Sunburst

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY

SUNBURST

When former Navy SEAL and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother, Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.

Noemi Sutton was attempted to return a young girl to her family in Book-Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage along with several others.

And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he'll need Noemi's help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.

Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a Nigerian wedding -- binding Noemi to a man destined to break her heart. Worse, she's discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross fire, including her husband.

My Review:

When Tracey tells me to read a book, I pay attention, even though I'm behind in Susan May Warren's books. I did read the first one in this Sky Ranch series but I have gaping holes in previous books and some of those characters feature here in Ranger and Noemi's story. Not enough that I lost the plot, more like I felt a bit sulky because I've been missing out. lol

If you like adventure notched up to the nth degree with an ex-Navy SEAL hero and an equally as tough heroine then Sunburst is definitely the book for you. Especially if you enjoy a side of toe-curling romance along with all that danger and intrigue! Oh, and you have to be a fan of having your tummy twisted into knots and your heart bludgeoned all in the name of true love. :-)

And the situations Susan May Warren puts her characters through! These poor, tortured souls! I winced and groaned and gritted my teeth and reminded myself to b-r-e-a-t-h-e. Deliciously excruciating. 

Love the Kingston clan -- the brotherly antics, the way they have each other's back even after the hard things that have happened in the past. Mending broken relationships with a father who has never stopped praying for each one of his sons. And the wise counsel he shares at pivotal times.

"You asked how I know everything is going to be okay. The answer is because every time my world gets darker, I see God more."

An action-packed page-turner rich in culture and diversity...and humour! I forgot to mention the humour and how it crops up at the most surprising times. Lovely way to cut through some of that tension...and keep a reader off-balance 'cause she never knows what's coming next. The kind of reading experience that leaves you feeling bereft when it's finally over...

Only it's really not over. Warren has included a sucker-punch of an epilogue that segues into Colt's story and it can't release fast enough for me!

Goal Update: #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 Sunburst, 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 16 2022 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Sunrise

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY

SUNRISE

Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him.

That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan -- a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her.

When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her...

Will Dodge be able to find her in time?  And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?

Sunrise is the first explosive volume in a new nail-biting series from USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren.

My Review:

Reunion romance steeped in angst the way only Susan May Warren can deliver it! Every character has a story of hardship and loss mirrored by the stark Alaskan wilderness. There's absolutely no doubt about the setting between bush pilots, dogsledders, Grizzlies and punishing weather -- all add to the lure of adventure and pile up some external angst to go along with the internal kind.

Great faith conversations dealing with everything from forgiveness to trusting God with your future. I was especially touched by the power of a father's prayers to bring his son home in God's timing. Lots of solid life lessons within these pages.

I'm several series behind on Warren's books and I did get the feeling that the Sky King Ranch series might be a spin-off from another series? We're introduced to a ton of townsfolk -- way over a dozen -- in the first few chapters and it seemed like an info dump to me, though I expect it would be a fabulous catch up for Warren fans who are current with her work. But, if you're like me and have missed a number of her adventure series, rest assured that the story settles around a manageable number of characters early on so, just go with the flow as a newbie in town until you get your bearings, that's what I did. :-)

And be forewarned: you'll be left dangling from more than one cliffhanger by the time you reach the end...which is really only the beginning. Hopefully, the rest of the books are released in quick succession.

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 Sunrise, 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 February 5 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Ford

 

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

WARREN, SUSAN MAY

FORD

Family...country...or the woman he loves...

Navy Seal Ford Marshall isn't the kind to stand by and let a woman get hurt -- especially when it involves his twin sister, RJ. So, when she makes the news, accused of sparking an international incident, he doesn't care what it takes -- he's going to find her and bring her home.

But he might need a little help, so he calls on the woman who has had his back during the last three years -- Petty Officer Scarlett Hathaway, former communications expert-turned Rescue Swimmer candidate. She'll help him get into the country, watch his back, and...well, they might be able to have one last mission together before she leaves for a new life, a life he very much wants to be a part of now that she is off his team. Maybe he can convince her to give them a chance to kindle the spark that's simmered between them for years. 

Scarlett Hathaway isn't sure what future she wants -- not when she suddenly has to care for her little brother. Maybe she should quit the Navy and start life with the man she can't help Ford find his sister. And maybe, along the way, figure out if they have a future.

But finding RJ somewhere in the vastness of Russia with the FSB chasing them will push Scarlett beyond even her courage and make her question everything she thought she wanted...including Ford. What will it cost her to love a man who saves the world?

And when Ford is asked to choose between saving his sister, saving the world from a war, and rescuing the woman he loves...can he live with his decision?

My Review:

Forget my usual edge-of-your seat descriptors 'cause you won't be sitting down for this action-packed, swoon-a-licious read. If you're like me, you'll be collapsed on your fainting couch or breathing into a paper bag...or both at the same time! 

Once again Susan May Warren has bound me up in her story telling spell and I'm not quite ready to shake my way free from the delicious bibliophile afterglow. And, hooray me, I still have two Marshall novels to read so I don't have to say goodbye to this wild and crazy clan just yet. 

I love the way the author gives some quality page time to RJ and York, setting the stage for the next book...well the book after the next book because Warren likes to make her readers suffer through agonies of anticipation. In fact, she likes to make her characters suffer just as much, and, mercy but Ford and Scarlett have to work through a lot before they can look forward to a happily ever after!

High stakes espionage. Complicated layers of deceit to work through. Intense danger at every turn. It's the kind of plot stuff that keeps a reader glued to the page. Especially when it's broken up by intensely sweet moments of toe-curling romance. Happy sigh. 

And God bless Susan May Warren for her audacious penchant for weaving a strong faith thread into every story. In Ford, Scarlett struggles with finding God in all the hard places. In fact, she's been waiting for Him to show up her whole life without realizing He has been leading the way all along. Moving and inspiring -- just the kind of message I need to remember as I stumble on the rocky path of my own faith walk. 

Another Epic Warren Read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Ford, 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 3 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

WARREN, SUSAN MAY

OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL

She kept him alive in his darkest hour...

CJ St. John never dreamed his epic summer as a smokejumper would end with a harrowing plane crash -- one that crushed his pelvis and rendered him nearly an invalid. He wouldn't have made it through the dark night of pain and danger without brave fellow smokejumper Hannah Butcher. In fact, if he were to admit it, he probably fell in love with her that night.

He gave her the courage to reach for her dreams...

Hannah Butcher had dreamed of being a smokejumper for years -- but dreaming and doing are vastly different. During rookie camp, she would have given up if it hadn't been for CJ St. John urging her on. She probably fell in love with him then -- but especially when he held her hand and kept her calm during their terrifying survival.

A winter storm awakens their memories -- fears...

When Hannah discovers that CJ plans on skipping out on their mutual friends' wedding, she knows he's been lying to her about his recovery -- and determined to give him the same stubborn encouragement he's given her by forcing him to attend. But when a blizzard detours them, and worse, they're run off the road, they'll have to face their darkest fears to survive. A Christmas story about the miracles that happen when the weather outside becomes frightful.

Note: If you picked up this title in the Candy Cane Kisses Christmas Anthology, this is an extended version! Discover how CJ and Hannah fell in love...and continue their story after the storm is over!

My Review:

During these tumultuous times, I take comfort in the few constancies available to me  -- like being able to count on Susan May Warren to mercilessly torture her characters (and me) even during the holiday season. :-) Heart warming Christmas fare? Definitely not! There are so many 'yikes' and 'ouch' and oh 'nooooooo' moments that I continually embarrassed myself as I listened to the audible version of Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful on my neighbourhood walks. My tormented gasps and harried squeals got the attention of passersby who thought I'd injured myself somehow. (I have a disability and walk with either Nordic Poles or a walker so their concern was logical...and kinda sweet.) I kept having to explain that my pain went much deeper than bone and muscle, that it was my heart in peril thanks to the cunning imagination of one very cagey author. :-)

So, be prepared for a few yuletide sucker punches and plenty of angst as Hannah and CJ come to grips with the clashing of life's perils and heart's desire.And if you're a Warren fan, you'll see many familiar faces along the way. In fact, this edition has bonus content that wasn't in the novella collection Candy Cane Kisses published in 2016. I haven't read the Montana Fire series yet, but I'm guessing the bonus content comes in the form of flashbacks to that fateful plane crash, which, I'm also guessing was told in one of the novel's from different character's viewpoints. This is all CJ and Hannah muddling their way through uncertainty and hardship as they make their comebacks -- both individually and as a team of the happily-ever-after variety.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful, 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 3 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Tate

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
TATE

Personal security guard, Tate Marshall, has always been the family troublemaker. Maybe it's his propensity to get entangled in other people's  problems. Now, he's in over his head because he's desperately in love with the woman he's tasked to protect, the beautiful Gloria, 'Glo' Jackson, daughter of US Senator and presidential hopeful Reba Jackson. A member of the country band, the Yankee Belles, Glo was targeted in a recent terrorist attack designed to deter her mother from running, and Tate will do anything to keep her safe. Even if it means letting her go.

Stubborn and brave, Glo isn't about to hide from threats, at least the kind that won't cost her heart. She's already paid a terrible price for the war on terror, and she refuses to fall for a man who might die, especially because of her.

As the presidential campaign heats up and the threats deepen, so does the attraction between Tate and Glo. But what will it cost Tate to keep her alive? And what will Glo do to keep from losing another man she loves?

My Review:

Well, I need a straightening iron for my curled toes after sizzling my way through this read! Mercy, but these Marshall brothers are heart-palpitating heroes! And not only do we get Tate in this one, we get to spend a bit of quality page time with Ford (and Scarlett) as well. They're up next in the third Montana Marshalls book. Remind me to stock up on ice cubes, fans and new springs for my fainting couch!

Warren's trademark grit and faith with a healthy dose of family drama made this a frenzy of a page-turner. Have to admit that the violence in the first scene had me squirming and I almost put the book down except for the fact that so many of my Good Read friends have waxed poetic over Tate's story so I persisted and am I ever glad I did! I don't think I've ever yearned -- like right-down-to-my-toes-smitten -- for a hero and heroine to reach their happy ending.

And I love the way the author wove a faith thread through all that chaos. "You don't need to do anything to get God's attention. You had it before you were born."  Glo's struggle to finally accept herself as worthy of love and Tate's battle with specters from his past provide some goosebumping 'aha' moments that enriched the read all the more.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Tate, 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 March 21 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Knox

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
KNOX 

Montana rancher Knox Marshall's danger years are behind him. A former bull-rider, he now runs the Marshall family ranch, raising champion bucking bulls for the National Professional Bullrider's Expo (NBR-X). Wealth and success are his, but life is stable, expected, and...ordinary. He can't help but wonder if his best years are behind him.

Kelsey Jones just wants a safe life, a family, a home. Onstage, the beautiful rising star of the Yankee Belles becomes the person she longs to be -- vivacious and confident -- burying the brokenness she carries from a violent assault. Becoming NBR-X's next country act is key to outrunning her past and achieving the success and security she craves.

Knox and Kelsey's paths collide when an explosion at an NBR-X event traps them in the rubble and leaves them reeling. Kelsey's crippling nightmares return, but for Knox, an obsession to find the bomber is ignited.

When Kelsey's past threatens Knox's family, he'll have to choose between saving the Marshall legacy or becoming the protector he's always longed to be.

The explosive beginning to the Montana Marshall series.

My Review:

So yes, I'm late to the Montana Marshalls party, but better late than never, right?! And book one is chock full of the kind of angst-riddled family drama that Warren does so well. She barely gives her reader's a chance to breathe let alone reach for comfort chocolate! Intense from the very first page -- both with the suspense and the romance and the family dynamics and brother Tate and...well...you might just need to pace your reading withe some zen yoga moves in order to make it safely to the end.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Knox, 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 January 3 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Wait For Me

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
WAIT FOR ME

Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiance. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job has cost lives, and Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, be it seems he's no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn't get worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness -- with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he's learned to find Jess and Esme -- and pray that his past mistakes don't cost him the life of the woman he can't stop loving.

My Review:

"He wasn't looking for trouble, but if Pete didn't act right now, at least one person was going to die." And so it begins -- the much anticipated/dreaded conclusion to Susan May Warren's Montana Rescue series. I'm in an addlepated stupor of bookish proportions but will try to rally long enough to write this review.

So Jess....gah! And Pete...whimper. And Jess and Pete...I can't even...I mean, honestly -- I adore Pete. I'm madly in love with Pete. I kept telling Pete, "Forget about Jess. I'm right here. Ready to make all your dreams come true!" But did he pay me any attention? Pffft. Sigh. I guess I can cut him some slack with all the bullet-flying-car-crashing-cliff-dangling etc. distractions Warren placed in his way. Clearly he had more on his mind than one simpering, swoony reader fangirling all over him but it still cuts.

And that Jess --- I. Have. No. Words. Well, expect, maybe to say that if any heroine in all the fictional heroines in the world ever deserved a good purse whomping -- it's Jess Tagg. And I would have followed through except that Warren did her own diabolical version of purse whomping in multiple harrowing ways so I felt sorry for Jess and gave her a pass. :-)

The whole Montana Rescue crew makes multiple appearances in this sixth and final installment which was scrumptious but leaves me with one burning question: What is it with all these long engagements you guys?!

As always, Warren deftly weaves an inspirational thread through the chaos and mayhem which actually makes it all the more poignant. "Yeah. I'm talking about God's love, Pete. You gotta start trusting in God's love for you. For Jess. Lean into it. Let it change you. Let it set you free." 

A breath-snatching, tail-spinning, mind-blowing conclusion to one of my favourite series! I'm still feeling a bit shell-shocked but I'd go through every nerve wracking moment all over again. In fact, I likely will because this set goes on my keeper shelf to be enjoyed again at some future date.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Wait for Me, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email ot 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 January 19 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Storm Front

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
STORM FRONT

Life and love hang in the balance during a deadly summer of storms.

A tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community and among the missing are not only a group of students but also PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved -- and lost -- walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine.

A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasters, Brette Arnold didn't expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked -- no, ran -- from over a year ago. She had her reasons -- good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn't the kind of man to give up -- not on the missing students or on her.

My Review:

Internal dialogue between Heart and Mind before I begin reading Storm Front.

Mind: Ohhhh...Susan May Warren. We love this author!
Heart: Sniffle
Mind: And it's the Montana Rescue series. Maybe we'll get to finally find out what happens with Jess and Pete.
Heart: (moaning over the faint skippity-skip beat of palpitations) Noooooooo. I'm still bruised from the last time.
Mind: But we have to keep up with the PEAK Rescue gang...
Heart: (skipping a beat and lurching into an unsteady thump..thumpity...thump) My wounds haven't healed from the last book we read. I'm scarred for life after all the shenanigans in Troubled Waters.
Mind: Exactly why we need to read this one. To put you at ease.
Heart: I don't think Susan May Warren is concerned with easing heartbreak. She's more about diabolically skewering the most tender organ in the body and letting us bleed out in a writhing mass of agonizing angst.
Mind: Ouch. That's harsh.
Heart: But true.
Mind: Okay, so maybe you've got a point, but we're going to read Storm Front anyway, right?
Heart: (whimpering) Easy for you to say, you're not the one who has to feel your way through a story. You just have to process information. You've got no heart, Mind!
Mind: Which is why I have you. We're a team and speaking of which, it's time for us to team up with our favourite team...
Heart: (groaning) You don't have to sound so cheerful about gutting me.
Mind: (wheedling) There'll be kissing scenes.
Heart: (blood pumping in a rush as she perks up) Oooohhh...well, maybe it won't be as traumatic this time...but you have to promise that we'll stop if it gets too heart bludgeoning.
Mind: Absolutely! I've got your back, Heart. (she says with her fingers crossed)

"God doesn't promise to keep the storms away, but he says he'll be with me through it. My faith won't protect me from the loss, but it will carry me and keep me from despair." (p 195)

What a tumultuous tempest of a read!  The parallels between real storms and the internal ones the characters wrestle with made a huge impact. Strips away the false facades to reveal the truth in all it's raw and wonderful glory.

Ty and Brette's love story might just be my favourite of the series (and not just because it looks like they actually get their HEA!) I think it comes from the brokenness in Brette and the way Ty doesn't run from it. They reconnect after she's come through a horrible ordeal and she doesn't know if it's finally over. She's survived by building walls around herself and the idea of knocking them down and allowing herself to be vulnerable is beyond her comprehension. Even if it's Ty on the other side of the wall.

Brette's battle within herself is so moving. As Kacey tells her at one point: "You have to stop seeing yourself through the eyes of your disaster and start seeing the woman you've become." (p 150) But Brette is grieving the loss of the pre-disaster woman and can't see the beauty in the one looking her in the mirror.

And Ty...Hero qualities galore. He's not perfect and he puts his foot in his mouth more than once when he tries to breach that wall around Brette. But he's steadfast. Unmoving. A prayer warrior. "And his heart said that someday, Brette would stop running. And when she did, he'd be standing there, waiting." (p 145)

But, oh mercy, is there angst and fear and danger and confusion! And heart palpitating kisses!!! Fainting couches and chocolate will be a necessity for this read. And you might want to grab some baby aspirin for your heart -- just in case -- because another pair of characters gave me conniptions -- I was like "Seriously, we're here again? Have you two learned nothing the past oh...what three years or so? " I almost washed my hands of them for once and for all. But then he...and she...and they...and, sigh, I melted like butter on a hot griddle. Again.

So I've made it nearly to the end of Storm Front and think I might just exit with my heart intact and then the cliffhanger ending happens! Noooo, seriously, Susan May Warren, you're just going to leave it there? I'm in such a tizzy now. I'd be really steamed except book 6, Wait for Me comes out in November. Phew! I think I can hang on that long. Maybe. With some intensive bibliotherapy sessions to help me make it through the next few months.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Storm Front, leave a comment below or email me at kavuvstoreadATyahooDOTca. 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 September 2 018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Troubled Waters

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
TROUBLED WATERS

With their past tearing them apart, it will take a storm to bring them together...

Billionaire Ian Shaw can have everything he wants -- except a happy ending. Or at least that's what it feels like with his fortune recently liquidated, his niece missing, and the woman he loves refusing to speak to him. Despite her love for Ian, Sierra Rose knows he has no room in his life for her as long as the mystery of his missing niece goes unsolved. Sierra has solved it, but a promise to the girl to keep her whereabouts secret has made it impossible to be around Ian.

When Sierra needs funds to repair the damaged PEAK chopper, Ian offers a fundraising junket for large donors on his yacht in the Caribbean. But the leisurely excursion turns into a nightmare when a rogue wave cripples the yacht and Ian and Sierra find themselves washed up on a strange, empty shore.

It will take guts for the PEAK team to rescue the duo. But it will take a miracle to rescue Ian and Sierra's relationship.

My Review:

"I recognize that look. Defeat. Broken and at the end of yourself." (p 321) That perfectly describes me all through this book! Bwahahaha! Seriously tummy-tied-in-pretzel-knots emotional angst of a read. Warren put this romance-loving reader through her paces with not one but two heart-crushing love stories.

And once again I'm left clamoring for more when it comes to Jess and Pete. Honestly, those two are killing me!!! This might be a good place to recommend reading the Montana Rescue books in order since relationships carry over from one book to the next. You could read Troubled Waters as a standalone, but you will feel ever excruciating nuance more if you've been following the team from the very beginning. :-)

So, back to Pete and Jess who have been dancing around each other forever (or so it seems) and they did make some toe-curling, fainting couch swoonworthy progress...until Warren slammed them with harsh reality. Sigh. It shouldn't bother me so much, I know. They are only fictional characters --oh, who am I kidding? There is no 'only' when it comes to the people this author brings to life in her books. And it looks like Pete and Jess (and me) will have to wait a while longer to get our happily ever after. Sigh.

But I can be okay with that (somewhat) because Ian and Sierra finally wrangle their way back to each other. Oy. My heart hurt soooooo much for them! Sierra, bound by an impossible sense of honor and loving Ian so completely and deeply for so long. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is so openly vulnerable that everyone notices...except Ian. Gah! He's his own worst enemy. Compulsively organizing everything because he needs to be in control. All the time. He has to learn to let go and find God before any of us have a hope of healing Sierra's broken heart.

Once again Susan May Warren dazzles with intense, faith-fueled and action-packed romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Troubled Waters, 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 for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 22 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

A Matter of Trust

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
A MATTER OF TRUST

It's those we love who have the power to hurt us most...

Champion backcountry snowboarder Gage Watson has left the limelight behind after the death of one of his fans. After being sued for negligence and stripped of his sponserships, he's remade his life as a ski patrol in Montana's rugged mountains, as well as serving on the PEAK Rescue team. But he can't seem to find his footing -- or forget the woman who betrayed him.

Senator and former attorney Ella Blair spends much of her time in the public eye as one of the youngest senators in the country. But she has a secret -- one that cost Gage his career. More than anything, she wants to atone for her betrayal of him in the courtroom and find a way to help him put his career back on track.

When Ella's brother goes missing on one of Glacier National Park's most dangerous peaks, Gage and his team are called in for the rescue. But Gage isn't so sure he wants to help the woman who destroyed his life. More, when she insists on joining the search, he'll have to keep her safe while finding her reckless brother -- a recipe for disaster when a snowstorm hits the mountain.

Book Three of the Mountain Rescue series.

My Review:

Nail-biting adventure high on a mountain top makes for a page turning read. You'll want to bundle up before you start in reading A Matter of Trust because most of it takes place in the frigid outdoors. Brrrrr. Mind you, having Gage around to keep you warm is a real plus. :-)

If you're familiar with this series, you've already met Gage and I have to admit to being really anxious for his story though surprised that it turned up in Book 3. I really expected Pete and Jess to take centre stage this time, based on the lead in from Book 2, but Warren delivers us some more foreshadowed angst where those two are concerned in this story. As well as even more romantic angst involving Ty. Oy, I will be on pins and needles until every member of the PEAK Rescue Teams finds their happily ever after. Lot's of delightful reading anticipation for me! And you -- hopefully.

Having said all that -- you could read A Matter of Trust as a standalone...but this series is so awesome with its realistic characters and action-packed adventures and toe-curling romance that you should really read the books in order. Plus there's a bit of a mystery that has been on the back burner in these first books that is going to amp up as the series progresses. Might as well get in on the emotional roller-coaster from the very start!

As in the other books in this series, Warren has woven an exceptional inspirational thread throughout her characters lives. Both Gage and Ella struggle with the need to be in control. It affects their lives in different ways until their journey in the wilderness leads them to face some hard truths. "And suddenly, despite the cold, a knot began to unravel in his chest. He could almost feel it -- the full breath of grace filling his lungs." (p 280) There are always so many great takeaway quotes in Susan May Warren's books and that one shot a thrill right through me.

This winning combination of romance and adventure makes for the kind of book you don't want to put down until you reach the end...which is kind of a cliffhanger...and whatever you do, don't read the teaser for the fourth book that comes at the end of this one -- not if you want to sleep from now until Troubled Waters releases in January!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Matter of Trust, 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 at the title to your subject line so it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 5 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Rescue Me

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
RESCUE ME

When Deputy Sam Brooks commits to something, nothing can sway him -- not just on the job but in his private life. He's the one who stuck around to take care of his mother after his father's accidental death. And he's the one -- perhaps the only one -- who believes Sierra Rose is the perfect girl for him. Safe, practical, and organized, she's nothing like her hippie, impulsive, bleeding-heart sister, Willow.

Willow, however, has been in love with Sam Brooks for as long as she can remember. But she wants her sister to have a happy ending. Besides, Willow has other things to focus on -- namely, nabbing the job of her dreams. Best thing for her to do is to purge Sam from her heart.

Neither can predict the events that will bring them together in a fight for their lives in the forbidding wilderness of Glacier National Park. Stranded, injured, and with the winter weather closing in, Sam and Willow will have to work together to save a crew of terrified teenagers. As they fight to survive, they might just discover a new hope for love.

My Review:

Susan May Warren delivers another heart-stopping, angst-riddled romance that kept me both yearning and dreading reaching the last page. And now that I have, I am in a bit of a reader funk...but not for long because Book Three, A Matter of Trust, comes out in just one month! Anticipation is mounting! I love the members of the PEAK Rescue Team and I won't be satisfied until I have the scoop on each and every one of them.

Free-spirited Willow with her unorthodox upbringing and unrequited love drew me in right from the start. Her past is an emotional minefield that has her feeling 'less than'. She has yet to figure out that it's okay to be a work in progress...especially in God's Kingdom.

Deputy Sam Brooks is definitely hero material -- in a flawed kind of way. He's the guy you can always count on.The take action, fix-it kind of guy...but he's also the one who needs to be in control and there's a boulder size chip on his shoulder which complicates all his relationships -- especially with his kid brother, Pete. (Insert happy swoon here because the author gives us a delectable peek into Pete's love life...well, the potential for one which is sure to be fleshed out in a future book...pretty please Ms. Warren.)

I so appreciate the solid inspirational thread that winds its way throughout these characters lives...and consequently into mine. Both Willow and Sam are Christians but, like all of us, they are in need of divine rescuing. Harsh circumstances refine them as individuals and as a couple and there are so many wonderful faith discussions that ministered to me in a powerful way. Exactly what I love to find in a Christian Fiction novel.

A stupendous addition to the Montana Rescue series (which reads really well as a standalone, by the way. All the books do.)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Rescue Me, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you include your email address in your comment, please remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw to via email, please add the title to the subject line so that it's easier for me to see your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday June 11 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Tying the Knot

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
TYING THE KNOT

Anne Lundstrom is running from her past. But it's about to catch up.

Anne thought she'd escaped her painful memories when she left her job as an EMT and moved out of the city into the quiet town of Deep Haven. She certainly never expected to get roped into helping Noah Standing Bear run his summer camp for inner-city kids. Yet Noah has a charisma she can't ignore, and romance is in the air.

But when the very danger she was trying to escape threatens her peaceful haven -- and her life -- Anne must find the courage to face her fears and embrace the one man who can help her understand her past.

My Review:

Originally published in 2003.

I think this is one of the earliest Christian Fiction novels I've read so far and I noticed a few differences in the genre now that more than a decade has passed. The most obvious is the solid inspirational thread that boldly shares faith and scripture throughout the read. It's not overdone or preachy, but it is deeply embedded in the text. There is no way you can mistake this for anything but a Christian novel. One of my favourite takeaways in that respect is this gem of wisdom: "God doesn't deal in fair. He deals in hope." (p 277)

And despite some dire circumstances and painful pasts, that's what Anne and Noah's story delivers. Hope. And goodness, are they ever in need of it. This hero and heroine are definitely heading in opposite life directions. They are miles apart on all the important stuff. Made me wonder how on earth are these two going to come together for their happily after? Well, Warren makes them work for it, let me tell you!

An emotionally-charged roller coaster of a read that will leave you blissfully satisfied by the end...if a little worse for wear :-)

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Tying the Knot 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 March 26 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

You're the One That I Want

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT

Owen Christiansen has been on a downward spiral since an injury ended his NHL career. But a job on an Alaskan crabbing boat offers a fresh start...maybe even a shot at romance with Elise `Scotty` McFlynn, the captain`s daughter.

Used to being one of the guys, to never relying on anyone, Scotty doesn`t believe in happily ever after -- especially with someone like Owen. Her instinct is confirmed when Caspar Christiansen arrives to drag his prodigal brother home, bringing with him a truckload of family drama -- and even worse, the news that Caspar is wanted for questioning in connection to a crime back in Minnesota.

But Owen is more than the sum of his mistakes, a truth both he and Scotty discover when she escorts the brothers home to Deep Haven as part of her new job on the Anchorage police force. Thrust into an unfamiliar world of family, faith and fresh starts, Scotty begins to see potential for a happy ending...if she`s brave enough to embrace it.

My Review:

The last Christiansen novel! (she gasps, heaving a shuddering sigh). And I might have the hiccoughs from a recent crying jag too. Because my poor heart has been pummeled and tossed around like a piece of flying pizza dough. Because...well...this is the last Christiansen novel and it`s a gut-wrenching one.

Warren knows how to deliver deep emotional angst mixed with the sweet wonder of grace. I breathed in every single word, savoring the force that is the Christiansen family. Scotty describes the sensation the best -- "The family wave had simply washed over her, like a ship at sea." (p.175)

If you are familiar with this series you know that Owen has been a bit of a wild child and he is struggling to cope with the repercussions of his mistakes. A bad boy who has finally turned back to God but doesn`t have it all figured out yet. He`s still incorrigible. A flirt. Full of boyish charm. Impulsive.

Everything Scotty is not. Tough and capable, she has an unorthodox background and very little experience with the inner workings of a family. She`s both fascinated and terrified by the Christiansen clan. And Warren blesses her readers by bringing them all together one last time. Sniffle. These characters will have a special place in my heart forever.

I laughed. I cried. I raged. There`s a mystery to be solved. Relationships to mend. Peace to restore. And the kind of romance that curls toes and makes a fainting couch a reading necessity. Not to mention a certain delectable kissing scene that fogged up my glasses. Oh -- and the best title tie-in EVER!

A scrumptious read full of love and laughter...and an abundance of angst. A perfect conclusion to The Christiansen Family series.

Giveaway Opportunity:
 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of You're the One that I Want 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 January 29 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Wonder of You

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
THE WONDER OF YOU

Mortified after her year abroad is cut short, Amelia Christiansen returns to Deep Haven, certain she isn't brave enough to embrace the adventures she's dreamed of. The last thing she expects is for the man who broke her heart to cross the Atlantic and beg forgiveness.

Heir to a European hotel dynasty, Roark St. John has trekked from one exotic locale to another, haunted by tragedy and the expectations that accompany his last name. Amelia is the first woman to give him a reason to stop running. He'll do anything for a second chance -- even contend with Amelia's old fame, who is intent on sending Roark packing.

While one surprise after another leaves Amelia reeling, Roark's continued presence only highlights the questions pursuing her. Like him, is she running from the life God has called her to? Could finding her place mean leaving home behind?

My Review:

Double the romance and double the angst makes for a tummy churning read packed with lots of emotion. Not only do we get Amelia and Roark's  tumultuous romance but a continuation of Max and Grace's love story carried over from When I Fall in Love. And once again I came away from the read with a bruised heart that still feels tender. And I might currently be hiccupping shuddering sighs after a biblio-induced crying jag. There was one sub-plot that just pushed all my buttons. Sniffle.

Oddly enough, that leaves me feeling replete. Saturated in the euphoria of true love that comes in many forms -- including from on high. Because one of the things I enjoy the most about Susan May Warren's books is the way she embeds faith into every nuance of the story. It's never overdone, but she doesn't mince words either. Early on in the story, Amelia's mother gives her some sage advice: to center her heart on Jesus and once she does that everything else will come into focus. Ingrid (mom) rocks! I love how she handles her brood of unruly adult children and is quick to provide council when necessary (even when it's unwanted.) And she doesn't pull any punches.

Roark is...fainting couch worthy. Tall, dark and handsome with the extra thrill of a James Bond accent. Is it any wonder I fell for him? Or that Amelia did? Twice actually -- once abroad and then all over again when he high tails it to her small town in hot pursuit of the love that got away. Be. Still. My. Heart. Purposeful. Deliberate...Desperate! And wounded. Can we all utter a collective sigh over the deep attraction we feel for a wounded hero? I was cheering from the sidelines the whole read.

Amelia is perfectly portrayed as the baby of the family. With all those protective older siblings barely giving her room to breathe, she's had a hard time striking out on her own and lacks in confidence. Except when she's with Roark. But she's conflicted and I'll warn you right now, there's a love triangle that about drove me crazy! Can you say triple angst pile up? I don't think my heart or my pulse will ever be the same.

This is as much a family saga as it is a love story. Rich in drama and laughter and wickedly good dialogue. And once you reach the end you'll be wondering how to survive until the next Christiansen Family novel makes it way onto your TBR pile.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  The Wonder of You 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 January 8 2017. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Wild Montana Skies

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
WILD MONTANA SKIES

The last thing Search and Rescue helicopter pilot Kacey Fairing needs upon returning home to Mercy Falls, Montana, is to run into her mistakes. After a devastating crash during her recent military tour in Afghanistan, she is emotionally broken but ready to start putting her life back together. She just wants to reconnect with her teenage daughter and spend the summer working as the new lead pilot of PEAK Rescue in Glacier National Park.

But her mistakes aren't so easily forgotten. Because Ben King is also back in town.

Country music star Ben King abandoned his past when he moved to Nashville thirteen years ago to start his career. He hoped to heal his broken heart, caused by losing the woman he loved. But when his father is injured. Ben is called home to help manage PEAK Rescue during his recovery. He doesn't realize his father has ulterior motives until his old flame, Kacey, walks into his house and back into his heart.

Now, with Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben will have to work together to save lives. But when secrets are uncovered and old hurts rise to the surface, will they walk away again? Or can they find a different ending to their country love song?

My Review:

"Let's not let our past determine whether God loves us or not. He does. And we'll never get it right without Him." (p 310)

My heart feels more than a little bruised and battered after reading Wild Montana Skies. And I don't think my blood pressure is back to normal yet. There are two characters in particular who caused it to spike into the danger zone. I do so love being righteously indignant on behalf of a hero and heroine.

Speaking of which....hero Ben...Be. Still. My. Heart. Cowboy crooning heart-throb with a tragic past? Count me in -- even though Kacey doesn't want anything to do with him. She may be a tough-as-nails war hero but there's an insecure little girl inside aching to be comforted. What a dynamic partnership...not that you can actually call it a partnership...more like wary enemies circling, waiting to see who is going to strike first.

So there's angst aplenty -- the kind that ties a reader's tummy in knots and induces teeth grinding. Which makes the romantical bits all the more swoonworthy and toe-curling. :-) Fainting couch a necessity for this read!

And, hallelujah, there is an exceptional faith thread that brings an added depth of hope and grace to an already incredible story. There were so many quotable quotes within the pages of Wild Montana Skies, that I wrote them on index cards to have as keepsakes. Reminders of how powerful my God really is. I couldn't resist sharing a couple within this review so you can see the richness this story offers. Major kudos to the publisher (Revell) and the author for not shying away from including inspirational content.

This is the first book in Warren's Montana Rescue series and I'm so excited to read the rest of the books. Hope the series is way more than the usual three. The author has introduced a team of search and rescue specialists that all need a chance to shine in their own story. Even though this isn't a family saga, it does remind me of Dani Pettrey's Alaskan Courage series (without the suspense.) So if you are a Pettrey fan you'll definitely want to check out this adventure series.

"Instead of telling yourself you can't have a happy ending, why don't you let go of all your dreams -- and your fears -- and let God show you how it ends. He's the master of happy endings -- let him figure it out." (p.253)

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Wild Montana Skies 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 November 6 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Chance of Loving You

GIVEAWAY

BLACKSTOCK, TERRI
CALVERT, CANDACE
WARREN, SUSAN MAY
CHANCE OF LOVING YOU

Beloved authors Terri Blackstock, Candace Calvert, and Susan May Warren bring you three delightful stories about the risks we take for love.

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock -- Trying to launch her own design firm while waitressing on the side, Julie Sheffield was drawn to the kind man she waited on at the restaurant last night...until he stiffed her on the tip by leaving her half of a sweepstakes ticket.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert -- Hospital dietary assistant Aimee Curran is determined to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-Off to prove she's finally found her calling. But while caring for one of her patients -- the elderly grandmother of a handsome CSI photographer -- Aimee begins to questions where she belongs.

Hook, Line & Sinker by Susan May Warren -- Grad student Abigail Cushman has agreed to enter Deep Haven's annual fishing contest. She's a quick learner, even if she doesn't know the difference between a bass and a trout. But nothing could prepare her for competing against the handsome charmer she's tried to forget since grief tore them apart.

My Review:

My heart got all skittery over this talented trio of authors. Together. In one book. Insert bibliophile swoon. How could I resist? Well, obviously I couldn't. I started reading the second the mailman popped it in my mail box. Three snappy, swoony and scrumptious romances sent me into a whirl of reader bliss.

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock -- Oh my goodness, what a great premise for a love story. But argh...the angst. I could totally relate to Julie and her reactions. My tummy flip-flopped and I came near to hyperventilating a time or two. A whimsical love story that will leave you grinning.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert -- Funny and sweet and touching. It fits in with the Crisis Team series but you don't need to have read the books in order to enjoy this novella. Aimee's still trying to find her passion in a family of decisive over achievers. A great faith thread about following God's leading...and surprise, when Aimee does she finds her heart's desire!

 Hook, Line & Sinker by Susan May Warren -- A gnarly second chance love story. And mercy, but I wanted to grab this hero and heroine by the scruffs of their necks and shake some sense into them. And then lock them in a closet until they kissed and made up. :-) The author had other plans though and I rabidly devoured this twisty-turny romance until I reached the end and could let out a great sigh of relief.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Chance of Loving You please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday July 31 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Taming Rafe

 

GIVEAWAY

WARREN, SUSAN MAY
TAMING RAFE

Hotel heiress Katherine Breckenridge just wants to make a lasting difference in her world by running her late mother's charity foundation. But she fears she lacks the passion and courage to be as successful as her mother was--a fear that's realized when money from the foundation goes missing and Katherine's one shot to recover it is ruined by Rafe Noble.

Two-time world champion bull rider Rafe Noble is at the top of his game when tragedy hits. Guilt stricken over the loss of his best friend, Rafe accidentally drives his truck into the lobby of the Breckenridge Hotel during Katherine's fund-raiser. With a broken knee, a ruined reputation, and the threat of several lawsuits, Rafe goes back to his family's ranch--the Silver Buckle--to recover.

Desperate to save the foundation, Katherine heads to the Silver Buckle to talk Rafe into helping her raise the needed funds. But a few days under the bright Montana skies give her more than she bargained for, and Kat discovers there's more to both herself and Rafe Noble than she realized.

My Review:

Vintage Warren -- if you can call 8 years vintage since it was published in 2007. It's the second in The Noble Legacy series but I had no trouble reading this one first, though I'm definitely going to hunt down Reclaiming Nick! Love a series centered around brothers.

Taming Rafe is an emotional roller coaster of a read. There are plot twists galore, two romances and an unexpected 'book within a book' angle that was so much fun (and angsty) to read. To say this one packs a wallop would be a gross understatement.

Rafe's in a bad place when we first meet him and there's something about a hurting cowboy that pulls at my heartstrings every time. Kat thinks she's made of stronger stuff, but thankfully she isn't. They go from wary adversaries to cautious friends and finally reluctant attraction. A tenuous romance blossoms and then...well, you just won't believe what happens next. The story takes the kind of turn that makes you afraid to read further and afraid not to! The only solution is to read at breakneck speed until you reach the end when you can finally whoosh a big sigh of relief.

Awesome! Awesome!! AWESOME!!!!
 
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Taming Rafe 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 23 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!