Review: Construction Beauty Queen

Reviewed by Shelly
 

Blond, beautiful, sheltered socialite Veronica Jamison has decided to give up city living, including the pampered lifestyle and the business merger planned marriage that was her future. The 27 year-old heiress has decided that the only way to show her parents and the world that she's worth more than what she's been groomed for, is by proving herself.

Moving to Kortville where her mother's father still lives, she gets a job as a construction worker for Kortville Construction and intends to work there for 30 days before moving on to greener pastures. Taking over his deceased brother's construction company and raising his eight year-old niece, Matt Shaw gave up his job, life and girlfriend in the city to return home.

I really enjoyed this story. Veronica is spunky, hardworking, and smart. And even though she's been raised in a bit of a societal bubble, she's very good about figuring out the needs of the people and community around her. Initially, I thought the the idea of her being a construction worker was a bit silly, but it really works because it's told well. What I didn't like was that Veronica hadn't really done her homework (not just reading a book) on what she needs to know as a construction worker, especially considering she wanted to be taken seriously.

Matt is a nice guy who's trying to do the right thing. His conscience regarding his brother's wishes plays a lot on his decision making for how he raises his niece and the way he runs his brother's business.  Unfortunately that can get a bit repetitive, but I understood. This was a relatively fast read (single day) for me, I was so curious about how things were going to turn out for these two love birds. I was very pleased with the resolution and how they got there -- not too outlandish or rushed.

There are a lot of secondary characters and they were all a delight, especially Barney who owns the local convenience store. He had one of my favorite lines. He says to Veronica after she asks him for cleaning supplies - "Nonsense. You're malnourished. You need doughnuts." Haha! Then there's Pauline, the diner owner who thinks the future is cherry-vanilla-squash and hazelnut parfait espresso and sushi... She is an absolute hoot because of how she peddles that stuff.

Ron, Veronica's grandfather is about as crotchety and cranky as you can get and just full of piss and vinegar. Jenny, Matt's niece is that great blend of politeness and curiosity that's too adorable to not fall in love with. I also liked Becca who works at the local grocery store and raises her delinquent brother Toby. I wanted to get more of these storylines, especially Becca's connection with Connor the cop.

Overall, this was a good story and I would definitely recommend it. But be warned: there's zero sex.

Happy reading folks!

Rating: B

*Book provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Construction Beauty Queen

by Sara Daniel

Release Date: September 25, 2012

Publisher: Entangled Publishing