The Silver Suitcase

GIVEAWAY

TODD, TERRIE
THE SILVER SUITCASE

On the brink of World War II, a young girl makes a choice that echoes through generations.

It's 1939, and Canada is on the cusp of entering World War II. Seventeen-year-old farm girl Cornelia has been heartbroken since the day her mother died five years ago. As a new tragedy provides Cornelia still more reason to reject her parents' faith, a mysterious visitor appears in her hour of hopelessness. Alone and carrying a heavy secret, she makes a desperate choice that will haunt her for years to come. Never telling a soul, Cornelia pours out the painful events of the war in her diary.

Many decades later, Cornelia's granddaughter, Benita, is in the midst of her own crisis, experiencing several losses in the same week, including her job and the grandmother she adored. The resulting emotional and financial stress takes its toll on her and her husband, Ken, who is unemployed. On the brink of divorce, she discovers Cornelia's diary. Now the secrets of her grandmother's past will lead Benita on an unexpected journey of healing, reunion, and faith.

My Review:

What an exceptional debut novel! It has so much going for it. Canadian author. Dual timelines. Solid inspirational thread. Quality storytelling. I was completely captivated from page one.

The story flips between decades -- the past both from Cornelia's viewpoint and from her diary entries -- and the present from her granddaughter, Benita's perspective. The author fuses this generational story through tragedy and triumph as Benita begins to put unexpected pieces of her grandmother's past together. And in the process, she learns a lot about herself and her own relationships.

The faith thread is strong and moving and anchors both women in the midst of life struggles. The epilogue gave me goosebumps -- the way the author reveals the fruition of an inspired promise in the most unexpected of ways.

Though I'd label this as 'Women's Fiction' there are a few pivotal romance threads that flush out these women's lives in various ways. A truly inspiring and captivating story.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Silver Suitcase 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 February 12 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Mark of the King

GIVEAWAY

GREEN, JOCELYN
THE MARK OF THE KING

Life in this new world requires more strength than she ever imagined

After the death of her client, midwife Julianne Chevalier is imprisoned and branded, marking her as a criminal beyond redemption. Hoping to reunite with her brother, a soldier, she trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling French colony of Louisiana. The price of her transport, however, is a forced marriage to a fellow convict.

New Orleans is nothing like Julianne expects. The settlement is steeped in mud and mosquitoes and there is no news of her brother, Benjamin. When tragedy strikes, she turns to military officer Marc-Paul Girard for help, but does he know more about her brother than he will admit?

With her dreams shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous land, where only grace -- and love -- can overcome the stigma of the king's mark upon her shoulder.

My Review:

Wickedly intense. Enthralling. There were times I had to set this book aside because I just couldn't take any more. But I always returned to it after a few fortifying breaths because how could I leave Julianne in that predicament? Or the next one? Or the next?

Mercy, but I'm amazed that this area got settled. Still confused as to why the French wanted to claim it in the first place when they didn't support their troops. The historical information is intriguing and frustrating and unbelievable. How did women survive childbirth? (beware to the faint of heart -- the midwifery details are...detailed!) Only the strong survived -- and then by the grace of God! And don't get me started on the lack of women's rights and the barbaric actions of some of the soldiers. Goodness, but my emotions were all over the place as I devoured this book.

Marc-Paul stands out as a man of dignity and honor. Strict, legalistic, he serves his country devoutly. But he also learns the true meaning of grace as he draws closer to the Lord. And that softens him in delightful ways.

Julianne is strength personified. Defiant. Determined. Unstoppable. She is a survivor -- and the things she survives -- truly unimaginable. How a loving author could treat a heroine so...it's shameful, that's what. :-)

Rife with drama, heavy with sorrow but lifted by faith, The Mark of the King a sweeping tale of love and loss and second chances.

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

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Mark of the King 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 February 12 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

February Giveaway - Week One

WON BY REBECCA



WON BY LIBRARY LADY

WON BY LUCY

WON BY LISA BROWN

WON BY MINDY

WON BY LINDA MOFFITT

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 the 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:

Jenna's Cowboy

GIVEAWAY

GILLENWATER, SHARON
JENNA'S COWBOY

Jenna Callahan Colby thought she was content. A partner on her father's successful ranch, she is surrounded by family and friends. But she never expected to see Nate Langley back in town -- the first guy she ever noticed, the one her father sent away all those years ago.

And she never thought the attraction they felt would be as strong as ever.

Jenna's cowboy has some healing of his own to do, though, after two tours of duty in the armed forces. With the help of good friends, strong faith, and a loving family, he hopes to put the horrors of the past behind him -- and become the man Jenna deserves.

My Review:

Published in 2010.

I discovered this gem at my public library. It's the first of a series about the Callahan siblings and I've already put the next two books on hold because I can't wait to read more about this family.

I've read a lot of books set in Texas but I have to say that this one gave me a real feel for Texan life. The author's passion for her home state exudes in every scene. From the town rallying around their returning war hero to everyone celebrating the high school football games and homecoming and all the detailed ranch scenes -- I got a patriotic thrill reading it all...and I'm Canadian! Nate's thoughts sums it up beautifully. "This love of family and community was more than a tradition. It was the heart of the town." (p. 68)

Nate's all about love for God and country and he's paid dearly for his part in serving overseas. Gillenwater deals with the sensitive subject of PTSD with understanding and compassion. It makes for a complicated romance though. But a sweet one nevertheless.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Jenna's Cowboy 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 February 5 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Desert Secrets

GIVEAWAY

HARRIS, LISA
DESERT SECRETS

Deadly pursuit

When aid worker Lexi Shannon is abducted at gunpoint in Mali, she quickly learns her kidnappers are really after her brother -- and the money he's stolen. Landing at the secluded desert compound. ex-military pilot Colton Landry has a clear mission: rescue his brother-in-law, who's being held for ransom. But after discovering the kidnappers also have Lexi, there's no way he's leaving her behind. Their daring escape soon turns into a deadly chase when their plane is shot down, stranding them in the desert. Making a desperate run for the Moroccan border, Lexi and Colton must trust each other and rely on their strength and ingenuity to survive. But it may not be enough to outrun and outsmart their relentless pursuers.

My Review:

An exotic locale really amps up the suspense in this gripping novel. Harris leaves very little breathing room for her characters or her readers so you might want to order in an oxygen tank before you start in on this one. Intense, with danger at every turn -- both manmade and nature inspired. Shudder. This North American girl could totally not survive the desert!  An action-packed romantic suspense that packs an emotional wallop.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Desert Secrets 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 February 5 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

An Uncommon Courtship

GIVEAWAY

HUNTER, KRISTI ANN
AN UNCOMMON COURTSHIP

Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn't be happier he is not the duke in the family. Free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, he has grand plans of someday wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he barely knows, his dream of a loving marriage like his parents' seems lost forever.

Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier when she hid in her older sister's shadow -- which worked until her sister got married. But even with her socially ambitious mother's focus entirely on her, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience before she's been introduced to society.

With nothing going as expected, can Trent and Adelaide's marriage of obligation survive their own missteps and the pressures of London society to grow into a true meeting of hearts and minds?

My Review:

This is the third book in the Hawthorne House series and while you don't need to read the earlier books in order to enjoy this one you will get a better feel for the family as the heroes and heroines of book one and two get some prime time in this one.

Love Adelaide -- she's spent a lifetime being invisible and suddenly finds herself thrust into the limelight in a most outrageous way. Overshadowed by a domineering mother and dazzling older sister, she has created an outer shell that doesn't match who she really is inside.

Trent doesn't know that in the beginning. In fact, he knows very little about Adelaide other than he can't abide her shrewish mother and fears his new wife might possess some of the same tendencies. Oh Trent -- for an upstanding member of aristocracy who never seems to make a wrong move -- he totally bungles his role as husband. In absolutely every way. I wanted to smack him upside the head. A lot! I will give him points on deciding to court his wife though. That's definitely a highlight in this marriage of convenience story.

There's an incredibly funny scene when all the male relations gather together to offer Trent marital advice. Snort. I fear they had way too much fun at the poor man's expense. But by then I had no mercy because he really deserved it.

There's not as much witty banter between the hero and heroine as in the other books. Lots of introspection from both of them though which put this reader on edge. If only they'd actually say what they were thinking! To each other!!

True confession: Griffith is the brother who caught my attention and I might have swooned a time or two...or three or more...whenever he was in a scene. Something about a confident Duke who thinks he has his whole life planned out. I'm really looking forward to his story -- I suspect Kristi Ann Hunter is going to turn his well-ordered life upside down. I think it's going to be a doozy!

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

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of An Uncommon Courtship 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 February 5 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Presumed Dead

GIVEAWAY

STRONG, ANGELA RUTH
PRESUMED DEAD

Threat of exposure

Framed for a sabotaged military operation, Preston Tyler has allowed everyone to believe he's dead -- until he witnesses someone planting a bomb in his childhood sweetheart's cabin. To save Holly Fontaine's life, he must blow his cover. Holly is shaken is shaken...bot by the explosion and the sudden appearance of a man she thought she'd lost forever. But their reunion is short-lived when the bomb planter returns, forcing their escape into Lake Tahoe's wilderness. As they struggle to survive, memories of their shared past reignite old feelings. Holly refuses to lose Preston again, but with their pursuer closing in, will the ultimate betrayal tear them apart for good?

My Review:

Debut Love Inspired Suspense author Angela Ruth Strong delivers an edge-of-your-seat read. From the explosive :-) beginning to the hard-to-catch-your-breath conclusion she takes readers on a thrilling journey. Poor Holly -- stuff keeps happening -- sinister, lethal stuff -- the kind that will get you killed -- and she doesn't know why. And if that's not enough to keep her off kilter, the sudden appearance of her supposedly dead boyfriend has her totally off balance. And then the two are caught up in a chain of disastrous events that have them running not only from a killer but from the police as well. Phew! A whirlwind of a read!

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Presumed Dead 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 February 5 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!