Whisper Goodbye

GIVEAWAY

JOHNSON, MYRA
WHISPER GOODBEYE

Crippled both physically and emotionally by his war injuries, First Lt. Gilbert Ballard struggles to find himself again in civilian life. After breaking his engagement to Annemarie Kendall, he has found solace in the arms of Mary McClarney, a spunky Irish immigrant nurse he met at the Army and Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Yet Mary’s love for Gilbert goes unreturned.

If it’s not Gilbert’s insane jealousy over his former fiancée’s new marriage, it’s his addiction to pain killers and gambling that thwarts Gil’s own happiness. Worse, Gilbert’s mother, Evelyn, continually reminds him of what he lost when he pushed Annemarie away. Under Evelyn’s critical eye, Mary fights to believe in her worth, wondering if she will ever be enough.

My Review:

Stunning tale of the complexities of post World War I America and the difficulties wounded soldiers had to overcome in order to pick up their civilian lives again. We met Gilbert in the first book of the series, When Clouds Roll By and frankly, he was a difficult character to love. I knew the second book would be his story and I've been anxious to see how Johnson would handle this difficult hero. She did a brilliant job! I felt his struggles, frustrations, temptations and I agonized with him over each hurdle, cheered over his triumphs and was pretty much an emotional wreck by the end of the book!

And God bless Mary McClarney -- the Irish nurse who plays both angel and devil's advocate in their rocky romance. Mary has a wounded past she barely remembers and it colours her reactions to some of Gilbert's struggles but she loves him so completely. My heart just hurt for her.

Whisper Goodbye is an incredible, tumultuous love story that kept me turning pages well into the night. And exquisite read.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Whisper Goodbye 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 12 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

My thanks to the author and publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book.

The Soldier's Secrets

GIVEAWAY

RAWLINGS, NAOMI
THE SOLDIER'S SECRETS

Divided Loyalties

Brigitte Dubois will do anything to keep her family safe. When she is blackmailed by her father-in-law, his quest for revenge leaves her no choice. To protect her children, she must spy on the man who may have killed her husband. But Jean Paul Belanger is nothing like she expected. The dark, imposing farmer offers food to all who need it, and insists on helping Brigitte and her children.

Everything Jean Paul did was in the name of liberty. Even so, he can never forgive himself for his actions during France's revolution. Now a proud auburn-haired woman has come to his home seeking work and has found her way into his reclusive heart. But when she uncovers the truth, his past could drive them apart….

My Review:

What a compelling read! A story fraught with angst and characters that will leap from the pages into your heart. And if there was ever a doomed love story -- this one is it! I felt like a ping pong ball ricocheting back and forth -- from toe-curling to heart-wrenching in a nano-second. Rich historical detail vividly describe the desperate times right after the French Revolution. A great foundation to build a taut, intriguing story around. Rawling is a gifted storyteller and I'm grateful she is willing to share that talent.

 Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Soldier's Secrets 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 12 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

A Captain for Laura Rose

GIVEAWAY

WHITSON, STEPHANIE GRACE
A CAPTAIN FOR LAURA ROSE

Laura Rose White's late father taught her everything he knew about piloting a Missouri River steamboat. He even named their boat after her. Despite that, it seems that Laura will forever be a "cub pilot" to her brother Joe, because in 1867, a female riverboat captain is unheard of. That is, until tragedy strikes and Laura must make the two month journey from St. Louis to Fort Benton and back in order to save her family's legacy, her home, and the only life she's ever known.

The only way for her to overcome the nearly insurmountable odds is with the help of her brother's disreputable friend Finn MacKnight, a skilled pilot with a terrible reputation. Laura loathes having to accept MacKnight as her co-pilot, especially when she learns she must also provide passage for his two sisters. Straight-laced Fiona has a fear of water, and unpredictable Adele seems much too comfortable with the idea of life in the rough and tumble environment of the untamed river and the men who ply it. Though they are thrown together by necessity, this historic journey may lead Laura and the MacKnights to far more than they ever expected.

My Review:

Whitson's characters come alive against a panoramic backdrop that kept me riveted.I love a book rich in historical detail and this one certainly is. And such a great angle for a historical -- the details of steamboat life are fascinating. A Captain for Laura Rose is the kind of book you can't pull yourself away from. In fact, it's the kind of read that makes you miss your bus stop so you ride the loop around so you can read some more and when you arrive late to work you don't even care. You're only concerned about the fact that you can't continue reading until the bus ride home later in the day. :-)

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Captain for Laura Rose 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 12  2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

April Giveaway - Week One

As always, I will contact the winners by email however thanks to the nefarious ways of the internet my email might land in your spam folder so keep your eyes peeled! :-) If you haven't heard from me by Monday evening please email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. From time to time winners and I don't seem to connect, so I have a month frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited and I will add an extra win to a future draw to even things up.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

Second Chance Ranch

GIVEAWAY

HARDERS, AUDRA
SECOND CHANCE RANCH

The Trails’ End Ranch is For Sale. 
Pediatric nurse, Jennifer O’Reilly returns home to Hawk Ridge, Colorado to establish a mountain recreation camp as a safe adventure for children battling cancer. Her path to ownership depends on developing a profitable business plan to convince the bank she can manage not only the camping facility, but the entire Trails’ End Ranch operation.

Generations earlier, one misplayed hand of poker lost the family ranch, and Zac Davidson, youngest son and financial genius of the Circle D, wants it back. Intrigued since childhood by the legend of his great grandfather, Zac is the only family member who holds out hope that one day the Trails’ End would become Davidson property again. When the Trails’ End goes on the market, cost is no object — only Jennifer O’Reilly stands between Zac and his dream.

Once high school sweethearts, Jennifer and Zac have wounded each other, and the scars run deep. Jennifer is forced to reveal a secret she’s protected for twelve years. Will it jeopardize the future of both of their dreams or offer them a second chance?

My Review:

Definitely a read to lose yourself in. I loved the deep characterization and angsty plot -- both made for an emotional read. Harders has pit her hero and heroine against each other in a high stakes battle that threatens to irrevocably fracture their relationship forever. And it's already on shaky ground. Has been for twelve years. The way their story unfolds, how the past and present merge into a triumphant conclusion, made me want to stand up and cheer. A soul-satisfying tale about forgiveness and acceptance.

Giveaway Opportunity:
Available in ebook format only:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Second Chance Ranch 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 6 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

Top Secret Identity

GIVEAWAY

DUNN, SHARON
TOP SECRET IDENTITY

Her new life...

Morgan Smith had to give up her name, her calling and her past when she entered the witness protection program. Now a caretaker of horses on an Iowa farm, she spends her days in the stables and helping kids learn to ride. But danger has followed her. She longs to tell her handsome boss, Alex Reardon, everything—about the troubled adoption agency she worked for, a missing infant and the attempt on her life. But sharing her past with Alex could put him in grave danger and lead a killer to their door….

Witness Protection: Hiding in plain sight

My Review:

I am so loving this continuity series. I think I'm as anxious as the U.S. Marshals are to break this baby snatching ring! And like the other books, Top Secret Identity is chalk full of suspense and nail-biting reader moments. Love the way Dunn builds the suspense and keeps me on my toes. Is this a real threat? A coincidence? Or something totally different? Honestly, I had goosebumps for must of the read.

And the author really tortures her characters. Morgan is in the impossible situation of living one life while running from another. It's like she's lulled into a false sense of security with the ideal life witness protection has provided for her and then -- bam -- she's hit hard by the reality of her past and I realized right along with her that it's all an illusion. It caught my breath over and over again.

Then there's Alex, who senses that there is some trauma in Morgan's past but doesn't come close to figuring out what it is. He's drawn to her though and as the romance builds so does the tension because Morgan can't give in to her feelings and he doesn't understand why. Perfect way to wrap a reader up in knots. I was a pretzel by the end. :-)

Riveting stuff. Well worth the read.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Top Secret Identity 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 6 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.

Tide and Tempest

GIVEAWAY

LUDWIG, ELIZABETH
TIDE AND TEMPEST

Two years ago, her fiancé perished
during their voyage to America.

Now she discovers it may have been murder...
Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiancé by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.

Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiancé's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naïve fiancé.

My Review:

Amazing conclusion to the Edge of Freedom series. You don't necessarily have to have read the first two books in order to enjoy this one, but I think you'd get more out of it if you have. I read the first book, No Safe Harbor, but missed Dark Road Home and I did feel a bit lost in few places. Not enough to dim my reading enjoyment. It's just that the complicated suspense plot relies a bit on the previous books.

The suspense is intriguing. Loved how Tillie won't take a back seat to solving the mystery of her fiancé's death. And especially love how that determination completely flummoxes poor Captain Morgan. The man has definitely met his match. He is used to being obeyed at sea but Tillie challenges him every step of the way on land.

Their love story is a complicated one, fraught with anxiety and miscommunication until the very end. Talk about keeping rabid romance reader's on the edge of their seats! The romance is almost as suspenseful as the mystery.

And, of course, I loved the Irish angle because I'm Irish-born. Though I have to admit that I found some of 'Irishisms' more Scottish then Irish.

My thanks to so many of my blog readers who recommend this title in a recent reader's choice week. This series had escaped my rabid reader radar and I likely would have missed an awesome read without your input. Going to have to back track and get that second book in the series as well.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Tide and Tempest 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 . to protect yourself from spammers. If you email me, please be sure to put the title in the subject line so it is easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 6 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck.