Ray of Light

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD
RAY OF LIGHT

When two hearts connect on a beach in Florida, is it a brief romance . . . or the start of a lasting love?

After family secrets come to light, causing an uproar, Roman Keim is taking a much-needed vacation to Pinecraft, the Amish snowbird community in Florida. The warm weather is a welcome break from the bleak Ohio winter, as is a week off from all his family's drama. But Roman's own drama begins when he meets his next-door neighbors: Amanda Yoder, a beautiful young widow, and her adorable daughter, Regina.

In the two years since her husband died, Amanda has never looked at another man. She certainly doesn't intend to get married again. But she can't deny that there's something special between her and Roman. As his week in Pinecraft comes to a close, Amanda knows that, in spite of her attempt to remain distant, she's given Roman a piece of her heart. And her daughter seems to have fallen in love, too.

Is there hope for a second chance at love for Amanda? Or will duty call Roman home first, far from the two women who have captured his heart?

My Review:

The Keim family is back and this time it's Roman's chance to find some happiness. A sequel to Daybreak, Ray of Light easily reads as a standalone novel even though events and circumstances from book one carry over into book two. Gray handles those transitions very well so new readers won't be left floundering in sub-plots. But this book really shines as a sequel to Daybreak in my humble reader's opinion.

I love this family -- it's complexities and dysfunction and idiosyncrasies! The Keims aren't your typical Amish family...or maybe they are. Gray doesn't sugarcoat relationships and struggles and that was the big lure that reeled me in. Even Amanda Yoder's struggle to find her footing two years after her husband's death is achingly real. Particularly in relation to her in-laws.

And then Roman shows up on the scene and sparks fly and neither knows quite what to do about it. I mean, long distance relationships are difficult enough in the Englisch world -- imagine the complications involved if you are Amish! Talk about an emotional roller coaster ride!

A bonus to The Day of Redemption series fans: we get an exciting sub-plot involving Viola and Ed in the mission field. And thank goodness this series isn't over yet -- we still have more Keim secrets to uncover, a couple of weddings to attend and a single daughter who needs a beau! Can't wait for the next book. And hallelujah, Gray and Avon Inspire usually don't leave us in suspense for long. I'm anticipating the next book to be out sometime in the fall.

Giveway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Ray of Light, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 2 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Plain Admirer

GIVEAWAY

DAVIDS, PATRICIA
PLAIN ADMIRER

Love Is Only A Letter Away

So what if Joann Yoder's Amish community deems her a spinster? She's content to stay single. In the meantime, she's working hard to finally buy her dream house. So it's problematic when she's fired from her job to make room for the owner's nephew, Roman Weaver. His blue eyes aside, she simply can't stand him! Good thing she has the secret letters she's been exchanging with a mystery man to keep her going. But who is writing her letters? And could she possibly fall for him in real life, too?

My Review:

Very clever plot twists make this a unique Amish read. I haven't read a book by Davids before, but now I know why this comes highly recommended. It's funny and angsty and twisty and turny and just a plain ol' excellent getaway read.


Giveway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Plain Admirer, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 2 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

The Tempted Soul

GIVEAWAY

SENFT, ADINA
THE TEMPTED SOUL

Carrie Miller longs for children, but after ten years of marriage, that blessing eludes her. So she fills her days with caring for her home, making artistic gifts and fancy cakes, and caring for her flock of chickens, every one of whom has a name and who under no circumstances will go in the soup pot. Carrie also finds support in the friendship she shares with her two best friends Amelia and Emma, and relishes the weekly afternoons they share working on their quilts.

Carrie and her husband Melvin love each other, and together have survived many lean years. If not for the kindness of their church community, they would have had to miss more than one meal a day. But now, Melvin has found work that finally provides a good living. Carrie hopes that having more to eat will finally allow them to start a family. Yet month after month, they remain childless. So when Carrie overhears two English women talking in the fabric store one day about medical options available to non-Amish women in her situation, she takes it as a sign from God. Melvin and the bishop see it differently, however. Is it really God's will that she pursue this, or is her longing to be a mother tempting her to stray from her Amish beliefs?

My Review:

A soul-satisfiying conclusion to the Amish Quilt series. You don't need to have read the first two to enjoy The Tempted Soul, but readers who have will delight in catching up with Amelia and Emma who play prominent secondary character roles in this novel.

This is an emotional read and I thought the author did an excellent job of portraying the different male and female viewpoints on infertility. There were times I wanted to shake Melvin until his teeth rattled, he was such a dunderhead! I ached for Carrie, felt her pain at the impasse she reaches and felt overwhelmed by the impossibility of her dilemma. How could God turn such anguish into joy?

An incredibly moving testament to faith and friendship and forever love. An truly outstanding read.

Giveway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Tempted Soul, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 26 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Plain Pursuit

GIVEAWAY

STONE, ALISON
PLAIN PURSUIT

Danger in Amish CountryWhen her brother is killed in a small Amish town, Anna Quinn discovers she's an unwelcome outsider. But the FBI agent investigating the case is right at home—because Eli Miller was born and raised in Apple Creek's Plain community. Eli left his Amish faith behind long ago, but his heart is rooted in a local cold case he can't forget—a mystery with strange connections to Anna's loss. Desperate to uncover the truth, Anna and Eli are faced with stony silences and secrets…secrets that someone wants to keep buried in the past.

My Review:

Great debut novel combining two of my favourite genres -- Amish and suspense. Stone scribes a fresh plot into a delicious blend of suspense and mystery that kept me guessing. Add in the Amish local and a healthy does of romance and I was hooked from the very first page. Stone is definitely an author I will keep my eye out for now.

Giveway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Plain Pursuit, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 2 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

May Giveaway - Week Four

CONGRATULATIONS!

won by Amy Campbell

won by Rosie

won by rubynreba

As always, I will contact the winners by email however thanks to the nefarious ways of the internet my email might land in your spam folder so keep your eyes peeled! :-) If you haven't heard from me by Monday evening please email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. From time to time winners and I don't seem to connect, so I have a month frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited and I will add an extra win to a future draw to even things up.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

Are you sensing a theme? I didn't do it on purpose!

A recommended read from Harlequin
and I can see why!

Great new romantic suspense author for the LIS line!

The concluding story in
the Amish Quilt series.

The Keim family is back and this
time it is Roman's chance at romance.

Revealing Jesus

ZSCHECH, DARLENE
REVEALING JESUS: A 365-DAY DEVOTIONAL

Darlene Zschech has led millions of Christians in worship as she's written and performed such songs as "Shout to the Lord" and penned bestsellers Extravagant Worship and The Kiss of Heaven. This collection of all new thought-provoking devotions has been designed to accompany her upcoming live album, which will be produced by four-time Grammy award winner Israel Houghton, and will include guest performances by Kari Jobe and Michael W. Smith.

Each devotion will reflect on grace given to the reader through Christ's life, death, and resurrection. This beautifully packaged book will be released in conjunction with the album. Perfect for Christians looking for fresh readings on the passion and resurrection of Christ, or as a thoughtful seasonal gift.

MY REVIEW:

This beautifully styled devotional is filled with treasures of truth just waiting to be discovered. Each day of the year is represented in a page -- the devotion sandwiched between a scripture and a prayer. I liked the way Zschech got to the heart of the scripture and brought it into a 21st century reflection.  She is direct and encouraging and each day I was left with a fresh resolve on a biblical truth. I liked the way she connected the past to the present and related it to our lives. And each devotion ends with a prayer that motivates change. Definitely an encouraging way to start or end a day.

"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".

Love's Miracle

LEESMITH, SANDRA
LOVE'S MIRACLE

Dr. Margo Devaull came to Dominic Zanelli's mountain retreat confident that she could help this Vietnam veteran overcome the torment that kept him apart from the world. But her training as a psychologist had not prepared her for the tragic, explosive contradictions brewing inside him. For here was a sensitive artist who could be gentle – and a man whose eyes flashed with violence and pain when he told her to leave and never come back. Yet Margo did come back, slowly gain his trust, and awaken the sleeping needs of his heart. Only by reliving her own wounded past and helping Zane confront a terrible memory from the war could she set them both free – and save their last chance for love.

My Review:

Leesmith tackles the subject of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with reverence and respect in Love's Miracle. It makes for a compelling and emotional read that will keep your stomach in knots and your heart palpitating right to the very end.

The author visits the horror of war and the struggle to find peace in the aftermath. Impeccably paced, Leesmith reveals Zane's past in snippets of flashbacks that directly relate to what he is experiencing in the present. A clever technique that kept me voraciously reading so that I could put all the pieces of this complex hero together. Zane is every inch the taciturn, stalwart warrior but the author affords us glimpses of his humanity as well. He is a paradox that Margo is determined to solve.

And Margo isn't without her own issues which drive her professionally and personally. What starts out as a need to rescue turns into something much deeper and things get a whole lot more complicated as a result. Leesmith writes their romance with simmering passion and stark emotion.

A moving tribute to the heroes of a war everyone wants to forget. Leesmith reminds us that their sacrifice was heartbreakingly real and they deserve our utmost respect.

Love's Miracle (Kindle e-book) is being offered FREE Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27). Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Miracles-ebook/dp/B00CVFZEVC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368994615&sr=8-1&keywords=Love%27s+Miracles+by+Sandra+Leesmith

Special Giveaway for U.S. residents:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/15cee35/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rescue Team

GIVEAWAY

CALVERT, CANDACE
RESCUE TEAM

Tired of running from her past, nurse Kate Callison intends to become Austin Grace Hospital’s permanent ER director and make Texas her home. Despite staff friction, she’s moving ahead. Then unthinkable tragedy wraps the ER in crime tape, brings swarms of media, legal chaos . . . and a search-and-rescue hero who seems determined to meddle in her life.

For Wes Tanner, nothing beats finding someone who’s lost; he’s known that helpless terror firsthand. That’s why he’s determined to extend a lifeline of hope to others as a search-and-rescue volunteer. He’s ready for anything—except Austin Grace’s prickly and dismissive ER director.

As Kate and Wes discover more about each other, new respect becomes something deeper. Kate wonders if her heart might finally have found a home. But when a startling missing person’s case unearths secrets and opens old wounds, she fears that all they’ve found will just as quickly be lost.

My Review:

Calvert has cornered the market on hospital dramas. Drawing on her own ER experience she brings a great perspective to this genre. It's a fascinating world and she gives us a glimpse into all its aspects from technical to emotional.

Complex characters like Kate and Wes bring depth and dimension to the hospital setting. Wes has Kate pegged on their first meeting. Prickly. But there are layers of hurt beneath that surface and his compassionate insightfulness won't let him give up on her. Loved the dynamics between these two!

This is a story about the futility of guilt and the redeeming grace of forgiveness. The plot builds to an emotional pinnacle that will take your breath away. A story that will linger with you long after you've closed the book.

Giveway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Rescue Team, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 26 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Guarding the Witness

GIVEAWAY

DALEY, MARGARET
GUARDING THE WITNESS

Running out of time…

After two months of protective custody, bodyguard Arianna Jackson is days away from testifying at a murder trial when the unthinkable happens. Her Alaska safe house is attacked, and Arianna is forced to go on the run with U.S. Marshal Brody Callahan. Arianna is used to issuing orders, not taking them, but now, out in the wild, with a bounty on her head and a killer on her heels, she has only one hope of making it to testify—the handsome protector at her side.

My Review:

Take a deep breath before you open this book because it will likely be your last until you reach the end! Mercy, but Daley takes her readers through the paces. I don't think I have any fingernails left from hanging on for all I was worth.  The suspense mounts as Arianna and Brody flee for their lives and the author doesn't even give them (or us) the illusion of safety. Guarding the Witness is a roller coaster action ride that implodes and explodes right off the pages. A cardiac workout without ever having to leave your armchair.

 Giveway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Guarding the Witness, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 26 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Katie's Choice

GIVEAWAY

LILLARD, AMY
KATIE'S CHOICE

Katie Rose Fisher loved Samuel Beachy with an intensity that shook their Amish district. No one doubted they would one day marry, until Samuel turned his back on the church and joined the world of the English.

Alone now in Clover Ridge, Katie Rose dedicates her life to God and the school children she teaches each day. Although she secretly longs for more, Katie knows God’s hand is at work, and she is happy.

News correspondent Zane Carson never even knew Oklahoma had an Amish community until he got the chance to live among them and learn about their day-to-day activities. Their simple way of life is intriguing, but not half as much as the young teacher.

Katie Rose is flattered over the attention she receives from Zane, but she has resolved to never marry. Even if she were to entertain the idea, it surely couldn’t be with an outsider like Zane.

Never one prone to the restraints of organized religion, Zane finds a comfort in the rituals and blessings in the day to day righteous living of this small Amish community. He finds himself, God, and love with Katie Rose.

But as Zane draws closer to Katie Rose, Samuel comes back to repent his ways and return to his place at her side. Can Zane convince Katie Rose that he is committed to adapting to her way of life, or will Samuel win her affections back for himself once again?

My Review:

First off, take a gander at that cover. Doesn’t the pink just pop out at you? I think the colour attracted me before anything else. You don’t see many pink covers in a CBA lineup and this one just made it irresistible. There has to be some science in book cover colour marketing – if there isn’t someone should study up on it because the pink sold me on this book before I even noticed it was Amish or read the back blurb.

Lillard is a new Amish author for me. This is the second in a series and I somehow missed the first, Saving Gideon. I found it an easy story to slip into and the solid cast of secondary characters makes me want to backtrack and read the first book but I didn’t find  Katie's Choice lacking in any way because I hadn’t read the first one.

The author has created a next to impossible love story that supplied plenty of yearning in my sensitive reader’s heart while keeping me captivated. I found it interesting that she chose to begin with the hero’s point of view. In fact, we aren’t even introduced to Katie until about 15 pages in.  It definitely gave me a vested interest in Zane and I liked having a solid lead on the heroine where the hero was concerned.

Zane is a complex character with an intriguing past that at first seems completely at odds with plain living. It is when we delve into his childhood that we begin to see how his upbringing wasn’t so very different from Kate’s and that provides a realistic base for the rest of the story.

I confess to being an armchair Amish ‘scholar’; most of my knowledge gleaned from fiction reading and internet searches. Obviously, I’m no expert, but I did feel that a few aspects of Zane and Kate’s story didn’t ring true to what I’ve learned about the Amish. Admittedly, this Amish community is in Oklahoma and I do know that standards and rules vary from one settlement to the next, but there were still a few scenes that I questioned. They definitely worked in the grand love story scheme of things, but I’m not so sure they have a solid Amish backing to them. It would certainly make a great discussion for a book club though!

Giveway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Katie's Choice, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 26 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

May Giveaway - Week Three

CONGRATULATIONS!

WON BY HEIDI

WON BY PATTY

WON BY RISSI

As always, I will contact the winners by email however thanks to the nefarious ways of the internet my email might land in your spam folder so keep your eyes peeled! :-) If you haven't heard from me by Monday evening please email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. From time to time winners and I don't seem to connect, so I have a month frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited and I will add an extra win to a future draw to even things up.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

Mennonite Girls Can Cook Celebrations

LOVELLA SCHELLENBERT, ANNELIESE FRIESEN, BETTY REIMER, BEV KLASSEN, CHARLOTTE PENNER, ELLEN BAYLES, JUDY WIEBE, JULIE KLASSEN, KATHY MCLELLAN, MARG BARTEL
MENNONITE GIRLS CAN BOOK CELEBRATIONS

Life is a gift from God, so why not celebrate?

The bestselling authors of Mennonite Girls Can Cook return with a second course in their new Celebrations cookbook. From mouthwatering mini-muffins and succulent soufflé to campers' stew and lattice-topped grilled apples, the Mennonite Girls share recipes to honor all of life. Join the girls for brunch celebrating a child's birth, campfire cooking with family, and even the more somber celebrations of a life well-lived. Filled from cover to cover with devotional reflections, personal stories, and beautiful photos, this book contains much more than recipes--it will soon become your kitchen companion for life's celebrations.

Like their first book, Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Celebrations includes many gluten free adaptations!

My Review:

A book to celebrate! No kitchen should be without one. I've already bought three as presents for upcoming wedding showers and a summer birthday.

This is so much more then a cookbook. It's like opening a treasured family recipe book that has personal anecdotes of all the special women in your family. Words of wisdom and faith share space with down home cookin' tried and true recipes. And the recipes aren't fussy. They are simple and straight forward, but packed with flavour and sometimes a surprising mix of ingredients. (Who would have thought of adding a Granny Smith apple to squash soup?!)

Exquisite full-colour photographs enrich the reading experience. Every time I open Celebrations I have to spend a while just savoring the ambiance of this cookbook. Definitely destined to be a classic that should find its way into every home not only for the stellar recipes but for the way the authors celebrate their faith and families within its pages.

"Book has been provided courtesy of MennoMedia and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Herald Press, a publishing imprint of MennoMedia".

Wishing on Willows

GIVEAWAY

GANSHERT, KATIE
WISHING ON WILLOWS

Does a second chance at life and love always involve surrender?

A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa, she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.

So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight.

As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.

With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances.

My Reviews:

A story about finding joy in the wake of grief. Heart-wrenching, angst-stirring, soul-touching. Rich text and real characters catapult the reader into an emotional read you won't soon forget. Ganshert's words are magic even as they are laced with realism and grit along with the sheer beauty of being alive. A memorable love story that will warm you from the inside out.

Giveway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Wishing on Willows, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 19 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Follow the Heart

GIVEAWAY

DACUS, KAYE
FOLLOW THE HEART

Set during the Industrial Revolution and the Great Exhibition of 1851, Follow the Heart is a “sitting-room romance” with the feel of a Regency-era novel but the fashions and technological advances of the mid-Victorian age.

Kate and Christopher Dearing’s lives turn upside down when their father loses everything in a railroad land speculation. The siblings are shipped off to their mother’s brother in England with one edict: marry money.

At twenty-seven years old, Kate has the stigma of being passed over by eligible men many times—and that was before she had no dowry. Christopher would like nothing better than to make his own way in the world; and with a law degree and expertise in the burgeoning railroad industry, he was primed to do just that—in America. Though their uncle tries to ensure Kate and Christopher find matrimonial prospects only among the highest echelon of British society, their attentions stray to a gardener and a governess.

While Christopher has options that would enable him to lay his affections where he chooses, he cannot let the burden of their family’s finances crush his sister. Trying to push her feelings for the handsome—but not wealthy— gardener aside, Kate’s prospects brighten when a wealthy viscount shows interest in her. But is marrying for the financial security of her family the right thing to do, when her heart is telling her she’s making a mistake?

Mandates . . . money . . . matrimony. Who will follow the heart?

My Review:

This is Kaye Dacus at her absolute best! What a captivating read! She's captured the essence of Austen and channeled a bit of Gaskell to create a 21st century masterpiece set in Victorian England.  Follow the Heart is definitely in the 'rabid-read' category. I just ate this up and am ready for a second helping!

Dacus has done a great job with historical detailing.  It's in the descriptions, the conversations, the annoying protocols. Delicious stuff with which to weave a fascinating and infuriating tale of love and sacrifice. I was invested in Kate's outcome from the first time I met her. I loved her, flaws and all, even if she made me cringe a time or two.And stalwart Andrew works well as the impossible love interest. The author has made a classic tale fresh and invigorating.


There is also a bonus second romance involving Kate's brother which was just as much fun to read about. If you are looking for a book to carry you away into another time and place, Follow the Heart is just the book for you.

Giveway Opportunity:
 

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Follow the Heart, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 19 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Sweet Mercy

GIVEAWAY

TATLOCK, ANN
SWEET MERCY

Stunning New Novel from Award-Winning Author

When Eve Marryat's father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve's uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.

St. Paul seemed like a haven for gangsters, and Eve had grown fearful of living there. At seventeen, she considers her family to be "good people." They aren't lawbreakers and criminals like so many people in her old neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a "safe haven," Eve is blissfully unaware that her uncle's lodge is a transfer station for illegal liquor smuggled from Canada.

Eve settles in to work and makes new friends, including an enigmatic but affecting young man. But when the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. How can she ignore what is happening right under their very noses? Yet can she risk everything by condemning the man whose love and generosity is keeping her and her family from ruin?

My Review:

A thought-provoking coming of age story that's a real page turner. Tatlock tackles black and white issues with shades of gray. She really got me thinking.

Eve is so idealistic and naive -- and feeling just a tad superior --  at the beginning of the book. Her story, told in first person, allows us to feel and see everything from her point of view and that delivers an emotional read that is gut-wrenching at times.

Secondary characters flesh out a riveting plot and bring substance to a timeless story that will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. A stunning, lose-yourself-in-the-moment read.

Giveway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Sweet Mercy, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 19 2013. 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".

May Giveaway - Week Two

CONGRATULATIONS

won by Maxie

won by Michelle

won by Library Lady

As always, I will contact the winners by email however thanks to the nefarious ways of the internet my email might land in your spam folder so keep your eyes peeled! :-) If you haven't heard from me by Monday evening please email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. From time to time winners and I don't seem to connect, so I have a month frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited and I will add an extra win to a future draw to even things up.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

A fascinating historical I've been waiting for!



Heart-wrenchingly good!

A great coming-of-age story!

Wedding on the Rocks

GIVEAWAY

ZEDIKER, ROSE ROSS
WEDDING ON THE ROCKS

Jennifer Edwards is back home again…

When she traded small-town life for the bright lights of Chicago, Jennifer Edwards yearned to discover a world beyond Faith, South Dakota. So when her father's illness calls her home to run their cattle ranch, she tells herself it's temporary. Then why is she even thinking about a future with archaeology professor Brett Lange—the boy she left behind—whose life's work is digging up the past?  Twelve years ago, Brett had a crush on Jennifer the size of the T. rex that put his hometown on the map. Now she's a citified magazine editor who prefers designer duds to dungarees. Except that's not the real Jennifer. Brett needs to make her see how a little faith can go a long way in uniting two perfectly in-sync hearts.

My Review:

First off -- clever title. It suggests one thing but is actually tied to the hero's profession. Love that twist and the surprise of delving into a story that wasn't what I thought it was. :-)

Zediker has a real gift for delivering a tight, emotionally packed story. I'm in awe of these authors who write such depth in such a short word count. That's real talent!

I really connected with Jennifer's journey. She's making good choices in her life but finds herself at a a crossroads as she begins to realize good choices aren't always God choices. That's something I have to relearn over and over and over again. 

Brett is a complicated mix of laid back confidence and endearing vulnerability. Jennifer has no idea of the power she holds over him and he is reluctant to reveal the depth of his feelings for her. Unrequited love is pretty potent stuff -- especially when it is from the hero's perspective.

A solid plot and captivating romance with plenty of emotional thrills kept me satisfied to the very end.

Giveway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Wedding on the Rocks, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 12 2013. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Adoring Addie

GIVEAWAY

GOULD, LESLIE
ADORING ADDIE

A New Amish Romance from Christy Winner and Bestselling Author Leslie Gould

When Addie Cramer's mutter and daed decide Phillip Eicher is the man for her to marry, they claim she must honor them by obeying their wishes. But then she falls in love with Jonathan Mosier--part of the family with whom the Cramers have a long-held grudge.

With the help of others in her community who long to see the quarrel healed, Jonathan and Addie struggle to continue their relationship against both sets of parents' wishes. But when one of Addie's vengeful brothers harms a member of the Mosier family, Jonathan intervenes and is banished from Lancaster County.

A distraught Addie determines to find the true reason for the grudge between the two families, hoping to tear down the animosity of the past. Can their love for each other bridge the divide between their families? Or are they destined to remain apart forever?

My Review:

A simple love story set amidst a complicated plot with a Romeo and Juliet twist. The Cramers are as dysfunctional as a family can get -- a fascinating angle from which to present an Amish story. Kudos to Gould for thinking outside the box.

Addie's family is infuriatingly impossible and I alternately cringed and fumed as I witnessed their antics. By contrast, her relationship with Jonathan holds an almost fairy tale quality. Love at first sight that seems shadowed by a curse. The impossibility of it all kept me turning pages as I tried to figure out how Gould could possibly end with a happily ever after.

If you are looking for a refreshing (and infuriating) Amish read, this book definitely fits the bill!

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Adoring Addie, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 12 2013. 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".