A Mile in My Flip-Flops

This story drew me in quickly as I couldn't stop laughing as I read. This story was so true to life. I, too, was the daughter of a building contractor and my dad was one of the original "House-Flippers" long before it was popular. This is a humorous and touching story about a determined and eager "house-flipper" newbie named Gretchen, who is tired of sitting on the couch watching this popular HGTV show. She wants action. A "House-Flipper" is someone who buys dilapidated houses in good neighborhoods, fixes them up and hopefully sells them for a profit. Gretchen has been a faithful viewer for 18 months now and knows she has an advantage most of these contestants don't have - her father is a contractor. She has watched him build houses for years. She is confident and ready to tackle the challenge of flipping a house herself - she's watched the shows and her dad, what more was there? Gretchen soon learns they don't show every possible scenario on "House-Flippers". And, just because she has watched her dad do construction all of her life, it's completely different when the hammer is in your own hand and you have to hit the nail on the head. The show and her dad made this look a lot easier than it is. Unlike Gretchen, who is confident about going to Home Depot or Lowes and buying construction supplies, I hated this task when I was a kid. I never could find what my dad was looking for even though I had him write it down on a piece of paper and had help from the workers in the store. Gretchen moves through the store with the greatest of ease and always finds what she is looking for. How does she do that? Gretchen and her dad were going to renovate this house in six weeks. Wow!! I would have loved it if the remodeling projects my dad did took as little as six weeks! He did all the work himself after putting in a full day on his own jobs. He also worked weekends fixing up the house. I remember the time when he remodeled our kitchen. We were without kitchen cabinets, the floor was all torn up and we had no working stove or sink. We washed our dishes in the bath tub and got really good at cooking on a Coleman camping stove. My mother was very creative and patient most of the time during that renovation. Remodeling is stressful on family relationships - I know, I've lived it firsthand. Gretchen gleaned this from watching her TV show. She didn't want to put stress and strain on her relationship with her dad during this house flip. She wanted them to have fun. As a friend reminds Gretchen in the middle of this project, "Life doesn't always meet our expectations." How true that is. Gretchen learns many things about herself and life while remodeling this house. As Gretchen and her dad start to clean up this unbelievably horrible, smelly house, and start to make changes for the good, they uncover many surprises and challenges. Don't judge a book by its cover - especially this one. I would have never suspected that this book was about "house-flipping" from the

Melody Carlson is writing some stellar chick lit! LoveLoveLove this book! Highly recommend it! Fun read and can identify with main character. Will definately purchase more of her books.

A Mile in My Flip-Flops by Melody Carlson is a perfect summer beach read! Gretchen Hanover has spent too much time (and gained too much weight) mourning the end of her engagement. All of the furniture she purchased to decorate the new house that wasn't is crowding her tiny apartment, as is her chocolate lab puppy. She decides to make use of her addiction to HGTV and tries to flip a house on her own. Her father, a retired contractor, is supposed to be her right hand man, until he is sidelined with a heart attack, and suddenly Gretchen is at the mercy of hunky carpenter Noah Campbell. Despite the sparks that fly between them, Gretchen doesn't want to get involved with a divorced man who has a child. The house turns into The Money Pit, and Gretchen can't seem to stop her heart from beating double time whenever Noah is around. Romance, drama, and faith: what more could you ask for in a summery book? Carlson mixes faith gently without ever overdoing it; the focus here is on Gretchen learning to trust again: herself, others, and God. With last winter's These Boots Weren't Made for Walkin', Carlson seems to have a shoe thing going on. I can't wait to see what's next!

In the novel "A Mile In My Flip Flops" by Melody Carlson, Gretchen Hanover has become a recluse. Seeking solace in front of the tube watching Home and Garden TV with a container of Ben and Jerry's and a spoon, this charming leading lady tries to heal the heart broken by her fiancé only four weeks before the wedding! With the help of friends and family and God, Gretchen rises like a phoenix from the ashes of broken promises to discover new life and new love. Melody writes a beautiful story full of wit and wisdom that inspires and teaches as it entertains. Her loveable characters come to life in vivid color. Gretchen's strength and reliance on God really inspired me to get out of my own personal ruts and more actively pursue God's will for my life.

This is an adorable book laced with both humor and heart. As the description says, the book is about a thirty-something woman whose life has been turned upside down by heartache. She decides to do something new to get her out of her slump, but she finds it's not as easy as she imagined. Gretchen decides to try her hand at remodeling a house and she finds many parallels in this task to rebuilding her own life. She learns that life doesn't always meet our expectations, yet that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be worthwhile. I love Melody Carlson's books and this one is no different. I flew through it and passed it on to my twenty-something daughter who loved it too. It's a great read.