Thanks to the publisher, author Aurora Rey, and NetGalley for the gifted copy!
Jack Barrow is old-school in the sweetest way—a quiet, steady trans guy who loves his small-town life in Vermont. Ellie Lancaster is an artist with big restoration dreams. They’re total opposites, but when a blizzard traps them together in the historic Hampstead House, sparks fly (and not just from the wiring 🔥).
This was such a cozy, feel-good read! I didn’t realize it was book 3 in a series, but it reads well as a standalone—and now I’m curious about the rest of the family. The LGBTQIA+ rep was heartwarming, and I appreciated how naturally educational it felt too. I loved this quote:
📖 “He thought about the future, all the possibilities it held. No absolute certainties, of course, but trust. Trust that things would turn out okay, trust that they’d find a way to weather the storms together.”
I do wish we got a little more focus on the house renovation and a bit more depth + humor from the characters, but it was still an adorable, soft romance. ⭐⭐⭐/5
#AuroraRey #LGBTQBooks #TransRomance #QueerReads #Bookstagram #BookReview #RomanceBooks #CozyRomance #WinterRomance #GrumpySunshine #NetGalleyReads #ARCReview #BookishLove #QueerRomance #TransRepresentation #BookQuote #SapphicReads #BookNerd #BookLover #RomanticReads #BlizzardRomance #FoundFamily #SmallTownRomance #BookRecs #Bookstagrammer

Jack Barrow is pretty old fashioned as far as progressive trans guys go. He loves his family, his work, and his quiet life in his hometown of Bedlington, Vermont. Overseeing the electrical upgrade on the historic Hampstead House is all the excitement he’s looking for.

As an artist specializing in the preservation and restoration of hand-painted plaster and lathe, Ellie Lancaster plans to showcase her skills on a grand scale at Hampstead House and ensure the original beauty of the house will be enjoyed for generations to come.

I really enjoyed this story, and enjoyed seeing some of the characters we met from the earlier books in the series. My biggest issue with this - I prefer it when authors let their characters' identities live through their experiences, without having to keep telling us over and over again about said identity. Too many authors do this. Otherwise, good story! 3.5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I'm sort of meh about this one, nothing bad to say about it but I just didn't really get into it. I think maybe we just missed a bit more build-up of them getting to know each other to ramp up the chemistry. Which makes me sad because cis fem x trans man romances are so few and far between.

Thank you Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an arc in an honest review

I loved this one 💖 I’m so happy to see more trans characters.
It took me a bit to get into but once I was halfway through I found myself coming back to it with ease. I think what kept me a bit ‘away’ was the dynamic between the couple funny enough. Maybe it’s not my cup of tea but at times I was like… is this good for either of them?? Lol

I liked the premise of this book and appreciated the diversity of the characters and the project itself.

I did not this this was a great grumpy sunshine as it felt like there was minimal tension building, it was mainly just the two main characters talking about how they didn't like each other, until they did.
I felt the sex/intimate scenes weren't written as well as other scenes/authors I've read in the recent past.

The third in this series of books and a definite return to form, with a delightful spicy romance between a 'grumpy' trans man Jack and a sparkly woman Ellie, although is he grumpy or just introverted and been told that he's grumpy by his more extrovert family?? The banter between the siblings is very much there, as is the wonderful friendship between Ellie and Rhett. Ellie has a strong interesting back story around coping with a relative and their mental illness. Making this an interesting read with a group of fascinating characters who get on super well. I celebrate and love the author's placing of so many queer (trans, poly, gay, lesbian, bi) people in small town Massachusetts. Thoroughly enjoyable.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is number three in the Renovation Romance series.. This is a warm and cozy read which takes place in Bedlington Vermont. I enjoyed the story and the inclusion of queer people everywhere with one of the main characters being trans. The author did a great job and I look forward to the fourth book in the series with Rhett as Clover, fingers crossed.

Fixed Up can be read as a stand alone novel but is number three in the Renovation Romance series. The series focuses on a family who run a construction business in Bedlington, Vermont. The first two books, ’Sweat Equity’ (Oct 2023) and ‘Good Bones’ (Aug 2024) were romances for two sisters and now it is time for middle brother Jack.

Jack is an electrician and gets a bucket list job to work on a historic house in a nearby town. Jack is an introvert, who likes simple things like his work and family. He meets Ellie Lancaster, who preserves and restores hand-painted plaster and lathe. Sparks are flying early and escalate when they get snowed in together during a blizzard. I found it odd that everyone says Jack is grumpy when nothing in the story demonstrates that. Ellie is outwardly happy, often compartmentalizing her feelings. Ellie’s and her relationship with her mom is a big part of the storyline. Her mother's mental health put Ellie into a parent role early in her life. I thought this was well portrayed. I also liked her best friend Rhett.

I have read the previous books in the series and enjoyed catching up with the couples and others I remember from my reading. I’ve enjoyed the stylized covers for the series as well. This is a warm and cozy read. The relationship is nurturing and left me feeling warm all over. It jumped a bit quickly to the L word, but I’m a romance reader and won’t complain.

This was a great romance! It was nice to get updates on the other series characters. The polyam rep was lovely, and the mentally ill parent storyline was emotional and so well done. It was great to read a queer romance with a trans MC. I am hoping a sensitivity reader was used because there were a few things I wasn’t sure about, but otherwise it was a good read! I liked both characters. The third act conflict was not the worst.

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I loved how this book started—it was giving full romcom energy in the best way. The forced proximity blizzard setup was funny and cozy. And the spice was 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Also, Ellie’s cat?? Emily Dickinson! Adorable. 🤣

That said, after the blizzard snow in, I struggled with Jack. Normally I love a good grumpy/sunshine dynamic, but there were moments where Jack came off as controlling and overly rigid—especially in how he handled the conflict with Ellie. Ellie was clearly overwhelmed, trying to navigate things with her mom and not communicating well, and instead of giving her space, Jack forced the issue. Then, when she lashed out, he took it personally and made it about whether she was even capable of being the kind of partner he wanted.

“And because, he realized with a heaviness in his chest, saying it wouldn’t fix the gaping divide between what he wanted from a partner and what Ellie seemed interested in giving.”

They hadn’t even been together long enough for that kind of pressure, and it really rubbed me the wrong way. They do work it out in the end, but that section almost had me considering a DNF.

💭 Final Thoughts
While I had mixed feelings about parts of the romance, I really appreciated how inclusive this book was. I also thought it was powerful that the author showed how difficult it can be for an adult child to care for a parent struggling with mental illness—we don’t see enough representation of caregivers in fiction.

Jack’s family was also a highlight for me! They were so loving and united, and I really enjoyed the warmth and support they showed throughout the story.

⭐️ 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for the advance copy! All opinions are completely my own.

Despite not reading the previous two books in the Renovation series, I really enjoyed reading Fixed Up. This was the first book I have read which included a trans main character, and I was not disappointed. Fixed Up gave me the cutesy small town romance I desired from this book, and made me feel connected to the characters including the side characters.
I also loved how inclusive this book felt. The representation of not only the LGBTQIA+ relationships but also branching out to topics such as poly relationships, made me enjoy this book even more.
Overall, a very good romance book.

This just wasn’t for me. It was fine, but I didn’t really love either of the characters, and I loathe third-act breakups. I appreciated the queer and trans representation, as well as the mental illness depictions, which was what kept me going in this story, but I just wasn’t super into this one.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another lovely story in this series - about the third Barrow sibling Grumpy Jack, who meets sunshine Ellie, while working on a renovation project.
Both Ellie and Jack have their own issues to overcome if they want to build a relationship and the book dips into mental health issues.
There are some very HOT scenes in the book as well as catching up a little with Maddie and Logan and some new characters that have the potential for the making of another book in my opinion!!
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books enabling me to give an honest view on this story.

This book is like a hallmark movie crossed with a HGTV show, with added spice and lots of queer people.

I really enjoyed this cozy romance, and I like the inclusion of queer people everywhere in the story, as well as on of the main characters being trans, and fully accepted by those in his life. I also enjoyed the honest discussions of parents with mental illness.

This is a cozy romance set in a small town in winter, and includes being snowed in, as well as found family.

I received a free copy from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

So lovely to read some trans romance! Really enjoyed this story and the personal journey of each character. I felt like I was a part of their world.

Fixed Up es la tercera entrega de la serie Renovation Romances , que sigue las historias de una familia dedicada a la restauración de casas históricas en un pequeño pueblo de Vermont. En esta ocasión, el protagonista es Jack Barrow, el hijo del medio de la familia, un hombre trans que trabaja como electricista, y la protagonista es Ellie Lancaster, una artista especializada en la restauración de yesos y molduras pintadas a mano.

Ambos son aparentemente opuestos, se ven forzados a colaborar en la restauración de la antigua Hampstead House. Mientras Ellie, optimista y organizada, ve la belleza de preservar el pasado, Jack, algo gruñón y reacio a nuevos proyectos, se enfrenta a sus propios desafíos personales. Lo que parecía ser una relación de trabajo sin mayor química se transforma en algo mucho más profundo cuando quedan atrapados juntos en la casa durante una fuerte tormenta de nieve. La convivencia forzada y la cercanía harán que sus diferencias se conviertan en una chispa que encienda una romántica historia.



Estuvo entretenido, pero hasta ahi. Es una historia olvidable.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was sort of cute with the romance aspect but I found myself skipping/skimming several chapters. Nothing against the author as the writing was fine, this just wasn't the book for me.

Fixed Up is the delightful third instalment of the Renovations series. This time the focus is on Jack , middle child of the Barrow clan and artist Ellie, who are both working on a historical renovation. This is a grumpy and sunshine romance that has a spark right from the start. I don’t normally seek out storylines with trans characters as the main protagonists but I was excited to see Rey had included Jacks story in this trilogy as I loved him in the previous two and hoped he would also find love.

The banter as always is a delight, the story also digs into growing up with a parent with mental illness and how dealing with that can affect one’s attitudes to love. Rey thankfully normalises the trans part of Jack and Ellie’s relationship, focusing more on their personality differences. Such a positive compared to the real world at the moment. With some new faces adding to my already favourites, I see an opening for more romances for this séries, at least I hope so. Highly recommend reading them all, very enjoyable.

The third in the Renovation romance series, we've got a ton of tropes I love - a historic house renovation, two people super competent in their fields, snowed in by a blizzard, pet parents, and a trans man lead. I really enjoyed the prevalence of communication and talking through a lot of the typical emotional hurdles, especially when it comes to things like Ellie's relationship with her mother and Jack's emotional reservedness.

As with Rey's other two books in the series, the stakes are fairly low, so you get a lot of time to get to know the characters and where they are in their lives, what they've been through, and what they want out of their futures. There's emotional stakes and lots of queer found family as well as blood family, which are also some of my favorite tropes. Reading this series, but especially this book, gives you the sense of being wrapped in a warm blanket.

Fixed Up is the third book in Rey’s Renovation series, and while it could be read as a stand-alone, having read the previous books in the series made me feel as if I were catching up with old friends and provided a bit of insider background into some of the side characters’ histories.

This was overall a solid read, with minimal angst or overly emotional drama. The characters all felt like people I could be friends with, and I enjoyed the HGTV-esque historic home renovation plot. I would recommend this book to folks looking for a twist on a grumpy-sunshine romance in which both characters actively claim to fall into one side of the trope while still displaying great empathy for the other.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.