Maybe It's You

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO RE-READ DAY!

CALVERT, CANDACE
MAYBE IT'S YOU

Nurse Sloane Ferrell escaped her risky past -- new name, zip code, job, and a fresh start. She's finally safe. If she avoids a paper trail and doesn't let people get too close. Like the hospital's too-smooth marketing man with his relentless campaign to plaster one 'lucky' employee's face on freeway billboards.

Micah Prescott's goal is to improve the Hope hospital image, but his role as a volunteer crisis responder is closer to his heart. The selfless work helps fill a void in his life left by family tragedy. So does a tentative new relationship with the compassionate, beautiful, and elusive Sloane Ferrell.

Then a string of brutal crimes makes headlines, summons responders...and exposes disturbing details of Sloane's past.

Can hope spring from crisis?

My Review:

Published in 2017

So, I was trying to restore order to my contemporary shelves and got as far as the Cs because...this book! I was so sad when Candace Calvert announced her retirement. She had-this-one-of-a-kind  medical drama with oodles of romance and a heap-full of faith thing going on and there's no one else like her! She wrote about tough life issues with grit and grace and her career as an ER nurse brought such depth and detail to her stories. Anyway, once I held this book in my hands I just knew I had to revisit Sloane's story. She gave me such grief in the series and it's fitting that this is the last book Calvert published. :-(

A medical drama that challenges and convicts.

Maybe It's You is the third book in the Crisis Team series. It reads like a standalone -- though if you have been keeping current you'll be all too familiar with Sloane. A prickly character with a gnarly reputation and a questionable past.

After finishing Step by Step (Book 2 in the series) did I really want to read an entire book dedicated to Sloane? Probably not if anyone but Candace Calvert was writing the story. But, thankfully, she is the author and she wooed me onto Team Sloane in pretty short order.

Yes this heroine is hot-headed and defensive and annoyingly aloof. But she's also an incredible nurse -- fiercely protective of her patients. Kind and compassionate, treating them all with equal respect. What a curious contrast between her personal life and professional one! And so much fodder for enthralling storytelling as Calvert slowly peels back the complicated layers that protect Sloane's fragile, broken heart.

By comparison, Micah seems to have it all together. Raised with the foundation of a strong Christian faith, he's working at a prestigious hospital marketing job while balancing volunteer hours as a crisis responder. But a past tragedy has chiseled some serious cracks in that solid foundation.

There are some interesting dynamics between this hero and heroine. Awkward. Fumbling. Hope thwarted by wariness. A tumultuous romance. The only way a relationship will ever work is if they are both brutally honest...but there's an equally good chance that will tear them apart instead. Talk about tension and emotional overload! I was in romance reading heaven!

Forgiveness and the true meaning of saving grace are at the heart of Sloane and Micah's journey. They have a lot to learn (as did this reader!) before faith can make them whole.

Delectable. Absorbing. Unforgettable. And a deliciously 'meaty' read -- 418 pages!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Maybe It's You, 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 February 15 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Unnatural Causes

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

EASTMAN, DAWN
UNNATURAL CAUSES

Katie LeClair has finally settled down as the new doctor in Baxter, Michigan. After years of moving, schooling, and training, she wants nothing more than to find a place she can call home, and a small town outside of Ann Arbor seems perfect.

Katie quickly gets to work on building a life for herself in Baxter, and beyond reviving her love life, she also finds a pair of business partners in a team of father and son family practitioners. But that idyllic dream is immediately shattered when one of her patients is found dead. That wouldn't be the worst thing, except the death is ruled a suicide, and as evidence has it, the suicide was a result of the medication Katie had prescribed. But she doesn't remember writing it.

When a closer investigation reveals it was murder, Katie is catapulted into an off-the-books investigation that leads her down a dark path of past secrets. But someone is willing to kill to keep part of the town's history in the shadows, and Katie must race to find out who before it's too late.

My Review;

published in 2017
Thanks to my public library for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

Eeep -- I'm super excited about this new-to-me mystery series. This is the first book in the Dr. Katie LeClair Mystery series and I love the fresh angle. No bookstore in sight -- instead we have a hospital and clinic setting and a physician heroine. Katie is new to small town life but she's in the perfect position to gain the trust and confidences of the town folk...so, of course, when a suspicious death raises questions, Katie can't help but investigate on her own. Love her relationship with Baxter's seasoned police chief who isn't her love interest. But there is one and he is mighty fine! Engaging secondary characters, awesome setting and an intriguing plot make this an exceptional mystery...not quite a cozy since it's missing a quirky pet...but sublime in every other way. :-)

*Please note: this is not a Christian Fiction selection but it is squeaky clean and a great read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like the chance to win a copy of Unnatural Causes, 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 22 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Maybe it's You

GIVEAWAY

CALVERT, CANDACE
MAYBE IT'S YOU

Nurse Sloane Ferrell escaped her risky past -- new name, zip code, job, and a fresh start. She's finally safe. If she avoids a paper trail and doesn't let people get too close. Like the hospital's too-smooth marketing man with his relentless campaign to plaster one 'lucky' employee's face on freeway billboards.

Micah Prescott's goal is to improve the Hope hospital image, but his role as a volunteer crisis responder is closer to his heart. The selfless work helps fill a void in his life left by family tragedy. So does a tentative new relationship with the compassionate, beautiful, and elusive Sloane Ferrell.

Then a string of brutal crimes makes headlines, summons responders...and exposes disturbing details of Sloane's past.

Can hope spring from crisis?

My Review:

A medical drama that challenges and convicts.

Maybe It's You is the third book in the Crisis Team series. It reads like a standalone -- though if you have been keeping current you'll be all too familiar with Sloane. A prickly character with a gnarly reputation and a questionable past.

After finishing Step by Step (Book 2 in the series) did I really want to read an entire book dedicated to Sloane? Probably not if anyone but Candace Calvert was writing the story. But, thankfully, she is the author and she wooed me onto Team Sloane in pretty short order.

Yes this heroine is hot-headed and defensive and annoyingly aloof. But she's also an incredible nurse -- fiercely protective of her patients. Kind and compassionate, treating them all with equal respect. What a curious contrast between her personal life and professional one! And so much fodder for enthralling storytelling as Calvert slowly peels back the complicated layers that protect Sloane's fragile, broken heart.

By comparison, Micah seems to have it all together. Raised with the foundation of a strong Christian faith, he's working at a prestigious hospital marketing job while balancing volunteer hours as a crisis responder. But a past tragedy has chiseled some serious cracks in that solid foundation.

There are some interesting dynamics between this hero and heroine. Awkward. Fumbling. Hope thwarted by wariness. A tumultuous romance. The only way a relationship will ever work is if they are both brutally honest...but there's an equally good chance that will tear them apart instead. Talk about tension and emotional overload! I was in romance reading heaven!

Forgiveness and the true meaning of saving grace are at the heart of Sloane and Micah's journey. They have a lot to learn (as did this reader!) before faith can make them whole.

Delectable. Absorbing. Unforgettable. And a deliciously 'meaty' read -- 418 pages!

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Maybe it's You please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you post a comment and add your email address please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so it's easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 19 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Step by Step

GIVEAWAY

CALVERT, CANDACE
STEP BY STEP

Three years after a tragic accident left her a widow, ER nurse Taylor Cabot is determined to move on, checking off one item on her Survival List after another. Her relationship with a handsome plastic surgeon even gives her hope for the last point -- 'fall in love again.' At least until crisis chaplain Seth Donovan, reawakening unanswered questions about her husband's death.

While in San Diego to train community volunteers, Seth hopes to learn why Taylor is backing away from the crisis team and from their friendship. But nothing prepares him for the feelings that arise when he sees Taylor again...and sees her moving on with another man.

When a community crisis hits home and puts lives at risk, emotions run high and buried truths are unearthed. Will hope make the Survival List?

My Review:

Oh, I do so love the way Candace Calvert delves into the rawness of real life. She doesn't hold back any punches but she also laces her stories with faith-fueled hope. Step By Step is just such a book.

Life is complicated -- especially when you are struggling to move on after a profound loss. Both Taylor and Seth are doing just that with varying degrees of success. Complicated lives lead to complicated relationships and that would be an understatement where these two are concerned. Rich dialogue carries emotion through every scene. Taylor with her pre-planning and constant list checking. Seth with his heart to follow where God leads no matter how uncomfortable that might be. The angst of their love story plays out against the chaotic backdrop of a bustling hospital.

I found the Crisis Response details particularly fascinating. Not sure if we have similar programs in Canada but I can see the huge benefit the volunteer team members would bring to a myriad of tough situations. Brings an extra edge to an already gripping story.

Soul-stirring and faith-bending from start to finish. A breathtaking read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Step by Step please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday August 7 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!