Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg
Bethany House Publishers, 29 April 2014
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.
Here to Stay is my first foray into Melissa Tagg’s writing. It can be quite hard for me to find contemporary romance fiction that I like, so it’s quite exciting when I do.
Autumn and Blake had me hooked from the first page. This became a ‘can’t-put-it-down’ read for me very quickly. There was just something about Autumn and Blake that I loved. They were real, fresh and irresistible, and had fantastic chemistry. Blake was very appealing – good looking, strong and capable, likes to have fun. Couple that with the fact he was dealing with a deep emotional pain … and well, that’s a very sexy recipe! Autumn needed his help – but she wasn’t a ‘needy’ character and she happily accepted his help, which is a refreshing change.
The story is compelling, dealing with a tragedy that both Autumn and Blake were associated with a few years prior. The town of Whisper Shore was delightful and its characters engaging. We join not only Autumn and Blake in their journey to emotional healing, but the whole town as well.
I also love Melissa Tagg’s writing style and voice, and found it witty and entertaining.
My only reservation is that the ending wasn’t quite as satisfying as I would have liked. I think the grand gesture you expect at the end of a romance didn’t feel quite as big as it could be.
But besides from that, I happily recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an engaging, heartwarming and put-a-smile-on-your-dial kind of contemporary romance. I look forward to what Melissa Tagg releases next!
Helen is a strange combination of fiction editor and web strategist. That’s because she loves fiction and the internet – and analytics! A former business analyst and IT support manager, Helen now spends her time parenting her three children as well as running her editing and web agency businesses. As a book reviewer and fiction editor, her one true love and specialty is Christian romance fiction.