"Made To Last" by Melissa Tagg

Miranda Woodruff has made her life into a royal mess - and even though she's a master homebuilder, she has no idea how to repair this disaster! When she filmed the first episode of her home repair TV show she was about to get married and thus referred to her fiance Robbie as "my husband." When Robbie left shortly before their wedding, Miranda was too embarrassed to admit the turn of events on air, and so for the past three seasons she's continued making references to her mysterious, never-seen husband. Now that her show is in danger of being canceled, her producers are encouraging her to bring her husband into the spotlight. The only problem is that he still doesn't exist.

When a willing participant with similar features to the long-departed Robbie is found, Miranda reluctantly agrees to claim the stranger and stage a moment when she can be spotted publicly with her mystery man. The plan is to fake their marriage for a few months and then quietly go through with an exit strategy to get the guy back to his normal life.

Struggling journalist Matthew Knox feels like his life is one string of bad career decisions after the other. He seems to have a knack for following the wrong leads, missing the scoops, or even letting his emotions override journalistic integrity. In a moment of desperation he accepts an assignment to cover minor celebrity Miranda Woodruff on site, and soon he finds himself staying on a cabin on her property and being drawn to Miranda's generous spirit. He's quite strict in keeping his attraction in check, believing that she is married, until she confesses to him that she isn't. Now sitting on the biggest scoop of his life, Matthew must decide how to handle the information.

With a pretend husband in tow and a reporter who is holding onto the secret which could tear her on-screen persona apart, Miranda's life seems like it couldn't become any more complicated, until Robbie himself shows back up. How long can she juggle all the lies? Her house of cards is about to come falling down, and she may not have any control over it at all.

The story of a TV star with a secret is one that usually unfolds in a typical fashion, but that was not true with "Made To Last." There were plenty of surprises, and the characters were complex and developed. I enjoyed the deeper themes of family issues, regret, and personal insecurity. This story was so much more than it seems at first glance, and if you are looking for an entertaining read this summer, you should definitely check this one out.