Putty in Her Hands by Lynn Shurr

I received an arc of this book from the publishers via NetGalley.

Julia Rossi s passionate about restoration, when she discovers the ruins of The Bayou Queen hotel, she is determined to restore it to its former glory. Architect Remington ‘Remy’ Broussard purchased the site for demolition to make way for his development ‘Black Diamonds.

Julia organises the local community to protest the development but Remy is not working alone and the Broussard family are not a group to mess with. Can these to enemies fight their blossoming attraction and the dangers that lurk behind every corner?

This was an interesting read. Julia is a strong independent woman and is determined to win. The story develops nicely, the romance is believable but the plot loses steam towards the middle. The end just feels like the author was trying to pad her word count. The story would have been complete if she ended it sooner. Despite this, I would recommend the book as there is a colourful cast of characters that make up for the deficiencies.