Reader's Choice - Christmas Edition

GIVEAWAY

 

IT'S CHRISTMAS FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!!!!!

 
Time to help me plan my Christmas reading! There are so many great new Christmas books coming out I can't keep track of them all. I'm looking for suggestions! Share a title (or 2 or 3) and you will be entered in the giveaway draw and might just win the very book you suggest.  Leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title of the book(s) in the Christmas Fiction genre you'd like to win -- with Sept, Oct, Nov or Dec 2016 release dates   

Please read and follow rules carefully.

Publication dates must be

September, October, November or December 2016

Book must have a significant Christmas theme

 

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer three suggestions

BUT

they need to be made in

three separate comments

(makes it easier for me to tally)

No email entries today 

(too hard to keep track of due to the

# of responses)

 

Open to International readers (I'm all about spreading the Good News about Christian Fiction all over the globe!!!!!!)

 

Please remember to include your email, using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers. Draw will be held and winner announced on

Sunday September 18 2016.

 

September Giveaway - Week Two

WON BY PAM K.

WON BY DEBORAH C.

WON BY SUSAN F.

WON BY VALIERIE S.

WON BY NICOLE SAGER



WON BY CARYL KANE

As always, I will contact the winners by email, however, thanks to the nefarious ways of the internet, my email might land in your spam folder so keep your eyes peeled! :-) If you haven't heard from me by Monday evening, please email me your snail mail address at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. From time to time winners and I don't seem to connect, so I have a month time frame. If I can't reach you within four weeks your win will be forfeited.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

Secretly Smitten

GIVEAWAY

COBLE, COLLEEN
BILLERBECK, KRISTEN
HUNT, DIANN
HUNTER, DENISE
SECRETLY SMITTEN

Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring -- Smitten, Vermont is the place for love...and mystery!

There's a secret in Grandma Rose's attic -- a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic?

The mystery intrigues Rose's three granddaughters -- Tess, Clare, and Zoe -- and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women?

My Review:

I'm smitten with Smitten, Vermont! Sorry, couldn't resist. Loved the small town vibe so ripe for romance.  And those Thomas women are a hoot! Raring to match each other but turning alarmingly stubborn when Mr. Right comes their way. Each novella stars a sister (or mum) and while the reader gets to bask in their happily-ever-afters there is also a really neat mystery thread that winds its way through all the stories from start to finish. I couldn't wait to find out how that ended! And I wasn't disappointed. Tons of romance, quite a few laughs and some tender insightful moments as each woman tackles the obstacle that threatens that coveted happily-ever-after.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Secretly Smitten please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 11  2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

A Heart Most Certain

GIVEAWAY

JAGEARS, MELISSA
A HEART MOST CERTAIN

Lydia King knows what it's like to be in need, so she joins the Teaville Moral Society hoping to help the town's poor. But with her father's debts increasing by the day and her mother growing sicker by the week, she wonders how long it will be until she ends up in the poorhouse herself. Her best chance at a financially secure future is to impress the politician courting her, and it certainly doesn't hurt that his mother is the moral society's president. Lydia's first task as a moral society member -- to obtain a donation from Nicholas Lowe, the wealthiest man in town -- seems easy...until the man flat-out refuses.

Despite appearances, Nicholas wants to help others but prefers to do it his own way, keeping his charity private. When Lydia proves persistent, they agree to a bargain, though Nicholas has a few surprises up his sleeve. Neither foresees the harrowing complications that will arise from working together, and when town secrets are brought to light, this unlikely pair must decide where their beliefs -- and hearts -- truly align.

My Review:

If you don't come away from reading this novel with a deeper understanding of the true meaning of charity...well...you must have been reading with your eyes closed!

A Pygmalion story with an inspirational twist. Nicholas is intent on recreating Lydia -- as far as charitable works goes anyway. He is brooding and dashing and opinionated. But he does have a heart for service. And also, unfortunately, a healthy dose of arrogance.

But Lydia is up for the challenge. She is a woman on a mission, determined to sweet-talk (or brow-beat) Nicholas into submission. After all, her future happiness is on the line. She is downright judgemental when it comes to Nicholas and what she considers to be his blatant lack of charity and she has every intention of making him see the error of his ways. These two butt heads from the get go  and they deserve every single headache that ensues! 

A Heart Most Certain is the kind of story that sticks with you so much that you continue to have stirring debates with the characters as if they are living, breathing people -- even after you`ve left off reading. And that's because Jagears has brought a richness and depth to this historical romance. Yes, it is mesmerizing, infuriating and sublimely romantical. But it also speaks to the fact that charity is the pure love of Christ in such a compelling way. It touched both my heart and my soul and got me thinking and evaluating. In other words -- it changed me -- and you can't ask more from a book than that.

 Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.

 GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  A Heart Most Certain please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 11 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

How Secrets Die

GIVEAWAY

PERRY, MARTA
HOW SECRETS DIE

As Laurel Ridge embraces a stranger hungry for answers, a sinister truth is awakened.

A hard-hitting reporter, Kate Beaumont unearths the deepest lies and brings harsh truths to light, but the story that lures her to the gentle town of Laurel Ridge, Pennsylvania, is closer to her heart than anyone knows. The details of her half brother's sudden death have never made sense. She owes him justice, yet the one man who can help her is the stubborn sheriff she can't stand.

Protecting his town is Mac Whiting's top priority. Everything else, including pacifying a beautiful crusader on a mission best left resting in peace, is secondary. But as Kate's search embeds her in his world and attracts a skilled criminal, she needs Mac's protection. Drawn together by deadly secrets, they must find a way to trust each other before a killer silences them both.

My Review:

I could not put this book down! I was rabidly compulsive about reading to the end! And then I was frustrated when it was all over. LOL There's no pleasing a reader sometimes. How Secrets Die is the third and final book in the Laurel Ridge series and that fact right there makes me sad. :-( Luckily I'm still basking in the afterglow of a tale well told. And no worries if you haven't read the other two books, each works very well as a standalone. Mind you, I found it so much fun to be back visiting familiar characters in Laurel Ridge so that was an added bonus.

The romance is sensational. Tension explodes from the first time Mac and Kate meet -- and oh what a memorable scene that is! They are at odds with each other, often working at cross purposes as they strive to solve a mystery for different personal reasons. Mac is infuriated by Kate's stubborn determination. Kate is affronted by Mac's take-charge attitude. Their wary truce isn't always peaceful but the dynamics between these two is so much fun to read. And stew over.

Perry knows how to draw out a suspenseful plot. I thrilled every time I picked up on something I thought was significant and then writhed with anxious anticipation to see if I was right. A thrilling read from beginning to end.

Please note: How Secrets Die is not categorized as Christian Fiction (it's published for the general market by HQN) but it is a clean read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  How Secrets Die please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 11 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Search and Rescue

GIVEAWAY

HANSEN, VALERIE
SEARCH AND RESCUE

Defending his own...

Newly sworn in as chief of police, Ryder Hayes is read to defend the citizens of Desert Valley -- especially his five-year-old daughter, Lily -- from his wife's murderer. So when Ryder starts to grow close to K-9 trainer Sophie Williams, he pushes her away to protect her. He can't let Sophie become the next target of the deranged serial killer who's obsessed with him. But Sophie has secrets of her own, and Ryder's caution isn't enough to shield her -- from deadly peril or her own feelings. To save everyone he loves, Ryder will have to let Sophie in...and count on his new K-9 partner to help sniff out the killer.

My Review:

An incredible finale to an awesome series. Two words sum up how great this book is: Australian Shepherd. :-) Phoenix is a K-9 officer (as in dog) who has lost his moxie and Sophie is determined to help him get it back....if she can keep out of the crosshairs of a serial killer that is. Not the best circumstances for a romance to develop but Ryder and Sophie have known each other for some time. The attraction is there and danger just seems to sharpen it. Taut with suspense and filled with action, Hansen takes her readers on an edge-of-your-seat ride in this glorious conclusion to the Rookie K-9 Unit  series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Search and Rescue please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 11 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

The First Gift

GIVEAWAY

HERNE, RUTH LOGAN
THE FIRST GIFT

Five-year-old Cassie Carruthers fends for herself while her father drinks himself into a stupor. But her isolation has not gone unnoticed as a northern Appalachian works to rescue the neglected little girl. Kerry McHenry, the kindergarten teacher, sees her own tough upbringing in Cassie's dire situation. As she throws herself into helping Cassie become everything God wants her to be, she finds herself torn between a commitment-phobic doctor and a widowed deputy sheriff still angry with God. As the stakes grow ever higher and the characters' lives intersect in unexpected ways, each will face a true test of faith - and come face-to-face with indisputable evidence of God's love.

My Review:

I'm suffering from the woe-is-me-I-read-that-book-way-too-fast-and-now-I'm-going-to-miss-it blues. Sniffle. But that's the kind of book The First Gift is. You can't stop yourself from reading at a voracious speed even though you want the story to last forever. Such a reader dilemma! And Ruth Logan Herne does it to me every time because she writes from the heart and I love an emotionally charged novel.

This is complex, true-to-life stuff with all the gnarly bits included. Cassie's story moved me to tears -- of both sorrow and joy. In fact, I'll just issue a five tissue box alert right here and now. I sobbed at the end - a ragged crying jag because this book messed with so many emotions I just had to get it all out. Very cathartic. It left me with a better understanding of how God really does direct our paths, even at the unlikeliest of times. How His big picture is so much better than my narrow-minded view. The First Gift is worth the read just for Hannah's sage wisdom and down-to-earth counsel. Not to mention Father Cumming's no nonsense approach to spirituality. Loved them both to pieces.

This story reminds me of the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." And, you know what? In the process the child raises the adults to a higher level -- including the reader.

There's a lot to celebrate in this novel: racial diversity among the characters, the power of God to change hearts, the encouragement to find hope even during the darkest times. And I haven't even touched on the romance! Which is just as gnarly and realistic as the rest of the book. My heart raced. My knees buckled. And it hurt, a lot, before it got better 'cause I just wasn't sure if I trusted Ruthy to make it right the way I wanted it to be right.

What more can I say except if ever a book begged to be turned into a movie script -- this one is it!

My deepest gratitude to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  The First Gift please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday September 11  2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!