HER HANDYMAN by Morgan Mandel

Jake, owner of Jake of All Trades, is content with his life. He finds enjoyment and satisfaction helping people through his job and is engaged to Angelina, the perfect woman in every aspect. When Jake is called to the apartment of Zoe, a well-known and wealthy artist, to stop her toilet from overflowing, Jake is a bit put off by Zoe, who seems a bit eccentric. Thanks to Zoe’s dog FuFu, Jake trips and hits his head on the toilet and passes out. While waiting for the paramedics to come, he and Zoe find themselves bonding and quickly become friends. Over the following months, the two keep in touch by phone and Jake begins to wonder if his perfect life is not so perfect after all while self-isolating Zoe tries to find ways to deny her attraction to Jake. Morgan Mandel has put together a charming romance with two completely opposite characters. Jake and Zoe are very likeable and the reader roots for their relationship to develop, even though Jake is engaged to someone else. An added bonus is Zoe’s Chinese Crested dog FuFu. A nice addition to the story is the way Jake and Zoe encourage each other to live up to their full potential. All in all, this novella is a fast, entertaining read that will hold the reader’s attention throughout.