondary school teacher who wants to get on the property ladder after a disastrous flat share, but she is struggling to get accepted for a mortgage on her own. By chance she meets an old childhood friend, called Charlie, who is in a similar predicament. Charlie talks Freya into buying Oak Tree Cottage, a house that has been on the market for a while due to its completely dilapidated state. Freya eventually agrees with a number of reservations due to the huge amount of work that needs doing. This story combines the development of their home with the development of their relationship. Having lost touch over the years they discover that they still have a strong bond which is reignited as they work together. There are nice characters in this book including Freya and Charlie and also Freya’s grandad and his dog, Teddy, who is adorable. This was an easy read although fairly predictable in the ups and downs of a new relationship. I found the details of the house renovation fascinating particularly as so much appeared to need doing that it would put most sane people with no experience off! Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for access to this arc.

I love the cover for the book as Freya is a dungaree wearing redhead with glasses. This book certainly covers a lot of current issues and trends mixing the lack of available intro housing with all the renovation/do-it-yourself shows on TV. From my local housing market, I know it’s hard for Gen Zs to break into home ownership and I’ve heard the plight is similar in the UK so our heroine’s plan to go 50:50 with her childhood bestie so that they can finally afford to buy a home makes sense. But of course, the only thing remotely within their combined price range is an old cottage in need of serious repairs and renovation.

The set up of the story might sound wacky but it makes sense to me. Freya and Charlie are trying to get their feet on the property rung near Harrogate in Yorkshire which has eye watering real estate prices. Freya also has to listen her boss disparage her generation about avocado toast and fancy coffees. After Freya announces her plan to Charlie, he tells her he knows the perfect place – perfect being a word that doesn’t jump into Freya’s mind when she sees it. But he’s correct. The old cottage needs a lot of work and the hideous decorating choices (“prison chic meets 70s horror show”) made by previous owners, along with the current owner just wanting to shift the property, works to their advantage when Freya and Charlie make their offer.

Ah but then comes all the actual ripping up and tearing out plus the expensive estimates to replace the rotten window frames, fix the chimney, and get the wiring redone. When contractors suck at their teeth and shake their heads when working up cost estimates, you know it’s not going to be good. Working hard, too, Charlie and Freya slowly begin bringing the old place back to life. There is a lot of detail in these parts but then that’s what the book’s relationship will be built on. So far, so good.

I ended up liking Charlie a bit more than Freya which is a shame as it’s only Freya’s POV we get. Freya is a rigid rule abider, after all. Despite all the things in The Rules about communication, Freya is terrible at it. She makes assumptions, guesses at other things, issues orders, and due to her own (acknowledged) lack of confidence she resorts to the old adage that a good offence is the best defense. Poor Charlie gives and gives and puts up with Freya snapping at him and stomping around when she’s upset or worried about the house or afraid he’s dating someone else.

This is pretty much their relationship until near the end of the book. At one point Freya thinks about their relationship and how they balance each other but on the whole, she’s getting the better bargain in Charlie than he is from her, IMO. I will give her this – she does do a bit of self-reflection and realizes her faults. Her beloved Grandpa (who is a dear [and reads the library’s collection of large print Mills and Boon which has him seeing sexual tension everywhere], along with Freya’s parents and Charlie’s parents) might announce he’s happy the two have finally figured things out but I sure hope Freya can loosen up a bit and work on her prickliness because Charlie deserves better. B-/C+

I think we can all say, if you're a hopeful first home buyer, you're shit out of luck. Housing prices in most capital cities are insane. In my city, the average price for a two-bedroom flat is $600k or $1.4m for a house! The situation is even more dire if you, like me, would be buying on your own. And that's the situation Freya and Charlie are in, in Emily Kerr's Her Fixer Upper.

As children, Hutch and Humph (aka Freya and Charlie) were once thick as thieves, until Freya was forced to move towns. As an adult Freya is desperately saving to buy her first home on a meagre teacher's salary. At a pub quiz night she runs into Charlie, whom she hasn't seen since. An offhand comment by her best friend Leila that they should team up to buy a place as joint-owners suddenly becomes a serious idea.

Freya and Charlie are chalk and cheese. Freya is full of lists, spreadsheets and planning, while Charlie is a lot more freewheeling. Of course, Freya drafts The Rules, one of which includes they should not get involved.

This book is a little gem, I loved the premise and I found it highly relatable. In one scene a well-off middle aged colleague spouted off about young people being picky when buying homes, all the while being married to a rich wife who allowed him to acquire a holiday house.

I did find the middle became a bit too repetitious with Freya snapping at Charlie because she was covering up her embarrassment at her attraction to him and jealousy. While it was understandable, it messed with the pace of the book. The denouement was also something I didn't expect and to be honest, I found it just a bit too much, I would've preferred if the book focused on their relationship and progress of their home as I felt it finished abruptly and wrapped up the house issues without seeing a real pay off.

Overall, this book was just a delightful, funny and cosy read, I couldn't put it down. I look forward to reading more of Emily Kerr's books.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter and NetGalley for the ARC, I truly enjoyed this.