October Giveaway - Week Three

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 time frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

Always the Baker Never the Bride

GIVEAWAY

BRICKER, SANDRA. D.
ALWAYS THE BAKER NEVER THE BRIDE

Thirty-six-year-old Emma Rae Travis has been baking specialty cakes and melt-in-your-mouth pastries at The Backstreet Bakery in historic Roswell, just outside of Atlanta, for the last six years. But here s the rub about her job as a baker Emma is diabetic. When she tastes her creations, it can only be in the most minute portions. Emma is considered an artisan for the stunning creme brulee wedding cake that won her the Passionate Palette Award last year, but she s never even had one full slice of it.

When Jackson Drake hears about this local baker who has won a prestigious award for her wedding cake artistry, he tells his assistant to be sure and include her in the pastry tastings scheduled at his new wedding destination hotel the following week. And for Jackson, that particular day has started out badly with two workmen trapped in a broken elevator and a delivery of several dozen 300-thread-count bed linens in the wrong size abandoned in the lobby. But when the arrogant baker he met a week prior in Roswell stumbles into the dining room with a platter of pastries and a bucketful of orders, he knows for certain: It s going to be a really rotten day.

Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture? Or will they take each other crashing downward, without a net? And will the surprise wedding at The Tanglewood be theirs?"  

My Review:

Published in 2010, this novel is my first introduction to Sandra D. Bricker and I'm grinning from ear to ear. Romantic comedy at it's absolute best. Campy and so much fun. Pay attention so you don't miss any of the zingers. Loved all the characters from Emma's unlikely assistant to Jackson's Southern Belle sisters and a host of quirky individuals who sashayed through the story leaving mayhem and laughter in their wake. The snappy dialogue between Jackson and Emma is pure delight as is their slow slide towards romance. I may be a late bloomer where Sandra D. Bricker's books are concerned, but I'll definitely be making up for my slow start. Can't wait to read more by this author.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Always the Baker Never the Bride 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 October 18  2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Love's Dream Song

GIVEAWAY

LEESMITH, SANDRA
LOVE'S DREAM SONG

Autumn O'Neill came to Arizona on an archeologist dig hoping to find out what happened to the ancient Anasazi tribes, but her true desire was to discover her own Navajo roots. It didn't help that the dig was located on Jess Barron's ranch and that the handsome rancher scorned his Native American heritage and believed Autumn was part of a drug ring operating on his land. When the dig is compromised and danger threatens their lives, Jess and Autumn can no longer fight their attraction for each other. They both come to understand that finding answers means listening to the voices of their ancestors and the longings of their hearts.

My Review:

Fascinating on so many levels. Leesmith knows how to bring a location to life and her breathtaking descriptions of the Arizona desert take on a character all its own. I also enjoyed the unusual archeological setting -- it added a whole new edge to the intrigue. And I love the way the author has incorporated Navajo folklore and culture throughout the story. All combined to make a riveting read.

And then there's the romance. Autumn and Jess have shared a relationship in the not too distant past that ended badly. Thrown together on the archeological dig just pushes that attraction back to the forefront and it sizzles in every scene. (Gentle readers who normally read Christian Fiction, please take note that some of the romance scenes are more sensual than you are used to reading though it never gets too graphic.)

 Leesmith has created a number of barriers to their happily ever after, not the least of which is the way they deal with their dual heritage. While Autumn yearns to embrace her Native American roots, a bitter experience in his past has Jess all too willing to deny his. Both struggle to come to grips with who they are and what their future holds.

A complex suspense plot, full of action (and so many potential villains that I nearly didn't get it right) kept me on my toes right to the very end. A real page-turner of a read

*Just a side note to readers of Christian Fiction who follow my blog and/or reviews -- aside from the above mentioned sensual scenes, this book contains some cussing as well.

My thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
If you would like an opportunity to win an ecopy of Love's Dream Song 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 October 18 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Daddy for Christmas

GIVEAWAY

FORD, LINDA
A DADDY FOR CHRISTMAS

Cowboy to the Rescue Summoned by two little girls to help their mother in distress, Blue Lyons rushes to rescue widow Clara Weston. When the cowboy discovers the fatherless family has nowhere to go, he offers them food and shelter. But widower Blue won't get too close to the needy trio. He's lost too many people he's cared for, and he isn't about to set himself up for loss again.

For Clara, any dangers she may face on the frontier are preferable to staying with her controlling father. Although she's determined to keep her independence, Blue's kindness and tenderness are hard to resist. Can two pint-size matchmakers help Clara and Blue open their guarded hearts in time for Christmas?  

My Review:

The perfect recipe for a winning Christmas love story -- two adorable little girls with stars in their eyes, a brooding cowboy who can't seem to let go of the hurts from his past and an independent heroine determined to make her own way. Add in measured amounts of peril and risk and top with some pretty profound faith talk. Stir in a dollop of humour and set aside for the reader to savor. For the most satisfying results serve with hot chocolate and sugar cookies. :-)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of A Daddy for Christmas 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 October 18 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Love's Every Whisper

GIVEAWAY

RAWLINGS, NAOMI
LOVE'S EVERY WHISPER

Victoria Donnelly simply wants to do something right, at least once in her lifetime. With five years of failed courtships behind her and the calendar inching closer to another birthday, she's determined to redeem herself and snag a proposal from a wealthy childhood acquaintance, Gilbert Sinclair. But returning to Eagle Harbor stirs up long forgotten memories. And worse, old affection for her betrothed's enemy.

Elijah Cummings has loved Victoria for fifteen years. But fishermen's sons don't marry shipping barons' daughters. He knows it. She knows it. The entire town knows it. Resolved to keep his distance from Victoria, Elijah focuses on establishing a much needed life-saving station, risking his own life by rescuing sailors stuck aboard shipwrecks.

He knows how to save drowning sailors, but how is he to save a woman from the biggest mistake of her life—without destroying both their hearts in the process?

My Review:

I'm beginning to think I need to don boxing gloves before I read one of Naomi Rawlings' books because I know I'll be called upon to defend beloved characters. She certainly puts her poor hero and heroine through the paces. Conflict abounds and I adored every angsty minute.

Rich in characterization and plot, this story hums with tension of every kind. Victoria and Elijah's unspoken attraction pulls story threads taut as their romance progresses to toe-curling satisfaction. Not before being mired in the depths of hopeless despair, mind you. My emotions churned my insides out as I devoured each page.

The author excels at conflict -- in fact she is downright mean to her hero and heroine which exasperates and thrills me all at the same time. How can I both hate and love reading all those angsty bits?! They certainly keep me riveted and anxious for more.

Being 'fearfully and wonderfully made' is a touching refrain that echoes throughout the book and applies to so many of the characters. It is particularly hard for Victoria to grasp since she comes from a very emotionally abusive family. She struggles with finding her voice and the courage to speak her mind.

Eagle Harbor series fans will be thrilled to find Mac and Tressa play a prominent role in this book as well. So satisfying to catch up with them three years later -- even if angst abounds in their lives as well.

A compelling read that you'll want to consume in one sitting.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Love's Every Whisper 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 October 18 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Plain Threats

GIVEAWAY

STONE, ALISON
PLAIN THREATS

Amish target...

Rebecca Fisher's life was turned upside down when her husband was accused of murder and died in prison. Now, more than a year later, someone is reminding the Amish widow that all hasn't been forgiven. But Rebecca isn't about to pay for the sins of someone else's past. So when the threats escalate and her rebellious stepson starts keeping secrets, Rebecca turns to former army ranger Jake Burke for help. She knows the Englisher is an honorable man, but being around him rattles her traditional community. Before long, Rebecca senses Jake is the only person she can trust with her safety…and with her fragile heart.

My Review:

A subtle yet relentless suspense creates a looming sense of foreboding that lingers on every page. In her quest to help her stepson, Rebecca unwittingly starts a chain of events that threaten not only their safety but their already rocky standing in the community as well. Tension exudes from a forbidden romance as Englischer Jake's involvement throws the two together amidst danger and mystery. The plot twists that ensued made for a pretty compelling read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Plain Threats 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 October 18  2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Imposter

GIVEAWAY

FISHER, SUZANNE WOODS
THE IMPOSTER

Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. Those plans started to crumble when her father moved the family to Stoney Ridge, then completely collapsed when John decided to marry someone else. Katrina is devastated. How could she have felt so loved, yet been so deceived?

As she struggles to face a future without him, a widow asks for her help to start a new business and Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose. What she doesn't need is attention from Andy Miller, a farm hand who arrives at the widow's farm just when help is most needed--and who always seems to say the right thing, and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy
for real, or too good to be true? Deceived once before, Katrina is determined to keep her feelings in check.

When a cascade of events is set in motion by some surprising information, the little Amish church is turned upside down. Soon, everyone has a stake in the outcome, and the community struggles to find the best response to an imposter in their midst. Can they forgive even the most deceitful deeds?

My Review:

Squeeeeeallll! Fisher takes us back to Stoney Ridge in her new series, The Bishops Family. There are some carry over characters from The Inn at Eagle Hill series, but no worries if you haven't read any of those books, The Imposter works perfectly fine as a standalone story. If you have though, you'll get a tickle out of connecting with some familiar and oh-so-lovable quirky characters -- like Hank and Fern.

There's an unhurried charm to the way Fisher tells this story. It's so easy to slide right into the thick of things and forget that you have a life outside of Stoney Ridge.  And it feels like you have all the time in the world to explore and discover. Talk about overflowing on the reader contentment meter!

Love the multiple viewpoints in this read -- and the way seemingly diverse plotlines connect in some truly amazing ways. The Imposter is filled with all the true to life drama and humour that you find anywhere people gather as a community. I was especially challenged by the inspirational thread. As in the case with many Amish fiction I read, I was able to parallel solid gospel truths with my own faith journey and this one packs quite a punch.

The Imposter is chock-full  of surprises. Seriously -- I did not see that coming. Or that. Or the other thing either. Completely blew my mind...and has left me eager for the next installment because this story isn't over yet. Yes some threads have been neatly tied up in a bow but many others are just waiting to take on a life of their own. I can't wait.

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 The Imposter 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 October 18 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!