The Veteran's Holiday Home

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN

THE VETERAN'S HOLIDAY HOME

He just face down his past if he wants a chance at a future.

Military veteran Jason Smith came to the Colorado mountains with his support dog, Titan, looking for a fresh start. Only his new boss is Ashley Green, his former sister-in-law. Fortunately, working together with troubled kids transforms their awkwardness into camaraderie -- and something deeper. But when past secrets start unraveling, can they find a way forward and make this Christmas one to remember?

A K-9 Companions Tale

My Review:

This series keeps delivering the kind of heart stirring, angst-turns-to-peace romances that I love to read. No worries about reading the K-9 Companions series in order as each book is a standalone -- they are all just linked by the common theme of service/therapy dogs. And I love the variety we've been getting! 

Titan is my first fictional (or 'in person' for that matter) mastiff! Not a common breed in the K-9 service field but when you have a brawny (and ruggedly good looking) veteran with chronic pain and balance issues, well, a puny poodle just won't do. Titan's built to brace Jason from falls and keep him steady on his feet no matter what the conditions. A win for Jason, but not so much for dog-shy Ashley. So, that's one strike against them getting together but there's so much more to their rocky relationship!

So, Ashley and Jason knew each other almost a decade ago. She was married to his brother and, well, there is so much I want to tell you but I can't because it would be big time spoiler-y. But it's soooo good 'cause McClain has layered in some incredible depth to their backstories -- the kind that takes a whole book to uncover...and conquer. And that's all I'm gonna say about that. :-)

Love the school setting -- Bright Tomorrows Residential Academy and the detail and care the author has put into portraying these troubled boys who are pretty much facing their last chance. It might sound familiar because it's the same setting for another book in this series, 'Her Secret Prayer', so it was fun to see some of the same secondary characters not to mention Dev and Emily. Not a big deal if you haven't read that book, just a little fun bonus for us K-9 Companions and/or Lee Tobin McClain fans.

This book has all the feels to make a great escape read...though I will say the holiday aspect is very, very light so I wouldn't count it as a Christmas read.

Goal Update: #5 Diversify my reading #6 Stay current with a series

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Veteran's Holiday Home, 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 8 2022 . Offer open to International Readers.

Forever on the Bay

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN

FOREVER ON THE BAY

Safe harbor and new beginnings await on the Chesapeake Bay...

Pleasant Shores cop Evan Stone has worked hard to become a man of his word, overcoming the alcoholism that sent him down the wrong path in his youth. So when his late best friend's sister asks for his help, he doesn't hesitate. He promised he'd watch out for Cassie, and the cottage next to his will be a perfect short-term refuge for her and her dog. The other half of that promise -- to stay away from Cassie romantically -- is harder to keep.

My Review:

Lee Tobin McClain knows how how to emotionally bludgeon a reader before soothing her with hope and happily-ever-afters. :-)

I'd categorize this as a clean, Women's Fiction / Contemporary Romance hybrid. That's because there's a whole lot more going on besides Evan and Cassie's romance. Like a secondary love story along with multiple character POVs and a whole lot of issue reckoning before said happily-ever-after.  

I love the depth this author brings to her stories. She isn't afraid to tackle tough topics with grace and compassion, shining light into the dark recesses of life's grittier problems. There's even a bit of suspense and lurking danger! And a whole lot of character growing besides. All spun together with McClain's storytelling wizardry which always leaves me blissfully happy and wanting more.

Forever on the Bay is the sixth book in The Off Season series but it can be read as a standalone. I've only read a few of the other books (and you can bet I'll be playing catch up soon!) though fans of the series will be thrilled to catch up with former hero and heroines and this quaint seaside town. 

Goal Update: #2 Catch up on series I'm behind in, #5 Diversify my reading

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 Forever on the Bay leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 Saturday May 21 2022. Offer open to International Readers.

Her Easter Prayer

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN

HER EASTER PRAYER

While recovering from the pass, can she hope for a new future?

After a tragic loss, reading teacher Emily Carver dedicates her life to educating troubled boys with the help of service dog Lady. Tutoring new school handyman Dev McCarthy's struggling son reminds Emily of everything she's missing. Time with them could heal her heart -- only Dev has a secret. Can she see past what he's hiding to the family forming around her?

A K-9 Companions Story

My Review:

This book has me still wrapped up in emotional knots. So many talking points -- but not for a review. Would make a great book club selection though. 

Dev's secret -- the one mentioned in the book blurb -- whoa -- sucker punch to my sensitive book-loving heart! And Emily's tragic loss, again no details except to say that it gutted me. So, I was equally invested in both hero and heroine and then McClain throws in an empathy-spewing service dog and a troubled boy and, well, I consumed this book in one sitting. 

Devoured it. Revelled in it. Shed a few tears. And a few more chuckles. Wanted to smack a certain handyman upside the head at one point and shake some sense into a certain reading teacher at another point, so, yes, actively engaged for the entire read. The very best kind of book!

Goal Update: #5 Diversify my reading, #6 Stay current with a series

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Her Easter Prayer, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 Saturday April 16  2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck 

First Kiss at Christmas

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN

FIRST KISS AT CHRISTMAS

At 25 years old, preschool teacher Kayla Harris is embarrassed to admit she's never been kissed. When Tony DiNunzio and his grieving nephew show up in her classroom, she can't help being drawn to both of them. If only her insecurities -- and his guilt over his sister's death -- would stop standing in their way.

As Christmas approaches, can these three come together to form a family...not just for the holidays, but forever?

My Review:

The kind of Christmas story that has you laughing and cheering and even wiping at a tear or two. 

McClain is fabulous at bringing all her characters to vibrant life -- not just the hero and heroine -- so it's easy to feel like you're a part of the town and all the Christmas preparations going on...with an ear to all the gossip besides. :-) 

This is the fifth book in the Off Season series, so there's plenty of familiar faces along with some new ones and I like the way the author has set things up for the next book...at least I think that's what she's done! (Though this can totally be read as a standalone too.)

Tony's story is heart breaking and the clumsy way he rallies around his orphaned nephew is both amusing and poignant. Luckily Kayla is around to help him out...though he doesn't think that in the beginning. He's wary and defensive and harbouring a world of heart and she's so perky and sweet and compassionate it grates on his every last nerve...and beguiles him as well. 

She's the naive never-been-kissed town sweetheart and he's the brooding ex-soldier carrying around more than a shoulder chip's worth of emotional baggage. Throw in the magic of Christmas, more than a few town busy bodies and a surprising suspense-y twist and you get one amazing holiday read.

Please note: While not a Christian Fiction selection, this is a clean read.

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 First Kiss at Christmas, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 Saturday November 13 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Christmas on the Coast

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN

CHRISTMAS ON THE COAST

There's no better place to spend Christmas than on the Chesapeake Bay, where it's always the perfect season to start over.

Former police officer Paul Thompson has come to the little town of Pleasant Shores to heal his PTSD. The prescription involves volunteering, therapy and, most of all, a stable routine for his young son. Falling for Amber Rowe, however, would make that stability impossible. Even though she immediately bonds with little Davey, Amber's future is filled with uncertainty, and Paul can't bear to see his son love and lose someone else.

Amber got to know Paul's late wife while writing a book about cancer. In doing so, she learned a secret that could tear Paul's world apart. Keeping her distance is the best way to avoid unwittingly causing turmoil for a man she's come to care about more than she ever intended. But as Christmas draws near and their joint volunteer project develops, so does the depth of their feelings. And soon, Amber will have to choose between keeping a promise and committing a risky love...

My Review:

Excuse me while I check for bruising after all that emotional sucker punching. My heart has been pummeled and I might have gotten a bit teary by the end of this story. I also felt rage over injustices and exasperation over thoughtlessness and deep, abiding sorrow over how sometimes life just isn't fair! In other words, I'm an overwrought pretzel of colliding emotions. Happy sigh -- just the way I like to feel at the conclusion of novel.

McClain has crafted an explosive second chance love story made all the more powerful by the seasonal setting. This is the third book in her Off Season series but it can be read as a standalone. I've read the first book, but missed the second (though I'll definitely be backtracking.) I'm as attached to the secondary characters as I am to the protagonists and there's a riveting sub-plot that contributed to all my angsting and stewing. 

A bloodhound, a cute kid and Christmas-y vibes bring solace to the emotionally charged romance. And touches of humour. All wrapped up in a small town setting. It doesn't get any better than that!

I enjoyed the audible version of this book narrated by Sandy Rustin who delivered a flawless performance that kept me captivated.

Please note: This is not a Christian Fiction selection, though it is a clean read.

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is available in paperback or ebook format -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Christmas on the Coast, 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 21 2020. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck! 

Cottage at the Beach

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN
COTTAGE AT THE BEACH

Escape to the Chesapeake Bay, where beach life is full of love, surprises and second chances.

When an injury forces K-9 officer Trey Harrison onto the sidelines, his only thought is getting back to the police force where he belongs. And he'll do anything to make that happen -- even volunteer in a small waterfront community, just to please his boss. But no one ever said Trey had to enjoy it...

Since the surgery that destroyed her dreams of having children, schoolteacher Erica Rowe has grown even more dedicated to her work with at-risk teens. So she doesn't need some cop with a chip on his shoulder putting the program's future in jeopardy. But when Trey finally connects with the students, Erica's heart melts. And when, in a tender moment, he admits he longs to have children, her heart breaks. She's convinced he'd be better off with someone who can give him everything, but she can't seem to shake the hope that maybe love is enough.

My Review:

Whoohoo -- another new series by Lee Tobin McClain and I'm in at the very start! She is a newly discovered author for me -- read my first book almost a year ago. And Cottage at the Beach is the kind of complex, emotionally-charged story I've come to expect from this author. She pulls me in and makes me feel all her characters' struggles -- like their lives matter and I'm invested in them. I don't know how she does it -- my heart's too busy tripping all over itself to figure it out. I'm just glad that she shares her talent because I love to feel my way through a novel.

While this is largely Trey and Erica's story, the author gives us a few other points of view as well as she sets up the town dynamics and the secondary characters who live there. In fact, there's one really intriguing secondary plot about a recently divorced 'older' woman and I get the feeling her story will carry over through the rest of the series. I'm really looking forward to that.

So, we have a very moody, somewhat surly injured cop (brooding hero fans you can start swooning now!) and a no-nonsense teacher who doesn't have time for a volunteer who doesn't want to be there. Woohee -- clashing wills and zinging sparks collide in a fireworks of toe-curls and butterflies. Absolutely loved the angsty romance. So many battles to fight before a victory can be claimed and I was riveted through it all.

Have to admit I fell hard for another hero as well. King, the K-9 officer in limbo after his partner is sidelined. Sniffle. King made me cry. Then there's Ziggy, the goofball doodle who is all about having a good time. He made me laugh. I'm a happy reader when fictional critters are involved in the plot!

A stellar start to an exciting new series -- The Off Season -- and thrilled that the books are being released in a timely manner. Reunion at the Shore comes out in June! Woot!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Cottage at the Beach, 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 April 18 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Secret Christmas Child

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN
THE SECRET CHRISTMAS CHILD

His high school sweetheart returns with a baby...and a devastating secret.

Reese Markowski can't believe he's hiring his ex-girlfriend -- but to save his program for dogs and at-risk kids, the veteran needs Gabby Hanks. Single mom Gabby's fierce love for her infant daughter is undeniable, as is the child's effect on Reese's wounded heart. Their holiday reunion is a joyful surprise, but nothing prepares Reese for the truth about Gabby's baby...

Rescue Haven

My Review:

Help! My heart has been skewered. I'm in desperate need of resuscitation. Another gander at that sweet epilogue should do the trick. Be back in a jiff...

Phew! Much better. Still a bit achy but I'll live to read another book. :-) And I think I can muster up a raspy Squeeeeeppp!!! because this is a new series by Lee Tobin mcClain and there are dogs. Lots of dogs which is sending me into a frenzied tailspin (ha-- get the pun there?) of bibliophile delight!

Warning: a very clever, heart-rending plot twist packs an emotional wallop! This is the kind of romantical masterpiece a reader has to feel her way through. Intense and gratifying and tear-inducing.

There's a great holiday tie-in complete with a Christmas pageant (with dogs!!!) Add in a group of rambunctious kids and you get the perfect kind of seasonal chaos worthy of the best holiday cheer.

A great cast of secondary characters including Biff the good-natured canine oaf, and the community Scrooge (a hearty bah humbug to you Mr. Romano!) along with Gabby's Nana bring additional zest to the story. McClain has built a lovely community with so much potential and, I think, a few key players who will be featured in their own happily-ever-after stories.

 I'm already anticipating the next book in the Rescue Haven series but I have no clue when to expect it and that makes kinda sad. :-(

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a gently read copy of  The Secret Christmas Child 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 December 7 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Low Country Christmas

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN
LOW COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

Come home to Safe Haven, where the best Christmas surprises aren't the ones under the tree.

Holly Gibxon has one wish this Christmas season; to find her young niece's father. And she's traveled hundreds of miles to the small town of Safe Haven to make that wish come true. But the mysterious Cash O'Dwyer is nothing like she expected. Strong and kind, he makes her heart beat faster. And suddenly that little secret she's keeping about her sister stirs up all kinds of guilt...

Cash is stunned -- and more than a little wary -- to discover he's a father. Having a family of his own was never part of his plan...until sweet baby Penny and her fiercely independent aunt Holly arrive in town. Now he's trimming trees and stuffing stockings for three. But when the ghost of Cash's past threatens the future of his fragile new family, he'll do whatever it takes to be the father Penny needs -- and the man Holly deserves -- for more than just the holidays.

My Review:

After finishing this series I am a die-hard Lee Tobin McClain fan! What an incredible introduction to this author's storytelling capabilities. And Low Country Christmas (eeeeppp over that cover!) is  the emotionally sucker-punched, stand-up-and-cheer grand finale! It can totally be read as a standalone BUT if you've been following secondary character Rita's story this one will knock your socks off.

Of all the O'Dwyer brothers I have to admit that I was bedazzled by Cash the most. The successful middle brother who couldn't leave Safe Haven fast enough. The one who turns keeping a distance into a fine art. He loves his brothers and he's always there for them when they need him, but he also holds himself aloof, harboring secret untruths that  he needs to share so he can finally be free.

When Sean and Liam find wives and ready-made families and start to have kids of their own, Cash discovers that he's pretty good at playing doting uncle. (Insert toe-curling swoons here, because that man's interaction with children is....thud!) He's pretty messed up from childhood trauma though, and he's decided that he's not cut out to be a family man. Enter Holly with her infant niece, Penny, who just happens to be Cash's daughter. Or so she claims.

What follows is a thrilling emotional roller-coaster of  pure reading delight! The complexities of Cash and Holly's relationship. Little Penny's struggles after a rough start in life. Holly's fierce independence that makes her seem stand-offish. They both have trust issues, strong opinions and a fierce love for Penny. And then there's all the other stuff happening around town. Completely riveting. I read with my heart in my throat right through to the end. And what a blockbuster ending!

If you are looking for an epic Christmas romance, Low Country Christmas definitely belongs on your Santa list!

Sidenote: While this isn't a Christian Fiction selection, it is a clean (and not-to-be-missed) read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Low Country 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 5 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Low Country Dreams

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN
LOW COUNTRY DREAMS

Return to Safe Haven, where a new beginning with your first love is only a heartbeat away.

Yasmin Tanner has devoted her life to making other people's dreams come true. But between running Safe Haven's women's shelter and caring for her brother, the long days -- and lonely nights -- are catching up with her...until Officer Liam O'Dwyer knocks on her door. She had good reasons for breaking Liam's heart all those years ago, but that hasn't made sharing their small town any easier. She's missed him -- that's painfully clear to her now. But that's not the only secret she's keeping from him.

Ever since Yasmin left, Liam has kept his head down and his chin up. But when a woman from Yasmin's shelter goes missing, leaving her teenage son alone, it hits home for Liam. He'll do whatever it takes to reunite this family...even work closely with the one woman he can't forget. Yet as late summer days turn into cozy autumn nights rekindling the past, Liam suspects yasmin is hiding something. And where her loyalties fall could mean the difference between lost love and a second chance at forever.

My Review:

I enjoyed the first book in the Safe Haven series (one of last week's giveaways) so much that I raced back to the library and managed to get my hands on book 2. Love that the books in this series are being released so close together. The third one will be out in September and it looks to be a doozy! But let's concentrate on Yasmin and Liam for now. What an angst-riddled second chance (if we can claw our way through all that aforementioned angst) love story!  And a stellar cast of secondary characters plus lots of brotherly love and a suspense element. This book kept me hopping right to the very last page. Again, it's not a Christian fiction selection but it is a clean read. I love the way the author tackles some tough subjects with compassion and grace.

Side-note: There's the continuation of a secondary character plot point from the first book that's resolved in this one but the author does a great job of catching new-to-the-series readers up to speed so Low Country Dreams could be read as a standalone. Rita's story will make more of an emotional impact though, if you've read Low Country Hero.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Low Country Dreams, 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 July 6 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Low Country Hero

GIVEAWAY

MCCLAIN, LEE TOBIN
LOW COUNTRY HERO

Welcome to Safe Haven, where love -- and a second chance -- is just around the corner...

Sunny, carefree days splashing in the ocean -- it's the life Anna George has always wanted for her five-year-old twins. And now that they've made it to Safe Haven, South Carolina, she won't let anyone stand in her way. Not the abusive ex she's just escaped and not the rugged contractor who caught her setting up house in the shattered beachfront cabins he's refurbishing. When he offers Anna and her daughters a place to stay in exchange for her help with renovations, she's tempted. His gentle way with her girls makes her want to trust him, but she's been wrong before...

A family is the last thing contractor and former military man Sean O'Dwyer wants right now. But when he discovers Anna and her girls, he recognizes kindred spirits. They're survivors who've seen the worst of people, just like he has, and he'll do anything he can to help them. As he and Anna spend their days bringing the cottages back to life and their nights sharing kisses in the warm bayou breezes, Sean must choose between the life he always wanted and the family he can't live without.

My Review:

I was familiar with Lee Tobin McClain as a Love Inspired author so when I saw this book at my public library I scooped it up and started reading. Then I had to check it out. Of course. It's very much like a Love Inspired book except I'd define it as more of a sizzling sweet romance...with lots of zzzzzz's in that sizzle! lol Still a clean read but the romantic tension is heart fluttering and temperature rising!

And woohoo -- this is the first book in her new Safe Haven series and McClain has done a superb job of setting up the town and the O'Dwyer clan (hello -- two blood brothers and a very intriguing foster brother!) Loved the longer length of the novel (as compared to a LI) which allowed the author to really flesh everything out. I don't like heat and humidity but I'm all ready to moved down to Safe Haven, South Carolina because I am totally sold on this community of caring neighbours! If only it wasn't fictional!

Angst with a capital 'A', toe-curling romance and a plot with some surprising twists all conspire to make this a glorious page-turner of a read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Low Country Hero, 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 June 29 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!