The Blizzard Bride

GIVEAWAY

DIETZE, SUSANNE
THE BLIZZARD BRIDE

A blizzard changes everything.

Abigail Bracey arrives in Nebraska in January 1888 to teach school...and to execute a task for the government: to identify a student as the hidden son of a murderous counterfeiter -- the man who killed her father.

Agent Dashiell Lassiter doesn't want his childhood sweetheart Abby on this dangerous job, especially when he learns the counterfeiter is now searching for his son, too, and he'll destroy anyone in his way. Now Dash must follow Abby to Nebraska to protect her...if she'll let him within two feet of her. She's still angry he didn't fight to marry her six years ago, and he never told her the real reason he left her.

All Dash wants is to protect Abby, but when a horrifying blizzard sweeps over them, can Abby and Dash set aside the pain from their pasts and work to catch a counterfeiter and protect his son -- if they survive the storm?

My Review:

First of all -- there's something about that cover that I absolutely love! Screams 'buy me, read me now!' So I did because I'm an obedient reader like that. :-)

This book delivered so much more than I was anticipating. Don't get me wrong, I knew it was going to be a great read -- hello, Susanne Dietze wrote it! -- but the mystery raised the story to a whole other level. Plus -- reunion romance!!!! Dash is...well, dashing. And misunderstood. Also a bit of a dunderhead when it comes to ending their past relationship. Toe-curling protective too. Happy sigh.

Meanwhile, Abby has been allowing bitterness to brew ever since Dash walked out on her and after significant losses and life challenges, she's turned her back on God as well. As a school teacher, her focus is on her students. As a daughter, her focus is on making her father's murderer pay for his crimes. In order for that to happen she has to work with the man she can never forgive. Phew! This heroine is riddled with inner turmoil.

Cue the angst, add a dash (pun intended) of adventure and the historical great blizzard of 1888 and you get a breathtaking historical romance brimming with faith and forgiveness and the hope of second chances.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Blizzard Bride, 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 May 9 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

A Summer Amish Courtship

GIVEAWAY

MILLER, EMMA
A SUMMER AMISH COURTSHIP

A lonely schoolmaster.
A widowed mother.
Will working together be a lesson in love?

After a sudden heartbreaking loss, young widow Abigail Stolz must somehow help her troubled son adjust -- even if it means working with Jamie's stern schoolmaster, Ethan Miller. Much to her surprise, Ethan is actually a sensitive man who is also grieving -- and lonely. But will family duty and the past keep them from a chance at happiness together?

My Review:

Hand me an Emma Miller novel, plunk me down in my reading corner and all is right in my world. :-) This author knows how to spin the kind of tale that'll hold a reader's attention right to the very last word. There's so much heart to her characters that it's easy to love them even when they are frustatingly stubborn. (I'm talking to you, Abigail.) And the way Miller weaves secondary characters (some from her earlier novels) into the story just adds more depth  (and a whole lot of fun.) I'm ready to move to Delaware and join the community!

Love a good second chance romance and this one is excellent. Two grieving souls warily moving out of their grief and towards each other. It's not easy. Not with Abigail's recalcitrant son and her guileless mother. It's funny and sad and so very, very hopeful.

I listened to the audible version of this book even though I also have a paperback copy.  I couldn't resist sampling Stina Nielsen's narration and once I had, I was hooked.  She brings such vibrancy to the characters and really enhanced my 'reading'/listening enjoyment.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  A Summer Amish Courtship, 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 May 9 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

An Uncommon Woman

GIVEAWAY

FRANTZ, LAURA
AN UNCOMMON WOMAN

Unflinching and plainspoken, Tessa Swan is not your typical 18th-century woman. Born and bred on the western Virginia frontier along with her five brothers, she is a force to be reckoned with.

Quiet and courageous, Clay Tygart is not your typical 18th-century man. Raised by Lenape Indians, he returns a hero from the French and Indian War to the fort that bears his name, bringing with him Tessa's long-lost friend, Keturah, a redeemed Indian captive like himself.

Determined to avoid any romantic entanglements as fort commander, Clay remains aloof whenever he encounters the lovely Tessa. But when she is taken captive by the tribe Clay left, his hand -- and heart -- are forced, leading to one very private and one very public reckoning.

Intense, evocative, and laced with intricate historical details that bring the past to life, An Uncommon Woman will transport you to the picturesque and dangerous western Virginia mountains of 1770.

My Review:

Every time I read a Laura Frantz novel, I'm catapulted back in time to the summer I uncovered a treasure trove of books in my friend's garage. We'd been hunting for her much older sister's Nancy Drews without success but we did discover a box of old library discards that included some Elizabeth George Speare books. The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Calico Captive were my favourites and I read them multiple times that summer.

Fast forward into my adult reading life and my discovery of all things Laura Frantz. Squeallll -- EGS flashbacks! I am so blessed to have my reading life bookended by two amazing authors who wrote/write page-turning frontier fiction with such passion and detail.

So, I was already awash with nostalgia when I began Tessa and Clay's story which made it more of a multiple sensory experience for me. That's thanks to the author's stellar writing skills -- the way she slips into 18th century colloquialisms, her meticulous research (I'm sure she hides a time machine in her closet so she can do first-hand research!) and the innate gift she has for bringing the past to life. All combine with an edge-of-your-seat plot to make this an epic frontier romance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  An Uncommon Woman, 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 May 9 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Woman of Sunlight

GIVEAWAY

CONNEALY, MARY
WOMAN OF SUNLIGHT

After years of isolation on top of Hope Mountain, Ilsa Nordegren may finally be ready to leave. Raised to fear the world, Ilsa and her sisters never planned on coming down, but when the Warden family arrived in need, they had to help. And it may cost them everything.

Having made his fortune, Mitch Warden returned home and found the family homestead abandoned. In a land grab, a ruthless cattle baron had forced his family to escape up the mountain, and when he follows, the last thing he expects is to fall smitten to a black-haired woman who dresses like Robin Hood.

Warden is intent on helping his family reclaim their land, but doesn't realize the risks his past has brought. Dangerous men have tracked him, and rather than risk innocent lives, he's determined to end the danger. But that means a journey to the city -- and when Ilsa insists on joining him, the mismatched pair suddenly find themselves on a venture they'll never forgot.

My Review:

I chose this book for my next read (well, listen, thanks to audible) because I'd just come off a stretch of heavy issue reads and I felt the desperate need to lighten up my fictional life a bit. Cue the dead-pan humour and quirky style of Mary Connealy and suddenly my whole world seems brighter.

Bwahahahahaha! That about sums up this read. Ilsa is such an unconventional heroine. Mitch is both appalled and intrigued by this strange barbarian Nordegren woman. Wily and stubborn, she's as comfortable swinging from trees and catapulting into danger as his ma is in the kitchen. And what Ilsa can do with a knife! Well, Mitch is just glad she's on his side. :-)

This is an enemy to frenemies to love romance with so many funny quips and comedic moments that I'm still giddy. But danger is lurking on the mountain and beyond and Mitch is determined to put an end to it. There's a price on his head and gunslingers will keep coming for him if he can't figure out who is sending them. And why.

To do that he's got to leave the mountain and Ilsa refuses to be left behind. (Luckily for him, as it turns out.) Some of the best moments in this story happen when Ilsa leaves her cloistered life on the mountain for the first time. Her wide-eyed wonder, the way she takes everything so literally and Mitch's frustration when he tries to explain trains and hotels and banks...even money....to her is soooooooo much fun! And of course, there's tons of action and near death scenes to keep a reader on the edge of her seat right to the end.

This is the second book the Brides of Hope Mountain series and some of the plot has carried over from the first book. Not so that it would be confusing for a new-to-the-series reader though. Connealy does a good job of catching new readers up so they won't feel lost. And while Mitch's issues are satisfactorily resolved by the end of the novel, we're just gearing up for what promises to be a blockbuster ending to the series as the Warden clan prepares to face down the nefarious villain trying to lay claim to their land.

We'll have to wait until October to find out what happens next. That's when the third Nordegren sister's story comes out -- Her Secret Song. Here's a sneak peek at the cover. It's such too gorgeous not to share.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Woman of Sunlight, 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 May 9 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Kidnapped

GIVEAWAY

DALEY, MARGARET
KIDNAPPED

Abduction. Death. Second chances.

When Beth Sherman interrupts a break-in at her house, her life changes drastically. When K-9 police officer, Colby Parker, returns to his hometown after years of staying away, he finally must face his feelings concerning the murder of his fiancee.

Circumstances throw Beth and Colby together when a person leaves bombs in different public places around Cimarron City. They both have given up on love, but caught up in the dangerous situation, the pair find themselves falling in love. But can it last, especially when Beth is kidnapped?

My Review:

published June 2019

I am loving catching up on Margaret Daley's Everyday Heroes series! So much intrigue and romance! With dogs! And that just makes me giddy!

Kidnapped is another page-turning thriller with an eerie stalkerish vibe. Eeek! Beth is in major danger but, luckily, her sweet neighbor's grandson has moved to town and he's a K-9 officer. who is determined to protect her. Cue the sparks and this reader's fan-girling over Colby and his most excellent K-9 bomb-sniffing dog, Duke.

That's right, explosives. Because not only is there something shady going on at Beth's house, there's also a bomber on the loose in Cimarron City. I avidly listened to the whole book in one sitting. Had to fight against speeding up the audio in order to get all my questions answered. And we were almost there when -- whoosh -- the story takes a startling twist that left me reeling. Wowzers! I think I have whiplash!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  Kidnapped, 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 May 9 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

May Giveaway -- Week One

WON BY CC

WON BY AMYBOOKSY

WON BY KAY GARRETT

WON BY CHERYL BARKER

WON BY KAREN SUE HADLEY

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:

An Alaskan Surprise

GIVEAWAY

CALHOUNE, BELLE
AN ALASKAN TWIN SURPRISE

His runaway bride is back...with twins!

The last person Gabriel Lawson expects to find in town is Rachel Marshall -- especially with twin toddlers in low Gabriel refuses to risk his heart again on the woman who left him at the altar years ago. But working to renovate her mother's house means he must spend time with Rachel and her adorable twins...and soon he can't help but wish they were his family.

A Home to Owl Creek Tale

My Review:

Woohoo! Calhoune takes us back to Alaska in her second Owl Creek novel. And isn't that cover divine? Babies to smoosh and that loving gaze between the hero and heroine -- absolutely toe-curling. I'd buy it just on the cover's merit but Belle Calhoune is an auto-buy author for me too.

So, what happens when the runaway bride returns three years later? A lot of heart tugging angst, that's what! Especially since she's toting along twin one-year-olds. Tongues are wagging in this small Northern town and Gabriel feels like he's been sucker punched when he runs into her unexpectedly for the first time...and many times afterwards.

What made Rachel run? Calhoune teases her readers with intriguing bits of back story, digging deeper with each reveal. I could really relate to Rachel -- not as a runaway bride :-) but as someone who has allowed fear to dictate actions that cripple relationships and opportunities. But she's stopped running. She's a stronger woman of faith now and while she doesn't expect to be reunited with Gabriel, she wants a chance to explain and apologize.

He's gutted. His friends are indignant on his behalf. Nobody wants to see him hurt again but Gabriel is a kind, decent, caring man and it isn't long before he's helping Rachel and her mom and becoming bewitched by those cute baby girls....and that special spark is back!

Pages flew by as I devoured their love story. I love a good reunion romance and this one is excellent!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a gently read copy of  An Alaskan Twin Surprise 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 May 2 2020 . Offer open to International Readers. Good luck