Audiobook Review: The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

The Fixeer-Upper
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Narrator: Isabel Keating
Published: June 23, 2009
Genre: chick lit
Audiobook: 12 discs
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): After her boss in a high-powered Washington public relations firm is caught in a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. Out of options, she reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish Birdsong, the old family place he recently inherited in Guthrie, Georgia. All it will take, he tells her, is a little paint and some TLC to turn the fading Victorian mansion into a real-estate cash cow. But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise when she arrives in Guthrie. "Bird Droppings" would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol pink dump with duct-taped windows and a driveway full of junk. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady, one of Dempsey's distant relations, who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever. Furthermore, everyone in Guthrie seems to know Dempsey's business, from a smooth-talking real-estate agent to a cute lawyer who owns the local newspaper. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the pesky FBI agents who show up on Dempsey's doorstep, hoping to pry information about her ex-boss from her. All Dempsey can do is roll up her sleeves and get to work. And before long, what started as a job of necessity somehow becomes a labor of love and, ultimately, a journey that takes her to a place she never expected—back home again.


My Thoughts: Since I have listened to pretty much every Sophie Kinsella book on CDs that I can find, I have been looking for something to fill that void. A good piece of chick lit that I can pop in while driving and just forget about my 30 minutes drive to work. Luckily, Mary Kay Andrews seems to fill that void very well. The story is light and fluffy, following a woman who is caught up in a Washington scandal and trying to get away and figure out how to restart her life. There is cast of quaint Southern charaters who all exude that typical Southern charm that people love to think of when they think of small Southern towns. There's a handsome lawyer, the cranky old woman, the older gentlemen ... there's a whole cast of them and they all had a little something to the story.


There were a few flaws with this book. For starters, Dempsey, the main character. One minute, she's playing the damsel in distress, the next, she's acting like a boss. It was confusing and she came across as very wishy-washy as a character. The other thing that really bothered me was Dempsey and Tee's relationship. They went on one date and then they are talking about their future together. It just seemed to move very fast. Who starts talking about marriage after one date?!? It was just a little too odd for me.


I loved the narrator for this book. Isabel Keating has a great voice and pace. She was able to do a raspy, Souther, old lady voice, an older Southern gentleman's voice, a younger one's ... there was a large cast of voices and she differentiated between them all. They all had a distinct way of talking and she brings that across in her reading. It made for a great listening experience and I hope to listen to more of her work in the future.


Overall, it was a good listening experience. It was something that I could listen to and walk away from easily and was entertaining enough to make me laugh at times. I will definitely be reading more of Andrews audiobooks in the future.