Thank you so much to Maureen Leurck and Kensington for providing me with a free finished copy – all opinions are my own.
Summary:
People keep a house alive, not the other way around. Alex Proctor has seen the truth of this in every empty, rundown property she’s bought and renovated since her divorce almost three years ago. She’s also experienced the thrill of making each one into a home. Her newest project is a dilapidated, century-old house just a few blocks from Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. Time and neglect, along with rats and raccoons, have ravaged it inside and out. Only Alex can see the beauty of what it once was and might become again. In just a few weeks—by the time the cicadas make their scheduled reappearance after seventeen years underground—the house should be ready to sell. In the meantime, there are construction disasters, and surprises, to contend with.
My Review:
I’m not going to lie… I’m a huge fan of Fixer Upper on HGTV so I was ALL about this book!! This story is about second chances, hope, and renewal. In beautiful Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, Alex decides to renovate an old home and bring it back to life. She’s been renovating homes for three years since her divorce and this one is her biggest project yet. She pays more than she expected for the house and gets in a little over her head. Also, things are even more complicated because she and her ex-husband have joint-custody of their daughter, Abby and he’s moved on where she hasn’t. During the project she befriends her neighbor, Elsie, who tells stories about the house’s past. This gives her even more motivation to restore this house to the dignity it deserves. I loved reading about the cicadas and how they appear every seventeen years known as the “cicada summers” – I love how they represent starting over, rebirth. The home renovation descriptions are SO good, you can visualize EVERY detail.
This novel is witty, charming, and romantic. It’s the PERFECT summer read! I would highly recommend to ANYONE especially if you enjoy do-it-yourself home renovation projects.
I rated this LOVELY book 5 / 5 stars!
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