To Con a Gentleman

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY

ADAMS, SARAH

TO CON A GENTLEMAN

He was her target. She was his diversion. Falling in love was never something they wanted.

As a con woman who has spent her entire life fending for herself on the streets of London, Rose Wakefield knows how to scam a gentleman out of his money without ever getting caught. That's until she knocks on the wrong earl's door and is faced with Carver Ashburn Earl of Kensworth and not the notorious rake she thinks she is approaching.

Carver is a good man, but even a good man will not pass up an opportunity to escape his grief. What better way to avoid his feelings than to play into a con woman's ruse and to marry her?

Things only grow more complicated when Carver sweeps Rose off to his family estate and circumstances force them both into continuing the ruse. Carver needs to protect his family, and Rose needs to protect herself -- and her heart.

With so much set against them, will Rose and Carver have a chance at love and freedom? Or is the possibility of more heartache not worth the risk?

My Review:

published in 2019

Carver Ashburn, Earl of Kensworth...be still my heart! There's something about an emotionally wounded hero that pulls me right into a story. Especially one who is somewhat jaded, a little bitter and in possession of an unexpected wry sense of humour. Swoon. My fainting couch got a work out during this read!

At first I wasn't sure about Rose, being that she is a con woman but I'm happy to say that the author did an incredible job of turning her into a relatable heroine. Adams deftly drops in bits of back story and hidden depths to Rose's character so that I couldn't help but be drawn in. Enchanted even. Avidly on her side despite her attempt to scam that most swoonworthy of Earls. Oh, that meet-cute! Hysterical! I laughed and cringed and laughed some more.

And then what follows is an amazing story of pasts conquered and broken hearts mended, all told with equal doses of humour and hope...and, yes, a healthy dollop of angst as well. Brilliantly done! My first book by Sarah Adams, but it won't be my last! In fact, since this is first in a series (Dalton Family) I'm hoping to dive into the next book asap!

I listened to the audible edition of this book beautifully narrated by Rachael Beresford.

Side note: for sensitive readers: the author occasionally uses expletive substitutes such as 'deuce' and 'blast'. 

Goal Update: #1 Read more Indie author, #4 Read more new-to-me-authors, #5 Diversify my reading (setting) #7 Start new-to-me series

 

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for an e copy of this book.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of To Con a Gentleman, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 March 12 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Hailey's Haven

GIVEAWAY

SCOTT, LAURA

HAILEY'S HAVEN

A safe place to call home...

After escaping her abusive foster parents thirteen years ago, Hailey Donovan thought her nightmare was over. Gatlinburg, Tennessee had been a safe to live, until she's nearly hit by gunfire while hiking the Smoky Mountains. Her instincts are to avoid law enforcement, especially handsome park ranger Rock Wilson, but when more gunfire echoes around them, they're forced to work together to escape.

More attempts against Hailey convinces her to leave the city to start over someplace new. Rock talks her into staying and fighting against the unknown assailant. He senses Hailey has been traumatized in the past, and is determined to uncover the mystery surrounding her. As Hailey and Rock seek the truth behind the escalating attacks, Rock realizes he's also in danger of losing his heart. Can Rock provide Hailey the safe haven she desperately needs?

My Review:

This fast-paced suspense makes for an interesting start to Laura Scott's Smoky Mountain Secrets series. It looks like the books are going to be linked by a group of scattered former foster kids who find their way back to each other during the course of the series. Which kind of gives me O'Malley (Dee Henderson) vibes only in this case, the siblings haven't kept in touch with each other.

Hailey's past is heartbreaking and her persona is defined by it. She's standoffish and untrusting. A loner who is grateful for the little bit of fortune she has in a job she loves and a place to call home. Until it's all threatened by a mysterious gunman.

Rock was in the right place at the right time and gets swept along in the wake of Hailey's trauma...doggedly sticking to her no matter how hard she tries to shake him. She's Miss Independence and he's Mr. Protective, so you can imagine how that goes down. :-) 

Lots of tension and conflict in this enemies to more (on Hailey's side anyway) romance. Love how she gradually begins to open up to Rock and how prayerfully constant he is about helping her. Lesser men would have washed their hands of her after all her rebuffs and rebukes.

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo and between the storytelling and the narrating, Hailey's Haven easily became a compulsive listen. I'm eagerly looking forward to the second book, Sawyer's Secret which is also on audible. Yay!

Goal Update: #1 Read more indie authors (in the hybrid section -- authors both traditionally and independently published), #7 Start new-to-me series, #8 Play author catch-up

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Hailey's Haven, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 March 12 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

March Giveaway -- Week One

WON BY SUSANLULU

WON BY TRIXI

WON BY CC

WON BY KAREN SUE HADLEY

WON BY LUCY REYNOLDS

WON BY ROXANNE CRUZ

 

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address in a comment, otherwise it's up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca (please note it's ca as in Canada not com)

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 AN EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU!

Books will be ordered within a week of receiving your mailing address (or email address for ebooks) and I'll email you to confirm your book is on its way. Give it a full month before inquiring on the status of an order to allow for processing and shipping times.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

***IMPORTANT -- PLEASE NOTE GIVEAWAY EDITIONS 

AS THEY VARY***

Please read the giveaway options written in red noted under "Giveaway Opportunity" in each blog post as formats will vary.

Paperback or ebook -- winner can choose either format

Paperback -- I have a new physical book on hand to give away

Gently Read Paperback -- It's the actual book I read to review

ebook -- that's the only format option available, often because it's an indie book where a paperback copy is either unavailable or exorbitantly priced. Or when a physical edition is out of print.

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The Veteran's Vow

GIVEAWAY

LYNN, JILL

THE VETERAN'S VOW

Could his biggest fear be what he needs to heal?

After a traumatic brain injury, military vet Behr Delgado refuses the one thing that could him -- a service dog. But Ellery Watson is sure the perfect pup will change Behr's life and offers to work with him one-on-one. As Behr sets about overcoming his fears. Ellery's surprised find herself opening about her troubled nephew. Will family obligations force them to deny what's in their hearts.

A K-9 Companions Story

My Review:

Gah! There's so much I want to say about this book but I won't because...spoilers! I was completely captivated from the very first page...from the front cover, actually! I am so loving this multi-authored series that highlights different kinds of companion working dogs and this one is fabulous!

Love the dynamics between Behr and Ellery. She's one determined firecracker which both amuses and frustrates him. 'Cause Behr isn't going to make the whole dog training thing easy on anyone and you all know I love me a grumpy hero with a crusted over heart of gold. :-) But Ellery isn't a quitter and he grudgingly respects that. Not-so-polite strangers morph into friends and then...happy sigh, you know what comes next, this is a Love Inspired novel after all. Cue the toe-curls and get ready to break out in a happy dance.

Lynn writes with emotion and humour and brings depth to all her characters, including the secondary ones. Real life issues, faith-inspired answers all woven together to make a sigh worthy escape read.

Goal Update: #5 Diversify my reading #6 Stay current with a series

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Veteran's Vow, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 March 12 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Trust Me

GIVEAWAY

IRVIN, KELLY

TRUST ME

When Delaney Broward finds her best friend stabbed to death a decade after her brother suffered the same fate, she must confront her painful past in order to unmask a killer who isn't done yet.

How can this be happening again?

Delaney Broward has spent the last ten years rebuilding her life after finding her brother brutally stabbed to death in his art studio, leaving her without a single living family member. His death even took away her boyfriend, Hunter Nash, who was convicted of the murder. Convinced it's too dangerous to trust her heart to anyone again, Delaney lives alone. She pours herself into her frame shop in the historic art district in San Antonio. She doesn't have the husband and children she once dreamed of, but her heart is safe.

Until she walks into her best friend Ellie's shop and finds she has suffered the same fate. Once again Delaney's life is shattered by violence, tragedy, and loss.

Hunter Nash leaves prison a free man that same day. He's determined to prove his innocence, win Delaney back, and restore her faith in God.

Delaney's mission is to bring Ellie's murder to justice while protecting her heart. They forge an uneasy alliance, both certain the truth will win out. Both are willing to accept the outcome -- if they survive.

My Review:

Gobsmackingly good! I am really enjoying Kelly Irvin's venture into the suspense genre -- definitely nothing like her Amish stories (which I also love!) This is romantic suspense with 'thrillerish' hints which means I found Trust Me to be a frantic frenzy of a page-turner!

It's a little bit edgy and a whole lot of angsty. Hello -- reunion romance with a convicted murderer (who is innocent) and his ex who is certain he is guilty. Emotional turmoil meet spine-tingling suspense with a hint of creepy thrown in and a whole lot of intrigue.

A fast paced (cue the reader whiplash warning) and multi-layered plot makes this book impossible to put down. I know, I tried a time or two and then gave up and just immersed myself in Delaney and Hunter's incredible story. 

I particularly appreciate the faith aspects that Irvin includes, illustrating how trauma and challenges can either pull us away from God or draw us towards Him. So well done in a believable and forthright manner and added even more depth to an already complex story.

In a word: unputdownable!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Trust Me, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 March 5 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Tracking Concealed Evidence

GIVEAWAY

STOVER, SHAREE

TRACKING CONCEALED EVIDENCE

Unearthing clues in a murder could be the last thing they do...

To salvage his reputation, former forensic entomologist Jamey Dyer and his cadaver dog search for clues in a dismissed homicide -- and find the victim's sister, Detective Shaylee Adler, buried alive. Convinced her senator brother-in-law is behind the attack on her and her sister's disappearance, Shaylee needs Jamey's expertise. But can they uncover a deadly conspiracy before the killer buries the case -- and them -- for good?

My Review:

R-e-l-e-n-t-l-e-s-s, that's how you spell the diabolical villain in this gripping romantic suspense. I'm not sure if I should be concerned or awed by the author's clever repertoire of assassination techniques. :-) We're dropped right in the middle of the heart-pounding action on page one and it doesn't let up until the epilogue. Mercy! 

And I absolutely love the science nerd hero and his fascination with all things buggish. Quirky and funny and so clever. In fact, I love the way the author celebrates the intricacies of God's creation in the midst of all the mayhem. There's a real sense of reverence that comes though which I haven't seen before in a novel. Shaylee also has a habit of finding something to be grateful for in any situation which I found very inspiring.

Then there's Bugsy, Jamey's cadaver search dog with the happy-go-lucky, go-with-the-flow personality. She's handy to have by your side in a crisis plus she excels at sharing puppy kisses and canine comfort when the situation calls for it. Great multi-tasker is Bugsy. :-)

The intricacies of a suspenseful plot paired with the burgeoning (and adorably awkward at times) romance made this a read-in-one-sitting kind of book. Oh -- and the fact that it mostly takes place in a wilderness setting notched up my enjoyment that much more.

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Tracking Concealed Evidence, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 March 5 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

The Lady's Mine

GIVEAWAY

RIVERS, FRANCINE

THE LADY'S MINE

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers returns to the California frontier in this sweeping, romantic tale of a displaced New England suffragette, a former Union soldier disinherited by his Southern family, and the town they join forces to save.

1875. When Kathryn Walsh arrives in tiny Calvado, a mining town nestled in the Sierra Nevadas, falling in love is the farthest thing from her mind. Banished from Boston by her wealthy stepfather, she has come to claim an inheritance from the uncle she never knew: a defunct newspaper office on a Main Street overflowing with brothels and saloons, and a seemingly worthless mine. 

Moved by the oppression of the local miners and their families, Kathryn decides to relaunch her uncle's newspaper -- and then finds herself in the middle of a maelstrom, pitted agains Calvado's most powerful men. But Kathryn intends to continue to say -- and publish -- whatever she pleases, especially when she knows she's right.

Matthias Beck, owner of a local saloon and hotel, has a special interest in the new lady in town. He instantly recognizes C.T. Walsh's same tenacity in the beautiful and outspoken redhead -- and knows all too well how dangerous that family trait can be. While Kathryn may be right about Calvado's problems, her righteousness could also get her killed. But when th handsome hotelier keeps finding himself on the same side of the issues as the opinionated Miss Walsh, Matthias's restless search for purpose becomes all about answering the call on his heart.

Everyone may be looking to strike it rich in this lawless boomtown, but it's a love more precious than gold that will ultimately save them all.

My Review:

Reading The Lady's Mine made me pure giddy with delight. Silly giddy even. I grinned the whole way through even during the harrowing parts because...Kathryn and Matthias!!!!!

Can't really say witty banter, more like cutting-edge barbs. If ever two people were not meant to be together...well...it might seem that way at first but, trust me, as much as they spar and spew and caterwaul, neither of them can douse the sizzling spark that lights up whenever they are near each other. Consider this your toe-curl and swoon alert so prepare your fainting couches accordingly! Stock up on your smelling salts too. And maybe a few lace hankies for the gentler among us.

Descriptive writing made me feel like I was there. I could see it all, smell it all, even taste the dust of Kathryn's stagecoach journey! Rivers has the kind of storytelling prowess that catapults a reader right into the heart of the story. It was like watching the best episodes of every classic western series...only better! Because she brings God into the equation and shines His light on this sorry, lawless town. 

Cassie is an example of the difference one person can make in all her gloriously imperfect brokenness. The author lets us spend a whole year in Calavado, letting us in on all its secrets...even the dangerous ones. She shines a light on social issues of the time and finds ingenuous solutions to fix them. You might say Cassie is a foreword thinking lady! :-) And I love the clever play on word's in the title! Sheer cleverness from start to finish! And a fantastic escape read besides!

I listened to the audio edition narrated by Kate Forbes and it was fabulous!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for an ebook copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Lady's Mine, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 March 5 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck