The Fixer Upper: A Novel

by: Mary Kay Andrews

Published by: Bantam

Reviewed by Janelle Martin

Dempsey Jo Killebrew has had a very bad day. Her employer, a high-powered Washington public relations firm, has been caught up in an explosive scandal, her computer has been seized by the FBI, her boss has fled–and suddenly she’s the scapegoat.

Desperate to find a way to rebuild her life, Dempsey reluctantly accepts her father’s offer to help restore Birdsong, the family home he’s inherited in Guthrie, Georgia. If she slaps on some paint and gives the place some minor renovations so they can flip the property, he’ll split the profits with her.

When Dempsey arrives in Guthrie, she finds a house more in need of a bulldozer than a paintbrush–and a firmly entrenched squatter who meets her at the door with a shotgun. With no options left, she rolls up her sleeves and tackles the massive renovation project, and faces Guthrie’s residents who have learned more than she wanted them to know from the endless newspaper reports. What she didn’t expect was that, in the process, she’d learn so much.

Bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews’ latest offering, The Fixer Upper is perfect beach reading. Dempsey is a delightful heroine whose naiveté may strike some readers improbable, while others will simply find it charming. No matter which opinion you adopt, her head-on approach in dealing with the situation in Georgia makes for wonderful reading. The title obviously refers to both the house and Dempsey, whose need for direction and growth drive the plot. The light romantic interludes add depth to the coming-of-age story and readers will be rooting for Dempsey to triumph in her confrontations with her shady boss.

This lighthearted romp never loses its breezy tone, even when dealing the fairly serious subjects of fraud, political shenanigans and influence peddling. Readers may find it difficult to accept the level of blindness Dempsey has for what’s really happening in the lobbying firm, but those who suspend belief and simply enjoy The Fixer Upper are in for a treat.

Armchair Interviews says: Storytelling you expect from Mary Kay Andrews.

Author’s Web site: http://www.MaryKayAndrews.com