ARC Review: “Multiple Listings” by Tracy McMillan

“Multiple Listings” by Tracy McMillan

Release Date: March 8th, 2016

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Adult

Page Length: 336 pages (electronic review copy)

Synopsis:

What would you do if your ex-con father suddenly came to visit…indefinitely? Family drama ensues when Nicki’s dad unexpectedly moves in with her, her son, and her boyfriend in this comedic novel from successful TV writer Tracy McMillan.

Nicki Daniels owns a home appraisal business, but real estate is her true passion: she lives for open houses and really knows her way around a floor plan. And especially at this juncture of her life, real estate has come to signify the stability she is trying to build with her teenage son, Cody, and her much younger boyfriend, Jake. She’s finally ready to find the perfect house for the three of them and work on a new business venture with Jake that she thinks will jump-start their lives together.

Meanwhile, Ronnie, a longtime inmate at a nearby correctional facility, is getting some good news for once—there was a mistake in his sentencing, and he’s eligible to get out of prison. After a sixty-day stay in a halfway house, Ronnie decides his best option to avoid homelessness is to move in with his estranged daughter: Nicki. Even though they haven’t spoken in years, her door is always open to him, right?

Inspired by the author’s life and imbued with wit and profound insight into relationships, Multiple Listings speaks poignantly—and often hilariously—about the ties that bind families of all types together. (description from NetGalley)

Review:

Multiple Listings presents its readers with a comedic story about life, love, and family. Our main protagonist, Nicki, presents the readers with her so-called “perfect life” which we soon find out is not 100% true. Though her life is better and more financially secure than before, her world is soon shaken up when her ex-con father shows up at her doorstep. On top of that, her teenage son is failing school and she’s trying to make a family with her son and younger boyfriend all with the prospect of buying a new house. How will Nicki handle it all?

I found Ronnie, Nicki’s father to be an intriguing character. Prison has really changed him and as a result he is striving to have a better life and be a father/grandfather to Nicki and Cody (Nicki’s son). He truly wants to reconnect with his only family and somehow try to make up for all of the lost years. It was selfish of him to show up on Nicki’s doorstep out of the blue and expect her forgiveness, but he also knows he has to start somewhere in order regain her trust again.

Nicki has finally found some stability in her life so it’s up to her to work through the past and decide whether to forgive her dad or not. She reluctantly accepts Ronnie back into her life and tries to mend their relationship. It’s hard at first, but slowly they Nicki, Cody, and Ronnie start to act like a real family. Seeing their bonding moments was really endearing and it made me think about cherishing small moments with my own family.

Overall I felt that Multiple Listings is a charming and humorous novel about life’s up and downs. It shows us that you might not always be ready for the curve balls life might throw at you, but you have to try to adapt to them the best you can. It’s also equally a story about not holding on to the bad memories of the past. You may not forget them, but they can help you overcome obstacles and grow into being a stronger person.

Final Verdict: