Captive on the High Seas

GIVEAWAY

RICH, CHRISTINA
CAPTIVE ON THE HIGH SEAS

Captain of Her Heart 

Sold into slavery by her jealous sisters, Ada finds herself captive on the ship of a Greek merchant. Expecting a harsh new master, she's surprised to find the captain compassionate—and attractive. Yet she can't fall for the man who owns her—not when she watched her enslaved mother pine after her unyielding father.

Nicolaus only wants to rescue the beautiful, mistreated woman from the auction block. He plans to free Ada, just as soon as he secures his inheritance. Which means racing the ship back to his homeland to best his brother. If he loses, all his cargo will be forfeited—including Ada. But as perilous storms reveal her courage and grace, the question becomes, can his heart stand to let her go?

My Review:

Christina Rich is one of the very few authors who can lure me into a biblical historical setting. In this case, 668 B.C. Her talent is in evoking lush images with her carefully phrased words. I'm convinced this author has lived in this time period or possesses a time machine and has travelled there -- her descriptions and settings read that real.

Can I call a Greek hero swashbuckling? Because that's the word that comes to mind when describing Nicolaus. He has the air (and allure) of a pirate -- though he's not quite as rough around the edges. Quick to anger at times and often abrupt, Ada pushes all the wrong buttons. You might say it isn't long before the tables are turned and it's the ship's captain who becomes the real captive.

Ada is unique among women. She's lived a confusing life -- considered part of a family but not good enough to really belong. Growing up in that kind of environment has made her a mix of contradictions. At times bold and outspoken, she can certainly hold her own against her captor. But she is also hesitant and vulnerable, despairing of ever finding a place to belong.

Rich has created an action-packed tale full of heroism and sacrifice...and the spice of sweet romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Captive on the High Seas 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 August 2 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Refining Fire

GIVEAWAY

PETERSON, TRACIE
REFINING FIRE

     

Militine Scott, twenty-two, is in training at the Madison School for Brides in Seattle, Washington. Though she has no intention of pursuing marriage–believing no man will have her–she has found the school provides the perfect opportunity to hide her unsavory past.

Thane Patton, though fun loving and fiercely loyal to his friends, hides a dark secret, as well. He finds himse Militine Scott, twenty-two, is in training at the Madison School for Brides in Seattle, Washington. Though she has no intention of pursuing marriage–believing no man will have her–she has found the school provides the perfect opportunity to hide her unsavory past.

Thane Patton, though fun loving and fiercely loyal to his friends, hides a dark secret, as well. He finds himself drawn to Militine, sensing a haunting pain similar to his own.

Will they finally allow God to make something new and beautiful from the debris of the past?

 

My Review:

 

This is the second book in the Brides of Seattle series which centers around the young women enrolled in the Madison Bridal School in 1889.  The crazy aunts are back, running the school, and I adore them! Their scenes are hysterical, their dialogue witty as they bring wisdom and chuckles to the story in measured doses. Best quote in the book comes from Aunt Miriam:

 

"Abrianna, it is not our job to win converts. It is our job to show people the love of God and share the truth of the gospel. You can hardly do that hitting them over the head with the cross."

 

You will note that Aunt Miriam is speaking to Abrianna and that's because, once again, she (and her potential love interest, Wade) steal the show. As in the first book, this one is all about them. Militine and Thane are relegated to secondary character status which makes the back blurb very misleading. This was the same problem with Steadfast Heart.

 

Abrianna is larger than life and in nearly every scene. She's like a revved up Anne of Green Gables and so over the top she can be annoying. But she's endearing as well. She's the heroine who makes things happen. All the action revolves around her and her scheming. Sometimes she comes across as holier than thou (hence the above admonishment from Aunt Miriam) but her heart is in the right place so I found myself forgiving some of her impetuous statements.

 

Militine is a pale shadow in comparison -- and there's a reason for that. She can't shake free from her unsavory past and lives in fear of discovery. Thane is dealing with his own troubled past as well. There was such scope for depth and emotional connection in their storyline but after an intriguing build up everything was resolved in one anti-climatic scene.

 

On the other hand, the relationship between Abrianna and Wade heats up with definite promise. I am hoping the third book finally brings them resolution -- along with a suspense thread (carried on from the first book) that has been left hanging most precariously.

 

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 Refining Fire 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 August 2 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Person of Interest

GIVEAWAY

GIUSTI, DEBBY
PERSON OF INTEREST

Woman on the run

While babysitting a young servicewoman's infant, Natalie Frazier hears a murder in the neighboring army duplex. Convinced her former commander is behind the crime, the ex-soldier bolts with the baby. But who will believe her story? Army investigator Everett Kohl deals only with the facts, but this time his gut instincts can't be denied. Is the attractive Natalie a cunning killer, as his ranking officers believe, or an innocent victim? Ordered to bring her in, Everett has a decision to make. Helping her could cost him his job…but not protecting Natalie and the baby could get all of them killed…

Military Investigations: Serving their country and solving crimes

My Review:

Intensely exciting from the get go. Seriously mesmerizing stuff and a unique twist for the Love Inspired Suspense line. Really liked that aspect.

Natalie doesn't trust easily to begin with and then she finds herself in the fight of her life. She knows she's innocent of murder but how can she convince Everett? He wants to believe she is but the evidence is stacking up against Natalie and he's duty bound to follow orders... Isn't he? Such a dilemma as they both war with doubt and trust. Certainly ups the tension in both suspense and romance.

Fast-paced, action-packed with a page-turner of an ending that will leave you breathless.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Person of Interest 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 August 2 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Innocent

GIVEAWAY

GABHART, ANN H.
THE INNOCENT

Carlyn Kearney has spent two lonely years not knowing whether to mourn or to hope after she receives word from the Union Army that her husband is missing. The war ends without further word. Now penniless, in debt, and forced from her home, Carlyn seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill, only to discover that they will not allow her to keep her beloved dog, an animal that has been her faithful companion since her husband went off to war. Sheriff Mitchell Brodie has pity on the lovely young woman and agrees to take the dog. Carlyn is just settling into life as a sister in the Shaker village when she receives a devastating letter confirming her worst fears. As she wrestles with whether to commit herself fully to the Shaker life, mysterious deaths begin to occur, and Carlyn comes under suspicion. Can Sheriff Mitchell help her expose the true culprit?

Bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart invites fans back to Harmony Hill for a story laced with intrigue, romance, and heart.

My Review:

My emotions were engaged from the very first page. Carlyn's predicament is heartbreaking and infuriating and so typical of the times. A woman with very little rights facing a bleak, unfathomable future. Thank goodness for the nearby Shaker village which will happily take her in -- in exchange for her body and soul.

As in all of Gabhart's Shaker books, the details of this Christian sect both fascinate and appall me. A people rich in the wisdom of the gospel in so many ways yet they also hold to some glaring biblical misconceptions.

Carlyn has a mind of her own and her clashes with an older Shaker sister are invigorating and often humorous because it's just not in her nature to accept without understanding. And there is a lot that Carlyn doesn't understand. Like why marriage should be considered sinful. And why she's considered to be the one at fault if her God-given beauty should catch a brother's eye. Though she tries to be subservient and blend in, her keen intelligence pushes her to challenge the Shaker way of living.

Trying to fit in at Harmony Hill is difficult enough but when Carlyn uncovers a mystery among the Shakers she unwittingly becomes embroiled in something sinister. I love the unexpected suspense twist to this story. Especially since it brings Mitchell and Carlyn together.

And the mammoth dog -- Asher -- wins best heroic dog in a historical romance as far as I'm concerned. He's my true hero though I'll admit Mitchell comes in at a close second. :-)

This book has it all -- intrigue, romance, and plenty of action. A spellbinding read.

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 The Innocent 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 August 2 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Stealing Jake

GIVEAWAY

HILLMAN, PAM
STEALING JAKE

When Livy O’Brien spies a young boy jostling a man walking along the boardwalk, she recognizes the act for what it is. After all, she used to be known as Light-Fingered Livy. But that was before she put her past behind her and moved to the growing town of Chestnut, Illinois, where she’s helping to run an orphanage. Now she’ll do almost anything to protect the street kids like herself.

Sheriff’s deputy Jake Russell had no idea what he was in for when he ran into Livy―literally while chasing down a pickpocket. With a rash of robberies and a growing number of street kids in town―as well as a loan on the family farm that needs to be paid off―Jake doesn’t have time to pursue a girl. Still, he can’t seem to get Livy out of his mind. He wants to get to know her better . . . but Livy isn’t willing to trust any man, especially not a lawman.

My Review:

A plot so riddled with action and suspense that it'll give you itchy fingers (which means you want to find out what happens so badly that you're tempted to start turning pages faster than you can read.) Such a delicious dilemma for an avid reader!

Love that the romance is front and centre right from the start. The reader is in no doubt that chemistry exists between Jake and Livy and romance could blossom quickly under ideal circumstances. Alas, since the circumstances aren't ideal, there isn't a smooth path to matrimony -- but I sure enjoyed all the bumps and detours along the way!

Trust is a core issue that threads its way throughout this story. It's something Livy in particular really struggles with because of her past. But Jake harbors his own share of doubts which compound Livy's trust issues and it spirals into quite a quandary. Then there's young Luke, a mistrustful street kid who holds the key to a lot of questions that need answering...if only he could trust someone with the information.

The surprising suspense thread kept me riveted right to the very end....and then I mourned that it was all over. You know -- that black moment in a reader's life where you realize there is no more story but you're not ready to let it go? And the thought of starting another book leaves you feeling unsettled? That's how I felt when I reached the last page of Stealing Jake and what a wonderful (and disturbing) conundrum for an avid reader to be in. Definitely one for the keeper shelf.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Stealing Jake 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 August 2 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

July 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:

A Heart's Promise

COBLE, COLLEEN
A HEART'S PROMISE

Emmie makes a promise to her friend that, if fulfilled, could mean the end to her dreams of a future with Isaac.

Emmie Croftner let Isaac Liddle go to avoid telling him about her past. But Isaac remains determined to win Emmie's heart and hand. Though Emmie resolves to keep her heart in check, it hurts when she sees that another woman has set
her bonnet for Isaac.

Then Emmie's dear friend extracts a costly promise: if anything happens to her in childbirth, Emmie will marry her widower and raise the baby herself. And it seems Emmie may have to fulfill that promise. But can she live happily without Isaac?

My Review:

This is the fifth 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.

 In A Heart's Promise, Emmie's romance with Isaac heats up but so does tension with the resurgence of the series' notorious villains. This installment is about the relationships between the women at the fort and feels more like a set up for the concluding book. There is very little action to move the plot along and the read was over before I was ready for it to be. A romantic cliffhanger ending promises much angst in the concluding chapter of Journey of the Heart series coming out in August.

My thanks to the publisher and Litfuse publicity for providing me with a copy of this book.

http://litfusegroup.com/author/ccoble

Author giveaway: Take it to the Beach with Colleen Coble’s ‘A Heart’s Promise’ and Tote Giveaway



Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 31st. Winner will be announced August 3rd on Colleen's website.

An Amish Harvest

GIVEAWAY

DAVIDS, PATRICIA
AN AMISH HARVEST

When Amish carpenter Samuel Bowman is injured in an accident, he fears he'll never see again. He's always provided for his family—and now that it's harvest season, the Bowmans are needed in the fields, not at his bedside. So when a young Amish widow becomes his nurse, Samuel expects Rebecca Miller to make his life easier. But his caregiver is bossy, outspoken and challenges him to move on with his life. Though Samuel's sight is in question, he can plainly see the woman he's come to care for won't let herself love again. Now it's Samuel's turn to heal her heart.

My Review:

You know that urban myth about men making the worst patients? Well Samuel confirms that it's no myth! He's a take charge, has everything covered, it's my way or the highway kind of guy. Which can be endearing in a annoyingly macho way. But now an accident has left him helpless and he has to learn to let others carry the load. That chafes and makes Samuel cranky. And grumpy. And depressed. All his mother's coddling is only making things worse. Enter nurse Rebecca -- a force to be reckoned with and she won't be swayed by Samuel's pity party. Can you say major clash of wills?  The resulting feisty dialogue still has me grinning. Love how Rebecca can hold her own. By the time they're ready to declare a truce they're in over their heads -- both falling head over heels but reluctant to trust in a future together. Angsty and funny and ultimately toe-curling.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of An Amish Harvest 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 26 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

No Place to Hide

GIVEAWAY

EASON, LYNETTE
NO PLACE TO HIDE

It's not every day you see your childhood friend and one-time crush on national news. Jackie Sellers just wishes it were under different circumstances. She can't believe that Ian Lockwood is wanted in connection with a terrorist plot, and she's determined to find him and help him clear his name. But she's not the only one looking. The FBI wants him captured. The bad guys want him dead. Ian just wants to stay alive long enough to save thousands of innocent lives.

Lynette Eason throws readers right into the action from page one, propelling them along a dangerous road and asking the provocative question of how far we'd be willing to go if we were up against a wall.

My Review:

You'll need an oxygen tank to read this one because the suspense will leave you breathless. In fact, an alternate title could be No Place to Stop...reading that is. The cliffhangers have cliffhangers and they all mesh together making it impossible to put this book down.

And action -- oy -- talk about riveting action. From the first scene right to the last, heart-pounding drama that just doesn't let up. It's a wonder that Ian and Jackie don't just self-combust from all that tension. I know I nearly did. And while they are running for their lives they can't escape the resurrection of a  high school love story that never really died.

A romantic suspense masterpiece. Really.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of No Place to Hide 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 26 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Security Breach

GIVEAWAY

DALEY, MARGARET
SECURITY BREACH

Intruder at the White House

When White House tour director Selena Barrow is attacked in her office, the Capitol K-9 Unit goes on high alert. Selena's cousin is a person of interest in a congressman's shooting, and Selena has been collecting evidence to exonerate her. Could this be the break they're looking for? Officer Nicholas Cole and his dog, Max, step in to safeguard Selena—and to keep an eye on the evidence. As the attacks escalate, Selena finds it increasingly difficult to keep her distance from her handsome protector. But with an unknown enemy watching Selena's every move, Nicholas will become her confidant…and her lifeline.

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

My Review:

Book 4 in the Capitol K-9 Unit continuity series. We're getting closer to the truth and I'm so excited to read the next two books. No worries if you haven't read the first three (though they are excellent suspense stories) -- Security Breach reads well as a stand alone. Just keep in mind that there's one aspect of the suspense that carries through all the books that remains unsolved at the end of this one. Daley still gives great closure to the suspense thread specific to this book and Selena and Nicholas do get their happily ever after.

Tons of intrigue, a toe-curling romance, a stalwart K-9 (Max is my hero!) and tons of suspects make this one page-turner of a read. The kind of book I find hard to put down. A stellar romantic suspense.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Security Breach 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 26 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

In Good Company

GIVEAWAY

TURANO, JEN
IN GOOD COMPANY

After growing up as an orphan, Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm aren't always well received and she finds herself dismissed from yet another position.

Everett Mulberry has quite unexpectedly become guardian to three children that scare off every nanny he hires. About to depart for Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer, he’s desperate for competent childcare.

At wit’s end with both Millie and Everett, the employment agency gives them one last chance–with each other. As Millie falls in love with her mischievous charges, Everett focuses on achieving the coveted societal status of the upper echelons. But as he investigates the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the children’s parents, will it take the loss of those he loves to learn whose company he truly wants for the rest of his life?

My Review:

Madcap mischief and mayhem! Oh my goodness but this was such a fun read. Millie's a kind of maverick Mary Poppins without the magic carpetbag...though she has plenty of magic up her sleeves when it comes to dealing with Everett's precocious wards.

Everett is...to put it bluntly...a snob and I truly did not like him upon first meeting. Not one little bit. My opinion of him didn't improve on the second encounter either. Nor the third. But then Millie's guileless charm begins to take effect and I quickly became a fan of one very discombobulated high society gentleman whose world had just been turned upside down. I even felt sorry for him a time or two. And he really did morph into the most gallant of heroes by the end.

And then there's the villain you love to hate, Caroline  -- the Cruella De Vil of historical romance. I fumed through her scenes. Her catty comments raised my blood pressure. She's diabolical and self-centered  and cruel and vindictive and...Honestly I dreaded her scenes as much as I rabidly read them in avid anticipation of her ultimate comeuppance.

Oh -- and the peacocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have to read this book just for the peacocks. Really. You do. Just read the book and you'll know what I mean. But don't expect to stop laughing anytime soon if you do.

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 In Good Company 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 26 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Choosing

GIVEAWAY

DEKKER, RACHELLE
THE CHOOSING

“Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

My Review:

A Dystopian tale fueled by hope.

Dekker had me transfixed in the very first scene of this debut novel. Her imagination knows no bounds when it comes to creating a futuristic and all too troubled earth. And the whole concept of young women having to wait to be chosen had me fuming. Especially since if they weren't they became outcasts -- even from their own families. A troubling tale that parallels our current world in subtle ways.

Loved the depth of the spiritual message -- that we have already been chosen by the One who created us. Carrington's struggle to grasp that concept is heartbreakingly real. So foreign in a world that forces religious legalism that restricts individual freedom. She's on an impossible (and often reluctant) quest to find answers to the doubts that threaten her very existence.

A line up of strong secondary characters enrich the tale -- including a forbidden love interest for Carrington.

Powerful and raw and utterly compelling. And this is just the beginning...Book Two comes out early 2016.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Choosing 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 26 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

July 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:

Hidden

 

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD
HIDDEN

Sisters of the Heart – Book One

To escape a love gone wrong, a young woman runs to the one place she knows she’s safe – the Amish heartland

When Anna Metzger decides it’s time to leave her abusive boyfriend, she doesn’t know where to turn. Rob is a successful lawyer who has completely won over her parents, and the entire community, with his good looks and smooth charm. Only Anna has seen his dark side.

Desperate, she runs to the only place she’s ever felt completely safe – the Amish Brenneman Bed and Breakfast, where she and her mother used to stay and where Anna met life-long friend Katie Brenneman. The family welcomes her in, and with few questions asked, allows her to stay, disguised in Amish garb, and help around the inn.

Katie’s older brother Henry is the only one who doesn’t take too kindly to the intrusion. To his shame, from the moment he sees Anna, he feels a strong attraction. To cover his infatuation, he tries to ignore her, knowing no good would ever come from caring for an Englisher like her. But as he comes to know Anna, he discovers her good heart and admits his true feelings.

The more time Anna spends living the Amish way, the more she feels she’s found a true home. But how can she deny the life she left behind? And will her chance for happiness be stolen away by the man from her past?

My Review:

I don't know how I missed this whole series...well, I guess I do -- I hadn't started reading Christian fiction back when Hidden was published in 2008. It's the first book in the Sisters of the Heart series and I aim to read them all!

A real coming-into-yourself kind of story. Anna isn't only running from abuse, she's running from the shell of the woman she has turned into. She thinks she's looking for safety, but what she really needs is peace. Living Amish brings a fresh perspective, in the form of new-found hope...and a forbidden love.

Hidden is a gentle love story that progresses from animosity to friendship to something much more profound. The cultural divide is a huge stumbling block and when the chaos from Anna's past turns threatening I wasn't quite sure how the author could possibly pull out a happily ever after for Anna and Henry. But she did! As well as some valuable life lessons along the way.

An engaging read from start to finish.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Hidden 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 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Cactus Creek Challenge

GIVEAWAY

VETSCH, ERICA
THE CACTUS CREEK CHALLENGE

Anything he can do, I can do better. At least that was what Cassie Bucknell thought before she pinned on Ben Wilder’s badge and took to patrolling the streets of Cactus Creek, Texas. Cassie has been in love with Ben since primer school, but Ben treats her like a little sister. When they are picked to swap jobs for a month as part of the annual Cactus Creek Challenge in their Texas hometown, the schoolhouse is thrown into an uproar, the jail becomes a temporary bank vault, and Cassie and Ben square off in a battle of wills that becomes a battle for their hearts.

 

My Review:

 

Romantic comedy meets the Wild West. Such a fun read! I mean, how can you possibly resist reading sentences like this one:

 

"He almost petted her on the head since she looked so cute and disgruntled, but he figured she'd take to that about as well as a rattlesnake to having his teeth brushed."

Seriously, this book needs to be read just for the clever word choice that's guaranteed to generate a chuckle, never mind the impossible situations Cassie and Ben find themselves in! Plus there's a second romance brewing in the heart of Cactus Creek and those poor souls are just as challenged as Cassie and Ben. It's a wonder everything works out so well! That's thanks to the cunning brilliance of the author. She's created a fast-paced plot with plenty of action, not to mention a bevy of notorious secondary characters, that all conspired to keep me turning pages, grinning right to the very end. Sweet perfection.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Cactus Creek Challenge 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 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Deception on Sable Hill

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY
DECEPTION ON SABLE HILL

The World’s Fair is nearing its end, but the danger in Chicago lingers.

 It’s mid-September of 1893 and Eloisa Carstairs is the reigning beauty of Gilded Age Chicago society. To outsiders she appears to have it all. But Eloisa is living with a dark secret. Several months ago, she endured a horrible assault at the hands of Douglass Sloane, heir to one of Chicago’s wealthiest families. Fearing the loss of her reputation, Eloisa confided in only one friend. That is, until she meets Detective Sean Ryan at a high-society ball.
 

 Sean is on the outskirts of the wealthy Chicago lifestyle. Born into a poor Irish family, becoming a policeman was his best opportunity to ensure his future security. Despite society’s restrictions, he is enamored with Eloisa Carstairs. Sean seethes inside at what he knows happened to her, and he will do anything to keep her safe—even if he can never earn her affections.
 

 Eloisa longs to feel normal again in the midst of the danger surrounding the Chicago World’s Fair, but a killer is on the loose. In the last month, three debutants have been accosted in the city by an assailant wielding a stiletto. As the danger in the city increases, and as Eloisa’s and Sean’s romance blossoms, they both realize they want to be seen as more than how the world views them. But will they catch the killer before all their hopes come tumbling down?
 

 My Review:
 

 Riveting second book in the A Chicago World's Fair Mystery series. And while this one does start where the first left off (including some carry-over characters and plot) you don't need to have read the first one in order to embrace Deception on Sable Hill. And it's definitely the kind of book you want to hug! :-)
 

 The clash of class distinction in the late 19th century is at the heart of this story. Gray portrays the challenges of change for both the wealthy and the poor in vivid emotional detail. I especially found the contrast of opinion between a lower class man courting an upper class lady in comparison to an upper class gentleman wooing a lower class woman totally fascinating -- and annoying! Definitely adds an extra edge to the overall plot. Not to mention the romance.
 

 I have to 'fess up and admit to adoring a self-made Irish hero and Sean Ryan fits the bill to a T. He's got that confident swagger,  a wee bit of blarney dripping off the tip of his tongue and, saints preserve us -- that grin! Mind you, he needs the luck o' the Irish and no small amount of divine intervention to achieve his happily ever after! Of course, Eloisa is smitten. How could she not? But Gray has not been kind to this heroine -- not in the first book of the series and not in this one -- so be prepared to run a gamut of emotions during this read.
 

 There's the bonus of a secondary romance as well. And a dark mystery to solve. All in all an enthralling read. Can't wait for the third in the series to release in November -- Whispers in the Reading Room -- about a librarian!!!! Be still my book-loving heart.
 

 Side Note: Can anyone venture a guess on how to pronounce Eloisha's name? Ee-loy-sha? Ee-li-sha? Ee-lee-sha? I called the poor girl all of the above but I'd really like to  knowthe correct pronunciation.
 

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Deception on Sable Hill 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 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Hope Harbor

GIVEAWAY

HANNON, IRENE
HOPE HARBOR

Come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms. Tracy Campbell never wanted to leave Hope Harbor, Oregon, or the idyllic three-generation cranberry farm where she grew up. But life--and love--altered her plans. Now she's home again--with a floundering farm to run . . . a tragic secret . . . and a wounded heart. Romance is not on her agenda. Nor is it on Michael Hunter's. The visitor from Chicago has daunting secrets and devastating regrets of his own. But when Tracy recruits him to help with a project that is close to her heart, winds of change begin to sweep through Hope Harbor, bringing healing, hope, and love to countless lives--including their own.

My Review:

So much more than a love story. In fact, I'd consider it the perfect example of the ultimate love story -- the one we each share with God. Honestly, I was moved to tears quite a few times during my reading experience. And even now, as I write this review I'm getting all teary eyed. How to convey why? Let me try to explain.

Told from multiple viewpoints, this is more than just Tracy and Michael's 'winds of change' story. Diverse characters, all harboring pain from regrets they can't seem to overcome, have important roles to play. Hannon does an incredible job of weaving their stories together, expertly building them into a crescendo of a climax that left me sobbing. The author's brilliance is evidenced by the way each character's story intersects. Story threads merge and blend and become something so much bigger than each individual triumph. I found it totally moving.

The inspirational thread is strong but not overbearing. It flows as a natural extension of characters who strive for relationship with their Heavenly Father. And there's this one character, Charley, who is pivotal to the whole plot though he really takes a backseat in the overall scheme of things. But I have my suspicions about Charley which has me grinning from ear to ear.

Hope Harbor dishes out hope and healing, not just to the characters within its pages, but to the readers on the outside looking in. Definitely one for the keeper shelf.

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 Hope Harbor 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 19 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

July 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: