Tiny House in the Trees by Celia Bonaduce: A Tiny House Novel

Happy December!  A Bad, Bad Thing by Elena Forbes is out today along with a Woman of Courage:  Collector's Edition Continues the Story of Little Fawn by Wanda E. Brunstetter (the hard copy is just lovely). 

Tiny House in the Trees by Celia Bonaduce takes us to Cobb, Kentucky.  Molly McGinnis is working on her master’s thesis in civil engineering while waitressing at Crabby’s Restaurant.  It is a constant struggle with money, and Molly is three months in arrears on her rent.  Then the owner of Crabby’s decides to close the business and Molly is out of job.  She is thankful when dreamboat Quinn Casey offers her a position at his Christmas tree farm.  Molly is hoping the trees will provide inspiration for her thesis project and that Quinn will see her in a different light.  She has had a crush on Quinn, but Molly has trouble talking when he is around.  Bale Barrett owns Bale’s Tiny Dreams and enjoys bouncing ideas off Molly for his tiny homes.  Bale has fallen for Molly, but she only sees him as a friend.  When Molly and her African Grey parrot, Galileo find themselves homeless, she decides to take up residence in one of Bale’s tiny homes without asking his permission.  Molly is making progress of on her thesis project thanks to Bale when tragedy strikes.  To find out what happens to Molly, pick up Tiny House in the Trees.

 

While Tiny House in the Trees is the third A Tiny House Novel, it can be read alone. Each book focuses on a different woman and a tiny house.   I thought the book contained good writing and steady pacing.  Molly is a unique individual who has too many ideas for her thesis and has trouble focusing on the project at hand.  She is supposed to graduate in June, but Molly keeps making changes to her thesis project which is not a hit with Professor Cambridge (a member of her thesis committee).  When she finds herself homeless, she comes up with various solutions.  Molly is her own worst enemy (her antics made me cringe).  She acted more like a teenager than a woman in her 20s (she has growing up to do). I was happy to see her grow as a person.  The two men in the story are opposites (of course).  Quinn has a lackadaisical attitude towards work and prefers to spend his time gambling and flirting with women.  Bale is a hardworking man who creates unique tiny homes that he displays at conventions around the country.  He has fallen in love with Molly, but she sees him as a friend.  Bale would like to move forward with his life, but Molly ends up in his backyard needing help.  I enjoyed the descriptions of Bale’s creative tiny homes.  I was not a fan, though, of Molly’s foul mouthed bird, Galileo.  I could have done without the foul language.  Tiny House in the Trees is a light-hearted, cute romance novel that I am giving 3 out of 5 stars.

The other two novels in A Tiny House Novel series are Tiny House on the Hill and Tiny House on the Road.  Thank you for joining me today.  I am going to feature Cut to the Chaise by Karen Rose Smith tomorrow.  It is the eighth A Caprice De Luca Mystery.  May you have a congenial day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

Tiny House on the Hill: A Tiny House Novel

Happy Sunday!  I wanted to share some new novels that will be publishing on August 15.  They are The Promise of a Letter by Kathleen Fuller, Tiny House on the Hill by Celia Bonaduce, A Mother for Leah by Rachel L. Miller, The Bequest by Nancy Boyarsky, and Gathering the Threads by Cindy Woodsmall.  

Tiny House on the Hill by Celia Bonaduce is A Tiny House Novel.  Clarisse “Summer” Murray is twenty-eight years old and has decided to make some big changes.  Summer has quit her job, sold her condo, and commissioned a tiny house in the shape of a caboose.  After shrinking a cashmere sweater in the wash and discovering she cannot unshrink it, Summer explores felting.  She is going to felt sweaters, make them into purses, and sell them at craft shows while traveling around the continental United States (let’s forget that she does not know how to sew).  Then she receives a call from her grandmother, Queenie asking her to come home to Cat’s Paw, Washington to help with the family bakery, Dough Z Dough.  Summer packs up Big Red (her new truck), leaves most of her belonging behind (her neighbor, Lynnie will dispose of them for her) and heads to Kentucky to pick up her new tiny home.  Bale Barrett, of Bale’s Tiny Dreams, has her new home ready to go.  After having dinner with Bale and making plans to meet in Seattle in a few weeks, Summer starts her new life as a tiny home owner with her dog, Shortie.  Summer has not been home in ten years since her heart was broken by bakery manager, Keefe Devlin.  She is hoping to fix whatever is wrong with the bakery, and quickly head off on her adventure.  But her grandmother’s odd behavior puts a wrinkle in her plans (just the first of several).  Summer must discover what is bothering Queenie and (finally) deal with her unresolved feelings toward Keefe. 

Tiny House on the Hill is a light-hearted romance novel (which was not what I expected).  The story is easy to read and has a steady pace.  I liked Shortie (he was a cutie).   I just felt the story was a little cheesy (silly too).  Summer put more research into how Shortie should travel in the truck, then her journey (tiny homes are not accepted everywhere plus she should have done test drive’s before embarking out on the open road).  Summer fantasizes romance with her tiny home builder (she met him once) and then gets jealous of Keefe being around his old girlfriend, Evie (really, after ten years).  Summer ogles, flirts and thinks too much about Bale and Keefe (reminded me of a sixteen-year-old girls reminisces).  My rating for Tiny House on the Hill is 3 out of 5 stars.  The story had the expected ending (which was a little rushed).  I did appreciate the attention brought to suffers of celiac disease (my own sister has this issue).  Summer’s tiny house sounded adorable.  I have (like many people) watched the shows on these portable, tiny homes (my books would not fit into 220 square feet).  Lynnie provided some comic relief.   If you are wanting a light, humorous romantic story to read, then check out Tiny House on the Hill.  Tiny House on the Hill will be published on August 15.

I appreciate you visiting today.  I am currently reading The Girls of Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke which I will be reviewing on August 27 as part of a blog tour.  I sincerely hope that each of you have a satisfying Sunday.  I will be sharing my thoughts on A Mother for Leah by Rachel L. Miller on Monday. I hope you return to see what I think about this Amish novel.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader