Blueprints

A Novel

By: Barbara Delinsky

Narrated by: Amy Rubinate

Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Blueprints is the story of two strong women - Caroline MacAfee, a skilled carpenter; and her daughter, Jamie, a talented architect. The day after her 56th birthday, Caroline is told the network wants Jamie to replace her as the host on Gut It!, their family-based home construction TV show. The resulting rift couldn't come at a worse time. For Jamie life changes overnight when, soon after learning of the host shift, her father and his new wife die in a car accident that orphans their two-year-old son. Accustomed to organization and planning, she is now grappling with a toddler who misses his parents, a fiancé who doesn't want the child, a staggering new attraction, and a work challenge that, if botched, could undermine the future of both MacAfee Homes and Gut It!

For Caroline, hosting Gut It! is part of her identity. Facing its loss, she feels betrayed by her daughter and old in the eyes of the world. When her ex-husband dies, she is thrust into the role of caregiver to his aging father. And then there's Dean, a longtime friend whose efforts to seduce her awaken desires that have been dormant for so long that she feels foreign to herself.

"Who am I?" both women ask as the blueprints they've built their lives around suddenly need revising. While loyalties shift, decisions hover, and new relationships tempt, their challenge comes not only in remaking themselves but in rebuilding their relationship with each other.

©2015 Barbara Delinsky (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

The narration was rough to listen to

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend the book, but I'm less sure about the audiobook. The voice of the narrator was really tough for me to listen to.

What did you like best about this story?

The mother/daughter relationship, with all of its ups and downs, was compelling. The men in their lives were absolutely perfect for both women.

What didn’t you like about Amy Rubinate’s performance?

It was too "valley girl" for me...particularly when doing Jamie.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

NA.........

Entertaining

I enjoyed the characters. Good ending and characters. Narrator was good but a little too much accent.

Loved it!!

Another hit for Ms. Delinsky. One of the things the storyline reaffirms is that age is just a number and that you're never too old to find your happy ever after.

Loved the story, hated the audio

Would you try another book from Barbara Delinsky and/or Amy Rubinate?

Barbara yes Amy NO

Any additional comments?

I really liked this story but had a huge issue with the narrator. I listened to this book on audible and had it not been for the fact that I really wanted to hear the story out, and that I had paid for it, I would have quit after the first 5 minutes of the audio book. The narrator sounded like an automated computer voice that droned on and on. It was a total turn off. I had to remind myself of how much I like the author to just get myself through the awful audio. Aside from that, the story was amazing. It struck home several times as I am very close to my daughter and saw how I could have done some of the same things that happened. I would recommend this book very highly, but would adamantly suggest not to listen on audible. It's so not an experience I would want anyone else to have to endure.

Very choppy but entertaining

This was basically a really good story. It was really hard to follow on audible, maybe the actual book would have been better. The story lines jumped around a lot and scenes weren't finished. I had to rewind quite a bit to make sure i didn't miss something. All I could think of when reading this was the HGTV show, Good Bones. The show with the mother and daughter. LOL.

Did not care for the narration but I hate the hurt the feelings of actual people who do this for a living. It seems such a trite observation.

Glad I bought it, it was great escapism.

Great mother-daughter story

Have always loved B.D. stories. Loved this one addressing women's feelings of aging. Well done! Also very well read. Enjoyed narration.

Wonderful!!!!

What made the experience of listening to Blueprints the most enjoyable?

I loved this book. The characters were so real and believable. The story could of been any young couple struggle for love

What other book might you compare Blueprints to and why?

I thought Salt Air was great but this one was better. I love Barbara Delinsky and the way she writes.

Have you listened to any of Amy Rubinate’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Amy was great in her presentation. She really bought these characters to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Jamie fallen in love with Chip? So believable.

Any additional comments?

Waiting for the next best seller.

Stubborn Not Strong

I loved the idea of a book about Caroline (mother 56) & Jamie (daughter 29) who were close friends. However, I thought both women were too fast to believe the worst of the other.

When Jamie's father suddenly dies, Caroline rushes to help another family member rather than her child. In what world would a mother not put her daughter first when grieving? The women found time to become romantically involved with men yet no time to support each other.

There were cute moments as Jamie learned to care for her half brother but too many times when Caroline & Jamie were too stubborn or proud to communicate. I was frustrated when they acted more like teens than mature adults, which made this book less than entertaining for me.

Fast listen

I have read some of this author's books a while back. Not much plot to this one and predictable ending early on.

Summer Reading - beach reading

Would you try another book from Barbara Delinsky and/or Amy Rubinate?

Yes.

If you’ve listened to books by Barbara Delinsky before, how does this one compare?

Not as good as other books. Somewhat predictable and too far from reality in the way things happen from a timing perspecitve.

What three words best describe Amy Rubinate’s voice?

Easy to listen

Do you think Blueprints needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No -