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Model Home
Not happy? No problem. Fake it. From New York Times bestselling author J. Courtney Sullivan comes a sharp-witted short story about the reality of reality TV.
Judging by the popularity of her home-makeover show, Katie has it all: a sweet-natured husband, Damian, as her cohost; adorable tween daughters; a designer mansion; and a just-folks appeal that has made the happy couple home-renovation royalty. Out of the spotlight, it’s a different story. Katie’s marriage is disintegrating, her spoiled daughters despise her, and her money can’t do anything to repair her personal problems—or her professional ones. With a contract up for renewal and Damian ready to bail after one last holiday special, Katie can kiss her artificial world goodbye too. But if there’s one thing a pro like Katie knows how to do, it’s negotiate.
Judging by the popularity of her home-makeover show, Katie has it all: a sweet-natured husband, Damian, as her cohost; adorable tween daughters; a designer mansion; and a just-folks appeal that has made the happy couple home-renovation royalty. Out of the spotlight, it’s a different story. Katie’s marriage is disintegrating, her spoiled daughters despise her, and her money can’t do anything to repair her personal problems—or her professional ones. With a contract up for renewal and Damian ready to bail after one last holiday special, Katie can kiss her artificial world goodbye too. But if there’s one thing a pro like Katie knows how to do, it’s negotiate.
Audiobook
Published January 1, 2021
320 people are currently reading
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About the author
J. Courtney Sullivan
16 books3,143 followersJ. Courtney Sullivan is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Commencement, Maine, The Engagements, and Saints For All Occasions. Maine was named a Best Book of the Year by Time magazine, and a Washington Post Notable Book for 2011. The Engagements was one of People Magazine’s Top Ten Books of 2013 and an Irish Times Best Book of the Year. It is soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon and distributed by Fox 2000, and it will be translated into 17 languages. Saints For All Occasions, was named one of the ten best books of the year by the Washington Post, a New York Times Critic’s Pick for 2017, and a New England Book Award nominee. Her fifth novel, Friends and Strangers, will be published in June 2020. Courtney’s writing has also appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Chicago Tribune, New York magazine, Elle, Glamour, Allure, Real Simple, and O: The Oprah Magazine, among many others. She is a co-editor, with Courtney Martin, of the essay anthology Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists. In 2017, she wrote the forewords to new editions of two of her favorite children’s books: Anne of Green Gables and Little Women. A Massachusetts native, Courtney now lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
November 9, 2021
If you spend your lazy Saturdays bouncing between binging the latest celebrity book club pick and HGTV home improvement shows, boy has Amazon got a short story for you.
J. Courtney Sullivan’s “Model Home” is basically cynical fan fiction that imagines what life would be like behind the scenes for Chip and Joanna Gaines if they hated each other. Fictional Katie and Damian have a Fixer Upper-like reality show, which forces them to put on a happy face for the cameras even when they’d rather stab each other in the back. They’re working on their holiday special, and Damian wants out. No way is Katie going to let him derail her gravy train though.
If you’re the type of person that gets pissy about people putting up their Christmas trees before Thanksgiving, this might be your type of holiday story. But if you welcome the season with comfort and joy, “Model Home” will be about as fun as a lump of coal at the bottom of your stocking.
Bah humbuggers can find this short story on Kindle Unlimited with WhisperSync, and in the Audible Plus catalog.
J. Courtney Sullivan’s “Model Home” is basically cynical fan fiction that imagines what life would be like behind the scenes for Chip and Joanna Gaines if they hated each other. Fictional Katie and Damian have a Fixer Upper-like reality show, which forces them to put on a happy face for the cameras even when they’d rather stab each other in the back. They’re working on their holiday special, and Damian wants out. No way is Katie going to let him derail her gravy train though.
If you’re the type of person that gets pissy about people putting up their Christmas trees before Thanksgiving, this might be your type of holiday story. But if you welcome the season with comfort and joy, “Model Home” will be about as fun as a lump of coal at the bottom of your stocking.
Bah humbuggers can find this short story on Kindle Unlimited with WhisperSync, and in the Audible Plus catalog.
December 20, 2021
This is an interesting look into the stars of popular home improvement shows. Everyone knows what's shown on TV isn't real, and this short story uncovers what likely goes on behind the scenes. It offers a 360° view into the making of those popular design shows, and the lives of those involved. The design star couple, their children, the couple having their home designed, and of course the show production staff are all exposed in this short parody. In addition to exposing the real home vs. model home of the design show couple, this story is also a reminder of the "price" they pay for being the stars of these popular shows.
Is this is a holiday story? Only in the sense that the episode being produced is the annual holiday edition (which they're taping in September).
Is this is a holiday story? Only in the sense that the episode being produced is the annual holiday edition (which they're taping in September).
April 9, 2023
At less than 40 pages, Model Home is a short story that didn’t take long to read. It’s set in the Midwest and focuses on Katie and Damian, a married couple starring as the hosts in a home renovation TV show. Despite the near perfect image they portray on TV, their life in reality is far from ideal. Damian wants out of this charade while Katie wants to capitalize on it, and their pre-teen daughters are old enough to have a say in their involvement now, or lack of it. Can Katie get her way and continue to keep her carefully crafted life or has her family finally had enough?
At such a short length it can be hard to get a lot of depth with characters and keep a story moving, but Model Home was entertaining enough despite its unlikable cast. J. Courtney Sullivan is one of my all-time favorite authors and I highly recommend her full-length novels.
At such a short length it can be hard to get a lot of depth with characters and keep a story moving, but Model Home was entertaining enough despite its unlikable cast. J. Courtney Sullivan is one of my all-time favorite authors and I highly recommend her full-length novels.
June 1, 2024
Quick, introspective read.
Model Home is a behind-the-scenes look at an HGTV type home remodel show and it's married cohosts. As we've all come to learn, reality tv is rarely real. This story definitely makes you second guess public personas and what the truth behind the curtain might be. Is the production happening in front of or behind the cameras?
I've never read this author before but can't wait to check some more of her work out after getting a small taste. The ending made this one for me.
3.5 stars
Model Home is a behind-the-scenes look at an HGTV type home remodel show and it's married cohosts. As we've all come to learn, reality tv is rarely real. This story definitely makes you second guess public personas and what the truth behind the curtain might be. Is the production happening in front of or behind the cameras?
I've never read this author before but can't wait to check some more of her work out after getting a small taste. The ending made this one for me.
3.5 stars
January 4, 2023
Whew. Quite an unlikeable bunch! But what a lesson: you never know what’s going on behind closed doors!
May 9, 2023
2 stars = just okay for me.. was intrigued enough to see what would happen but I think this would have been better if it was fleshed out some more.
Didn't like any of the characters, it was kind of like watching a train wreck in a way.
Do wonder what consequences 🤔 will happen because of what Katie did.
Didn't like any of the characters, it was kind of like watching a train wreck in a way.
Do wonder what consequences 🤔 will happen because of what Katie did.
November 8, 2021
If this were the 1980s, I would simply say *gag* but, you know, it's not that era so I'll say... *gag* anyway. I'm so glad this was a short story because I barely finished it as it was. I hate the characters - ALL of them. I hated the story - from beginning to end! At least it served as a reminder for all of the reasons I gave up my television and despise home makeover shows.
March 20, 2023
it wasn't my favorite but it wasn't awful. do not go into this book looking for likeable characters because there are none. if you like dark comedy this might be the book for you. this is available with amazon prime or kindle unlimited.
October 29, 2021
This was a sarcastic telling of a fictitious couple the likes of HGTV couples who remodel for a lucky couple. Nothing is as it seems on TV. This was a KU listen and read. The narrators voice on audible was grating.
August 23, 2024
A short story which reminds you, just how awful people can be.
I'll never watch one of those home renovation shows the same way again!
I'll never watch one of those home renovation shows the same way again!
December 2, 2021
Anger couple and anger teenage daughters...it was ok.
December 29, 2023
For a QUICK novella, this book was PACKED with intrigue and emotion. Real and raw. The main character made me cringe, as she was supposed to. The kids made me roll my eyeballs so hard I could see my brain. Not to mention, it reminded me of literally every reality TV couple in this decade.
November 5, 2021
3.5 stars.
Model Home is not a happy read; don’t expect likable characters. But if you’re a fan of dark comedies or if you’ve always imagined what really goes on off-camera on those addictive home improvement shows, then give this one a try. Think Chip and Joanna Gaines gone very wrong.
“I don’t always recognize myself these days. My hair is longer and blonder than ever and thickened by extensions. My body’s like a teenage lifeguard’s. Better than the body I had at sixteen. There is no better powerful motivator for going cold turkey on the mint Milanos and committing to a daily spin class than seeing yourself in high-def on a regular basis.”
I’ve only read one other book by Sullivan, her second novel Maine, about the female members of a family in varying stages of life when they reunite for their summer holiday in Maine. But I enjoyed it enough to pick up another novel by her, Saints for all Occasions, which is waiting to be read on my shelf.
I was impressed with how quickly Sullivan sets up the plot and characters in Model Home. She even weaves their backstory in, showing the reader how far this couple has strayed from the happy marriage they once had when they were desperately in love. But seeing how extreme their professional and private relationship has become is what makes this one so intriguing.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Model Home is not a happy read; don’t expect likable characters. But if you’re a fan of dark comedies or if you’ve always imagined what really goes on off-camera on those addictive home improvement shows, then give this one a try. Think Chip and Joanna Gaines gone very wrong.
“I don’t always recognize myself these days. My hair is longer and blonder than ever and thickened by extensions. My body’s like a teenage lifeguard’s. Better than the body I had at sixteen. There is no better powerful motivator for going cold turkey on the mint Milanos and committing to a daily spin class than seeing yourself in high-def on a regular basis.”
I’ve only read one other book by Sullivan, her second novel Maine, about the female members of a family in varying stages of life when they reunite for their summer holiday in Maine. But I enjoyed it enough to pick up another novel by her, Saints for all Occasions, which is waiting to be read on my shelf.
I was impressed with how quickly Sullivan sets up the plot and characters in Model Home. She even weaves their backstory in, showing the reader how far this couple has strayed from the happy marriage they once had when they were desperately in love. But seeing how extreme their professional and private relationship has become is what makes this one so intriguing.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
December 23, 2025
I especially was drawn to this book because I’m a real estate agent and Model Home perfectly captures that tension between picture-perfect façades and messy, real lives behind the walls. Sullivan uses the concept of the glamorous home makeover TV show to give us a deeper look at how easily everything can look perfect from the outside while no one knows that what’s happening inside is a total joke. 
Model Home centers on Katie and Damian, the stars of a wildly popular home-makeover show (think HGTV style), where every episode shows them transforming fixer-uppers into dream homes. On camera, they are a lovable couple with adorable tween daughters and the ultimate “dream job” flipping houses and building lifestyles that millions adore. 
But behind the scenes? Their marriage is unravelling. Katie clings fiercely to the show and the perfect image it gives her which is a façade of success she believes will protect her family and validate her hard work while Damian grows tired of the charade and wants out before another season. 
The daughters, too, have grown wary of the manufactured life. They refuse to participate in show bits, openly criticize their parents on social media, and make it clear they see through the act. The conflict between public image and private reality unfolds in a way that feels almost too real for anyone familiar with staged home tours or glossy remodel reveals. 
Where it truly delivers and why I loved it is in its ending. There’s no overblown finale or magically restored “happy family.” Instead, the story cuts to a very real turning point: Katie and Damian face a crucial network meeting about renewing their contract. Damian is ready to walk away from the show, tired of performing, and Katie must finally reckon with what she values most which is the illusion of perfection or her family’s actual well-being. 
In a moment that typifies the entire story, they agree that one more season might happen but only if they let their daughters take a more active role in managing their public presence. It’s not an easy or perfect solution, just a compromise that forces everyone to confront their personal truths while still playing the public game. The girls wanted their own show. Damien said no while Katie said yes. Damien doesn’t want to be the bad guy and Katie said she will be if he’ll do one more season. Bam! 💥
This ending works because it doesn’t tie everything up neatly it feels authentic. It doesn’t leave you thinking everything will magically be okay; instead, it leaves you appreciating that real life — like a real home — has flaws, cracks, and unresolved corners. And just like in real estate, the most appealing properties are often the ones with the most complicated stories behind the doors. 
Model Home centers on Katie and Damian, the stars of a wildly popular home-makeover show (think HGTV style), where every episode shows them transforming fixer-uppers into dream homes. On camera, they are a lovable couple with adorable tween daughters and the ultimate “dream job” flipping houses and building lifestyles that millions adore. 
But behind the scenes? Their marriage is unravelling. Katie clings fiercely to the show and the perfect image it gives her which is a façade of success she believes will protect her family and validate her hard work while Damian grows tired of the charade and wants out before another season. 
The daughters, too, have grown wary of the manufactured life. They refuse to participate in show bits, openly criticize their parents on social media, and make it clear they see through the act. The conflict between public image and private reality unfolds in a way that feels almost too real for anyone familiar with staged home tours or glossy remodel reveals. 
Where it truly delivers and why I loved it is in its ending. There’s no overblown finale or magically restored “happy family.” Instead, the story cuts to a very real turning point: Katie and Damian face a crucial network meeting about renewing their contract. Damian is ready to walk away from the show, tired of performing, and Katie must finally reckon with what she values most which is the illusion of perfection or her family’s actual well-being. 
In a moment that typifies the entire story, they agree that one more season might happen but only if they let their daughters take a more active role in managing their public presence. It’s not an easy or perfect solution, just a compromise that forces everyone to confront their personal truths while still playing the public game. The girls wanted their own show. Damien said no while Katie said yes. Damien doesn’t want to be the bad guy and Katie said she will be if he’ll do one more season. Bam! 💥
This ending works because it doesn’t tie everything up neatly it feels authentic. It doesn’t leave you thinking everything will magically be okay; instead, it leaves you appreciating that real life — like a real home — has flaws, cracks, and unresolved corners. And just like in real estate, the most appealing properties are often the ones with the most complicated stories behind the doors. 
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2022
A cynical, over-the-top glimpse at the “behind the scenes” life of a fictional HGTV-like home renovation couple. The MC has become exclusively materialistic and seemingly blind and unsympathetic to any opinion other than her own. She truly is intolerable. It’s a short story so there’s really no time to both make a point and develop a balanced personality. I liked it for the reminder that all you see is often not all there is. In the world of “reality” TV and social media, a reminder is always welcome. The MC was so totally convinced she was doing right and had good reasons, that nothing else mattered. Despite the fact that she was likely driving those she purportedly loved, into the ground. To me, another timely concept of the importance of considering differing opinions! Quick, light, read with hateful characters that still somehow seemed to provide some food for thought!
January 10, 2024
This short story depicts one HG-TV “perfect family” when cameras are on and the truth of what this family is experiencing when the cameras are off. The author created a short story within just over 30 pages that captured two people who came from nothing, managed to create a franchise that got them everything they wanted, but still managed to crumble in what actually matters. The show producers treated them like they weren’t actually real human people with lives outside of the show- very greed driven. There was a loss of love in this novel in a lot of ways and it just kind of brought my spirits down. I’m glad it was a short one or I probably would have DNF’d cause it wasn’t enjoyable to read about this family. None of the characters were likable.
August 19, 2023
There was no plot its basically the reality of a reality show
October 21, 2025
This was a pretty fun short story. Quickly, it explores marriage, fame and parenthood. It definitely worked well as a short story. Audible was tolerable.
July 19, 2022
These Amazon Orginial Short Stories are killing me in all the best ways!!! I love all the digs to HGTV and social media influencers. the climb to fame isn't good for families and nobody is perfect even if they try to protray it on social media!
November 3, 2021
Reality TV & social media versus what is really happening in real life. A quick story to remind us that the glimpses of what we let the world see is not the way it is.
July 21, 2023
Easy quick read. There aren’t complex characters in this one. It’s clearly a fictional depiction of the Gaines family and HGTV. I prefer the author’s previous works about regular people.
October 5, 2023
Amazon Original short story -- there were clever moments. It wasn't a complete waste of time. The reality TV story line was tabloid quality.
December 6, 2021
Interesting story about a couple with a home renovation show. I actually thought of several shows (not that I watch them often) but with a twist, they don't like each other. I always knew that reality shows were staged and it was no different in this book. They also have tw0 daughters that apparently have a TikTok channel with a million followers. How do the parents not know this kind of thing?
I understood why Katie felt the way that she did considering how she grew up, but she let that overtake her life.
The ending was odd...just sort of left you hanging. I felt like there was more to be said.
I understood why Katie felt the way that she did considering how she grew up, but she let that overtake her life.
The ending was odd...just sort of left you hanging. I felt like there was more to be said.
December 7, 2021
Katie and Damian have the perfect life: a famous interior design show, two beautiful daughters, a mansion of their own, and a loving marriage (#couplegoals). But that’s only to the untrained eye. Really, the houses they pretend to design on TV, their own home, their relationships with their daughters, and most of all, their marriage are shams. Katie narrates the story of how maybe, just maybe, a house can become a home - but for whom?
December 12, 2021
Keeping up appearances is a common theme in our present society. A tv show is no different than Facebook.
December 24, 2021
HGTV in novel form
Really makes you think again about just how perfect, or not perfect, the people’s lives on the popular shows actually are.
Really makes you think again about just how perfect, or not perfect, the people’s lives on the popular shows actually are.
April 13, 2022
What a beautiful short story. Some times love isn't what it seems. I was left craved more of this story. Highly recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2022
Women only need money. Women crave attention and fame. Women are ace manipulators. This book is set to prove all these accusations.
The fact that female authors write such characters disappoint me.
The fact that female authors write such characters disappoint me.
December 10, 2024
The amount that I managed to start hating every single person in this story in only 40 pages is honestly quite impressive.
December 19, 2024
An ok book about a couple who have a home renovation show. 2/5⭐️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews