Guardian

GIVEAWAY

REED, TERRI
GUARDIAN

Protecting the single mom

When a fellow FBI agent is kidnapped and a protected witness vanishes, Leo Gallagher will stop at nothing to find them both. So when he discovers a link between the case and a single mother in Wyoming, Leo and his trusty K-9 partner rush to question Alicia Duncan. Could she be the key to locating the missing persons? Not if a killer has anything to say about it. Someone is determined to keep Alicia from talking, so Leo and his chocolate Lab must keep her and her little boy safe on their family ranch. With danger lurking around every corner, Leo must work overtime to not lose another person who's important to him.

Classified K-9 Unit: these lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

My Review:

Squuueeeallll. New Love Inspired Suspense continuity series! With K-9s!!!!! I'm so ecstatic. And Terri Reed does an awesome job of starting things off right from the prologue which sets the stage for the continuous suspense and introduces readers to all the law enforcement players. Woot! And I love that the whole team is actively involved. Can't wait to read each of their stories.

Leo and True are the heroes of Guardian. Perfect title-tie-in by the way. I'm not sure who I fell for harder -- the two-legged or the four-legged heart-throb. Edging towards the chocolate lab, I think. :-) No worries though, Alicia is more enamoured with Leo than True. Romance isn't high on her list of priorities...especially with a killer stalking her! Intrigue and danger lurk on every page, but can't quite squelch the growing attraction between Leo and Alicia. But they both struggle with leaving the past behind and trusting God with their future. Deliciously complicated stuff to contemplate when not dodging bullets.

If you are not familiar with continuity series, there is an over arcing suspense thread that is not solved as it plays out over six books. However, the immediate suspense is solved, new clues are collected to carry over into future stories and, of course, the hero and heroine get their happily ever after.

Awesome start to a stellar new series.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Guardian 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 March 19 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Captive Heart

GIVEAWAY

GRIEP, MICHELLE
THE CAPTIVE HEART

The American wilderness is no place for an elegant English governess...

On the run from a brute of an aristocratic employer, Eleanor Morgan escapes from England to America, the land of the free, for the opportunity to serve an upstanding Charles Town family. But freedom is hard to come by as an indentured servant, and downright impossible when she's forced to agree to an even harsher contract -- marriage to a man she's never met.

Backwoodsman Samuel Heath doesn't care what others think of him -- but his young daughter's upbringing matters very much. The life of a trapper in the Carolina backcountry is no life for a small girl, but neither is abandoning his child to another family. He decides it's time to marry again, but that proves to be an impossible task. Who wants to wed a murderer?

Both Samuel and Eleanor are survivors, facing down the threat of war, betrayal, and divided loyalties
that could cost them everything, but this time they must face their biggest challenge ever...love.

My Review:

Smelling salts - check
Fainting couch - check
Extra stuffing for the cushions on the fainting couch - check
water bottle to keep hydrated - check
chocolate (to soothe ravaged nerves) - check

Just a few recommendations for your not-looking-up-until-I-reach-the-end reading kit. You'll want to be well stocked before you embark on this incredible journey. Samuel and Eleanor's story held me captive and turned my heart to mush.

There's something so emotionally appealing about a marriage of convenience story. This hero and heroine come from very different worlds but are thrown together in tumultuous times just before the American revolution. I have to stop saying this isn't a favourite time period of mine because I keep reading novels that blow me away with their rich historical details and heart-wrenching romance. The Captive Heart is exactly that kind of book.

Eleanor is victimized in a world that favours men. Samuel has fallen victim to his past. Two broken people find the strength to carve a place for themselves in a restless frontier. It isn't easy and Samuel and Eleanor spend a lot of time battling each other in a desperate bid to guard their wounded hearts. But there are times when they band together against an outside foe. Page-turning madness full of gripping action and aching tenderness.

And, oh, be still my heart, Papa Samuel is the stuff curled toes are made of! Devoted, besotted, protective. A doting father to sweet, impish little Grace. He would do anything for his little girl -- including marrying a stranger to ensure her future. A mesmerizing, heart-in-throat story ensues. Delicious to the very last word.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Captive Heart 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 March 19 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

March Giveaway - Week Two

WON BY TRIXI

WON BY AMADA CHAVEZ

WON BY RUBYNREBA

WON BY AMBER SCHAMEL

WON BY CAROL ANN PILEGGI

WON BY JUDY SAUNDERS

WON BY WENDY NEWCOMB

WON BY SAMANTHA

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:

Abomination

GIVEAWAY

COBLE, COLLEEN
ABOMINATION

A beautiful woman stands by the side of the road, barefoot and bleeding, a child in her arms. Someone just tried to kill her, but she wouldn't recognize him if she saw his face. She doesn't even remember her own name.

A suburban cop surveys a kitchen in disarray -- a woman and child are missing, a chilling note. This crime scene is unlike any he has ever seen.

The man who calls himself Gideon waits and plans. He sees himself as a destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abomination. He has killed five women. He will kill again.

And somewhere in the wilderness, in a secret geocache near where the wild swans gather, lies the unspeakable clue that links them all together.

Michigan's rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula is the setting for this absorbing tale of love and loss, beauty and terror, grievous sins and second chances. A deftly woven thriller from the popular author of the Rock Harbor novels.

My Review:

A hair-raising thriller that kept me glued to the page...with frequent shoulder checks for good measure. Somewhat gruesome -- Coble never goes too far but my vivid imagination filled in the details all too clearly. Shudder. The suspense just doesn't quit -- complicated and gnarly and completely riveting. The plot twists and turns and twists some more. It got to the point where I just couldn't put the book down and finished it in the wee hours of the morning.

Back in Rock Harbor with Bree  and Samson the wonder search-and-rescue dog was a pleasant surprise. The Rock Harbor series books were my first Colleen Coble reads so I squealed when Bree and Samson showed up early on. :-) You don't need to have read any of that series in order to enjoy this one. I just got an unexpected kick when I met up with them and the rest of the Rock Harbor gang in this story.

Abomination is classic Coble -- filled with subtle intricacies in a complex plot and packed with surprises. The kind of book you inhale the moment you open to the first page.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Abomination 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 March 11 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Plain Sanctuary

GIVEAWAY

STONE, ALISON
PLAIN SANCTUARY

Amish Country Danger

Returning to her Amish hometown to open a bed-and-breakfast, Heather Miller thinks she's finally safe from her violent ex-husband -- until he escapes from prison. Now with her ex determined to hurt her, she must rely on US Marshal Zachary Walker for safety. For Zach, this mission isn't only his duty -- it's personal. The escaped convicted killed his sister, and Heather was instrumental in putting the man behind bars. But with Zach's natural protective instincts toward Heather turning into something deeper, he must keep his emotional distance. He can't be distracted, because the danger that lies in wait is as evil as it is unexpected...and a lapse in judgment could prove deadly.

My Review:

Creepy stalker + isolated farmhouse = spine tingling suspense. Love the interesting connection the hero and heroine have. The last time they saw each other was in a courtroom where Heather's testimony put Zach's sister's killer in prison for life. Now the man has escaped and Zach is determined not to let another woman become a victim. I do so enjoy reading about a US Marshal in hyper-protective mode! Heather seems to appreciate him too, though she's trying to put the past behind her and embrace a new start. One that doesn't include a hovering marshal. :-) Suspense builds slowly and there's plenty of Amish input which adds a different dimension to this Love Inspired Suspense.

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Plain Sancturaryplease 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 March 11 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Justice Delayed

GIVEAWAY

BRADLEY, PATRICIA
JUSTICE DELAYED

In one week, the wrong man will be executed for murder. Let the chase for the real killer begin.

Eighteen years ago, TV crime reporter Andi Hollister's sister was murdered. The convicted killer sits behind bars, his execution date looming. But when a later surfaces stating that the condemned didn't do the crime, Detective Will Kincaide of the Memphis Cold Case Unit will stop at nothing to help Andi get to the bottom of it. After all, this case is personal: the man who confessed to the crime is Will's cousin. Andi and Will must find the real killer before the wrong person is executed. But what can happen in only a week? Uncovering police corruption, running for your life, and perhaps falling in love?

With the perfect mixture of intrigue and nail-biting suspense, award winning author Patricia Bradley invites you to crack the case -- if you can -- alongside the best Memphis has to offer.

My Review:

Breath-snatching good. Such intriguing suspense. Readers have the benefit of knowing some things before Andi and Will do which makes the reading all the more edgier, I find. There's still plenty of clues to decipher and suspects to weed through as well and I'm proud to report that I finally (after a few false starts) figured out the villain...but wait, there's more than one and some things surprised me. Shocked me. Confounded me. Phew! A thriller of a read!!!!!

The romance is subtle. A kind of unrequited yearning on both sides, though they don't realize it. Andi and Will have known each other since childhood. He's her brother's best friend. She was the proverbial tag-along little sister. They were the disgruntled older kids trying to avoid her. So there's some great dynamics rooted in familiarity. But somewhere along the way that friendly affection has turned into something deeper but neither Will or Andi are willing to take a risk. Until murder and mayhem turn their world upside down and set their priorities straight!

A nail-biting page-turner. You'll want to clear your calendar for this one because you won't want to stop reading once you start.

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

Giveaway Opportunity:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Justice Delayed 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 March 12 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The Deputy's Perfect Match

GIVEAWAY

CARTER, LISA
THE DEPUTY'S PERFECT MATCH

His Librarian Sweetheart...

Still nursing old heartache, deputy sheriff Charlie Pruitt vowed he'd never get close to another woman again. But that's easier said than done when librarian Evy Shaw arrives in his small coastal Virginia town with a secret -- one Charlie's determined to uncover. When Charlie joins Evy's all-female book club, he gets more than he anticipated when the romantic reads strike a real attraction to Evy. Falling for the pretty librarian wasn't part of the plan, but when the truth behind Evy's suspicious behavior comes to light, will love be enough to bind them together?

My Review:

Romantic comedy perfection! I'm totally fan-girling over the librarian heroine! And the fact that she wears glasses (get a load of that cover!) because myopic girls deserve love too. :-) Especially with heroes like wise-cracking Superdeputy Charlie.

The banter in this novel is so outrageously good. And that's because Charlie takes great delight in pushing Miss Librarian's buttons. "It was kind of fun to wind her up and set her off -- like watching a jewelry box ballerina go all dashboard hula girl." (p. 40) There are so many awesome scenes -- the kind you see in a classic romantic comedy -- that are sheer delight to read. I laughed so much! And the ending -- stupendous fun. I'm still grinning.

But there are touching scenes too as Carter explores the long lasting effects childhood experiences hold. Evy is held captive by the past, to the point that she has become a chameleon, quick to blend into the background. Charlie has a hand a drawing her out and watching Evy grow into her true self makes for an inspiring read.

If you love to laugh and swoon simultaneously while wiping away a tear or two then this is the perfect book for you.

Giveaway Opportunity:
 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Deputy's Perfect Match 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 March 12 2017.  Offer open to international readers. Good luck!