Bravo fans may know Barbara Kavovit as the newest cast member of The Real Housewives of New York, but Hamptonites know her better as the construction trailblazer who fought back against the boys’ club mentality and redefined the industry. You can also add book author to her resume, and this summer Barbara releases her new novel, Heels of Steel. 

The founder and CEO of Evergreen Construction — one of the only female-led construction companies in New York City — was named one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Business” by Crain’s.Now, in her new novel, the New York native gives readers an inside look into the cut-throat business of hardhats and hammers, based on her own experiences working on projects at Rockefeller Center, Carnegie Hall Towers, and the Empire State Building.

Heels of Steel follows Bridget Steele, the Bronx-born, sexy, and tough-as-nails construction company CEO determined to be the first woman to get a contract to build a New York City skyscraper. Fighting for her life and career in the male-dominated real estate industry in the Big Apple, Steele also finds herself falling for her biggest rival, who could impede her rise to the top.

Set in New York and the Hamptons, Heels of Steel features a cast of characters straight out of Kavovit’s real life experiences working for some of the biggest headline-making clients in the business. An industry giant. His best friend, in love with his wife. A Martha Stewart-like doyenne, at first Bridget’s adversary and then unlikely ally.

The novel’s pages are filled with the delicious dramas and entanglements of people who will go to any length to land a contract. And amidst all the intrigue, the author takes an honest look at the sexism, corruption, and harassment of the world of New York City construction she knows so well.

Heels of Steel hits shelves June 25th, 2019 and is published by HarperCollins. This quick-witted summer read celebrates female trailblazers and reveals the dirty secrets of one of New York’s biggest industries.