I went into The Homewreckers expecting a home improvement-themed romance, and I got a bonus gift: a cozy mystery! I really enjoyed this one, so check out my Review of The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews!
The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews
To be published on May 3, 2022 by St. Martin’s Press
Synopsis: Hattie Kavanaugh went to work restoring homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at eighteen; married the boss’s son at twenty; and was only twenty-five when her husband, Hank, was killed in a motorcycle accident.
Broken hearted, but determined to continue the business of their dreams, she takes the life insurance money, buys a small house in a gentrifying neighborhood, flips it, then puts the money into her next project. But that house is a disaster and a money-loser, which rocks her confidence for years to come.
Then, Hattie gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called “The Homewreckers,” cast against a male lead who may be a love interest, or may be the ultimate antagonist. It’s a question of who will flip, and who will flop, and will Hattie ever get her happily-ever-after?
Review of The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews
I’ve read Mary Kay Andrews books in the past and really enjoyed them. The books I read had a charming Southern setting and a lot of romance. So when I started reading The Homewreckers, I didn’t expect to get a bonus: a mystery. Who knew that Mary Kay Andrews started incorporating mysteries in her books? (lol I guess I should have known. I read The Newcomer last year. Pandemic amnesia? In any case, I liked this one much more!)
In any case, as an HGTV addict, I am ALL over any romance with a home improvement theme, books like The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren, The Suite Spot by Trish Doller, How To Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan, or the Hot and Hammered series by Tessa Bailey.
There was so much to love about this one: Hattie and her scrappiness, Hattie and Cass and their amazing friendship, Hattie’s dog Ribsy, the (obvious) sparks between Hattie and Mo, and the community of Tybee Island, Georgia. The mystery – the decades-old disappearance of Cass and Hattie’s teacher – was an interesting and well-developed part of the plot.
Despite the mystery in this one, it was still cozy, and the book was also filled with humor.
If you’re looking for a romance that is a whole lot more, definitely try The Homewreckers!
Looking for other romances to read? You can find all my recent adult romance reviews here!
That sounds good. I have yet to read a cozy.
lol Mary. I’d love to know what you think of a cozy!
I am listening to Sunset Beach (an older MKA book), and I was surprised when this mystery element emerged. The Santa Suit sort of had one too. Maybe it is her thing?
Ooh intriguing! I haven’t read one of her books in a while. In older regency romance it was very common to have some mystery subplot which often resulted in a near-death experience or the heroine being kidnapped and taken away against her will to be married to a villain. I don’t recall recently reading a romance/cozy mystery combo (though cozies often have romance lol). I don’t mind it at all and this book managed to balance both elements well.