Amish Protector

GIVEAWAY

PERRY, MARTA
AMISH PROTECTOR

In River Haven, a mysterious visitor brings two lonely hearts together...

Joanne Kohler treasures the independence her Amish quilt shop provides. She rarely leans on others, yet finding an injured woman on her property makes her grateful for the store owner next door, Noah Troyer. Calm and unflappable, Noah offers support. He also points out the strong resemblance between Joanna and the unconscious stranger...

Noah may admire Joanna, but the bishop's daughter is out of reach. Though he's made a good life, Noah still feels shadowed by the shame his father brought on the community. But it's his duty to aid his lovely neighbor, especially when danger draws close. As he and Joanna unearth answers about her past, Noah will have to confront his own if he's to have a chance at building a future with the woman he'll love forever.

My Review:

I shivered with readerly delight right through this compelling second River Haven novel. Perry knows how to spin out a suspense and there's a Gothic-y feel to this one. Eeep! That paired with a complicated Amish romance has  me free-falling into a full swoon. :-)

Love the depth this author brings to her characters and the communities she creates. No worries if you haven't visited River Haven before, Amish Protector reads wunderbaar-gut as a standalone novel too. But if you have, you'll be happy to meet up with some familiar faces. These are real (to me) people with everyday struggles. They may be Amish but that doesn't mean everything in their lives is serene. There are negatives to balance out the positives. Complicated families, enduring friendships wrapped up in a foundation of faith. The stuff that keeps a reader glued to the page.

And the mystery is divine. Eerie and confusing and sometimes sinister. From the hair raising scene where Joanne discovers the injured woman to the breath-snatching reveal-all-ending and everything in between, it's all sheer poetry to a romantic suspense lover like me.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Amish Protector, 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 April 25 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Lulu's Cafe

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

LOWE, T.I.
LULU'S CAFE

When a damaged young woman is given a chance to reclaim her life in a small South Carolina town, she must reckon with the dark secrets she left behind in order to accept the love she deserves.

On the run from a violent past, Leah Allen arrived in tiny Rivertown, South Carolina, battered and broken, but ready to reinvent herself. By a stroke of fate, Leah is drawn to the Southern hospitality of a small cafe, looking for a warm meal but finding so much more. Lulu, the owner, offers her a job, a place to stay and a new lease on life. Through Lulu's tenacious warmth and generosity, Leah quickly finds herself embraced by the quaint community as she tries to put herself back together. Given she's accustomed to cruelty, the kindness is overwhelming.

Soon Leah meets Crowley Mason, the most eligible bachelor in town. A lawyer and friend of Lulu's, Crowley is wary of Leah's sudden, mysterious arrival. Despite his reserve, something sparks between them that can't be denied. But after all she's been through, can Leah allow herself to truly love and be loved, especially when her first urge is to run?

Exploring the resiliency of both the heart and the spirit, Lulu's Cafe gorgeously illustrates how old scars can finally heal no matter how deep them seem.

My Review:

published in 2014

"Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed.; save me, Lord, and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14

What a mesmerizing read! Deeply profound. Moving. Devastating. And hopeful. And the way the reader gets to connect the dots and see the way God is pursuing Leah when she can't see it herself is so inspiring. This stories show how we can be God's hands and feet in this broken world.

Lulu's Cafe is a hard read at first. Domestic abuse is vicious and Lowe shoves us into that darkness right away. She doesn't mince words or shy away from a brutal portrayal of the evil and its aftermath. But, reader take heart because Leah's story is laced with hope and when she hits Lulu's Cafe...well, the story takes a whole other turn.

A word about Crowley Mason. He can stand proudly on my Book Hero pedestal. His heart. His faith. His honor. That Southern charm. All while being a devastatingly handsome flirt. Definitely worthy of an ugly cry ending. Sniffle. My heart is so full.

I listened to the audible edition of Lulu's Cafe, narrated by Natasha Soudek and I really enjoyed the Southern atmosphere she conjured up.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Lulu's Cafe, 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 April 25 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Cat About Town

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY

CONTE, CATE
CAT ABOUT TOWN

The first novel in a frisky new mystery series set in a small New England town, where an unlikely citizen is called in to solve the purrfect crime...

Maddie James has arrived in Daybreak Island, just off the coast of Massachusetts, eager to settle down and start her own business -- and maybe to even fall in love. When a stray orange tabby pounces into her life, she's inspired to open a cat cafe. But little does Maddie know that's she's in for something a lot more catastrophic when her new furry companion finds the dead body of the town bully.

Now all eyes are on Maddie: Who is this crazy cat-whisperer lady who's come to town? If pet-hair-maintenance and crime-fighting weren't keeping her busy enough, Maddie now has not one but two eligible bachelors who think she's the cat's pajamas...and will do anything to win her heart. But how can she even think about happily-ever-after while a killer remains on the loose -- and on her path?

My Review:

published in 2017

That mysterious cat steals the show in this first Cats Cafe Mystery making the cover art absolute purrfection. Really catches the New England small town vibe with an air of mystery.

Maddie's return for her grandma's funeral is bittersweet. Of course, saying goodbye to her grandma was hard but her precious grandpa is struggling in the aftermath of his loss. Rumours are circulating and a particularly vile excuse for a 'friend' seems bent on destroying her gramps' good name. That gets Maddie's ire up and she faces off with the bully in a very public way. Then the guy is murdered and the new detective has both her and her grandpa in his crosshairs. What's a retired police chief's granddaughter to do but embark on her own investigation?

This my first ever Cate Conte book and I love her style -- the way she builds the small town community with plenty of interesting (and sometimes quirky) secondary characters. Love the way she wove Maddie's backstory into the plot. It was easy to connect with her and her irascible grandpa! A solid mystery kept me happily armchair sleuthing right to the end. The only thing I'm not keen on...the dreaded love triangle raises it's ugly head. Gah! :-)

Please note: some mild language

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Cat About Town, 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 April 25 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

April Giveaway -- Week Three

WON BY PAM W.

WON BY CARYL KANE

WON BY KIM HANSEN

WON BY NICOLE SAGER

WON BY LINDA MOFFITT

WON BY PAM K.

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:

The Cowboy's Unexpected Baby

GIVEAWAY

DEES, STEPHANIE
THE COWBOY'S UNEXPECTED BABY

First comes baby, then comes...love?
Now this cowboy is in over his head.

Rancher and lawyer Garrett Cole wants a family -- eventually. Until he finds a sweet newborn abandoned on his doorstep. If it weren't for Abby Scott, the social worker temporarily working in his office, he'd be lost. But when their attraction grows deeper, can this cowboy dad risk his heart on a woman who might not be in town for good?

Triple Creek Cowboys

My Review:

First -- let's all give in to a collective sigh over that cover. Is that cuteness overload or what? Meet Garrett Cole and wee Charlotte. She showed up on his doorstep one morning -- and no, she isn't his baby! Watching Garrett fumble through his intro to all things pink was so much fun! Kinda melted my heart, in fact. Abby's too -- though she's determined to keep her distance. Ha! Like she could resist for long. I was a goner on page two.

This is the second book in the Triple Creek Cowboys series but it reads fine as a standalone. However, if you read The Cowboy's Twin Surprise, you'll be be happy to catch up with Devin and Lacey and their brood while enjoying more brotherly banter and hijinks. And there's still one more brother to go. Happy sigh.

And did I mention Elvis is in the building? In the form of a golden retriever therapy dog. And there's goats and kittens and lots of heartwarming. laughter-inducing, emotion-rallying moments that make this such a memorable and enjoyable contemporary romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a gently read copy of  The Cowboy's Unexpected Baby 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 April 18 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Falsely Accused

GIVEAWAY

MCCOY, SHIRLEE
FALSELY ACCUSED

Proving her innocence means running for her life.

Framed for her foster brother's murder, FBI specialist agent Wren Santino must clear her name -- but someone's dead set on stopping her from finding the truth. Her estranged childhood friend, Titus Anderson, comes to her aid...but standing by her puts him in the killer's crosshairs too. And unraveling a conspiracy may be the only way for either of them to survive.

My Review:

What a hair-raising opening scene! Desperation from the get go and so many questions without any answers. My heart rate skipped along as fast as my eyes skimmed the words because this is the rabid-read kind of suspense. So many twists and turns with stop reading and gasp out loud moments!

Love the friends to lovers vibe of the romance. They haven't seen each other for nine years yet they fall right back into the teasing comaraderie of their best friends days. "It was the same. The verbal sparring. The quick exchanges of ideas and plans. The compromising and the challenging. It all felt as natural as breathing."  (p 27) Only there's a new and interesting vibe zinging between them now. And I do love some good verbal sparring in a romance. :-)

Shirlee McCoy is one of my absolutely-buy-if-her-name-is-on-the-cover authors and after finishing Falsely Accused, I'm reminded why. Unputdownable.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a gently read copy of  Falsely Accused 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 April 18 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Flights of Fancy

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ

TURANO, JEN
FLIGHTS OF FANCY

Miss Isadora Delafield may be an heiress, but her life is far from carefree. When her mother begins pressuring her to marry an elderly and uncouth duke, she escapes from the high society world she's always known and finds herself an unlikely candidate for a housekeeper position in rural Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ian MacKenzie is known for his savvy business sense and has built his reputation and fortune completely through traditional hard work. But when his adopted parents are in need of a new housekeeper and Isadora is thrown into his path, he's unexpectedly charmed by her unconventional manner.

Neither Isadora nor Ian expected to find the other so intriguing, but when a chain of mysterious incidents on the farm point to a larger threat, they'll have to set aside everything they thought they wanted for a chance at a happy-ever-after.

My Review:

published in January 2019

Bwahahahaha! Snort! Guffaw! My wits have been scrambled by mirth after listening to another Jen Turano rom/com masterpiece. Quirkiness that's almost scary. Slapstick that's burst-out-loud laughable. Not to mention the critters who don't act like they should. Buttercup, the expert tracker cow who also thinks she should live inside the house with her human herd. Elmer, the maniacal hen who just wants to be loved. Chortle. I was in reader heaven.

Izzy is a riot -- the proverbial pampered miss who finds herself in all kinds of unexpected situations once she talks her way into a job on a farm. There's a sweet naivety about her that makes her likable despite her definite class disconnect. And her innate kindness draws folks to her and lets her inner light shine.

There's a great quote that I can only paraphrase because I listened to the audible version of this book and I was walking at the time. But it went along the lines of how God puts obstacles in our path in order to show us who He knows we can be. And that's definitely the kind of faith journey both the hero and heroine are on in this story.

Ian has gotten so caught up in being a success that he's almost forgotten what's really important. And then Izzy bursts into his life and turns everything upside down. Loved this hero and his quest to stay true to the values he was raised on.

There's even a bit of a mystery and more than one diabolical villain to conquer before we reach the stand-up-and-cheer happily ever after. The perfect mood lifting escape for these trying times.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Flights of Fancy, 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 April 18 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!