The Homewreckers

I cannot remember when I have enjoyed a book more! This book has everything that I love to read: romance, comedy, drama, and a murder mystery. What a surprising combination that worked very well together. Hattie is a little spitfire of a contractor, one who wants to renovate historic Savannah one house at a time. When she has the opportunity to be the star of a reality TV show along with some of the expenses of renovation being covered by the production company, she jumps at the chance and the fun begins. The house on Chatham Avenue is more than a wreck, it is also a house with secrets that it has held for years. The characters are well-developed and entertaining to get to know. I loved Cass’s sassiness and her vulnerability. Trae was maddeningly narcissistic but was also humorous and likable. My favorite character was Mo, the director of the show and the man who holds the story together and keeps it moving at its fast pace. The hours that passed when I was reading this book were all delightfully well spent. I especially enjoyed how the main plot of the renovation dovetailed perfectly with all of the sub-plots. It all worked together so well that the mystery just seemed a natural part of what started out to be a rom-com for me. I loved spending time with these characters and think fans of MKA and those who enjoy laughing aloud and getting surprised will enjoy this book and all of its twisted quirkiness.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Mary Kay Andrews' thirtieth book, The Homewreckers, is a spellbinding story about renovating old homes, making a tv show, and solving a seventeen-year-old murder case.

Initial Expectations:
The Homewreckers is a Mary Kay Andrews book, so I'm expecting a heartwarming theme mixed with a bit of mystery and maybe even some thrills, and the book blurb confirms this. I love the setting. My favorite vacation spot is near Savannah, GA. And the first part of the description reminds me of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, so I think there will be humorous moments. I expect this to be a delightful mix of genres that will be an absolute pleasure to read.

Actual Reading Experience:
Right from the start, this story about Hattie Kavanaugh and her attempt to renovate and flip a large old home in historic Savannah, Georgia, drew me in. She works with her father-in-law, Tug Kavanaugh, and her best friend, Cassidy Pelletier, at Kavanaugh and Sons - a family-owned home renovation company. Hattie's passion for restoring these homes radiates off of the page, and that is just the start of the development of this character into someone that is easily relatable and a person that is easy to root for. All the characters feel like home and spending time with them – a warm hug. I enjoyed the heartwarming family theme and getting to know everyone important in Hattie's life.

But that's only a piece of this story. Another significant piece is the home improvement reality show she is talked into doing after losing so much money on the renovation that begins this tale. She only agreed to do it because she was afraid that she cost the company too much money for her father-in-law to be able to retire, and she needed to recoup the loss. Mo, a Hollywood producer for a home improvement channel (like HGTV), came along and proposed a unique solution to her problem, one that she didn't want to do until she realized that she had no choice if she was going to make up for her mistake. The result is many laugh-out-loud moments and thrills when workers find the wallet of a missing teacher on the site, and someone(s) commits acts of sabotage on her new project.

The third large piece of the story is Hattie working to solve her missing teacher's case from seventeen years ago. When she starts asking questions and making people scared that she will uncover the truth, Hattie quickly and unexpectedly finds herself in danger. This mystery aspect of the story captivated me and kept those pages flipping long into the night. Was the same person sabotaging her show and job site, the killer of her teacher long ago, or were the two mysteries separate?

Only Mary Kay Andrews can take these three unique genres and mash them up into a story I couldn't put down even if I tried. I loved every thrilling, laugh-out-loud, and heartwarming moment and there are plenty of each. The setting is explored to humid perfection. I've been to Savannah and vacation near there every summer, so I know the area very well. I can honestly say that the story catches every nuance of the setting and explores it to perfection, including the sense of entitlement felt by the old families of the area. It has me ready to go to the beach in a few weeks!

Characters:
Hattie Kavanaugh is the main character and the one that the third-person narration focuses on from start to finish. She grew up in Savannah and stayed in the area through the shame of her father being convicted of embezzlement, her parent's divorce, and her mother leaving. Her best friend's family took Hattie in so that she could remain in the area. Hattie's family loyalty is strong and extends to her in-laws and the family that took her in when her biological family fell apart. She is intelligent, determined, and driven by a passion for restoring old homes to their former glory.

Cassie Pelletier is Hattie's best friend, and their relationship is as close as any biological sister relationship. Cassie's mother, Zenobia, also works for Kavanaugh and Sons. I just loved both of these characters as they remind me how small a big area like Savannah can feel when it comes to the old families.

Then there is the cast of characters from Hollywood, and what a fun juxtaposition they are to the old southern families. Mo is, in particular, a wonderful character who shares Hattie's passion for restoration, just from a different angle. I loved his heart and ability to make lemon-aid from life's lemons.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you are looking for a book to start your summer off on the right foot, The Homewreckers is perfect.

Mary Kay Andrew’s new book has arrived and that means the summer kickoff! She writes what she knows and loves and it shines through in her clever, humorous books. I love that this one mixes in a bit of mystery, karma and reality with a romance, all taking place on the beach near Savannah! This is a highly entertaining read

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. I really enjoy this author's stories. They are gripping but they have a lighter vibe without all of the blood, gore and disturbing content that other mysteries have. The book has just the right amount of suspense with humour, romance and grit thrown in. I really enjoyed how the old house held so many secrets and how they all came to light throughout the book. This is a great read if you want to laugh while being totally pulled in to the "whodunit"! Once again reading a book set in Savannah and area makes me really want to visit the area. The decriptions the author uses of Tybee and little Tybee plus the actual town of Savannah really entices one to go there. If you are looking for a book with humour, grit, romance and suspense then this is the book for you.

This is one of my favorite authors, and she didn't disappoint me. The story is set in one of my all time favorite cities, Savannah and Tybee Island Georgia. There is so much mystery in this story, twist and turns. You think you have it figured out, and then it turns in another direction. Hattie works at a construction company and renovates houses in the area. She buys a house on Tybee Island to renovate for a new show idea and incurs all kinds of issues. This book is hard to put down once you start. It is definitely my favorite of Mary Kay Andrews books thus far. I highly recommend it!

I haven't had this much fun with a book for awhile. It was simply fun to read! The woman contractor, Hattie, who gets in over her head on a project and needs a way to dig her company out of the hole she put them in, signs up to do a reality show about restorations. Along with it comes a cast of characters who are just the pains in the butt that you would expect them to be. They want her in sundresses instead of her work clothes, they want to rush the deadlines and, of course, give her a ridiculously handsome (but not super helpful) co-host.

When you throw in the unearthing of evidence from a decades old case of a woman's disappearance and the possible suspects and the detective working the case, there is a page turning fantastic story with fascinating characters! I simply loved this book and highly recommend it, especially if you're in a reading slump. The story flows from page to page and my interest never waned.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Homewreckers checks all the great summer beach read boxes: a beach locale, an unsolved mystery, an underlying element of suspense, a loyal best friend, and a kick-butt heroine who has a great dog and a couple of hot men chasing after her.

Hattie Kavanaugh is a young widow living in a man's world; she works for her late husband's father in the family construction and restoration business. Hattie has a deep love of old houses and a lot to prove; when we meet her she's just invested in a flip that turns out to be a flop.

When the idea of a reality show featuring Hattie first falls at her feet, she is initially resistant. But her desire to redeem herself from her flop, both financially and professionally, gets the best of her and she's all in.

Mary Kay Andrews has done it again! The characters are strong and well developed, the dialog witty and entertaining with just enough mystery and romance to keep things very interesting.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable and relaxing read with a mystery to solve. The main character Hattie renovates old homes in Savannah. If you’ve ever renovated a house you’ll relate to the mayhem and mishaps in this book. She’s a hardworking contractor that is still grieving the loss of her husband and high school sweetheart after seven years. Her best friend Cass is a supportive friend and her foreman as well. She’s recruited by a reality TV producer, Mo, to do her thing but this endeavor ends up going wrong in so many different ways. When a body is discovered in her latest renovation project the renovation itself is the least of the challenges she’ll encounter in this project.

I am a long time fan of Mary Kay Andrews' books and The Homewreckers lives up to the hype! This novel combines the best of Southern, Women's fictions with romance and mystery. Hattie Kavanaugh is a widow in her early 30's who works with her father-in-law restoring old homes and flipping them. The producer of HPTV crosses her path and offers her television series about renovating and restoring a home along the coast of South Carolina. What ensues is a rush to complete the task, a mystery about a woman gone missing 17 years ago, and Hattie takes steps to restarting her life with a few mistakes along way. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin" Publishing group for the ARC!