Kav's Best Reads

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

random retro reread

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!)

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 Sit, Stay, Love, 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 2 2026

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.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – 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 An Appearance of Impropriety, 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 2 2026

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.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Important note: This book doesn’t release until June 9 so this giveaway is an IOU until the release date. 🙂

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 Brighter Than Before, 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 2, 2026

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:

Giveaway Opportunity:

US – paperback or ebook (check to make sure the book you choose has the edition you want, some seem to only be in ebook format.)

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible (if available) and also confirm that the book comes int he format you want

International – ebook if you have a US kindle account

You suggest an independently published Christian Fiction (or Clean Romance) already in print and leave the title and author in a comment and you will be entered in the giveaway. If your name comes up, then that’s the book you will win

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 2 2026

April Giveaway – Week Four

won by Diane Estrella

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:

sunday

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!

Secrets of the Amish Diary

Random Retro Read

The people of Pleasant Creek are delighted to welcome Liz Eckardt to their picturesque country town as she reopens the Olde Mansion Inn bed and breakfast. But a new start and a simpler life aren’t the only reasons Liz is setting down roots in the heart of Indiana’s Amish community. She is quietly embarking on a quest to find answers about her late mother’s secret life growing up Amish.

Becoming the town’s new innkeeper helps Liz ingrain herself among the townsfolk while searching for the truth about her Amish relatives. That is until she finds herself in the middle of the mysterious murder of one of the inn’s guests. Is there a connection between the death of her troublesome lodger and the truth about her long-lost family?

My Review:

published in 2016

I seem to be finding quite a few gems from ten years ago in my retro reading. 2016 was a very good publishing year it seems! I’m thrilled with the start of this Amish adjacent cozy mystery series, even more so because it was in audio format and my library seems to have the whole series on hoopla. Very excited about that! And I’m curious to see how this type of series works since it’s written by a number of different authors though the setting and all the characters remain the same. I wonder how continuity works as far as characterization because I really like Liz.

The cozy side of this cozy mystery is sublime! Lots of lovely details about Liz’s life as an innkeeper and the small town vibes are strong as well as delightful insights into the Amish community. There’s even a personal family mystery Liz is working on. The murder mystery is well plotted and the way the author blends cozy details in with the sleuthing makes for an excellently paced novel that’s hard to put down.

And these characters! Love! Liz is instantly relatable but I almost think that the ‘Material Girls’ stole the show. They are a group of mostly elderly quilters who take Liz under their collective wing (translation: stick their noses all in her business.) And then there’s Bean, a lackadaisical bulldog who comes with the inn as well as a slew of other intriguing characters. All in all, a little piece of cozy mystery perfection and I’m excited to continue with the series.

The Crime Brûlée Bake Off + Giveaway

An unexpected romance. A haunting mystery. Pastries to die for. The Great British Baking Show meets a cozy mystery with a contemporary romance and a Regency-era twist.

Amateur baker Claire Walker is thrilled to be a contestant on Britain’s Battle of the Bakers. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air. If she can win the grand prize, she can ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career.

The Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, is the custodian of Blackfirth Park and an eligible bachelor. He reluctantly agrees to allow the cooking competition show to film on his estate, but when a contestant is found dead soon after filming begins, Jonathan is forced to get involved. To make matters worse, the baker’s death stirs up rumors of the legendary death of the tenth Viscountess of Colburn two hundred and fifty years earlier.

Even as suspicion falls on some of the bakers, a decidedly different kind of heat begins to simmer between Claire and Jonathan. If they are to have any hope of a future romance, they must first solve the mystery before the show gets canceled or someone else falls prey to what some believe is the Blackfirth Park ghost.

My Review:

I’m always on the look out for my next great cozy mystery and I hit the jackpot with this one! It’s fashioned after the television hit, ‘The Great British Bake Off’ complete with a huge tent set up on a grand English estate. Eeeepppp! Love the behind the scenes input and all the delightful foodie references, including our heroine’s penchant for culinary exclamations: “Eggs and custard!” or “Crepes alive!” And Claire has cause to use her repertoire of creative phraseology because….murder and mayhem ensue! Bwahahaha!

Connolly has excelled at creating a nice balance between the cozy aspects of the story and the mystery as well as the lovely addition of light romance (with a viscount no less!) I was in bibliophile heaven!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening the audible edition of ‘The Crime Brûlée Bake Off’ (such a clever cozy title!) Sophie Roberts’ interpretation of these characters (accents included) made for an engaging listen. I’m charmed by both the story and the narration and now I’m eager to jump into the next ‘Claire Walker Mystery,’ audio edition, of course.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – 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 The Crime Brûlée Bake Off, 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 April 25 2026

The Bookshop of 99 Doors + Giveaway

In 1910, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the onslaught of superstitions that envelope the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the house is haunted by the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain, and worried by her father’s rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home’s dark past in an effort to help bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie’s own sanity.

In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss’s dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother’s team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door–a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion–results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to unravel the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.

A shadowy tale of historical hauntings and present-day mysteries masterfully penned by acclaimed thriller author Jaime Jo Wright, who is “in a class by herself” (Library Journal).

My Review:

Jaime Jo Wright has her own brand of eerie and I love it! ‘The Bookshop of 99 Doors’ is a Wright classic. A dual timeline with a Gothic flare that includes inexplicable hauntings and layered mysteries. The artful way the author bridges the two timelines is so clever. There are commonalities with both heroines, some obvious, others much more subtle and the way their stories eventually blend is a striking masterpiece!

I usually find myself drawn to one timeline more than the other in this genre but I found myself equally engaged in both Minnie’s and Triss’ stories so kudos to the author for achieving that kind of balance. Wright has also mastered the art of the cliff hanger scene ending, leaving readers dangling as we jump from one timeline to the next. Absolute page-turning perfection!

A thought provoking redemption arc spans the decades as both heroines face their challenges. Loved the relatable points of view, a poignant reminder that we are all works in progress with God’s grace to see us through.

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 The Bookshop of 99 Doors, 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 April 25 2026

Finding Margo + Giveaway

random retro reread

Off the charts and on the run.

International pop star Margo Hartman could use a night off. A grueling tour and overbearing entourage have sent her over the edge. It’s time for this diva to disappear. And who would think to look for the superstar in a small Dutch town in Ohio?

Sheriff’s deputy Brock Moore is undercover as well. He knows Margo isn’t who she appears to be, but her uncanny resemblance to a local Amish woman is raising all sorts of questions…the kind that make her a target for a killer.

Both are determined to find answers, but their mutual attraction stands in the way of either of them doing it alone. Is finding Margo the solution to Brock’s problems or just the beginning…?

My Review:

published in 2016

Love Jen Turano’s historical books? Well….suspend any preconceived notions you might have of her writing style and story telling technique and prepare to be entertained in an entirely new way! Still good…but different! So don’t let that discombobulate your book karma, okay?

Campy and quirky with the occasional over-the-top slapstick, this book is comedy at its finest. Love the ridiculous in some scenes, the pithy dialogue and tongue-in-cheek humour. And the Amish angle? Sublime! Not quite suspense, not quite mystery — somewhere in the middle maybe? With a generous side of laughter. And a duck. Gotta love a strong duck character in the middle of all that romance and mystery, right?

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 Finding Margo, 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 April 25 2026