A Mile in My Flip-Flops

I love anything that Melody Carlson writes. This storyline about a young woman renovating a house and the ups and downs that go with it was sheer delight. Worth the read.

My husband is a professional carpenter and I have helped him on many renovation projects throughout the years so when I saw this book by Melody Carlson I just had to read it. The plot of the book centers on Gretchen Hanover, a young woman who is reeling from a broken engagement. As solace for her broken heart, Gretchen has formed the habit of watching home improvement shows while eating ice cream. One day she decides to do more than just watch and the idea of flipping a house is born. She asks her retired contractor-father for help and he brings along his carpenter friend (who is single) and the fun begins.

Knowing something about the remodeling process added to my enjoyment of the story. I read about Gretchen getting in way over her head and wondered how she would work it all out. The tale was cute, funny and touching all in one nice package. I thoroughly enjoyed this story right from the very beginning all the way down to the satisfying ending.

I received this complimentary copy from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group through their Blogging for Books program. A positive review was not required and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Gretchen's story has so many parts that I think many of us can relate to. She has been dealing with her broken engagement for 18 months now and has isolated herself during that time from others. She has come to the point where only 2 things comfort her: HGTV and Ben and Jerry's. How many of us can relate to at least one of those items? For me, it's definitely all about the ice cream. Mmmmmm! Gretchen has come up with a great plan to get out of her tiny one-bedroom apartment that she shares with her half chocolate Lab dog - she's going to flip a house. Having no real experience other than what she's "gathered" from observing her dad over the last 20 plus years, she believes she's ready and fully aware of what is involved in flipping a house. But, like many of us, Gretchen is unaware of what is really involved in a venture of this nature. She is a woman with a plan to make changes in her life, but even she isn't prepared for all of the changes God has in store for her. It's a great story that anyone who's done any remodeling can appreciate and the rest of us can certainly enjoy for other reasons. So follow Gretchen as she moves onto a new pathway in life and finds out that life is rewarding beyond her dreams!

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.

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.