Texas Christmas Revenge

GIVEAWAY

QUEEN, CONNIE

TEXAS CHRISTMAS REVENGE

An abandoned little boy is the only clue to a killer's dangerous holiday plot...

Certain a desperate 911 caller is her presumed-dead sister, emergency dispatcher Brandi Callahan follows the cryptic message to a terrified toddler...and an armed assailant. Now Brandi will do anything to protect the boy -- even if it means asking her ex-fiance, Texas Ranger Rhett Kincaid, her help. But can Brandi and Rhett stop this killer before he exacts his terrible Christmas vengeance?

My Review:

I have to confess that it's the cover that drew me in first. That forlorn little teddy bear with his reindeer antlers looking all lost and abandoned. Tugs at your heartstrings and sends a shiver up your spine all at the same time. 

There's a chilling creep factor to the opening scene that morphs into a flurry of danger and action. An abandoned toddler, a missing-presumed-dead sister and the tragic history of a closed case that never felt right to Brandi. In fact, the emotional fallout was at the root of her split with Rhett. But now, fate has brought them together again, puzzling over the same issues that pulled them apart...only this time they're coming up with more questions then answers all while being pursued by a relentless killer.

A reunion romance paired with a twisty-turny suspense that leads Brandi and Rhett on a race against time -- to solve the mystery and possibly (probably, this is a Love Inspired Suspense after all) heal their broken hearts.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Texas Christmas Revenge, 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 November 20 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Aftermath

GIVEAWAY

BLACKSTOCK, TERRI

AFTERMATH

A devastating explosion.

Three best friends are at the venue to hear their favorite band. Only one makes it out alive.

A trunk full of evidence.

When police stop Dustin Webb with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows there's been a mistake. He's former military and owns a security firm. But he's horrified when the officers find explosives, and he can't fathom how they got there.

An attorney who will risk it all for an old friend.

Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin's best friend growing up. They haven't spoken since he left for basic training, but she's the first person he thinks of when he's arrested. Jamie knows she's putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she'd never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence...but why?

My Review:

WHOA!!!! I mean, seriously, just WHOA!!!! Nail-biter, edge-of-your-seater, heart-hammerer and every other 'er' you want to insert. Literally a read-in-one-gulp suspense. And I speak from experience. I sat down to read one chapter (one!) and didn't get up until I reached the end. 

Blackstock knows how to craft a story full of action and intrigue without shortchanging on characterization or relationships. It felt like we had all the time in the world to explore every emotional nuance despite the staccato beats of frenzied suspense tightening the plot into a tangled web that left me in an agitated, high-alert state all the way through. 

Reading Aftermath reminded me of the author's If I Run series -- has the same kind of breathtaking intensity but wrapped up in one book instead of three. 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 Aftermath, 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 November 20 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

The London House

GIVEAWAY

REAY, KATHERINE

THE LONDON HOUSE

Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain's World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family's reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it's just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: in World War II, Caroline's British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family's reputation, Caroline flies to her family's ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the "Waite sisters." Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. They buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline's great-aunt actually a tractor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family's story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family's decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them eve further apart.

My Review:

Another compelling novel from Katherine Reay chock full of emotional angst and desperate hope. And it's part epistolary since the historical story is told mostly through letters and diary entries. So, yes, that means this is a dual timeline novel as well -- eeeppppp! 

I think what struck me the most about this novel is the way it shows the detrimental fallout that comes from not facing and dealing with our personal truths. Caroline's family is shattered -- she's the third generation of brokenness and doesn't understand why. Her relationship with her father has always been fraught and she's practically estranged from her mother. That's made her guarded, pushing people away before they can reject her (or so she thinks.) Her character growth is phenomenal and took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that kept my tummy tied up in knots. 

Mat is a college friend who could have been more if Caroline hadn't pushed him away. His sudden appearance in her life is shocking enough, but the claims he makes about her great-aunt being a Nazi sympathizer shatters the last remnants of her fractured family. Talk about an angsty romantic arc!

Love the multi-layered genealogical mystery and the way researching her family's past helps restore their present issues...and frees Caroline to believe in herself and trust in a hope-filled future.

I listened to the audible edition of The London House. Madeleine Maby's narration style was a perfect match for Katherine Reay's exquisite storytelling. This is another book where my 'reading' enjoyment was enhanced by listening to the audio edition. 

Please note: While not a Christian Fiction selection, this is a clean read with inspiring themes centred around family, forgiveness, courage and trust.

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 The London House, 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 November 20 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Scent of Cedar

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY

HATFIELD, SHANNA

SCENT OF CEDAR

She needed a change of pace...No one said anything about a friendly camel or a hunky mechanic.

Cedar Haynes has a choice: change her high-pressure lifestyle, or end up dead by the time she's thirty. Not one to do things by half measures, she quits her demanding corporate job, swaps her sports car for an SUV, and moves to the peaceful mountain community of Faraday. She envisions a quiet, peaceful Christmas, surrounded by silence and sparkling snow. When a camel takes up residence on her porch, she realizes small-town life may be more quirky and complicated than she imagined. Thankfully, the local mechanic seems to have all the answers -- plus good looks, bad-boy charm, and a mysterious aura that leaves her wanting to know more.

Rhett Riggs left big city life behind the moment his small-town uncle needed his help. To make ends meet, he takes over Faraday's one and only  garage and gas station. He gets more than he bargained for, though, when Uncle Will passes away, leaving Rhett a run-down farmhouse, a wacky camel named Lolly, and a deep-rooted love for the community he considers his home. 

With the holidays approaching, he watches with interest as a new neighbour moves in next door. He waits for Lolly to send the woman running, like the last handful of residents have. Only this time, if his beautiful neighbour leaves, she'll take his heart with her.

Between spilled secrets, mistaken identities, and a camel determined to spread a little love, it will take more than mistletoe and holiday magic to help Rhett and Cedar find their happy ending.

My Review:

published in 2018

Just when I thought I'd read every Christmas romance trope written, an author throws a matchmaking camel into the mix. :-) In fact, this whole series features the Outdoor Nativity cast (of the critter variety) matchmaking for their humans (and aptly titled The Friendly Beasts of Faraday.)

This first book opens with a hilarious barnyard meeting where the animals commit to finding mates for their humans...four hapless bachelors who need a little shove towards matrimonial bliss ..and Lolly is leading the challenge, which means cue the laughter and mayhem!

Then we switch over to human POV and, honestly, the first time Cedar meets Lolly is laugh-out-loud funny. Things go off kilter from there, turning into a sweet romance with lots of holiday touches and just enough missteps that require Lolly to step in and save the day.

Quirky and fun -- a quick little read that will put a smile on your face and a yen in your heart for your very own camel...maybe.

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 Scent of Cedar, 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 November 20 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

November Giveaway -- Week Two

WON BY JUDY

WON BY LORAINE NUNLEY

WON BY LESLIE WATERS

WON BY KAY GARRETT

WON BY MELISSA ANDRES

WON BY TRACEY HAGWOOD

You know the drill: winners will be contacted if they left their email address in the comments, 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.

REMINDER: If you've been following my blog through email updates, you need to re-subscribe (blogger stopped it's subscription service so I had to switch to another.) Just fill in your email address in the white box in the upper right hand corner of the blog and click on subscribe. 

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK'S GIVEAWAYS:

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 hard copy 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.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Ranger Redemption

GIVEAWAY

SHANNON, LYNN

RANGER REDEMPTION

Some secrets are worth killing for...

Megan Hunt blames herself for her brother's murder conviction. She'll stop at nothing to prove his innocence. A cryptic phone call from her aunt revives the case with newly discovered evidence. Megan's aunt urges her to come home and trust no one -- least of all her ex-fiance, Luke.

Texas Ranger Luke Tatum was doing his sworn duty when he turned over information Megan gave him to the sheriff. But the consequences were disastrous. Seeing Megan again rips open old wounds and ignites feelings Luke thought had long faded. But he has a job to do. Megan's aunt was nearly killed in a car accident, and Luke suspects it was staged.

To uncover the truth, Megan and Luke must put their painful past aside and work together. Yet the secrets surrounding the case are more sinister than either imagined and exposing them could prove deadly.

Each book in the Texas Ranger Heroes series can be read as a standalone, and guarantees a fast-paced mystery combined with sweet romance.

My Review:

A reunion romance with an angsty past and a whole lot of intrigue and danger besides! I'm loving this Texas Ranger Heroes series -- I am three down with two to go. And I've read the books out of order so I can vouch for the fact that they can be read as standalones. I just have #3 and #5 to read now before I'm all caught up.

While shorter than most trade suspense novels, Shannon still manages to deliver a full story with fleshed out characters and enough chills and thrills to keep an avid romantic suspense aficionado in a frantic page-turning frenzy. Love the balance between action and investigation, with enough pauses in-between for Megan and Luke to reconnect and work out past hurts. All while coping with the dizzying twists and turns this 'closed case' provides. 

I listened to the audible edition of this book -- narrator Cindy Piller made my 'reading' experience that much more enjoyable

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 Ranger Redemption, 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 November 13 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

Georgana's Secret

GIVEAWAY

HAWKS, ARLEM

GEORGANA'S SECRET

A Regency romance on the high seas.

1811, HMS Deborah

Georgana Woodall dreams of freedom -- freedom from her past and freedom from her secret. She has been living on her father's ship for years, disguised as a cabin boy named "George." But hiding her true self is becoming more difficult, and she yearns to break free of her life on the sea.

Lieutenant Dominic Peyton has no time in his life for love, not with his dedication to His Majesty's Royal Navy claiming his full attention. Determined to prove himself to his new captain, he strives to be an exemplary officer and leader. When he sees the captain's cabin boy being harassed by the crew, he immediately puts a stop to it and takes the boy under his wing.

Georgana quickly loses her heart to Dominic's compassion and care, but needing to maintain her disguise as a cabin boy, she is convinced nothing can come of her affection.

Georgana's Secrets is about two hearts yearning to find a safe harbor, and possibly, a lasting love.

My Review:

A swashbuckling dream of a romance but I'm not quite sure how to review it without giving away any of the plot. Let's just say that there's action and adventure and danger on the high seas! Eeeep!!! 

Loved these characters (still in a swoony muddle over Dominic.) And the romance is...heart soaring and toe-curling. I mean, the way the author works it in, with Georgana in her cabin boy disguise is....amazingly well done!!! No spoilers so I can't explain how brilliant this trope is, just trust me -- it makes for a sublimely addictive read. 

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Heather Wilds. Really loved the extra depth and excitement her storytelling brought to an already unputdownable (unstoplistenable?) novel!

Please note: While not a Christian Fiction selection, this is a clean, inspiring read.

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 Georgana's Secret, 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 November 13 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck