Love's Faithful Promise

GIVEAWAY

MASON, SUSAN ANNE
LOVE'S FAITHFUL PROMISE

If two wounded souls can find healing, love may not be far behind.

Widower Dr. Matthew Clayborne is devoted to two things: his work with wounded soldiers and his four-year-old daughter, Phoebe. When Deirdre O'Leary, a feisty New Yorker, arrives in Toronto requesting he use his skills to help her stricken mother, he won't abandon either of these priorities to care for one older woman. However, when his daughter suffers a health scare and needs a respite, Deirdre offers a trade -- they can escape to the peace of her family's farm, if he will care of Mrs. O'Leary.

Matthew agrees for his daughter's sake, but is intent on staying as short a time as necessary. The sojourn at Irish Meadows does wonders for Phoebe, and as she begins to flourish, Matthew finds himself drawn to the O'Learys, especially to the captivating Deirdre. But since he has no intention of leaving his life up north forever, and Deirdre has sworn off marriage in favor of her career, how will they deal with the undeniable attraction between them?

My Review:

I'm a little bit speechless over this grand finale of the Courage to Dream series....okay, not really... more like I'm bordering on super gushing and I'm tongue-tied over trying to figure out what to say. Well, that's sort of speechless, right?

First off -- best conclusion to a series ever!!! I finished it on the bus and I was so overcome with a mix of giddy and sad that I gave a gusty sigh and said something like, "I don't know whether to laugh or cry that was such a good ending!" Out. Loud. Which earned me odd looks from fellow commuters. Kinda embarassing, but not enough to wipe the silly grin off my face or stop me from hugging the book before I carefully put it back in my bag.

So I'm feeling replete from a story well told, and already nostalgic over the O'Learys and all the characters and pretty much every single blade of grass in Irish Meadows (horse farm).  Sigh. I'm really not ready to let go.

Deirdre -- all grown up and spunky as all get out. Determined to get her way no matter what. With a heart so full of love and kindness and faith. The perfect foil for the rather jaded Matthew. He comes to life as his relationship with Deirdre grows. And so does his daughter. So many tender moments. And funny ones. And infuriating ones. And -- oh my goodness the toe-curling ones! Thud!!!!! Exquisitely delicious.

And then there's the surprising bonus of an additional romance for brother, Connor O'Leary. The kind of love story that makes a reader squirm with delight as unexpected events unfold. Not to mention adding even more toe-curling to the book. I may need an iron to straighten my poor toes! :-)

And Mason has blessed her readers with a tantalizing glimpse into the lives of the entire O'Leary clan -- the past heroes and heroines who captured our hearts in Irish Meadows and A Worthy Heart. No need to have read the first two books in order to enjoy this one -- but seriously, after you read Love's Faithful Promise you'll be desperate to read the others so you might as well give in now and get the whole series!

Masterful storytelling, stupendous romance and a moving inspirational thread earn this novel a place of honour on my keeper shelf.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Love's Faithful Promise 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 9 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Identity Unknown

GIVEAWAY

REED, TERRI
IDENTITY UNKNOWN

Missing memories

When a John Doe washes up on the shores of Calico Bay, no one knows who he is -- including him. But one thing's instantly clear to deputy sheriff Audrey Martin, the man's marked for murder. And she's the only one who can protect him from the assassins who lurk at every turn. The arrival of a team of men claiming he's a Canadian Border Services officer Nathaniel Longhorn only further complicates the matter. As his memories slowly start drifting back, Nathaniel's determined to work with Audrey to uncover who wants him dead and why. But he's tangled in something that threatens to submerge them both. And unless Audrey can help him figure out what, this Christmas might be their last.

Northern Border Patrol: Keeping the US-Canada border safe

My Review:

Whoa! You'll need an oxygen mask and a defibrillator for this one! Action-packed and deliciously romantical. Nathaniel's struggle to try to figure out what kind of man he is gives the love story an alluring edge. And Audrey, intent on proving herself in a man's world, has absolutely no intention of falling for a stranger who doesn't remember anything before he opened his eyes and saw her bending over him. Sigh. Like I said, romantical. Of course, the author leads these two on a not-so-merry chase before she brings them together. Intriguing suspense kept my brain scrambling for answers and my heart racing as the situation turns decidedly lethal. Awesome stuff.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Identity Unknown 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 9 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Family for the Holidays

GIVEAWAY

SHACKELFORD, SHERRI
A FAMILY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Her Guardian Groom

Paid to accompany two orphaned siblings to their grandfather in Nebraska, Lily Winter is dismayed to discover the old man has gone missing. And when the children's inheritance makes them a target, buying protection is Lily's only option. Until a handsome gun-for-hire suggests another solution: marriage.

Undercover US Marshal Jake Elder can't reveal his true identity without blowing his mission. Nor can he leave the town's pretty new arrival unguarded. But while uncovering a plot against her charges is difficult and risky, falling for Lily is all too easy. Especially once their marriage in name only gives Jake a glimpse of how wonderful Christmas -- and their future as a family -- could be.

My Review:

A light-hearted and sweet romance with a thread of suspense.

Jake and Lily together are an interesting mix of funny and poignant. The dialogue between these two is priceless -- the quips -- the way they say one thing while thinking something else. And the sheer stubbornness of both manifests itself in some hilarious situations. Definitely fun to keep up with them and the antics of Lily's two young charges. And really, who can resist a marriage of convenience story? At Christmas time? Not me!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  A Family for the Holidays 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 9 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Daughter's Dream

GIVEAWAY

GRAY, SHELLEY SHEPARD
A DAUGHTER'S DREAM

In Shelley Shepard Gray’s second book in her Charmed Amish Life series, a young teacher and farmer discover they have much in common, especially when it comes to healing old wounds from the past…and finding love in one another.

Rebecca Kinsinger has always dreamed of being a teacher. But when she’s given the opportunity she’s been waiting for at Charm Amish School, she’s dismayed to discover that teaching is hard work—work she’s afraid she’s not very good at.

That is, until Lilly Yoder joins the class. A thirteen-year old who’s just lost her parents, Lilly is in need of someone like Rebecca. For the first time since starting her new job, Rebecca feels a sense of purpose. But when she meets Lilly’s uncle, Jacob, his good looks and sweet, easy-going temperament are hard to ignore. How can she even entertain romantic thoughts of Jacob when his niece is her student?

Suddenly becoming Lily’s sole caregiver, Jacob Yoder never thought he’d be a single parent—or a farmer. Having been living in Florida as a carpenter, Jacob feels more at home wielding a hammer than a backhoe. The only bright spot in his life is Rebecca Kinsinger. As Lily and Rebecca develop a bond, Jacob’s fondness for the pretty teacher grows, too.

But when a fateful accident brings them together, Rebecca and Jacob must choose between duty and desire. Will they follow the path before them? Or set out to find true happiness…and true love?  

My Review:

I give this novel a ten turtle salute -- you'll have to read the story to understand, just trust me when I say it's a good thing. Very good.

I love the way Gray creates community in the pages of her books. I slip inside and easily become a part of the story. It's a comforting feeling -- like coming home -- and I settle back, ready to be entertained. This is the second book in The Charmed Amish Life series and carries on with the Kinsinger family. You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one, but you'll get more of a feel for the community and the family history if you have.

A sweet and gentle romance creeps up on Rebecca and Jacob, taking them by surprise. Both are struggling to find their way amidst family pressures. Jacob has set aside the vocation he loves in order to raise his brother's daughter. Rebecca is breaking away from the family business by volunteering at the school. Both must find a balance between duty, desire and God's will for their lives.

A story filled with the love, laughter and struggles that comes from being in relationship.

Book Nerd Alert: Ever since I read the Chronicles of Narnia when I was a kid, I have a certain weakness for fictional maps and -- woooohoooo -- A Daughter's Dream has a map of Charm, Ohio. I love the details, the sketches, the nod to Oscar the bulldog puppy.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  A Daughter's Dream 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 9 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Without Warning

GIVEAWAY

EASON, LYNETTE
WITHOUT WARNING

Intensity. Skill. Tenacity. The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.

Katie Singleton, a partner with the Elite Guardians Protection Agency, stumbles upon her next assignment quite by accident. Spotting blue lights at a familiar restaurant, she stops to investigate, only to discover that owner Daniel Matthews has become the target of someone who will go to any lengths to put him out of business.

Daniel might be concerned, but he's not convinced that a bodyguard -- and a female one at that - is necessary. A new attack and his niece's urgings are enough o make him reconsider. He and Katie must figure out who's behind the intimidation and threats -- before a would-be killer strikes again.

My Review:

I absolutely love the female bodyguard twist to this series. Such an engaging breakaway from the traditional alpha hero in rescue mode. There's something exhilarating about a tough-as-nails heroine with protection on her mind.

And I love that Daniel accepts Katie and her skills for what they are. That doesn't mean he stays on the sidelines -- he has an interesting background that makes him more than capable of standing up to danger. Together they make a fearsomely awesome team...though there was this one place where they did something that set me in panic mode. It was so ominously clear that the bad guy would take advantage and I tried to warn them but they ignored me. And was I right? Boy, was I right! They barely got out alive. Gah! I hate when the hero and heroine ignore a reader's sincere prompting.

The romantic tension is taut from early on. Charged moments punctuated by danger tease the reader's anticipation. And then there's all the sinister twists and turns and a bevy of alarmingly ingenuous attempts on Daniel's life. And, oh my goodness, there are a few scenes that gave me the collywobbles. (Isn't that a great word -- it means intensely anxious to the point of queasiness. LOL)

Another exceptionally enthralling read from this stellar romantic suspense author.

Oh -- and you don't need to read the first book in the Elite Guardians series -- Always Watching -- in order to enjoy this one. The books read really well as standalones though there are overlapping characters (the Elite Guardian team).

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Without Warning 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 9 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

October Giveaway - Week One

WON BY RUBYNREBA

WON BY PATTI H.



WON BY ANDREA M.

WON BY PATTY

WON BY ELLY

WON BY MARJORIE/CENYA2

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:

Intervention

GIVEAWAY

BLACKSTOCK, TERRI
INTERVENTION

Her last hope is the beginning of a new nightmare.

Barbara Covington has one more chance to save her daughter from a devastating addiction, by staging an intervention. But when eighteen-year-old Emily disappears on the way to drug treatment -- and her interventionist is found dead at the airport -- Barbara enters her darkest nightmare of all.

Barbara and her son set out to find Emily before Detective Kent Harlan arrests her for a crime he is sure she committed. Fearing for Emily's life, Barbara maintains her daughter's innocence. But does she really now her anymore? Meanwhile, Kent has questions of his own. His gut tells him that this is a case of an addict killing for drugs, but as he gets to know Barbara, he begins to hope he's wrong about Emily.

The panic level rises as the mysteries intensify: Did Emily's obsession with drugs lead her to commit murder -- or is she another victim of a cold-blooded killer?

My Review:

Absolutely riveting. This author sure knows how to spin a suspenseful tale! I was completely captivated on page one. The subject matter is gritty and there are so many emotional punches -- at times I couldn't catch my breath. Page turning does not begin to describe how compelling a read Intervention is.

Barbara is a relatable heroine. She's been through so much -- especially where her daughter is concerned.  And yet she clings to the Lord -- looks to Him for comfort and direction. When her daughter's drug addiction upends her world she struggles to take control....only to lose it completely in an unexpected and horrific way.

Suddenly her missing daughter goes from victim to suspect and Barbara doesn't trust the local police handling the case. She bulldozes through their investigation with assistance from her intrepid, computer savvy son. They drum up leads and chase them down as danger mounts and Barbara grows more desperate to save her child. I didn't put this book down until I reached the end...in the wee hours of the morning.

This story is gut-wrenching and frightening as it mirrors reality. But Blackstock has also infused it with the joyous hope of Christ's saving grace. It's a story that is very close to the author's heart and that is evident in the rawness of the telling. Make sure to read the her note at the end.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Intervention 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 2 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!