Counting on a Cowboy + Giveaway

After losing everything she held dear, Abby never wants to love again. But a certain cowboy may just spur her to wonder if love might be worth the risk. Running from a past that haunts her, Abby Knightly is drawn to the cozy town of Wishing Springs, Texas. Maybe this small town could offer hope and healing and a future for Abby . . . if she’s brave enough to reach out and take it by the reins.

Bo Monahan isn’t interested in the new romantic destination his little town has become—or the women who might be looking at him like he’s their next Mr. Right. Between taking care of his Pops and his growing stirrup business, he isn’t looking for serious romantic commitments. But when the infant son he never knew about shows up at his doorstep, his world is turned upside down.

This confirmed bachelor might not think he needs a wife, but he sure needs help. Even Abby can see that, and despite her best efforts to keep her distance, she can’t help but be drawn to this new father-son duo. As Abby throws herself into helping Bo navigate fatherhood, hope sparks between them, revealing that maybe, just maybe, they can navigate their dark pasts and emerge together into a future as bright as the Texas sun itself.

My Review:

published in 2015

I want to say ‘Best Romantic Comedy Ever’ but as I think back on this story I realize there are a lot of really intensely emotional issues that various characters are struggling to deal with. So there’s definitely gritty realism delivered in an honest, and sometimes heart wrenching, way but I still start grinning when I think about Counting on a Cowboy. I guess the humorous bits that shine through the drama really made an impact on me.

Like two cowboy brothers dealing with the day in, day out care of an infant: “Aw, come, Jarrod. Give me a break. I’ve changed him three times and you should see the stuff coming out of that kid. Maybe we should take him to the doc.” (p. 75) Bumbling cowboys out of their element are always a treat to read about.

As is the simmering romance between Bo and Abby. Attraction confirmed, desire to do something about it, not so much. Because it’s truly complicated. From a crash bang first meet to Abby’s painful past, there just doesn’t seem to be a way for them to move forward. Cue the audacious town matchmakers — Clara Lyn and Reba — though, honestly, their clumsy attempts do more harm than good a time or two. And that’s because they don’t have all the facts. 

Neither does the reader when it comes to Abby’s haunting past. Clopton expertly tantalizes with subtle hints that grow clearer as the story progresses. I was gutted by the time the whole truth was revealed but thrilled when Bo proves to finally be the hope for her future.

No Stone Unturned + Giveaway

She wants to uncover the past. He wishes to build a future. In this Regency romance set in rolling hills of West Sussex, two opposing wills discover their fate may lie in the common ground.

Miss Bridget Littleton’s passion for history and antiquities defies most social conventions, even in her small village nestled in the beautiful English countryside. When a local farmer discovers an elaborate mosaic buried in his field, Bridget dreams of making a name and future for herself by excavating the Roman ruins. Unfortunately, her quest puts her at odds with the ambitious new lord who recently inherited the title and Hawthorn Abbey from his estranged uncle.

Recovering from wounds of both body and spirit, Captain Rafe Hawthorn is intent on restoring his long-neglected ancestral home. His plans to rebuild the abbey’s once thriving orchards require a road that will pass straight through Bridget’s potential trove of artifacts. He will not—cannot—fail again, even if he is moved by Bridget and her passion.

Yet this impasse might not be their greatest obstacle. A natural disaster and a series of suspicious accidents threaten both their plans, along with the livelihood of the nearby villagers dependent on their success. With their dreams in the balance, Bridget and Rafe must work together to fend off an unexpected enemy that may prove more dangerous than either could have imagined.

Sweet Regency romance filled with hope, faith, and an enemies-to-lovers dynamicHistorical fiction that’s perfect for fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, or Abigail WilsonIncludes discussion questions for book clubs.

My Review:

Delightfully shivery Gothic vibes with a twist because in ‘No Stone Unturned’ it’s the hero who is returning to his ancestral home which just happens to be an atmospheric abbey steeped in mystery. It has also been sadly neglected and the whole estate is in jeopardy unless he can turn things around quickly.

Rafe is facing an impossible challenge as he adjusts to civilian life as a wounded soldier. He’s both physically and emotionally scarred and loathe to return to place that holds so many painful memories. So, he’s dealing with a lot when he first meets Bridget, digging up ‘his’ field with archeological enthusiasm. She’s under the impression the field belongs to her best friend’s family. Rafe’s steward assures him it is part of his estate. Wills clash when neither is willing to compromise and this enemies to more love story gets off to a volatile start.

I’m not always a fan of this trope, though I hasten to add I loved this one. It can be difficult to keep up the enemy pretence while at the same time making both hero and heroine relatable but Hovde did an amazing job here and that’s because of the richly layered backstories. My emotions couldn’t help but become engaged. Rafe with his traumatic childhood and difficult war years. Bridget upended by the death of her mother and the ensuing domestic upheaval. She’s an educated woman who can’t find a place in a male dominated field. Though there is instant chemistry, it takes them awhile to find some common ground but when they do…blissful happy swooning sigh!

‘No Stone Unturned’ delivers it all – a brooding hero, a feisty heroine, an atmospheric abbey steeped in mystery, villains and treachery and pages full of drama, including integral faith threads, before the triumphant HEA!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Conversations with Kav – Realistic Women’s Fiction, Inspiration in the Middle of the Mess + Giveaway

If you’ve been around Best Reads for any length of time, you’ve likely surmised that I am a romance reader first and foremost. Contemporary, Historical, Amish, Suspense – I enjoy all the genres, as long as there’s a love story front and centre. But sometimes, I’ve been coerced (er encouraged) to step away from all things romantical and into the emotional realms of Women’s Fiction.

True confession: I really, really, really like it when there’s at least a bit of romance included in the story. 🙂 Ahem, having said that, I’ve enjoyed some stellar Women’s Fiction over the years, even though it isn’t the first type of book I reach for.

So, I thought it would be fun to chat about Women’s Fiction today. Are you a fan? Or not? And what do you like about this genre? What kind of plots / storytelling are you looking for?

What I Enjoy In Women’s Fiction :

  • exploring intergenerational relationships
  • makes an emotional impact
  • women mentoring women
  • social justice themes
  • World War II settings
  • healing in dysfunctional families

A Few Women’s Fiction Recommendations:

Emotional impact, Intergenerational relationships, Healing in dysfunctional families.

From my review: “And, oh my, these sisters and their stories! Deep layers of personal and family drama culminating in divine healing. I was an emotional wreck by the end. (Gentle warning: don’t listen to or read this book in public, especially if you are an ugly crier like I am. Don’t ask me how I know.)

Exploring intergenerational relationships, Emotional impact, Women mentoring women

From my review: “Mrs. Kip starts out as a means to an end, a menial task to do penance for messing up in the newsroom, but the unassuming, terminally ill woman, has a lot of life yet to live and wisdom to impart. Aidyn finds herself roped into her shenanigans, learning important life (and faith) lessons along the way. Who knew Mrs. Kip was so full of surprises?!”

World War II, Social Justice, Emotional Impact

From my review: “I’m emotionally wrung out after this kind of read, but filled with hope too. Because people like Elsa and Hattie actually lived and risked their own lives to stand up against the horrors of Hitler’s regime. I always come away humbled after reading about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the greater good.”

May Giveaway – Week One

Winners will be contacted if they left their email address, otherwise it’s up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca (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!

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE REST OF THE YEAR:

Conversations with Kav – a place for us to chat about bookish topics if anyone is so inclined. Sometimes there will be giveaways, sometimes there won’t. It will just depend on the topic of the day. Hope to see you there! Otherwise my inner book nerd and I will carry on by ourselves. Bwahaha!

Hello May + Giveaway

It’s a Best Reads blog tradition! Celebrating the month’s new releases the first week of each month.

Because I recently discovered that a book’s success or failure is often determined by first month sales! (Though I bet preorders play into that as well.) Publishing houses look at those stats to determine whether they’ll add on to a series or accept the author’s next manuscript! All that literary goodness hanging in the balance but for a month’s worth of sales! (This was a cozy mystery author, but I imagine all traditional publishers use the same ‘system’.) So I thought I should do my wee little bit to promote Christian Fiction.

By hosting a special ‘Hello – insert month’ giveaway. It’s easy to play along. You just have to choose ONE of the May 2026 new releases on your TBR wishlist (must be Christian Fiction) and mention the title in a comment below (or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca) If your name is drawn, that May release is the book you will win and we’re one book closer to keeping our fave authors in business.

Plain Murder

Fifteen years after leaving her Old Order Amish life, Rachel Mast has returned to Stone Mountain, Pennsylvania. Corporate success didn’t bring true happiness, but Rachel also knows she can never be Amish again. Instead, she runs a B&B and tries to help her community in ways they can’t help themselves.

But now a gruesome discovery has been made in her Uncle Aaron’s cow pasture—the body of prominent Englisher businessman Willy O’Day. Aaron refuses to hire a lawyer, trusting his own innocence, and his faith, to see him through. Rachel isn’t so sure, especially give the public feud between the two men. Her relatives won’t speak to the police, but they will talk to Rachel—if she puts on a skirt and a bonnet. Rachel knows emotions and entanglements run as complicated in the Amish world as outside it. But as she delves deeper to clear Aaron’s name, she discovers secrets that could put her own life in danger.

My Review:

published in 2014

Squeezing in one more Amish book before ‘Amish in April’ comes to a close!

Miller has crafted a compelling page-turning mystery. And I absolutely love the intrepid Rachael Mast. With her familial ties to the Amish, she’s a great help to the police, even though they don’t always see eye to eye. And Rachael can’t help channeling her inner Nancy Drew, especially when it’s a family member’s freedom at stake Plus, she desperately wants to help the Amish community she still feels ties with.

The author deftly weaves mystery into the day to day life of an Amish/English community. Provoking insights into plain living add an extra zest the story. As does the light romance. This Amish adjacent cozy mystery makes the perfect kind of armchair sleuthing read.

Sit, Stay, Love + Giveaway

A Novel for Dog Lovers 

Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you’re ready for a lesson in love…Tippy style. 

Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother’s elderly dog, Tippy, he’s quick to call on a pet-sitting service. 

Gina isn’t thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can’t abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy. 

As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too… 

Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.

My Review:

published in 2016

Surprise! Another reread from ten years ago! How is it I am gravitating to 2016 books?! It was a very good year for fiction!

Quirky and fun with lots of sweet and savoury bits. Anyone who has been owned by an eccentric dog will adore Tippy! And empathize with Gina! And eventually Cal — though he was a bit of a hard sell at the beginning. 🙂 And because I love dogs so much I actually cried in two places so be forewarned if you have a tender canine loving heart like mine! Mentink knows how to turn on the emotional angst.

Cal is a bit of a lost soul in the beginning. It isn’t so much that he’s egotistical, but he is cynical about his fame and what people want from him. As a result he’s lost his bearings, confusing self-worth with worldly labels instead of in God’s glory. The enticing thing about Gina is that she sees Cal for who he really is. She couldn’t care less for all the trappings that comes with being a star pitcher. When Cal starts to see himself through her lens, he begins to sort out who he really is and what he wants his future to look like.

Be prepared for a few curve balls as the story progesses — especially since stubborn Cal has a penchant for playing hardball. Through all the mayhem and mirth, Mentink manages to hit a home run with Sit, Stay, Love. (sorry, couldn’t resist using some baseball idioms!)

An Appearance of Impropriety + Giveaway

As the youngest female judge in LA, Mahalia Jackson has her career goals carefully aligned. But when her mentor tells her she needs to break her shell of professionalism and show a little heart by volunteering for the Junior Jurors program, her plans begin to falter.

Attorney JD Cash heads up the Junior Jurors program, a project born out of his own troubled past. He leverages his position as an attorney to fulfill God’s calling on his life, supporting the orphans and widows of society who have lost beloved husbands and fathers to TransNation’s eighteen-wheeled time bombs roaming America’s freeways.

Mahalia’s rule—never date a lawyer—is a straitjacket that tightens when she presides over the case where JD serves as a young widow’s attorney. But when an earthquake leaves JD and Mahalia in a vulnerable position, her resolve begins to waver and she finds herself opening up to the sad-eyed lawyer. But online, anonymous colleagues and adversaries attempt to destroy Mahalia’s reputation and career.

A legal drama threaded with romance, An Appearance of Impropriety will show readers that real love is worth the risk.

My Review:

I usually don’t read novels with strong legal themes but loved Jayna Breigh’s debut novel so I jumped into this one without any second guessing and it was as brilliant as I knew it would be!

A character-driven legal drama that turned into a compulsive listen. Yes, this was another audio ‘read’ for me and Alyx Monroe might be my dream narrator. The tone of her voice is so soothing and pleasant to listen to and the way she infuses the characters with emotion and humour made me love them all the more!

My fear of not understanding the legal-eeze in ‘An Acceptance of Impropriety’ was unfounded. Somehow Breigh manages to create the thrill of a legal drama in layman’s terms. I never felt lost, in fact, the courtroom scenes were some of the most riveting. JD and Mahalia’s volunteer work with the Junior Jurors program for at-risk youth also helped because I got to learn the court system right along with them.

But there’s also so much more to this story than the legal drama (but, whoa, the drama!) There’s a slow burn romance that builds from misunderstanding. Opposites attract and forbidden love tropes play a part in their complicated relationship as well. JD is a knight in shining armour slaying big corporations on behalf of widows and orphans. I was so invested in his court case! Mahalia is the youngest female judge in LA and she carries that burden of expectation and scrutiny.

I love the way we got to know this hero and heroine through snippets of their backstories at pivotal moments. It helped me understand their thoughts and actions. Watching them struggle to learn from their pasts while finding the courage to create their own unique futures was exhilarating.

A stunning inspirational legal drama/romance that I’m still thinking about days after finishing it.

My thanks to RB Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Brighter Than Before + Giveaway

In her forties, newly single in the Windy City, and reeling from a major life shake-up, Claire Karadec finds a reset in the most unlikely of places–a dating profile set up by her adult daughter. From New York Times bestselling author Courtney Walsh comes a refreshing, lighthearted, sweet novel, perfect for fans of Annabel Monaghan and Sarah Adams.

Claire did not plan to end up mid-forties with a daughter studying in London and the unfortunate discovery that her husband is not the man she thought he was. In fact, he’s the exact opposite of a faithful, loyal, kind, and good-hearted spouse. And the discovery of his real nature and lack of remorse leads her to do what she never thought she would–divorce him.

After a year of wallowing before hitting rock bottom . . . in public, unfortunately, Claire realizes she needs to finally answer the question her therapist asked her all those months “What do you really want?” It was a question she couldn’t answer then, but now she knows it’s time to figure it out.

It’s the turning point that leads Claire to change her life. And not just a little–a lot. She sells her house in Denver and moves to the city that’s always had her heart–Chicago.

With the help of nosy neighbors, new friends, and a daughter who sets her up on a dating site from across the ocean, Claire begins to answer that big, important question by figuring out what she wants and how to live life on her own terms.

My Review:

Another smash hit by one of my favourite authors! Courtney Walsh never disappoints. Each time I read one of her books I’m convinced it’s my favourite…until the next one, anyway.

I felt for Claire right from that wince-inducing opening scene. I kept shouting, “Nooooo, turn bacccccckkkk!” but, alas, she didn’t listen to me and chaos ensued. The kind of chaos that you can laugh about…ten years down the road but is absolutely mortifying at the time and I was mortified right along with her.

So Claire decides to start fresh with a list of ‘new-to-her’ goals both big and small and, honestly, more chaos ensues but in the best of ways. New city, new friends, new experiences along with a host of hilarious (and sometimes not so hilarious) mix-ups that need sorting. Thankfully she has more triumphs than failures, though once she goes awry it’s always in epic fashion! And in the midst of all things new comes the possibility of romance…something she’s not keen on at all.

Walsh has created the perfect blend of emotion and humour with characters that are as endearing as they are flawed. Claire’s personal growth story is phenomenal and left me teary-eyed more than once. And that reluctant romance takes on a life of it’s own, full of tenderness and yearning and the fragile hope of a very different kind of future than she planned.

I listened to the audio edition of ‘Brighter Than Before’ narrated by Patti Murin who did a fabulous job portraying all these characters and their unique eccentricities and her performance really captured the heart of the story which I appreciate so much.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Conversations With Kav – It’s Indie Day! + I have BIG news + Giveaway

Okay, I have to give you my BIG news first and I have mixed feelings about it. Scared but excited too because I don’t do change gracefully. 🙂 I’M MOVING! Just got approved for an apartment downtown in a lovely historical neighbourhood. Close to a farmer’s market, two bookstores, the best vegan bakery in town, multiple parks within walking distance and a lake close by! Oh…and twenty minutes to a library. Do I have my priorities straight or what?

The downside is that I’m leaving the wee little house that has been my home for 22 years…and my garden.SOB! My new apartment does have a balcony but it’s north facing so I’ll have to educate myself about shade gardening. No more veggie gardening for me unless I can find an allotment garden close by. I thought I’d pot up a few perennials and see how they do – a hosta, coral bells and wild geranium so I have a little piece of my gardening heart with me when I go. 😦

My move in date is July 1 which couldn’t be worse because that’s Canada Day and the busiest and most expensive day of the year to move in Canada apparently. So the next two months will be spent packing and…gasp…weeding through my physical books because they all can’t go with me. The apartment is much smaller than my house. Unless I get creative and I have my thinking cap on.

Anyway, all this to say that there will likely be some bumps in the road as far as blogging goes. Partly because I’ll be busy getting the garden into shape for the last time (sob) and packing and cleaning and all that fun stuff so I won’t be able to physically read as many books as I usually do. I’ll likely listen more so it’s a good thing I went wild during that audible sale! 🙂 And then, when we get closer to my move date I’ll likely have to stop blogging for a week or two until I get internet connected at the new place. I’m playing all that by ear so stay tuned for more announcements to come.

Okay, now for some Bookish Conversation!

Since I’m concentrating on reading more Independently published books this year and you all have helped me so much by introducing me to indie authors in recent months, I decided to proclaim every fourth Sunday:

Indie Author Day!

We will celebrate by sharing indie books we’ve read, highlight new indie books coming out and wrestle with the conundrum of how to discover new-to-me indie authors and how to tell if a book is independently published in the first place.

Here’s my definition of indie publishing:

  • the author pays all production costs
  • the author hires and pays for his/her own editor
  • the author hires and pays for cover art to be made
  • or, the author creates his/her own cover art
  • the author performs the technical magic I don’t understand to make the book appear on Amazon as an ebook or a print book (surprise, that costs too)
  • the author pays for a voice performer if they decide to add an audio edition
  • Basically, the author writes the book and then does the work of a legion of professionals in order to get it out into the world all at their own cost
  • Oh, and the author does all the marketing too.

Personally, I think these hard working Independently published authors deserve their very own day every month. So we’re going to give it to them. Celebrate their dedication to their craft and help sell some books!

How to tell if a book is independently published by the author:

You think this would be the easy part, but it’s not. It used to be. Ten years ago you could look at the copyright info and it would list the author’s name under publisher, or CreateSpace Amazon (or something like that) so, easy peasy. No publisher listed meant independently published.

But then authors started getting creative (poor things can’t help it, it’s in their DNA) and they started making up cutesy little publisher names to use instead of their own. So Mabel Bowser who publishes cozy dog mysteries might decide to use ‘Barking Up the Wrong Tree Press’ and unsuspecting readers looking for an indie book might skim right on by once they see the book was published by a press. Only it wasn’t really. So confusing!

So what’s a reader to do? I have no idea, other than to google search the ‘publisher’ to see if it’s legit. I might find nothing listed under ‘Barking Up the Wrong Tree Press’ and therefore can correctly assume the book is independently published. Or, I might find a link to ‘Barking Up the Wrong Tree Press’ but notice that it only lists the author’s books. That’s another indie clue. Clear as mud, right?!

If you have any suggestions on how to recognize indie published books, do share in the comments. And that brings us to today’s Giveaway…drum roll, please, because it’s time to share the book love with our Christian Fiction Independently Published Authors: