Sandy Sullivan is on a mission. Tired of living in her
1890's Victorian home, she convinces her husband to put
their house on the market in order to move on to their next
season of life. With just a few minor cosmetic
improvements, the house will be saleable and ready to go.
If only it were that simple...
As a highly talented home stager living on the outskirts of
Boston, Sandy has made a successful career out of sprucing
up other people's homes in order to snag a premium price
tag. Despite the tanked economy, Sandy uses her flair and
finesse to bring out the best in even the dreariest of
homes. From painting accent walls to accessorizing with
bargain-hunted finds, Sandy stops at nothing to get the job
done.
Yet when her lovable hubby Greg takes a snail's approach to
making the change, Sandy gets fed up and accepts a three
month staging job at a boutique hotel in Atlanta. As luck
would have it, her newly married daughter and son-in-law
happen to live in the area, making the design challenge a
welcome reprieve. Fully anticipating recharging and then
reloading, Sandy comes to learn that change is not as easy
as she had initially envisioned.
BEST STAGED PLANS is the eighth novel by the bestselling
author Claire Cook. As her readers have come to expect, she
delivers a fun, summer read perfect for the beach or pool.
What sets this novel apart from the others is her no-
nonsense personal advice peppered throughout the storyline.
From paint color recommendations to yummy menu ideas, it
feels as if Cook has welcomed the reader right into her
home.
As a professional home stager, Sandy Sullivan is an expert
at transforming cluttered rooms into attractive houses ready
for sale. If only reinventing her life were as easy as
choosing the perfect paint color. She's eager to put her
family's suburban Boston home on the market, to downsize,
and to simplify her own life. But she must first deal with
her foot-dragging husband and her grown son, who has moved
back home after college to inhabit the basement "bat cave."
After reading them the riot act, Sandy takes a job staging a
boutique hotel in Atlanta recently acquired by her best
friend's boyfriend. The good news is that she can spend time
with her recently married daughter, Shannon, in Atlanta. The
bad news is that Shannon finds herself heading to Boston for
job training, leaving Sandy and her southern son-in-law,
Chance, as reluctant roommates. If that's not complicated
enough, Sandy begins to suspect that her best friend's
boyfriend may be seeing another woman on the side.
Filled with characters who are fresh and original, yet
recognizable enough to live in your neighborhood plus plenty
of great tips and tricks for fixing up houses, and lives
this is a wise and witty story of letting go and moving on.