Firestorm

GIVEAWAY

HILTON, LAURA V.
FIRESTORM

When Bridget Behr and her family migrate from a bustling Amish community in Ohio to the remote and isolated Upper Peninsula of Michigan, they're met with an ugly surprise: the house they had brought sight unseen is an uninhabitable wreck. While her father and brother try to find work in the area, the family is forced to live in tents until the house and barn are rebuilt. Bridget can't shake the guilt that it was her fault her family moved -- and is too afraid to trust anyone, especially the flirtatious, overly-friendly Amish man who lives next door.

Gabriel Lapp has made Michigan his home out of necessity, but can't wait to move back to Florida with its sunshine and warmer temperatures. But when Bridget's family seeks refuge with Gabe during a fierce thunderstorm, he can't help but feel a tug of responsibility for them -- especially the girl with the dark green eyes.

Just a Bridget is finally settling into friendship, a new life, and maybe even love, a devastating forest fire ravages the county, destroying both land and the Behrs' dreams. Now Bridget and her family must decide: will they leave behind the ashes and start anew in another Amish community? Or will they dare to fight for the future they'd hoped for in Mackinac County?

My Review:

A different kind of Amish story -- and I love that about Laura V. Hilton's books. Struggling to find a way to explain what exactly is different. The setting for starts -- Michigan's Upper Peninsula, an area I've had a secret fascination for ever since I read Colleen Coble's Rock Harbor series. The newly settled Amish community faces unique challenges in the remote northern location which adds interest to the story.

Plus, the author doesn't sugar-coat the Amish faith or lifestyle. Her characters are flawed, the families aren't perfect. There's brokenness and relationship issues and any number of negative behaviors in the face of adversity. But there's also the desire to do better, make amends, confess and repent and try again. And those journeys are what make this story so compelling.

Gabe is a major flirt with a devil-may-care attitude that pretty much guarantees trouble. He's got a chip on his shoulder that shows up in a defiant attitude at times, and makes him too quick to concede defeat. His brashness hides insecurities and this is very much a coming of age story for him.

Bridget has a tendency to withdraw, to throw up walls which make her seem unapproachable -- stuck up even. Their romance sizzles in fits and starts as they both send off mixed messages which adds to the confusion and angst. But when these two are 'on' they are so on. Toe-curling, swoonilicous, stick-my-head-a-snowbank kissing scenes which might just scorch your finger tips as you turn the pages!

A great cast of secondary characters adds so much spice to the mix. I'd be spitting mad one second and then succumbing to side-splitting laughter the next. And Bishop Miah might just be one of my favourite characters ever. A mix of wisdom and humour...with the patience of Job!

Firestorm is a spectacular start to Hilton's newest series -- The Amish of Mackinac County and I can't wait for more.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Firestorm, 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 16, 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Amish Safe House

GIVEAWAY

GIUSTI, DEBBY
AMISH SAFE HOUSE

Hiding in Plain Sight : the second thrilling Amish Witness Protection novel

After Julia Bradford's son witnesses a gang shooting hiding in a witness protection on Abraham King's Amish farm is the only hope the Englischer and her children have. Even as danger closes in, Julie is drawn to the community's peaceful ways -- and the ex-cop turned Amish protector. But when their location is discovered, can Abraham protect her family...and possibly have a future by her side?

My Review:

Phew! There are some crazy good heart-in-your-throat-running-for-your-life scenes in this book! I don't think my pulse has leveled out yet! There's something so edgy about a mom in fierce protector mode. I felt Julia's fear and panic and utter desperation. Such a contrast to Abraham's stoic calm. Some of that comes from his cop background, but a lot of it stems from his faith. I love the gentle way he shares his trust in God with the terrified woman who has stopped believing He cares.

This is the second book in the Amish Witness Protection series but reads perfectly fine as a standalone. The series title sums up the common thread that links these three books. I really enjoyed the balance Giusti achieved between the Amish elements and the overall romantic suspense. It felt authentic and plausible. I'm a huge fan of Amish + suspense though meshing the two can be a delicate balance and sometimes stories fall flat. But this author has definitely succeeded in this new sub-genre.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Amish Safe House, 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 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Delayed Justice

GIVEAWAY

PUTMAN, CARA
DELAYED JUSTICE

She had given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard.

Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jaime, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.

Military veteran Chandler Bolton is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court -- and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he's up for the job. When he first meets aime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can't help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed -- and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.

This thrilling installment of the HIdden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

My Review:

"God is always there. Even when we can't see Him. When He seems most hidden, He is most present. I've found in those moments He is closer than my breath. I have to choose whether to see Him, but He's there." (p 167)

A powerfully moving story filled with inspiration, compassion and hope. So much more than a thrilling suspense or captivating romance -- though there are elements of both in Delayed Justice. This is the kind of read you feel your way through. The kind that leaves you with an ache in your heart and the desire to lean closer into the Lord. And I so appreciate the faith elements in this story! It brings light to the darkness of some really tough subject matter. And there are so many quotable quotes that I think I must have copied half of the book into my inspirations journal!

"Was God pursuing her through friends who brought Him into routine conversations?" (p 232)

Yes, Jaime, God is pursuing you in the most marvelous way. Christian friends come along side her during the biggest battle of her life -- including her neighbour, Chandler. He's a family counselor at the Vet Center with a therapy dog named Aslan. Seriously -- how can you not love a hero who names his golden retriever Aslan?! I did some serious  Lion, Witch and Wardrobe fan-girling during my reading too -- thanks to Chandler. He's a military vet who has dealt with his own kind of trauma and feels called to help others deal with theirs.

"Father, I need You to show me what to do. Would You restrain me from doing too much? Help me to obey your prompting without overstepping my position and pretending I can do what only You can do." (p 152)

Brought together to help a traumatized little girl, Jaime and Chandler begin a complicated relationship. There are so many layers to their personal stories and their romance. And then there are two suspense plots and the legal angle which builds to this incredible moment of triumph that brought me to tears. She did it! Jaime found her voice and fought her fight and it felt so good!

A stunning addition to Putman's Hidden Justice series! I want more!!!!!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Delayed Justice, 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 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck.

In the Shadow of Croft Towers

GIVEAWAY

WILSON, ABIGAIL
IN THE SHADOW OF CROFT TOWERS

Croft Towers holds more than its share of secrets...and Sybil is determined to uncover them all.

When Sybil Delafield's coach to Croft Towers was robbed by highway men, she should have realized that her new position as companion to old Mrs. Chalecroft would be no ordinary job. Upon Sybil's arrival, Mrs. Chalecroft sneaks into her room in the dark of night, imploring her to relay messages to town that are to stay hidden from the rest of the family. Who exactly is Sybil working for and what do the messages contain?

When fellow passengers of the robbed coach are later murdered, Sybil's hunt for the truth takes on a new urgency. The only person she can rely on is Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Chalecroft's godson, but under all his charms he, too, leads a double life. Sybil must decide if he is the one honest voice she can trust, or if he is simply using her for his own advances.

With murderers, smugglers, and spies on the loose, nothing -- and no one -- in Regency England is what they claim. Can Sybil even trust what she knows about herself?

My Review:

Eeeeppp...Regency...Gothic...Mystery....Danger....Romance....I....I....I...can't find the words. In the Shadow of Croft Towers is speechless redefined! Truly indescribably good.

I was riveted from the very first sentence -- "I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had never learned the truth." Wilson creates the moody ambiance of a classic Gothic novel to sweet perfection. From highwaymen to an ancestral home shrouded in mystery and everyone who lives there harbors secrets. And I mean everyone! Some of them deadly. And the way the author weaves it all together is absolutely sublime.

So beautifully written that it begs to be read out loud and savored. All told from Sybil's first person point of view. I get delicious shivers of delight just thinking about it. She's the newly arrived lady's companion that takes everyone by surprise. Caught between upstairs and downstairs -- not quite a servant but definitely not one of the family either. But she feels inexplicably drawn to her elderly charge whose failing health has the family gathered round. They maintain the old woman is losing her mind, but Sybil can't help but feel there is a method to Mrs. Chalecroft's madness and she is soon thrust into the midst of desperate intrigue and danger.

And then we have Mr. Sinclair. Brush off your fainting couches, order in an extra stock of smelling salts and prepare to be...swoonified! Oh dear, I think I'm going speechless again. He's so...so...very Regency-gentleman-cloaked-in-mystery-masked-by-sardonic-wit-with-a-touch-of-heated-glances. Thud, that's me bouncing off my fainting couch again. I need to get that spring fixed. My swooning is turning into more of a jack-in-the-boxing which isn't at all the effect I'm after. Just know that Mr. Sinclair will turn your mind to mush and put curls in your toes and encourage irregular heartbeats in an all too regular manner. I can't even...

An atmospheric delight of intrigue and romance!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of In the Shadow of Croft Towers, 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 December 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Death and Daisies

GIVEAWAY

FLOWER, AMANDA
DEATH AND DAISIES

Florist Fiona Knox left behind her gloomy life for a magical garden in Scotland, but a murder on her shop's opening day spells doom.

Fiona Knox thought she was pulling her life back together when she inherited her godfather's cottage in Duncreigan, Scotland -- complete with a magical walled garden. But the erstwhile Tennessee flower shop owner promptly found herself puddle boot-deep in danger when she found a dead body among the glimmering blossoms. One police investigation later (made a trifle less unpleasant by the presence handsome Chief Inspector Neil Craig), and Fiona's life is getting back on a steady, though bewitched track. Her sister Isla has just moved in with her, and the grand opening of her new spellbound venture, the Climbing Rose Flower Shop in Aberdeenshire, is imminent.

But dark ensorcelled clouds are gathering to douse Fiona's newly sunny outlook. First, imperious parish minister Quaid MacCullen makes it undeniably clear that he would be happy to send Fiona back to Tennessee. Then, a horrific lightning storm, rife with terribly omen, threatens to tear apart the elderly cottage and sends Fi and Isla cowering under their beds.  The storm passes, but then, Fi is called away from the Climbing Rose's opening when Kipling, the tiny village's weak-kneed volunteer police chief, finds a dead body on the beach.

The body proves difficult to identify, but Kipling is certain it's that of the parish minister. Which makes Fiona, McCullen's new nemesis, a suspect. And what's worse, Isla has seemed bewitched as of late...did she do something unspeakable to protect her sister? The last thing Fiona wanted to do was play detective again. But now, the rosy future she'd envisioned is going to seed, and if she and Craig can't clear her name, her idyllic life will wilt away in Death and Daisies, national bestselling author Amanda Flower's second enchanting Magic Garden mystery.

My Review:

A cozy mystery with a touch of whimsy that's sure to gladden the hearts of readers who enjoy a bit of magic in their reading mix.This series puts me in mind of The Secret Garden in a way. It holds the same kind of wonder and magic inside the walls of a cloistered garden that has the power to transform lives. It has me tapping into the bookish glee of my childhood and that is so much fun.

So, we're back in Scotland in this second book in Flower's Magical Garden series and the author does a great job of bringing new readers up to speed on the previous happenings from book one so you could read this one as a standalone. I have to say, though, I've really enjoyed getting to know all the critters and characters through reading the first book. I'm definitely a Hamish and Duncan fan and the Chief Inspector curls my toes in every single scene so I was thrilled to see progress made between Fiona and Neil. Gentle advances though they may be, romance is definitely in the air!

The introduction of Isla, Fiona's younger (and a tad self-centered) sister, adds an extra kick to the plot. I was alternately fuming and rolling my eyes at the girl's antics -- as if Fiona didn't have enough on her plate what with a murder to solve and all. Love the way she can't help but throw herself into the fray despite the chief inspector's (swoony sigh) stern admonishments to stay out of it.

I love the Scottish details, from scenery to village life and a ton of exceptional secondary characters that make me grin and groan. Another wondrous cozy from one of my favourite mystery writers.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please note: This giveaway is for an ebook copy. 

If you would like a chance to win an ecopy of Death and Daisies, 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 16 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

February Giveaway -- Week Three

WON BY TRACEY HAGWOOD
AND
LUCY REYNOLDS

WON BY CINDY REGNIER

WON BY LAURA DRUMB

WON BY WENDY NEWCOMB

WON BY MINDY HOUNG

WON BY PERRIANNE ASKEW
AND
KAY GARRETT

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:

Taken in Texas

GIVEAWAY

SLEEMAN, SUSAN
TAKEN IN TEXAS

A cowboy protector from her past...A McKade Law novel

Working her first case as deputy sheriff with her ex-boyfriend, Detective Cord Goodwin, Kendall McKade is determined to track the kidnappers -- even if it makes her a target. Desperate to find the abducted victim, his aunt, Cord must keep Kendall safe...while also caring for his recently orphaned nephew. Teaming up threatens to rekindle Cord and Kendall's relationship, but first they must solve a life-threatening mystery.

My Review:

Well, this is a sad state of affairs -- we've reached the final installment of the McKade Law series and I'm a tad disgruntled over that. Seems I'm reading a lot of 'last books' lately and I don't take to change very well -- especially when it comes to having to say goodbye to the kind of larger than life heroes and heroines that make up the McKade clan.

Sleeman has done an incredible job of fleshing out these characters and sharing the family dynamics in each novel -- though they all read easily as standalones. But I really felt at home at the McKade's ranch and was ready to move into one of their guest cabins so I could keep an eye on all the sibling shenanigans not to mention the weddings and children! Excuse the sulking, but that's the way it goes when an author rips my fictional world out from under me. :-)

Okay -- enough whining -- on to the good stuff -- which is this whole story! The suspense was a puzzler with lots of interesting police procedural tidbits that brought realistic details to the painstaking casework. With enough plot twists to keep an armchair sleuth happily absorbed.

And the romance backstory has a lot of grit and depth -- a fledgling relationship doomed by bad timing and poor judgment. Now they are forced to work together when Cord's aunt disappears and Kendall heads up the investigation. The attraction sizzles to life again though it seems like the timing is off this second time around as well. History is in danger of repeating itself unless Cord and Kendall can learn from their mistakes and embrace the future with renewed hope.

A beautiful celebration of family wrapped up in a stellar romantic suspense.

GIVEAWAY OPPROTUNITY:

Woohoo -- Trixi has a second copy of this book to give away so there will be TWO winners for Taken in Texas. Thank you, Trixi!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Taken in Texas, 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 Saturdahy February 9 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!