Sometimes I go on a NetGalley binge and request anything that looks even vaguely entertaining — which is how I ended up with an e-ARC of Lauren Forsythe’s upcoming romcom, The Fixer Upper. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I was hooked immediately by the great characters, the high-speed plot, and the sharp humor. And surprises like this are exactly why I will continue to go on request-binges and hope for unexpected treasures.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Alyssa Aresti is good at her job. She’s good at keeping people at a distance, while still being the friendliest, most thoughtful person in the room. And she’s good at leaving her underachieving boyfriends better than she found them… to the point that all twelve of them have hit achievement markers she’s still struggling for herself. After an awkward run-in with one such ex, Aly’s work buddies convince her to try her hand at “fixing” other women’s partners for them, too. They see it as filling a need for over-stretched modern women who are tired of performing emotional labor for the men in their lives — and the Fixer Upper team is great at giving men the gentle nudges they need to step up as parents, pop that big question, or finally go for the dream job, instead of just talking about it. But when Aly is hired to fix up (and coax a proposal from) her first love and former best friend, the one she’s measured all her other relationships against, she starts wondering if she’s really helping anyone with her meddling… and if she wants to build up Dylan for someone else when he’s already perfect for her.
First, let’s address that elephant in the room. Dylan is perfect in that classic romcom way — smart, tender and attentive, and unattainable because the timing just never works. I really loved him and his dynamic with Aly, whether they were sniping over past hurts or lapsing into that shared language of longtime friends. However, I grew frustrated with him as the story went on because, while Aly was growing and learning to stand up for himself, he remained passive and frequently compromised who he was to please his girlfriend. And the longer he stayed with her, knowing he loved Aly, the less I thought of him. So, while Dylan does well enough as an object of affection for Aly, as a catalyst for her to wake up and take charge of her life, I would have like him to have an equally satisfying arc. It’s not a deal-breaker because I still rooted for Aly to get the boy, and I still thoroughly enjoyed the book, but it does bring down my final rating.
But now for the things I loved.
The friendships are the true love stories of the novel. Aly starts with two incredible, funny, and supportive friends in Tola and Eric, and then Ben and Priya get folded into the group, too, and they’re just as great! They’re all fascinating, compelling characters in their own right, with individual ambitions and struggles. They’re not just there to be supporting characters in The Aly Show, and I would happily read another book about any and all of them. We should all be lucky enough to find friends like these.
My second favorite thing — and it’s a really close second! — in The Fixer Upper is the plotting and pacing. No, really! Forsythe knows all the classic romcom beats she needs to hit, and she lines them up and knocks them out with lightning-speed precision. There’s never a moment to be bored because everything happens fast and everything is in support of the main story. It’s entertaining, engaging, and honestly, quite impressive, especially in a debut author. I can’t wait to read more from her! (Hint hint, Penguin promotional teams — my inbox is always open!)
—b
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