A review by yourbookishbff
Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen by Jane Hadley

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

To quote Harry, Mrs. Milner is a knock-out. This mid-century modern, kitchen-reno romance features two chatty divorcees. Harry, a contractor for GE hired out for kitchen installs, is a Korean war vet now living as a bachelor (with an honest-to-God Murphy bed) in St. Paul, Minnesota, when he's hired on to Mrs. Milner's kitchen retrofit. Mrs. Milner, freshly divorced mother of two, faces the censure of the neighborhood ladies as a newly single woman and desperately wants them to talk about anything other than her prospects. She hopes a brand-new GE kitchen - complete with a full set of teal kitchen cabinets and golden honeycomb lineoleum - will set tongues wagging in envy, rather than pity. 

What follows is sweet and HOT and so authentically midwestern that I still have to remind myself I haven't actually met these people. Hadley writes a tender romance between cynics, with believable conflicts, a fully developed cast of characters, and a happily-ever-after that felt perfectly suited to the story. And the discussions of pregnancy prevention and consent were so well done for these characters and evidenced how much respect each shows for the other and for themself. 

I still can't believe this is a newsletter freebie - this story signals an exciting career for Jane Hadley, and I can't wait to read what she writes next!
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