Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I have been doing a lot of reading lately. It has been simply glorious. Fortunately, I have had a steady stream of choices to get me geared up for summer reading.

I recently finished reading Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg. This is her second novel and follows Blake "Blaze" Hunziker, who we met in Made to Last, back to his hometown.

In Here to Stay, similar to her first book, Melissa Tagg tells the story from two vantage points. That of Blake Hunziker and Autumn Kingsley. Blake, who we met in the last book, has been traveling and working around the world for the past few years, trying to escape the shadow of his brother's death. He returns home hoping to finally settle down, but unsure how his family and the town will accept him. Autumn is trying desperately to keep her family's inn in good repair and wanting to take off on her own adventure.

The two find themselves working together, each seeing the opportunity as a means to an end, but as you might expect, their feelings for each other begin to evolve. The story explores their evolving relationship and even includes visit from Miranda Woodruff from Made to Last.

I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Blake's story and his 'mysterious' history that he had made references to in the earlier book. The characters in this book are nicely developed by Tagg and as such, are easy to relate to and I found myself cheering to help them along. The characters come to find strength in their faith and it helps shape their story.

This was a nice, sweet romantic story that was a great way to kick off my summer reading experience this year. If you are looking for a fun, romantic story, this is a book that you will want to check out.

Of course, I am ready for the sequel already, so I can find out what happens next.

About

After playing nomad for five years, Blake Hunziker has finally had enough of adventure. Not sure what reception he'll get from everyone back in Whisper Shore, he's stunned at not only a warm welcome from his hometown but also a job offer. The job is his if he can successfully pull off the annual Christmas Festival. If only he knew the first thing about coordinating events...

If there's one thing Autumn Kingsley knows, it's Whisper Shore. For years, she's been stuck running her family's inn when all she wants is to see the world. Now she has a visit scheduled from a potential investor who could take over the inn, as well as a dream job offer in Paris. But with just two weeks to whip the inn into shape, her chance at escape is a long shot.

The Hunzikers and the Kingsleys may not get along, but Blake knows Autumn's the only one who can help him. She agrees to a trade--she'll help with the Festival and he'll help with inn repairs. But what was meant to be a simple deal quickly becomes much more than that when the guy who's done running away joins forces with the girl who can't wait to leave.

You can learn more about Melissa Tagg and her books at her website.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.