A Basic Renovation

by Sandra Antonelli

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.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

Sandra is the author of romantic suspense and romantic comedies featuring 'seasoned' characters who have four decades or more of life experience. Firmly believing foxy doesn't end at forty, her novels place women over the age of 40 as capable heroines, as lead characters, not as stereotypes.
Her books have twice been nominated for Australian Romance Readers Association awards.

Reviews

[Sam I AMNreader]

It's a weird thing when you label something 'older couples' when the protagonists are right in your peer group. It's also weird that somehow the hero still manages like 7 years on the heroine, like WTF.

(I hope that's not always the case, I actually suspect it's flipped in the next book)

I digress. This book read a little old-fashioned and outdated in the humor, so much I kept checking to see it's only 6 years old. That was probably one of my bigger dislikes, I felt (though admittedly we're sick here so I might have been lapsing in attention span) that some of the jokes were culturally insensitive. That is a really distracting issue to me, and I would normally knock off a full star or two but I really don't k now the genesis of the jokes b/c I was paying bad attention and context does matter. I can see the bones of humor in her writing, but generally I didn't find it particularly hilarious. The family shenanigans were too OTT multiple times and I just couldn't set myself, a grounded (yet emotional) non-outrageous person in that scene. Interestingly, I thought the villians in the book were similarly uncomplicated and one-dimensional.

Kyle, the hero's son, was a smart but realistic 16 year old, which I did appreciate. There's lots of cuteness here, had it not been for some of the humor being too much or what I see as inappropriate, I would've like this a lot more. I did struggle with the pacing a little, but I think that's just me, and that's just today...probably.

I look forward to the follow up of this series. I'm having trouble judging whether this was me & my day or the book, so no rating. (I would say it's a 3 though)

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/1 - Alrighty now, back to normal reading/reviewing schedules after the craziness of Christmas.
The argument over the tweezers on page 34 got me laughing and in a romance that's always a good thing.  The line "No!  What do you mean no?!" in response to a request for a particular item is always funny (for me), it's like the literary equivalent of slapstick comedy.  Keep the laughs coming, please.  To be continued...
 
27/1 - Unfortunately this was one of a number of Netgalley books I didn't get finished in time (I had three days left to read it when I started it on the 6th) over and around the Christmas period.  If I ever have the chance to read it again I definitely will as it was shaping up to be a pretty decent romance.

[Marg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 - fun debut novel. Will definitely be looking for more from this author!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy I found this book! I'm thrilled to say that in A Basic Renovation, not only are both leads in their 40's, but the book itself is fun, sassy, sexy, smart and emotionally intense. The pace is sharp (no saggy sections), and the author's voice is clear and strong and reminds me of two of my current favorite contemporary romance authors, Ruthie Knox and Julie James. I picked the book up with few expectations, so it was doubly sweet to discover such a great read, completely out of the blue.

The story follows Lesley, an independent 40-something woman, who flips houses for a living in Chicago, but who decides to buy a fire damaged house in her home town of Los Alamos, NM so that she can spend a summer visiting with her parents and her 92 YO grandfather, and also make a nice profit while she's at it. Lesley was previously married to Terry, also from Los Alamos, and the marriage ended acrimoniously. Unbeknowst to her, Terry (a total ass) told his family quite a few lies about her, and as a result, his entire family blames her for his downward slide. When she returns to Los Alamos, one of the first people she runs into is Terry's older brother Dominic, who owns the local hardware store. Insults and sparks fly in equal measure as Lesley and Dominic find themselves unwillingly attracted to each other. There are lots of very funny scenes, as well as lots of emotion between Lesley and her family, and Dominic and his 16 YO son. There's also a subplot involving Lesley's Sicilian grandfather who has been widowed for 30 years, and unexpectedly finds himself falling for an 80-something Irish widow whom he meets in church. There are so many things I loved about this book, and I strongly recommend it.

[Ally Cakes · Rating 2 out of 5]

A copy of the story was supplied by NetGalley for an honest review of this book.

This book was like a bad episode of the Jerry Springer show. All the characters were comical, asinine and unlikable. The lead male character was a jerk at his best and a dull and insecure bore at worst. The female lead was like a 20-year-old stuck in a mid 40-year-old body. She was unsure of her self or her feelings for the story's jerk face lead, which was supposed to be the hero story. The cast in this book was supposed to be about mature older adults?!. I have seen more mature characters in books about high school kids. Talking about kids, the only likable character is the lead male's son, Kyle. And he was only in about 20% of the book. I've heard some people mentioned that GP was likable? In my opinion he was crude and disgusting.

Another thing I do not understand the cover to cover does not fit the story at all. I was little impressed with the story it's characters and it's plotline. The only thing that I really liked was the dual point of views in the story.

[Elise Ackers]

Excellent book. Complex characters, wonderful subplots, and the first mature-aged romance I've read. I look forward to Antonelli's next book.

[Poppy*Reads*Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting a basic contemporary romance, and what I got was something that was a little more complicated! A Basic Renovation is a charming book, but hardly simple. Plenty of interesting characters, witty dialogue and twist and turns that elicited chuckles, belly laughs and yes, even a flood of tears. The heroine's Sicilian grandfather is a riot, and the hero and heroine are well-matched (although I do think she forgave him too easily in the end). You'll get plenty of book for your money (length-wise as well as story-wise), and I consider it cash well spent.

The next book is about the cop with the funny laugh... I hope Ms Antonelli can make him sexy enough to carry his own book :)

==================================
Overall Rating: 5
==================================
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Storyline: 5
Ending: 4
Sex scenes - sensuality level: 2.5
Sex scenes - frequency: 3
Violence level: 1
Writing: 5
Editing (e-book): 4
==================================
Would I re-read this book? Yes
Would I read other books by this author? Yes
==================================

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd actually give this 4.5 stars, but am limited to whole stars on Goodreads!

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.Read More

[Dragana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get it that the characters in this book should have been cute and funny but for me they were just annoying.
Lesley is presented to us as self-assured middle-aged woman who learned from her mistakes and has great career and life. But she acts most of the time like a teenager. Well, being old does not equal to being mature, I guess.
And Dominic who is pissed of because she ditched his brother 20-years ago? I saw that it's going to turn into some 'great romance story' and although a lot of time has passed, changing one brother for another is still gross to me. Maybe I'm a prude, but there you got it.

Perhaps I should have given this book a little bit more time to win me over, but the pacing was so slow and I didn't like any of the characters.
I DNF-ed at 10%.

Disclaimer: I was given a free eBook by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the story and the romance! It felt real. The hero and heroine were both in their 40s and had to deal with problems that were sometimes nasty and hard to accept.. But, it is life in all its guts and glory. The downside for me was that Dominic was forgiven WAY to easily after the horrific verbal abuse he leveled at Lesley. There is no excuse and we needed to see this wasn't something he would continue every time he got angry. As it stands, the reader will close the book with a happy but uncomfortable ending.

[JoAn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Basic Renovation by Sandra Antonelli was an interesting romance. I loved the fact Lesley and Dominic are mature characters (both in their 40s) because it's so rare. They were complex characters but too many times they were manipulated by the secondary characters. There was plenty of banter, some laughter and tears as Lesley and Dominic's relationship develops. All in all I was a little disappointed at the end but it was a good story.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable book! Loved that the main characters were more "mature" than the typical "20-somethings" in most romance novels. I'd love to read more about the characters "back story." The book is full of interesting characters and I really hope she writes more books centered around the characters in this book.

[Jo Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great characters and a well crafted story. Loved the banter between Dominic and Lesley. Secondary characters were charming. Really looking forward to more from Ms Antonelli!!! (We need a HEA for John!!)

[Barb Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ..... A great novel for us older woman. Love strikes when you least expect it. A sweet story with great characters.

[Amy Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking awesome book! Best straight contemp I've read in ages!

[Roz ~ My Written Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. God. I love this book. The awesome flies from every page.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Points for older characters in a romance and a quick pace to the story. Negative points for some really messed up family dynamics, too many pratfalls, and serious anger issues from the hero.

I liked it enough to try another from this author, but would not reread.

[Nikkole Pruett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick and fun read. I really enjoyed the lively characters, particularly GP.

[Ian Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prequel to For Your Eyes Only. About the jerk "best friend." Has the third act breakup, and an ancient grandpa romance that I didn't quite follow.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demolition of a run down house meets demolition of preconceptions and inhibitions. This was hot flipping.

[Eleni Konstantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although an older release, Escape (Harlequin’s Australian imprint) offered this title and I am very glad that they did. Clever and fun, with a title that reflects some diy as well as renovating relationships and mistaken impressions, A Basic Renovation was the perfect afternoon escape.

Lesley is strong and feisty, with a whole passel of family seeking to change her, even though she is a grown woman. Her mother thinks her hair is too long and her skirts too short. Her father despises her Harley, and will go to great lengths to keep her from riding it. Her grandfather is by far one of the better secondary characters ever: at 92 he says what he wants, when he wants and to hell with the consequences or anyone else’s sensitivities. Foul mouthed, insulting and bossy, he was delightful to read, although most certainly a pain in the rear to deal with.

Lesley is successful and determined, a business woman with a plan and the skills to get things accomplished. But, her chance encounter with the brother of her ex-husband is more disturbing to her than she would wish to let on: even more so because Dominic is ‘indoctrinated’ into the family’s beliefs that Lesley was the only one at fault in her failed marriage.

Dominic has an overbearing and quite distasteful mother, a spoiled brat of a younger brother who was married to Lesley, and is a single father with a teenaged son. Dominic’s family is most definitely ruled by his mother Peggy, who cossets and spoils her youngest son and is verbally abusive to the women in her son’s lives. She just needed to go away, with her ‘baby boy’, her character just oozed malice.

Of course, Dominic’s mother and brother, Terry, are interfering in his relationship with Lesley. From hinting to rumors and outright lying, and even forcing physical altercations they almost succeed. It’s strange that Terry was away from their little town for years after her divorce from Terry, and yet the attitude of Dominic’s mother and brother were so laden with malice and anger fueled by Terry’s lack of sense and ability to take responsibility for anything that it was literally nauseating.

Peggy and Terry nearly succeed in driving a permanent wedge between the two, until Dominic wises up and realizes his happiness is more important than his brother’s misguided feelings and his mother’s interference.

Snappy dialogue, a female protagonist who is strong and smart, clever secondary characters, a wise-mouthed and quite funny teen to balance the ever-outspoken grandfather and a believable story that features 40-something main characters: this is a winner and the perfect getaway book for an afternoon.

I received an eBook copy from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 2 out of 5]

**ARC provided by Escape Publishing - Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

The Premise
Lesley returns to her old hometown, where her family still resides, to flip a house and along the way, she runs into Dominic, her former brother-in-law, who runs a hardware store. Lesley has a long, twisted and uncomfortable history with the Brennan family and would be more than happy to never see another one of them again. The feeling’s mutual with Dominic, who believes that Lesley ruined his little 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.


The Good
I loved the fantastic dialogue - some really funny, witty stuff. I especially love Lesley’s wit and the banter between Lesley and everyone around her. This is an older romance, where the H/h are in their 40s, so this isn’t about the first bloom of love, but two people who have been around the block. It was a nice change of pace from all the NA books that are out now. When the focus was on Lesley and Dominic, I definitely enjoyed their chemistry. Seeing Dominic's relationship with his son was lovely, and slowly learning what happened years ago between Lesley, Dominic, his brother and Dominic's ex was telegraphed early but still well done.

The Bad
When the focus wasn’t on Lesley and Dominic, I felt the story was a bit disjointed. The start is rough, and it took me a little bit of time to get into the swing of the story. The times when the focus veered too much onto Lesley’s grandpa’s love life (which BTW, I enjoy older romance but I don’t need to know about nonagenarian sex, ever), failed to keep my attention, and I wanted to skim through those parts. I stuck it out, but I think the romance between Lesley and Dominic should have been the focal point, and it rambled on about the renovation more than I would have liked. I also had a problem with Dominic’s instinct to always blame Lesley - I hated it but I understood it, even if I wanted to punch him sometimes.


The Bottom Line (2.5 stars)
Loved the mature H/h romance when the book was focused on it, not so much when it wasn’t. I would be willing to read more from this author though - I liked her “voice.”

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lesley was home to work on a renovation flip that she bought over the internet from her home in Chicago. Or at least her home for the past 16 years. You see she use to live in the town where she just bought the new remodel. The town of Los Alamos in New Mexico.
She left there because it held nothing but awful memories of her past. A marriage that was wiped away by the church so that now you can’t really call it a marriage. But trying telling the she devil that which is what I call her ex’s mother which by the way is so true. For it seems that everyone in that town not only has an opinion of what and who Lesley is but they feel a need to yell it at her.
It wasn’t bad enough that she grew up feeling like she was not special, pretty or loved by anyone. But the ones that should of just seemed to tell her all her faults. The thing she found out is that when she left is that she started to really like herself and that she found the real her. And she found that she didn’t really give a shit what other’s thought.
Oh that is until she was home to work on this place for what say 24 hours? If even that. Then boy did life take an interesting twist. Coming back she knew she would have to face the skeletons in the closet. She was not the same woman who left. Her looks, self-image, job, and moxie had all changed. But if that closet opened or her ex’s mother showed up she could crumble at any moment.
This cast of characters were so exciting and vibrant. Each one brought its own brand of crazy to the story. You get so wrapped up in the scenes that you feel like you are right in the room with them. That just makes the chapters just seem to fly by. I loved Lesley and Dominic’s relationship I think because it was never boring and that it had so many layers to it. Kyle was a really cool kid that every parent would want especially in a house of crazy.
But my all-time favorite in this book is “GP”, Martino, Lesley’s grandpa. OMG! He was just a hoot! I can’t even believe what came out of his mouth. But I laughed, he reminded me of my grand-dad.
You will totally laugh out loud and then feel some other troubling emotions too. Once again this book I loved it must be the family saga but this writer has to be good in order to hold my attention and have this great of a cast or then again I could just be warped. I did love it. Provided by netgalley.com

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley***

Sixteen years ago she'd been the frumpy nondescript woman who's apparently ruined his younger brother's life and convinced Dominic's live-in girlfriend to abandon him and their nine-month-old son. His family has been blaming her for everything from that point forward...Oh, and she's a lesbian (though his mother expresses herself more harshly in that regard).

And she's back in town, renovating a house, and stirring all kinds of feelings (and other stuff) in Dominic. As if he doesn't have other problems on his mind. Like keeping his sixteen-year old from earning enough money to buy a car...


It doesn't happen often that I stumble upon a decent read in the "ReadNow" section on NetGalley. But this one was a great respite from other not-so-stellar attempts. It had humor (as Kyle observed, bickering adults resemble teenagers), a feisty heroine, a drool-worthy hero (that often came through as a jackass, very realistic, I believe), a wonderful 92-year old grandpa in search for love (he had more luck in that department than his granddaughter), a very believable romance, a small town, two crazy families, a resilient house and loads of rats.

If that doesn't make any sense, I guess you'll just have to read it.

What I appreciated the most was the age of the two protagonists. They weren't teenagers or a foxy lady and a hunk in their twenties or thirties. He was going on fifty and she was pretty much close behind. I love it when authors decide to make their leading couple more mature. It shows us that love and romance truly is possible at any age. Which doesn't happen a lot in Romancelandia (unless you're reading a paranormal romance with vampires or long-lived werewolves).

The pacing was good, the story never got boring, the supporting cast was just right (with that 92-year-old GP the greatest of them all, and the fact he swore in Italian made him even more endearing)...The only hiccup that prevented me from giving it 5 stars was the final hurdle the two mature lovebirds had to go through. It seemed a bit too much in the end, a bit over the top, and seemed like it didn't really belong there and was added just so there could be more drama.

Otherwise everything fit just right.

[Larou]

Along with Meg Maguire and Ruthie Knox (and doubtlessly many other authors I have yet to discover), Sandra Antonelli is another excellent example of Contemporary Romance that is contemporary not only in its setting but also in its sensibilities. What all three of them share (and what more traditional Romances are often lacking in) are protagonists that are flawed but likeable, heroines that have agency, and plots that avoid clichés but still push enough of the right buttons to trigger that fuzzy happy Romance feeling in their readers.

A Basic Renovation is Sandra Antonelli’s first novel (first published one, anyway), and it does show in parts – sometimes the plot machinery has to do some really heavy-duty lifting to keep events moving forward, and then it’s creaking rather loudly. Not loud enough, however, to seriously impede the enjoyment of what is a highly entertaining novel and one of the funnier ones I have read in recent memories.

The witty banter and the quirky characters with which Sandra Antonelli has filled her novel have garnered her many comparisons with Jennifer Crusie; but while there are some similarities, A Basic Renovation covers territory that is all its own. Most strikingly, this is noticeable in the age of its protagonists – the main couple are both in their mid-forties and the secondary couple even several decades older than that. And this is not just window dressing to make the novel seem different, but affects it at its heart and is what drives the plot forward: The characters behave (for the most part) like responsible adults and thus avoid all of the often rather silly behavioural patterns infecting younger Romance protagonists but are suffering from their own, age-appropriate set of insecurities instead that Sandra Antonelli describes with wit, verve and sympathy. Overall, another author who proves that it is possible to write Romance that is both intelligent and fun to read; also, bonus points for the non-embarrassing cover.

[Lee at ReadWriteWish · Rating 1 out of 5]

I marked this 'American' and 'Australian' because it was set in the US, but written by an Australian and published by an Australian arm of Harlequin. I purchased it because it had 'older' main characters. I won't say they were mature, however. (And might I just ask, if the heroine is supposed in her mid forties, why does the cover have a photo of a girl who looks like she's in her twenties?) The book started out okay, around the middle I was starting to lose interest, and by the end, I really disliked it. I'm surprised I even finished it really. The swearing was totally annoying. Okay, one swear word now and then might be considered 'edgy' or 'modern', but when the hero is calling the heroine the 'c' word and she's giving him the finger in his face and telling him to 'f**k off', it's really not charming, you know? And don't get me started on the hero/heroine's respective families... Oh my... The term 'white trash' flashed through my mind pretty much the whole time. They cussed even more than our principals, and add homophobic, racist, abusive, gamblers, etc etc etc. So not funny. (Which I'm assuming sometimes it was meant to be?) A lot of reviewers mention they loved the heroine's grandfather (GP), but he never endeared himself to me at all. And the 'funny' scene where he goes and buys condoms to have sex with his new girlfriend left me totally confused. He was 92. His girlfriend's in her 80s. Don't think she's going to end up pregnant. And he really thought she had a sexual disease? Perhaps he had one himself... IDEK... Oh, and don't get me started on the obsession the writer must have with junk food. I really really don't need pages and pages taken up by descriptions of popcorn and pizza and apple pies from McDonalds. And the characters weren't obese? Really? Anyway, very disappointing outcome for my favoured 'older mature lead characters' thing.

[Kaetrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why I read it: I bought this book a little while back, having heard lots of good things about it.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Forty-something heroines and heroes appeal to me now in a way they didn’t when I was in my twenties. From my current perspective, it does not seem at all ridiculous or icky to read a romance with older protagonists. I am happy enough to read about younger people too, but there is definitely room in my reading for people my age and older. Lesley and Dominic are both in their 40s, both experiencing some of the visible signs of aging Olay warns you about on the television at every possible opportunity. (I expect, nevertheless, they look better than I do – that’s okay, I tend to imagine romance heroes and heroines are good looking no matter what the text tells me – perhaps this is a flaw, I don’t know). Because both are older, they fit well into their own skins – they know themselves, their wants and desires, their tics and foibles fairly well and neither of them are likely to change all that much. But they have both changed very much from the people they were when they (briefly) knew each other sixteen years earlier, when Lesley was (briefly) married to Dominic’s douchebag brother Terry. The book presents them as having come into their own – particularly Lesley, rather than just being “not young anymore” and certainly, Dominic finds the current Lesley much more fascinating and attractive than he ever did before.


Read the rest of the review here: http://www.kaetrinsmusings.com/2013/0...

[Lily Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandra Antonelli has done it for me again with A Basic Renovation, I've laughed (lots) and I've cried (not so much), and I've had a wonderful time reading this on my Kindle.
It's hard to describe what I like about Ms Antonelli's writing most. This is the second book of hers I've read, having finished For Your Eyes Only earlier this year. FYEO is a follow-up to A Basic Renovation with some shared characters, but it definitely hasn't affected my reading pleasure by reading them the "wrong" way round.
So what I like most, I think, is the dialogue. Talk about snappy! These characters go at it like the yappiest Pekinese you ever saw, and GP (as a sub-plot to the main story) is just a bloody delight. He stole the show for me. I don't know any grandpa remotely like GP, but then, I've never met a 90+ year old Italian who falls in love, 35 years after the death of his wife.
The 40+ male and female leads, Dominic and Lesley were every bit as much fun as GP and his machinations.
This is a clever, clever author who writes brilliant action, brilliant emotion and keeps a story moving from chapter 1 to the end.
I couldn't recommend this highly enough, and I know there's a new Antonelli book out soon, called Driving In Neutral.
I'll be lining up for it, as I'm now a bona-fide Antonelli Advocate!

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars – This book was quite good, but it wasn’t great. I loved the premise of the book and that the characters were a little older, both protagonists were in their 40’s. Unfortunately they both tended to act like they were in their 20’s. I did enjoy watching their relationship grow from barely being able to tolerate each other, to friends, to more. I loved Dom’s son and Lesley’s grandfather; the secondary characters in this book were some of my favorites. Terry (Dom’s brother and Lesley’s ex) was a terrific villain, self centered, vain, into making trouble. There are points in the story where it seems to drag on, it gets a little bogged down somewhere in the middle but then the end seems rushed and left me a little disappointed. I would have loved to have seen a few more things happen simultaneously in the middle so there was more time at the end for resolution and an epilogue would have been good. I would have enjoyed a peek at their happily ever after. All in all I enjoyed the story and would recommend it if you’re looking for a funny and poignant story with older characters and lots of family generated chaos. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.