Christy Awards Finalists -- Mystery/Suspense/Thriller and Speculative

 

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

The Christy Award is destined to nurture creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres. These 2022 finalists are books published in 2021. 

How does this giveaway work?

You select one of the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller OR Speculative finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in a comment (or in an email if you're entering that way.) If you win that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the finalists. (I have provided links to my reviews of the books I have read.)

MYSTERY/SUSPSENSE/MYSTERY FINALISTS

Aftermath by Terri Blackstock, Thomas Nelson

A devastating explosion.

Three best friends are at the venue to hear their favourite band Only one makes it out alive.

A trunk full of evidence.

When police stop Dustin Webb with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows there's been a mistake. He's former military and owns a security firm. But he's horrified when the officers find explosives, and he can't fathom how they got there.

An attorney who will risk if all for an old friend.

Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin's best friend growing up. They haven't spoken since he left for basic training, but she's the first person he thinks of when he's arrested. Jamie knows she's putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she'd never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence...but why?

My Review:  https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2021/11/aftermath.html

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson, Bethany House  / Baker Publishing Group

As a barrister in 1818 London, William Snopes has witnessed firsthand the danger of only the wealthy having their voices heard, and he's a strong advocate who defends the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Madeleine Jameson, arrives at his door.

In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in a merchant brig, the Padget. The ship was granted a rare privilege by the king's regent: a Letter of Marque authorizing the captain to seize the cargo of French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the Padget returns to London, her crew is met by soldiers ready to take possession of their goods and arrest the captain for piracy. And the Letter -- the sole proof his actions were legal -- has mysteriously vanished.

Moved by the lady's distress, intrigued by the Letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, Snopes takes the case. But as he delves deeper into the mystery, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more perilous than he imagined.

On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaimie Jo Wright, Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group

1885,

Adria Fontaine has been sent to recover goods her father pirated on the Great Lakes during the war. But when she arrives at Foxglove manor -- a stone house on a cliff overlooking Lake Superior -- Adria senses wickedness hovering over the property. The mistress of Foxglove is an eccentric and seemingly cruel old woman who has filled her house with dangerous secrets, ones that may cost Adria her life.

Present day.

Kailey Gibson is a new nurse's aide at a senior home in a renovated old stone manor. Kidnapped as a child, she has nothing but  locked-up memories of secrets and death, overshadowed by the chilling promise from her abductors that they would return. When the residents of Foxglove  start sharing stories of whispers in the night, hidden treasure, and a love willing to kill, it becomes clear this home is far from a haven. She'll have to risk it all to banish the past's demons, including her own.

My Review:  https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2021/06/on-cliffs-of-foxglove-manor.html

SPECULATIVE FINALISTS

A Time to Seek by Tracy L. Higley, Stonewater Books, LLC

(Time Travel Journals of Sahara Aldridge; 1)

Her future destiny is hidden in the ancient past.

Sahara Aldridge, a young Egyptologist in 1922, is making a name for herself on the digit soon to become Egypt's most sensational discovery -- the tomb of the boy-king, Tutankhamun.

Despite opposition from a mostly-male profession, Sahara fights to continue the legacy of her Egyptologist parents, who died tragically at sea when she was a teen.

But then a childhood friend finds a lost journal written by Sahara's mother, hinting at the bizarre possibility of time-travel, and a crazy suspicion forces Sahara to confront a freak incident years earlier...

Is it possible her parents were time travellers?

And has she inherited this mind-blowing ability?

When American journalist Jack Moretti begins asking too many questions, Sahara suspects he knows more than he's telling.

Did her parents truly perish in an accident? Or did someone target and order them because of their time traveling gift?

There's only one way to unearth the truth.

Sahara just travel back in time, to the days of King Tut.

But the biggest surprise is yet to come...the truth about her parents, and about her own destiny, discovered in the whispers of conspiracy around the death of Egypt's most famous Pharaoh.

But what secrets are better left buried?

Dark Intercept by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson, Tyndale House

(The Shepherds ; 1)

When dark forces rise, are faith and firepower enough?

On the eve of his medical retirement,Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson receives a frantic call from his estranged childhood best friend David Yarnell. David's daughter has been kidnapped off the streets of Nashville in broad daylight. The police have no suspects and no leads. The only clue: the body of a dead priest left behind at the scene. With the clock ticking, David is growing desperate, as is his wife, Rachel...Jed's first love.

Despite his painful history with David and Rachel, Jed agrees to help. But he's spent his career as a door-kicking Navy SEAL, not an investigator. His presence immediately draws unwanted attention, creates friction with the local police, and triggers a mysterious attempt on his life. Just when he thinks things can't get worse, it starts to happen again -- the voices in his head, the nightmares, the visions. Dark memories and strange abilities, things he believed he'd left behind when he fled Nashville for the Navy at eighteen, begin to resurface.

Jed realizes that to save the missing girl, he must take a leap of faith and embrace the gifts he's denied for all these years. To foil this dark intercept, he'll need more than just his years as a SEAL operator, because he has no choice now but to take up arms and join the battle in the unseen spiritual warfare raging all around him. And there is far more at stake than just a missing girl: the world is not the place he thought it was -- and he is not alone.

Recorder by Cathy McCrumb, Enclave Publishing

(Children of the Consortium: 1)

The Consortium is all. But Recorder can no longer obey.

Recorder has no family, no friends, and no name. Donated to the Consortium before birth, her sole purpose is to maintain and verify records. A neural implant and drone ensure compliance, punishing for displays of bias.

Suddenly cut off from controlling technology, Recorder tastes what it means to be human. But if the Consortium discovers her feelings, everyone she knows will be in danger.

With no name, no resources, and only an infinitesimal possibility of escape, Recorder's time is running out.

Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck, Enclave Publishing

(The Dancing Realms ; 3)

The island world of Meriel faces an old adversary and a new danger. Will the reformed Order die before it has a chance to blossom?

Storm clouds loom on the horizon as Carya and Brantley struggle to overcome wounds of the past and build a future together. The fragile new Order is on shaky ground, with too few dancers and sparse resources. Then trouble erupts -- and now an insidious rebellion and a new foe threaten their entire world.

When she uncovers an old enemy behind all the destruction, Carya realizes the past is not done with her. With conflict tearing apart the dancers and villages, rimmers are soon overrun, and Carya must unite her people by leading the battle to protect the very heart of her world...or lose it all.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Giveaway editions available vary, please see list below:

ALL Mystery/Suspense/Thriller finalist novels are available in either paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

Speculative finalist novels:

A Time to Seek by Tracy L. Higley -- paperback ore ebook  copy -- winner's choice

Dark Intercept by Andrews & Wilson -- ebook only

Recorder by Cathy McCrumb -- ebook only

Windward Shore by Sharon Hinck -- ebook only

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of these Christy Award finalists, 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 Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

The Sergeant's Christmas Gift

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD

THE SERGEANT'S CHRISTMAS GIFT

A lonely boy...gets a Christmas miracle!

Christmas in Colorado would be magical...if Canadian Air Force sergeant Graham Hopkins wasn't missing home. Volunteering as a Santa Tracker with NORAD, he's able to comfort six-year-old Will Parnell and his widowed mother, Vivian. When Graham receives a gift certificate for a stay at Vivian's B and B, the warmth between them brightens the holiday season. Suddenly, returning to Canada isn't as appealing. But will being together take a Christmas miracle?

My Review:

A love story bookended by Christmas scenes. It starts on Christmas Eve when a certain NORAD Santa Tracker mans the phones in Colorado Springs, Colorado. First, I knew that Santa's journey was tracked by NORAD but I had no idea that children could actually call in and get an update! That is so cool!!! So there's Graham, feeling homesick and missing his family back home in Canada who just happens to connect to a certain little boy who needs something more than a Santa update. Such a fun start to this contemporary romance!

We get a lovely Christmas week of festive activities which continue on into the New Year as Graham and Vivian quickly move from friendship to romance. Only it's all kinds of impossible with Graham in line for a new assignment in Canada and Vivian's B & B firmly established in Colorado Springs. Juggling a long distance relationship is hard enough without having to take the emotional needs of a child into consideration as well. Cue the angst and a wee bit of drama -- but, wheeeee, we do get to travel to Ontario for a visit so that was fun. I also enjoyed the Canadian references to festive food and traditions.

Plus, there's also a secondary romance -- a bit of a second chance one at that -- between Vivian's older friend and a special somebody from her past. An all round heartwarming holiday read.

Goal Update: #5 Diversify my reading.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the  The Sergeant's Christmas Gift, 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 Saturday November 5  2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

October Giveaway -- Week Five

WON BY TRIXI

WON BY MELISSA ANDRES

WON BY ABIGAIL HARRIS

WON BY BECKY

WON BY PATTY

WON BY TRACEY

 

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address in a comment, otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca (please note it's ca as in Canada not com)

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 AN EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU!

Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address (or email address for ebooks) and I'll email you to confirm your book is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring on the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping times.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

***IMPORTANT -- PLEASE NOTE GIVEAWAY EDITIONS 

AS THEY VARY***

Please read the giveaway options written in red noted under "Giveaway Opportunity" in each blog post as formats will vary.

Paperback or ebook -- winner can choose either format

Paperback -- I have a new physical book on hand to give away

Gently Read Paperback -- It's the actual book I read to review

ebook -- that's the only format option available, often because it's an indie book where a paperback copy is either unavailable or exorbitantly priced. Or when a physical edition is out of print.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Christy Awards Finalists

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

and

Speculative

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Rescue Mission

GIVEAWAY

EASON, LYNETTE

RESCUE MISSION

A missing baby's trail has gone cold.

But this K-9 unit has one last lead...

With a baby still missing after months of searching, Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit handler Lucas Hudson and his furry partner must protect the only witness as she recovers from amnesia. But the kidnapper wants Kate Montgomery silenced -- permanently. Now hiding in the icy Montana mountains might be the key to their survival and to triggering Kate's memories of the night baby Chose Baker disappeared...

Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit 

My Review:

Woohooo! This is the book I've been waiting for -- when we finally get to find out what happened to baby Chloe. 'Rescue Mission' is the eighth book in this multi-authored series and I love how each previous book edged us closer to this big reveal. If you're new to this series, you can totally jump in here so no catching up needed, though you'd enjoy it if you did. 

Each book in the series has it's own unique suspense and romance as well as an overarching suspense plot that finds resolution in this final instalment. But the authors do a great job of catching new readers up with former heroes and heroines as well as the progress of the suspense tie-in so you can really hop in at any point in the series.

The intense opening scene sets the stage for this action-packed grand finale. I felt like I knew Kate already from snippets in previous books and I was excited to delve into her story. And -- bonus points -- she comes with her very own therapy dog so we get double the puppy love and that makes me very happy. :-) Plus hero Lucas is kinda alluring in his own right. 

I like that there's a bit of a history between these two as well. More on Lucas's end since he has been watching over Kate (in a way) since her attack eight months previously. So he's really invested in the outcome of this case and his protector spidey senses are fully charged. It makes the romance that develops all the more realistic.

And, though 'amnesia' isn't my favourite trope in a suspense plot, I really like the way it plays out here. It's been eight months since Kate's attack and she's been through extensive physical and psychological therapy during that time.  Even so, she still hasn't fully regained her memories. They are coming to her in fragmented pieces though, and no one knows if she will ever fully recover. I like how realistic this approach to the amnesia trope is. I just bought into it more, plus it really amped up the suspense all through the series as we got updates on Kate's recovery...and lack of solid memories that could have helped the investigation along. 

Eason delivers an enthralling conclusion to this outstanding series! I'm thrilled that all the books are available in audio format and I have the entire collection in my audible library to revisit in the future. I find it interesting that each book has a different narrator. They've all been fantastic and I really enjoyed Carol Jacobanis's performance in this one.

Oh -- and while I say 'Rescue Mission' is the Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit grand finale, we still have a set of Christmas novellas to look forward to in December. Woohoo!

Goal Update: #6 Stay current with a series, #10 Give unloved tropes a second chance

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the  Rescue Mission, 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 Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

Betsy

GIVEAWAY

MONZON, SARAH

BETSY

Rule #1. Never fall for a musician

Rule #2. There are no exceptions to rule #1

As a professional sound engineer, I'm around musicians every day, so I know what I'm talking about when I say they aren't boyfriend material. They're only looking out for number one, and that ain't you, honey. Give them a map with destination Not on Your Live, Mister highlighted, underlined, and circle for good measure.

That being said, what am I supposed to do with Asher North, lead singer of the band True North and my new boss? My glares don't intimidate him, and my sarcasm only seems to draw him closer instead of pushing him away. The longer we're on tour together, the less my rules make sense. And the more he looks at me the way he does, as if he can see right through the wall I've so diligently constructed, the more I want to throw those rules right out the window.

My Review:

This 'Sewing in SoCal' series has been fabulous, but I'll admit to being a wee bit wary of embracing Betsy's story because of the sarcastic sass and grumpy demeanour that have carried her through the first four books. Sure she's provided some wonderful comedic background but a whole book featuring Betsy's sharp wit, and more importantly, the gigantic chip on her shoulder? I wasn't so sure. 

Of course, we're talking SoCal sisters and Sara Monzon here so, of course, I ordered the audible book as soon as it was available and started listening right away. And laughing. And groaning. And my eyeballs got a real workout from all the eye rolling. Snort. I couldn't help myself. Betsy. Betsy. Betsy!

Somehow Monzon makes her prickly persona charming and her rapid fire come backs, not to mention the sarcasm renting space in her brain, made this a laugh-out-loud, can't-stop-listening reading experience for me. D-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l. Betsy's back story brings depth to her character and helped me understand...and be frustrated by...that smart mouth of hers. 

And I absolutely love that Asher is intrigued from the first time they meet. But he's also accepting of who Betsy is and, while he doesn't understand why she reacts the way she does, he totally respects where she's at. Does he want her to open up and let her guard down? Yes, he does, but not on his timeline, he's willing to wait it out. 

My heart still does a skippedy-jump when I think about Asher's patience and forbearance and the way he appreciates Betsy's special brand of snark and even revels in it. And super important: he doesn't want to change her (well, there is one thing he'd like to change but you'll have to read the book to find out what that is.) He just wants her to let him in. As a friend, and so much more. Be still my heart.

Of course, Betsy being Betsy, makes things much more complicated than they need to be but we have a SoCal Sister Intervention to thank for putting things to right. Phew! Loved catching up with Molly, Jocelyn, Nicole and Amanda (and their heroes!) again and feeding off their collective energy. I'm so sad that this series has come to an end. It's definitely one I will revisit many times in the future. 

And there's so much more to this story -- Betsy's close ties to her family, the richness of her Argentinian heritage, Asher's difficult relationship with his mother, the band dynamics and the powerful faith elements that tie it all together.

I really enjoyed Stevi Incremona's performance. She sets the perfect tone for Betsy's cutting wit while exposing her vulnerable side as well. Plus, she even does a bit of singing. Exceptional performance that made me love these characters and their story all the more.

Goal Update: #1 Read more indie authors, #5 Diversify my reading, #6 Stay current with a series

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the  Betsy, 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 Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

The Dreaming Beauty

GIVEAWAY

WALKER, ANNEKA R.

THE DREAMING BEAUTY

Once upon a dream, two cursed people fell in love...

Tansy White doesn't want to end up alone like her three aunts who raised her, but when she is betrayed by her would-be betrothed, she fears she might never change her fate. At her aunts' suggestion, she seizes the chance to visit Rose Cottage, the country home of her late mother. Fr years, dreams of the cottage have haunted Tansy, and she is convinced it holds the answer to her hidden past. But after getting caught in a terrible storm, she meets a man who is just as determined as she is to learn all her secrets.

Marcus Taylor, brother to the Duke of Westmorland, is also troubled by vivid dreams. On a sleepless night, as a tempest rages outside his brother's estate, he makes a discovery far more mysterious than any dream: a young woman, cold as ice, lies unconscious in the library, and he is sure she is the key to solving his problems. When she wakes, what begins as a shared quest for information turns into an unexpected friendship. As they piece together the fragments of their past, they discover a tangled web of lies, and their feelings for each other become just as entwined. But is their love as strong as their dreams...or their fate?

My Review:

Fantastical Romantical!!!! I'm not sure if I'm sufficiently resuscitated from my swooning frenzy to be articulate enough in order to write a review, so bear with me here.

The best Sleeping Beauty retelling I've read -- and I've read a ton over the years. Why you ask? Because...

- The way the author weaves the legend into her story 

- The familiar details transformed into something splendiferously unique and exciting 

- The myriad of twists and turns in the plot

- The romance so sweetly tender but fraught with impossibilities

- The layers of mystery!

- The Regency setting

- Tansy's aunts!!!!!!!!!

- 'The Masked Baron' cameos (book one in the 'Enchanted Regency Romance' series) This can totally be read as a standalone though.

- And I listened to the audible edition narrated by Noah Wall which made it all the more thrilling. 

If you enjoy clever (brilliant even) fairytale retellings, 'The Dreaming Beauty' should definitely find it's way onto your TBR pile. ASAP

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for an ebook copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the The Dreaming Beauty, 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 Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

 

Christy Awards -- Historical Romance

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

The Christy Award is destined to nurture creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres. These 2022 finalists are books published in 2021. 

How does this giveaway work?

You select one of the Historical Romance finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in a comment (or in an email if you're entering that way.) If you win that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the finalists. (I have provided links to my reviews of the books I have read.)

Historical Romance Finalists

(another tie so 4 to choose from)

As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin, Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group

Amid the Great War in 1918 England, munitions worker Rosalind Graham is desperate to escape the arranged marriage being forced on her by her ruthless guardian and instead follow her own course. When the Chilwell factory explodes, killing hundreds of unidentified workers, Rose realizes the world believes she perished in the disaster. Seizing the chance to escape, she risks all and assumes a new identity, taking a supervisory position in Gretna, Scotland, as Miss Tilly Lockhart.

RAF Captain Alex Baird is returning home to Gretna on a secret mission to uncover the saboteur suspected in the Chilwell explosion, as Gretna's factory is likely next. Fearing for his family's safety, he's also haunted by guilt after failing to protect his brother. Alex is surprised to discover a young woman, Miss Lockhart, renting his boyhood room, but the two eventually bond over their mutual affection for his family -- until Alex receives orders to surveil her.

Rose squirms beneath Alex's scrutiny while she struggles to gain her workers' respect. But when her deception turns to danger, she and Alex must find a way to put their painful pasts behind them and together try to safeguard the future.

My Review:  https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2022/08/as-dawn-breaks.html

Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham, Barbour Publishing

Uncover the story behind a one-hundred-year-old love letter...

Walk through the Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a struggling one-hundred-year-old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man's identity in her great-great-grandmother's letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover the truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.

My Review:  https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2021/07/hope-between-pages.html

Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen, Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group

Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this atmospheric Regency tale brimming with mystery, intrigue and romance.

When Miss Rebcca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favour: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother's desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumoured to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey's cloisters. For all it's renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past -- including her own. For there she encounters Sir Fredrick -- magistrate, widower, and former neighbour -- who long ago broke her heart.

When the famous author is found murdered in the abbey, Sir Frederick begins questioning staff and guests and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the man, including Miss Lane and her brother. Haunted by a painful betrayal in his past, Sir Fredrick search for answers but I torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something...

My Review:  https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2021/12/shadows-of-swanford-abbey.html

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin, Revell / Baker Publishing Group

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard busy her favourite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to add the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

Master of WWII-era fiction, Sara Sudin invites you onto the streets of occupied Paris to discover whether love or duty will prevail

My Review:  https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2022/03/until-leaves-fall-in-paris.html

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the  Christy Awards Historical Romance finalists novels, 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 Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

Christy Award Finalist -- Historical Fiction

 

GIVEAWAY

What are the Christy Awards?

The Christy Award is destined to nurture creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview and showcase the diversity of genres. These 2022 finalists are books published in 2021. 

How does this giveaway work?

You select one of the Historical Fiction finalists you would like to receive if your name is drawn. Mention the title in a comment (or in an email if you're entering that way.) If you win that's the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy. Here are the finalists. (I have provided links to my reviews of the books I have read.)

Historical Fiction Finalists

(4 to choose from because there was a tie)

Between the Wild Branches by Connilyn Cossette, Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group

Finding a way to freedom might cost them everything.

Lukio has spent the past decade as a famous Philistine fighter, achieving every material goal with the help of his ruthless cousin. He's also spent the time burying painful memories of betrayal that he associates with the Levite family that guards the Ark of the Covenant and once adopted him. Now, just as the champion of Ashdod is set to claim the biggest prize of all -- the daughter of the king -- his past collides with his present.

After a heartbreaking end to her friendship with Lukio, Shoshana thought she'd never again see the boy with the dual-coloured eyes and the troubled soul. But when she is captured in a Philistine raid and enslaved in Ashdod, she is surprised to recognize the brutal fighter known as Demon Eyes.

When their renewed connection threatened to expose Shoshana's dangerous secrets, Lukio must decide how far he'll go to face his past and keep her protected.

Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green, Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group

A birthday excursion turns deadly when the SS Island capsizes with Olive Pierce and her best friend Claire on board. Hundreds perish during the accident, and it's only when Olive herself barely escapes that she discovers her friend is among the victims.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Olive returns to her work at an insurance agency and is soon caught up in the countless investigations related to the accident. But with so many missing, there are few open-and-shut cases, and she tries to balance her grief with the hard work of finding the truth. Is she just overwhelmed, or is someone trying to impede her investigations? When clues surface that impact those closest to her, how deep will she dig?

Newspaper photographer Erik Magnussen begins helping Olive with her cases, and they develop a fast friendship. Just when Olive begins to unravel the secrets, more setbacks arise. It will take everything she's got to find the truth and stay ahead of those who want to sabotage her progress.

The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan, Love Inspired Trade

For readers of Lilac Girls and The Lost Girls of Paris comes a captivating novel of resilience, as three generations of women battle to save their family's vineyard during WWII.

Champagne, 1939

Gabrielle Leblanc Dupree is taking her family's future into her hands. while she should be preparing for a lavish party to celebrate two centuries of champagne making, she secretly hides Chateau Fouche-Leblanc's most precious vintages behind a fake wall in the cellar in preparation for the looming war. But when she joins the resistance, the coveted champagne isn't the most dangerous secret her cellar must conceal...

A former Parisian socialite, Gabrielle's mother, Helene, lost her husband to another war. Now her home has been requisitioned by the Germans, who pillage vineyards to satisfy the Third Reich's thirst for the finest champagne. There's even more at stake than Helene dares admit. She has kept her heritage a secret...and no one is safe in Nazi-occupied France.

Josephine, the family matriarch, watches as her beloved vineyard faces its most difficult harvest yet. As her daughter-in-law and granddaughters contend with the enemies and unexpected allies in their midst, Josephine's deep faith leads to her own path of resistance.

Across years and continents, the Leblanc women will draw on their courage and wits, determined against all odds to preserve their lives, their freedom and their legacy...

Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes, Bethany House / Baker Publishing Group

A mysterious song in the forest...

A discovery in war-torn France...

A journey toward hope.

The trenches of the Great War are a shadowed place. Though Patoon Sergeant Matthew Petticrew arrived there with a past long marked by shadow, the realities of battle bring new wounds -- carving within him a longing for light, and a resolve to fight for it.

One night, Matthew and his comrades are enraptured by a sound so pure, a voice so ethereal, it offers reprieve -- even if only for a most. Soon, rumours sweep the trenches from others who have heard the lullaby too. "The Angel of Argonne," they call the voice a mysterious presence who leaves behind wreaths on unmarked graves.

Raised in the wild depths of the Forest of Argonne, Mireilles finds her reclusive world rocked when war crashed into her idyllic home, taking much from her. When Matthew and his tow unlikely companions discover Mireilles, they must embark on a journey that will change each of them forever...and perhaps, at long last, spark light into the dark.

On the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier comes an emotive tale inspired by the courageous soldiers of World War I.

My Review: https://bestreads-kav.blogspot.com/2021/10/yours-is-night.html

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the  Christy Awards Historical Fiction finalists novels, 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 Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

A Match Made at Christmas

GIVEAWAY

DAVIDS, PATRICIA

A MATCH MADE AT CHRISTMAS

Christmas comes to a small Amish community -- and brings new beginnings with it.

Karl Gräber is too busy struggling with his hardware store and two young daughters to indulge local matchmaker Rose Yoder's schemes. After his wife's death, the thought of loving and perhaps losing another woman holds no appeal. So while he's relieved to learn he's not on Rose's list of potential husbands for new schoolteacher Sophie Eicher, he's also surprised. Despite himself, Karl can't help wondering what Rose thinks he lacks -- and why outspoken, attractive Sophie has so little interest in marriage.

After surviving breast cancer, Sophie is hoping to make a fresh start in Harts Haven. Perhaps the handsome widower next door would make a good match for her sister, but Sophie won't burden any man with her uncertain future. But when Karl offers to help her to created a 'living nativity' Christmas program for the schoolchildren, she gratefully agrees.

It'll take a bold plan and help from Karl's children to make this chaotic Christmas play a success. And as friendships deepen, hearts open and hopes are rekindled, two unlikely people may discover the healing gift of love.

My Review:

So, so, sooooooo much fun! I listened to the audible edition narrated by Meghan Kelly and I think she enhanced my enjoyment of this story -- especially in her portrayal of Rose, the eccentric Amish matchmaker. I'm still grinning over Rose's clever ploy to use reverse psychology to get these two together. But I'm getting ahead of myself -- let's see if I can corral my thoughts into some kind of order.

First thing you should know is that this book is the second one in the 'Matchmakers of Harts Haven' series. It centres around a Kansas Amish community inn run by three Amish widows. Rose is my favourite -- quirky, well meaning, but not above all kinds of subterfuge when she thinks her matchmaking 'skills' are needed. She provides comic relief and some sound outspoken advice as well. The first book is a great introduction to these characters and the community, but 'A Match Made at Christmas' can also be read as a standalone.

As in the first book, we have a reluctant hero and heroine who stretch Rose's matchmaking creativity to new levels. :-) Karl and Sophie are relationship shy for good reasons. Understandable, but frustrating too, as they are both so stuck in their pasts it's impossible for them to imagine a shared future. So lots of drama and a wee bit of angst, but also lots of Amish family life and, of course, the school Christmas play which was equal parts funny and moving. A perfect combination for a satisfying holiday read.

Goal Update: #6 Stay current with a series

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of the  A Match Made at 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 Saturday October 29 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.