David, Renewed by Diana Copland

When interior designer David Snyder buys a beautiful century-old house in eastern Washington, he is reeling with heartbreak and looking for somewhere to put down roots. Unfortunately his new home comes with a laundry list of problems: electrical, plumbing, heating… things David knows nothing about. When his mother offers him the business card of a local handyman, David pictures an overweight, balding man in his fifties. But Jackson Henry couldn’t be further from that stereotype.

Dark-haired, muscular, and handsome, Jackson left a large construction firm in Seattle to take care of his sick mother. However, his hometown still has an active “good old boy” network, and finding employment in construction is almost impossible for an openly gay man. Determined to persevere, Jackson takes odd jobs as a handyman. He’s exactly what David needs—in more ways than one.

David isn’t ready for his attraction to Jackson, not considering the way his last relationship ended. But as the two men get to know each other, it becomes clear that the heart often knows best, and it rewards those willing to listen.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
Ooh – I’m a sucker for a home renovation story. And when you add a musclebound contractor and even more muscled sub-contractors – this is just about my perfect story.

I loved both David and Jackson. His self-esteem in tatters after a bad break-up, David is timid, impulsive, and slightly frazzled when we first meet him. Jackson’s calm, competence is wonderful. He grounds David and slowly helps him rebuild his self-confidence. I really loved David and Jackson’s slow burn romance. There is a maturity to their connection and a sense of partnership from the start. I love how the two men complement each other.

My reservations about this story lie in the complicated sub plots. In a simple slice of life romance, I’m not sure why a bad break-up needed to escalate into criminal behaviour. I’m also not sure why Jackson’s family had to be quite so dysfunctional or quite so powerful. The connection between David and Jackson is sweet and understated – a love story between two ordinary men. But the subplots swirling around them are worthy of daytime television and the combination just didn’t work for me.

But I did love the simple central romance. As the title so subtly suggests, David’s confidence is restored alongside his beautiful home. This is a small town, feel good romance without the traditional gender or family norms that so often drive me mad in small town romances. I really enjoyed this gentle read.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
David has purchased a new home after leaving his cheating partner. Problem is, the home is a money pit. He hires handyman Jackson to help do the work around his house. I'm doing work on my own home at the moment so it was easy to relate to the issues David was facing on the house front.

This is a simple story where we get to see two people fall in love while dealing with the drama of life. David is going through renovations while dealing with his ex who has turned stalker. Sexy tradie Jackson works on David's house by day and takes care of his sick mother when he goes home.

This is such a sweet romance between a dreamy couple. I loved it.

DIANA COPLAND began writing in the seventh grade, when she shamelessly combined elements of Jane Eyre and Dark Shadows to produce an overwrought Gothic tale that earned her an A- in creative writing, thanks entirely to the generosity of her teacher.

Born and raised in southern California, Diana moved to the Pacific Northwest after losing a beloved spouse to AIDS in 1995.

She lives in eastern Washington with four obnoxious cats, near her two wonderful adult children.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of David, Renewed (Delta Restorations #1) by Diana Copland to read and review.