Blueprint for Love by Penny Zeller Review

 

Blueprint for Love by Penny Zeller is the third book in the Small Town Shenanigans series. And it might just be my favorite. I loved being able to revisit the small town of Cloverdale Falls and meet up with old friends while getting to know Jeanette and Cameron.

Jeanette, our FMC, is an interior designer who is in town to turn the attic of the bed and breakfast into a suite. She had fallen in love with the town when she had visited in the past. She is looking forward to the challenge of this job and excited for the step up it could give her in her career. However, she was not expecting to go head-to-head with the contractor, our MMC. They get off on the wrong foot when she first arrives in town, and things just get more tense from there. Her vision of how to renovate the attic keeps clashing with his ideas. They resort to betting on whose ideas will be preferred by the owner and then the winner choosing something the loser has to do. 

There are some hilarious consequences and some heartwarming moments as the pair realizes they may just not be completely annoyed with each other. Perhaps there are some feelings developing. Which isn't the greatest idea, seeing as she will be headed back to Florida after the jobs are complete. How will this relationship be able to develop? I really wanted to know how the author was going to make this work. I mean, it is a romance after all.

I loved the way that God was working in their lives as they leaned on him with their concerns. Jeanette with her career and Cameron is struggling because of the health of his father and the way it is impacting his family.  Prayer is an important part of their lives, not just in these circumstances, but you could tell they have a strong relationship with their Lord. I loved seeing a strong church family that came to the aid of those in need, in multiple circumstances.

And yes, I was thrilled to get to see Maeve and Beulah again, along with the newest member of the CFI (Cloverdale Falls Investigations), Nyla. In the midst of the home renovations, there are also small mysteries to solve, and our main characters may end up getting roped into things they would have preferred not to be doing. 

And oh my goodness, I just loved the way animals were included in this story. Especially Francesca, Jeanette's doggie, and Henrietta the chicken. Some fun and hilarious moments ensued.

If you are a fan of rivals to more rom-coms set in small communities, you will want to check out this book. In fact, you'll want to read the entire series. And yes, you will want to read them in order to avoid relationship spoilers as the main characters from the first two books are a part of the story.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.