Blueprints: A Novel

Barbara Delinsky

Jun 2015 · Sold by St. Martin's Press

About this ebook

Blueprints, the New York Times bestselling novel from Barbara Delinsky, is the story of two strong women, Caroline MacAfee, a skilled carpenter, and her daughter Jamie, a talented architect. The day after her 56th birthday, Caroline is told the network wants Jamie to replace her as the host on Gut It!, their family-based home construction TV show. The resulting rift couldn't come at a worse time.

For Jamie, life changes overnight when, soon after learning of the host shift, her father and his new wife die in a car accident that orphans their two-year-old son. Accustomed to organization and planning, she is now grappling with a toddler who misses his parents, a fiancé who doesn't want the child, a staggering new attraction, and a work challenge that, if botched, could undermine the future of both MacAfee Homes and Gut It!

For Caroline, hosting Gut It! is part of her identity. Facing its loss, she feels betrayed by her daughter and old in the eyes of the world. When her ex-husband dies, she is thrust into the role of caregiver to his aging father. And then there's Dean, a long-time friend, whose efforts to seduce her awaken desires that have been dormant for so long that she feels foreign to herself.

Who am I? Both women ask, as the blueprints they've built their lives around suddenly need revising. While loyalties shift, decisions hover, and new relationships tempt, their challenge comes not only in remaking themselves, but in rebuilding their relationship with each other.

Ratings and reviews

Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky is a lovely contemporary romance novel. Caroline MacAfee is the host of Gut It! and a master carpenter for the show and MacAfee Homes. Her daughter, Jamie MacAfee is also on the show and works for MacAfee Homes. MacAfee Homes is a family business headed by Theo MacAfee. Roy MacAfee is Theo’s son, Caroline’s ex-husband, and Jamie’s father. He is the marketing expert for MacAfee Homes. Roy is currently on his third wife. Each time he marries, he goes ten years younger. The current wife, Jess is just a little older than Jamie (who is 29). Gut It! is something that Caroline’s loves hosting, but the show (with help from Roy) has decided to change the hosting to Jamie. Jamie agrees to tell her mother, but then she waits. Unfortunately, she waits a little too long and Caroline hears it from someone else. Jamie and Caroline had always had a great relationship until this incident. Caroline feels Jamie knew what was going to happen and should have done something or told her. Before Caroline and Jamie can resolve the situation, Roy and Jess are killed in a car accident. Their two year old son, Tad is left is Jamie’s care. Jamie’s finance, Brad (a lawyer with MacAfee homes) is less than helpful. Instead of Caroline and Jamie helping each other, they turn to other people. Caroline becomes closer to Dean Brannick. Dean and Caroline have worked together for years and are friends. Dean now wants to take their relationship to a new level. Jamie is a mother with no experience. Charlie Kobik is a single dad with a four year old son. Jamie and Charlie meet at the park and Charlie provides valuable help and advice. What is going to happen to Gut It!? Can Jamie and Caroline work out their issues? What will happen between Caroline and Dean? Will Brad shape up or ship out? Will Jamie be able to handle her job and a two year old? Read Blueprints to find out! Blueprints was a very enjoyable novel. I give Blueprints 4.5 out of 5 stars. Blueprints has a lovely ending that ties up all the storylines in the book. If you are looking for a good book to read this summer, than you should pick up Blueprints. I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

Hard to get into but good overall!

About the author

BARBARA DELINSKY is a New York Times bestselling author with more than thirty million copies of her books in print. She has been published in twenty-eight languages worldwide. A lifelong New Englander, Delinsky earned a B.A. in psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in sociology at Boston College. Delinsky enjoys knitting, photography, and cats. She lives in Needham, Massachusetts.