Can ‘emotional outsourcing’ fix failing romantic relationships?

A summer beach read with humor and depth, “The Fixer Upper” asks, “What if women could outsource the emotional burden of ‘fixing’ their partners?” 

What if all the work of improving a romantic partner could be outsourced? Female readers, many of whom may feel that they carry the emotional burden in their relationships with men, will find that Lauren Forsythe’s debut novel, “The Fixer Upper” hits pretty close to home. Billed as a “sassy feminist rom-com,” the book is a lot of fun, full of cheeky one-liners and a cast of characters both sharp and heartwarming.

Alyssa Aresti (Aly) is Forsythe’s leading lady. She finds herself in failed relationship after failed relationship with men who just can’t get it together. But her close-colleagues-eventual-best-friends Tola and Eric point out that all the men she dated have one thing in common: They went on to have thriving lives post-relationship (an improvement rate of 87%, according to very scientific calculations done by the pair). Aly realizes that they’re right. In some way – often many ways – she had a direct hand in “fixing” her boyfriends’ lives so they could be successful. Tola, convinced something is there, asks the trio: What if they could provide this service to other women? She points out to Aly, “Think about how happy [the partners of your exes] ... must be that you sculpted these man-children into romantic heroes.”

They start a side company and begin “fixing” other people’s relationships through a variety of means: not-so-chance encounters where they hint it’s time for a commitment-phobic partner to propose, or for a father to get more involved in his children’s lives, or a man needs to improve his personal hygiene. This so-called “emotional outsourcing” is a hit, and Tola pinpoints why: “We have a generation of exhausted women on our hands.”

Everything is fine until Aly is forced to face her own unresolved past. A big-name client and highly successful social media influencer needs her to secure a proposal: from Aly’s old best friend Dylan, the only man she’s ever loved. And the biggest jerk of her life, who pretends he doesn’t know her.

What ensues is a comical tale of mixed messages, passive-aggressive jabs, and miscommunication. All the characters wrestle with being honest with themselves about what they want from their partners; but they also wrestle with having the courage to speak their needs out loud in a way that would actually allow others to support them. 

It’s more than a beach read, although it’s a great pick for anyone looking to read about hilarious romantic shenanigans while wiggling their toes in the sand. It gets into the relatable exhaustion of carrying the emotional load, be it at home, in the office, or with relationships. The resourcefulness of the main characters, as they try to address this big issue, is clever, but it’s no surprise that the complexity of it all entangles them – and their clients – in a web of confusion and chaos. By the final pages, the reader is left feeling that when pursuing love leaves you wrung out, the best path forward is having the courage to communicate how you really feel. And that sometimes means trusting someone to accept you, flaws and all. 

The story is light and creative and the characters are endearing. The writing draws out the story at a relaxed pace, giving the reader time to ponder their own relationships while giggling at the absurdity of others. The book contains plenty of innuendos to remind the audience that they’re reading about the love lives of millennials in London, but it’s not graphic in the slightest. As soon as the reader meets Dylan, the ex-best friend, they can guess the ending, but it’s still a charming read that will leave them with a smile.