The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

 Dempsey is a lawyer working for a DC lobbying firm. She loves her job and is smitten with her boss, Alex. Until one day, the feds come calling, saying the firm had bribed a member of Congress and arranged for prostitutes for him. Dempsey finds herself without a job--and thrown under the bus by her boss. Her father suggests she go down to a tiny town in Georgia to fix up an old mansion he inherited there so he can sell it--and split the profits with her.

Since she has no other options, she heads to tiny Guthrie, Ga and finds that the mansion is in very sorry shape--and there's a crabby old woman living there who refuses to leave. Since her arrival is the biggest thing to hit town since the mill closed, Dempsey has caught everyone's attention. But she has also found people eager to lend a hand -- a talented handyman, a real estate guy who likes to paint houses in his spare time, and a charming father and son law firm. She feels like she's sort of getting her life back on track when the FBI calls and wants her to get her old boss on tape admitting his evil deeds. What will happen to this poor girl next?

Dempsey is a likeable heroine--spunky and smart with a good heart. I got pulled into the story, hoping she would find a new path in life, a little romance, and revenge against her odious former boss.