Amish Christmas Memories

GIVEAWAY

CHAPMAN, VANNETTA
AMISH CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

All she wants for Christmas is her memories : An Indiana Brides book

When a young Amish woman collapses in the snow shortly before Christmas, Caleb Wittmer rushes to her aid. Only, "Rachel" remembers nothing of who she is. Now his family has taken in the pretty stranger, disrupting Caleb's ordered world. He's determined to find out where she belongs...even if Rachel's departure means saying goodbye to his old-fashioned heart forever.

My Review:

Let's deal with the elephant in the room right from the start. Another Love Inspired amnesia story! Seems I've been reading a ton of them this year and while I do enjoy a well-written one that brings a fresh twist or insight to this plot device, I'm beginning to feel a tad overwhelmed.

Having said that I LOVED Amish Christmas Memories so I guess that proves you can never have too much of a good thing. Though, honestly, if it hadn't been written by Vannetta Chapman I might have given it a pass. So glad I didn't though! Chapman handles the amnesia aspect of the story really well -- from the moment Caleb spots Rachel staggering down the road to the page-turning mystery of who she is and how she came to be in her present situation. (FYI -- when I say mystery, I don't mean suspense, just the kind of rabid-reader-wants-to-know-everything-now kind of mystique that surrounds Rachel.)

And can we all pause for a moment of appreciation for those difficult, brooding, bordering-on-grumpy heroes we so adore? Mind you, if I met Caleb in real life I might have clobbered him with the business side of a frying pan! But I find him so alluring in fine print! lol. I guess because a reader can see his thoughts so we understand that he's more bumbling and inept than downright crabby. And when that man starts talking it doesn't take long for him to stick both feet in his mouth which did have me grinning. Especially when it riled Rachel's feisty up! Great dynamics between these two. I love how their romance unfolded in fits and starts and wary advances. Delicious!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Amish Christmas Memories, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 2 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Love Letter

GIVEAWAY

HAUCK, RACHEL
THE LOVE LETTER

Romance has never been actress Chloe Daschle's forte -- in life or on screen. But everyone knows who to call for a convincing death scene...and it might be killing her career.

When Chloe is given a peek at the script for an epic love story, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and request an audition for the lead female role, Esther Kingsley. The compelling tale, inspired by family lore and a one page letter from the colonial ancestor of scriptwriter Jesse Gates, just might break her out of this career crippling rut. Jesse would rather write about romance than live through it after his past relationship ended in disaster. But once on set together, the chemistry between Jesse and his leading lady is hard to deny.

Centuries earlier, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow wrote their saga off the silver screen. Esther's Loyalist father opposes and relationship with Hamilton, but Esther must face her beloved father's disapproval and the dangers of war in order to convince Hamilton of their future together. Hamilton has loved Esther for years, and on the eve of battle pens the love letter she's always wanted -- something straight from the heart.

Set in stunning upcountry South Carolina, The Love Letter is a beautifully crafted story of the courage it takes to face down fear and chase after love, even in the darkest of times. And just maybe, all these generations later, love can come home in a way not even Hollywood could imagine.

My Review:

A moment of silence for the sheer brilliance of this stunning dual timeline story. What an emotional roller-coaster of a read! I was firmly entrenched in in the 1700s with Hamilton and Esther only to be yanked away kicking and screaming into present day with Chloe and Jesse where I'd quickly become enthralled only to be flung back in time and...oy...see what I mean about the roller-coaster ride?!

Both timelines are equal in depth and emotion and inspiration. And that's saying something since a) my least favourite historical fiction theme is the Revolutionary War (hellooo -- I'm Canadian, and the Loyalists that fled the states settled up here in Nova Scotia and Ontario so I'm kinda partial to them) and b) I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Hollywood based stories. None. Nada. Zilch. So what are the chances of my two least favourite literary settings being found in the same book? And me actually picking up said book and reading it? Well, apparently pretty high if Rachel Hauck is the author!

I had a love/hate relationship with some aspects of the story which I can't discuss without spoilers but they still have me ruffled and indignant and woebegonish. Sigh. Such are the perils of losing oneself in a book -- reading comes without guarantees and there are times when that is just plain hard. This would make an awesome book club selection because there is so much to talk about! (but not in a review!)

So there's romance x 2, angst and drama aplenty, not to mention two fast-paced plots with lots of twists and turns that keep a reader in a tizzy. But you want to know what really stole my breath away and made this such a compelling read for me? The powerful redemptive thread that weaves the past and present together with a timeless message of hope and salvation. Truly incredible!

GIVEAWAY OPPROTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Love Letter, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 2 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Cold Case Christmas

GIVEAWAY

PATCH, JESSICA R.
COLD CASE CHRISTMAS

Secrets lie buried in ice...one of them can kill her

Home for Christmas after her long missing mother's body is found, nothing will keep Nora Livingstone from uncovering the truth about the cold case. Especially not Deputy Sheriff Rush Buchanan, whom she once loved and left. Even when threats become attmepts on her life, Rush can't dissuade her -- but he will protect her. Because someone is determined to bury the truth...or bury Nora.

My Review:

Whoa! Fasten your seat-belts because this is one wild, scary ride! I think this armchair sleuth popped the springs in her armchair -- it was that fast and furious. Phew! Great suspense as always with Jessica R. Patch -- she's an automatic-buy author for me because she always has a surprise or two in store for her readers. The mystery never goes quite the way you think it will and she's not above giving a reader's suspensey spidey senses a punishing shock treatment! I'm always left muttering "Well, I didn't see that coming," somewhere along the way and this book is no exception. She delivers nail-biting precision right through to the very last page.

Plus, there's lots of Christmas which isn't always the case in these romantic suspense novels and an emotional second chance romance. Honestly, I wasn't a Nora fan at first -- pretty brash and hostile and in-your-face especially when it comes to Rush. I couldn't figure out what he saw in her until Patch begins to reveal the layers of hurt suffocating Nora's heart...and soul. A truly beautiful inspirational thread that transforms all that brokenness into something divinely new.

GIVEAWAY OPPROTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Cold Case Christmas, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 2 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Saturday Night Supper Club

GIVEAWAY

LAUREANO, CARLA
THE SATURDAY NIGHT SUPPER CLUB

Denver Chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she's dreamed -- like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when her partners push her out of the business following a targeted smear campaign, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back...even if that means joining forces with with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer's block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn't expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex offers to help rebuild Rachel's tarnished image by hosting an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver's most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there's life -- and love -- outside the pressure cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

My Review:

"Think about it. Pray about it. The fact that you're concerned about doing the right thing means you're halfway there. Just remember, you're not responsible for everyone else's actions. Only your own. So whatever decision you make, be sure you're doing it because it's what God would have you do, not simply because it's most comfortable." (p 37)

Seriously, can this really be my first Carla Laureano book??? What on earth have I been waiting for? (racing off to hunt down her backlist...wait...better write this review first!)

Phew! If you're the kind of reader who loves to dissolve into a blubbering, seething mass of emotion as you feel your way through a story then this is the book for you. And if you're a closet (or not-so-closet) foodie -- all the better. And if you like fiction that mirrors real life and have a thought or two in your head about the power (both good and bad) of social media, well, I'd say The Saturday Night Supper Club is the perfect fit.

I laughed (Rachel's friends!!!) and cried (Rachel's God story!!!) and swooned (that Alex!!!!) my way through to the end. Page-turning in a delicious I'm-addicted-to-this-book-and-I-can't-stop-reading kind of a way. And I'm not even nursing that bad of a book hangover because I have a backlist to take down! Woot!!!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Saturday Night Supper Club, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday December 2 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

I'd Rather Be Reading (review) + Reader's Choice 2018 Christian Fiction Giveaway

GIVEAWAY

I'm reviewing a non-fiction book today and since I'm all about Fiction giveaways, I thought it would be fun to do a last chance at Christian Fiction released in 2018 giveaway. Look below this review for details.

BOGEL, ANNE,
I'D RATHER BE READING

 Reading isn't just a way to pass the time -- it's a lifestyle. Books shape, define, and enchant us. They are part of who we are and we can't imagine life without them. In this collection of charming and relatable reflections, beloved blogger and author Anne Bogel leads you to remember the book that first hooked you, the place where you first fell in love with reading, and all the books and moments afterward that helped make you the reader you are today.

My Review:

Seriously, how can you not love a book with a chapter on Book Twins?! It's really a thing! Who knew? I'd Rather Be Reading is a book for bibliophiles by a bibliophile -- a little book filled with lots of bookish joy! (and would make the perfect stocking stuffer for the reading addict in your life.)

I learned a new bookish term or two while reading this book. Like literary matchmaker. Bwahahaha! That's going to be my new moniker 'cause I sure hope this blog has provided some forever love kind of matchmaking between readers, authors and books!

Each chapter is a short essay on all things bookish. From the magic of picking up the right book at just the right time in your life to a comprehensive list of Bookworm Problems that only a true bookworm can appreciate. :-) And don't get me started on the chapter on  How to Organize Your Book Shelves...lots of tongue-in-cheek advice here. Like point # 4: "...Some people play tennis in their spare time, Others knit or scrapbook. You're a reader; your hobby is organizing your bookshelves." (p 57) It makes me infinitely happier to know that this strange penchant of mine is not so strange after all! Bibliophiles unite in an organizational frenzy!!!!

I'd Rather Be Reading is a potpourri of literay goodness. Fun,quirky, sometimes serious look at our relationship with books. Kinda like reading a bound volume of the best bookish blog posts.

"Books draw us deeply into the lives of others, showing us the world through someone else's eyes, page after page." (p 52)

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

SECOND CHANCE AT 2018 CHRISTIAN FICTION GIVEAWAY!

If you're like me, you still have a healthy number of books on your 2018 TBR lists that haven't turned up in your TBR pile...yet! Well, here's a chance to change that. Suggest up to 3 titles of any Christian Fiction published in 2018.  Each entry is numbered and if you win the draw, you win the book! Easy Peasy, right?...Well...sort of. Please go over the rules carefully so we're all on the same page.....

YOU suggest any CHRISTIAN FICTION novel

 published in 2018

Up to THREE choices 

BUT

they need to be made in 

three separate comments

(makes it easier to tally)

OPEN TO EMAIL entries this time -- just make sure to

send a separate email for each choice AND

add the title to the subject line. 

(Again, easier to tally)

Open to International Readers

(I'm all about global LITERARY MATCHMAKING!!!)

It's helpful to include your email in a comment -- using AT and DOT instead of @ and . -- but you only need to add it to one of your suggestions. If you choose not to include your email, it will be up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED 

ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 2 2018

November Giveaway - Week Four

WON BY LINDA MOFFITT

WON BY MARJORIE

WON BY JASMINE

WON BY CHERYL BARKER

WON BY HEIDI ROBBINS

WON BY LANNA

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address. Otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca with your mailing address. From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven't been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now so, please, DON'T BE SHY -- CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN'T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU. Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address and I'll email you to confirm your win is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring about the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping time. Thank you!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

I'll be reviewing a non-fiction book on Monday -- I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel so I thought it would be fun to do a last hurrah for 2018  releases so Monday will be a Last Chance Reader's Choice of any Christian Fiction published in 2018.

Catching Christmas

GIVEAWAY

BLACKSTOCK, TERRI
CATCHING CHRISTMAS

This year, Christmas comes just in time...

As a first-year law associate, Sydney Batson knows she will be updating her resume by New Year's if she loses her current case. So when her grandmother gets inexplicably ill while she's in court, Sydney arranges for a cab to get her to the clinic.

The last thing cab driver Finn Parrish wants is to be saddled with a wheelchair-bound old lady with dementia. But because Miss Callie reminds him of his own mother, whome he failed miserably in her last days, he can't say no when she keeps calling him for rides. Once a successful gourmet chef, Finn's biggest concern now is paying his rent, but half the time Callie doesn't remember to pay him. And as she starts to feel better, she leads him on wild-goose chases to find a Christmas date for her granddaughter.

When Finn meets Sydney, he's quite sure she's never needed help finding a date. Does Miss Callie have an ulterior motive, or is this just a mission driven by delusion? He's willing to do whatever he can to help fulfill Callie's Christmas wish. He just never expected to be a vital part of it.

My Review:

We preempt our regularly scheduled Retro Read for a current Christmas offering.

Spectacular Christmas novel and so unlike anything else I've read by Terri Blackstock! I enjoyed the huge surprise  that is this story because it's kind of what I anticipated and totally not! And it's the totally not part that I really want to talk about but I can't because that would mean posting spoilers galore which is not cool. Gah! Such a reviewer dilemma! Let's just say that Catching Christmas impacted me in ways I wasn't expecting. Really brought the meaning of the holiday home along with the sacredness of savoring relationships, appreciating every day moments and the magnificent way Jesus works within each of us. Plus, it's outrageously funny in places. Can't ask for more in a Christmas read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Catching Christmas, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Rancher's Christmas Match

GIVEAWAY

MINTON, BRENDA
THE RANCHER'S CHRISTMAS MATCH

A daddy for her daughter...Can their Mercy Ranch Christmas become forever?

When struggling single mom Rebecca Martin hears a philanthropist in Okalahoma is offering buildings rent-free for a year, she can't pass up the opportunity. And cowboy Isaac West is just the unexpected help she needs to turn the building into a thriving business. Falling in love isn't part of the plan...but with this injured veteran, it's a gift that's hard to resist.

My Review:

I love struggling single mom stories and this one really tugged at my heartstrings -- especially when the plot takes on some hard-hitting angst. I pretty much felt my way through this story, which is my favourite way to enjoy a book! But even though there's enough drama to churn an innocent reader's tummy into knots, there are some delightfully funny parts as well.

Like when Isaac and Rebecca first meet. He's definitely not in top form and she's a take-charge kind of woman who leaps to the wrong conclusion.

"She probably slayed dragons and stormed castle walls. He could do those things on an average day. Unfortunately, today wasn't his best knight-in-shining-armor day." (p 12)

No worries, poor Isaac gets a shining armor moment or two but Rebecca sure makes him work for it. Love the banter between them. He's kinda funny and flirty and she's way too serious. They are obviously drawn to each other but both have enough baggage to be wary. And there's Rebecca's adorable daughter to factor into the equation.

Angst aplenty, a great Christmas connection and critters galore (including some awesome dogs!) make this a treat of a holiday read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Rancher's Christmas Match, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Engraved on the Heart

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, TARA
ENGRAVED ON THE HEART

Reluctant debutante Keziah Montgomery lives beneath the weighty expectations of her staunch Confederate family, forced to hide her illness for fear of a scandal. As rumors of war arrive on their doorstep, Keziah sees little cause for balls and courting. Despite her discomfort, she cannot imagine an escape from her familial confines -- until an old schoolmate shows her a life-changing truth that sets her feet on a new path...as a conductor in the Underground Railroad.

Dr. Micah Greyson never hesitates to answer the call of duty, no matter how dangerous, but when the enchanting Keziah waltzes back into his life, his well-ordered plans are turned upside down. Torn between the life he has always known in Savannah and the fight for abolition, Micah struggles to discern God's will amid such turbulent times.

Tensions increase in the Montgomery household as Keziah conceals her Underground affiliation from her nosy Southern belle cousin and overbearing parents determined to marry her off to the wealthiest suitor. As Keziah and Micah face their own battles, they discover some convictions are worth a sacrifice...but as circumstances threaten to keep them apart, they will learn if love is truly strong enough to endure the pain of war.

My Review:

What an amazing debut novel! I'm definitely a Tara Johnson fan now! She catapulted me back in time and wrangled my emotions into a heap of pulsating fury. Gah! Some of these characters....enraged doesn't begin to describe the way I feel! I do so love when I can become emotionally engaged in a story and my passions ran high over the course of this read.

Phew! The things Keziah comes up against! The restrictive role forced upon a woman in this time period for one. Added to that are health concerns that have prompted her family to alternately coddle and berate her. And the threat of an arranged marriage to a shudderingly awful man because, of course, she'd never be able to take care of herself. Ha! The people closest to her have no concept of what really lies in Keziah's heart. No understanding of the courage and grit and phenomenal determination that drives Kizzie to follow God's leading in her life. Which charges her into danger and intrigue and even the arms of a childhood friend.

Returning to Savannah after years of study in Philadelphia makes Dr. Micah Greyson an outsider in his hometown. His views have changed, values sharpened and politically -- well, let's just say that living in the South when war is declared becomes challenging. Micah is a quiet man, drawn to a cause that makes him a traitor in the eyes of his Confederate neighbours.

I've had a fascination with the Underground Railroad since I was a kid and I appreciate Johnson's candor as she presents some unique facets of the Southern perspective that sent chills down my spine. How easy it is to bury common decency in the name of right-fighting fanaticism!

A beautiful inspirational thread brings hope and redemption to a story steeped in turmoil and confusion. And the title tie-in is profoundly beautiful. A truly stunning debut novel!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Engraved on the Heart, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Perilous Christmas Reunion

GIVEAWAY

EAKES, LAURIE ALICE
PERILOUS CHRISTMAS REUNION

Family secrets made her a target...can her ex provide a holiday haven?

When Lauren Wexler's fugitive brother arrives on her doorstep, he has just moments to pass her evidence before his pursuers start shooting. Now Lauren needs her US marshal ex's protection. She left Chris Blackwell to shield his reputation, but her family's secrets are darker than she knows. With the truth revealed, can their Christmas wishes for safety and love still come true?

My Review:

Woohoo! I've been a fan of Laurie Alice Eakes's historical fiction so was thrilled to discover she's crossed over into one of my favourite genres. Perilous Christmas Reunion is her debut contemporary romantic suspense and I'm ecstatic to report that it's just as amazing as her historicals!

Her exquisite descriptive writing style meshes perfectly with the signature tension and action found in a suspense novel. Eakes can make a life-and-death scene eerily beautiful! So while I found myself wanting to race ahead to keep on top of the fast-paced plot I just had to slow down and savor her word choice too. Blissful sigh. A sublime reading experience that's left me aching for more Love Inspired Suspense novels from this author! (And the sooner the better!)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Perilous Christmas Reunion, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

A Secret to Die For

GIVEAWAY

HARRIS, LISA
A SECRET TO DIE FOR

Psychologist Grace Callahan has no idea that she has a secret -- and a target on her back

When one of her clients is murdered, Grace quickly realizes that computer security specialist Stephen Shaw wasn't suffering from paranoia. What she doesn't know is that someone believes Shaw gave her a vital piece of information before he died -- and they are ready to silence her at any cost. Her only hope may be an old friend, Detective Nate Quinn, who has just been cleared for active duty after a bombing killed his partner and left him dealing with PTSD.

With her signature pulse-pounding suspense, bestselling author Lisa Harris takes you deep into the heart of fear in this race against the clock.

My Review:

As Reader Friend Trixi so aptly put it -- "A Secret to Die for is to die for!" And while that is definitely true, just make sure you don't expire before you reach the nail-biting conclusion! Because this book is going to plunge you into a suspensey nosedive of aftershocks that will chill and thrill and definitely require a bit of recovery time. :-)

And while the suspense is amazing, the in between action and casework bits bring such depth and meaning into Grace and Nate's story. Life has been hard in different ways for both of them and making sense of the brokenness seems impossible. There's some great soul-stirring, faith-stretching dialogue as they try to figure things out. Like:  "Because God knows that sometimes, after you put the pieces back together, you end up with something stronger and even more beautiful than before." (p 224) Happy sigh. Love it when fiction challenges me in my faith journey.

A riveting romantic suspense that will have armchair sleuths shredding upholstery as they strive to keep pace. Heart-pounding perfection!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishin and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Secret to Die For, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of@ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

His Promise

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD
HIS PROMISE

Shelley Shepard Gray's latest Christmas novel in her Amish of Hart County series...

It's set to be a white Christmas in Hart County, and Grace King is pet-sitting with only a difficult dachshund for company. Just as she starts to miss the bustle of her large Amish family, Grace runs into a familiar face. Living right next door is John Michael Miller. He's a fireman now, but five years ago he had courted her older sister, then broke her heart. Seeing him again stirs Grace's anger, but also reminds her of deeper feelings she's tried to deny.

John Michael's complicated attraction to Grace still remains. He had walked away all those years ago when he realized he was falling in love with the wrong sister. Now, as suspicious fires are set in their community, Grace dismisses his warnings, and John Michael vows to keep an eye on her. But he can't help wondering if he's reconnected with Grace, only to risk losing her again.

Now all John Michael wants for Christmas is to keep Grace safe, in the hopes that they can have a future together.

My Review:

Hands down one of the most persnickety canine heroes comes in the shape of a dachshund  aptly named Snooze...only when he isn't snoozing he's causing trouble. Grace has never had such a difficult charge. She's pet-sitted just about every type of critter you can imagine -- feathered, furred -- even scaled -- and she's always found a way to bond with every one of them. Until Snooze. He leads her on a merry chase...and right into the arms of a man she had a secret crush on in her teens. The same man her sister was practically engaged to! 

It's been five years since John Michael broke things off with Grace's sister. Five years for the King family to nurse their bitterness and pull Grace into their unhealthy resentment. Now, here she is living right next door to John Michael who seems intent on not only seeking forgiveness but renewing their friendship. And doesn't her heart just flutter at that thought? While her stomach gnarls in knots over what her parents will say! I so love a twisted mess of a romance that seems doomed from the start!

Thankfully Snooze brings some great comic relief to the more serious aspects of this story. Along with the angsty romance, there's an arson mystery to solve and a case of elder neglect and Grace is in the middle of it all! I was in a page-turning frenzy right to the end!

What a spectacular send off for the last book in the Amish of Hart County series!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of His Promise, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 25 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

November Giveaway -- Week Three

WON BY C. MONROE

WON BY GINA

WON BY PAULA S.

WON BY ELIZABETH LITTEN

WON BY TRIXI

WON BY MELANIE BACKUS

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address. Otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca with your mailing address. From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven't been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now so, please, DON'T BE SHY -- CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN'T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU. Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address and I'll email you to confirm your win is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring about the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping time. Thank you!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

A Wreath of Snow

GIVEAWAY

HIGGS, LIZ CURTIS
A WREATH OF SNOW

All Margaret Campbell wants for Christmas is a safe journey home. When her plans for a festive holiday with her family in Stirling crumble beneath the weight of her brother's bitterness, the young schoolteacher wants nothing more to return to the students she loves and the town house she calls home.

Then an unexpected detour places her in the path of Gordon Shaw, a handsome newspaper man from Glasgow, who struggles under a burden of remorse and shame.

When the secret of their shared history is revealed, will it leave them tangled in a knot of regret? Or might their past hold the threads that will bind their future together?

As warm as a woolen scarf on a cold winter's eve, A Wreath of Snow is a tender story of love and forgiveness, wrapped in a celebration of all things Scottish, all things Victorian, and especially, all things Christmas.

My Review:

published in 2012
My thanks to my public library for providing me with this excellent retro Christmas read!

A sweet, challenging and beautiful Christmas tale that focuses on forgiveness and reconciliation...with a light dusting of romance. The author immerses her readers in a Victorian Christmas complete with record snow that plays havoc with the lives of our hero and heroine...or does it? Because though there's strife and bitterness this is the season of peace and goodwill both of which Margaret and Gordon need a healthy dose of! Perfect pacing, wonderful details and the happy warmth of tale well told.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Wreath of Snow, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line. Draw will be held and winter announced on Sunday November 18 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Montana Mistletoe

GIVEAWAY

MONTANA MISTLETOE
RUSTAND, ROXANNE

Wanted: a nanny for Christmas 
A Rocky Mountain Ranch novel

The only job Abby Halliwell can find in her Montana hometown is temporary nanny to two mischievous little girls. But it's on her ex-boyfriend Jess Langford's ranch. Jess needs help raising twins suddenly left in his care, so he and Abby are determined to be professional. But between unexpected holiday happenings and two mischievous matchmakers, will their business arrangement turn into something more?

My Review:

First book in a new series by Roxanne Rustand and it looks like it's going to be cowboy centered! Yeehaw! Jess makes a great first Rocky Mountain Ranch hero. There's something about a cowboy who opens his heart and home to abandoned twins and the man is completely smitten. There's nothing he won't do for those little sweethearts even if it means hiring the woman who stomped all over his heart and left it in smithereens twelve years ago. He still hasn't picked up all the pieces. But Abby is the only nanny candidate he has so....cue the tumultuous romance!

Abby is just as reluctant to work so closely with Jess -- the guy who broke her heart all those years ago! Such a great setup for a second chance romance! Because, while there are no misunderstandings about what broke them apart there's definitely confusion over how much it hurt them both -- and why. A little bit of miscommunication but mostly not having the maturity to work towards a compromise. So now they are thrown together, living and working in the same house and the yearning is palpable! Sucked me right into the story as I held my breath waiting for one of them to open up and make way for some forgiveness and healing. Love it when a romance twists me up in knots!.

Captivating secondary characters including Lollipops and Poofy :-) bring this love story to life! And then there's the Christmasy stuff -- heartwarming and yuletide-cheering -- a bit of sweet holiday perfection to brighten a long winter's night!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Montana Mistletoe, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday, November 18 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!