Fixer Upper: A Small Town Second Chance Romance

by Shayla Sullivan

Iris Patel didn't think inheriting a mansion meant getting stuck upside-down in a window while a grumpy contractor watched. But that's what happens when you trade designing for the wealthy to creating spaces for your community.

Now she's covered in paint, learning that beautiful doesn't have to be expensive, and falling for Rowan Brennan—the builder who creates magic with reclaimed wood and believes her vision can transform their town.

As the community center takes shape and her heart opens, Iris has to decide if she's ready to build something lasting with a man who sees the home she's always been searching for.

Tropes: Forced Proximity • Grumpy/Sunshine • Wounded Hero • Opposites Attract • Romantic Comedy • Enemies to Lovers

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2026

Reviews

[Chandra Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fixer Upper by Shayla Sullivan is a warm, witty romance about second chances, community roots, and discovering that home isn’t about perfection—it’s about who you build it with.

Iris Patel’s life takes a sharp (and hilarious) turn when she inherits a mansion and promptly finds herself literally upside-down in a window, observed by the grumpiest contractor imaginable. Once a designer for the ultra-wealthy, Iris has traded glossy showpieces for something that actually matters: creating spaces that serve her community. That choice puts her knee-deep in paint, dust, and self-discovery—and directly in the path of Rowan Brennan.

Rowan is all rough edges and reclaimed wood, a wounded hero who believes beauty comes from purpose, not price tags. Where Iris brings vision and optimism, Rowan brings practicality, skill, and a quiet faith in her that she’s not sure she deserves yet. Their grumpy/sunshine dynamic crackles with banter, resistance, and that slow, delicious realization that opposites don’t just attract—they balance.

What makes Fixer Upper shine is how love grows alongside the project itself. As the community center takes shape, so do Iris’s roots and Rowan’s guarded heart. Forced proximity turns enemies into allies, allies into something softer, and eventually into something lasting. The romance is layered with humor, heart, and a genuine sense of place that makes the town feel just as important as the couple.

This story is comforting without being predictable, funny without being shallow, and romantic in a way that feels earned. If you love grumpy builders, sunshine heroines, meaningful renovation stories, and romances that prove home is built—not inherited—Fixer Upper is an absolute delight.

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

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This for me was the best part of this book. Iris thinks it’s about expense, glitz, and glamour. Rowan thinks it’s about hardwork and ingenuity. Put the two together and you’ve got complete opposites. At least for a little while. From enemies, to working side by side, they both learn from one another. Honestly, that was the highlight for me. Being able to see things from a different perspective.
But I loved too that they grew together, blossomed, and made one heck of a team. Both professionally and personally. This book was sweet and fun, perfect romance between the two. I always enjoy Shayla’s books.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing good ever comes from inheriting an old mansion. I know this from all the stories I have read about bad things happening in old home.

Iris and Rowan get started top to bottom but as the story goes on, they start to warm to each other.

Grumpy tradies and old homes start to come together and fix themselves up in this sweet and easy read.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm and sweet.