Made to Last

September 15, 2013

Miranda Woodruff, the reality TV star of From the Ground Up, faces a dilemma. She landed her job as the host of one of television's most popular home-building shows based on a lie: her husband taught her everything she knew. Unfortunately, she's not married, but her fan base thinks she is, and with her ratings slipping, her husband might be the answer to saving the show. The Hollywood solution: hire an actor to play her husband. Enter reporter Matthew Knox, who needs to salvage his career. He's been assigned to write a blog following Miranda, her show, and her husband. But there's something weird going on. Miranda and her husband aren't quite in sync, an ex-fiance has shown up, and, strangest of all, Matthew thinks he might be the right person for Miranda. If only she weren't married. VERDICT This debut romantic comedy with hidden layers will appeal to fans of Sandra D. Bricker, Trish Perry, and Rachel Hauck.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
Miranda Randi Woodruff, a talented carpenter and America's favorite tomboy, is the star of a home-repair television show. Part of her weekly shtick is talking about her husband, who taught her everything she knows about building. When the show is in danger of being canceled, the producer decides that Randi has to produce her much talked about but never seen husband to rally fan support. Unfortunately, he ditched her just before their wedding day. Matthew Knox, a disgraced journalist, takes on the distasteful job of uncovering the real story about Randi and her elusive husband because he needs to raise money to help his beloved niece receive a cochlear implant. Meanwhile, Randi is named as a finalist for an award honoring a celebrity with a philanthropic bent, and Blaze, who looks more like a surfer than a carpenter, is hired to pose as her husband. Tagg's tale is humorous and enjoyable with likable characters, a gentle romance, and a very natural and unobtrusive thread of Christianity.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)