The Scent of Cherry Blossoms

GIVEAWAY!

WOODSMALL, CINDY
THE SCENT OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge. But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the handsome Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

My Review:

I battled a raging snowstorm to get to the Christian bookstore before work on Saturday and was greeted by this beautiful cover the second I walked into the store. What a breath of spring! I had to buy it -- especially since it's written by Cindy Woodsmall. Need I say more? And bonus! It's a sequel to her Christmas novella, The Christmas Singing and we even get to catch up with Mattie and Gideon! Hoping that Woodsmall continues with the series because she has two seasons left to cover!

Even though this is a novella, Woodsmall has managed to pack it full of angst, romance and beautiful prose.  She is such a gifted wordsmith! This is a Romeo/Juliet kind of love story with an Amish/Mennonite twist and I absolutely loved it. All the way through I kept fretting over how she could possibly turn this into a happily ever after. And I loved the fascinating details that explain the differences between the Amish and Old Order Mennonite faiths.

As usual, the author has created characters who have won my heart -- including Aden's twin brother, Roman, who has his own story to tell. Hopefully that will be covered in the next novella. This beautiful little hard-cover book is definitely destined for my keeper shelf. How about yours?

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Scent of Cherry Blossoms, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Make sure to put the title in the subject line so that I can spot your entry easily. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 4, 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Chasing Mona Lisa

GOYER, TRICIA
YORKEY, MIKE
CHASING MONA LISA

August 1944. Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country and steal countless pieces of irreplaceable art. In fact, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all—the Mona Lisa—as a postwar bargaining chip.

But the woman with the mysterious smile has some very determined protectors. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action and intrigue, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh Swiss chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.

My Review:

Steeped in history and packed with action, this historical novel was an eye-opener. The authors managed to capture the emotion and atmosphere at the end of the war with gritty realism. French politics and the various factions in the resistance provide a tumultuous backdrop for a cloak and dagger story filled with intrigue.

Told from multiple points of view, Chasing Mona Lisa doesn't seem to have a clear hero or heroine. There are so many characters that none of them take precedence over the others. Definitely not Eric and Gabi, though the back cover blurb leads the reader to believe that this is their story. They definitely have a role to play, but so do many others and this left me feeling on the outside looking in. I felt like I was spectator not a participant in the story and that result failed to engage my emotions.

Something that surprised me was the lack of an inspirational thread. The few token comments made by characters about their belief in God seemed to have been slipped in so that the book would fit the CBA market.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group". 

Blue Moon Bay

Giveaway!

WINGATE, LISA
BLUE MOON BAY

Every Once in a Blue Moon Your Heart Waits at a Crossroads


For Seattle architect Heather Hampton, a trip back to tiny Moses Lake, Texas, is hardly in the plan. Yet because a promotion hinges on the sale of the family farmland, Heather heads to the last place she ever wanted to go. She's determined to return home, signed contract in hand, the next day.

But the currents of Moses Lake take visitors on unexpected journeys. As Heather's stay lengthens, she discovers a family steeped in secrets and an unexpected connection to local banker Blaine Underhill, despite his opposition to Heather's project. With each new revelation and question, Heather can't help but wonder if the handsome banker--and the family she has come to know again--are crooks or crusaders. Somehow she must find out the truth before she loses everything she has worked for and everything she's found on the shores of Moses Lake.

My Review:

Riveting drama told in first person. This book is layer-deep in plot and character development. Complicated and moving with an unexpected thread of suspense that had me skimming ahead in my urgent need to find out what happened.

Rich in life lessons, I found myself as moved by wonderful pieces of wisdom as Heather was. In fact, I struggled even as she struggled through her emotionally skewed past. I marked passages that had a profound effect on me so that I can find them again and take some time to absorb them. This book left me thinking -- stretching both emotionally and spiritually. There's a wonderful Mennonite thread in its pages as well and I definitely profited from Ruth's plain truths.

In short, this book has it all -- emotional depth, inspirational hope, page-turning drama and a budding romance. What more can you ask of a book?

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Blue Moon Bay leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to add the title to your subject line so your entry is easy to spot.  Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday March 4, 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

 "Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

February Giveaway - Week Four

Tweeting about Blog Wins!



won by Shaz




won by Bethany




won by Gwendolyn Gage

Congratulations! I will email the winners today, but if you don't hear from me by Monday evening please email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. I'll order your book as soon as I get our snail mail address.

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Giveaways:

Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate

Wow -- intense character development, intriguing plot. An incredible read!

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

This one caught me by surprise when I walked into the bookstore in the middle of a terrible blizzard on Saturday. It was like a breathe of spring -- such a pretty cover! And Amish and Cindy Woodsmall -- I knew I couldn't go wrong!

Promise Me This

GIVEAWAY!

CATHY GOHLKE
PROMISE ME THIS

Annie Allen never imagined the day she watched her brother, Owen, sail on Titanic would be the last time she'd see him. Nor could she guess how the tragedy would forever knit her life to Michael Dunnagan, who survived through Owen's sacrifice.

As Annie struggles to navigate a challenging life in England, Michael labors in New Jersey to create the gardening business Owen once dreamed of and to heal Annie's grief through letters. In time, as Annie begins to lay aside her anger that Michael lived when her brother did not, a tentative friendship takes root and blossoms into something neither expected.

Bound by a promise yet battling circumstances beyond their control, Michael and Annie dream of the day she can join him in America. Just when Michael saves enough money for her passage, WWI erupts in Europe. Then Annie's letters mysteriously stop, forcing Michael to risk everything to find the woman he's grown to love before she's lost forever.

My Review:

Is gut-wrenching splendour an oxymoron? Because that's how I'd begin to describe Promise Me This. I wouldn't end there though. I might throw in descriptors like 'agonizingly wonderful' or 'despairingly stunning' or ... LOL - clearly this book has sent me into a tailspin but I'll try to regroup.

It is definitely worthy of the title 'epic saga' as the story takes place over several years, crosses continents and is fraught with angst. Michael and Annie are just teens when we meet them first but some cleverly crafted plotting takes us all on a journey we soon won't forget. Gohlke tackles an intriguing period of history that includes the sinking of the Titanic and World War I and has done such a good job of it that I'm still feeling emotionally bruised.

You will find characters to instantly bond with and a plot rife with harrowing and unpredictable twists and turns that will keep you on your toes to the very last sentence. Seriously, I despaired so deeply at one point that I had to take a peek at the last page and I hardly every do that!

And oh, Gohlke's characters -- from the hero and heroine right through to the secondary characters -- all so real, so vibrant and oh so compelling. Artfully crafted, each plays a pivotal role in the story and you'll meet one of the vilest villains in literary history! There's so much more I want to say but won't for fear of unintentionally leaking spoilers. This is definitely a novel worthy of a book club discussion -- one that would go on long into the night because there is so much substance to the story.

Promise Me This is the kind of book that will profoundly effect its readers. On a scale of one to 10, I'd rate it 100.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like to have a chance at winning a copy of this book, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in the subject line so it is easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 26 2012. Offer open internationally. Good luck!

A House Full of Hope

GIVEAWAY!

TIPPENS, MISSY
A HOUSE FULL OF HOPE

Before becoming a Christian, Mark Ryker ran with a bad crowd and broke hearts. Including his father's. Now a successful businessman, Mark has come home to Corinthia, Georgia, to make amends. But no one will forgive him. So when the widowed mother of four renting his dad's run-down house needs help fixing up the place, Mark gets to work. Pretty Hannah Hughes and her sweet kids have him longing to be part of the clan, but Hannah isn't ready to let go of the past. Still, they are working together on a house full of hope—and that's all Mark needs.

My Review:

Tippens knows how to pull at the heartstrings of her readers! I was engaged from the very first page...and enraged! I love it when authors play around with my emotions and Tippens definitely did that when she chose this difficult subject matter. There is so much conflict and so many injustices that my stomach gets into knots just thinking about it. And that's the key to a really good story -- one that leaves you thinking about it days after you've read it. 

There's an important inspirational messages in A House Full of Hope. Tippens manages to make a significant statement without coming across as preachy. She really sent me into a deep reflection on what the words redeem and forgive mean and how I can apply them in my life and, more importantly, in the lives of others. This would be a great choice for a church book club -- there is so much fodder for discussion!


And bonus -- that message comes wrapped up in an inspiring romantic story with engaging (and infuriating) characters you won't soon forget. This is definitely Tippens at her best -- and you can't get any better than that!

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like to win a copy of House Full of Hope please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the book title in the subject line so I can spot your entry easily. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 26 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck everyone!

High Country Hearts

GIVEAWAY

KAYE, GLYNNA
HIGH COUNTRY HEARTS

The last person she expected to see...

Her old college crush in Canyon Springs! When Olivia Diaz promised her parents she'd manage their mountain cabin resort for the summer, she thought she'd find some direction for her life. She didn't expect to be working side by side with Rob McGuire.

Rob's as handsome -- and as guarded -- as ever. Can free spirit Olivia gets him to open up about his life, his faith...his mysterious past? Because the more time they spend together the more Olivia realizes Rob could be Mr. Forever.

My Review:

This is the kind of book you are tempted to speed-read through, but resist that urge and savor every minute of it! Kaye has done an incredibly tantalizing job of creating an engaging plot and intriguing character development. There's a great slow reveal of the hero's back story that's accompanied by more than a couple of jaw-dropping moments. I love being surprised and I was gobsmacked at one part!

This is a well-paced romance. Rob and Olivia definitely hit some pitfalls in their developing relationship but those stumbling blocks are realistic and build to credible and extremely satisfying conclusion.

Rob's battle with his past makes him hardest on himself. He's worried about being knocked off the pedestal Olivia put him on back in their college days but, in reality it's Rob who has smashed that pedestal to smithereens. He continues to allow those shards to cut into his life, dragging him back into the past again and again. Caution is his middle name while Olivia's is impulsive. But she also has the  depth and maturity of  a woman anchored in Christ  in spite of the fun-loving, carefree persona she has created. This lush contrast between hero and heroine make this read all the richer.

High Country Hearts definitely belongs on every romance lovers TBR list! So, rush to the store right now or...

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of High Country Hearts, please leave a comment below or email me at kavlvustoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in your subject line so your entry is easy for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 26 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

February Giveaway - Week Three

THIRD WEEK IN FEBRUARY = THREE TIMES LUCKY



won by:
Diana Flowers
Jen
lorylyn63




won by
Melissa Jagears
Jody
Amy





Congrats to the winners and please, please, please look out for an email from me (even in your spam folder). If you don't hear from me by Monday evening, email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. I've had problems contacting winners in the past and I'm raring to get these books into the hands of keen readers!

Looking Ahead to Next Week:

A House Full of Hope by Missy Tippens

Just about to crack this one open but I've heard rave reviews so I'm really excited to start reading.

High County Hearts by Glynna Kaye

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G -- just finished it. Read it all in one sitting while I lounged on my sick bed :-)

Promise Me This by Cathy Gohleke

One of a few Titanic stories hitting the market these days. She's a new-to-me author but it looks really good!

Sixty Acres and a Bride

GIVEAWAY

JENNINGS, REGINA
SIXTY ACRES AND A BRIDE

She's Finally Found a Place to Call Home . . .

How Far Will She Go to Save It?

With nothing to their names, young widow Rosa Garner and her mother-in-law return to their Texas family ranch. Only now the county is demanding back taxes and the women have just three months to pay.

Though facing eviction, Rosa falls in love with the countryside and the wonderful extended family who want only her best. They welcome her vivacious spirit and try to help her navigate puzzling American customs. She can't help but stand out, though, and her beauty captures attention. Where some offer help with dangerous strings attached, only one man seems honorable. But when Weston Garner, still grieving his own lost love, is unprepared to give his heart, Rosa must decide to what lengths she will go to save her future.
 
My Review:

As exquisite as the cover, Sixty Acres and a Bride makes a solid case for judging a book by its cover. Sublime! I enjoyed every minute and didn't want my reading experience to end. This is the kind of book you grieve over at the finish. (I'm still in mourning.)

The author definitely engaged this reader with dynamic characters that quickly became real people who charged into my life and practically took it over. I laughed with them, I cried with them and I worried over them whenever I managed to drag myself back into the real world.

Jennings did an amazing job with her heroine's storyline. Rosa is a displaced person in so many ways, having suffered enormous losses in her young life. Desperate for a place and people to belong to, she strives to adapt to a foreign culture filled with unfamiliar ways. I think every reader will be able to identify with that yearning and that is what makes Rosa's journey so poignant. She's a winning combination of grit and vulnerability. Of course that lambasts poor Weston who can't define Rosa's place let alone keep her in it!One of the brilliant strengths of this book is their incredible love story.

It's not an easy journey and definitely fraught with all manner of obstacles but Jennings has mastered the craft of romance. She kept me riveted with tantalizing scenes that were deeply intimate even though Rosa and Weston didn't even touch. But when they did...oh la la!!!!! Haul in the fainting couch one more time, ladies, you might as well recline there while you read. No point in getting up and risking a head injury when you fall back down again!

This book also has one of the best seamless inspirational threads. It develops naturally from within different characters in so many scenes and always seems  plausible. It enhances the story and uplifts the reader which is exactly as it should be in an inspirational romance.

Sixty Acres and a Bride is definitely destined for keeper shelves across the country. Don't pass this one by and when you're at the store buy two -- one for you and one for a friend!

Giveaway Opportunity:
 
If you would like to win a copy of Sixty Acres and a Bride please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Remember to put the title in the subject line so I can spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 19 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!
 
"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Words Spoken True

GIVEAWAY!!!

GABHART, ANN H.
WORDS SPOKEN TRUE

Adriane Darcy was practically raised in her father's newspaper offices. She can't imagine life without the clatter of the press and the push to be first to write the news that matters. Their Tribune is the leading paper in Louisville in 1855. Then Blake Garrett, a brash young editor from the North with a controversial new style of reporting, takes over a failing competing paper and the battle for readers gets fierce.


When Adriane and Blake meet at a benefit tea, their surprising mutual attraction is hard to ignore. Still, Blake is the enemy, and Adriane is engaged to the son of a powerful businessman who holds the keys to the Tribune's future. Blake will stop at almost nothing to get the story – and the girl. Can he do both before it's too late? Set against the volatile backdrop of political and civil unrest in 1850s Louisville, this exciting story of love and loyalty will hold readers in its grip until the very last page.

My Review:

This is an oh-my-goodness-but-you-have-to-read-this-NOW kind of book. Seriously incredibly good. Riveting, in fact. The kind that you won't want to put down.

Rich in historical detail and fascinating facts, it propelled me back into an unfamiliar part of history and left me raging with fury and frustration more than a few times. Talk about engaging your readers! My blood is still boiling!

Adriane Darcy is a heroine to be reckoned with; a character full of complexities. She is conflicted between duty and desire and her struggle to be true to herself while not betraying those she loves brings such depth to the story. And who better to set her on her heels than that brash newspaper man, Blake Garrett? Gabhart upped the angstometer when she put those two together in their first scene. I won't say more other than a fainting couch is a definite reader necessity as their romance progresses. And  you might want to have a supply of smelling salts on hand as well -- just to get you through to the end. :-)

Words Spoken True (an incredible title that fits so aptly with various plot threads) is a book that no historical romance lover will want to miss, including you, so for a chance to win a copy see below!

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like to win a copy of Words Spoken True please leave a comment below. Or you can email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Remember to put the title in the subject line so your entry is easy for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 19, 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck everyone!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

February Giveaway - Week Two

Happy Valentine's Day (a little bit early)



won by Anna



won by Lady DragonKeeper





won by Charity U



Congratulations winners!!! Let's play contact tag. Don't wait for me to contact you -- if you're reading this and you're a winner please email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. The sooner I get that address, the sooner you'll get your book!

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Giveaways:

Words Spoken True by Ann H. Gabhart

Divine! (that's my truthfully spoken word to describe this book!)

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

Not only does it have one of the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen but the inside matches!!!!

The Accidental Bride

GIVEAWAY!

HUNTER, DENISE
THE ACCIDENTAL BRIDE

When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she's an accidental bride.

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can't seem to keep her head above water -- and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders' Day wedding reenactment. Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high school sweetheart -- the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn't sure if the recent events are God's will or just a preacher's blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it by the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

My Review:

Delightful romance with more than a touch of angst! I love that combination -- when you can see so clearly why the hero and heroine are perfect for each other, but you can also see even more clearly why they are not! Hunter does a great job of engaging her readers' emotions in this seemingly ill-fated love story. From the impossible accidental wedding to the equally impossible gnarly past that needs to be overcome, the plot gets thicker before things smooth out and that kept me voraciously turning pages.

Travis has a lot to live down and Shay has a lot toforgive, and, more importantly, forget. What a conundrum! And at times I didn't know who I should be rooting for so I just sat back and enjoyed the read right through to the tremendously satisfying end.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Accidental Bride, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Remember to put the title in the subject line so I can spot your entry easily. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 12 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

In Too Deep

GIVEAWAY!

CONNEALY, MARY
IN TOO DEEP

He casually agrees to a marriage of convenience...never expecting to fall in love with his bride.

Ethan Kincaid proposes marriage with the same detachment he gives every decision. Audra Gilliland accepts his proposal so she can stop being a burden to her newly married stepdaughter.

But Ethan never expected Audra to affect him so profoundly, and it terrifies him. Someone he loved was once seriously injured on his watch, and he won't let that happen again. If Audra will just do as he says, he can keep her safe from the dangers that lurk on the ranch.

Audra has been cared for all her life by one man or another -- and they've done a poor job of it. Now she's planning to stand up for herself. And her new husband had better agree or get out of her way!

Can two fearful hearts -- wary of getting in too deep -- become two trusting hearts, willing to let go and fall in love?

My Review:

"Six full feet of stubborn and another few inches of dumb." (p.34) is an apt description of Ethan Kincaid, Connealy's latest reluctant hero. The descriptor also gives you a sense of the author's unique style and her wry sense of humour. Laughter ricochets off every page like bullets in a cavern. There's a staccato rhythm in both her comedy and drama that sets a fast pace to this intriguing plot.

Fans of Out of Control will be thrilled to become reacquainted with familiar characters. And while Rafe and Julia and Seth definitely play their parts well -- this is Ethan and Audra's story. Though be forewarned, you'll want to read the first book in the series before you delve into this one.

Fear is a recurring theme throughout the plot. It acts as a catalyst that propels the characters into action and reaction, including the dastardly villain. From Audra's determination to grow a backbone to Ethan's valiant struggle to put the horrors of the past behind him, Connealy deals with a prevalent issue with surprising depth and clarity for a romantic comedy. And she does it with panache.Add in the toe-curling romance and an air of mystery and you come up with another winning read from Mary Connealy.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like to win a copy of this book please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. Please remember to put the title in the address line so your entry is easy for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 12. Offer open to international readers.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

When the Smoke Clears

Giveaway!

EASON, LYNETTE
WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she is confronted with murder, arson -- and a handsome detective.

But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension you've come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series.

My Review:

Be prepared for a touch of vertigo as you rush to the end of this masterfully written suspense. My head is still spinning! And so is my mind -- busy assimilating the threads Eason pulled tight while mulling over the ones left dangling because this book doesn't end wrapped  up in tidy little package. There is enough closure to satisfy Eason's avid readers, but enough left open-ended to leave those same readers chomping at the bit for more! No word on when the second book in the Deadly Reunions series will be out but it can't be soon enough for me!

Now, we all know that I am easily distracted by a good book. There isn't much that can stop my compulsive reading but I outdid myself this time! I neglected everything, including my poor, long-suffering dog, in order to race through When the Smoke Clears. All my valiant efforts to tear myself away to do something productive were thwarted by a fast-paced plot that didn't stop. With suspense, action, terror, an unraveling mystery, complicated relationships, difficult pasts and a developing romance there just wasn't an easy break to put the book aside...even when I reached the end!

One of the marvelous strengths of this book and Eason's writing in general, is in the incredible depth of characters and relationships. That kind of writing brings a richness to the overall plot and makes for an extremely satisfying read.  If you love romantic suspense this is one you definitely don't want to miss!

Giveaway opportunity:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of this fantastic book please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please make sure to put the title in your subject line so it's easy for me to spot. Draw will be held and reader announced on Sunday February 12. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

February Giveaway - Week One

Happy Early Valentine's Day!



There was such a huge response to this one that I couldn't resist picking two winners. Call me an ol' book lovin' softie!
won by Betsy
and
Amanda Stephen



won by Michelle



I'll try emailing you today but if you don't hear from me by Monday evening please email me with your snail mail address. I've had difficulty contacting winners in the past few months so don't be shy about getting in touch with me!!!!! kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca.

Looking Ahead to Next Week's Giveaways:

In Too Deep by Mary Connealy

Seriously - do I really need to say any more?! :-)

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

I loved this contemporary romance. Sublime!

When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason

Tried to just sneak a peek, but now I can't put it down!!!!!

Sweeter Than Birdsong

GIVEAWAY

ELLIOTT, ROSSLYN
SWEETER THAN BIRDSONG

Music offers Kate sweet refuge from her troubles…but real freedom is sweeter.


In Westerville, Ohio, 1855, Kate Winter’s dreams are almost within reach. As the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College, she’ll be guaranteed her deepest wish: escape from the dark secret haunting her family. But with her mother determined to marry her off to a wealthy man, Kate must face reality. She has to run. Now. And she has the perfect plan. Join the upcoming musical performance--and use it to mask her flight.

Ben Hanby, Otterbein College’s musical genius, sees Kate Winter as an enigmatic creature, notable for her beauty, yet painfully shy. Then he hears her sing—and the glory of her voice moves him as never before. He determines to cast her in his musical and uncover the mystery that is Kate. Still, he must keep his own secret to himself. Not even this intriguing woman can know that his passionate faith is driving him to aid fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

A terrifying accident brings Kate and Ben together, but threatens to shatter both their secrets and their dreams. Kate can no longer deny the need to find her courage—and her voice—if she is to sing a new song for their future.

Sweeter than Birdsong is a stirring novel of hope and faith inspired by real historical people and events.

My Review:

Gobsmackingly good! LOL, how's that for an endorsement? One of the things I appreciated the most is Elliott's attention to historical detail. The whole book is seeped in history, but it doesn't bog the reader down. I especially enjoyed the references to the social niceties of the day. Useful bits of information like a lady making sure she stands four feet away from a gentleman for propriety's sake. It felt like I had been swept back in time! Love that feeling of complete escape!

Kate's struggle to overcome her shyness is heart-breaking and Ben's empathy is so endearing! Together, the two already make an enthralling read but then Elliott throws in a riveting plot riddled with action and angst and emotional turmoil! Oh, my poor reader's heart! Let's just say I wept at the end. Great, big, heaving sobs.

This is the kind of book that makes you feel and think and ponder long after you've finished the last page. The fact that it is based on real people and events makes it all the more compelling. Move this on to the top of your TBR pile!

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance at winning your own copy of Sweet as Birdsong, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Remember to put the title in your address line so your entry is easy to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 5. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!