The Hatmaker's Heart

GIVEAWAY

STEWART, CARLA
THE HATMAKER'S HEART

For Nell Marchwold, bliss is seeing the transformation when someone gets a glimpse in the mirror while wearing one of her creations and feels beautiful. Nell has always strived to create hats that bring out a woman's best qualities. She knows she's fortunate to have landed a job as an apprentice designer at the prominent Oscar Fields Millinery in New York City. Yet when Nell's fresh designs begin to catch on, her boss holds her back from the limelight, claiming the stutter she's had since childhood reflects poorly on her and his salon.

 

But it seems Nell's gift won't be hidden by Oscar's efforts. Soon an up-and-coming fashion designer is seeking her out as a partner of his 1922 collection. The publicity leads to an opportunity for Nell to make hats in London for a royal wedding. There, she sees her childhood friend, Quentin, and an unexpected spark kindles between them. But thanks to her success, Oscar is determined to keep her. As her heart tugs in two directions, Nell must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for her dream, and what her dream truly is.

 

My Review:

 

An intriguing look at life in the high fashion industry during the roaring twenties. I found the historical details in this book completely fascinating. Makes for a great backdrop to plop poor, innocent Nell into the middle of.

 

She  is a complicated character. A small town girl with more than one tragedy in her past who takes on the cut-throat business of haute couture in New York City. I loved Nell the second I 'met' her. Sweet and conflicted, she's chasing a dream that almost swallows her whole. Her struggles to find herself by confronting her past makes for an inspirational read. 

 

Great secondary characters -- both friend and foe -- bring added dimension to a captivating read.

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Hatmaker's 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 July 6 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

My thanks to the publisher and Litfuse Publicity Group for supplying me with a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

June Giveaway - Week Five

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:

The Midwife

PETERSHEIM, JOLINA
THE MIDWIFE

The story about a mother who risks everything to save a child not genetically hers . . .

The Past — Graduate student Beth Winslow was sure she was ready to navigate the challenges of becoming a surrogate. But when early tests indicate possible abnormalities with the baby, Beth is unprepared for the parents’ decision to end the pregnancy — and for the fierce love she feels for this unborn child. Desperate, she flees the city and seeks refuge at Hopen Haus, a home for unwed mothers deep in a Tennessee Mennonite community.

The Present — As head midwife of Hopen Haus, Rhoda Mummau delivers babies with a confident though stoic ease. Except in rare moments, not even those who work alongside her would guess that each newborn cry, each starry-eyed glance from mother to child, nearly renders a fault through Rhoda’s heart, reminding her of a past she has carefully concealed. Past and present collide when a young woman named Amelia arrives in the sweeping countryside bearing secrets of her own. As Amelia’s due date draws near, Rhoda must face her regrets and those she left behind in order for the healing power of love and forgiveness to set them all free.

My Review:

What an astounding book! A profound story about life and loss and ultimately hope. A wonderful witness to the glory of God's master plan and his divine ability to heal the deepest wounds.

Petersheim has a unique writing style. Rich descriptive passages paint vivid images that add depth and vibrancy to a compelling plot. Unusual too, because the story is written in first person point of view. Pay attention to the headings and dates because The Midwife is told from different characters' viewpoints, both past and present. That took a bit of getting use to in the beginning, especially since some scenes were written in past tense and others in present tense, but once I got the hang of it, the words flowed until they built to an astonishing crescendo. Honestly, there is more than one gobsmacking surprise buried in this emotional tale.

There's also unspeakable sorrow as well. Experience has taught Rhoda to guard her heart and she has turned herself into an outcast in many ways. The broken pieces of her past mesh with the shattered ones in her present and turn into something so hopeful and good it defies description. An incredible read.


*My thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Summer Reading at Best Reads

Well, it had to happen sometime. I'm reading faster than I can review!

It's not all my fault though. There are these amazing authors who keep writing amazing books that are too irresistible to...well...resist. And then I joined a few book blog tours that all got delayed and that meant the reviews had to be pushed back and then they were all due out during the same couple of weeks and that meant I had to bump the books I was going to review but there were new books begging to be read and reviewed and well, pretty soon my review pile was tottering higher than my TBR pile.

Like this!

To make matters worse it's summer and that means...gulp...I'll have even more time to read!!!!!!!!!!! What's a blogger to do? Don't be alarmed -- I have it all figured out.

Monday - Thursday I will continue to do my regular giveaway book reviews but as the whim strikes me, I'll throw in extra reviews without a giveaway on Fridays and Saturdays. Just until I get caught up.

Confusing? Not really.

Giveaway reviews will always be headed by this colourful picture with the caption 'Giveaway' underneath.

Plus the giveaway rules will be in blue font at the end of the review. So that's how you'll know you can enter a giveaway.

 

And now you're in the know!

 

So what's on your summer reading list this year?

A Place in His Heart

GIVEAWAY

DEMARINO, REBECCA
A PLACE IN HIS HEART

Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Puritan Barnabas Horton is still in love with his deceased wife and needs only a mother for his two young sons. And yet these two very different people with very different expectations will take a leap of faith, wed, and then embark on a life-changing journey across the ocean to the Colonies. Along the way, each must learn to live in harmony, to wait on God, and to recognize true love where they least expect to find it.
This heartfelt tale of love and devotion is based on debut author Rebecca DeMarino’s own ancestors, who came to Long Island in the mid-1600s to establish a life–and a legacy–in the New World.

My Review:

Gripping debut novel full of the grit and drama of the 17th century New World. Historical details really captured my imagination and have me amazed anew at the strength and courage of our ancestors. Especially the women.

DeMarino stays true to the time period, as frustrating as it was for this modern-day woman to read in parts. Mary's willingness to follow her husband's lead into the unknown is astounding, and yet so many women did just that. It was the men who had the visions and the women who worked to create a home wherever they landed. I would not have been so gracious under such trying circumstances!

I felt Mary's heartache and insecurities; her frustrations and determination. This is really her story, and in it, an echo of all the other women who bravely settled this land.

I will say that I had a hard time relating to Barnabas. Simply put, he was a complete dunderhead when it came to his relationship with Mary. :-) You'll have to read the book to find out why, but honestly, the man aggravated me no end. Definitely not hero material for me.

This is an epic tale that spans a decade and really gives the reader a glimpse into the way things might have been in the mid sixteen hundreds.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Place in His 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 June 29 2014. 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".

Somebody Like You

GIVEAWAY

VOGT, BETH K.
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU

Can a young widow find love again with her husband’s reflection?Haley’s three-year marriage to Sam, an army medic, ends tragically when he’s killed in Afghanistan. Her attempts to create a new life for herself are ambushed when she arrives home one evening—and finds her husband waiting for her. Did the military make an unimaginable mistake when they told her Sam was killed?

Too late to make things right with his estranged twin brother, Stephen discovers Sam never told Haley about him. As Haley and Stephen navigate their fragile relation­ship, they are inexorably drawn to each other. How can they honor the memory of a man whose death brought them together—and whose ghost could drive them apart?

Somebody Like You is a beautifully rendered, affecting novel, reminding us that while we can’t change the past, we have the choice to change the future and start anew.

My Review:

Oh my goodness, but I loved this book! There is such depth and dimension to the story I don't know where to start my review.

Loved both Haley and Stephen. Realistically flawed -- both a product of their upbringing. I really like how Vogt explored the impact of that and how it helped carve out their identities. I could understand so clearly why they each reacted the way they did. That brought such depth to their characters and created a solid platform for the romance.

Loved Haley's snarky wit, Stephen's thoughtful steadfastness. How opposite they were and yet each met a deeper need in the other. Theirs isn't an easy love story which makes the happily ever after ending super happily ever after, if you know what I mean. :-)

This is my first Vogt book, but it certainly won't be my last. She'll be on the top of my TBR pile from now on.


Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Somebody Like You, 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 29 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

With thanks to Howard Publishing for a review copy via Net Galley

A Mother's Secret

GIVEAWAY

CLIPSTON, AMY
A MOTHER'S SECRET

An unwed Amish woman yearns for real love and a family. The only thing in her way is the shame she’s been carrying for half of her life.

Thirty-one-year-old Carolyn Lapp has never been married—but she’s been a mother for fifteen years. In a community with strict standards and a long memory, Carolyn knows she might never find a man who will have her and her son, Benjamin.

Carolyn’s family tries to marry her off to a widower with a daughter who needs a mother. A marriage of convenience doesn’t sound so bad, yet despite her loneliness, Carolyn knows what she really wants: a traditional Amish family and a marriage for love.

When Benjamin gets into trouble at an auction, he finds himself beholden to a handsome horse breeder named Joshua Glick. Joshua and Carolyn feel an instant attraction, and soon a romance is budding between them. The trouble is Joshua believes Benjamin is Carolyn’s nephew, not her son.

After years of shame and loneliness, Carolyn suddenly has two men vying for her attention. Can either man give her the family—and the unconditional love—she longs for? Or will her past once again sabotage the future she wants?

My Review:

I adored this book! Clipson had me mesmerized from the very first page. I love the way she unfolds a story. I feel like I'm inside the heroine's skin, feeling everything she is feeling. Maybe that's why a couple of secondary characters really got my ire up. Honestly, my blood pressure will take weeks to get back to normal. There should be a warning label on the cover. :-)

There's a great takeaway message about forgiveness  and the debilitating power refusing to extend it can have on an individual's life. And the resulting caustic poison that spills over into the lives of everyone around them. Powerful and thought-provoking.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Forever Amish 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 29 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

 My thanks to the publisher and LitFuse for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  

Another Giveaway from the author:  A MOTHER’S SECRET | Kindle Fire giveaway from @AmyClipston

 


 One winner will receive:
 Kindle Fire

• Books 1 and 2 in the Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel series, A Hopeful Heart and A Mother's Secret.

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 6th. Winner will be announced July 7th on Amy's blog.


Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Amy's blog on July 7th to see if you won.

 

June Giveaway - Week Four

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:

Out for Justice

GIVEAWAY

POST, CAROL J.
OUT FOR JUSTICE

The next target...

Tracking a serial killer in Harmony Grove turns personal for Detective Lexi Simmons when her cousin becomes a victim. It turns nearly impossible when she's teamed up with Officer Alan White—the almost-fiancé whose heart she broke six years ago. Alan can't understand how two people so right for each other didn't end up together. But they have more pressing matters of the past to attend to: a vengeful killer and a decade-old incident on a college campus. Now Lexi fits the profile of the next name on the hit list. And Alan finds himself not only engaged in a fight for her love—but for her life.

My Review:

An intense whodunit of a read. Has the feel of a TV crime show and just as fast-paced. Readers get to shadow law enforcement as they follow clues and track down leads. I really enjoyed that behind the scenes angle. And then there's our hero and heroine. A complicated past doesn't make for a smooth transition into partnership on a homicide case. There's great romantic tension between Lexi and Alan - particularly because they don't always see eye to eye in how to solve the case. Lexi is a little bit reckless in her desire to find her cousin's killer and Alan has to tamp down on protective feelings that are sure to scare Lexi away from a committed relationship. All in all a wonderful gnarly mess of suspense and romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Out for Justice 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 22 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Seagrass Pier

GIVEAWAY

COBLE, COLLEEN
SEAGRASS PIER

In a secluded corner of Hope Beach, one woman must decipher a stranger’s memories . . . before they cost her everything.

Elin Summerall was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she get a heart transplant, but the donor was a perfect fit. A miraculously perfect fit.

But when Elin begins having violent flashbacks—and vivid dreams of being strangled—she realizes that she has been the recipient of more than just a new heart . . . Elin is remembering her donor’s murder.

Her strange affliction has attracted some unwanted attention: from the press, from the authorities . . . and from the killer himself. Now, living alone with her young daughter and aging mother, Elin is being stalked—by a man she’s only met in her nightmares.

The police are dubious of her story, but one off-duty FBI agent is eager to help her: Agent Marc Everton.

Now, in a remote cottage on Hope Island, Elin and Marc must probe the secrets buried in her borrowed heart. And there’s no time to waste. One man is desperate to silence her—before she remembers too much.

My Review:

An adrenaline rush of a read! Kind of eerie, definitely goosebumpy, my heart revved up with every turned page. A unique premise gives this incredible suspense a real edge. And Elin and Marc's complicated past made their romance that much more intense. I just couldn't put this book down.

A rich cast of secondary characters flesh out the plot. I fell in love with Elin's precocious daughter, Josie. That little sweetheart stole every scene she was in and had Marc wrapped around her little finger. There's nothing more swoonworthy than a hero who has a soft spot for kids.

Clear your calendar for this one because you'll want to devour it in one sitting.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Seagrass Pier 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 22 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

*My thanks to the publisher and LitFuse for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Click on the link below to pre-order Colleen Coble's new book for just $4.99. Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!

 

 

Forever Amish

GIVEAWAY

LLOYD, KATE
FOREVER AMISH

It’s the Last Thing She Expects to Find

 

Sally Bingham needs some time away to sort through the changes in her life and to rethink her upcoming marriage. Despite her ailing father’s hesitations, she takes off for a bed and breakfast in Lancaster County for a weekend away. But her best-laid plans leave her in a near collision with a bishop’s buggy and in the home of a mysterious Amish woman named Lizzie. Lizzie introduces her to a different perspective on life, a charming farmhand named Armin— and opens a Pandora’s box that will forever change Sally’s life.

 

The latest book in the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, Forever Amish introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.

 

My Review:

 

What a compelling read! Packed with emotion from the very first page, Sally's distress is palpable. Her world is unraveling, exposing raw wounds she didn't realize were festering. Her journey of discovery makes for a spellbinding story. I was as anxious and she was to put the puzzle pieces together. But oh how complicated her life becomes once she has the answers she is seeking. What a lovely, complicated mess!

 

Armin is a stalwart hero. Once he makes up his mind, he's pretty much immovable. And he makes up his mind about Sally pretty quickly. Makes for a lovely, tender romance.

 

Oh, and I can't not mention Ginger, the corgi. I mean, seriously, how can you not want to read a book with a corgi in it?!

 

All in all, a winning combination that makes this an enthralling read.

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Forever Amish 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 22 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

 

*My thanks to the publisher and LitFuse for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
 Also, there is an author sponsored giveaway -- check out the details below and follow the links: 

The latest book in Kate Lloyd's Legacy of Lancaster trilogy, Forever Amish, introduces us to a young woman about to uncover a shocking secret and find an invitation to a new way of living. This is a story of forgiveness, legacies, and the ties that bind through generations.

Kate is celebrating by giving away an Amish-made prize pack!

One winner will receive:
A brand new Kindle Fire

• A Qillow (A pillow with a lovely surprise inside! It opens to a 40” X 60” quilt ideal for traveling, sports events, and home.)
•  A Center Diamond wall hanging (Hand-stitched by Old Order Amish quilter Emma Stoltzfus of E.S. Quilts in Lancaster, PA. It measures 42” x 42” and is a traditional Old Order Amish design.)
• Darling Amish-made faceless dolls (Hand-crafted in Lancaster County, PA. Each measures 12 inches and is individually named. Meet Martha and Henry!)
• Forever Amish and the rest of the Legacy of Lancaster trilogy by Kate Lloyd

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 29th. Winner will be announced at Kate's blog on July 1st.




Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning and be sure to stop by Kate's blog on July 1st to see if you won!

Child of Mine

GIVEAWAY

LEWIS, BEVERLY
LEWIS, DAVID
CHILD OF MINE

Flight instructor Jack Livingston has been raising his eight-year-old adopted niece, Natalie, since the accident that took her parents' lives. When he travels, Natalie is tenderly cared for by her Amish nanny, Laura Mast, who loves the little girl as her own.

Eight excruciating years ago, Kelly Maines's baby was kidnapped. Determined to find her child, Kelly has tirelessly pursued every lead to its bitter end. And now, with the clock ticking, one last clue from a private investigator ignites a tiny flame of hope: Just a few miles away lives a young girl who matches the profile.

Can this be, at long last, Kelly's beloved daughter?

My Review:

An intriguing story that alternates between Kelly's desperate search for her kidnapped daughter and Jack's life raising his orphaned niece. The plot thickens as their stories intersect. Far from predictable there's a few surprising twists that left me gasping out loud.

A touching story that explores the depths of a mother's love. Kelly's situation is heartbreaking -- her life has been on hold for eight years as she searches for her missing daughter. She clings to her faith but that doesn't stop her from taking things into her own hands. Her struggle to let go and let God is palpable.

Jack and Natty are an awesome duo. There's some laugh out loud moments between those two. And Natty's Amish nanny makes a unique addition to their little family. But love is complicated and each of the Lewis's character faces the challenge of  finding peace with their own situation.

An incredible, rich, hopeful read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Child of Mine 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 22 2014. 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".

June Giveaway - Week Three

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:

Out of the Ruins

GIVEAWAY

BARNETT, KAREN
OUT OF THE RUINS

While her sister lies on her deathbed, Abby Fischer prays for a miracle. What Abby doesn’t expect, however, is for God’s answer to come in the form of the handsome Dr. Robert King, whose experimental treatment is risky at best.

As they work together toward a cure, Abby’s feelings for Robert become hopelessly entangled. Separated by the tragedy of the mighty San Francisco earthquake, their relationship suddenly takes a back seat to survival. With fires raging throughout the city, Abby fears for her life as she flees alone through burning streets. Where is God now? Will Robert find Abby, even as the world burns around them? Or has their love fallen with the ruins of the city?

My Review:

Fascinating on so many levels. The historical detail in medical care had me riveted...and cringing because the pioneers of modern medicine were totally clueless about the risks of radiation therapy. And the earthquake and subsequent fire that ravaged San Francisco was gut-wrenching to read about. Barnett brings this era to life. I could smell the smoke, taste the grit, feel the desperation and fear of every moment.

Abby does a lot of growing throughout the book. She is almost childlike at the beginning. in the way she tries to bargain with God, force Robert to perform to her expectations, will her sister to live. Her rigidity creates barriers between God, family, and friends. Fearful of being left behind -- and being left alone -- she doesn't realize that it is her own mindset and actions that become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Her personal journey of growth is powerful. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Abby emerges transformed after passing through the refining fires of a tumultuous time.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Out of the Ruins 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 15 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

OUT OF THE RUINS | Kindle HDX Giveaway & Facebook Party!

 

*My thanks to the publisher and LitFuse for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Undercover Marriage

GIVEAWAY

REED, TERRI
UNDERCOVER MARRIAGE

An illegal adoption ring -- using kidnapped babies -- has to be stopped. To gather the necessary evidence, U.S. marshal Serena Summers goes undercover -- as a married woman desperate for a baby. Her 'husband' is her own partner, U.S. marshal Josh McCall, whom Serena blames for her brother's death. How can she act like a loving wife when she has to constantly fight her feelings for a man she isn't sure she can trust? The closer they get to unraveling the dark web of deceit, though, the more being Josh's undercover wife means putting her life -- and her future -- in his hands.

Witness Protection: Hiding in plain sight

My Review:

This is the book I have been waiting for since the beginning of this miniseries. I've been so anxious for Josh and Serena's love story to take the spotlight. Amazing how multiple authors could convey their connection in the previous books.  The electricity fairly crackles all the way through Undercover Marriage. And oh my, what a predicament! Two feisty marshals at odds with each other in close quarters for the sake of a case! Positively romantical!!!

There's danger and action and frustration as the case that has been plaguing them for months comes to a head. And in the midst of it all both Josh and Serena have to wrestle with some difficult decisions. The inspirational thread is solid -- examining the consequences of judgement vs. mercy. Serena, especially is dealing with some pretty unrealistic feelings over her brother's death. Problem is, they are all too real to her. That really ups the angst factor as she gradually lets her guard down and allows Josh into her life...and her heart.

A totally awesome conclusion to a great miniseries.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Undercover Marriage 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 15 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Chain of Mercy

GIVEAWAY

ANDERSON, BRENDA S.
CHAIN OF MERCY

They forgave him for the accident that killed their son, but he will never forgive himself.

Manhattan businessman Richard Brooks was at the top of the world, drunk with success, wealth, and women. And he proudly lived that prodigal lifestyle. Until one disastrous evening, when his world came crashing down.

Richard flees to Minneapolis where he repairs ancient boilers instead of solving corporate problems, and he s determined to live the solitary life he now deserves ...

Chained to his guilt. Blending in with the gray. No luxuries in sight.

But Executive Sheila Peterson has other plans for the handsome custodian. She s had it with serious relationships, and Richard appears to be the perfect match for the no-strings-attached romance she desires. Instead, she finds a man who is complex, brilliant, and shrouding a tormented past.

In her quest to uncover the secrets holding Richard captive, will her own secrets remain buried?

My Review:

Stunning debut novel! An incredibly rich read that was hard to put down. Anderson has created a slice of real life within the pages of her book. Gritty, honest, heart-breaking. Packing an emotional punch that made it a struggle to read at times. Honestly, at one point I closed the book and tried to make up my own happily ever after without the angst. That lasted for all of about ten minutes. Then I gave in and opened the book again because I wanted to know what really happened to these amazingly flawed characters who had wormed their way into my affections.

Richard is the 'perfect' prodigal son. He's shucked the solid mid-Western values he's grown up with in favour of life in the fast lane. So, how does a boy who was raised so right go so wrong? It's a subject Anderson explores with unrelenting truthfulness. Richard's struggles, his self-condemnation and eventual triumph makes for a moving read.

Sheila is a lost soul who doesn't even realize that she's lost. A powerhouse executive, she has developed a hard edge that makes her difficult to like at first. But Anderson gradually uncovers a tale of loss and abuse that help make sense of the woman Sheila has become. The author artfully explores the whys behind the actions and then applies God's mercy in such a compassionate way I was left weeping.

A compelling story that celebrates the real meaning of grace with a unique perspective: accepting and receiving mercy creates a powerful chain reaction that spills over into the lives around you. What an awesome inspirational takeaway.

Giveaway Opportunity

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Chain of 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 June 15 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!