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The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe
5.0

Five things I loved about The Fixer Upper:

1. From the very beginning, this book felt like a 90s/00s rom-com, to the point that I would lie awake at night trying to cast it. (Coincidentally, who IS the British version of Kate Hudson?) It was comfortable without being totally predictable. A HEA was practically guaranteed, but the path wasn’t obvious or boring.

2. The cast of supporting characters was wonderful. The business partners turned best friends, the parents with a messy history, the social media star girlfriend, the horrible boss, Helena Bonham Barker… each fit their respective role perfectly. I hope Tola gets her own story, because her fearlessness and drive were pretty mesmerizing.

3. The girl power! I thought to portrayal of women in the workforce was amazing, particularly how they have to wade so carefully through any interaction that may be seen as emotional. There is a whole women supporting women undercurrent that didn’t feel forced or gimmicky, and that’s not always easy to pull off!

4. Dylan. I don’t think words can express how much I adored this love interest. He was messy and earnest and fantastic. Together, Dylan and Aly were perfectly idiotic marshmallows and I just freaking love them.

5. Aly is a hell of a heroine. There is a fine line to walk where an assertive character is charming vs. overbearing, made even more complicated when that character is a woman. Aly had a plan— multiple plans, in fact!— and stuck to procedure as much as possible… until she couldn’t. When things went wrong was truly where Aly’s vulnerability came through, and I thought it was done incredibly well. Aly in control and Aly out of control were both equally lovable characters.

I am incredibly stingy with 5-star ratings, but The Fixer Upper earned that particular accolade and then some. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved everything. I cannot wait for this book to be released, so I can hold an actual copy in my hands. Until then, thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.