Made to Last
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. --Diana Tixier Herald