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Redesigning Happiness
Witty, sharply-observed, and warmly wise, Nita Brooks' debut novel tells the heartfelt story of a suddenly successful single mother who finds her perfectly-designed, fame-bound life upended by a surprise from the past . . .
It wasn't easy for Yvonne Cable to get over a heartbreaking relationship and revamp her life. But now the once-broke single mom is Atlanta's most sought-after interior designer--and one-half of the media's hottest power couple. She and her celebrity fianc�, Nathan, are a perfect, practical match, on--and off--camera. And with their new home improvement reality show the object of a fierce network bidding war, there's no limit to how far they can go . . .
But Yvonne is stunned when mogul Richard Barrington III unexpectedly makes an offer for their program. He's the man she thought left her for a more successful woman. And he's the father of her son--though he didn't know it until now. Richard wants to get to know their boy, and Yvonne agrees, though she's wary. Yet little by little, she's finding it hard to resist the responsible, caring man Richard has become. But when a scandalous leak puts everything Yvonne's worked for at risk, she'll have to look beyond surfaces to come to terms with who she is--and discover what she truly wants.
"Brooks is a talented storyteller--Redesigning Happiness hits all the right notes."
--ReShonda Tate Billingsley, National Bestselling Author
"It's been a long time since I've wanted to turn to the last page to see what was going to happen in a novel and with Redesigning Happiness, I had to stop myself. It was a delightful read that made me smile the whole way through. This was a wonderful debut novel."
--Victoria Christopher Murray, NAACP Image Award-winning Author
It wasn't easy for Yvonne Cable to get over a heartbreaking relationship and revamp her life. But now the once-broke single mom is Atlanta's most sought-after interior designer--and one-half of the media's hottest power couple. She and her celebrity fianc�, Nathan, are a perfect, practical match, on--and off--camera. And with their new home improvement reality show the object of a fierce network bidding war, there's no limit to how far they can go . . .
But Yvonne is stunned when mogul Richard Barrington III unexpectedly makes an offer for their program. He's the man she thought left her for a more successful woman. And he's the father of her son--though he didn't know it until now. Richard wants to get to know their boy, and Yvonne agrees, though she's wary. Yet little by little, she's finding it hard to resist the responsible, caring man Richard has become. But when a scandalous leak puts everything Yvonne's worked for at risk, she'll have to look beyond surfaces to come to terms with who she is--and discover what she truly wants.
"Brooks is a talented storyteller--Redesigning Happiness hits all the right notes."
--ReShonda Tate Billingsley, National Bestselling Author
"It's been a long time since I've wanted to turn to the last page to see what was going to happen in a novel and with Redesigning Happiness, I had to stop myself. It was a delightful read that made me smile the whole way through. This was a wonderful debut novel."
--Victoria Christopher Murray, NAACP Image Award-winning Author
292 pages, Paperback
Published July 30, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 24, 2019
Please note that I received this book for free via NetGalley. This did not impact my rating or review.
So this book definitely needed a lot more development with the core characters and better writing in general. Yvonne and her "feelings" for the father of her son, Richard, was not believable. Heck her being in a relationship with Nathan didn't feel believable. I also had a hard time believing that Yvonne was supposedly a sought after designer with tv offers. We get one scene where she meets a client and the rest of the book is her obsessing about two men, talking about the two men with her mother and sister, and then worrying about her son. This book was boring and there was zero chemistry between any of the characters.
Brooks doesn't do a good job of setting up this second chance romance at all. I tend to like some second chance romances more than others and the ones that I like the most is when we don't have a heroine already dating someone else. Or in this case engaged to someone else. Because that usually means that the guy that the the heroine is with is somehow going to have to come out of nowhere and be so reprehensible that you the reader just want her with the other dude. Even if he's problematic as heck. FYI, Richard was not that great, he was just rich.
Brooks didn't do a good job with Richard at all. The whole backstory to his and Yvonne's "relationship" also made laugh. We have a quick scene showing how they met and all it showed was Yvonne was pressed from the beginning. That was it. I didn't get any connections between the two. Heck, Brooks doesn't even show their last scene together before she moved on and had their son. We just hear about it, repeatedly. Also we know Richard is from money, but once again it's not developed. He has enough money to develop a show? And of course readers know he is doing this to get back with Yvonne, but oh boy this was so dumb to me. I cannot with the Nathan story-line. That's all I am saying about that.
The writing was so-so. We had to hear about Yvonne's issues with her real father wanting nothing to do with her and why and from that take why she's so focused on making sure that her son gets to know his father even though it may destroy her relationship. I maybe laughed at one point when Richard after just meeting his son tells him he can call him dad. I mean....woosa. This book had so much that made me want to yell that I had to move on from things in order to finish this.
The flow was awful. There's a lot of talking happening and not much else. Brooks throws out some ridiculous stuff with Richard's ex and I maybe Kanye laughed.
The book takes place in Atlanta, and I didn't get any sense of the city or once again that Yvonne was some new hot designer in the city.
The ending left things as a HFN instead of a HEA. We know that Richard has drama and the book seems to be setting up a sequel following Yvonne's sister. I will be skipping that.
So this book definitely needed a lot more development with the core characters and better writing in general. Yvonne and her "feelings" for the father of her son, Richard, was not believable. Heck her being in a relationship with Nathan didn't feel believable. I also had a hard time believing that Yvonne was supposedly a sought after designer with tv offers. We get one scene where she meets a client and the rest of the book is her obsessing about two men, talking about the two men with her mother and sister, and then worrying about her son. This book was boring and there was zero chemistry between any of the characters.
Brooks doesn't do a good job of setting up this second chance romance at all. I tend to like some second chance romances more than others and the ones that I like the most is when we don't have a heroine already dating someone else. Or in this case engaged to someone else. Because that usually means that the guy that the the heroine is with is somehow going to have to come out of nowhere and be so reprehensible that you the reader just want her with the other dude. Even if he's problematic as heck. FYI, Richard was not that great, he was just rich.
Brooks didn't do a good job with Richard at all. The whole backstory to his and Yvonne's "relationship" also made laugh. We have a quick scene showing how they met and all it showed was Yvonne was pressed from the beginning. That was it. I didn't get any connections between the two. Heck, Brooks doesn't even show their last scene together before she moved on and had their son. We just hear about it, repeatedly. Also we know Richard is from money, but once again it's not developed. He has enough money to develop a show? And of course readers know he is doing this to get back with Yvonne, but oh boy this was so dumb to me. I cannot with the Nathan story-line. That's all I am saying about that.
The writing was so-so. We had to hear about Yvonne's issues with her real father wanting nothing to do with her and why and from that take why she's so focused on making sure that her son gets to know his father even though it may destroy her relationship. I maybe laughed at one point when Richard after just meeting his son tells him he can call him dad. I mean....woosa. This book had so much that made me want to yell that I had to move on from things in order to finish this.
The flow was awful. There's a lot of talking happening and not much else. Brooks throws out some ridiculous stuff with Richard's ex and I maybe Kanye laughed.
The book takes place in Atlanta, and I didn't get any sense of the city or once again that Yvonne was some new hot designer in the city.
The ending left things as a HFN instead of a HEA. We know that Richard has drama and the book seems to be setting up a sequel following Yvonne's sister. I will be skipping that.
July 29, 2019
This is a quick readable story, but unfortunately not one that I enjoyed as much as I had hoped to. I never seemed to get fully immersed in the story or characters. Sometimes I just don't connect with a story and that seems to have been the case with this one.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
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Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
Instagram: @readermonica
Facebook: Monica Reeds
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
September 6, 2019
The lesson I learned from reading this book is to not let a preponderance of low reviews prematurely skew my very own opinion.
Because, Whoa Nelly, this book has soap-opera level drama of epic proportions. And I LOVED IT!
Yvonne and Richard had a brief, intense affair several years ago that ended when Richard felt duty-bound to go back to his fiancée (who he had just broken up with the night he met Yvonne). When Yvonne later discovered she was pregnant and Richard wouldn’t even talk to her, she took her heartbroken self and went on with her life, becoming a successful, well-known interior designer.
Now, recently engaged and on the cusp of having a television show with her new fiancé, Richard reappears in her life and wants to know his child. Not only does this mean upending the life of her son, it opens the door to all the feelings she had for Richard that she had to abandon when he abandoned her.
The thing I really liked about this story is that there was no glossing over anyone’s hurt feelings. No sweeping them under the rug because “chemistry” or lust. The author didn’t choose to drag out the truth of what happened between the hero and heroine - to the reader OR the characters - and instead laid it all out in the open. There were discussions and debates and doing their best figuring out how to deal with the meddling hand they were dealt. The characters manage the repercussions of their situation as the adults they are. It was great to see adults behaving like adults!
Also, there was very little strong language, and no overt sexual content...and it was still a very compelling, intriguing story. Proof that you don’t need all that for a story to be good. (Not that I’m against those things! But the absence of those is rare in today’s contemporary romances and was something I noticed, so I thought I’d mention it.)
I’ve recently instituted a “grab me by 30% or else” rule for all books because I’m so behind in my ARC reading - I keep hanging with books that aren’t interesting to me - and I needed to give myself permission to move on. But not only did Redesigning Happiness suck me in after a few chapters, I stayed up until 2AM to finish it even knowing I’d hate myself in the morning for doing so. The characters, their situations, and all their feelings wouldn’t let me go until I found out how everything ended. And the writing stayed completely clear of the two things that bug the crap out of me the most:
1. Constantly referring to how hawt the hero is and going on and on about how turned on the heroine is by all the hero’s hawt body parts, and
2. Holding big secrets over the readers heads and referring to them frequently in an attempt to create suspense/drama.
To be clear - there were plenty of plot twists (a couple of which I didn’t even see coming!), but they just showed up BAM made the story even more twisted. It was great!
There was nothing I disliked about the writing, the plot, the characters. And it’s an impressive accomplishment for a debut author. Time will tell if Ms. Brooks keeps writing the words on the pages of her own story (my author equivalent of marching to the beat of your own drum). I sincerely hope she does, because if so she’ll have a bright, successful career ahead!
* thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books/Dafina for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Because, Whoa Nelly, this book has soap-opera level drama of epic proportions. And I LOVED IT!
Yvonne and Richard had a brief, intense affair several years ago that ended when Richard felt duty-bound to go back to his fiancée (who he had just broken up with the night he met Yvonne). When Yvonne later discovered she was pregnant and Richard wouldn’t even talk to her, she took her heartbroken self and went on with her life, becoming a successful, well-known interior designer.
Now, recently engaged and on the cusp of having a television show with her new fiancé, Richard reappears in her life and wants to know his child. Not only does this mean upending the life of her son, it opens the door to all the feelings she had for Richard that she had to abandon when he abandoned her.
The thing I really liked about this story is that there was no glossing over anyone’s hurt feelings. No sweeping them under the rug because “chemistry” or lust. The author didn’t choose to drag out the truth of what happened between the hero and heroine - to the reader OR the characters - and instead laid it all out in the open. There were discussions and debates and doing their best figuring out how to deal with the meddling hand they were dealt. The characters manage the repercussions of their situation as the adults they are. It was great to see adults behaving like adults!
Also, there was very little strong language, and no overt sexual content...and it was still a very compelling, intriguing story. Proof that you don’t need all that for a story to be good. (Not that I’m against those things! But the absence of those is rare in today’s contemporary romances and was something I noticed, so I thought I’d mention it.)
I’ve recently instituted a “grab me by 30% or else” rule for all books because I’m so behind in my ARC reading - I keep hanging with books that aren’t interesting to me - and I needed to give myself permission to move on. But not only did Redesigning Happiness suck me in after a few chapters, I stayed up until 2AM to finish it even knowing I’d hate myself in the morning for doing so. The characters, their situations, and all their feelings wouldn’t let me go until I found out how everything ended. And the writing stayed completely clear of the two things that bug the crap out of me the most:
1. Constantly referring to how hawt the hero is and going on and on about how turned on the heroine is by all the hero’s hawt body parts, and
2. Holding big secrets over the readers heads and referring to them frequently in an attempt to create suspense/drama.
To be clear - there were plenty of plot twists (a couple of which I didn’t even see coming!), but they just showed up BAM made the story even more twisted. It was great!
There was nothing I disliked about the writing, the plot, the characters. And it’s an impressive accomplishment for a debut author. Time will tell if Ms. Brooks keeps writing the words on the pages of her own story (my author equivalent of marching to the beat of your own drum). I sincerely hope she does, because if so she’ll have a bright, successful career ahead!
* thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books/Dafina for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review
October 31, 2019
Very cute.
Very predictable but I love a sappy romance/romantic-comedy (I mean, some parts are laughable lol)
Very predictable but I love a sappy romance/romantic-comedy (I mean, some parts are laughable lol)
October 31, 2019
Nita Brooks contemporary romance really puts the main character Yvonne through the ringer. I liked the main character a bit but found her too timid by half in the romance department given that she had a successful business that she had fought hard to succeed at. But her life situation was pretty difficult.
Her Mom Rochelle was a single mother, who had children from different fathers, neither of whom want anything to do with her. Yvonne is friendly with her sister Valerie but has no relationship to her actual dad. Rochelle is always around to assert her opinion about men.
Yvonne had started dating her ex-boyfriend Richard in DC on his rebound from his ex-girlfriend Natalie. Yvonne thought she had a good thing going, but apparently Richard's family thought differently and when Natalie, who's family owned a business that Richard's father wanted to merge with announced she was pregnant, Richard did the honorable thing and went back to her so as to give his daughter a father and to help out with the business. But he cut Yvonne off completely never even talking to her or calling her or answering her messages. When Yvonne found out she was also pregnant, she could never even tell Richard directly and his father paid her off to get lost. Yikes.
Skip 6 years into the future and Yvonne has pulled herself up by the bootstraps and has a successful design shop and is engaged to Nathan, a contractor. But what is missing from her life is that Nathan wants to wait and abstain from sex until they are married. But what is also clear is that Nathan is the nice guy that Yvonne is willing to accept because her heart was broken by Richard. He is like a snug sweater that keeps you warm - a security blanket. All through the early stages of the novel its hard to see if Yvonne loves him or loves the idea of being with him.
But Yvonne is sold on the possibility and Nathan's agent thinks they can be successful as tv show. He seems to find time to sell the "brand".
Brooks hits Yvonne with a broadside when Richard comes back into her life claiming he never knew she was pregnant or had a baby and wants to get involved with Jacob.
Yvonne tries to make it work and Brooks shows how Yvonne has to navigate the difficult situation of Richard and Nathan at the same time, and if that was all there was it would have been enough.
But Brooks is not content with forcing Yvonne to have to decide between her ex and Nathan, but decides to pad the novel with one to many situations -- another family member, a drunk stepsister of Nathan with a secret side fling and other acts of perfidy from unknown sources.
While the blended family aspects are a nice touch and realistic in today's world, Brooks would have been better served by not confronting Yvonne with so many soap opera situations and made her come to grips with who was a better man for her some other way. Plus if you are looking for any steaminess - this book is as tame as a baby lamb.
You can do better. Hopefully so can Ms. Brooks.
Her Mom Rochelle was a single mother, who had children from different fathers, neither of whom want anything to do with her. Yvonne is friendly with her sister Valerie but has no relationship to her actual dad. Rochelle is always around to assert her opinion about men.
Yvonne had started dating her ex-boyfriend Richard in DC on his rebound from his ex-girlfriend Natalie. Yvonne thought she had a good thing going, but apparently Richard's family thought differently and when Natalie, who's family owned a business that Richard's father wanted to merge with announced she was pregnant, Richard did the honorable thing and went back to her so as to give his daughter a father and to help out with the business. But he cut Yvonne off completely never even talking to her or calling her or answering her messages. When Yvonne found out she was also pregnant, she could never even tell Richard directly and his father paid her off to get lost. Yikes.
Skip 6 years into the future and Yvonne has pulled herself up by the bootstraps and has a successful design shop and is engaged to Nathan, a contractor. But what is missing from her life is that Nathan wants to wait and abstain from sex until they are married. But what is also clear is that Nathan is the nice guy that Yvonne is willing to accept because her heart was broken by Richard. He is like a snug sweater that keeps you warm - a security blanket. All through the early stages of the novel its hard to see if Yvonne loves him or loves the idea of being with him.
But Yvonne is sold on the possibility and Nathan's agent thinks they can be successful as tv show. He seems to find time to sell the "brand".
Brooks hits Yvonne with a broadside when Richard comes back into her life claiming he never knew she was pregnant or had a baby and wants to get involved with Jacob.
Yvonne tries to make it work and Brooks shows how Yvonne has to navigate the difficult situation of Richard and Nathan at the same time, and if that was all there was it would have been enough.
But Brooks is not content with forcing Yvonne to have to decide between her ex and Nathan, but decides to pad the novel with one to many situations -- another family member, a drunk stepsister of Nathan with a secret side fling and other acts of perfidy from unknown sources.
While the blended family aspects are a nice touch and realistic in today's world, Brooks would have been better served by not confronting Yvonne with so many soap opera situations and made her come to grips with who was a better man for her some other way. Plus if you are looking for any steaminess - this book is as tame as a baby lamb.
You can do better. Hopefully so can Ms. Brooks.
August 7, 2020
DNF 20%
Sadly, i didn`t like it. I tried to get into it, but i was just bored.
Sadly, i didn`t like it. I tried to get into it, but i was just bored.
January 11, 2020
Meh. Going into this book I was expecting an entertaining read that projected a strong businesswoman dealing with raising her child as a single parent and embarking on an impending marriage to a man she loved... It started off pretty decently but before I reached
the middle I was already tired of Yvonne. Really tired. I struggled to get through this book and finish it, but I was determined. The narration wasn't good and the story dragged in certain places (which I'm not sure were caused by the narrator or the story itself). There were new (predictable) plots revealed towards the end of the book that should've happened sooner or not at all. This might not be one of her best (for me), so I will certainly try again and look for other works by this author to read/listen to.
the middle I was already tired of Yvonne. Really tired. I struggled to get through this book and finish it, but I was determined. The narration wasn't good and the story dragged in certain places (which I'm not sure were caused by the narrator or the story itself). There were new (predictable) plots revealed towards the end of the book that should've happened sooner or not at all. This might not be one of her best (for me), so I will certainly try again and look for other works by this author to read/listen to.
July 30, 2019
I'll be honest, I saw that the main character, Yvonne, was an interior designer and it piqued my interest almost immediately. My HGTV loving heart was happy.
Yvonne Cable's life is on the upswing. Her career is booming, her son is healthy, and she's recently engaged to a great man, contractor Nathan Lange. These two met on a show and became a ratings hit and a home improvement dream. They're on the cusp of more fame when Yvonne's ex-boyfriend and her son's father, Richard, reappears in her life wanting to be a part of her son's life and potentially a key part to her new reality show dreams.
Richard throws her life in slight upheaval. She's now only forced to deal with her feelings toward Richard but her feelings about Nathan and the true state of their relationship. Yvonne soon comes to the conclusion that what is deemed perfect isn't always best for you and happiness can be designed on your own terms.
I liked the pace of the story and the secondary characters that were introduced. There were quite a few of them but they all held their own and added to the novel. The subplots added something extra when I needed it and kept me invested in this novel.
While I liked this book, the overall romance portion of it wasn't a home run for me. I picked up on Nathan's truth pretty early on so I was waiting for that to come to light so we could really dig deep into Yvonne and Richard, though that never quite happened. Yes, Richard was the love of her life and the man she obviously wanted to spend time with but I didn't get the overwhelming love they claimed to have for each other over six years ago. Maybe if we had been shown more about their life before I would have been more invested? They lacked the passion I expected.
In Redesigning Happiness, Yvonne ultimately figured out that her happiness wasn't dependent on anyone but herself and redesigned her life on her own terms.
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**
Yvonne Cable's life is on the upswing. Her career is booming, her son is healthy, and she's recently engaged to a great man, contractor Nathan Lange. These two met on a show and became a ratings hit and a home improvement dream. They're on the cusp of more fame when Yvonne's ex-boyfriend and her son's father, Richard, reappears in her life wanting to be a part of her son's life and potentially a key part to her new reality show dreams.
Richard throws her life in slight upheaval. She's now only forced to deal with her feelings toward Richard but her feelings about Nathan and the true state of their relationship. Yvonne soon comes to the conclusion that what is deemed perfect isn't always best for you and happiness can be designed on your own terms.
I liked the pace of the story and the secondary characters that were introduced. There were quite a few of them but they all held their own and added to the novel. The subplots added something extra when I needed it and kept me invested in this novel.
While I liked this book, the overall romance portion of it wasn't a home run for me. I picked up on Nathan's truth pretty early on so I was waiting for that to come to light so we could really dig deep into Yvonne and Richard, though that never quite happened. Yes, Richard was the love of her life and the man she obviously wanted to spend time with but I didn't get the overwhelming love they claimed to have for each other over six years ago. Maybe if we had been shown more about their life before I would have been more invested? They lacked the passion I expected.
In Redesigning Happiness, Yvonne ultimately figured out that her happiness wasn't dependent on anyone but herself and redesigned her life on her own terms.
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**
September 20, 2019
This was a cute story! It resonates with me because Yvonne, the main character is a single mom. She’s newly engaged to her fiancé Nathan and they’re about to start filming an HGTV type of show together, showcasing their lives. BUT Yvonne has a secret. While most think her sons dad has just up and disappeared, the truth is, he never knew Yvonne was pregnant due to his dad paying her off to be removed from his sons life for forever.
Richard, 6 years later finds out this kept secret due to some unfortunate circumstances. When Richard shows up into Yvonne’s life unannounced, life starts to take a turn.
I rated this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. There’s a surprised twist towards the end that had me cursing! lol If you enjoy Rom-Coms, you’ll probably like this one too!
Richard, 6 years later finds out this kept secret due to some unfortunate circumstances. When Richard shows up into Yvonne’s life unannounced, life starts to take a turn.
I rated this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. There’s a surprised twist towards the end that had me cursing! lol If you enjoy Rom-Coms, you’ll probably like this one too!
August 20, 2019
This was okay. Slow to start, but it became interesting once Richard showed up, and Yvonne had to balance a lot of conflicting needs from all the people in her life. I was prepared to dislike Richard, because I tend to dislike infidelity storylines, but I liked him a lot. Nathan was written to be very controlling, so I didn’t like him, but it wasn’t his fault, the author made him that way! (And I resented that - this would have been a stronger story if Nathan wasn’t written to be a controlling insecure schmo. He is allowed to redeem himself, which I appreciated.) It’ll be pretty clear to most readers which way the wind is blowing here (), but no one reads these books for their “surprise” plot twists, so that’s okay.
Here’s the thing: I rarely like contemporary romances. But I want to like contemporary romances, so I keep trying. But ugh. They always have heroines with fluffy lady careers, never anything that feels real like cashier or waitress or lab tech or factory quality manager. No, they have careers like radio host or flower shop owner or interior designer. Nebulous careers that society seems to think are interesting but not too threatening. And the heroines are supposedly crazy busy but all we ever see them do is stare out a window and rush to work late (and never any repercussions). You get vaguey-vague stuff like: “Yvonne lost herself in work. She worked on a few projects, returned phone calls and emails, and set up a few meetings for the following week.”. That’s how five year olds play at being grown-ups, with a few vague meetings. The dialogue is always a bit flighty, clearly just there to get information across to the reader and never for the characters to have an actual conversation. And the writing is always breezy in a certain way that annoys me, and all the characters are immediately introduced with full names. And the names always sound like something from a soap opera ... Yvonne Cable, Bree Foster, Nathan Lange, Sandra Covington, Richard Barrington III ...
There were a few other fails that are more personal-preference.
1.
I’m a single mom and hell yeah I take the time to get changed when I first get home, and THEN I make dinner. I also never let my young kids watch TV before bed.
2. Pizza with fries? Who makes that for dinner? Surely homemade pizza is a complete meal unto itself, and needs no side dish??
3. Passage of time was inconsistent. Some chapters were all in the same few hours, other chapters jumped ahead a few weeks.
4. The thing about Richard helping Nathan coach T-ball was silly. First of all, Yvonne should have already stepped up to help as soon as the other coach said he couldn’t make it. Alternatively, she could have recruited one of the other parents. But okay it’s Richard who’s helping - just have Jacob call him Uncle Rich and let everyone assume he’s one of Yvonne’s relatives or a family friend. NBD. Lying and calling him “a friend of Nathan’s” is just going to make everyone look ridiculous later when the truth comes out.
5. Grammatical mistakes in dialogue make sense, but grammar & spelling mistakes in the text set my teeth on edge. Ex: “alright” instead of “all right” and “good” instead of “well” (“... the interview had gone pretty good ...”). I know I make mistakes, too, but an editor and publisher should catch this stuff.
6. It seemed like Yvonne & Nathan were an inter-racial couple, but there was never any mention of that. Plenty of talk about parents/family/friends/others approving or disapproving of things, but never because of race. That felt unrealistic.
7. What Richard (well, Richard’s family) did to Yvonne was really horrible, and it irritated me every time it was thrown in Yvonne’s face as if she had done something wrong in accepting the money she was given to leave Richard alone. (Not a spoiler.) He dumped her, and she could be pregnant & single with fifty thousand or pregnant & single without fifty thousand. Any sane person would accept that money, there should be no shame in that.
8. There are a lot of crazy reveals in this story. Like, a lot a lot. The plot would have been stronger if a few of those had been eliminated. (Does it really matter to the plot that Save it for the sequel.)
9. And there’s absolutely no question that Denzel is hotter than Idris. I mean, come on. I’m with Valerie on this one.
So, I didn’t love this. But I’m not the best person to listen to, because I rarely like this genre.
Here’s the thing: I rarely like contemporary romances. But I want to like contemporary romances, so I keep trying. But ugh. They always have heroines with fluffy lady careers, never anything that feels real like cashier or waitress or lab tech or factory quality manager. No, they have careers like radio host or flower shop owner or interior designer. Nebulous careers that society seems to think are interesting but not too threatening. And the heroines are supposedly crazy busy but all we ever see them do is stare out a window and rush to work late (and never any repercussions). You get vaguey-vague stuff like: “Yvonne lost herself in work. She worked on a few projects, returned phone calls and emails, and set up a few meetings for the following week.”. That’s how five year olds play at being grown-ups, with a few vague meetings. The dialogue is always a bit flighty, clearly just there to get information across to the reader and never for the characters to have an actual conversation. And the writing is always breezy in a certain way that annoys me, and all the characters are immediately introduced with full names. And the names always sound like something from a soap opera ... Yvonne Cable, Bree Foster, Nathan Lange, Sandra Covington, Richard Barrington III ...
“Yvonne, I got the fabric swatches you needed for the Tyson project, and don’t forget that you’ve got a call with the editor of Lady Entrepreneur magazine in fifteen minutes.”
Bree Foster, Yvonne’s administrative assistant, swept into Yvonne’s office with an arm full of fabric.
There were a few other fails that are more personal-preference.
1.
She didn’t want to hear the compliment in his voice. She didn’t get comfortable before making dinner because on the days she did cook she started as soon as she came through the door. She’d had to. No one else was here to help.
I’m a single mom and hell yeah I take the time to get changed when I first get home, and THEN I make dinner. I also never let my young kids watch TV before bed.
2. Pizza with fries? Who makes that for dinner? Surely homemade pizza is a complete meal unto itself, and needs no side dish??
3. Passage of time was inconsistent. Some chapters were all in the same few hours, other chapters jumped ahead a few weeks.
4. The thing about Richard helping Nathan coach T-ball was silly. First of all, Yvonne should have already stepped up to help as soon as the other coach said he couldn’t make it. Alternatively, she could have recruited one of the other parents. But okay it’s Richard who’s helping - just have Jacob call him Uncle Rich and let everyone assume he’s one of Yvonne’s relatives or a family friend. NBD. Lying and calling him “a friend of Nathan’s” is just going to make everyone look ridiculous later when the truth comes out.
5. Grammatical mistakes in dialogue make sense, but grammar & spelling mistakes in the text set my teeth on edge. Ex: “alright” instead of “all right” and “good” instead of “well” (“... the interview had gone pretty good ...”). I know I make mistakes, too, but an editor and publisher should catch this stuff.
6. It seemed like Yvonne & Nathan were an inter-racial couple, but there was never any mention of that. Plenty of talk about parents/family/friends/others approving or disapproving of things, but never because of race. That felt unrealistic.
7. What Richard (well, Richard’s family) did to Yvonne was really horrible, and it irritated me every time it was thrown in Yvonne’s face as if she had done something wrong in accepting the money she was given to leave Richard alone. (Not a spoiler.) He dumped her, and she could be pregnant & single with fifty thousand or pregnant & single without fifty thousand. Any sane person would accept that money, there should be no shame in that.
8. There are a lot of crazy reveals in this story. Like, a lot a lot. The plot would have been stronger if a few of those had been eliminated. (Does it really matter to the plot that Save it for the sequel.)
9. And there’s absolutely no question that Denzel is hotter than Idris. I mean, come on. I’m with Valerie on this one.
So, I didn’t love this. But I’m not the best person to listen to, because I rarely like this genre.
July 31, 2019
Redesigning Happiness by Nita Brooks is out today! Thank you @netgallery and @kensingtonbooks for the arc Kindle edition. Yvonne is a single-mom, high-profile interior designer in Atlanta. She is newly engaged to Nathan-star of the number one renovation show. Her life is on track and her and Nathan are pitching their own tv show to different networks. However Yvonne’s ex/father of her child, comes into town and demands contact with the son he never knew about.
.
.
.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ So this book was okay, it was a romance novel about second-chance romances which I adore but sort of fell a little flat in some areas. Nathan was described as “a sex-symbol” but the main part of their game was that they were traditional and waiting until marriage to be intimate. Also the father, Richard, is extremely entitled and demanding and it’s hard to imagine strong, independent, humble Yvonne falling for his arrogant, self righteousness.
.
.
He has never seen his son-didn’t know about his existence due to his ex wife and father-yet he comes in and immediately demands joint custody and contact with his son. It was very abrupt and had he actually cares about his child or Yvonne he would have moved slower. It was hard to accept the romance between these two characters, and it made me feel bad for Nathan.
.
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I really liked Yvonne’s character and I’m excited to read more strong female characters from this author.
.
.
.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ So this book was okay, it was a romance novel about second-chance romances which I adore but sort of fell a little flat in some areas. Nathan was described as “a sex-symbol” but the main part of their game was that they were traditional and waiting until marriage to be intimate. Also the father, Richard, is extremely entitled and demanding and it’s hard to imagine strong, independent, humble Yvonne falling for his arrogant, self righteousness.
.
.
He has never seen his son-didn’t know about his existence due to his ex wife and father-yet he comes in and immediately demands joint custody and contact with his son. It was very abrupt and had he actually cares about his child or Yvonne he would have moved slower. It was hard to accept the romance between these two characters, and it made me feel bad for Nathan.
.
.
I really liked Yvonne’s character and I’m excited to read more strong female characters from this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2020
Way too many predictable elements in this love triangle romance novel. Too much narration. This book could've been one-third shorter without sacrificing much in terms of the reader experience. That said, I like that the protagonist is a successful businesswoman and mother, that it showcases a nontraditional family structure, and that we see strong family bonds between the women in Valerie's family.
July 17, 2019
Redesigning Happiness by Nita Brooks is not my normal go to read but, I wanted to try a contemporary adult romance just to see if it’s a genre I would read more of. The answer is NO, but my choice to read romance willing has nothing to the with the writing of the book, it’s just romance in novels can get cheesy and the story line can be very predictable.
With that being said, single mother and raising star in interior designer Yvonne Cable has become engaged to Nathan Lange, a home improvement TV star who wants to launch a show with her. Richard Barrington, the owner of the Weekend Warrior network is interested in picking up Yvonne and Nathan show. Yvonne is not happy about this because she knows Richard very well because he abandoned her and their unborn child at the time, now 6-year-old son Jacob.
Oh, shoot here comes the drama!
With out giving too much away Richard knew about his after his father confessed on his death bed and Yvonne thinks Richard left her for another woman. You can already see where this is going. A whole lot happens, and it honestly kept me glued to my couch. Overall, I would recommend this book for a buddy read or book club. There are relatable circumstance that would get a great conversation going.
Thank you, Dafina/Kensington, for gifting me copy in exchange for an honest review. 3/5 stars
With that being said, single mother and raising star in interior designer Yvonne Cable has become engaged to Nathan Lange, a home improvement TV star who wants to launch a show with her. Richard Barrington, the owner of the Weekend Warrior network is interested in picking up Yvonne and Nathan show. Yvonne is not happy about this because she knows Richard very well because he abandoned her and their unborn child at the time, now 6-year-old son Jacob.
Oh, shoot here comes the drama!
With out giving too much away Richard knew about his after his father confessed on his death bed and Yvonne thinks Richard left her for another woman. You can already see where this is going. A whole lot happens, and it honestly kept me glued to my couch. Overall, I would recommend this book for a buddy read or book club. There are relatable circumstance that would get a great conversation going.
Thank you, Dafina/Kensington, for gifting me copy in exchange for an honest review. 3/5 stars
December 24, 2019
Decent, but diffcult to get through at times. Some of the situations seem unrealistic. The author has potential to me and I would read another book from her.
July 31, 2019
Yvonne Cable grinned at the feature on her latest design. The picture below the headline was the completed home office for her latest client. After clawing her way through Atlanta’s cutthroat interior design community, in Atlanta Life magazine was the coveted crown. She created perfection for her clients, a haven in their hectic lives. She had an organized whiteboard in her office. The board served as a quick reference to where she was and what she needed to do next. Her new project was the the Sandra Covington Project. Sandra Covington was a self help author turned radio personality announced her radio program was going into nationwide syndication. The woman's advice was quoted everywhere. Yvonne arrived. Shed the mistakes of the past and became a household name. Yvonne had gotten engaged over the weekend to Nathan. He proposed via the jumbotron at the Atlanta braves game. She was still getting used to being engaged. For the past six years she’d been a single mom and business owner. Now she was part of a team. Nathan Lange home improvement television star. Boy next store sex symbol and all around good guy was her fiance. Marriage was a big deal. Her six year old son jacob would have a father. She would have a man who loved and supported her. Yvonne had met Nathan on the set of Celebrity Housewives where he’d worked as a contractor. The disagreements and the attraction between them had sparked instantly, so much so they’d stolen every scene they were in. Their chemistry had given nathan’s publicist the idea they could be the new helm of a home improvement show. She’d once been forced to accept whatever scraps she could get from the person-Richard- who claimed to love her. Not anymore. Neither she or her son would ever be in that position again. No matter what happened. With her and Nathan. Yvonne Cable designs is and always will be her top priority. Nathan had decided he wanted to wait until after marriage to have sex His publicist-Judy and Yvonne’s by default thought it eas a great idea. Judy said you two are the latest couple in the home and garden world. The appeal of your unconventional love means people want to know more about you. Nathan felt their values as a couple would play onto the show. She had expected it to be the focal point of their public relationship. Yvonne tried not to let people see how cynical she was about life. She had lost a lot of her faith. Multiple disappointments early in life tended to do that to people . nathan had enough faith for them both. He was the one person who’d slowly made her feel it was okay to trust again. He believed that good things happen to good people. He loved yvonne and jacob. One proposal and her life was no longer hers. Was she about to lose herself again, in a relationship when she promised herself never again to be swept away by a man? Nathan was the opposite of any guy she’d ever dated before . She’d done that on purpose and she’d been given her happy ending that she’d stopped looking for long ago.
I couldn’t get into this book. It just didn’t jive for me. First off nathan talks to Judy about hois and Yvonnes sex life or lack of and agrees to let ot play apart in their public relationship and on the proposed show. Than not discussing this with Yvonne first- waiting until marriage. Especially since that wasn’t ewhat Yvonne had wanted after nine months of already no sex.Also Yvonne being willing to let Richard into Jacon life after six yrears of nothing and pating her off to leave as she had been unknowingly the other woman. It just didn’t flow for me. I had problems keeping my attention on this book. Also it didn’t give up much of a back story of Richard and Yvonne. Than you have the book title and publishing house on every couple of pages interrupting you. This just wasn’t for me. I am sure others will love this book.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
I couldn’t get into this book. It just didn’t jive for me. First off nathan talks to Judy about hois and Yvonnes sex life or lack of and agrees to let ot play apart in their public relationship and on the proposed show. Than not discussing this with Yvonne first- waiting until marriage. Especially since that wasn’t ewhat Yvonne had wanted after nine months of already no sex.Also Yvonne being willing to let Richard into Jacon life after six yrears of nothing and pating her off to leave as she had been unknowingly the other woman. It just didn’t flow for me. I had problems keeping my attention on this book. Also it didn’t give up much of a back story of Richard and Yvonne. Than you have the book title and publishing house on every couple of pages interrupting you. This just wasn’t for me. I am sure others will love this book.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book
March 6, 2020
First Loves, Second Chances and True Happiness
I’m not going to lie. When I saw this cover at 2019 RWA, I honestly thought it was a coffee table book with pictures. Duh, now I know its not. Don’t get me wrong, I still wanted to have it.
I say this for two reasons:
1. I will purchase a book based on the book cover alone.
2. Sometimes, I may or may not read the blurb.
Now, lets get to the real deal: THE REVIEW
Redesigning Happiness is a breathtaking story about first love, second chances, and seeking true happiness. Nita Brooks delivered a knockout debut story. My wine down reading in the evenings was well worth it. It’s a romance sparked with more plot punches (pun intended) to keep the reader saying …” wait a minute, what!”
Yvonne Cable is a single mom raising a 6-year-old precocious son name Jacob in Atlanta, Georgia. A successful interior designer, Yvonne Cable Design, creates perfection for her clients and want to expand her brand and become the most sought-after designer nationwide. Plus, she is engaged to Nathan Lange, a sexy home improvement television star.
Between Yvonne’s designs and Nathan’s sexy contractor image, they are destined to be media’s new power couple in home improvement (think HGTV) Now the one person who abandoned her, returns in her life and brings back memories of what might have been.
Richard Barrington III arrives in town with a life changing media contract. Not to mention, he is full of guilt about the way he ended his relationship with Yvonne. He is determined to set things right with her, but first he needs to gain her trust. And Nathan, the fiancée, is convinced he does not deserve. Yes, we have a love triangle people. But wait a minute, its an elegant love triangle (yes, there is a thing). I know what you were thinking. Good ahead and tell me. I’ll wait…
OK! As Yvonne and Richard navigate their parental roles between each other, their deepest desires become more and more impossible to deny what’s always been between them. Plus, Yvonne’s childhood sense of abandonment doesn’t help the situation.
The storytelling is smooth and riveting. The banter and dialogue with her mom and sister are on point. It made me feel like I was sitting at my mom’s kitchen table justifying my life choices over her objections.
“Sex! That’s exactly what she needed. …Sex of the hot, sweat-out-my-perm, can’t-breathe-or-sit-down, rock-my-world variety.”
This story made me feel like home. It was about a successful African American single woman living her best life. It was without cultural stereotypes. It did not have the clique ending I was expecting. As a matter of fact, the twists will make you say “Oh my gawd, really”
I have always wanted to read stories by authors who look like me creating characters you can plug any race or nationality into, and it would remain amazing and mainstream. My book besties and I are always talking about “can I get a Christian Grey or a Gideon Cross in a gorgeous African American character.” Nita Brooks gave me my tall, dark and handsome Gideon Cross in the body of Denzel Washington.
A wonderful cast of characters.
Sexy to die for Hero.
A fabulous treat for romance readers.
Do yourself a favor – read this book!
I snatch this baby so quick when I saw it in Kindle Unlimited.
Lola at Mile High Kink Book Club https://milehighkinkbookclub.com/
I’m not going to lie. When I saw this cover at 2019 RWA, I honestly thought it was a coffee table book with pictures. Duh, now I know its not. Don’t get me wrong, I still wanted to have it.
I say this for two reasons:
1. I will purchase a book based on the book cover alone.
2. Sometimes, I may or may not read the blurb.
Now, lets get to the real deal: THE REVIEW
Redesigning Happiness is a breathtaking story about first love, second chances, and seeking true happiness. Nita Brooks delivered a knockout debut story. My wine down reading in the evenings was well worth it. It’s a romance sparked with more plot punches (pun intended) to keep the reader saying …” wait a minute, what!”
Yvonne Cable is a single mom raising a 6-year-old precocious son name Jacob in Atlanta, Georgia. A successful interior designer, Yvonne Cable Design, creates perfection for her clients and want to expand her brand and become the most sought-after designer nationwide. Plus, she is engaged to Nathan Lange, a sexy home improvement television star.
Between Yvonne’s designs and Nathan’s sexy contractor image, they are destined to be media’s new power couple in home improvement (think HGTV) Now the one person who abandoned her, returns in her life and brings back memories of what might have been.
Richard Barrington III arrives in town with a life changing media contract. Not to mention, he is full of guilt about the way he ended his relationship with Yvonne. He is determined to set things right with her, but first he needs to gain her trust. And Nathan, the fiancée, is convinced he does not deserve. Yes, we have a love triangle people. But wait a minute, its an elegant love triangle (yes, there is a thing). I know what you were thinking. Good ahead and tell me. I’ll wait…
OK! As Yvonne and Richard navigate their parental roles between each other, their deepest desires become more and more impossible to deny what’s always been between them. Plus, Yvonne’s childhood sense of abandonment doesn’t help the situation.
The storytelling is smooth and riveting. The banter and dialogue with her mom and sister are on point. It made me feel like I was sitting at my mom’s kitchen table justifying my life choices over her objections.
“Sex! That’s exactly what she needed. …Sex of the hot, sweat-out-my-perm, can’t-breathe-or-sit-down, rock-my-world variety.”
This story made me feel like home. It was about a successful African American single woman living her best life. It was without cultural stereotypes. It did not have the clique ending I was expecting. As a matter of fact, the twists will make you say “Oh my gawd, really”
I have always wanted to read stories by authors who look like me creating characters you can plug any race or nationality into, and it would remain amazing and mainstream. My book besties and I are always talking about “can I get a Christian Grey or a Gideon Cross in a gorgeous African American character.” Nita Brooks gave me my tall, dark and handsome Gideon Cross in the body of Denzel Washington.
A wonderful cast of characters.
Sexy to die for Hero.
A fabulous treat for romance readers.
Do yourself a favor – read this book!
I snatch this baby so quick when I saw it in Kindle Unlimited.
Lola at Mile High Kink Book Club https://milehighkinkbookclub.com/
September 16, 2019
Nita Brooks tells the story of single mother Yvonne Cable who is living her best life with a successful interior design business and is engaged to an equally successful building contractor. After viewing Yvonne and her Nathan duke it out on a design television show all of Atlanta and beyond wants to see more. When Nathan publicy proposes to Yvonne she accepts thinking that he is the perfect man. Out of nowhere they receive a high paying offer from a network to have their own show following their personal and professional lives. While Nathan wants to cater to the audience he suggests that they wait until the wedding night to consumate the nuptials. Yvonne reluctantly agrees.
When Yvonne receives a request to meet the owner of the network alone she is hesitant, but goes alone anyway. When she arrives she is shocked to meet the father of her child, Richard Barrington. Automatically she distrusts him because he hurt her deep in her soul years before when he left her to marry another woman. He claims he never knew that she was carrying his child and tells her that he wants to meet his son. This changes everything for Yvonne especially if it should go public. She struggles tell Nathan the whole truth and the dynamics of their relationship changes when she allows Richard to spend time with his son. The more time she spends with Richard the more old feelings begin to torture her. She is torn between her past love for Richard and the perfect life that she and Nathan are planning to create.
Yvonne's mother gives her advice based on her own experience while her sister tells it to her straight. Nonetheless, Yvonne has a dilemma has that's not easy to resolve with a child involved especially when more secrets and lies are revealed. I had a hard time putting this book down. There are surprises and some final twist that will blow the reader's mind.
When Yvonne receives a request to meet the owner of the network alone she is hesitant, but goes alone anyway. When she arrives she is shocked to meet the father of her child, Richard Barrington. Automatically she distrusts him because he hurt her deep in her soul years before when he left her to marry another woman. He claims he never knew that she was carrying his child and tells her that he wants to meet his son. This changes everything for Yvonne especially if it should go public. She struggles tell Nathan the whole truth and the dynamics of their relationship changes when she allows Richard to spend time with his son. The more time she spends with Richard the more old feelings begin to torture her. She is torn between her past love for Richard and the perfect life that she and Nathan are planning to create.
Yvonne's mother gives her advice based on her own experience while her sister tells it to her straight. Nonetheless, Yvonne has a dilemma has that's not easy to resolve with a child involved especially when more secrets and lies are revealed. I had a hard time putting this book down. There are surprises and some final twist that will blow the reader's mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 1, 2020Yvonne Cable, single mother and interior designer to Atlanta's elite, is ready to jumpstart her career and love life with a home renovation TV show co-starring her handsome and wholesome celebrity contractor fiance, Nate. Sparks flew when the couple met on a reality show and everyone is obsessed with their public wait-until-marriage stance. There is trouble in paradise when the network that buys her show happens to be owned by Richard Barrington--her son's estranged father whose family tore them apart. Richard is back and he's not ready to let her go just yet
Yvonne is an easy character to root for as she tries to take her life to the next level. She has to balance both men as they fight for a place in her and her son's. It's really complicated because both men are trying to do their best and want to be in Yvonne's life, I liked that neither of them was villainized.
Yvonne's sister and mother also aren't afraid to put their two cents in because this family knows about drama as Yvonne has questions about her own father--a church official whose affair with her mother ruined two marriages. Speaking of family issues there is also Nate's messy step-sister and Richard's scheming ex-wife. Needless to say, there is plenty to keep the pages turning but it never goes over-the-top and stays at a level that I think will seem realistic to people with blended families.
This book is not quite a romance as Yvonne's relationship with her six-year-old son, career and work/life balance takes center stage. Redesigning Happiness is a funny, moving and sweet book with a modern southern feel and a barley simmering heat level.
Yvonne is an easy character to root for as she tries to take her life to the next level. She has to balance both men as they fight for a place in her and her son's. It's really complicated because both men are trying to do their best and want to be in Yvonne's life, I liked that neither of them was villainized.
Yvonne's sister and mother also aren't afraid to put their two cents in because this family knows about drama as Yvonne has questions about her own father--a church official whose affair with her mother ruined two marriages. Speaking of family issues there is also Nate's messy step-sister and Richard's scheming ex-wife. Needless to say, there is plenty to keep the pages turning but it never goes over-the-top and stays at a level that I think will seem realistic to people with blended families.
This book is not quite a romance as Yvonne's relationship with her six-year-old son, career and work/life balance takes center stage. Redesigning Happiness is a funny, moving and sweet book with a modern southern feel and a barley simmering heat level.
July 24, 2019
So, i really wanted to love this book.
I got this book from publishers in return for an honest review.
I give it three stars. Not because it wasn't good because it was decent; however, nothing stood out to me.
There were a few lines that i snapped my fingers to "women need to realize that they are the prize!"
But everything else was just average.
I commend Brooks for attempting to write a family drama but I think it fell flat too many times.
I imagined there being more discussion about Yvonne's true struggles with filling a void, yet I feel like they were just glossed over.
The fact this book was told from a narrator's perspective instead of from a character's made it really impersonal. I actually got confused by who was who at the beginning.
I know many romance stories have predictable endings but it is the ride along the way that makes them unique, yet it felt like this was the same old story just wrapped up in a different color bow.
I believe that Brooks missed a perfect chance to change the narrative. There were ample chances for her to take the story in the direction of something deeper but I was left with this surface level analysis of a complicated situation.
I wanted to like this book way more than 3 stars because I was so excited about it but I was definitely let down.
I got this book from publishers in return for an honest review.
I give it three stars. Not because it wasn't good because it was decent; however, nothing stood out to me.
There were a few lines that i snapped my fingers to "women need to realize that they are the prize!"
But everything else was just average.
I commend Brooks for attempting to write a family drama but I think it fell flat too many times.
I imagined there being more discussion about Yvonne's true struggles with filling a void, yet I feel like they were just glossed over.
The fact this book was told from a narrator's perspective instead of from a character's made it really impersonal. I actually got confused by who was who at the beginning.
I know many romance stories have predictable endings but it is the ride along the way that makes them unique, yet it felt like this was the same old story just wrapped up in a different color bow.
I believe that Brooks missed a perfect chance to change the narrative. There were ample chances for her to take the story in the direction of something deeper but I was left with this surface level analysis of a complicated situation.
I wanted to like this book way more than 3 stars because I was so excited about it but I was definitely let down.
July 21, 2019
Yvonne had her heart broken and life shattered by Richard Barrington III abandoning her and the child she was carrying. She moved back home to Atlanta and put the time behind her, never telling anyone about her son’s father. Now six years on she’s a successful interior designer and engaged to Nathan. They’re considered a local celebrity couple after being on Celebrity Housewives together and are looking to do a tv show together...and Richard Barrington III owns the tv network that wants to make their show with them! Things are about to get very complicated...
I liked the concept behind this story, that relationships and families can be complicated. That families are not always the neat and tidy mum, dad and a couple of kids. That sometimes relationships don’t work no matter how much we may want them too.
However, I did find a lot of the story to be a little bit predictable. That said, I enjoyed seeing the tension building between Yvonne and Richard and found the book easy to read and still succeeding in delivering a bit of feel-good factor.
An enjoyable and easy read.
My thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.
I liked the concept behind this story, that relationships and families can be complicated. That families are not always the neat and tidy mum, dad and a couple of kids. That sometimes relationships don’t work no matter how much we may want them too.
However, I did find a lot of the story to be a little bit predictable. That said, I enjoyed seeing the tension building between Yvonne and Richard and found the book easy to read and still succeeding in delivering a bit of feel-good factor.
An enjoyable and easy read.
My thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.
July 1, 2019
Really enjoyed the first half of this book. Yvonne appeared to be a strong woman who had been through some emotional trials and not only survived but forged ahead to put her life on track including being a successful businesswoman and single mom. But the second half was so disappointing. She agreed to marry Nathan when every indication was that she wasn't sure this was what she wanted. Richard returns and she comes unglued. She sent mixed signals to both men while she wavered back and forth. I did not like anything about her mom but her sister, Valerie, was a nice addition.
However, the ending was just overdone. There were so many twists and turns and "surprise" revelations, Nathan's secret and Sandra's secret, that it got to the point that none of it was believable. It felt like the author decided to go out with a bang and just threw out all kinds of unreal situations. The ending was rushed and not well thought out. I really wanted to like this book but by the time I finished, I was just tired of it.
However, the ending was just overdone. There were so many twists and turns and "surprise" revelations, Nathan's secret and Sandra's secret, that it got to the point that none of it was believable. It felt like the author decided to go out with a bang and just threw out all kinds of unreal situations. The ending was rushed and not well thought out. I really wanted to like this book but by the time I finished, I was just tired of it.
July 19, 2019
The cover and the fact it was a new author had me excited to steal away with this one.
Redesigning Happiness is a debut novel by Nita Brooks and it gives us a love triangle of sorts with lots of twists of half-truth, secrets and betrayals.
As we begin the journey, we celebrate Yvonne, a single mother with the passion of redesigning homes. Of course, it wasn’t an easy walk for her, but she beats the odds. Nathan is immediately drawn to her and wants to break his no relationship rule. He wastes no time in locking her down with a proposal.
Now with the engagement and network scouts circling they are ready to take on the world. But when an absentee parent comes back staking his claim the drama begins.
To find out how it all enfolds, pick up your copy.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this advance copy for my honest opinion.
#ResigningHappiness. #netgalley
Redesigning Happiness is a debut novel by Nita Brooks and it gives us a love triangle of sorts with lots of twists of half-truth, secrets and betrayals.
As we begin the journey, we celebrate Yvonne, a single mother with the passion of redesigning homes. Of course, it wasn’t an easy walk for her, but she beats the odds. Nathan is immediately drawn to her and wants to break his no relationship rule. He wastes no time in locking her down with a proposal.
Now with the engagement and network scouts circling they are ready to take on the world. But when an absentee parent comes back staking his claim the drama begins.
To find out how it all enfolds, pick up your copy.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this advance copy for my honest opinion.
#ResigningHappiness. #netgalley
March 24, 2022
Yvonne Cable was a single mother who started a design business. Her son Jacob was the light of her life. She was on a TV Show with Nathan who seemed perfect. He asked her to marry him but delayed the marriage. Richard Barrington had no idea he had a son until his recent divorce. His now deceased father and former wife conspired to keep him and Yvonne apart. He wants to be part of his son's life.
He never got over his feelings for Yvonne.
I still cannot get over how hostile Yvonne's mother was. Despite the fact that her biological father refused to see her even though he continued a relationship with her mother. Her mother still saw him because he had money with no thought of how this made her daughter feel. This book really made you look at how relationships with family and friends impact you.
He never got over his feelings for Yvonne.
I still cannot get over how hostile Yvonne's mother was. Despite the fact that her biological father refused to see her even though he continued a relationship with her mother. Her mother still saw him because he had money with no thought of how this made her daughter feel. This book really made you look at how relationships with family and friends impact you.
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July 31, 2019An ARC was provided through Net Galley.
Yvonne Cable is a newly engaged single Mom on top of the world. Both she and her fiancé have the opportunity for their own home improvement show. Just when the world is her oyster, Richard Barrington III reenters her life. Barrington and Yvonne had a prior relationship that resulted in a child.. Barrington has just discovered that he has a son. Richard's return brings doubts and confusion for Yvonne. Is Richard really her past? Or should she stick with a sure thing that she thinks she has in Nathan her fiancé? Ms. Brooks does a good job in having you root for Yvonne.. The book is slanted towards one of the men more so than the other. So the reader will not be surprised which man Yvonne chooses
Yvonne Cable is a newly engaged single Mom on top of the world. Both she and her fiancé have the opportunity for their own home improvement show. Just when the world is her oyster, Richard Barrington III reenters her life. Barrington and Yvonne had a prior relationship that resulted in a child.. Barrington has just discovered that he has a son. Richard's return brings doubts and confusion for Yvonne. Is Richard really her past? Or should she stick with a sure thing that she thinks she has in Nathan her fiancé? Ms. Brooks does a good job in having you root for Yvonne.. The book is slanted towards one of the men more so than the other. So the reader will not be surprised which man Yvonne chooses
May 9, 2020
I thought I would like this book more than I did. Some parts were a tad predictable but there were a couple of things I didn't expect. I wasn't a big fan of Yvonne, and I hated how she never confronted Rochelle. I can't put my finger on exactly how, but some parts felt unfinished or rushed. Some parts were redundant. The characters seemed a little flat snd under-developed; I didn't really connect with any of them. The story, while totally probable, just didn't read as very believable the way it was written. It got to the point where I was just reading quickly to get it over with.
And on top of that, it wasn't the best editing (though I've certainly seen WAY worse).
Overall, it was just...okay to me, I hate to say.
And on top of that, it wasn't the best editing (though I've certainly seen WAY worse).
Overall, it was just...okay to me, I hate to say.
August 23, 2020
I realized this year that I have read regrettably few female authors with the exception of Toni Morrison whose The Bluest Eye will forever haunt my soul. Redesigning Happiness was the first in my redirection of focus and intention to explore contemporary women authors. As tensions rise outside due to a systemic failure as a society to do so, Nita gives us the opportunity to "hear" more black voices . Redesigning happiness has an easy day to day life flow following an interior designer as she navigates work-life balance as a single parent. A world I have only heard about, so I followed the story with interest led by curiosity. Nita portrays her central character as driven, yet communicates through her thoughts and actions as an easy to get along with likeable woman. I like that.
January 28, 2021
Challenge: Summer Fling August 2020 (belated) - Author of color (3). A tautly written story that deeply explores the conflict between past and present relationships while paying close attention to the effect adult behaviors and their decisions have on children. Lots of romantic angst, yet all internal and external dialog of the main character leads her to discover how to be her own person first in order to mitigate loosing who she is in a relationship, and to ensure that the relationship is equitable and the groundwork has been secured to provide her child with a stable and loving home life. The title perfectly reflects how the main character designs the life she chooses to live from the chaos around her and leads another character back to previously abandoned creative aspirations.
July 22, 2019
Yvonne thinks she's got it all together and that well, she's got it all. She's got a great kid, a great job, and a new romance with Nathan. They're making must-see tv together and when he proposes, she's happy about that too. Then, Richard, the father of her son and the man who broke her heart turns up and wants to buy the show. She ever told Richard he was a dad and so there's some drama to work through. Who does Yvonne end up with? There's a bit more angst about relationships here than usual but it's a big thing for her. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You know this is a second chance romance and an HEA but who will you root for?
January 18, 2020
3.5 stars I really enjoyed this book. Yvonne is the main character and she has a whirlwind of changes occurring in her life. Rochelle, Yvonnes mother, is the most interesting character with all of her conceptions and reasoning on love and life. This story was interesting and even though I saw a few of the plot twists coming, I still wanted to read to the end. My biggest complaint is the excessive wordiness and description between the dialogue. It was quite frustrating at times and it was definitely unnecessary.
March 8, 2020
This book was an enjoyable easy read! Yvonne’s character was very likable. She is a strong woman that is doing her best to bring up her son and help her design business thrive. She is a great mom doing what she feels is “best” for her child’s life. Nathan is a weirdo.... I definitely didn’t like him from the start. It seemed that he was just being a leech and trying to make money and become famous off of Yvonne. The story is predictable with a slight twist at the end. Overall I really liked the ending! I won this book in a goodreads giveaway, all opinions are my own.
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