With a freshly broken heart, Gretchen Hanover swaps her wedding plans for home improvement shows---she's going to flip a house! But when the place turns out to be in worse condition than she realized, her retired contractor father needs help and calls in carpenter Noah Campbell. A whimsical look at building relationships and renovating hearts! 336 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.
Gretchen Hanover has been jilted—not quite at the altar, but close enough. Her cramped studio apartment becomes the catalyst for this lonely 30-something to change her life in Carlson's latest inspirational chick lit novel. Gretchen decides to become a house flipper, just like the folks on her favorite reality show. Unfortunately, Carlson (Finding Alice) piles such high stakes onto Gretchen's decision to buy a disastrous house—Dad is on the verge of a heart attack, yet Gretchen wants him to do the contracting; the loan's low interest is only for six weeks; and her father's condo, his only asset, is collateral—that it hinders the author's attempt at lightheartedness. Though the house-flipping theme is unusual and engaging, Gretchen's willingness to gamble her father's health and financial security makes her seem selfish, and her negative attitude toward Noah Campbell (the handsome, kind, divorced contractor who predictably comes to her rescue) highlights Gretchen's judgmental side. Of course, God is the ultimate fix-it man who saves the day, but it's not enough to rescue this makeover romance. (June 17)Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
7 of 7 Reviews Showing:
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Deborah (Reston, VA), August 31, 2009
If you are a fan of the HGTV channel, you will love this book. This book focuses on the art of house flipping, where a person buys a house usually in disarray, renovates it completely and then goes back and sells it to make a profit. Gretchen seems to make a rash decision to pursue a dream of becoming a house flipper and uses up most of her savings to buy a decrepit house. Unfortunately things don't go as smoothly as she had planned. Pretty much everything that could go wrong goes wrong. While it probably wouldn't have been amusing to Gretchen, reading about her adventures was enjoyable and a hoot at times. I learned A LOT about not only house flipping but also the basics of renovation and upkeep. It was like reading an HGTV show.
Gretchen's initial reaction to Noah is, while understandable, a bit put offish. I didn't like how she assumed that just because he was divorced, that meant that he was bad at making commitments. She didn't know the situation yet she was wrongly blaming him. However once the two finally settle their differences, they have excellent chemistry that is really fun to watch. Even better is when Noah's ex-wife comes on the scene which throws everyone for a loop. Another part of the story I liked was Gretchen's relationship with her father. I enjoyed reading about the two of them and especially her willingness to have him be involved with her house flipping plans. It's good to read about a father -daughter relationship, when no mother is involved, that's managed to stay pleasant and close throughout the years.
If you're looking for a fun read to end the summer with, grab this book. It's lighthearted chick lit with a dose of learning about learning who the ultimate fixer-upper is. Melody Carlson's books have the power to take me from whatever I'm doing and draw me right into her books. Whether it's one of her YA books or her edgy adult fiction or like this book, fun chick lit I always know I'm going to be in for a good read.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Susan McClelland (Lower Burrell, PA), August 19, 2009
I really enjoy reading Melody Carlson's books! They are very easy to read and I always get caught up in her stories. I am a big fan of HGTV and I love watching the shows about flipping houses,so I really related to this story line! I also had a very close relationship with my Dad before he passed so Gretchens relationship with her Dad touched my heart.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Margaret Beatty (Pocatello, ID), August 20, 2008
This book was a great sumer read. Very funny with a strong message as well.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Erika Neary (Pennington, NJ), July 23, 2008
Cute story, I enjoyed it very much and will be passing it on to friends.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Stacey (Las Vegas, NV), June 26, 2008
In the novel “A Mile In My Flip Flops” by Melody Carlson, Gretchen Hanover has become a recluse. Seeking solace in front of the tube watching Home and Garden TV with a container of Ben and Jerry’s and a spoon, this charming leading lady tries to heal the heart broken by her fiancé only four weeks before the wedding! With the help of friends and family and God, Gretchen rises like a phoenix from the ashes of broken promises to discover new life and new love.
Melody writes a beautiful story full of wit and wisdom that inspires and teaches as it entertains. Her loveable characters come to life in vivid color. Gretchen’s strength and reliance on God really inspired me to get out of my own personal ruts and more actively pursue God’s will for my life.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Patti - www.bookbargainsandpreviews.com (Batavia, NY), June 20, 2008
This is an adorable book laced with both humor and heart. As the description says, the book is about a thirty-something woman whose life has been turned upside down by heartache. She decides to do something new to get her out of her slump, but she finds it's not as easy as she imagined.
Gretchen decides to try her hand at remodeling a house and she finds many parallels in this task to rebuilding her own life. She learns that life doesn't always meet our expectations, yet that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be worthwhile.
I love Melody Carlson's books and this one is no different. I flew through it and passed it on to my twenty-something daughter who loved it too. It's a great read.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Nora St.Laurent (Mall of GA), June 09, 2008
This is a humorous and touching story about a determined and eager "house-flipper" newbie named Gretchen. She has been a faithful viewer for 18 months now and knows she has an advantage most of these contestants don't have – her father is a contractor. She has watched him build houses for years. She is confident and ready to tackle the challenge of flipping a house herself – she's watched the shows and her dad, what more was there?
Gretchen soon learns they don't show every possible scenario on "House-Flippers". And, just because she has watched her dad do construction all of her life, it's completely different when the hammer is in your own hand and you have to hit the nail on the head. The show and her dad made this look a lot easier than it is.
Gretchen and her dad were going to renovate this house in six weeks. Wow!!Remodeling is stressful on family relationships - I know, I've lived it firsthand. Gretchen gleaned this from watching her TV show. She didn't want to put stress and strain on her relationship with her dad during this house flip. She wanted them to have fun.
As a friend reminds Gretchen in the middle of this project, "Life doesn't always meet our expectations." How true that is. Gretchen learns many things about herself and life while remodeling this house. As Gretchen and her dad start to clean up this unbelievably horrible, smelly house, and start to make changes for the good, they uncover many surprises and challenges.
Don't judge a book by its cover – especially this one. I would have never suspected that this book was about "house-flipping" from the outside. But trust me when I say that you will totally enjoy the inside of this book. And, you may learn a thing or two about relationships, but there is definitely something to learn about "house-flipping". I love Melody Carlson's writing, the topic of this story and this book.
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