*Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
Ambitious influencer Georgina Havoc and her designer beau Lance Broussard have been dubbed the next Chip and Joanna Gaines, but their happily-ever-after falls apart when Lance blindsides her with a "pause." The show must go on, so Georgina takes on the task of renovating a forgotten cottage in the tiny, tight-knit town of Tarragon, Tennessee on her own.
Georgina has a plan to save her relationship--and her show--but a surprise drop-in from her troubled twin sister makes things extra messy. That, and the presence of rugged ex-sniper Cassidy Stokes, who throws a wrench in all her plans.
As she salvages her shattered life, will Georgina retreat to the familiar or embrace a new design?
Carmen Schober, author of After She Falls, is a wife and mother, a proud Cuban-American, and a woman of eclectic interests, ranging from gritty combative sports to feminine design shows. She writes unexpected romance novels for the modern woman, with relatable but inspirational heroines and heroes. When she's not writing fiction, she blogs about Christianity, motherhood, writing, and everything in between. She earned a master's degree in English literature and creative writing from Kansas State, and she currently lives in Manhattan, Kansas.
First and foremost, I must admit that this is most definitely one of those instances where I 100% judged this book by it's cover... I don't know what it is about this one, but the beautiful image is absolutely what first drew me in. Thankfully, the story inside lived up to the expectation as well.
Right up front I want to say (at the risk of spoilers), this book does talk about some hard topics like miscarriage and addiction...and done so in a way that feels very genuine. As someone who has struggled with miscarriages, this is a topic that I really struggle to read about and do wish that I could have prepared myself for beforehand. That said, I am still so very glad I read this book. This is a 'fixer upper' story in all the best ways possible... Georgina is a star on a home renovation show, and much of the story revolves around the fixing up of an old cottage... but it's also a story of healing the broken pieces of us as well... with a very strong faith message throughout.
For a Christian fiction novel, this does get a little steamier than perhaps we're used to seeing in the genre. It's still clean, of course... but does acknowledge the idea that Christians are human and face temptation as well, which I don't think we see so much in the genre. I personally appreciate the realness of that, though I could see where some readers might not. (It should also be noted that it starts out with Georgina living with her boyfriend, though she is NOT really a Christian in the beginning either.)
Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Fans of Fixer Up and romances that tackle the real life struggles are certainly not going to want to miss it!
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