The Reluctant Warrior

GIVEAWAY

CONNEALY, MARY
THE RELUCTANT WARRIOR

He thought his toughest tests were behind him. But nothing could prepare him for trying to win back the love of his daughter.

Union army officer Cameron Scott is used to being obeyed, but nothing about this journey to Lake Tahoe has gone as expected. He's come to fetch his daughter and nephew, and seek revenge on the people who killed his brother. Instead he finds himself trapped by a blizzard with two children, who are terrified of him, and the stubborn but beautiful Gwen Harkness, who he fears may be trying to keep the children.

When danger descends on the cabin where they're all huddled, Cam is injured trying to protect everyone and now finds Gwen caring for him too. He soon realizes why the kids love her so much and worries that it might be best for him to move on without them. When she sees his broken heart, Gwen decides to help him win back their affection -- and in the process he might just win her heart as well.

My Review:

One of the most romantical book covers ever! And deceptively soothing for the wild ride of action, adventure and the sinister conniving of truly nasty villains you will find within its pages. Nothing like lulling an innocent reader into a false sense of security. :-) Because the opening scene is as tense and dangerous and hair-raising as any Connealy novel. (And disturbingly inventive -- I fear the author must harbor a seriously diabolical mind in order to create so many wonderfully unexpected heart-stopping opening scenes. )

"It flashed through his thoughts that he'd liked her better when she was unconscious." (p 31) Snort. Love this author's wry sense of humour and the way she delivers one liners in the middle of murder and mayhem -- though I'm in danger of choking when a snort of laughter collides with an astonished gasp. Reader beware.

Cam is a bit too used to barking out orders thanks to his army career. Gwen isn't as committed to following through on those orders. Clashing of wills, unexpected attraction, the welfare of two young children to consider and, of course, villains to be thwarted all combine to make their romance a tad on the tricky side. (massive understatement!)

And I love fuming over the vile villains and their nefarious plans as nail-biting as that can be. Reading a Connealy masterpiece is tilt-a-whirl of fury, fun and toe-curls and I enjoy every second.

GIVEAWAY OPPROTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Reluctant Warrior, 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 Saturday February 9 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Promised Amish Bride

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PERRY, MARTA
THE PROMISED AMISH BRIDE

A prodigal homecoming...the Brides of Lost Creek continues

Returning to his Amish community after losing his job in the Englisch world. Aaron King isn't sure if he wants to stay. Everything's the same, including his childhood friend Sally Stoltzfus. With an uncertain future and a big secret, Aaron has changed. But the more time he spends training a horse with Sally, the more he believes this is exactly where he's meant to be.

My Review:

Happy sigh. I do so love Marta Perry's books and this series in particular. The King brothers are reunited at last in this prodigal son story and I loved the sibling dynamics as they find their way towards becoming a family again. No worries if you haven't read the first two books in this series -- The Promised Amish Bride reads well as a standalone -- but if you are familiar with Caleb and Daniel it's just plain fun to revisit with them and their lady loves. Not to mention Onkel Zeb and the kinder!

It's all a bit overwhelming for Aaron who isn't quite sure what his return to Lost Creek really means. Is he back for a visit or something more permanent? He's guarded and wary, accepting the overtures of the community with a caution born of distrust. Except for Sally -- her open-hearted kindness and gentle acceptance breaks through all his barriers and leaves him more confused then ever. Their rekindled friendship soon heats up and then things really get complicated.

A moving story of reconciliation and second chances.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Promised Amish Bride, 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 Saturday February 9 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Hidden Peril

GIVEAWAY

HANNON, IRENE
HIDDEN PERIL

As teenagers, Kristin Dane and her two best friends took a vow to make the world a better place. Twenty years later, she's fulfilling that pledge through her fair trade shop that features products from around the world. All is well until, one by one, people connected to the shop begin dying.

Detective Luke Carter, new to the St Louis PD, want to know why. Before he can answer that question, however, the FBI weighs in and Kristin suddenly finds herself in the middle of international intrigue -- and in the sights of the ruthless mastermind behind an ingenuous and deadly, scheme. Can this cold-blooded killer be stopped before more people...including Kristin?

Three-time RITA Award-winner and "queen of inspirational romantic suspense" (Library Journal) Irene Hannon doesn't disappoint in this edge-of-you-seat thriller that will have readers up late as they rush toward the explosive conclusion.

My Review:

Tantalizing intrigue slowly builds in pace until you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough towards the end. A real paper-cut-inducing frenzy of a conclusion! 

Love the sheer scope of the suspense. It's multi-layered and complicated and unravels over a generous amount of time which leaves Kristin and Luke on tenterhooks romantically speaking. Talk about a slow, deliberate build-up to the fireworks! Their yearning is palpable but Luke is striving to tow the police department line by not becoming involved with a victim/witness. But, oh my, how that man can convey longing in a succinct business-like phone call. Be still my heart!

There's a lot to work through before something as tangible as a date can happen though so the race is on to foil a deadly scheme. Fans of Irene Hannon's work will thrill over some unexpected cameos from earlier books. No worries if you don't recognize them, but it's kinda fun if you do.

And this is only the second book in the Code of Honor series so we still have some delectable reading in store. While each book can be read as a standalone, I'm really enjoying the special friendship Kristin, Rick and Colin have nurtured for years. The give and take and playful banter between the three is loads of fun and now that Colin and Kristin have found their HEA, it's Rick's turn next. Dark Ambitions releases in October and I can't wait!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Hidden Peril, 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 Saturday February 9 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Any Dream Will Do

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RANDOM RETRO READ!

MACOMBER, DEBBIE
ANY DREAM WILL DO

Shay Benson adored her younger brother, Caden, and that got her into trouble. When he owed money, Shay realized she would do anything to help him avoid the men who were threatening  him, and she crossed lines she never should have crossed. Now, determined to start fresh, she finds herself in search of a place to stay and wanders into a church to escape from the cold.

Pastor Drew Douglas adored his wife. But when he lost her, it was all he could do to focus on his two beautiful kids, and his flock came in a distant third. Now, as he too is thinking about a fresh start, he walks through his sanctuary and finds Shay sitting in a pew.

The pair strike up a friendship -- Drew helps Shay get back on her feet, and she reignites his sense of purpose -- that, over time, turns into something deeper, something soulful, spiritual, and possibly romantic. Even Drew's two children are taken with this woman who has brought light back into their lives. Perhaps most important, Shay learns to trust again as she, in turn, proves herself trustworthy to her adopted community.

But Caden's return to town and a disastrous secret threaten to undo the life Shay has tried so hard to rebuild. It will take the utmost courage and faith if she and Drew hope to find healing and open their hearts to a brighter future.

My Review:

published in 2017
My thanks to my public library for providing me with the audio version of this retro read!

I'm just getting into Debbie Macomber's work and I've been enjoying her lighthearted romantic comedies -- especially the Christmas ones -- so Any Dream Will Do was quite the surprise. It has more serious undertones and a strong faith component that totally rocked my world. I was completely sucked in right from the very angsty prologue and it was excruciating to have to endure the measured pace of the narrators when I kept wanting to read faster and leap ahead and find out what happens next....Aaaaggggh, what sweet torture.And excellent performances by Mark Deakins and Laurel Rankin.

And what a powerful redemption story! So many layers packed with grace and forgiveness and hope. Also the most unusual romance that I've ever read in that it develops over the course of months. Loved the way Drew and Shay are drawn together (definitely divine intervention there!) and how they build a respectful acquaintance into friendship and finally love. These isn't a hasty road to romance kind of read. Macomber places way too many speed bumps in their way to slow things down and make that struggle to a HEA the touching triumph it became. Make sure you have copious amounts of tissues on hand -- you'll need a truckload. What a stunner of a read!

Side note: There are a few instances of coarse language.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Any Dream Will Do, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 Saturday February 9 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

Hope by the Book Launch Issue

GIVEAWAY

I just happen to have an extra copy of the launch issue of Hope By the Book -- a periodical dedicated to avid readers. It's a celebration of all things bookish created by "book nerds who love Jesus and read past their bedtime." (Carrie, Seekerville, Oct 12, 2018) This is the kind of thing that happens when bookish friends gather together and start talking books...and aren't we glad?!

I've read my copy cover to cover -- and believe me when I say this is the first time I've read every single word in a magazine. It's full to brimming with the kind of content that will send avid readers into a tailspin of giddy delight. Articles, reviews and images that promise to "feed your inner bookworm."  

Thanks to a glitch in their delivery system, I ended up getting two copies of the first edition so I'm offering up the extra copy as a giveaway. If you haven't subscribed to this new book-centric magazine here's a chance to check it out.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Hope By the Book : Launch issue, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 Saturday February 9 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

February Giveaway -- Week One

WON BY TERRILL

WON BY TAMMY HUDSON
AND
A YOUNG COUNTRY GIRL

WON BY LAURA WALTZ

WON BY MELISSA G.
AND 
SUSAN FUCHIKAMI

WON BY MARIA DB

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address. Otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca with your mailing address. From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven't been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now so, please, DON'T BE SHY -- CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN'T LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU. Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address and I'll email you to confirm your win is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring about the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping time. Thank you!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

I received an extra copy of the launch issue of Hope By the Book so I'm offering it in a giveaway on Sunday. If you haven't subscribed to this new book-centric magazine here's a chance to sample all the bookiliciousness. First time I've read every single word in a magazine it's that good!

Lady of a Thousand Treasures

GIVEAWAY

BYRD, SANDRA
LADY OF A THOUSAND TREASURES

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father's passing and her uncle's decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.

The death of longtime client Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron's legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron's only living son, Harry -- the man who broke Eleanor's heart.

Eleanor distrusts the baron's motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry's future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope of a future with Harry dims.

With the threat of debtor's prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron's collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressure mounts and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust -- who in her life is false or true, brass or gold -- and what is meant to be treasured.

My Review:

"Sometimes starting anew is the best way to move forward. Even if it seems like you've lost."

Wow -- I'm gobsmacked! Don't even know where to begin. There's just so many layers to this story and it's so cleverly laid out. Subtle subtext that say one thing but mask a deeper meaning if one has a care to listen carefully. And Miss Eleanor Sheffield is an expert at delivering such charming conversation. There's this incredible scene at a house party over board games (yes -- board games -- who knew the Victorians even had those?! Oh, but they did -- and very moral and upright they were too!) Anyway, that whole scene is so cunning -- I read it twice to make sure I got every delicious nuance.

I love Sandra Byrd's writing style -- the way her words flow around in my head and lure me deeper into the story. So beautiful that I was tempted to read out loud but I couldn't bear to slow the pace despite wanting to savor it all. A lovely reader conundrum for sure!

Lady of a Thousand Treasures reads like a period classic -- a bit Gothic (which I love) along with a web of treachery and deceit set the stage for an engrossing read. And the historical details! Fascinating and enlightening and some aspects are so unusual. Like the popularity of collecting antiquities and the thrill of treasure seeking.

Eleanor is at the center of it all -- a woman trained in a man's profession facing prejudice because of her gender. Not to mention the moral dilemma she faces -- in essence having to determine whether her former suitor is worthy of keeping his father's legendary collection. And then there's her uncle's failing health and the perilous state of the family business. Not to mention a broken heart and the foolish hope that her love isn't completely lost after all. Shivers of delightful torment shoot up my spine at all the sweet memories. I'll definitely require a mourning period before I move on to my next read.

Sandra Byrd is a master wordsmith and she's outdone herself in the first book of her Victorian Ladies series.

"I had learned that every circumstance in life doesn't have to end happily for the Lord to provide a happy ending."

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Lady of a Thousand Treasures, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your 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 Saturday February 2 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!