In A Basic Renovation by Sandra Antonelli Lesley has come back to her hometown for two reasons…to visit her family and to renovate and flip a fire damaged house she’s bought. She has no desire to stay in Los Alamos…besides the memories and her controlling parents, life is just too dull there compared to Chicago. Lesley is a 40 something woman, comfortable with herself and her life as it is. She doesn’t expect to find out that she’s the scapegoat for everything that’s gone wrong for her ‘sort of ex husband’ Terry’s family, nor does she expect to run into Dominic, Terry’s older brother, and feel an instant attraction to him.
Dominic, owner of the local hardware store and so much more, is disgusted with himself for the feelings he experiences when he sees Lesley and realizes who she is. After their first explosive meeting he tries to put her out of his mind and avoid her…but that is not to be. Despite his mother’s intense dislike of Lesley, and his family’s feelings that she is the root of his brother Terry’s problems, he becomes more and more drawn to Lesley. Dominic is happy in Los Alamos. Besides his business, he is a single father raising his son. The last thing he wants is to get involved with someone who’s planning on leaving again!
Lesley and Dominic find their way to each other, despite all the controversy surrounding them, the hidden hurts, secrets, and Lesley’s plans to leave again. Dominic begins to help Lesley with her renovation, putting them in close contact. The heat between them is impossible to ignore! But will this be a summer time fling or can it develop into a real relationship? Dominic’s mother is determined that no son of hers will be with Lesley. She is a bitter, angry woman. Can Dominic find it within himself to do what he feels will make him happy instead of his mother? What about when Lesley leaves?
Do Lesley and Dominic have a chance at happily ever after? When the truths come out, can they move past them?
Interwoven in Lesley and Dominic’s story are also the stories of some great secondary characters…Lesley’s Grandfather leads us on his own romantic adventure, and Dominic’s son Kyle is a growing up young man we get some fun with. There are also side characters such as Fabian, Dominic’s friend, and Toby, Lesley’s cousin who pop in and out to keep us entertained.
I loved A Basic Renovation!!! Sandra pulled me right in and kept me between entranced between the pages! A Basic Renovation had me laughing out loud, it was so funny at times! Lesley and Dominic give us a really good romance, with a hint of mystery, and I found myself really hoping that they could work it out and be together despite the challenges they face. They are great characters that were easy to relate to and like. I really liked most of the other characters in A Basic Renovation also…I found myself wondering what they would be up to next!
It was a refreshing change to read a romance where the characters were in their 40’s, still sexy and romantic! I’d recommend this to anyone who wants a funny, great romance to read with some heat between the pages.
Book Info
Publisher: Escape Publishing – Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd (February 1, 2013)
When it comes down to it, rats in the oven trumps Lesley’s desire to never set eyes on another Brennan family member. So Lesley, a pro at property redevelopment, scrambles to Dominic Brennan’s hardware store for supplies. Dominic knows poison — rat and otherwise — and he sees it in Lesley. The woman ruined his brother’s life. Now that she’s back in town, Dominic’s afraid she’ll drag up the past, the secrets, and the pain. They clash immediately, but mix in a teenage boy, a puppy, some white paint, and some loud music, and what starts as cold fury transforms into a nuclear attraction. This basic renovation becomes a major life refurbishment for them both.