The Purrfect Handyman: A small town, slow-burn romance

by Jessika Winter

Girl loses job. Girl drowns sorrows. Girl drunkenly adopts demonic cat and meets handyman who just might be able to mend her soul…Get ready for a sassy, slow-burn romance that delivers all the feels!

Alanna Sandoval put everything into building her Los Angeles PR agency, but when she's betrayed by her sleazy business partner, she's got nowhere to go… except home.

Problem is, the town of Yucca Hills is too small, too slow, and too full of painful memories.

The only upside? That'd be the hunky handyman she hires to work on her mother's house. Sully Brooks is thoughtful, nerd-guy handsome, and very, veeery good with his hands.

Too bad Alanna doesn't have time for romance. She's got a company to reclaim, a business partner to utterly destroy, and an abominable new cat to somehow tame. (Note to self, DO NOT drink and adopt!)

Will Alanna fight for her career in the big city or give it all up for a certain handyman with a talent for breaking down the walls to her heart?

The Purrfect Handyman is the first book in the small-town Crazy Cat Lady Club romance series.

If you love stories featuring sexy and sensitive male heroes, strong female friendships, and the unbreakable bond between animals and their humans, then grab a glass of wine and come for a visit to Yucca Hills.

488 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

Jessika Winter is a loud and proud crazy cat lady who spends her days caring for two furry overlords (ahem, fur angels, she means). In her free time, she loves writing romance stories filled with humor, friendship, wine, and… yup, cats.

Jessika writes strong, sassy characters who always have the comebacks she can never think of in real life. Her ladies are strong, and her men are brave enough to feel their feels. And while she always gives her characters the happily ever afters they deserve, she insists they work for it. That means growing, admitting mistakes, and getting all sorts of vulnerable.

Jessika lives and writes in beautiful San Diego. When she isn't writing, Jessika enjoys lifting heavy things at her local CrossFit gym, hiking on nearby trails, trying not to plummet to her death in aerial silks classes, and dragging her very patient husband to local wineries.

Reviews

[Andra · Rating 5 out of 5]

When hardworking careerwoman Alanna loses her PR company in LA to backstabbing business partners, she comes home to the small town she grew up in to lick her wounds for a bit. And finds a cat with behavioral issues, a family she has forgotten to be happy about, new friends who sincerely seem to care about her and a hot nerd of a handyman Sully, who melts her frozen heart. And for the first time in her life, she is not sure what path to take. I absolutely adored this book. Yes, it is longer than an average romcom, but it doesn’t feel that long at all. The plot is good, the heroine, her love interest, her family and friends are complex yet fun people who you cannot help but root for. The writing style is smooth and engaging. I am not a cat person so the whole cat angle was a bit too excessive for me, but that is just a personal preference. Despite being really funny in places and having several comic sidekicks and plot-lines, there are serious issues at its heart and the main character goes through quite a road of self-discovery and growth, so it is well balanced. Highly recommend and I am looking for the next book in the series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alanna and Sully . . .

When Alanna Sandoval, who put everything she had into making her PR business a success, loses the business due to her treacherous business partner and the two junior partners who fired her, all she can do is return home to her small town and start over until she is ready to deal with the betrayal. Little did she know that she would reconnect with her supportive family, cultivate new friends who cared about her, and meet a very special handyman who could make life worth living again. She also adopted a cat who provides the perfect distraction from her own problems.

The storyline is full of humor, but there are still important lessons to be learned that will help Alanna become stronger and more confident in herself. And Sully Brooks, her handyman, is a wonderful presence in her life when she needs someone kind and thoughtful to encourage her. She will have an important decision to make. Will she return to the city and fight for her business? Or will she stay in her small town, surrounded by people who care and love her?

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an enjoyable book! Alanna spent years creating her PR firm in LA. She enjoyed the power, prestige, money and designer everything. When her partner stages a coup while she rushes home to see her hospitalized mother, she finds herself unemployed and desperate for revenge. Sully is financially independant and has started to buy houses to fix up and rent. When he first sees Alanna, it is love at first sight, even though their encounter is less than stellar. What follows is a story filled with quirky characters, including a demon cat, misunderstandings, mishaps and ah-ha moments. This story is creative, entertaining and filled with wonderful details that brings the town of Yucca Hills to life. Although this is not a short story, it is well done and well worth your time. I look forward to what comes next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alanna heads home after business trouble, and starts to help her mom. Sully is the handyman she hires for a quick fix and he is into her. Love his Ugly Duckling and Girlfriend lists. The characters just keep getting more fun and the banter and flirting is even funnier. Her crazy cat Petunia/Sheba and the Cat Lady Club is a great addition. Alanna, her mom and her sister Layla make quite the tight family and they deal with so much. The chemistry between Sully and Alanna can not get any stronger as all their decisions keep heading back to doing things together. Loved this book and will be rereading it again soon.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What really catches me and keeps me going, after a strong book and series title catches my eye, is a good story that shows me characters acting like real people and talking to each other. And, if you also have a cat with personality that is also a scene stealer, then you have a me hooked. And, this book had that in a wonderfully written style. This is a great Romantic Comedy where the sassy woman creates some wonderful banter with the nerdy that she doesn't want to fall in love it. And then, along the way and in the midst of everything wham she finds she has fallen in love. A good sweet weekend read to just take you away from it all. I am looking forward to the next book in this series!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic book that is the purr...fect escape from the world with plenty of humour, friendship, tension, tears, laughter, family, four legged friends and more. Sully and Alanna's story is a slow burn, the chemistry between them is explosive. How long will it take for them to admit their true feelings for one another?... Will Alanna decide to stay in the small town or stick with her original plan?...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Purrfect Handyman by Jessika Winters is such an entertaining small-town romance. The main and supporting characters are well-written. The story was well-paced with romance, humor, and heart. As a cat fan, I also love the antics of the adopted cat. I found the story to be engaging from start to finish. The Purrfect Handyman is part of The Crazy Cat Lady Club series but can be read as a standalone. This is my first time reading from this author but I look forward to reading more.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Alanna is a great character. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Sully has the right plan, but can he win the girl? This is a wonderful, sweet romance story about a sassy woman and the nerdy guy she isn't sure she wants to love. This one tugs at the heartstrings. I loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the storyline. I think this story was well written. I did not like the main female character Alanna but I did like everyone else. I think that the author gave me a good reading experience and I was entertained.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the characters grew yet where try to themselves. The cat, makes me want to join the club. I can’t wait to read the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stacey G. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I got bored and stopped halfway through because it was so slow but with no burn. I needed more tension and longing between the characters to keep me interested.

[Stacie Hegenauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this small town romance that starred Petunia the cat as the comedic humor and Alanna and Sully as the romantic interests. Alanna is a career driven woman and Sully is “financially independent”. When Alanna finds herself suddenly unemployed she heads to the small town where she grew up and meets Sully. Between their miscommunications, differences in goals and overall demeanor it is an “opposites attract” type of romance. Is you enjoy small town romances with a side of crazy cat ladies mixed in then this is a great novel to pick up!

[Lunchybanana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
I found this book by chance and I dont regret it!! It has the basic trops with lovely characters set in a lovely village and lovely cats. I was so here for the character development of alanna as she remind me of myself (not in the business way). Sully was cute but there was something missing.
I'm so exited to read the next books of this serie!!