Night Fall

GIVEAWAY

MEHL, NANCY

NIGHT FALL

For any little boy or girl who hears the Train Man speak, 

Who find his rancid breath caress their pretty cheek,

Must close their eyes, pretend to sleep, and very softly pray,

Or else the evil Train Man may carry them away.

Finally free of her troubled upbringing, Alex Donovan is able to live out her childhood dream of working for the FBI. But soon after she becomes a member of the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, authorities in Missouri contact them about bodies found on freight trains -- all killed in the same way.

Alex never expected to be forced to confront her past in this new job, but she immediately recognizes the graffiti messages the killer is leaving messages from her aunt in Wichita, Kansas. Alex is haunted by the struggles she thought she'd left behind forever.

In a race against time to solve the case and recover a deadly virus sample the killer intends to spread, Alex must face how far she'll go -- and what she's willing to risk -- to put a stop to the Train Main.

My Review:

Eeeeek!!! An eerie psychological thriller with a creep-factor that's edging up to uncomfortable for me. Darkly troubling in places and with a distinct chilling air, Night Fall reminds me of early 'Criminal Minds' episodes before they became so graphic. So, if you're a fan of that TV show, you'll definitely be a fan of Nancy Mehl's The Quantico Files series. 

Alex is a complex a heroine with a interesting back story. Her life experience has taught her to trust wisely...which means not at all. Her aloofness is a coping strategy, a way to ensure that the inner demons that plague her stay deeply buried. But this new case rattles every last nerve because it hits too close to home. Literally. And the only way to get through it is to face her past. Cue the scary things-that-go-bump-in-the-night soundtrack and settle down for a hair-raising ride!

The suspense is a beguiling mix of behavior analyst team think tank and investigative work among an eclectic mix of law enforcement professionals punctuated by creepy 'unsub' point of view. Shudder. Good vs evil, light vs darkness plays out as Alex and her team race against time to end a villain's vicious psychotic killing spree.

My addled sensibilities leave me unsure of whether I'll be able to continue the series. I had nightmares about trains, fellow readers! But for those of you who are brave at heart, Alex Donovan and the Quantico Files are sure to bring hours of intense reading pleasure.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy of this book

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Night Fall, 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 May 15 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Deadly River Pursuit

GIVEAWAY

WOODHAVEN, HEATHER

DEADLY RIVER PURSUIT

She knows she witnessed a murder...but only one man believes her.

After rafting guide Nora Radley witnesses her staff member's murder -- and narrowly escapes being shot -- the evidence pointing to suicide, only her ex-fiance, Ranger Henry mcKnight, is on her side. Ten years ago, an eerily similar unsolved crime tore her engagement to Henry apart. But this case might just cost them their lives.

My Review:

I absolutely love the wilderness adventure setting in this romantic suspense. Nora is what this city gal dreams her alternative life would be. :-) She's competent and capable in handling whatever Mother Nature throws her way. Kayaker extraordinaire and confident in her abilities. And she gets to work outdoors! Which sounds mighty fine...until the bullets start flying. Bwahahaha! 

I enjoyed the pacing between danger and action and romance. And the way Nora and Henry gradually find closure to their past which brings a new hope for their future because...Reunion Romance alert!!!! The story just flows in breathtaking symmetry.

A gripping, read-in-one-sitting page-turner 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Deadly River Pursuit, 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 winners announced on Saturday May 15  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Escape to Everly Manor

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

LINTON, CHALON

ESCAPE TO EVERLY MANOR

Nineteen-year-old Lizzy and her young brother, Thomas, find themselves orphaned after a tragic accident claims the lives of their parents. Their estranged Uncle Cline arrives to claim his inheritance, and his roguish ways cast a shadow over the manor. Both the family estate and guardianship of his niece and nephew were left to him, and diabolical Uncle Cline is determined to indulge in his newfound wealth and rid himself of his charges. Desperate to save her brother from a dangerous life at sea, and herself from being married off to a detestable old gentleman, Lizzy knows there is only one choice left -- they must run.

Lizzy and Thomas sneak away and find refuge in an abandoned cabin. There they remain hidden until fate acquaints Lizzy with Mr. Barton, a charming gentleman who is immediately intrigued by the mysterious young woman. Concealing her identity, Lizzy is unaware that there is much more to this compassionate man than meets the eye. Through his kindness to herself and her brother, Lizzy begins to trust him. Soon Lizzy realizes Mr. Barton may be her best hope for a life which she can live -- and love -- as she chooses. 

My Review:

published in 2019

Eeeeepppp!!! This is pure, classic Regency Romance with all the tropes I love to indulge in from time to time. Damsel in distress heroine. Dashing hero to the rescue. Vile villain. Ogre-ish guardian. Plot oozing with peril. And, of course, a sweet romance.

Lizzy's stubbornness (mutinously so at times) gets her into all kinds of trouble as she attempts to hide and protect her brother. Ill prepared for  subterfuge, she struggles to maintain a 'cover story' that rings true and everything begins to unravel after one dark and stormy night. Bwahahaha!

Barton is the kind of swoonalicious hero who belongs in a Regency Romance. He is not the brooding kind, however. Far from it, as his kind nature and acts of charity attest to. He's the worthiest of trustworthy heroes but, alas, Lizzy is still wary. (I mentioned stubborn in relation to this miss already, haven't I?)

Their love story unfolds by way of mistaken identities, miscommunication and the threat of encroaching danger. All punctuated by sweet, flirty scenes of burgeoning romance. And I think that makes it the perfect take-me-away-from-reality read.

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Aubrey Warner. I found it extra delectable to escape into her storytelling vibe. :-)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for an ebook copy (sorry, no longer available in print on Book Depository)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Escape to Everly Manor, 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 winners announced on Saturday May 15  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

As the Tide Comes In

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

WOODSMALL, CINDY

WOODSMALL, ERIN

AS THE TIDE COMES IN

A New York Times best-selling author releases her first southern novel, a Steel Magnolias-meets-Sweet-Home-Alabama story set on St. Simons Island.

After losing two loved ones in a devastating tornado and suffering a head injury, Tara Abbott flees to St. Simons Island, where her disorientation causes the lines between imagination and reality, past and present to blur.

There she encounters island residents Julep Burnside, Luella Ward, Sue Beth Manning, and Dell Calhoun -- The Glynn Girls -- who have been friends since Bible camp, forty years earlier. When Julep's son Gavin identifies a troubled soul in need of help, can the Glynn Girls guide Tara back to herself?

My Review:

published in 2018

True confession: I checked this book out of the library three times before I actually made it through to the end. The first two times I reached the same point early on in the story and, well, the authors deliver a lethal literary sucker punch that rocked my tender bibliophile heart to the core  and I just couldn't read on. But this time I relied on my hoard of comfort chocolates and tissues and soldiered on and am I ever glad I did!

What a stunning story! It's haunting in some ways but hopeful in others as the Lord takes center stage in the broken lives of hurting people. There's romance (two, in fact) but they aren't the focus of this beautiful, redemptive tale. There's plenty of drama as several characters journey through grief and the every day upheaval losing a loved one can cause.

Lest I give the impression that this is a heavy, depressing book, let me assure you that it's anything but. There's plenty of humour, largely sparked by the outlandish antics of The Glynn Girls -- four ladies of middling years who also claim 'mamaship' to Gavin, though only one birthed him. 

Gavin puts up with a lot from his mamas, even more from the perpetual hazing of his firehouse crew and then there are his run ins with Tara! Some of them are hilarious even as they highlight the kind and compassionate man he is. (insert swoony sigh here.) 

And then there's Tara -- watching her struggle about ripped my heart out! And the way Gavin and the Glynn Girls rally around her...well, sniffle...(not before some crazy misunderstanding, mind you.) And, oh my, that plot twist is a doozy! 

Told from multiple points of view, As the Tide Comes In is a captivating slice of real life in all it's glorious mess and a beautiful example of sweet, inspirational Southern Fiction.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of As the Tide Comes In, 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 winners announced on Saturday May 15  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Pelican Point

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

HANNON, IRENE
PELICAN POINT

In the midst of life's storms, unexpected love is a beacon of hope.

A crumbling lighthouse is part of the inheritance Army doctor Ben Garrison expects to claim when he journeys to Hope Harbor. Fresh out of the service, he wants only to unload the tower of bricks, decompress from years of treating batttlefield, and prepare to launch his civilian career.

Hope Harbor Herald editor Marci Weber has other ideas. She may not be a Hope Harbor native, but the small Oregon seaside town has become home -- and she's determined to save the Pelican Point landmark.

Sparks fly as the two go head-to-head over the fate of the lighthouse. But when they start to cooperate, a different kind of fire ignites. Can Hope Harbor heal the hearts of these two romance-wary souls?

Come home to Hope Harbor -- where hearts heal...and love blooms.

 

My Review:

published in 2018

I'm rereading the whole Hope Harbor series via audible editions and am loving Therese Plummer's narration so much! She breathes life into these characters and heart and humour into her interpretation of Hannon's exquisite words.

A toe-curling wonder of a read!

The romance is slow and steady and fraught with trepidation. I mean, I knew something was going to happen...but not that! Hannon kept me rabidly turning pages, alternately giggling and swooning and even  edge-of-my-seating in places. Love how this once-bitten-twice-shy hero and heroine start to cautiously move towards romance. Reluctant describes them both but so does crazy-attracted-to-each-other. Such a dilemma! Be prepared for some fireworks and lots of sizzle right from the very first time they meet.

Ben all focused on a future that doesn't include Hope Harbor and Marci a passionate town newbie of two years. And then there's the issue of the lighthouse. Don't you just love stories about lighthouses? They hold a romance all of their own. Though Pelican Point has the potential to break these two apart before there's even a happily-ever-after on the horizon! Talk about emotional angst and impossible road blocks!

This is the fourth book in the Hope Harbor series but I'm thrilled to report it won't be the last! Hannon has created an appealing community brimming with characters I want to meet again and again. Like the amiably feuding pastor and priest and the mysterious Charley -- a renaissance man who seems to have all the answers even before a question is asked. He also has a talent for talking to animals...or at least understanding them. Including a pair of seagulls who have a penchant for being front and center at all the town's critical romantic entanglements.

As it says on the back cover -- Come home to Hope Harbor -- where hearts heal...and love blooms. Coming home is exactly how I feel when I read one of these novels so I'm hoping the author doesn't run out of HH inspiration any time soon.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Pelican Point, 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 winners announced on Saturday May 15  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

May Giveaway -- Week Two

 

WON BY WINNIE

WON BY ELLY

WON BY LAURA WALTZ

WON BY KAY GARRETT

WON BY BECKY

WON BY SUSAN S.

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address in the comments, otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. (Please note it's ca as in Canada not com)

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 AN EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU!

Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address (or email address for ebooks) and I'll email you to confirm your book is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring on the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping times.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

The Sheriff's Promise

GIVEAWAY

RYAN, RENEE

THE SHERIFF'S PROMISE

He's looking for help. And she has the perfect arrangement...

Overworked and overwhelmed, all Sheriff Wyatt Holcomb wants is to be the best guardian to his seven-year-old nephew -- and dealing with a runaway alpaca and the animal's frustrating owner isn't helping. Then veterinarian Remy Evans offers a solution for them both. She'll watch his rambunctious nephew, Samson, this summer if he'll fast-track her permit application for a petting zoo. But this temporary solution might just be their chance at forever.

A Thunder Ridge Book

My Review:

It's not every day you get to start a romance with a runaway alpaca. A pink-bedazzled one named Prissy at that. :-) Snort, I hiccup-laughed my way through that opening scene and guffawed, chortled and alpaca-grinned right on through to the end. Poor Sheriff Holcomb is hard done by the females in town, whether they have four legs or two. And especially if their name is Remy Evans.

Loved this rom/com full of heart and faith and second chances. And puppies! And a ferret and a Great Dane and...well, the kind of critter posse you'd expect to find around a dedicated, animal loving veterinarian. Add in some choreographed chaos and plenty of heart-tugging emotional turmoil and you get this kind of page-turning frenzy of delight! 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Sheriff's Promise, 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 winners announced on Saturday May 8  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!