Fixed Up is the third book in Aurora Rey’s Renovation Romances, which follows three siblings and their family’s construction company in a small Vermont town. No one is better than Aurora Rey at writing renovation stories set in small towns. Her world-building is exceptional, and I wish I had lived in each place in her stories.

Fixed Up is the romance of middle sibling Jack, the electrician in the family business and somewhat of a grump. Still, love finds a way, even with curmudgeons.

Ellie meets Jack on a project to restore a historic house. She is a look-on-the-bright-side artist who specializes in preservation and restoration. Although initially oil and water, these two crank the heat when stuck together in a blizzard. Hang on for the ride to a happily ever after with just the right amount of realistic angst.

I loved these characters. And I’m grateful the author went out on a limb for a trans man main character and a mom with mental illness. I appreciated reading Jack, written just like any other male character and not an educational project for those curious about trans men and how they have sex. Not to say there isn’t steam in this story; it’s an Aurora Rey romance, after all.

I was also pleased to see a character with mental illness portrayed in such an authentic way. Ellie’s mother lives with schizophrenia, and the interaction of a parent with mental illness and how that affects her life plays a part in this story. We see through the veil of Ellie’s upbeat look on life and peel the effects away just like she restores historic hand-painted plasters.

This is considered a stand-alone romance, yet if a reader hasn’t read the first two, they may get a bit lost as the other two siblings from previous books appear. Hopefully, the reader will pick up the first two books as well. In case of a blizzard, I suggest reading all three books, and the reader will be toasty warm until the power comes back on.

Reading the dedication felt like lowering oneself in a nice, relaxing, hot tub. And indeed, people being kind, and to behave like mature adults with integrity, able to talk about hard things without turning unreasonable or into zombies, that's the kind of books I love.

And yet, this book feels odd. I can't help but think it is easy or shiny in most ways: people doing a job, excelling at it, and on to the next thing in which to succeed. Where was indeed the messy part in life that is mentioned in the dedication? On the one hand, I absolutely appreciate the queer-theme – especially with the world being on fire – but on the other, this comes with at least a wee bit of difficulties of which I found none in this book. Apart from that, I don't understand the able-bodied way to look at life.
Overall, it looks off to me with everything being a bit too good to be true. The lack of a real-life feel got me miffed, I gave up at 65%.

Another solid book by Rey, but not my favorite in the Renovation series.

Jack Barrow is the middle sibling, trans and a grump most of the time. He's antisocial and prefers his own company, but when gets the job at the Hampstead House to redo the wiring, he meets Ellie Lancaster who is as different from him as night and day.

Ellie Lancaster is an artist and has been dealing with her mother's illness most of her life, but now that her mother is in assisted living, Ellie hopes to take her life back. She's hired to restore the murals at the Hampstead House and gets more than she bargains for when she meets Jack. She's happiness personified and enthusiastic that her and Jack get on each other's nerves from the get go.

Until they get snowed in and it all changes. This is super low key angst with a semi weird 3rd act breakup, which I wouldn't really call it a breakup. Bea flirting with Jack was odd and seemed forced. I enjoyed Rhett living next door to Jack and being Ellie's best friend.

Overall, not the best, but far from the worst. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the Renovation Romance series — and Jack’s story was a great addition! The tongue-in-cheek reference to the grumpy-sunshine trope was a perfect Aurora Rey nod to the audience — and reminder of romance novelist character Kathleen.

Good character development — and as per usual for Aurora Rey, a good bit of hot & steamy. Glad that we’re seeing more trans representation, especially with the political & cultural climate.

Looking forward to the next installment of the series — c’mon, Clover gets a book, right?

Another great book by Aurora Rey! I’ve been waiting for Jack’s story ever since reading the first book, and Ellie was the perfect sunshine to his grumpy. An HGTV feel to it with a home renovation as the background, along with a small town vibe. Also loved revisiting characters from the first two books.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Fixed Up to come out April 15, 2025.