HOW SWEET IT IS

Single mom Lizzie Bea Carpenter learned long ago that no white knight was coming to save her. A hardworking waitress at the local diner, she's raising her daughter to be like the independent women in her "Enemy Club"--high school rivals turned best friends, promising to always tell each other the whole truth and nothing but!

Yet part of Lizzie wishes she did have a man's help, just for small stuff, like fixing up the house. Her fairy godmother must have been listening, because Dante "Tay" Giovanni soon appears. He's sexy, kind, and offering assistance--no strings attached.

Slowly, steadily, Lizzie's heart opens. But the grip of the past is fierce, and nothing in life is ever really free. Tay has his own tragedies to overcome, but if he can, he'll fix more than Lizzie's home. He'll show her just how sweet it is to be loved by him.

Right now, I have at least 4 house projects in process. A handyman or woman sounds pretty good right about now!

 

Here are some wonderful heroes and heroines in Romance that we could call up!

 

My lists are never in any particular order. Like the projects that takes all the fun out of it and is a bit too much effort.

 

1. Gabe by Lori Foster

 

Gabe Kasper, heartthrob of Buckhorn County, could have had any woman he wanted— if he'd had a mind to settle down. Which he didn't. The freedom of being a jack-of-all-trades with no one to answer to suited him just fine. And then a prickly, uptight, red-haired college woman showed up.—

 

Elizabeth Parks needed Gabe to complete her thesis on heroism, but he didn't seem to think saving a couple of lives made him a hero. She was inclined to agree that he seemed like the exception to the rule. Until he rescued her heart and soul with his fearless passion.

 

2. The Bad Boy of Bluebonnet by Jessica Clare

 

Emily Allard-Smith enjoys running her tiny bed and breakfast in quiet Bluebonnet, Texas. The only problem? It’s haunted, and she’s got no one to call when things go bump in the night.

Enter Jericho Lozada. He’s tall, sexy, mohawked, and good with his hands. He’s also not scared of Em’s ghost. And just when Em decides that she needs a man in her life with lots and lots of tattoos…her ex shows up again.

Now Emily has to figure out if she wants to keep a hold on the ghosts of her past…or look into a future with Jericho. But does Jericho even want a future with her?

 

3. Mr. Fix-It  by Crystal Hubbard

 

Although he is only a super for the Boston brownstone she lives in, Carter Radcliffe is just the eye candy Khela needs; so she asks him to escort her. What Khela does not know is, one, Carter is more than a super; he actually owns several buildings, including the one she's in. And, two, he has been infatuated with her since the day she walked into the lobby, some three years ago. This is his opportunity to get away from their normal setting so she'll have to deal with him as a man, and hopefully think of him on a more personal level.

 

4. Stay a Little Longer by Dorothy Garlock

 

Rachel Watkins has her hands full. Her mother had been the town midwife, but after her daughter Alice died under her care, she refused to assist in a childbirth ever again. Since then Rachel has assumed the work. She also takes care of Alice's six-year old, Charlotte, because the child's father was lost in World War I. But Rachel's principal job is running the boardinghouse that is the family's main source of income. One day, Charlotte befriends a stranger ill with influenza, a man who has taken refuge in an old cabin in the woods nearby. Although badly scarred by wounds suffered in the War, he is strong and slowly recovers. When he gradually takes on odd jobs around the house, Rachel accepts his help. She is drawn to him despite his disfigurement, and his voice is comforting, vaguely familiar...

 

5. The Redemption of Matthew Quinn by Kathleen O'Brien

 

Ex-con Matthew Quinn has plenty of trouble in his life right now. He doesn't need to take on more. And there's no question that Natalie Granville—with her crumbling mansion and her canceled wedding—is capital-T trouble. But that doesn't stop him from accepting a job from her.

He can handle it. All he needs to do is follow some rules:
Remember she's your boss, nothing else.
Don't start letting the arrangement get all cozy and domestic and personal.
Don't notice, don't want, don't feel and definitely don't touch.

But apparently, when it comes to Natalie, rules are meant to be broken….

 

6. Waltz This Way by Dakota Cassidy

 

Left without a partner...

When former ballroom champion Melina Cherkasov found out that her famous husband was cheating, she was devastated, especially since she was informed by a sleazy reporter on national TV. Thanks to an ironclad prenup and a scumbag ex, Melina has to pack up her dog and her dignity and take refuge in her dad's retirement community in New Jersey.

...it's time to take the lead.

To make ends meet, Melina puts her dancing shoes to use as an instructor at Westmeyer-a private school for boy geniuses. Teaching a bunch of hormonal teenagers to waltz is trying, but the school's sexy handyman provides ample distraction. Drew McPhee is perfect, except for one thing: He doesn't like dancing. Thankfully, the finesse Drew lacks on the floor is more than made up for by his skills in the bedroom. And after one steamy night, the ballroom diva is the one getting swept off her feet...

 

7. Cover Of Night by Linda Howard

 

Cate Nightingale owns and operates a struggling guest house in a small community; occasionally enlisting the help of Cal Harris, the shy, enigmatic local handyman. To Cate's shock, Cal proves much bolder than expected when a trio of thugs invades her home, demanding the possessions of a guest who vanished some days before. Though Cal manages to run off the intruders, the men soon regroup and shut down phone access in the village, holding its citizens hostage. In a desperate bid for survival, Cate and Cal strike out on their own, determined to solicit help from a neighbouring town. But as Cate witnesses Cal's astonishing evolution from reticent carpenter to fearless protector, she begins to wonder if there is more to Cal than meets the eye

 

8. A Man Worth Keeping by Molly O'Keefe

 

Delia Dupuis has found the perfect place to take cover. The secluded inn on the banks of the Hudson River is the last place her ex would think to look for her. Here she can plan her next step, then move on with no ties.

Too bad the inn's handyman, Max Mitchell, is making her rethink leaving. His steady ways and his indulgent treatment of her daughter tempt her to stay, to explore this heat between them. But can she risk endangering him with the secrets she carries?

When those secrets catch up with her, Delia discovers Max is a good man worth trusting with her daughter, her life…and her love.

 

9. Sanctuary Island by Lily Everett

 

When Ella’s sister decides to reunite with their estranged mother, Ella goes along for the ride—it’s always been the two Preston girls against the world. But Sanctuary Island, a tiny refuge for wild horses tucked off the Atlantic coast, is more inviting than she ever imagined. And it holds more than one last opportunity to repair their broken family—if Ella can open her carefully guarded heart, there is also the chance for new beginnings.

 

Grady Wilkes is a handyman who can fix anything…except the scars of his own past. When he accepts the task of showing Ella the simple beauties of the island that healed him, he discovers a deep sense of comfort he thought he’d lost. But now he must convince the woman who never intended to stay that on Sanctuary Island, anything is possible—forgiving past mistakes, rediscovering the simple joys of life, and maybe even falling in love.

 

 

10. How Sweet It is by Sophie Gunn

 

Single mom Lizzie Bea Carpenter learned long ago that no white knight was coming to save her. A hardworking waitress at the local diner, she's raising her daughter to be like the independent women in her "Enemy Club"--high school rivals turned best friends, promising to always tell each other the whole truth and nothing but!

Yet part of Lizzie wishes she did have a man's help, just for small stuff, like fixing up the house. Her fairy godmother must have been listening, because Dante "Tay" Giovanni soon appears. He's sexy, kind, and offering assistance--no strings attached.

Slowly, steadily, Lizzie's heart opens. But the grip of the past is fierce, and nothing in life is ever really free. Tay has his own tragedies to overcome, but if he can, he'll fix more than Lizzie's home. He'll show her just how sweet it is to be loved by him.

 

 

Did I miss your favorite Handyman in Romance? Let me know!

 

 

To vote for the best of the best go to my Goodreads list: Fix: Handymen in Romance

I got this book because of the whole "Enemy Club" premise - four women, once high school enemies (or, at least, adversaries) now meet every Wednesday and have somehow become each others closest friends and support system. And that aspect of the book was a little bit less fleshed out than I would prefer (although, since this is the first in a series, I'm expecting the rest of the books will help with that). But it's the two main characters of this book - single mom/waitress/stubborn as hell Lizzie & traumatized/drifting boy-scout Dante - that rightfully steal most of the attention (and praise) I've got for this story. Dante killed someone - this is not a spoiler, since he tells you so in the first chapter. It was an accident, a horrible mistake that could have happened to anyone, but it he still did it - he caused a woman to no longer be alive. And trying to live with the guilt of that is what brings him into Lizzie's diner - and life - in the first place. He happens to overhear her discussion with the Enemy Club about how she has to fix up her house/property, just as he, coincidentally, is trying to lessen the guilt by living in savior mode. So, naturally, he heads to her house and starts fixing her fence. No? Right? One of the things I really liked was that Lizzie was like "um: NO! Stranger, stalker, what the hell?" I didn't so much appreciate that every single other person she talked to brushed off her very legitimate concerns and was just like "Let him help you ~ I'm sure he's harmless." A lot of head shaking right there. Of course, since it's a book, turns out, he was fine, and the plot could progress, but still: maybe the whole of the town could've acted like Lizzie had some brains instead of treating her like some overreacting child? (end mini-rant).Anyways, aside from that, there was a lot of good in the book - there were people who weren't dopes (Dante recognizing Lizzie's sister's shiftiness long before anybody else, for example); there was PTSD reasonable portrayed (for the most part - although, again, at the end, dabbling a bit into magical thinking territory: in an emergency situation, Dante is able to overcome his fear of driving quickly (he goes literally 10 mph for most of the book) and speeds to the rescue. I do think there was a lot of thought put into the scenes that let up to that, that could, concievably have helped him to make that logical breakthrough, but I'm not sure it's the most realistic thing I've ever read. I'm not an expert in PTSD, though, so I can't say for sure. ); characters with sweetness and secrets and sassiness (Lizzie's daughter Paige, for example), and some animals to play mascots and illustrate themes (which is always fun). So I'm going to be looking for the rest of the series, see if I can learn more about how you turn enemies into friends.

It's A Wonderful Wife by Sohpie Gunn
Georgia's birthday, 5th year he showed up, had tea and cookies and then Stu
asked her to marry him. He always asks her and she says no.
This year all her girlfriends-the Enemy Club will spend the weekend before
Christmas at her estate and this time Georgia will ask Stu to marry her come
her birthday.
Even if it feels right if you don't have passion for doing it, it will turn
out all wrong.
Excerpts from other books in this series are included.

Rating: 8 out of 10 - GREAT READ!First line:For over a week the envelope sat on the dining room table unnoticed, buried under a stack of birdseed catalogues and household bills like a bomb waiting to go off.Memorable Scenes:- The scene where Tay tells Lizzie about the accident > this scene hit an emotional button while the rest of the book was pretty lighthearted and funLizzie Bea Carpenter is a single mom, trying to wing her way through life, supporting herself and her daughter, working as a waitress. I really liked Lizzie. Her relationship with her daughter Paige was depicted in a realistic way (as far as I can judge that from a daughter’s POV, as I’m not a mother). Dante ‘Tay’ Giovanni caused a deadly accident by running a red light. He’s ran away from his life and is now trying to redeem himself by helping others, trying to escape his past and his memories. Tay is mysterious and guilt-ridden. He has a complicated past but he also has a big heart, is a fixer and wants to be helpful.My first encounter with Sophie Gunn’s work was a truly pleasant one. I utterly enjoyed reading HOW SWEET IT IS. I was effortlessly pulled into the lives and problems of Lizzie and those who surround her. The easy, crisp writing style definitely contributed to my enjoyment but I also loved the premise and the depth in the characters, their background stories, the small town setting and the impact it had on the romance and story.I loved the humor in this book. There was a layer of subtle humor throughout the entire book and sometimes that subtle romance would evolve into straight laugh-out-loud moment or put-a-big-grin-on-my-face moments. Sophie Gunn had a knack for keeping you hooked and curious to know how certain events are going to turn out and I really liked that. The way she combined the main story with the multiple side-stories, without taking away the focus from the main characters, kept the book fast-paced and moving full steam ahead.Though Tay’s guilt-ridden and self-punishing attitude started to get on my nerves a little at some point, it didn’t bother me immensely because it was needed to make the resolution believable and give it the power of impact it eventually had. It also contributed to the realistic feel of the book and separated it from the fluffy light contemporaries making it a little darker without losing its humorous tone.Reading this book left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. HOW SWEET IT IS is a lovely, endearing and sweet contemporary romance that any contemporary romance reader can’t help but warm up to within a few pages. It’s about redemption, forgiveness, and the ability to let go and move on, about looking toward the future instead of back to the past. And when you flip the last page, you’ll emit a satisfied sigh, awaiting the HEA for the next member of The Enemy Club.Favorite Quotes:“You don’t know what I want.”“Neither do you, obviously. But I have a feeling it has something to do with this place.”“Here? Why?”“I don’t know, but I think you do. Isn’t it kind of obvious, Liz? You do the opposite of what you want because you think it’s right. But I don’t give a shit about right or wrong. I don’t even believe in right or wrong. Just in the truth and being honest. Come on, talk to me Lizzie.”Then she leaned down and kissed him ever so gently on the corner of his lips. He didn’t move. His eyes were on hers, intense and unreadable.So she kissed the middle of his lips, softly, lingering on the warmth. She felt the presence of his body under hers, totally still, as if venom from her kiss had paralyzed him.She stood up again and went back to her chair. They looked at each other across the room. “Wow,” he said. “That was a surprise.”“I did it because I wanted to do it,” she said. “And because I don’t give a crap about what you want. I’m going to fix you, Tay, whatever the hell you say. Because I want you. And I’ve decided to get what I want, no matter what it means to anyone else.”For once he was speechless. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”“I’m not so sure I care what you think.”And then, to her utter relief, he smiled.