** spoiler alert ** Aly is an echo of so many women I know (including myself) who over-function and support others to the point of self-destruction.

This book was well done, and I enjoyed her friendships immensely. But I wasn’t really crazy about the love interest story. 1) they weren’t together largely because of a failure to communicate years ago, and 2) it had all the hints of an emotional affair (they met again while he was seriously dating someone else).

For personal preference, I’d give it 3 stars, but it deserves 4– especially if those topics don’t trigger you.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This was an easy 4 stars for me possibly 5.

Aly is 32, stuck in the same position for the past 15 years and incredibly unhappy. Always helping everyone around her succeed. But when will it be her time?

Aly and her co-workers, Eric and Tola have decided that Aly has a gift that should be shared with the world. She fixes men, preps them for future success; in marriage and profession. They decide to start a side job. Women hire them to fix their men. Whether they are scared of commitment, lazy around the house or struggling with that promotion at work. Everyone needs fixing at some point, right?

But when a client is trying to fix the one man Aly loved 15 years ago, things can get messy.

Okay, I loved this book. From page one! Aly is sweet, always trying to do the right thing and she is so easy to love. I wish I could quote all the great stuff in this book.

Filled with great friendships and thoughts we’ve all had this book had me giggling and then crying. Life is hard you guys. We are not perfect, far from it actually, even on our best of days. This book sheds light on unconditional love and that getting exactly what we want is not always what we think it will be.

By all means, add this to your summer reading list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam books for an E-ARC book in exchange for my honest review.

I got to read Fixer Upper as an ARC, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book of 2022. Well I started it in 2021, but read most of it on January 1st, and stayed up until 1:35 January 2nd to finish it. But enough about me… Spoilers ahead…

Let me just say five things about the book..

Fixer Upper has a slow start, but don’t let that stop you from continuing to read. The book has a lot of setup that is important to the plot. Once you hit page 50ish you’re golden. Just keep reading.
The friendship that Aly, Tola, and Eric has is great. Their scheming is what got me through the first 50 pages. Likewise Dylan’s friends are great too. I love the development that the side characters get in the book.
Aly is always putting others first. She tries to help people, and inevitably fix them. Shows them their potential, and then when they split they move on to great success. From previous boyfriends, to coworkers, to her own parents; she is always looking for someone to fix. She is relatable. We all want to help others, and sometimes it hurts us in the process.
Dylan was her first love. He’s the swoony lead man that is easy to fall in love with. A slow burning, friends to nothing to lovers trope that will keep you on your toes. Dylan aims so hard to please others. He’s such a sweetheart.
The book reminds me of Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren. That in the fact of finding your way back to who you’re meant to be with. Such a sweet trope. And the grand gesture is amazing.

I LOVED this book!
It was full of witty banter, real life struggles, and relatable characters. The story follows Aly, who let’s face it, is one hard working woman. She has no social life and is constantly getting over looked, even though she’s the best at her marketing agency.
But, Aly has one amazing quality. She’s a fixer. She has without realizing, “fixed up” her past boyfriends to be more successful and more prone to commit after they aren’t together anymore. With the help of her friends, they decide to start up Fixer Upper (FU) to help women fix their men. Until, their biggest client yet requests their services does Aly find that her job may not be so easy. Her new clients boyfriend? Her childhood love & best friend whom she hasn’t spoken to in YEARS. The problem? He acts as though they don’t know each other. Oh yeah, did I mention the client is a socialite who needs him to propose?
What a whirlwind this was!
I enjoyed the writing, the characters, and their chemistry.
4.5 sstars !!

4.5 stars! What an incredible book! This book follow Aly as she and her friends create a side business helping women in relationships see their ""fixer upper" partners reach their full potential. They seem to be hitting their stride when semi-famous influencer/heiress hires Aly and co to nudge her boyfriend to propose. Unfortunately this boyfriend is Aly's estranged childhood best friend, Dylan.

I've never read a book where the target audiences were millennials and gen z and this did way better than I could have expected. This addresses so many issues women face, from feeling like they are pulling all the weight in a relationship to not being able to stand up for themselves without being called emotional. It's relieving and validating as a woman to read this.

The characters were their own people, although I do think that Ben and Priya could have been developed a little more. Aside from that, I really didn't know what to expect in the story. This wasn't a cheesy and predictable rom com. It was fresh and unique and I want so much more!

I don't think this book was for me. I put it down at 50% and decided not to finish it because it was moving so slow. I was spending too much time trying to force myself to get into it. The story does not seem like a romance at all based off the 50% I read--not even a slow burn romance. It is marketed as a romance, but it might be more women's lit based off the part I read. Things might change at the end, but the heroine felt very manipulative in the chapters I read. She was supposed to be this really "selfless, kind, helpful" person at work and in her home life. She did not feel selfless or kind or helpful when she was going behind people's backs to "fix" them.

Also, I feel like I need to say it, you can't fix someone after only interacting with them once or twice. In fact, you can't "fix" people at all. They have to do that for themselves. Honest, open communication and a willingness to do better from both people is the only way real change ever takes place in a relationship. Do people really buy that some stranger can fix your spouse or boy friend after only one fake interaction? The main character was "fixing" men for women who needed their partners changed in some way through deceit and lies. Yeah, that would never work in real life... at least not long term. You might get what you want from your partner momentarily, but nothing long term would ever change about your situation if you go about changing someone in that way.

Then the MC ran into her old best friend (who she had a falling out with in high school and hasn't seen since) and was paid an exorbitant amount to get him to propose to his influencer girlfriend. I think he was supposed to eventually be a love interest for the MC, but if he is a love interest... he's not a great one. He's wishy washy and changes his personality based on who he is dating. He appears to have no healthy communication skills and neither does the MC for that matter. Most of this book felt toxic tbh, so I put it down.

Maybe the ending gets better, but I couldn't muddle through it long enough to get there.

I was approved for an ARC of this book on NetGalley, so this is my honest review! Slight spoilers ahead.

This book was fantastic, and incredibly relatable. I went back and forth screaming “Heck yes!” And “Oh god, no, please.”

Aly and a couple of her coworkers/close friends start a side business where they manipulate men into being better partners to their spouse. What starts in good fun, ends up becoming a thin line between dishonesty and actually trying to do the right thing. When Aly is hired to “Fix Up” an old childhood friend, things get super complicated and Aly has to fix herself by the end.

This was a fun read, while also delivering some harsh truths. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Aly is definitely a fixer. She's been fixing people since she was a teenager. In fact, she's put so much energy into other people and her job that there hasn't been much left over for herself. She and her close knit group of friends stumble into a side business helping women "fix" up the partners in their life with gentle and not-so-gentle pushes to move forward. All is going great- until a very famous influencer asks them to "fix up" her boyfriend and get him to propose. That boyfriend turns out to be Aly's first love and childhood best friend. The one she hasn't talked to in years after a drunken incident where she revealed her feelings and then ghosted him. Once he and Aly reconnect - things take a turn as Aly realizes her feelings have never faded.

This is definitely more on the women's lit side of things than romance. And it involves some topics that may be difficult for some - bad relationship between parents, parental abandonment, narcissistic partner, and serious discrimination on the basis of sex in the workplace. The book is entirely from Aly's perspective and there are parts where you really just want to yell at her that maybe not everyone needs fixing.

I loved seeing Aly grow and come in to her own - and I REALLY wanted her to quit her job long before that happy even ever happens. For me - this book was SLOW. Brit Lit often is more wordy and longer - and maybe my attention span is just to Americanized - but I didn't love the pacing. I also desperately wanted more of Aly and the hero - and less fixing.

Overall - I recommend it - just know what you are getting in to.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.

I wanted to like this, but it was extremely toxic and not in a forgivable way. I will start with small annoyances like her calling her mom “mama” it was so jarring that I kept coming out of the book and cringing. First what adult woman does that, but also I couldn’t picture it in a British accent. The work place sexism is over done in the contemporary romance market in general, the male boss who is a sexist asshole, I’ve read at least 3 of those books this year in just the contemporary category. The pacing was slow in the beginning and it took me weeks to read because I just didn’t care what was happening or going to happen, so I let it sit. Next, Dylan is THE WORST!! He’s manipulative, smarmy, and a liar and yet she thinks he’s different for her. She even admits in one part of the book that he’s not the best and how crappy he goes behind his gfs back, BUT she still loves him. I kept hoping she’d choose herself. He’s in love with her but sleeps with his gf basically next to her. He texts his other gf what she wants to hear so he doesn’t get his feelings hurt if Aly doesn’t like him? Him and Aly seem like they’d be the worst couple. Especially for an arc where she’s supposed to help women get away from losers and Dylan is a loser. She’s a huge push over and he’s a people pleaser. Lastly, the side gay bff that gets together with his side gay bff? Reads like this just added queer rep to get published. Tola was the most original and best part of this book.

I received an arc if this book in exchange for a honest review.

What I loved: This is a adorable second chance romance. 15 year apart after a drunk misunderstanding, 2 people find themselves back in each others lives. Each of the characters in this book have their own growth (not just the main few characters!) Alys friend group is to die for, and their growth as friends played a huge part in my love of this book.

What I didn't care for: The main story line of fixing men was off putting to me. I understand it in the aspect of the book and how it plays into the 2nd chance romance but it left something to be desired to me.

If you want a light hearted 2nd chance romance to read. This is totally for you!

The Fixer Upper is a romantic comedy set in England in the workplace. Aly fixes people she meets in the workplace, her boyfriends, and her family. Her friends notice that everyone she has spent significant time with has improved. Why can't she do that for herself? She starts a side hustle with friends to help women change their men and then gets in over her head when an influencer wants her to fix her boyfriend for way more than she could imagine. And the boyfriend...well he was was once her best friend.
The book was easy to read and my favorite genre of romantic comedy. I appreciated that it was a very clean romance with just a kiss for the last scene. The theme was women can help themselves and each other to do better in life and in the workplace. They don't need to keep improving men to get ahead.

A second chance but he is dating and influencer who hired you to make him her ideal partner and to propose. Sticky matters for certain. A forever love thwarted years ago through mixed messages. Great characters and the story you need to read and enjoy.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Fixer Upper is a story about Aly, the master of fixing people’s lives. (In a goals and dreams way, not a mafia way). She gets hired by a social media influencer to fix-up her tech developer boyfriend…and get him to propose along the way. Turns out…Aly has a history with the boyfriend.

I loved the storyline where Aly and her friends started this business and were working to empower women, and help them move forward with their hopes and dreams. I didn’t love that Aly was so dang numb about her own emotional well-being and straight up ignored her own needs to earn a buck. Her continual enabling of her mom’s shallowness also really annoyed me. And by the time Aly figures out her own life…the story has virtually concluded. I would definitely read a sequel about what Ali and Tola are up to next, because that storyline is super appealing.

Thank you to @NetGalley for this ARC!

I was given an ARC with promise of an honest review. I debated on not finishing this at about 60% through, it was super predictable at times and the plot wasn’t super interesting to me. I personally hate the I don’t like this about someone so let’s just manipulate them to do what I want plan of attack. While that does get addresses a bit in the end, the book frustrated me. It did come together a bit in the end, but I don’t think it’s worth picking up.

I was excited to have finally picked this one up. The blurb sounded like a funny rom-com and I have been in the mood for that. Sadly, this one just didn’t work out for me as I had hoped. It was more or less about the character growing and not really all that much about romance.

The book is told from one perspective and it comes from Aly. Each boyfriend she has left has moved on to become successful. Her friends from work have this idea to change the world through her gift and come up with a business. Obviously things don’t go as planned and issues arise when they take on their biggest client.

I honestly felt nothing for the characters besides maybe annoyance every now and again. Although Aly grows and understands that maybe she needs to put the same effort into her own life as she wants for others, but she just goes about it so wrong and kind of screws people over in the process. I also felt like their meddling was quickly forgiven or just pushed to the side when concerns arose. It just didn’t sit well for me.

I guess you could say there is a hint of romance since there is a love interest but again, the way it went about was just off since he was seeing someone else. Nothing exclusively happened between him and Aly but emotionally there was some investment.

The book did have it’s moments with being humorous but sadly it couldn’t save the book for me.

Overall, this was an okay read. It wasn’t for me but I am sure it will find its people that enjoy it more than me.

Everyone needs friends like this! With a flash of self-awareness of habitual patterns, life changes dramatically. Wouldn't we all love to have the power to "fix up" those around us? It's always easier when it's someone else. Fixing yourself is a larger task, but this is a delightful, laugh-out-loud read to encourage us all!

I loved the slow burn between Dylan and aly, I loved seeing her character grow from never being able to say no to finally standing up for herself. I wish I could’ve seen Dylan have a conversation with his dad but either way this was a great book and I loved the ending they got thanks Putnam books for allowing me early access

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for early access to read this title!

This book is swoon-worthy and gives you the ultimate found-family vibes. Alyssa is a relatable character, especially for those who spend time caring more about others than themselves (I’m talking about all y’all Enneagram Twos and water signs). Dylan is extremely swoony and his love for Alyssa is adorable.

My one complaint is that this book leans on the side of woman’s fiction over romantic comedy. I think there needed to be a bit more romance in this one, even more than just a happily-ever-after. It’s a cute and heartwarming read. I really loved the overall concept.

3.5/5 ⭐️‘s

This was an adorable slow burn romance for me. Once Aly realizes she has been fixing everything about her ex boyfriends and then sending them out in the world...she and her co workers decide they have a great new company...to fix up men and their issues.
What could go wrong?

I really enjoyed this story and how you can see Aly grow as a character, gain confidence, and finally fight for what she wants. I loved the friendship dynamics and the humor in their conversations. Her story with Dylan was beautiful and how they truly understood each other was so pure. I wish I got to see more one on one moments with Aly and Dylan, but every single moment they had was amazing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5