A Day of Winners! (With a Review)

The first winner I want to announce today is the winner of the Forget Me Not cover reveal giveaway!

Nancy M.

...won the forget-me-not note cards (from Carol Sapp Watercolors)! Congratulations, Nancy! You've been sent an e-mail, and you have until Friday to respond before I pick another winner. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the cover reveal - either as bloggers or as readers leaving comments! I really appreciate your support and enthusiasm, and I'm looking forward to the day that I can share this story with you. (Hopefully not too much longer now!)

And now, for the second "winner" of the day - a contemporary romance novel that made a great impression on me! 

Here's a description of the book from Bethany House:

Miranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that's how it looks when she's starring in her homebuilding television show, From the Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she'll do anything to boost ratings and save her show--even if it means pretending to be married to a man who's definitely not the fiance who ran out on her three years ago.

When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda's every move, all his digging into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth--and to her. Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the life she's built come crashing down just as she's found a love to last?

My Rating

Summer

My Review

While historical romance may be the subgenre I gravitate toward within Christian romance, every now and then a contemporary romance will come along and impress me. Made to Last is full of great plot twists, wonderful characterization, and sweet and funny moments. While it may not be set in the past, the "foreign" and "formal" situations (the world of TV stars and big-name reporters) still swept me away to another place, and I enjoyed the excursion very much.

One big conflict propels the story along, but constant added conflicts or new twists on the effects of the big secret keep the story moving along at a nice pace. I loved the contrast between Miranda's mountain home (and other country situations) and the craziness of being behind the camera, featured on a widely read celebrity blog, etc. And Tagg did a marvelous job of crafting the story in terms of the seasons. (Something I had to focus on, of course!) The themes of letting go and dying dreams correspond with the leaves falling from the trees and the cold winter weather setting in. And yet there is hope as the hero and heroine learn how to face those seasons and find the precious truths hidden beneath the piles of leaves.

With an intriguing cast of characters and the right mix of the familiar/realistic and the exciting/imaginative, as well as a delightful dose of humor, Made to Last is a memorable romance story. Tagg's writing resonated with me, and I can't wait for her next book, Here to Stay!

*With thanks to the author and Bethany House for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*