From the Start by Melissa Tagg

About the Book:

Kate Walker used to believe in true love and happily ever after. While her own love life may have left her brokenhearted, it hasn't kept her from churning out made-for-TV romance movie screenplays...until a major career slump and a longing to do something meaningful send her running back to her hometown of Maple Valley.

 

Permanently sidelined by an injury, former NFL quarterback Colton Greene is temporarily hiding out in a friend's hometown to avoid the media and the reminders of all he's lost. Maple Valley seems like the perfect place to learn how to adjust to normal life. The only trouble is he's never really done normal before.

While Kate plays things safe and Colton is all about big risks and grand gestures, they both get what it's like to desperately need direction in life. An unexpected project gives them both a chance to jumpstart their new lives, but old wounds and new dreams are hard to ignore. Starting over wasn't part of the plan, but could it be the best thing that's ever happened to them?

My Thoughts:

I fell in love with Melissa's writing with her first novel, "Made to Last."  Her characters were so engaging and alive, and her imagination crafted unique stories that grabbed me from the first page and held me until the end.

But as I began reading "From the Start", I noticed something had changed.  This novel wasn't like her first books.  My own imagination perked up and paid close attention.

As I navigated the early chapters of Melissa Tagg's latest novel, I was impressed by one overarching thought. Melissa captures a gorgeous essence of the Father, working behind the scenes to orchestrate events that are best for His creation, or, in Melissa's case her children. The beautiful weaving of change and circumstance into the ideal plan was breathtaking and inspiring.

And again, much like the Father, Melissa took the fragments of broken dreams and wounded hearts and crafted good things for her imaginary people. Things not just for them, but for the good of those around them also. Her artistry is a true pleasure to watch.

That's right.  Melissa bends and weaves words like a master craftsman.  Not one syllable is wasted, and prepare for an emotional tug-of-war.  But know this: the reader always wins at the conclusion of the story.

Make room on your shelf for "From the Start" and make room in your heart for some unforgettable characters.  You know what?  Go ahead and leave a couple of spaces for her other books as well, because once you read a novel by Melissa Tagg, she'll be "Here To Stay".

Trust me, you'll love her "From the Start"!  And every book she crafts will be "Made to Last".  (Like how I did that?  Huh??  Huh??)

My thanks to my friends at Bethany House Publishing for my complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Highly, highly recommended!

Happy Reading!





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