Tuesday, June 30, 2015

A Bride at Last

GIVEAWAY

JAGEARS, MELISSA
A BRIDE AT LAST

Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts.

Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she'd been deceived about her intended groom, she's now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she'll take on care of nine-year-old Anthony--until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming to be the boy's father.

Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony's wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever?

My Review:

How do you trust your heart to the one person who, by their very nature, has the power to break it? That is the dilemma both Silas and Kate grapple with throughout this story.  An interesting dilemma which the author carries out to nail-biting perfection.

A Bride at Last is the kind of book with multiple layers and storylines that make it hard to tear yourself away. Ferreting out both Silas and Kate's backstories kept me on tenterhooks the entire read. There's such depth to their hurt and it's easy to understand why trust is an issue for both of them. Understandable perhaps, but also deliciously infuriating. And while they both have reason to be wary of the other, it doesn't stop the sparks from flying!  Beware, potential readers, you might just get your fingers singed while turning these pages!

Fans of the Unexpected Brides series will be thrilled to meet up with quite a few familiar faces from earlier books. In fact, Silas is a secondary character from A Bride in Store and definitely not hero material, or so I thought. But Jagears proved me wrong when she wove the strength of testimony into his wounded heart.

 A mesmerizing read that will hold you captive right to the very end.

My thanks to Bethany House and the author for gifting me with a complimentary copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Bride at Last 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 5 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Monday, June 29, 2015

A Worthy Pursuit

GIVEAWAY

WITEMEYER, KAREN
A WORTHY PURSUIT

A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?

Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

My Review:

This is my kind of math: Witemeyer's stellar wit + action galore = one very happy reader!

Where do I begin? Stone Hammond leaps to the forefront of my mind. The epitome of a cowboy hero straight from the pages of young Lily's action-packed dime novels. Charlotte can't help but admire the gruff  tracker. Especially when he rushes to the rescue a time or two -- well constantly throughout the story actually. Sparks fly between Charlotte and Stone even with all that danger afoot. Important to note: if you laugh and gasp at the same time it gives you the hiccups. That happened to me a lot during this read. Who knew action scenes came with 'punch' lines?

And it isn't long before a smitten Stone applies his exceptional retrieving skills to pursue Charlotte. Prepare the fainting couch now, please. A retriever with an impeccable record, he isn't about to fail when it comes to this romantic pursuit. Talk about a great title tie-in. Not only is it a worthy pursuit, it's a toe-curling one as well!

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Worthy 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 July 5 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Sunday, June 28, 2015

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 time frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Falling to Pieces


GIVEAWAY

CHAPMAN, VANNETTA
FALLING TO PIECES

In this first book of a three-book series, author Vannetta Chapman brings a fresh twist to the popular Amish fiction genre. She blends the familiar components consumers love in Amish books—faith, community, simplicity, family—with an innovative who-done-it plot that keeps readers guessing right up to the last stitch in the quilt.

When two women—one Amish, one English—each with different motives, join forces to organize a successful on-line quilt auction, neither expects nor wants a friendship. As different as night and day, Deborah and Callie are uneasy partners who simply want to make the best of a temporary situation. But a murder, a surprising prime suspect, a stubborn detective, and the town’s reaction throw the two women together, and they form an unlikely alliance to solve a mystery and catch a killer.

My Review:

Somebody slap me upside the head for taking so long to get started reading this series! Loved it to pieces! Getting to know Deborah and Callie and a host of secondary characters that make up the unique Shipshewana community was sheer reader delight. The mystery is engaging...and frustrating -- especially with Callie's short-fused temper miring her in the thick of things. Of course she and Deborah decide they have to solve the case since the police are obviously on the wrong track. And speaking of police -- there's a certain straight laced officer that might become a love interest for Callie as the series progresses. Mind you, there's a couple of other candidates as well. Can't wait to find out. I'll be reading the other two books in the series in short order so stay tuned to retro Saturdays for a chance to win them as well.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Falling to Pieces 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 28 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 


Friday, June 26, 2015

Love's Rescue

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, CHRISTINE
LOVE'S RESCUE

When her mother dies, Elizabeth Benjamin heads home to Key West, determined to transform herself into the perfect Southern belle her parents always wished her to be. But nothing goes according to plan. Her crippled brother resents her, the servants do not obey her, and Rourke O'Malley, the dashing man she vowed to forget, refuses to relinquish his hold on her heart. Worst of all, it becomes painfully obvious that her father is not the upright man he appears to be.

As family secrets come to light, Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice: to do her duty and abandon her dreams, or to leave her life of privilege behind to chase the man her father sees as little better than a pirate.

From the first emotional page, author Christine Johnson throws readers into a world of impossible choices, hidden desires, and heart-melting romance in the steamy south. Readers will cheer for Elizabeth and Rourke as they battle the odds and the elements to secure their future.


My Review:

A compelling tale of forgiveness and redemption.

Truth be told I didn't immediately connect with Elizabeth. Selfish might be the best way to describe her. Not in a deliberate, unfeeling way. She just doesn't know any better. Her folly is part temperament and part upbringing. She's so intent on what she wants she often fails to notice the needs of others...or even that her actions might have repercussions that involve other people.  Time and experience provide her an opportunity to remedy all that. And that's what make the story so good. We get to watch Elizabeth stretch and grow -- and it's a painful experience but also a rewarding one. She softens and matures through the course of the novel and I was cheering her on by the end.  I love when an author changes my mind about a character. Now that's talent!

Fascinating historical details add an extra layer of satisfaction to this read. Lush details and infuriating social norms engaged my emotions just as much as the riveting plot. And the Romeo and Juliet style romance -- well, sublime doesn't quite describe the thrill it gave me. An engrossing read from the tumultuous beginning to the soul-stirring end.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love's Rescue 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 28 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Trail of Evidence

GIVEAWAY

EASON, LYNETTE
TRAIL OF EVIDENCE

Saving his son

Why is a dead woman's phone—evidence in a murder investigation—in Jonas Parker's son's bedroom? Dangerous thugs are after that phone and his terrified teenager, so the single father turns to Capitol K-9 Unit officer Brooke Clark. Years ago, Brooke broke Jonas's heart without explanation. But he has to trust her and her highly-trained golden retriever to keep his son safe. When the boy goes missing, Jonas and Brooke must make peace with their past to find the teen—before increasingly desperate criminals get to him first.

Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

My Review:

I am loving this series! It's astonishing how multiple authors can carry through with the over arcing suspense thread as well as all the characters. They're doing a stunning job. And while each book has it's own suspense resolution, there's still this all encompassing one that remains a mystery (though I'm drawing some of my own conclusions.) If you haven't read any of the other books in this series, no worries. Each book reads very well as a standalone and Eason in particular does an exceptional job of bringing in pertinent plot details from the first two books.

This is a second chance love story -- one of my favourite romance themes. I could feel the palpable attraction zinging between Brooke and Jonas from their first meet. Their happily ever after took a wrong turn years ago and Jonas is hopeful they can change that outcome this time round. Brooke isn't having any of it, even though she's yearning for the same result. She just feels Jonas has had enough to deal with and he deserves someone whole. She definitely doesn't fit the bill. Jonas's persistent pursuit is so refreshing...even if it makes Brooke nervous. Of course, the romance is complicated by those increasingly desperate criminals. If the romance doesn't keep you turning pages, the suspense will. A thrilling read that was over way too soon.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Trail of Evidence 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 28 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!


Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Jaded

GIVEAWAY

DENMAN, VARINA
JADED

Book One in the Mended Hearts Series

Having been unjustly shunned by the local congregation, Ruthie Turner despises the church members who refuse to speak to her. When the new preacher asks her out, Ruthie’s bitterness is put to the test. Against her better judgment, she falls in love then re-examines Christianity while he risks his reputation to be with her. Their relationship reveals a string of secrets which turn the little church upside down as Ruthie learns to forgive.

Jaded is a love story, not only between a man and woman, but also between the church and the lost.

My Review:

This debut novel won the 2013 ACFW Genesis contest  in the romance category. And I can totally see why. It's a decadent read. Rich in both style and emotional depth. So many words to savor. Even more thoughts to process after the read. If you only read one book this year, I think this just might have to be that book!

Denman's writing is so smooth. The story flowed off the pages and into my mind with technicolor clarity. This book consumed me. Turned me inside out and brought healing and hope I didn't know I still needed.

I lived in Ruthie's skin. Felt her pain, her fear and confusion. Her yearning for so much more. Her scenes are written in first person POV which really helped me become this heroine. She's so heartbreakingly wary of Christians.

Dodd's like this knight in shining armor, swooping in with the noble intent of healing all wounds. Only he can't. He's a glass half full kind of guy. Determined to see the best in everyone, which makes it hard for him to recognize the bad. And Ruthie so needs him to see.

Stunning and complicated and so much more than just a love story.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Jaded 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 28 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Doctor's Second Chance

GIVEAWAY

TIPPENS, MISSY
THE DOCTOR'S SECOND CHANCE

Jake West's troubled cousin leaves him with a most unusual parting gift—her newborn baby girl! And now the small-town contractor is forced to seek help from the very woman he resents—the new big-city pediatrician who practically stole his uncle's practice, Violet Crenshaw. Violet knows she shouldn't be consorting with the enemy. But she can't resist the adorable baby and her handsome new caretaker. Violet traded her chance at motherhood for her career years ago. But raising a family with Jake could be everything she's ever wanted.

My Review:

Warning: Extreme swoon factor. Honestly, there is something so...heart palpitating...about a clueless, macho guy taking on baby duty. All those bumbling good intentions, the earnest fumblings, the dear-in-the-headlights gaze. And when the baby starts to make inroads into his tough-as-nails construction worker heart, well...all I'm saying is have a fainting couch on hand! There are some deliciously endearing scenes. And plenty of funny ones. Not to mention heart-tugging. Jake and Violet get off to a rocky start, but as they bond over baby, their relationship transforms into something promising -- until a few complications hold their happily ever after hostage. I gobbled this one up in a day.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Doctor's Second Chance 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 28 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck! 


Monday, June 22, 2015

Love Arrives in Pieces

GIVEAWAY

ST. AMANT, BETSY
LOVE ARRIVES IN PIECES

Love Arrives in Pieces

For so long, Stella was known for her beauty. Now, with her heart stripped bare, she must discover who she really is.

 Former pageant queen Stella Varland doesn’t trust beauty anymore after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led to her brokenness—so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things, but always falls short. So she keeps her passion for her secret art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. But if she doesn’t get another job soon, she’ll be stuck living with her parents.
 
Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée in a car crash. Now he lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down, he’ll fall apart. So he returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theater, and is shocked to learn former flame Stella is the designer for the project.
 
Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and their pasts as they struggle to compromise and come together on a vision for the theater. Chase doesn’t understand why Stella is such a subdued version of herself, while Stella doesn’t get why Chase thinks he understands her. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their brokenness—and their unresolved feelings for each other—until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella, losing her trust in the process.
 
A near catastrophe, a fire, and a small-town gossip mill finally force both Stella and Chase to realize that they have a choice—to hold on to the shards of their pasts, or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from the broken.

 My Review:

A powerful and stirring novel that really touched me. St. Amant does an excellent job of capturing Stella's struggle accepting and moving on from her brokenness. Raw and real and such a necessary story to be told in the Christian fiction market.

I felt like I was in Stella's skin the whole read. The word choice, the pacing, the measured back story reveals all combine to make the greatest impact on the reader. I was close to an emotional wreck by the end.

But St. Amant's sassy, tongue-in-cheek wit brings light and gentle humour to balance everything out. Sometimes I was laughing and crying on the very same page.

Chase is a redemptive hero who struggles with his own brokenness. He's also the catalyst that wakes Stella up from her self-imposed Sleeping Beauty façade. Their journey towards self-discovery is awkward and uncomfortable and exhilarating. Such a gamut of emotions! And I felt them all.

A stunning contemporary romance that packs a punch.
 
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group and Zondervan for supplying me with a review copy of this book.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love Arrives in Pieces 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 28
 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Sunday, June 21, 2015

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 time frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:


Saturday, June 20, 2015

A Heart's Betrayal

COBLE, COLLEEN
A HEART'S BETRAYAL

Emmie finds shelter in the arms of a soldier, but her secret could drive them apart.

When Emmie Croftner answered the door to her late husband's home, she discovered a terrible truth. A woman she's never met reveals that she and Emmie shared the same husband and that the bigamist had never divorced his first wife. The home and farm are not Emmie's property after all.

Suddenly displaced and powerless, Emmie realizes she can't stay in Wabash, Indiana, any longer. She makes for Fort Laramie, Wyoming, where her friend Sarah Montgomery and a new beginning await her. But when she arrives, she discovers she's carrying a child, conceived before her husband's death. Was the new start she'd hoped for only a mirage?

At Fort Laramie, a soldier named Isaac Liddle begins to court Emmie, prompting her to wonder whether she could ever really be his--and whether she dares to tell him she is carrying another man's baby.


My Review:

This is the fourth in a six-part serial style release. Journey of the Heart is a reissue of the author's first series, now out of print. Because it wouldn't make sense to read only one book, I'm waiting until the entire series is published (August) when I will do a giveaway of all six books.

While I love Coble's writing, I'm not a fan of this serialization model. It's like I'm being given tantalizing snippets and then forced to wait a whole month before I can have another taste. Talk about an author keeping the reader wanting more!

A Heart's Betrayal's heroine is Emmie Croftner, sister to the nefarious series villain, Ben Croftner. Thankfully, Emmie isn't anything like her brother and when dire circumstances conspire against her she goes West where she meets up with Rand and Sarah (hero and heroine of the first three novellas.)  There's action and drama aplenty and the first stirrings of romance. But be forewarned -- there's also a cliff hanger ending that will leave a reader dangling breathlessly for a whole month! 

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Litfuse Publicity Group for providing me with a review copy of this book.


While I'm not doing a giveaway, the author is. Details below:

Melt into summer with a new giveaway from Colleen: four books (books one–four in Colleen's A Journey of the Heart series) and a box of chocolates to pair with your new books!

heartsbetrayal-400


One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A copy of A Heart's Betrayal

  • A box of Colleen's favorite chocolate truffles from DeBrand Fine Chocolates

  • A copy of A Heart's Disguise

  • A copy of A Heart's Obsession

  • A copy of A Heart's Danger

  • Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 30th. Winner will be announced July 1st on Colleen's website
.

heartsbetrayal-enterbanner

Friday, June 19, 2015

Once Upon a Summertime : a New York City Romance

GIVEAWAY



CARLSON, MELODY
ONCE UPON A SUMMERTIME : A NEW YORK CITY ROMANCE

Managing the Value Lodge in her hometown was not what Anna Gordon had in mind when she set out in the hospitality industry. But it's a safe choice for a woman whose childhood was anything but stable. Out of the blue, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reinvent herself by moving to New York City, where she hopes for a management position at a stylish new boutique hotel. The big city is full of surprises--not the least of which is Sean O'Neil. Her childhood crush has applied for the very same position!

Sweet, romantic, and endlessly entertaining, this romp through the storied streets of New York City will enchant readers. Melody Carlson has created characters so charming that readers will long to meet them in the lobby of the stunning Rothsberg Hotel.

My Review:

A whirlwind romance in the heart of New York City? I'm in!

Carlson does an amazing job as tour guide and I actually felt I had visited the Big Apple once I'd finished the book. Armchair traveling is so much fun. Once Upon a Summertime offers a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes action of the hospitality industry and the author infuses such wonderful descriptions that starkly contrast the Value Lodge and the NYC boutique hotel. Really pulled me into the ambiance of the story.

Unique for a romance, Carlson chose to tell the story through the heroine's point of view only and I have to admit to missing the opportunity to get to know Sean better (since I couldn't get inside his head.) In fact, we aren't even introduced to him until 100 pages in, which is also unusual for a romance.

This is really a story about Anna's quest to find her way after family obligations sidetrack her career ambitions in hotel management. A few unexpected circumstances propel her into a daring journey of self-discovery -- and into the arms of the perfect man. I loved the developing romance and the issues that put Anna and Sean at odds with each other but I did feel the ending (including the resolution to their conflict) was rushed. I would have loved another fifty pages more!

All in all, a sweet, light-hearted summer romance that will have you hankering for a visit to New York City.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Once Upon a Summertime 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 21 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Covert Justice

GIVEAWAY

BLACKBURN, LYNN HUGGINS
COVERT JUSTICE

Agent Undercover

When a woman drags Blake Harrison out of his wrecked car, he knows the mysterious stranger has saved his life. But more shocking than the hit-and-run is the news that a crime cartel has infiltrated his factory. There's a fortune to be made by tampering with the factory's products…but only if Blake is out of the way. Undercover FBI agent Heidi Zimmerman has two goals—catch the criminals in the act, and keep Blake alive. Falling for the single dad and his adorable daughter isn't in the plan. But everything changes when an abduction leaves Heidi face-to-face with a killer, revealing the danger that's been hiding in plain sight all along…

My Review:

Wow -- my head's still spinning. What an incredible debut novel. Really unique opening. Loved the role reversal with Heidi being the professional and all about the protection detail. And the suspense? Oy, I couldn't figure it out. But I didn't feel so bad because neither could Heidi and Blake. I mean we know it involves a crime cartel but we don't know what they're up to...or why. And the author plays her cards close to her chest right to the very end. Heidi and her team kept looking for motive and I kept offering them suggestions but they ignored me (which is just as well since I was wrong, wrong, wrong!) And that's not the only suspense in this book. Heidi is quite the mystery herself. Her story is revealed by slow degrees and that kept me riveted trying to put the pieces of her puzzle together. Brilliantly done.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Covert 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 21 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Summer's List

GIVEAWAY

HIGMAN, ANITA
SUMMER'S LIST

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman's life.

Life hadn't been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness-caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother's bookstore-she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love... didn't turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something-or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer's past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

With lovable characters and surprising twists, Summer's List is a simple delight.

My Review:

Poignant and funny. A gentle love story that sparks to life from the muted embers of a long ago childhood friendship. I have to admit that the bibliophile in me adored the bookstore backdrop and literary references. And there's an almost magical quality to Summer and Martin's story. Like they've been living under a spell until they reconnect as adults. Their two dimensional existence suddenly bursts into a vibrant exploration of true love. Very much a modern day fairy tale. It's a journey fraught with pain -- both present and past -- and filled with as many awkward moments as endearing ones. But their story is also filled with the wonder of hope and the deep joy that comes from risking relationship. A lovely summer romance.

My thanks to Litfuse Publicity and River North for providing me with a review copy of this book.


GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Summer's List 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 21
 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest

GIVEAWAY

DICKERSON, MELANIE
THE HUNTRESS OF THORNBECK FOREST

"Swan Lake" meets Robin Hood when the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant by day becomes the region's most notorious poacher by night, and falls in love with the forester.

Jorgen is the forester for the wealthy margrave, and must find and capture the poacher who has been killing and stealing the margrave's game. When he meets the lovely and refined Odette at the festival and shares a connection during a dance, he has no idea she is the one who has been poaching the margrave's game.

Odette justifies her crime of poaching because she thinks the game is going to feed the poor, who are all but starving, both in the city and just outside its walls. But will the discovery of a local poaching ring reveal a terrible secret? Has the meat she thought she was providing for the poor actually been sold on the black market, profiting no one except the ring of black market sellers?

The one person Odette knows can help her could also find out her own secret and turn her over to the margrave, but she has no choice. Jorgen and Odette will band together to stop the dangerous poaching ring . . . and fall in love. But what will the margrave do when he discovers his forester is protecting a notorious poacher?


My Review:

What a captivating read! Dickerson has a way with words that makes me feel like I've careened back in time to a fairy tale land where swoonworthy heroes are no match for their cunning heroines and where good and evil are in a constant battle. I love that she's started this new fairy tale series for adults! I've never grown out of my love for the genre and fairy tale retellings are among my favourite reads.

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest has all the essential ingredients of a beloved classical tale. A hero with an impossible task, a heroine who might just need rescuing (though she's pretty spunky!), plenty of subterfuge, a nefarious villain and, of course, the ultimate triumph of good over evil. But that doesn`t mean this read is predictable. It`s anything but! In fact, I got to a point where I couldn`t turn the pages fast enough in my desperate bid to find out what happened next. And through it all, the author maintains the cadence of storytelling from days of yore.  Simply put: the kind of read that makes your heart happy.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest 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 21 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Monday, June 15, 2015

Family of Her Dreams

GIVEAWAY

GWYN, KELI
FAMILY OF HER DREAMS

A Family to Cherish 

Headstrong Tess Grimsby loves her new job caring for the children of a recently widowed man. But she never imagined that she’d fall for her handsome employer. Yet Spencer Abbott is as caring as he is attractive, and Tess can’t help but feel for him and his family. Though, for the sake of her job, she’ll keep any emotions about her boss to herself.

Between his stationmaster responsibilities in a Gold-Rush town and trying to put his family back together, Spencer has his hands full. He soon finds his new hire’s kind personality warming his frosty exterior. But could he ever admit to seeing her as more than just an employee?
 
My Review:
 
 This is definitely a case where you can judge a book by its cover. I love the motion depicted in the illustration -- and the scene perfectly fits the mood of the story. It's a wonderful celebration of dreams -- both the kind you yearn for and the kind that, unfortunately, need to be relinquished to bittersweet memories.
  
Poor Spencer is a grappling with grief in true manly fashion -- that is keep his head down and ignore it. Not an advisable way of coping -- especially for his young children. He hires a housekeeper in the hopes of regaining some order in his life. Cue the gregarious, outspoken Tess. Not quite the gentle, docile woman he was envisioning would bring harmony back to his home. But sometimes God has plans that are greater (and better) than our own.
  
Loved that this story takes place over months -- the reader gets to see a realistic progression of Tess and Spencer's developing friendship. Not to mention Tess's slow wooing of Spencer's surly young son. That boy is carrying a world of hurt on his little shoulders and her love and patience make a profound difference.
 
There are a few really touching story threads that brought a thrill to my romance-loving heart. And humour and action and a dark moment that had my heart sinking down to my toes. In short -- the perfection combination for an enthralling read.
  
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Family of Her Dreams 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 21 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Sunday, June 14, 2015

June Giveaway - Week Two









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 time frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS: