Review: Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

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

Once again I was happy to be back in Maple Valley with the lovable Walker family, but found myself missing a connection with the main characters and their romance. The plot of the story moves along nicely and I enjoyed getting to know Amelia's tenacious personality and more members of the tight-knit community. She and Logan have a solid friendship and fun banter, but when it came to chemistry, I felt it was lacking that tension and emotion- kind of like watching an interesting movie without the musical soundtrack that really gets you feeling. I'm still looking forward to reading more in the series, especially about Walker siblings Reagan and Beckett.

(Thank you to Bethany House Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)