Hattie Cavanaugh was only twenty-five when she became a widow, but she continued working for her father in-law renovating old homes and preserving the history of Savannah, Georgia. After a project ended in ruins and shook Hattie’s confidence, she got an offer she couldn’t refuse (even if she wanted to): star in a beach home renovation show called “The Homewreckers”. She’ll co-host with a hot shot from Los Angeles, Trae, who will drive her crazy. Or drive her right into his arms. And a producer, Mo, who hates everything about onscreen romance – or is he fighting his own jealousy? No one expects that this home renovation will stir up a murder that happened many years ago. The house preserves not only Savannah’s history but also hidden bodies and betrayal.
The Homewreckers is a novel for romantics and cold-case solvers. From the start I loved Hattie’s determination and spunk. Hattie’s passion about home renovation and the history that houses hold is infectious through the pages. One of my favorite aspects of the entire book is the connection you feel with the setting. Mary Kay Andrew’s does an amazing job of bringing the buildings in The Homewreckers alive. Hattie’s personal house is one big unfinished project that’s frozen in time like her life after her husband’s death. Then we have the main house of the story, the one being renovated, that we get to see progress throughout the entire story. It holds secrets within its walls (literally) and was the scene of a murder.
Sadly, the romance did fall a little short for me. The novel’s romance elements worked through a love triangle and the miscommunication trope which aren’t personally my favorite, but they could be yours. The romance felt a bit rushed, and the main male lead feels like a backup option since there wasn’t much build up of their relationship. The miscommunication trope also seemed unnecessary with its only purpose being to add drama to the plot. While you could tell that the person she chooses has had feelings for her for most of the book, Hattie doesn’t seem to even entertain the idea of him being a romantic option until he makes a move.
The crime and mystery elements within the book ended up being more enjoyable to me which I wasn’t expecting since I usually read solely romance novels. Mary Kay Andrews did a good job of unveiling the clues since the big reveals were physical evidence that was stumbled upon (or more like fell onto). The crime reveals that were by word of mouth were still enjoyable because Mary Kay Andrews created an entertaining detective. Detective Makarowics is a sassy character who was actually looking to find the truth of what happened the night of the crime. His snarky comments had me laughing at the book and he reacted just as I would, especially by being so fed up with all the delusional family members.
I didn’t like though that the crime and romance plots weren’t interwoven at all. Hattie had a lot to do with solving the crime because she was usually the one finding the clues within the house, and because the victim was her high school teacher with whom she was close. However, both of the male love interests had nothing to do with the crime plot.
However, if these tropes appeal to you or you just want a fun little beach read then you should check out The Homewreckers.
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Warning: Mentions of statutory rape