I stayed up late reading this novel, then I woke up early to finish it. At first, I was disenchanted by the way Carmen Schober dealt with her characters' characters. Lance was underhanded and manipulative, Georgianna was not the "good, Christian girl" found in most Christian novels. That was my bad for judging the characters before they were fully revealed through the plot. The characters have flaws, and I do too. It took something like this to shake up my stodginess. Thank you, Carmen.
After my sweet Mama passed away, I was going through her papers and things (she had thirty years worth of tax returns, plus a plethora of other papers to sort and sift) and I found a gem that I think was an enlistment form for World War II. That it was still in her possession tells me that she didn't follow through. (I promise this particular ramble is relevant). One of the questions on the form asked what her career aspirations were and she said, "secretary or interior designer." That surprised me. Mama wasn't one who chose form over function during the years I was growing up. Our house was decorated in early comfort eclectic. Daddy had a chair and ottoman or a recliner with a side table. Mama had a rocking chair and a footstool. The sofa was for company and we kids sat on the floor. The rugs on the floor were made by my grandmother who crocheted them from the scraps of fabric left over from Mama making our clothes. No matchy-matchy stuff for us--not even a theme in our décor!
The premise of the book is a behind-the-scenes look at how an interior design show is made. The players are the main characters of the book. When Georgianna miscarries, Lance leaves their apartment and ghosts her for the better part of three months. The producers want another show from Georgianna where she and her best friend, Poppy, join forces to renovate a cabin in the Tennessee woods, near the Bible camp Georgianna attended as a child. A Non-Disclosure Agreement binds Georgianna and Lance from discussing their relationship, or what was left of it, so when Georgianna meets Cassidy Stokes, she is not totally forthcoming with details about her life.
While working on the cabin, everything that can go wrong, does, in a way. First, Lance hijacks the producer who has worked with the two of them, so a substitute producer is brought in for the making of this what could be a pilot episode for Georgianna. The new producer can't find a contractor because Lance has hijacked him, as well. She finally finds an elderly gent who still has his license and his bond to be the contractor while Cassidy helps out. Georgianna's twin sister, Savannah, shows up. She is something of an emotional drain on Georgianna, but ends up giving Georgianna the masterpiece bedroom she needs for the show and for the owners of the cabin. Both Cassidy and Georgianna have pasts to overcome on the way to a relationship, and at one point, Georgianna can't see that they can even have a relationship.
The supporting cast of this book bring dimension and depth to the main characters and help to flesh them out a bit more. The setting in rural Tennessee reminds me so much of the area in Arkansas where I grew up and makes me just a bit homesick. Carmen has done a skillful job in depicting the real life conundrums in negotiating around relationships.
Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a bedroom mural to take your breath away.
Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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