When the Heart Sings

GIVEAWAY

TOLSMA, LIZ
WHEN THE HEART SINGS

Natia has a secret -- and she's hiding him right beneath her captor's nose.

In 1943 Poland, the Nazis have forced Natia and Teodor from their peaceful farm to the harsh confines of a labor camp. When the couple is separated, Natia is chosen to be the housekeeper for the camp's overseer, and Teodor is sent to work in the factory. Despite the strict camp rules -- and the consequences for disobeying them -- Natia finds a way to communicate with Teodor by sending messages through song as she passes Teodor's dormitory.

The stakes get higher when Natia finds a Jewish orphan on the overseer's doorstep. She is determined to protect the boy and raise him as the child she and her husband were unable to bear -- but if her German captors discover how much she's hiding, both she and Teodor may pay the ultimate price...

My Review:

What a haunting love story! Not a romance in the conventional sense -- in fact, I don't think When the Heart Sings is tagged as Historical Romance, but it does showcase the breadth and depth of true love -- it's the epitome of that old cliche "love conquers all."

Natia and Teodor have already endured enough tragedy in their young marriage when the Nazis confiscate their farm and send them to a work camp. Though they are separated upon their arrival, it is the power of their love that sustains them through the grueling months ahead.

Told from multiple points of view, Tolsma has brought history to life through these characters. Once again, I marvel over the new twist this author brings to the popular World War II Fiction genre -- the persecution of Polish Christians and the way she uses music to inspire hope in the most desperate of times.

I knew about the barbaric conditions of the Warsaw ghetto where Polish Jews were held captive but I didn't realize the extent of the German occupation throughout the rest of the country. Even small villages and rural communities weren't safe from Nazi barbarism. Farmland stolen from generational Polish farmers was gifted to displaced German families while the Poles were sent to work camps where they were, quite literally, worked to death.

So where is God in all this mess? That's the challenge Natia and Teodor face as they struggle to survive the deplorable conditions and the evil intentions of their captors. When the Heart Sings is a tough read but it is also an inspiring one. A real celebration of triumph and overcoming in the midst of unspeakable horror. Simply stunning!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of When the Heart Sings, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 2 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Wilderness Secrets

GIVEAWAY

DUNN, SHARON
WILDERNESS SECRETS

Framed and braving the wilderness...He needs her help to clear his name

A downed plane holds evidence that will prove framed DEA agent Jesse Santorum is innocent -- and he must reach it before a drug cartel does. But to find the plane hidden high in the mountains of Montana, he needs wilderness guide Abigail Murphy's expertise. Can they survive the treacherous mountains and their well-armed pursuers long enough to expose the true criminals?

My Review:

Have a couple of oxygen tanks handy before diving into this fast and furious romantic suspense! I think I'll be automatically shoulder-checking for some time to come as a result of this read. The bad guys are relentless and seem to be as charged up as the Energizer Bunny because they just don't quit! Love the wilderness setting, the nod to MacIvyer and the fact that Abigail is one awesomely resilient survivalist trail guide! Once these two start trusting each other, they are unstoppable -- both in conquering the bad guys and in love!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Wilderness Secrets, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 2 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Heart Land

GIVEAWAY

STUART, KIMBERLY
HEART LAND

Grace Kleren finally made her dreams of a fashion career in New York City a reality. But when she's fired and can't pull together next month's rent, Grace does something she never thought she'd do: she moves back home to Iowa.

Grace hates the tiny town, where everything closes early, where there's no nightlife, and where everyone knows each other's business. She's saving her pennies and plotting her return to New York when she runs into Tucker, the boy -- now man -- whose heart she broke when she left ten years ago. When they reconnect, Grace starts to remember why she fell for him in the first place.

Her career begins to turn around when she finds an outdated vintage dress at a flea market, updating and selling the look. Suddenly, Grace has her ticket out. But her feelings for Tucker are becoming undeniable, and Grace must decide where home really is. Will she chase her long held New York dream, or find a new dream here in the heartland?

My Review:

First off -- how on earth have I never read anything by this author before?! Once again my avid reader spidey senses failed me because I hadn't even heard of Kimberly Stuart until my library introduced us. Gotta love a public library that keeps you on your toes!!!!! So, Heart Land might be my first Stuart novel but it certainly won't be my last!

This was sheer romantical bliss! Small town second chance love story with a crackerjack grandma who is endearing despite (or maybe because of) her inability to be subtle. And her opinionated friends -- what a hoot! But as much as I adored Gigi for her comic relief tendencies, I loved her for her willingness to keep sharing her faith with a granddaughter who doesn't understand.

And Tucker and Grace together again!!!! Be still my heart. Awkward, heat-charged first meet after being apart for a decade -- emotion churning, sparks flying -- the kind of scene that makes a reader sit up and take notice.

He's small town practical, she's big city dreamer -- it's what pulled them apart the first time and now they are setting up for an encore performance. It was agonizing in places. I wanted to read with my eyes closed until we got through the gnarly bit. Tucker's tenderness is toe-curling. Sometimes I wanted to smack Grace upside the head because....Tucker!!!!...but she had to figure it out in her own way as excruciating as that might have been for me. :-) At least I could swoon over Tucker while I waited for her to catch up.

A touching love story that left me replete with bookish warm fuzzies.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Heart Land, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 2 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Catching the Wind

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ!

DOBSON, MELANIE
CATCHING THE WIND

What happened to Brigitte Berthold?

That question has haunted Daniel Knight since he was thirteen, when he and ten-year-old Brigitte escaped the Gestapo agents who arrested both their parents. They survived a harrowing journey from Germany to England, only to be separated upon their arrival. Daniel vowed to find Brigitte after the war, a promise he has fought to fulfill for more than seventy years.

Now a wealthy old man, Daniel's final hope in finding Brigitte rests with Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist working in London. He believes Quenby's tenacity to find missing people and her personal investment in a related WWII espionage story will help her succeed where previous investigators have failed. Though Quenby is wrestling her own demons -- and wary at the idea of teaming up with Daniel's lawyer, Lucas Hough -- the lure of Briggette's story is too much to resist. Together, Quenby and Lucas delve deep into the past, following a trail of deception, sacrifice, and healing that could change all of their futures.

My Review:

Published in 2017
My thanks to my public library for providing me with the audio version of this book

I have just been sucker-punched by a novel. I'm still gasping and gaping and grappling with a mass of  tangled emotions. Powerful. Memorable. Heart-wrenching. Hopeful. Triumphant. Everything that is good in a story multiplied by a hundred! Or a thousand!

So, I read Hidden Among the Stars last week and a few people mentioned how wonderful Catching the Wind was so I checked my library and -- oh bookish glee -- they had the audio version available. I downloaded it immediately and started listening and couldn't stop. The narration is amazing~ Nancy Peterson did a superlative job with the accents and the voices and the pacing. It was breathtaking. I was completely riveted.

And then there's the story. The way the author builds the past and present, meshing them together and then pulling them apart again. And there were so many 'aha' moments for me. My reader world was rocked over and over again. Something mentioned earlier on in the book would suddenly take on epic proportions later on and I'd literally be reeling over the impact! Took my breath away every single time.

A stunning novel about survival and hope and the power of love.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Catching the Wind, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 2 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

February Giveaway - Week Four

WON BY LIZ R

WON BY TAMMY HUDSON

WON BY CAITLIN M

WON BY MARK

WON BY CC

WON BY LADY SNOW ANGEL

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address. Otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca with your mailing address. From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven't been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now so, please, DON'T BE SHY -- CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN'T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU. Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address and I'll email you to confirm your win is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring about the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping time. Thank you!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

His Secret Daughter

GIVEAWAY

CARTER, LISA
HIS SECRET DAUGHTER

He just found out he's a father. But is he ready to be a dad?

When veteran Jake McAbee learns he has a daughter, he's determined to raise the adorable toddler. But Maisie's foster mom, Callie Jackson, insists Jake stay at her orchard until he's prepared for fatherhood. While Jake and Maisie bond, the trio begins to feel like a family. Could the best home for Maisie be the one Jake and Callie create together?

My Review:

This story pulled at my heartstrings right from the very first page....and then, before I reached the end my heart had been well and truly pummeled as well! It's still bruised and sore. If you love becoming emotionally engaged in your romance novels, His Secret Daughter is definitely the book for you!

Jake is such a complex hero! A troubled childhood has skewed his confidence when it comes to something as earth-shatteringly important as fatherhood. Even so, he can't turn his back on his daughter once he learns of her existence. A good man who has overcome so much yet he still struggles to be free of his past. And he has such a deep-rooted need for family but he's so sure he'll mess it up that he...well, does! But his heart is so true and he's so achingly sweet with his little girl that it just tore my heart out!

Callie's intrigued and attracted and desperate to help Jake achieve a happily ever after with little Maisie even though it will mean she will lose custody of the child she's come to think of as her own. Jake and Callie's love story is fraught with trouble from the very start but a reader lives for the sweet, stolen moments that promise there could be so much more in their future if they would just talk to each other! Sublime romantic angst that nearly broke my heart. Luckily, the author made sure to put all the pieces back together by the end. :-)

A great cast of secondary characters -- Callie's tough-as-nails-don't-you-mess-with-my-daughter father and the trio of 'official' town matchmakers provide comic relief and inspiration in measured doses throughout. 216 pages of romantical delight!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of His Secret Daughter, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Hidden Among the Stars

GIVEAWAY

DOBSON, MELANIE
HIDDEN AMONG THE STARS

A gripping time-slip mystery about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.

The year is 1938, and as Hitler's troop sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family's summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker's daughter, who is eager to help the man she's loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luiza Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika's feelings and puts their entire plan -- even their very lives -- in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luiza and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika's story...and possibly to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she's built for a chance answers, adventure and maybe even new love.

My Review:

Emotions engaged, tear-ducts drained -- five tissue box alert! What an incredibly moving story! I was as riveted by the contemporary story as I was by the historical one. And the way Dobson shifts between the two -- heart-in-throat moments that leave a reader reeling and, bam, we're in another time and place with barely a moment to catch our breath before we're holding it again. Truly stunning!

Callie (present day heroine) is full of bookish delight. Known as the Story Girl for her rousing story times, she is a font of literary knowledge and I adore the way she approaches things through book-coloured glasses. I studied library sciences and specialized in children's lit and I did not know the most amazing things about some of the classics. How did I not know? I'm gobsmacked and still shaking my head in despair over my ignorance. So, of course, I loved all the bookish bits in Callie's story -- and the role a particular children's classic plays in bridging generations. I could definitely relate to all things Callie, from living life through her fiction to needing to be surrounded by books.

The historical timeline gutted me. I'm always left pondering how the masses were so quick to follow Hitler. Blind to the evil right before their eyes. Or at least willing to look the other way. And I'm in awe of the power in simple acts of kindness. In the quiet resolve to do the right thing. At a time when the world was possessed by madness, people like Annika, Max and Hermann made a difference and changed the course of history. That comes through so clearly in Hidden Among the Stars and was my complete undoing. I heaved great gulping sobs towards the end. This is the kind of novel you'll carry in your heart for as long as you live. .

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Hidden Among the Stars, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Buried Mountain Secrets

GIVEAWAY

REED, TERRI
BURIED MOUNTAIN SECRETS

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Can they get off the mountain alive?

Desperate to find her missing teenage brother, Maya Gallo ventures into the Colorado Rockies expecting rough terrain -- ad deadly treasure hunters. But when she's caught in their crosshairs, ruggedly handsome mounted patrolman Alex Trevino comes to her aid. The deputy sheriff knows what these bandits are capable of, so getting Maya -- and her brother -- home safely may be his hardest mission yet.

My Review:

Eeeeeppp -- awesome start to what looks to be a new series by Terri Reed. That has me doing back flips of bookish glee because there are a number of secondary characters who need their own stories and the sparks flying between two of them in particular has me hoping they are the ones up next. Not posting any spoilers, you'll have to read Buried Mountain Secrets to see who I mean.

Ahem -- back to our current hero and heroine, Maya and Alex, since it is their story after all! Initial attraction develops into a slow burn of awareness but is tempered by the harsh realities of  their individual lives -- as well as the ever encroaching danger that continues to threaten Maya and her brother. A lovely blend of sweet and wary.

And I love the treasure hunting aspect of the suspense. So unique and made for a page-turning frenzy on my part. Couldn't read fast enough to see how all the pieces finally fit together. Not to mention how Maya and Alex reach their happily ever after!

And the mounted patrol -- including Truman the wonder horse -- brought an original twist to the plot as well. Kind of put me in mind of my Trixie Belden days when ol' Trix and company exercised the Wheeler's horses in the surrounding woods and got into all kinds of mischief. :-) And the logistical details of how a mounted patrol works was really interesting. I'm looking forward to more books exploring "the lore and the mystique of deputies and volunteers on horseback." (Dear Reader letter from the author at the end of the book.)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Buried Mountain Secrets, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Plain Confession

GIVEAWAY

MILLER, EMMA
PLAIN CONFESSION

When Rachel Mast returned to Stone Mill, Pennsylvania, she unwittingly became a bridge between the closed Amish community and the Englisch police. Now, as she prepares for her wedding, she's drawn into an investigation that could end in a different ceremony -- her funeral...

Rachel didn't know David Fisher well, but it still comes as a shock when her fiance, a state trooper, tells her that the young Amish man's death may not have been a hunting accident. The police believe he was murdered and they need Rachel's help telling the family. But when she does, they don't seem upset or even surprised. Even more unsettling, Daniel's brother-in-law confesses -- while his mother begs Rachel to prove his innocence. But why would he give a false confession? Who is he trying to protect?

As Rachel's search for answers overshadows her wedding plans, rumors swirl that she might not show up at the altar -- and that Daniel wasn't as upstanding as he seemed. While the list of people who wanted him dead grows, Rachel is caught in the killer's crosshairs, and if she's not careful, it may be more than her feet that turn cold...

My Review:

This is the fifth book in Miller's Amish Mystery series but it can be read as a standalone. The only spoiler isn't really one -- the romantic development that cozy mysteries build up through a number of books. In Plain Confession, Rachel is just weeks away from marrying Evan so there's the bonus of a sweet romantic thread in the middle of  the mystery.

If you're not familiar with the series, Rachel was raised Amish but 'jumped the fence' and has spent her adult years in the Englisch world. She returned to her hometown to open a bed-and-breakfast and try to mend her relationship with her Amish family which leaves Rachel caught between two worlds. This series explores the complexities of family and how to honor father and mother while still remaining true to yourself. That's what drew me to these Amish mysteries in the first place and it keeps me coming back for more. Such a fascinating twist for a cozy!

In the midst of struggling to complete wedding preparations, Rachel finds herself once again enmeshed in another tragic murder. Acting as a buffer between the Amish and the police, she's compelled to do her own sleuthing -- despite the disapproval of her fiance and the new (and abrasive) police detective. But the victim is Amish and Rachel seems to be the only one coming up with answers. Maybe that's because she knows what questions to ask -- or, more importantly -- how to ask them.

The clever mystery taxed my armchair sleuthing skills, but I might have been a bit distracted by the wedding angst so I'm not being too hard on myself. :-) Another winning addition to the Amish Mystery series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Plain Confession, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If add your email to a comment, remember to use a AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Line Between

GIVEAWAY

LEE, TOSCA
THE LINE BETWEEN

In this frighteningly believable thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee, an extinct disease re-emerges from the melting Alaskan permafrost to cause madness in its victims. For recent apocalyptic cult escapee Wynter Roth, it's the end she'd always been told was coming.

When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.

As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she's been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she's feared all her life -- until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there's something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.

Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos, Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.

Filled with action, conspiracy, romance, and questions of whom -- and what -- to believe, The Line Between is a high-octane story of survival and love in a world on the brink of madness.

My Review:

I have a love/hate relationship with Dystopian Fiction -- it totally freaks me out but I become a compulsive reader anyway. Which leads to a period of strange dreams and I approach certain news stories with real trepidation as I flashback to the all-too-plausible scenarios I've read about. So an author really has to pull me in from the very first page of a dystopian or I'm likely to bolt! Clearly, I didn't bolt when I brought The Line Between home from the library -- I pretty much inhaled the whole thing in one sitting because how could I possibly stop reading?!

I was utterly fascinated by the cult aspect which added an intriguing dimension to the story. It flips back and forth between present day and Wynter's years in the cult and the way the author weaves the two together is sheer brilliance! The tension increases with every chapter as all the pieces start falling into place. Rabid page-turning is inevitable as the plot builds to a hyperventilating rush of edgy wonder. I can't even find the words...Gobsmackingly good!

Please note: mild language throughout

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please Note :This giveaway is for an ecopy edition of The Line Between

If you would like a chance to win an ecopy of The Line Between, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Jerusalem's Queen

GIVEAWAY

HUNT, ANGELA
JERUSALEM'S QUEEN

Her rise to the throne defied expectations and then she proved to be one of Judea's greatest rulers.

Born in the small village of Modein, a place made famous by the arrior Maccabees, Salome Alexandra knows better than to harbor grand dreams for her future. She pales in comparison to her beautiful older sister, and though she learns to read at an early age, girls are not valued for their intellectual ability. However, when her father and sister are killed, John Hycranus, a distant relative, invites Salome and her mother to live with his family in Jerusalem, where her thirst for knowldege is noticed and indulged.

When her guardian betroths her to a pagan prince, she questions HaShem's plan. When Hycanus finally marries her to a boy half her age, she questions her guardian's sanity. Though Salome Alexandra spends much of her life as a pawn ordered about by powerful men, she learns that a woman committed to HaShem can change the world.

My Review:

Angela Hunt has the uncanny ability to bring biblical history to life. Her lyrical style entices me to keep reading, even when the subject matter isn't always that palatable, which is often the case when it comes to fictional biographies. My happily-ever-after loving heart can't always be satisfied the same way it can when I'm reading pure fiction.

So, that was a real challenge for me because Salome Alexandra did not have an easy life! Trials and tribulations aplenty and I was seething over the unfairness of the patriarchal society that dictated every aspect of her life -- without any consideration to her wants and needs or happiness. But that is historically accurate and I appreciate the meticulous detail this author gives to her research. And I really feel that Angela Hunt is called to write this kind of fiction. Her words are inspired and they make me, in my' 21st century entitled bubble' examine what really defines strength and courage and even faith.

Jersualem's Queen is the third book in Hunt's Silent Years series -- the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament. I didn't even realize there was a gap until I read Judah's Wife (the second book.) So kudos to the author and publisher for challenging readers with fictional biographies that make a difference.

Book provided by Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please note: winner will receive a gently read copy of this book

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Jerusalem's Queen, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

February Giveaway -- Week Three

WON BY JANA LEAH

WON BY JACKIE SMITH

WON BY PAM WESTFALL

WON BY LIBRARY LADY

WON BY DIANA FLOWERS

WON BY PAM K.

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address. Otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca with your mailing address. From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven't been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now so, please, DON'T BE SHY -- CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN'T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU. Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address and I'll email you to confirm your win is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring about the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping time. Thank you!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

The Marriage Bargain

GIVEAWAY

DEES, STEPHANIE
THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN

Falling for her convenient groom Family Blessings lead to new beginnings

Jules Sheehan will do anything to keep custody of the two orphaned girls in her care -- including a marriage of convenience with their uncle. Cam Quinn crosses the globe as a trave writer, but he's ready to settle down. Now tough, tender Jules is offering the home he's secretly longed for. Can this marriage in name only become a family of the heart?

My Review:

Why? Why? Why? (thwacking my head on my desk until my forehead sports a goose egg size bump) And it serves me right because this is my first Stephanie Dees book!!!! How did I miss her earlier novels? What was I thinking? Oh....that's right, clearly I wasn't thinking because if I had been I would have read the other three books in this series already. Gah! I hate when I'm late to the reading party! Stephanie Dees is amazing and I'm a lifelong reading fan now.

First -- modern day marriage of convenience story! Sqqquuueeaaallll!!! I know, if someone tried to set me up with a marriage of convenience I would totally have a lot to say about it, including the word 'no' a hundred times over but it's still a favourite trope in my fiction. And to find one with a modern twist -- whoa -- my romance loving bibliophile neuro-pathways have short-circuited! Dees works the details out beautifully and develops the shift from convenient to committed in such a captivating way.

Hero Cam -- be still my heart. Kind, compassionate, doting uncle. A self-made man who hasn't quite made peace with his troubled past. He aches to belong, to discover what being part of a family is like but he doesn't feel worthy. And Jules who just wants to fix everything, make everyone happy and protect those precious babies! It's a match made in heaven even if they don't realize it right from the start. And what an emotional read. My tummy was in knots, my heart ached, I had tears in my eyes...and then the swooning started. Blissful sigh! Sweet perfection in 218 pages.

Special kudos to the Love Inspired lines for embracing multicultural characters. I've noticed a consistent increase in heroes and heroines of colour over the last year or so and that makes my bookish heart sing.

GIVEAWAY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Marriage Bargain, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Firestorm

GIVEAWAY

HILTON, LAURA V.
FIRESTORM

When Bridget Behr and her family migrate from a bustling Amish community in Ohio to the remote and isolated Upper Peninsula of Michigan, they're met with an ugly surprise: the house they had brought sight unseen is an uninhabitable wreck. While her father and brother try to find work in the area, the family is forced to live in tents until the house and barn are rebuilt. Bridget can't shake the guilt that it was her fault her family moved -- and is too afraid to trust anyone, especially the flirtatious, overly-friendly Amish man who lives next door.

Gabriel Lapp has made Michigan his home out of necessity, but can't wait to move back to Florida with its sunshine and warmer temperatures. But when Bridget's family seeks refuge with Gabe during a fierce thunderstorm, he can't help but feel a tug of responsibility for them -- especially the girl with the dark green eyes.

Just a Bridget is finally settling into friendship, a new life, and maybe even love, a devastating forest fire ravages the county, destroying both land and the Behrs' dreams. Now Bridget and her family must decide: will they leave behind the ashes and start anew in another Amish community? Or will they dare to fight for the future they'd hoped for in Mackinac County?

My Review:

A different kind of Amish story -- and I love that about Laura V. Hilton's books. Struggling to find a way to explain what exactly is different. The setting for starts -- Michigan's Upper Peninsula, an area I've had a secret fascination for ever since I read Colleen Coble's Rock Harbor series. The newly settled Amish community faces unique challenges in the remote northern location which adds interest to the story.

Plus, the author doesn't sugar-coat the Amish faith or lifestyle. Her characters are flawed, the families aren't perfect. There's brokenness and relationship issues and any number of negative behaviors in the face of adversity. But there's also the desire to do better, make amends, confess and repent and try again. And those journeys are what make this story so compelling.

Gabe is a major flirt with a devil-may-care attitude that pretty much guarantees trouble. He's got a chip on his shoulder that shows up in a defiant attitude at times, and makes him too quick to concede defeat. His brashness hides insecurities and this is very much a coming of age story for him.

Bridget has a tendency to withdraw, to throw up walls which make her seem unapproachable -- stuck up even. Their romance sizzles in fits and starts as they both send off mixed messages which adds to the confusion and angst. But when these two are 'on' they are so on. Toe-curling, swoonilicous, stick-my-head-a-snowbank kissing scenes which might just scorch your finger tips as you turn the pages!

A great cast of secondary characters adds so much spice to the mix. I'd be spitting mad one second and then succumbing to side-splitting laughter the next. And Bishop Miah might just be one of my favourite characters ever. A mix of wisdom and humour...with the patience of Job!

Firestorm is a spectacular start to Hilton's newest series -- The Amish of Mackinac County and I can't wait for more.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Firestorm, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 16, 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Amish Safe House

GIVEAWAY

GIUSTI, DEBBY
AMISH SAFE HOUSE

Hiding in Plain Sight : the second thrilling Amish Witness Protection novel

After Julia Bradford's son witnesses a gang shooting hiding in a witness protection on Abraham King's Amish farm is the only hope the Englischer and her children have. Even as danger closes in, Julie is drawn to the community's peaceful ways -- and the ex-cop turned Amish protector. But when their location is discovered, can Abraham protect her family...and possibly have a future by her side?

My Review:

Phew! There are some crazy good heart-in-your-throat-running-for-your-life scenes in this book! I don't think my pulse has leveled out yet! There's something so edgy about a mom in fierce protector mode. I felt Julia's fear and panic and utter desperation. Such a contrast to Abraham's stoic calm. Some of that comes from his cop background, but a lot of it stems from his faith. I love the gentle way he shares his trust in God with the terrified woman who has stopped believing He cares.

This is the second book in the Amish Witness Protection series but reads perfectly fine as a standalone. The series title sums up the common thread that links these three books. I really enjoyed the balance Giusti achieved between the Amish elements and the overall romantic suspense. It felt authentic and plausible. I'm a huge fan of Amish + suspense though meshing the two can be a delicate balance and sometimes stories fall flat. But this author has definitely succeeded in this new sub-genre.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Amish Safe House, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!