Made to Last - A Book Review

From the Back: 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?

Synopsis: Miranda Woodruff is the star of a TV home show but the networks are talking about making changes.  To try and save her show, Miranda reluctantly goes along with a scheme her manager cooked up to fake a husband for publicity's sake.  The man they picked for the job, Blaze, is the farthest thing from the fiance Miranda was in love with.  Matthew Knox is a disgraced reporter who is struggling to find a story that will make up for the mistakes in his past.  He takes on a profile piece on Miranda hoping it will lead to something more.  As time moves along, Miranda's secret gets harder and harder for her to keep.  She also finds herself strangely attracted to Matthew.  Once Matthew discovers Miranda's secret, it's only a matter of time before others do.  Miranda struggles to keep her personal and professional lives separate without losing the best things in both.

My Review:  This is Melissa Tagg's debut novel and in some ways, that's obvious.  Some of the storyline is almost too implausible to keep going.  It is also a novel that's harder to get into.  But, I'm glad I stuck with it.  While I think some of the decisions both Matthew and Miranda made and make in the story are mistakes, I like the way Tagg folded them into the story.  Both characters had their flaws but both were easy to like too.  I also liked that there were a couple of simpler plot lines running through the novel that influenced the way Miranda and Matthew acted.  While it's a love story, there was a bigger picture involved as well.  All-in-all, this is a fun read and I'm looking forward to Tagg's next book.

My Score:  3.5 bookmarks out of 5.

Note: Bethany House Publishers gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.