The Homemaker

The Chain of Lakes Series

By: Jewel E. Ann

Narrated by: Charlotte North, Robert Hatchet

A romance inspired by TS "Fortnight"

I was hers, but she was never mine.

Alice Yates is the hired “homemaker” for the Morrisons, an affluent couple in Minneapolis. For Alice, it’s a dream job to dress up like a 1950s housewife and read romance novels to Mr. Morrison before his afternoon nap.

But when the Morrisons’ only daughter returns home for the summer with her fiancé, Alice comes face-to-face with her shattered past—the only threat to her perfect life.

Eight years earlier, vacation rental owner Murphy Paddon had an impeccable vinyl record collection and did the most irresistible thing before kissing Alice, earning him a five-star rating. Their fortnight love affair was life-altering and ended tragically.

Murphy doesn’t know if Alice remembers him or whether he should tell his fiancée that the hired help living in the guesthouse is the woman who irreparably broke his heart. He needs closure, but will the lingering glances and silent yearning lead to the end or just the beginning?

©2025 Jewel E. Ann (P)2025 Jewel E. Ann

Jewel E. Ann is the best!

Loved it. All the feels. Fun to listen to. I just love when an audiobook is more of a performance vs a story being read.

Forever one of my favorite authors!😍

💛Second Chance
💛Close Proximity
💛Forbidden
💛Slow-Burn
💛Small-Town
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“Hi.” ....IYKYK🥹
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Review: Jewel's writing will forever be my favorite. I love going into her books completely blind. All I knew was that it was based on Fortnight by Taylor Swift. She has such unique stories that you just can't put them down!
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Alice is the new homemaker for a wealthy couple, the Morrison's. She is surprised when she sees Murphy, their future son in law. For Murphy, Alice was the one that got away. The timing was never right for them, but oh my heart! The banter, love, and chemistry between these two were palpable! I loved how Jewel wove the past and present together, slowly revealing more and more of what happened to Alice and how she ended up as a homemaker. Their connection was instant, undeniable, and so full of longing that I felt every bit of their heartbreak and hope. Every layer of Alice that was revealed hurt a little more, but knowing Jewel, I knew it would be worth the pain. She truly blended the right amount of humor and emotion. I got nervous a few times that their HEA wouldn't work out, but I stuck with it, and it was oh so worth it! “Ask me to choose you.” Jewel E Ann truly knows how to craft a love story that wraps around your heart and sticks with you for long after the last page. The Epilogue made me soooo freaking happy! I was crying happy tears. I listened to the audiobook by Charlotte North and Robert Hatchet. Both were newer narrators to me, but they did an amazing job of bringing these characters to life! Definitely recommend this one!

Perfect story & casting

This story left me on the edge of my seat and loving every twist and turn of this plot. The narration was just as perfect as the story was

I love you, it's ruining my life

I haven't read a Jewel E Ann book that I haven't loved. They are all so unique and the characters are just so good. As a new Swiftie, I thought it was clever to tie this story into the Fortnight song. The contrast between feminism you have with Taylor the girl boss billionaire and more outdated traditional roles like Alice the Homemaker was so interesting.
Now, I will warn you of one trigger. There is some cheating in this story. I don't mind that at all in stories because I enjoy forbidden content. And it's reasonable given that this is a second chance story.

It's written between past and present in ways that show the links between what is currently happening and how it relates to the past. It built so much suspense for me that I couldn't stop reading. The story between Alice and Murphy really drives home that not all love stories are fairytales. Sometimes, it is messy and inconvenient. By all accounts, Murphy is a good guy. But sometimes good people don't always do the right things. I never know how a Jewel story will end because it's never the way I think it will go. With so many predictable endings/storylines, I think that is why she is an automatic one click for me.

These were new narrators for me and I enjoyed them.

another great Read by a great author

The storyline of this book was interesting and unique. this is something that this author always does well.