Review: A Mile in My Flip Flops by Melody Carlson

My sister let me borrow this one. She doesn't read much but when she does she picks some pretty good ones!



About the Book

Thirty-something Gretchen Hanover is stuck. Seeking solace from a broken heart, she traded her wedding plans for home improvement shows and ice cream—but she knows she can’t live on Ben and Jerry’s forever. She also knows that her enthusiastic Lab puppy has outgrown her tiny apartment.

The perfect patch for Gretchen’s dilapidated plans? She’ll become a first-time house-flipper. As ideas go, it’s daring and genius. She’ll take out a short-term loan, buy a fixer-upper, renovate it, resell it, and use the profit for an adorable house of her own. What could be easier?

But Gretchen’s plans to flip quickly flop when the house turns out to be in worse shape than she expected. She is relying on her retired contractor-father, but he wants to draw in his carpenter friend Noah Campbell. And although Noah is handy with tools, Gretchen isn’t so sure about the baggage he brings with him. Will she be able to loosen her grip on the tools when it seems Noah may be her only help?

A whimsical look at color swatches, mismatched curtain rods, and the building of relationships, A Mile in My Flip-Flops reminds us that it takes faith to renovate the heart, as well as the home.

For more information about A Mile in My Flip Flops you can visit Melody Carlson's website.

Purchase from my Amazon Store. 

My Review

The fact that the title has flip-flops in it (my shoe of choice from March till October!) made me very interested in reading it. This was a really cute book. Even though it was predictable I was still drawn into the story.

I liked Gretchen. I could see myself in her flip-flops - literally. I tend to get grandiose ideas, however I don't have as much follow through as she does. I can't even imagine going through purchasing a house on a whim to flip it. That's a little overwhelming to me... Even though I'd never do anything that substantial on a whim there were many things that she did throughout the book that I could see myself doing. I really connected with her and wanted everything to work out for her. She was. like many people, just coasting through life. The fact that she finally realized that if she wanted different results she would have to take the lead was what really made me connect with her.

The story was fun and quirky and I didn't want to put it down. I do think the ending was a bit rushed, but it was still a good ending. And like I said it was predictable, but it was well-written and kept my attention. After looking through Carlson's website there were a few other titles that stuck out to me and I think I'm going to have to pick them up!