Kav's Best Reads

A Most Inconvenient Marriage + Giveaway

A Marriage of Convenience Turns Most Inconvenient in this Historical Charmer

Having fled a difficult home life, Civil War nurse Abigail Stuart feels like her only friend in the world is sweet but gravely wounded patient Jeremiah Calhoun. Fearing he won’t survive, the Confederate soldier’s last wish is that Abigail look after his sickly sister at home. Marry him, return to his horse farm, and it’ll be hers.

Left with few choices, Abigail takes him up on his offer and moves to Missouri after his death, but just as the family learns to accept her, the real Jeremiah Calhoun appears–puzzled to find a confounding woman posing as his wife. Jeremiah is determined to have his life back to how it was before the war, but his own wounds limit what he can do on his own. Still not fully convinced Abigail isn’t duping him, he’s left with no choice but to let the woman stay and help–not admitting to himself she may provide the healing his entire family needs.

My Review:

published in 2014

I didn’t know it was possible to swoon while convulsing with laughter until I read A Most Inconvenient Marriage! What an incredible mix of gripping emotion and light-hearted humour. I was in a tizzy of ecstasy the whole read!

Jeremiah is exasperating in his cluelessness when it comes to women and that makes him endearing in an irritating sort of way. LOL And Abigail is pure stubbornness — so determined to do it all alone. What an ill-fated pair, especially when you take into account the unusual circumstances that bring them together. Add in the complications and dangers of the post-civil war South and a host of engaging secondary characters and you get a story as thought-provoking and inspiring as it is entertaining.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read copy, available to any reader anywhere so, YAY, open to International Readers.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Most Inconvenient Marriage, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 May16 2026

Danger in the Rockies + Giveaway

A K-9 team’s investigation

leads to a deadly case of mistaken identity.

K-9 officer Maren Anderson is shocked when she catches a glimpse of her presumed-dead twin sister—moments before a shooter opens fire. DEA agent Colt Dawson rescues her and helps secure the crime scene, but before Maren can find her sister, Opal vanishes again. Maren has questions and so does Colt—especially since Opal may be the key to exposing a drug kingpin’s identity. But now the cartel leader’s henchmen think Maren is her sister and she has a target on her back. Forced to work together to unravel the deadly mystery, Maren and Colt must track down her twin before the criminals closing in claim their lives…

My Review:

Intriguing and intense with undercurrents of romance, ‘Danger in the Rockies’ is the kind of book you want to devour in one sitting. I was committed right from the frantic opening scene that propels Maren into unexpected chaos and danger. Luckily, Colt and his own K-9 partner are able to render aide whereupon their individual cases – and their lives – become entangled as they search for answers.

Their emotionally charged love story gradually evolves behind the scenes while investigative work and thwarting villains take precedence. Loved the pacing and the way Reed breathes life into her characters – not only Colt and Maren, but her whole team as well. I’m so looking forward to getting everybody’s story by the end of the year.

So, yes, this is the third book in the ‘Colorado K-9 Unit’ continuity series but it reads well as a standalone too. I really appreciated the way the author merged the over-arcing series suspense elements within the specifics for the case unique to this book. Very well done and easy to follow. Plus, I’m more excited than ever to get back with the team and follow some clues and finally get some answers!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of ‘Danger in the Rockies’ expertly narrated by Tanya Eby. She has become a favourite voice in my listening library and finding her name listed in the credits is likely to sway my purchasing impulse. Definitely an audio book I can happily recommend.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

Please note: This book releases on May 26

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Danger in the Rockies, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 16 2026

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest + Giveaway

random retro read

A beautiful maiden who poaches to feed the poor.

A handsome forester on a mission to catch her.

Danger and love are about to unite in Thornbeck Forest.

The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around–and Odette Menkels spends her nights poaching his deer to feed the hungry orphans of Thornbeck. By day, Odette is a simple maiden who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?

My Review:

published in 2016

What a captivating read! Dickerson has a way with words that makes me feel like I’ve careened back in time to a fairy tale land where swoonworthy heroes are no match for their cunning heroines and where good and evil are in a constant battle. I love that she’s started this new fairy tale series for adults! I’ve never grown out of my love for the genre and fairy tale retellings are among my favourite reads.

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest has all the essential ingredients of a beloved classical tale. A hero with an impossible task, a heroine who might just need rescuing (though she’s pretty spunky!), plenty of subterfuge, a nefarious villain and, of course, the ultimate triumph of good over evil. But that doesn`t mean this read is predictable. It`s anything but! In fact, I got to a point where I couldn`t turn the pages fast enough in my desperate bid to find out what happened next. And through it all, the author maintains the cadence of storytelling from days of yore. Simply put: the kind of read that makes your heart happy.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and open to any reader anywhere in the world so, yay, an International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 16 2026

A Deal With a Debutante + Giveaway

She’s running from London’s marriage mart. He’s running out of time to save his estate. Neither planned on falling in love—but their hearts have other plans.

American heiress Calliope Hart is thrust into London’s high society against her will, all because her mother is determined to marry her off to an aristocrat. Despite being named “the debutante of the season” back in New York, Calliope wants nothing more than to avoid becoming another pawn in the social game.

Edward Chase, the Earl of Hayward, is on the brink of financial ruin. To save his estate, he must marry, and Calliope Hart is his last hope. When he boldly declares his intentions, she swiftly rejects him, making it clear she has no interest in marrying for convenience. Undeterred, Edward offers a deal: He will escort Calliope to all the best sights of London that she’s been dying to see if she agrees to visit his estate and consider what they could accomplish together.

What begins as a business arrangement soon sparks something much more complicated—an undeniable chemistry neither can ignore. But as their hearts begin to soften, both must confront their fears: Can Calliope trust Edward with her heart, and can Edward truly win her love when she’s convinced he only wants her fortune?

My Review:

Funny and touching and oh so swoonable! Chelsea Bobulski is a new-to-me author but I’ll be hunting down every book she’s written now! And I’m so hoping this is the first in a series because Calliope has some delightful friends who need to star in their own stories!

This Edwardian era romance explores that odd American craze of New York Society’s nouveau riche carting their marriageable daughters across the ocean to England in order to make an aristocratic match, all for the want of a title. Their enormous dowries set to lure in cash strapped nobility for a mutually ‘advantageous’ match.

Well, Miss Calliope Hart is having none of it. Her mother (one of the most obnoxious fictional mothers I’ve read!!!) is blatantly pushing her daughter to attend all the Season’s prestigious parties. Calliope’s reluctance is no deterrent to the husband hunting mama who is determined that her daughter will be engaged by the end of the summer.

Calliope and Edward’s unfortunate meet-cute is anything but encouraging. He might have made a bit of a blunder. She might have taken it too personally. Fireworks ensue and Calliope storms off, leaving Edward surprisingly intrigued. And then the fun really begins!

A wonderful mix of humour and tenderness with enough sparks to singe a gentle reader’s fingertips. And once Edward commits to persuing Calliope…well, clear your fainting couch and prepare for a toe-curling frenzy of a read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Deal With a Debutante, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 16 2026

Traveler’s Rest + Giveaway

random retro reread

A young woman determined to honor her commitment
An injured soldier convinced life is no longer worth living
A retired doctor certain it’s too late to be forgiven

Jane Morrow has a dilemma. She’s engaged to Seth Ballantine, a member of the National Guard’s 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and he’s returned from Iraq severely wounded. Jane hasn’t seen him for nearly a year, and with trepidation, she heads to the VA hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, where he is being treated.

Seth isn’t happy to see her. He’d asked her not to come. He wants to end the relationship. But Jane loves him, and despite his injury, she’s determined to convince him that they can have a life together. Her faith has never been strong, yet she hopes God will answer her prayers and tell her what to do.

Beautifully written, Travelers Rest takes readers on a journey through pain and tragedy to a place of hope and redemption.

My Review:

published in 2012

Profound. The kind of book that makes you a better person for having lived within its pages for a few hours. This character-driven story unfolds with a rich blend of drama and poignancy, but there’s humour tucked in there as well.And life lessons well worth learning. Like the power to influence for good just by having the courage to try.

And, oh my, the characters! And the cunning way their disparate lives are woven together. A purely stunning, gorgeous book that has left me near speechless.

Giveaway Opportunity:

This giveaway is for a gently read copy, available to any reader anywhere so, YAY, open to International Readers.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Traveler’s Rest, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 16 2026

May Giveaway – Week Two

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 COMING WEEK:

Alas, no Conversation with Kav this week it being Mother’s Day and I’m up to my eyeballs in chaos (my pre-moving strategy turns out not to be as organized as I planned!) BUT, there is a giveaway instead, a Women’s Fiction one at that! – in fact this coming week is a six day giveaway , 2 brand spanking new just released books and 4 gently read ones. 🙂

Tracking the Taken Child

A little girl has vanished…
Can a K-9 team find her?

Preschool teacher Lydia Caldwell’s peaceful day in the Rockies becomes her most harrowing nightmare when she’s pushed over a mountain ledge and her three-year-old daughter is abducted. Lydia must now entrust her life and her child’s fate to K-9 Officer River Jameson and his yellow Lab partner, Frankie. As the danger escalates and the trail grows colder by the second, River and Frankie work tirelessly to track down the kidnapper. Is the culprit Lydia’s ex…or is someone from her past seeking revenge? Will River’s skill and Frankie’s instincts save an innocent child—and protect Lydia from the elusive criminal targeting her?

My Review:

The emotionally charged opening scene sets the stage for the second instalment of the Colorado K-9 Unit continuity series and I loved every second of this intense mix of danger, drama and romance.

A mother’s worst nightmare, the kidnapping of her child, makes for a gripping backdrop for the suspense and an intense introduction for Lydia and River. And K-9 extraordinaire, Frankie! What follows is a gripping game of cat-and-mouse as Lydia and River dodge bullets and danger in a desperate attempt to track a kidnapper and find little Elsie. Action packed adventure with enough plot twists to keep a reader on the edge of her seat.

I listened to the audible edition of Tracking the Taken Child narrated by Megan Tusing who did a great job conveying a sense of urgency into her storytelling. A truly compulsive listening experience for me.

Injustice for All

random retro read

“I should have tried harder.”Those final words are scrawled across a note that’s been pinned to a man’s remains.

Pulled to a crime scene in the middle of the night, Detective Marx struggles to unravel the mystery behind a message written by the victim. A suicide note . . . or an admission of guilt? Before he can discover the truth, what seems to be a random act of violence becomes something much darker and far more dangerous.

Another note. Another body.

With very little evidence and even less time, Detective Marx searches for the common thread between the victims before another innocent dies, but his efforts might put him directly in the killer’s path.

Injustice for All is a spin-off from the Holly Novels, but it can be read as a standalone book. If you’re wondering where this book falls in relation to the Holly Novels, here’s the Criss Cross, Winter Memorial, Cross Fire, Crossed Off, Injustice for All.

My Review:

published in 2018

First thing to know is that this book fits in the middle of the Holly series, right after the third book. It’s important because it carries over main plot points from that series, though as a secondary plot in Marx’s first solo story. You could read this as a standalone, but you’d be missing out on a lot of Holly’s background, including spoilers, as well as some complex character backstory elements.

The suspense is gripping, a bit gritty but utterly compelling. I loved getting so much of the story from Marx’s POV and the way he juggles his work as a detective with his care and support for Holly has she processes recent traumatic events is inspiring.

The strong sense of found family is what really draws me to this series; the impeccable plotting and relatable characters keep me anchored in the story. And committed to the series. I still have some catching up to do before the latest Holly instalment releases this month but I’m happily up to the challenge. 🙂

The Vigilante’s Bride + Giveaway

random retro reread

Robbing a stagecoach on Christmas Eve and kidnapping a woman passenger is the last thing Luke Sullivan expects to do. He just wanted to reclaim the money stolen from him, but ends up with a feisty copper-haired orphan thrown over his shoulder who was on her way to marry Sullivan’s bitter enemy.

Emily McCarthy is an orphan out of options. Forced to marry because she was too old for her orphanage, she doesn’t take kindly to her “rescue.” Still she trusts God can turn any situation to good especially when it seems Sullivan may just be the man of her dreams. But Sullivan’s crossed a dangerous man unused to losing and Emily may just be the prize he’s unwilling to sacrifice.

My Review:

published in 2010

‘The Vigilante’s Bride’ has it all – hunky hero, spunky heroine, downright evil villain and a riveting plot.

Loved the dynamics between Luke and Emily. Sparks fly at their very unorthodox meet-cute. This is an enemies to more trope and the author does a great job transforming intense dislike into love. There are some achingly tender scenes, toe-curling ones too with a healthy dose of humour mixed in.

In fact, Harris does a wonderful job of blending drama and comedy while drawing out the suspense. Plus she adds some surprise that I didn’t see coming at all. Impeccable pacing kept me turning pages, eager for more, only to be disappointed when I finally came to the end because it was all over! Love when a story leaves me wanting more!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read copy, available to any reader anywhere so, YAY, open to International Readers.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Vigilante’s Bride, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 2026

Counting on a Cowboy + Giveaway

random retro reread

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.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read copy, available to any reader anywhere so, YAY, open to International Readers.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Counting on a Cowboy leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. 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 2026