Conversations With Kav – 5 Star Reads + Giveaway

I’ve come across some controversy online about 5 star reviews lately and I’d love your take on the subject. Basically, some readers are saying that ‘true’ 5 star reads are rare, if not impossible to find and they criticized reader reviewers who leave a lot of 5 star reviews (Yikes! That’s me!) They object to these ‘false’ high reviews because they distort the ‘true’ rating of the book and do a disservice to other readers. Heated exchanges ensued and became quite hoity-toity literary in my humble opinion – almost like they were talking about professional, critical reviewers instead of bibliophiles who share reviews as an extension of their hobby (or bookish obsession, whichever fits!)

I have to say, it quite surprised me to see these kinds of negative conversations going on amongst fellow book lovers. You’d think we’d be united in our passion for stories and we all understand that not every book is the right match for every reader so shouldn’t that also be reflected in our reviews?

Anyway, this got me to thinking about how I approach starring my reviews and wondering if I am letting the team down, so to speak, in my over enthusiastic ratings? So here’s the discussion question:

What criteria do you use to determine a 5 star rating?

I’ve been living in a happy bubble where most of my reads end up being 5 stars. Perhaps I’m delusional or maybe it’s just that I’m approaching ratings in a very different way?

I consider my relationship to the story, as opposed to taking an objective look at literary devices, word usage etc. Sometimes beautiful writing moves me and I’ll note that in my written review, but mostly a 5 star read is one that:

  • engages me wholeheartedly, often to the point that it’s jarring to resurface into my ‘real’ world.
  • I connect with characters, have to love MCs, but even loving to hate their nemesis keeps me engaged and invested in the story as well.
  • I become emotionally invested
  • I think about the plot and or/characters throughout the day when I’m not reading the book. Sometimes I even dream about them.
  • I look forward to picking up where I left off and/or find it hard to put the book down
  • And when I reach the end I experience the blissful contentment of a story well told.

Fortunately (or unfortunately according to some reviewers,) most of the books I read meet this criteria. I think, partly, because I’ve fine-tuned my ability to pick out books I know I’ll enjoy. Also, I readily DNF ones that don’t interest me. But mostly, I think I’m easy to entertain and I appreciate a good story and why shouldn’t I give it a 5 star rating if it made me happy?

So, what do you think? I’d love to hear how you determine a 5 star read. Oh — and 4.5s – what’s with that? What keeps a 4.5 star read from being a 5 star read? Reviewers never say, but they gush over every aspect of the book and I’m left wondering why they couldn’t just give the poor story a 5 star rating? 🙂

Share your thoughts in a comment and I’ll enter you in a draw for:

September Giveaways – Week One

won by Kathleen
won by Kimmy
won by Connie
won by Elizabeth Litton

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 NEXT WEEK:

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!

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Collision Course

random retro read

His country or his wife.
He can’t protect both.

Federal Air Marshal Reese Donovan walked away from the woman he loved to protect the country he swore to serve. But when his estranged wife, Verity, survives a deadly bombing and wakes up believing they’re still together, Reese is thrust into the most dangerous mission of his life.

The next attack is imminent.
The enemy is closing in.
And Verity is caught in the crosshairs.

Now, to keep her breathing, Reese must hide the truth, play the devoted husband she believes he still is, and rely on a security team he barely trusts.

As threats close in and the clock ticks down, he’s faced with an impossible choice:

Stop a terrorist.
Or save the only woman he’s ever loved.

My Review:

published in 2025

Whoa! Traumatizing opening scene, but once I got past that I was intrigued and completely invested in Reese and Verity’s story. The suspense is peppered with action-packed scenes and puzzling out the mystery elements kept me on the edge all the way through the read.

This is is the first book in the ‘Hightower Security’ series and my introduction to Jorgia Yates. I’ll definitely be reading more. I love the way we’re introduced to the whole team but are given just enough information about each member to pique our interest…and keep a reader eager for future books!

Loved this reunion romance fraught with emotional trauma and the tentative hope of redemption.

A Matchmaking Christmas + Giveaway

Sometimes a second chance is wrapped in tinsel, mistletoe, and the conspiring of two daughters determined to reignite love.

When widow Regina Parker’s daughter switches places with her best friend after school one day, Regina finds herself face-to-face with the one person she’s been Theo Evers, the high school boyfriend who shattered her heart. Regina has carefully built a new life for herself since moving back to Holly, California, and she has no intention of letting old heartbreak unravel it.

Single father Theo Evers thought he had his hands full managing the town’s Christmas tree farm and raising his daughter after his wife abandoned them both. The last thing he needs is Regina back in his life–but now their daughters have become inseparable, and the scheming young matchmakers have other plans.

Determined to create the family they’ve always longed for, the girls orchestrate an elaborate strategy, secretly signing their parents up for every holiday activity in town. It’s up to Theo and Regina to decide if they’re brave enough to trust God’s plan and risk everything for a second chance at the love that got away.

In this charming Christian Christmas novella reminiscent of The Parent Trap, Toni Shiloh combines second chance romance, single parents, high school sweethearts, matchmaking mischief, and faith for fans of Courtney Walsh, Bethany Turner, Becky Wade, Pepper Basham, Sarah Monzon, and Melissa Ferguson.

My Review:

A heartwarming Christmas romance with such a sweet ‘Parent Trap’ spin. The girls are so dedicated to their plotting with some funny and amazing results! Never underestimate a determined ten-year-old, especially when there are two of them!

Loved the Second Chance trope and all the emotion that brings to the story. Theo and Regina have been artfully avoiding each other since she moved back to town until their daughters meet at school and become best friends and that’s when everything gets complicated!

Shiloh is an expert at pacing out a romance and I really enjoyed the way their relationship developed.It never felt rushed even though this is a novella. And kudos to the wonderful way the author wove meaningful faith elements throughout the story. So impactful!

An emotional love story enhanced by a festive backdrop and two charming young girls who believe in the magic of Christmas!

I listened to the audible edition and was really impressed by the performances of all four narrators! Their combined talent made for a highly entertaining listening experience.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Matchmaking Christmas,  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 September 5 2026.

Hunting an Arsonist + Giveaway

A K-9 team in the crosshairs—
and in pursuit of the truth.

Forensic mechanic Helena Rutherford is investigating a serial arsonist targeting young women when her own house is set ablaze, trapping her inside. Officer Trevor Slate and his K-9 partner, Lark, arrive just in time to save her from the flames. But the discovery of her missing best friend’s bones among the ashes upends everything, drawing them into a puzzling cold case. With a dangerous killer on their tail, Helena and Trevor must unravel the mysteries of both cases…before she becomes the next victim.

My Review:

There’s suspense and then there’s Jessica R Patch’s brand of suspense which is on a whole other level of compelling! The way she uses words and phrases like weapons, delivering clipped descriptive sentences at a calculated pace. Ups the tension ten fold and I found myself gasping for breath right along with Trevor and Helena!

Unputdownable. Enthralling. Captivating. And every other descriptor you can think of. Oh and the way Patch describes fire! In a word – terrifying! It’s no wonder her arson investigator hero has a fear of fire with her writing him into scenes like that!

A wonderful blend of romance and suspense with plenty of ‘aha’ moments along the way. And the author did a great job of including the over-arcing series suspense elements in such a way that newbies to this continuity series would have no problem diving in here.

A stunning read…or, in my case, listen. Narrator Lisa Larsen did a great job of delivering all the tension and drama and did justice to Patch’s exhilarating pacing.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  paperback or ebook – winner’s choice 

Canada – paperback, ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Hunting an Arsonist, 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 September 5 2026.

Hello September + Giveaway

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

Why?

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.

how?

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice

Canada -paperback or ebook (in form of an Amazon gift card) or audible.ca audio book (if available) – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 5 2026

Murders in the Marquee + Giveaway

In this witty historical murder mystery set in a San Francisco hotel, an unlikely trio of amateur sleuths must uncover a killer before another guest checks out for good.

In 1905, the Grand Mallard Marquee is well known for its iconic style, as well as its daily duck parade. For Saul Niffler, a reformed jewel thief, working at the luxurious hotel offers a much-needed second chance. Staying out of trouble and in gainful employment is essential. Which makes seeing a body plummet from a penthouse window extra complicated.

Except…did he see it? There’s no body to be found, and Saul knows he should concentrate on his new duties as “Duck Commandant” rather than meddle. If only Kitty Rossi, a persistent young guest yearning to be a Pinkerton detective, would leave well enough alone. Kitty has already roped in Henry, the elevator man, to investigate suspicious goings-on around the hotel. And against his better judgment, Saul feels compelled to join them.

Between the mystery of Saul’s missing predecessor and a grisly discovery in a drain, all signs point to murder most fowl. And with a cold-blooded killer roaming the Marquee’s lavish corridors, keeping his job may be the least of Saul’s problems…

My Review:

Not what I expected at all, but I like it! And I’m hoping this is the beginning of a series because there’s so much potential for more mystery solving at the Grand Mallard Marquee!

An eclectic trio of would be sleuths, a missing body and some mallard mayhem set the stage for Mentink’s unique brand of humorous storytelling. Kitty is our indomitable heroine. A young, somewhat naive socialite who is anything but proper as her overactive imagination runs amok when an actual crime occurs. She blithely leads Henry, bellhop and vaudeville hopeful, and Saul, reformed thief and the hotel’s newly appointed ‘Duck Commandant’ into some hair-raising escapades as they try to solve a murder mystery without a body.

The author models her hotel after the famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis which features a twice daily duck parade through the hotel lobby and out to a fountain. Such a fun twist for a cozy mystery! And my, but those ducks provide all kinds of sleuthing opportunities as well as some hair raising shenanigans. Duck wrangling isn’t for the faint of heart!

I love the way the author wove inspirational threads throughout the story, especially from Saul’s perspective. He’s trying so hard to find his way in his first job after being released from prison. He struggles to balance his faith with the unexpected conundrums the murder investigation presents and I felt for him!

What surprised me about ‘Murders in the Marquee’ was the lack of romance since it’s published by Love Inspired Trade. I’ll admit, I was a wee bit disappointed about that, but not with the overall story. And I’m really hoping Dana Mentink has the opportunity to create more ‘murder, mayhem and mallards’ in future books featuring Saul, Kitty and Henry.

I listened to the audio edition of this book and really enjoyed Kimberly M. Wetherell’s narration. She is becoming a familiar voice in my audio book selections and I find she has a talent for creating distinctive voices to match different characters’ personalities which makes for an entertaining listening experience.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US –  ebook

Canada – ebook or audio — winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Murders in the Marquee,  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 September 5 2026.

Conversations With Kav – Introducing the Best Reads Autumn 2026 Bingo Reading Challenge!

Well, it’s been a minute since we did a readathon here at Best Reads and Autumn seems like the perfect season to rectify that. The scorching heat and energy sapping humidity of summer are over and I’m feeling rejuvenated with the milder days and cooler nights! Autumn is my favourite season and October is my favourite month (yay, birthday month!) so I am excited to go on a reading quest with anyone else who wants to participate. Here are the details:

Three chances to win! The prizes: 1st place – $20.00 gift certificate with either Baker Book House or Amazon (US or Canada), 2nd place – $15.00 gift certificate with either Baker Book House or Amazon (US or Canada) and 3rd place – $10.00 gift certificate with either Baker Book House or Amazon (US or Canada.)

HOW TO PLAY (and have a chance to win!)

  • Bingo runs from Sunday August 30 2026 to October 31 2026
  • Read a book that fits a prompt(s) to fill in the corresponding square(s)
  • So yes, that means, one book could fit multiple prompts (but do check out the first bonus prompt)
  • 7 chances at a bingo – 3 across, 4 down
  • Your name will be entered into a draw every time you get a Bingo (so the potential for 7 times)
  • Bonus round: Fill your entire card to have your name entered 5 more times 
  • Once you’ve achieved a Bingo, submit the prompts and corresponding books to me at kavluvstoread@yahoo.ca. using BINGO in the subject field
  • Technically, you have until midnight EST October 31 2026 to submit all your entries, but it would be easier on me to have them trickling in throughout September and October.
  • Pssstttt!!! Don’t forget to check out the three bonus prompts for more ways to get your name entered in the giveaway draws.

More About the Prompts

  • Fall Colours – orange and/or red on the cover
  • Spooky Ambiance – Atmospheric read – this will mean different things to different readers. For me, I think immediately of Jaime Jo Wright, Joanna Davidson Politano, Hannah Linder. A story that evokes strong emotions or a mysterious energy.
  • Thanksgiving – read a book written by an author you are thankful for
  • Comfort Food – a book with food on the cover or contains a comfort food scene in the story. Obviously, the definition of comfort food will be different for each reader. For me I’m thinking hot cocoa and gingersnaps or apple crumble or pumpkin bread or….
  • Fireplace – read a cozy book. Again, the definition of cozy will vary depending on the reader.
  • Halloween – Magical – The obvious book tie-in would be a paranormal or speculative story BUT for those readers who aren’t a fan of those genres use the definition of ‘magical’ to inspire the book you choose to read. Magical -” an experience that feels extraordinarily pleasurable, exciting, enchanting or special.”
  • Nature Walk – a book with a nature element in at least one scene. It could be as simple as a walk in the park or as all encompassing as harvest time on a farm. Ohhh — or surviving in the wilderness while being chased by villains with murderous intent! 🙂
  • Hot Drink – Heartwarming read
  • Jack o’lantern – a book that made you grin. Could be a lighthearted rom/com or even just a book with a really funny scene that made you laugh.
  • School – a book that you learned something from.
  • Harvest – a book that features a farm or seasonal food in some way. Could be as simple as the heroine getting a pumpkin spice latte.
  • Country Fair – a book that features a community gathering of some sort.

The Bonus Prompts

#1. Read a different book for each of the 12 prompts and you can earn an additional 12 points.

#2. Read a book set in Autumn = 5 points. And that counts for every fall book you read. So if 3 of your Bingo books have an autumnal setting you will earn 15 additional points.

#3. Title contains an ‘eerie’ word = 5 points. Think, kinda spooky, atmospheric words like ghost, die, death, lost, sorrow, fear, murder, shadow, tremor, enchantment…just a few that I can think of at the moment.

How Winners Are Chosen

Your name will be entered onto my Random Wheel of Names picker once for every point you accumulate during the course of the readathon. So if you blacked out your card that would give you 12 points and your name would be added to the wheel twelve times. So, the more points you accumulate, the greater your chance of a win.

Winners will be announced on Sunday, November 1 2026.

August Giveaway – Week Five

won by Jackie
won by Diane F.
won by Perrianne
won by Melissa Andres
won by Jolene

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

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!

monday
tuesday

Hello September! A day we get to look ahead to September releases in Christian Fiction.

wednesday
thursday
friday

A Very Merry Matchup

In this charming small-town Christmas rom com by award-winning author Becca Kinzer, a travel nurse who loves to play matchmaker gets a taste of her own medicine when her friend conspires to set her up with a minor league baseball player.

If there’s one thing travel nurse Ivy West prides herself on, it’s her matchmaking skills. She’s even convinced she knows her own perfect type, a man who, unlike her parents, isn’t traveling the country for the sake of a career. It doesn’t matter Ivy hasn’t met him yet. She’s sure she will in a few years. At least, it’s one of her goals. Then Beau Wall—a minor league baseball player with his sights set on the big leagues—lands in the hospital, and there’s an undeniable spark between them. No need to worry. Ivy will just match him up with her friend Lucy, and she won’t be tempted to date him herself.

A few months later, Ivy’s convinced everything’s gone perfectly when she hears Lucy’s engaged. But when Ivy arrives to spend Christmas in Iowa and celebrate the engagement, there’s one little problem. Lucy has set her up. Sure, Lucy’s engaged, but not to Beau. And Beau isn’t about to lose this unexpected shot at winning Ivy over. Neither are his mom and grandma who also try to throw the two together.

Amid twinkling Christmas lights and hours spent watching holiday movies, Ivy finds herself falling for Beau. Maybe it’s time she ditched her plans . . . because it’s looking like Beau might be her perfect match after all.

A clean, sweet love story for readers who enjoy holiday romances by Courtney Walsh, Jenny Bayliss, and Sheila RobertsA standalone Christmas novella for fans of cozy Christmas movies and opposites-attract sports romances.

My Review:

Comedic gold! The way Kinzer creates organized chaos that stems from muddled dialogue is priceless. I laughed all the way through this read…well, listen. And I’ll just mention here how brilliant CJ Bloom and Adam Verner’s performances are. Narrators extraordinaire, both! Highly recommend the audio edition if you enjoy listening to your stories as much as I do.

A definite must read for a discerning contemporary romance fan’s Christmas collection. Sadly, though a paperback edition is not available. Ebook and audiobook only. Hoping that might be reconsidered sometime in the future because I’d love to have a physical copy for my holiday keeper shelf!