Fluffy Book Review

A couple of months ago, I wrote about my current love for Fluffy Books. For now, I'm through with deep thinking and literary analysis and all that jazz.

This summer has only reinforced my love affair with fluff.

After long days of doing everything in my power to keep my sanity following a toddler around the playground, encouraging a 3 1/2 year old to just stick her face in the water already, washing the same dishes in the sink over and over, and counting down the minutes until their bedtime, I just wanted to fall into a stupor at the end of the day and float away.

Mary Kay Andrews' The Fixer Upper provided some much needed, light-hearted escapism to end a few of those days on a fun note. I totally judge a book by its cover, and I liked the heroine's shoes in the photo. The pink siding on the house didn't hurt. I like pink. She had me at "Manolo."

When I would normally just plop into a chair and veg out while catching up with TiVo, I found myself eagerly reaching for my copy of The Fixer Upper each night after the girls were in bed. I'll even admit to letting them trash the family room one afternoon while I finished a chapter. Andrews combines a likeable (though naive) heroine with an amusing plot and an absolutely hilarious group of supporting characters.

Without giving anything important away, the story follows Dempsey, whose life in Washington DC is in shambles after a major scandal with her job erupts. Dempsey flees to Guthrie, Georgia, where she undertakes remodeling an old, dilapidated home that her family inherited. Hilarity ensues.

As always, Andrews sneaks a little mystery into the story, but I appreciated that it didn't overtake the plot. The romance tends to be a bit predictable, but the characters in Dempsey's new Georgia life are so colorful that I could forgive that shortcoming. As always I love the way Andrews weaves her love of thrifting and interior design into the story. Her detailed description of the restoration process of Dempsey's new home was as easy to picture as reading a Better Homes and Gardens article.

I give this one 4 out of 5 Fluffy stars.

Mary Kay Andrews proves that you can combine a great plot, intriguing characters, and some real FUN to create a book that keeps the reader interested. Good chick lit at its finest! I can cross this one off of my summer to-do list.

Next up?

Celia Rivenbark's Stop Dressing Your Six Year Old Like a Skank

The cover is not as pretty as The Fixer Upper, but the title is catchy enough to make my list.

{What are you reading?}