My Unexpected Hope

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, TAMMY L.
MY UNEXPECTED HOPE

He'll gamble everything on one last chance.

After a year of grieving her divorce and living a life permanently stuck on pause, Laila Richardson is finally ready to have her own happy ending. Then a listing for a quaint cottage in another town answers her prayers for a fresh beginning -- one that will bring her closer to her new boyfriend, Ben. Unfortunately, in her small town of Fairfield, Georgia, letting go of the past is virtually impossible. No one wants to see her move on, including the man who destroyed her heart to begin with.

Chad Richardson has spent years in misery but finally has his life on somewhat stable ground. When he learns his ex-wife is dating, he knows it's time to go back and fight for the life he abandoned. Bolstered by his new-found sobriety, Chad has every intention of winning back the woman he loves, even if that means facing old demons that are waiting for him fail.

Passions run deep as two souls searching for a second chance find the courage to let go of old patterns. Can they recognize that their dreams are still possible, even when forged from a broken past?

My Review:

published in June 2017 by Waterfall Press

A powerful and gritty second chance love story. Phew! This book deals with some heavy topics and Gray did an amazing job of sucking this reader into the emotional dysfunction of two lost souls who didn't stand a chance, given their childhood backgrounds. But they are adults now and ready to take back their lives. It's not easy, not always comfortable to read but having the courage to face the past so they can face the future - together -- makes for an inspiring read.

*Please note: some mild language

**An Unexpected Hope follows My Hope Next Door though I couldn't find any indication that this is a series. More like a sequel. There were some elements at the beginning of this book that led me to believe I was missing part of the story up to that point so I did some digging and discovered I was right. Katie's story comes first and while I never felt lost reading this one, I did feel like I was missing some important details in the connections and relationships Laila and Chad had with key friends as well as the town dynamics.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of My Unexpected Hope, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot youre entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 13 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

A Chance at Forever

GIVEAWAY

JAGEARS, MELISSA
A CHANCE AT FOREVER

Determined to protect the children of Teaville, Kansas, from the bullying she experienced as a child, Mercy McClain finds fulfillment working at the local orphanage and serving on the school board. When Aaron Firebrook, the worst of her childhood bullies, petitions the board for a teaching position, she's dead set against his getting the job.

Aaron knows he deserves every bit of Mercy's mistrust, but he's returned to his hometown a changed man and is seeking the forgiveness of those he wronged. He doesn't expect Mercy to like him, but surely he can prove he now has the children's best interests. at heart.

Will resentment and old wounds hold them back, or can Mercy and Aaron overcome the past in time to battle the threats against the future of the town's orphans?

My Review:

A blockbuster ending to a spectacular series! Each book has made me think and evaluate and even squirm a wee bit as Jagears examines all aspects of charity. A Chance at Forever reads beautifully as a standalone novel but I highly recommend the entire series.

I've been waiting for Mercy's story. Love her name and how she tries to live up to it, though sometimes it's annoying to have that constant reminder -- especially when she is confronted by her childhood nemesis. Aaron was an uncaring bully back then and she can't forget his cruel taunts. Worse, she can't find it in her to forgive him now that he's returned to Teaville.

Aaron has come back to make amends to the community he terrorized as a troubled youth. He is the stuff swoonworthy heroes are made of. Penitent, strong in a new found faith, he doesn't flinch from facing his past and trying to make it right. And Jagears does an exceptional job of slowly peeling back the layers that make up this complicated man. I was cheering him on from the very first page where he's nervously waiting to be interviewed for a teaching position and I fell a little more in love with him with every page turn.

Which means I was some put out with Mercy for a lot of the book because she is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the kind and decent man Aaron has become. She's always looking for an angle, waiting for him to morph back into a bully. She's quick to judge and her suspicions about drove me crazy but Aaron patiently bears it all. See what I mean about hero material?

So there's this central theme of forgiveness --- the power we hold over someone by refusing to extend it and the peace that's possible when it's offered freely and completely. It plays over and over again in the lives of different characters -- not just our hero and heroine. Love that continuity -- the way their combined stories brought me deeper into this aspect of my faith.

And then it was over all too soon. And even though the author provides a delightful epilogue that gives us a glimpse into the futures of all the heroes and heroines in this series, I'm still left aching for more! Which is a sign of great storytelling I suppose, though a little frustrating for an avid reader like me. :-) Can't wait to see what Melissa Jagears comes up with next!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publications and Graf-Martin Communications.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Chance at Forever, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 12 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Rancher's Secret Child

GIVEAWAY

MINTON, BRENDA
THE RANCHER'S SECRET CHILD

Can he cowboy up for fatherhood? He had no room for love...until now.

After meeting the son he never knew he had, Marcus Palermo's simple life turns upside down. Complicating things further is Lissa Hart, the boy's lovely guardian. She'll help him become a parent - but falling for a gruff cowboy is not in her plans. Will she realize her future lies in Bluebonnet Springs with the rugged cowboy?

My Review:

There's something about a cowboy hero, isn't there? And when he happens to be a surly loner like Marcus - well, I settled in for a a gnarly good read.

What a conflicted hero! He has raised himself far above his traumatic childhood and wild rodeo circuit ways but he's still punishing himself. He's certain that he is meant to live alone the rest of his life because he's broken. This kind of character can be tricky because the author has to find a way for her readers to relate to him without becoming frustrated by him. Minton has managed to find the perfect balance. Yes, there were moments when I wanted to purse whomp a certain stubborn cowboy, but I really felt for him too and I could totally understand his flawed reasoning.

Marcus is stoic, sometimes coming across as harsh but it's not that he doesn't want to be a father -- it's that he wants to protect his son more. Which, honestly, makes him perfect father material if  only he could see that. Lissa doesn't think so at first either, but the more she gets to know Marcus, the more she recognizes the exceptional man he is.

What a complicated love story backed by a caring community in the midst of a crisis. Lots of fodder for everyone to show what they are made of. This the the third book in the Brenda Minton's Blubonnet Springs series so readers familiar with the first two stories will be thrilled at the page time the Palermos get in this one. The Rancher's Secret Child reads really well as a standalone, though, so don't let not being familiar with the series stop you from scooping up this one.

Book provided courtesy of Love Inspired.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Rancher's Secret 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 . 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 May 13 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Love Inspired is also doing a giveaway for a $100 Visa card!

Click on the link below:

https://gleam.io/gLe4I/love-inspired-blog-tour-sweepstakes

The Road Home

GIVEAWAY

LEWIS, BEVERLY
THE ROAD HOME

As the sun begins to rise, Lena Rose leaned against the cool part of the bus window and gazed out at the familiar landscape of her life. I'm leaving my family and everything I know behind. She sighed, trying to keep her composure.

Grieving the death of her Amish parents and the separation from her nine close-knit siblings, Lena Rose Schwartz consoles herself that her new life in Lancaster County won't be forever. Surely someday soon she will return to her beloved Michigan settlement, including her beau. But even as she holds on to hope for a reunion with those she loves most, she discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own. Will she find the courage to open her heart to other possibilities?

My Review:

There's something about a Beverly Lewis book that screams hearth and home and family. I'm a content, happy reader for having shared a year in Lena Rose's life. Out of tragedy comes blessings, though it's hard to see them right from the start and my heart ached for the Schwartz siblings as they are divvied up among the community - all except for Lena Rose who is sent east to help cousins she barely knows.

But there's a gentle and open way about Lena that touches everyone she meets. Despite her own sorrows and worry, she's a keen observer of human nature and it isn't long before she has worked some magic among her new friends in Lancaster County. But that doesn't mean her longing for family and the familiar Amish community back in Michigan has grown any less.

With s a beau back home and an interesting fella in Lancaster County, it takes a lot of thought and prayer to figure out which road really leads home. 

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Road Home, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 13 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Primary Suspect

GIVEAWAY

SCOTT, LAURA
PRIMARY SUSPECT

Wrongfully Accused
A Callahan Confidential story

When fire investigator Mitch Callahan is attacked at a crime scene, he's shocked to uncover the body of a slain ex-girlfriend - and realize someone's framing him for murder. Widowed ER nurse Dana Petrie believes Mitch is innocent, and not just because he makes her feel alive again after tragedy marred her past. But is she willing to risk everything only to love and lose again?

My Review:

Pages crackle with tension from the very first paragraph as Mitch cautiously approaches a burnt-out warehouse. Argh! I told him to go back, that this was a set up but did he listen? Nope. Didn't even acknowledge my concern and once he entered that warehouse...well the race was on.

This taut romantic suspense has a Fugitive edge to it as Mitch  dodges a killer. A case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time drags Dana into the danger. A fast-paced page-turner with a fine balance between suspense and romance. And fans of this Callahan Confidential series will be thrilled to meet up with some familiar faces here. It pays to be part of a law enforcement family when you're running for your life without a clue as to why! No worries if you haven't read the other books though because this one reads fine as a standalone. I've just read Shattered Lullaby so far but I intend to check out the first three books soon!

Book provided courtesy of Love Inspired.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Primary Suspect, 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. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 13 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Love Inspired is also doing a giveaway for a $100 Visa card!

Click on the link below:

https://gleam.io/gLe4I/love-inspired-blog-tour-sweepstakes

Just the Way You Are

GIVEAWAY

BASHAM, PEPPER
JUST THE WAY YOU ARE

Mountain girl, British boy, and a culture clash of epic proportions

Single mom, Eisley Barrett, prefers to keep romance safely housed within a centuries-old mystery, but when she travels to England at her uncle's dying request to unearth the truth, she never expects to tumble into her own fairytale.

Leading man and reformed rogue, Christopher Wesley Harrison, is fighting to build a new reputation after tragedy introduced him to the power of redemption. His hardened cynicism and his self-protective avoidance of romance crumbles at Eisley's two left feet, and sends his heart into unscripted territory.

When his past threatens to ruin his second chance at love, can some Appalachian matchmaking, some adorable kids, big-family antics, and letters from the grave salvage their unexpected romance?

It's a Britallachian romance sprinkled with humor, romance, mystery, and a little bitof magic.

My Review:

Warning: reading this book is likely to induce extreme chocolate cravings. Read at your own risk...and make sure to have a chocolate stash on hand! Because hero Wes is "Ghirardelli in human form." (p 12)  Honestly, I don't know which had me swooning more - Wes or all the chocolate references. Either way, a fainting couch is a definite requirement to get a sensitive reader safely through to the end. :-)

And this is the kind of book you don't want to read because if you do it will be over. Yeah, I know that doesn't make much sense but here's the conversation I had with myself the whole read

Me: Slow down! You're reading too fast!
Myself: But it's so good!!!!! I can't help myself.
Me: Keep it up and you're gonna reach the end way too soon.
Myself: Gasp!
Me: I know - see that's what I'm sayin'! This good read is going to be over before it's begun.
Myself: Not if I stop and reread the good bits...that way I can savor it longer.
Me: Brilliant! That will slow you down some without interfering with your reading pleasure.
Myself: Right. So at the end of every chapter, I'll go back and read over the good bits.
Me: Hmmm...in other words, you're gonna read each chapter all the way through twice?
Myself: ((blissful sigh) Pretty much. This is going to be fun!

Brilliant and witty and soooo relatable. Eisley especially. Adorably klutzy (and really, it's time we kltuzes had a heroine to look up to!) and so refreshingly funny. She can't seem to stop turning her inner most thoughts into spoken-out-loud sentences at the most inopportune times with delightful results. I belly laughed so much I'm thinking of adding this book to my fitness regimen -- my obliques got way more of a workout with Eisley then doing sit-ups!

And then there's redeemed rogue Wes...as yummy as all the chocolate comparisons Eisley thinks up to describe him. Their hysterical first meet sets the tone for the whole story - though he doesn't stay that grumpy for long thanks to the whimsical Miss Eisley.

As a fairly new Christian, Wes has sworn off romance. He's still coming to grips with the tragic results of his former hard-hitting lifestyle. Which is totally in sync with Eiseley's determination to avoid real life romance at any cost. Been there, done that and doesn't trust herself to go there again. Ha! These two were made for each other and Basham sets out to prove it with toe-curling perfection. Seriously, plug in the fans, grab some ice packs and be prepared to s-w-o-o-n!!!!

But this romantically euphoric read has even more to offer with a compelling inspirational thread that was pointed directly at me. Seriously - Eisley battles with fear and doubt even though her faith is strong. And yes, that does seem like an oxymoron but since I'm going through the exact same thing, I totally get how it works! I've been so uplifted by this story!

And I haven't even touched on Eisley's zany Appalachian clan or the intriguing centuries old mystery or the obnoxious secondary character that I wanted to throttle or...well, this review is too long as it is. Best way to sum it all up:

Romantic Comedy that sizzles!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Just the Way You Are, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, please 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 May 13 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

May Giveaway -- Week Two

WON BY SUSAN P.

WON BY SUSAN FUCHIKAMI.

WON BY RUBYNREBA

WON BY SUSAN FLETCHER

WON BY LAURA WALTZ

WON BY TRIXI

You know the drill -- I will notify the winners if they included their email - otherwise it's up to the winners to notify me with their mailing address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If I can't connect with a winner within a month , the win will be forfeited. Books are usually sent out within a week of receiving a winner's address but give it a month before making inquires about delivery to allow for processing and shipping times.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAY: