As Long As It's Perfect
by Lisa Tognola
To Janie Margolis, "assistant contractor" sounds like the perfect job for a mom whose role raising kids has become routine—but her perfect job starts to unravel when she and her husband, Wim, find themselves arguing about everything from money to masonry to man caves. Then the economy collapses, and it's hard to surmount the reality ahead: they are about to sink their entire savings into rebuilding a new house they can't afford while trying unsuccessfully to sell the one they can afford. Will Janie back herself so far into a corner that she'll find herself homeless before she finds herself a home? From crushes on contractors to frenzied shopping expeditions to the erection of a cupola that looks a little too phallic for Janie's upscale neighborhood—or really anywhere!—Janie navigates the pitfalls of building. Along the way, she deals with a con artist kitchen designer, a construction worker and architect who fight like schoolgirls, and a tile guy who turns her...