Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Author Melissa Tagg's "Walker Family Series"--Swoon-worthy Contemporary Romance. Small-town Charm.

Book 0.5

Three Little Words
 
 
Ava Kingsley and Seth Walker might be the most unlikely friends ever. The only thing these two polar opposites have in common is a knack for wordsmithing. Back in college, they were known for their written sparring in the campus newspaper's popular "He Says/She Says" column. At their ten-year college reunion, they pick up right where they left off. Except this time their squabbling leads to a surprising turn: friendship and a year-long exchange of emails. So when Ava approaches a crossroads in her athletics department career in Minnesota, Seth is quick to offer the open apartment above the restaurant he's been remodeling in Maple Valley, Iowa. Ava doesn't know where her career will lead her next, but she's starting to suspect she might see Seth as more than a pen pal. Which would be exciting...except for the fact that he only sees her as a friend.
 
As Maple Valley grows on her, Ava wonders if there might be something here for her even though Seth is unavailable. And maybe, just maybe, after all the words the two of them have exchanged over the years, they'll finally be able to say the three that matter most.

Three Little Words is an e-only novella that gives an exciting introduction to Melissa Tagg's series about the charismatic Walker family and the endearing town of Maple Valley!
 

Book 1

From the Start
 
 
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 jump-start 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?
 

Book 2

Like Never Before
 
 
Maple Valley became Amelia Bentley's haven after her heart and her dreams of a family were shattered. But her new life as a newspaper editor is shaken when the small-town paper is in danger of closing. Her one hope: A lead on an intriguing story that just might impress the new publisher...if only she knew who he was. After his biggest campaign success yet, widowed speechwriter Logan Walker now has the chance of a lifetime--a spot on a presidential campaign. But his plans are interrupted when he finds out he's inherited his hometown newspaper. He travels home intent on selling the paper and spending some much-needed time with his young daughter before making the leap into national politics.
 
But instead of a quick sale and peaceful break from his hectic career, Logan finds himself helping Amelia chase her story. She's scrappy, but wounded. He's dependable, but lost. They may butt heads more than expected, but a series of leads on Maple Valley's quirky unsolved mystery is just the start of the sparks that fly in the office and in their hearts.
 
MY REVIEW:  "Like Never Before" is a sweetly poignant contemporary romance from author Melissa Tagg. Set in the fictional small-town community of Maple Valley, Iowa, the storyline continues to feature the lives of the Walker family, whom we met in the first two books in the series: "Three Little Words" and "From the Start". Logan Walker had been unexpectedly widowed at an early age. Losing his wife, Emma, had left him to raise their young daughter, Charlotte--known as "Charlie"--on his own. He had left Maple Valley behind years ago to pursue a career as a highly influential political speechwriter in Washington, DC. Now he was being lured back to his hometown by messages from Amelia Bentley, who had moved to Maple Valley and taken over as editor for the local paper where Logan had once worked. Freddie, the beloved former editor of the paper, had passed away, and now the paper was struggling to stay in print. When Logan learns to his great surprise that he has inherited the paper from Freddie, he and Charlie head to Iowa to visit the Walker family and settle up the newspaper business. However, an unexpected attraction between Logan and Amelia further complicates matters, and Logan has more decisions to make than he ever imagined. Amelia is nursing a deep hurt over her broken marriage and adoption plans that fell through. She loves the newspaper life, though, and she does her best to convince Logan not to sell the paper. He sees how good being around his family is for Charlie, and his growing feelings for Amelia have him torn between the comfort of his familial environment and the exciting appeal of his career in DC. Will new feelings of love and hope for the future bring Logan, Amelia, and Charlie together as family all their own? Is there a way to compromise here and there to make happiness the reward for all? "Like Never Before" really resonated with me as a reader. I live in a small railroad town in the mountains of Virginia, and I worked for our local paper for years as an advertising sales representative. I still love "hold 'em in your hands" actual newspapers, and I read them every day.

Book Copy Gratis Bethany House Books
 
 

Book 3

Keep Holding On
 
 
Best friends reunite in Melissa Tagg's novel of second chances and enduring love.  
 
Beckett Walker hasn't stepped foot in Maple Valley in years. There's no getting past the painful memories, and there's every chance he'll be arrested as soon as he shows his face. Which is exactly what happens when he finally returns. Suddenly his dream of adventure as a military lawyer comes skidding to a halt.

Horticulturist Kit Danby has spent too much time missing home and her childhood best friend--Beckett Walker. Now she might have a shot at reclaiming both. After years of living abroad, she returns to run her family's apple orchard. She has one season to turn a profit and impress the father she barely knows. But she can't do it alone.

It should be simple: Beckett needs community service hours. Kit needs a helping hand. But there's more at stake than either of them planned. With a tangled past and futures that look nothing alike, they'll have to find a way to weather the storms of the present . . . or risk losing everything.
 

Book 4

All this Time
 
 
Bear McKinley’s past refuses to let go.

Ten years ago, Bear gave up everything—his freedom and his reputation—for his mess of a family. But after years of distance and too many attempts at starting over, he finally has a new life doing noble work in Brazil . . . until his past catches up to him once again. Suddenly he finds himself back in Maple Valley, charged with the care of his missing brother’s children, convinced he’s out of second chances to make his life count. And yet, with every day that passes, these kids, this quirky town and the woman he never stopped missing help patch the holes in his heart. Maybe this is the fresh start he’s been longing for all along. But as his newfound hope grows, so does the mystery surrounding his brother’s activities—and when the threat reaches into the lives of those he loves, it’s clear he can’t run away this time.

Fear holds Raegan’s future captive.

Raegan Walker is fine. She’s happy working a slew of part-time jobs, still living in her childhood bedroom and rarely venturing from her hometown. At least, that’s what she tells everyone . . . and herself. But she can’t help wondering what might’ve happened if she hadn’t abandoned her art so many years ago—and if Bear McKinley had never left. When Bear returns and she’s commissioned for a painting that just might revive her artistic ambition all in one week, it’s time to finally reach for more than fine. But doing so means facing the fears that have held her back all this time, including admitting the secret she’s kept from Bear and her family. With her dream and her heart on the line, how much will Raegan have to risk to finally chase her happy ending?
 
A Place to Belong
 
 
After years of mistakes and regret, coffee shop owner Megan Harrow has finally built a new life for herself and her daughter in quirky, but charming Maple Valley. But she’s not ready for the sparks that fly when she meets local nonprofit owner Eric Hampton . . . or for the sudden reappearance of an unwelcome face from her past.

Note from Melissa: Megan Harrow appears in all four of my Walker Family books. She's a reader favorite and I can't tell you how many notes I've received asking when she's going to get her own story. Well, she's finally getting the spotlight now. 

*This novella originally appeared in the RIGHT WHERE WE BELONG collection in 2017, alongside novellas from award-winning authors Deborah Raney and Courtney Walsh  
 
 
Melissa Tagg
 
 
Melissa Tagg 
 
 
Melissa Tagg is the award-winning author of the popular Walker Family series, the Where Love Begins series and the Enchanted Christmas Collection. She's a former reporter, current nonprofit grant writer and total Iowa girl.

Melissa's recent releases include a Carol Award Winner (One Enchanted Noel), an RT Book Reviews TOP PICK (All This Time) and a Publishers Weekly Spring Top Ten Pick (Like Never Before).

Melissa has taught at multiple national writing conferences, as well as workshops and women's retreats. When she's not writing, she can be found hanging out with the coolest family ever--not that she's biased--watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next book. Melissa loves connecting with readers at www.melissatagg.com and on Facebook and Instagram.
 

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