It's funny how the events of a lifetime can easily be replayed by simply walking from room to room in a house. The growth charts that are etched forever in the woodwork or the marks on the carpet can evoke even stronger memories than a photo. To some, a house is just a structure. For others, it's a place to call home.

Ellen Flanagan knows the history behind the four walls that make up her beloved house. It was to this place that she brought her newborn babies as well as suffered the pain of losing a child she desperately wanted. With each year, this home brings new meaning to her life as she carves out her family's future and preserves her most cherished memories. But when an error in judgment by her capricious husband forces Ellen to throw away their marriage, she is faced with the unthinkable. She must abandon what has served as the beacon of stability in her life for the past ten years... her dear house. Before she knows it, her home is sold, her life is in shambles, and her daughters are grasping for the way things used to be.

As her family and friends stand by in helpless frustration, Ellen chooses to mourn the loss of her home instead of the disintegration of her marriage. Angered by the injustice of it all, Ellen plots to get back what she thinks is rightfully hers...her house. While setting her plan in motion, a new man enters the picture that sends her heart aflutter. How can she possibly juggle a potential take- over, a new man, and her estranged husband all at the same time? If only she could snap her fingers and make it all go away.

HOUSE & HOME is the extraordinary debut novel by Kathleen McCleary. Well-known as a reporter, writer and currently a columnist for HGTV.com, she takes her fans to an all new level by introducing them to this whimsical spin on trading places. With a bit of humor and just the right amount of drama, HOUSE & HOME is a first-rate designer's dream.