Angel Falls

GIVEAWAY

MANN, CONNIE
ANGEL FALLS

When her best friend is killed, leaving Regina da Silva with her young child, Brooks Anderson is sent to bring the child to the U.S. Circumstances bring them together in Brazil, where Regina and Brooks are pursued by a killer while protecting the orphaned baby. As the danger heightens, so does their attraction. They've both been broken by violent pasts, but while Regina relies on her faith, Brooks has turned away from God. Will they realize their true feelings for each other when their pursuer strives to keep them apart forever?

My Review:

published in 2013 by Abingdon Press
My thanks to my public library for keeping me  in retro reads!

Intense. Gritty. Definitely edgy. This debut romantic suspense pushes  boundaries even as it delivers a riveting read. Some aspects of this book aren't for the faint of heart. There's plenty of action and violence and even some of the romantic scenes are more detailed than I'm used to seeing in a Christian Fiction novel -- so it might not be for every reader. It is in no way explicit or inappropriate but definitely a wee bit edgier.

And what a desperate story this is! Regina, with her heartbreaking past and her commitment to care for the orphans and street children in the ghettos of her city. She walks with God, but even so, she  is held captive by her abusive history. Her goal is to protect other children from living the horrors she has.

Brooks is all simmering rage and hard edges. A tough soldier who has been betrayed and can't let it go. He's not particularly likable when we first meet him. Very self-centered and bitter, nursing his wounds -- both physical and emotional -- and not in the healthiest of ways. He tries to mask it, but there's a decent and compassionate heart under that brusque exterior and it comes to the surface when Regina and little Eduardo are threatened.

Action-packed, nail-biting scenes collide into one another as Mann takes this hero and heroine -- and her readers -- on a breathtaking race to the finish line.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Angel Falls, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you leave your email with a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 8 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Unconventional Governess

GIVEAWAY

NELSON, JESSICA
THE UNCONVENTIONAL GOVERNESS

A mutual arrangement

Henrietta Gordon has one dream: to practice medicine alongside the uncle who raised her. But when he insists she stay in London and find a husband, she must figure out a way to earn money toward her goal. Could handsome earl Dominic, Lord St. Raven, be the answer?

Desperate to find a governess for his niece after his brother's death, Dominic hires Henrietta -- and is soon taken by her smarts and determination. But as Henrietta comes to care deeply for Dominic and his charge, the thought of inevitably leaving them feels impossible, forcing her to decide what's more important -- following her dream or her heart.

My Review:

Screeeech!!!! Regency Euphoria alert! And cue the fainting couches because the romantical scenes made my tummy do back-flips and somersaults and loop-de-loops! My senses are all nonsensical as this story is still fresh in my mind so forgive me if this review doesn't make sense. :-)

So -- Dominic -- excuse me while I languish on my fainting couch while I type this because he is such a swoonworthy hero! A little bit brooding (with good reason) and a whole lot appealing. His heart for his niece made me a fan first because who can resist a grown man turned to putty at the hands of a precocious twelve-year-old? But their relationship is complicated and in danger -- hence the need for a governess.

Henrietta might be considered an unorthodox choice, but there's no disputing the fact that she is highly intelligent...and opinionated. And not shy about speaking her mind. Sparks fly and the air fairly crackles with electricity every time Dom and Henrietta share a scene and thankfully they share many. And the almost kissing scenes are just as charged as the actually kissing scenes so consider yourselves forewarned.

A sublime example of everything that's right with a Regency.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Unconventional Governess, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email in a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 8 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

Out of the Ordinary

GIVEAWAY

TURANO, JEN
OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Working as a paid companion may be quite commonplace, but Miss Gertrude Cadwalader's eccentric employer makes her ob unpredictable, to say the least. She finds herself carrying out an array of highly unusual tasks, including wearing peculiar outfits and returning items the woman pilfered. But when the wealthy Mrs. Sinclair catches Gertrude sneaking around the Sinclair yacht with some of the missing items in her possession, she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair is caught in the middle of a misunderstanding between his mother and Gertrude, but he can't help coming to his friend's defense. Even as he hopes their friendship might become something more. Harrison is unprepared for the outlandish escapades that seem to follow the lovely, anything-but-ordinary Gertrude at every turn.

My Review:

"God doesn't expect His children to live ordinary lives, but extraordinary ones." (p 123)

Aptly titled because there is nothing ordinary about the characters or the situations found within the pages of Out of the Ordinary! Turano's humour is as absurdly quirky as ever -- in every exacting detail. From the outlandish character names to the crazy circumstances that riddle the plot. And the witty dialogue -- oh la la -- digs delivered with perfect decorum, banter that will leave a reader grinning and outrageous conversations that made my head spin. You need your wits about you when you commence reading this fantastical tale.

Everything Harrison is delectable. From his interesting choice of apparel to his endearing cluelessness around women. He's noble and kind and a works hard at managing the family's shipping business. The ladies flock around him with dollar signs hidden beneath their coquettish fluttering eyelashes. His one true female friend is Gertrude who is equally kind and hard working. But neither dare venture towards romance until family and friends enthusiastically do their utmost to bring them together. And then it's all madcap lunacy as Harrison, egged on by his equally clueless best friend, attempts to woo Gertrude using his sisters' romance novels as a guide. The results are...surprising. And hilarious.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Out of the Ordinary, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 8 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

An Unexpected Amish Romance

GIVEAWAY

DAVIDS, PATRICIA
AN UNEXPECTED AMISH ROMANCE

New beginnings. New job. New  love? Amish Bachelors are full of surprises...

After a broken engagement, Helen Zook is embracing her independence -- starting with a new job working for carpenter Mark Bowman. Sparks fly as Helen immediately butts heads with her handsome yet gruff boss, whose complicated past makes him hesitant to plant roots in Bowman's Crossing. But Helen's eccentric aunt and a matchmaking basset hound have their own plans for Helen and Mark's future...

My Review:

A matchmaking bassett hound named Clyde and a raccoon named Juliet...need I say more? Sublime romantic comedy that is so much fun to read you can't stop and it's over before you know it -- but you will still be smiling hours later. I think this might be my favourite book by Patricia Davids yet!

Helen and Mark are a hoot! Poor Helen -- everything that can go wrong does every time she runs into Mark. Literally. Every single time. I laughed so hard my tummy hurt. And Clyde has an unusual way of aiding their non-courtship. He's aided and abetted by Helen's Aenti Charlotte who might not be as dotty as she appears to be.

Lots of laughter and sweet romance make this a super fun read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of An Unexpected Amish Romance, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 8 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Crisis Shot

GIVEAWAY

CANTORE, JANICE
CRISIS SHOT

Tess O'Rourke dreams of becoming the first female chief of police in Long Beach, California. As commander of the East Division, she is well on her way...until the night she responds to a call and fatally shoots an unarmed teenager. Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury, Tess is so hounded by the public that she takes a job in Oregon to escape the bad press.

Winning over the residents of Rogue's Hollow might be more difficult than adjusting to her new role as police chief in the small, backwater town. Especially when her closest friend, the pastor's wife, goes missing and the woman's cousin is found shot.  Tess finds an ally in sheriff's deputy Steve Logan, but as they track down Rogue's Hollow first murderer, she worries that she's breaking one of her rules and getting too close to him.

My Review:

Cantore addresses some tough subject matter in this riveting pager-turning suspense. Love the candor and expertise that comes from her 22 year career in law enforcement. That insider's knowledge brings an authenticity to the policing scenes that I found fascinating.

Tess is a third generation police officer. It's the family business and she's as dedicated as they come. And then a life-altering decision changes everything. Her hopes for the future are dashed and she finds herself pushed into an undesirable career shift. Sure, she's made Police Chief -- but it's in a Mayberry kind of town with a force totaling eight officers.

Faced with prejudice and resistance both inside the presinct and out, Tess struggles to make the transition easier for everyone -- including herself. Then a murder and a missing persons report generates a complicated investigation that will either make or break the new police chief.

Loved all the multi-layered dynamics of both officers and townsfolk. And the solid support of a certain sheriff's deputy who has a relatively small role to play in this first book in the Line of Duty series. Though I predict that Steve Logan is in for the long haul as Cantore tends to develop the romantic element over the course of a series but the groundwork has been laid here in Crisis Shot and I'm anxious to follow Tess and Steve in future books.

A gripping police procedural kind of suspense that held me captive to the very last page.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Crisis Shot, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 8, 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

All This Time

GIVEAWAY

TAGG, MELISSA
ALL THIS TIME

Bear's past refuses to let go

Ten years ago, Bear McKinley gave up everything -- his freedom and his reputation -- for his mess of a family. But after years of distance and too many attempts at starting over, he finally has a new life...until his past catches up to him once again. Suddenly he finds himself charged with the care of his missing brother's children, convinced he's out of second chances to make his life count. And yet, with every day that passes, these kids and the woman he never stopped missing help patch the holes in his heart. Maybe this is the fresh start he's been longing for all along. But as his newfound hope grows, so does the mystery surrounding his brother's activities -- and when the threat reaches into the lives of those he loves, it's clear can't run away this time.

Fear holds Raegen's future captive

Raegan Walker is fine. She's happy working part-time obs and rarely venturing from her hometown. At least, that's what she tells everyone...and herself. But she can't help wondering what might've happened if she hadn't abandoned her art so many years ago -- and if Bear McKinley had never left. When Bear returns and she's commissioned for a painting that just might revive her artistic ambition all in one week. It's time to finally reach for more than fine. But doing so means facing the fears that have held her back all this time, including admitting the secret she's kept from Bear and her family. With her dream and her heart on the line, how much will Raegan have to risk tofinally chase her happy ending!

My Review:

Well, I'm all weepy now. Not only because this novel packs an emotional wallop, but because it is the last in the Walker Family series and I'm so not ready to say goodbye! Not to them or Maple Valley. Or Melissa Tagg's incredible gift of sharing hard hitting faith cushioned by love and grace. Though I expect we readers will see that aspect of her writing in future books with new characters and places. Still -- the Walkers are a pretty awesome family and I am going to miss them. Sniffle.

And I have to say that Tagg really preached to me when it came to the inspirational threads in this book. Not that it's preachy, mind, just that she said some things that I desperately needed to hear. Let's just say I'm a little bit Bear and a whole lot Raegan and leave it at that. But, seriously, this is why I read Christian Fiction -- to gain insight and perspective on my faith journey because stories reach me in a way that all the non-fiction 'how-to' books can't.

So,on to Bear and Raegan. Make sure you have tissue and a fainting couch on hand...and possibly smelling salts for readers of a particularly sensitive nature. :-) Bear is everything his name conjures up. A bit rough around the edges, big and brawny but he isn't afraid to let his inner teddy bear shine through on appropriate occasions...which often involves Raegan. Melting  puddle sigh.

The scenes with these two -- the banter, the teasing, the aching tenderness. My heart hurt for them. Bear because he's so stubborn in his confusion. His faith is strong but has a hairline fracture running through it -- "Sure he believed in a God who forgave his sins; forgot them even. But the world didn't forget. Bear didn't." (p 105) And Raegan, trying so hard not to fall for the guy who has no intention of staying in town long term. Because she is frozen in place by a secret that has way too much power over her.

So the stage is set for an angsty romance, but the author doesn't leave it there. There's some intrigue and mystery, the shadow of Bear's past that brings danger to this quiet rural town. And the Walker family is present in full force. Lots of delightful cameos with former heroes and heroines from previous novels as well as the clan's patriarch, Case Walker. If this Walker family saga has to come to a close, this is a pretty awesome way to do it!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of All This Time, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday April 8 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

April Giveaway -- Week One

WON BY MARIAN BAAY

WON BY LORI

WON BY MELANIE BACKUS

WON BY PERRIANNE ASKEW

WON BY SHAYNA

WON BY SUSAN P.

You know the drill -- I will notify the winner if they included their email. If not, it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If I can't connect with a winner within in month, the win is forfeited. Books are usually sent out within a week of receviing a winner's address, but give it a month before inquiring about a delivery to allow for processing and shipping times. 

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS: