How To Build A House by Dana Reinhardt

Harper's dad is getting a divorce from her beloved stepmother, Jane. Even worse, Harper has lost her stepsister, Tess; the divorce divides them. Harper decides to escape by joining a volunteer program to build a house for a family in Tennessee who lost their home in a tornado. Not that she knows a thing about construction.

Soon she’s living in a funky motel and working long days in blazing heat with a group of kids from all over the country. At the site, she works alongside Teddy, the son of the family for whom they are building the house. Their partnership turns into a summer romance, complete with power tools. Learning to trust and love Teddy isn’t easy for Harper, but it’s the first step toward finding her way back home.

When I first started this book I didn't have much expectations for it. Reinhardt is a good writer, yes, and her plots are semi-enjoyable, yes, but her books aren't WOW-able to me. That changes with this book. The first few pages were excellent and kept me going. I liked how it went back and forth between what's going on with Harper in Tennessee now and what had happened to her with her family at home in L.A. Harper's life is a whirl-wind. She goes to Tennessee to escape her life at home and what she get's is way more then what she even imagined.

The characters are very well developed and thoroughly thought through. Reinhardt crafts a story full of hard work, love, and forgiveness. From beginning to end you travel with Harper through her story and you learn a lot. Reinhardt's quizzical writing in this novel keeps you wanting to read more and not wanting to stop. Reinhardt has finally put some WOW factor in her work.

The ending was a perfect ending. It didn't give away to much about the future, but it gave a hint at it in the perfect way. This story was thoughtful and a light read with depth. Reinhardt's calm writing style is the perfect type for this soft read. I loved it and I recommend it.

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