kavlovestoread

The Secrets We Keep

Detective Nate Fisher must go back to the Amish community he left behind and confront his past to help the woman he once loved in this dual-POV mystery, perfect for fans of Linda Castillo.

Back to active duty after an administrative leave of absence for the use of deadly force, the last thing Detective Nathan Fisher wants to do is return to the conservative Amish community he left behind, but when his father passes, he has no choice. Hoping to clear his head and perhaps mend fences with his family, he returns to his small Mississippi hometown despite not being welcome. What was supposed to be a quick visit turns into a prolonged stay when his former love pleads for his help.

Rachel Hostetler’s world is turned upside down when she finds her brother’s body hanging in her family’s barn. Rachel is sure her brother Albie did not kill himself, but neither her father nor the police are willing to listen. When she spots Nate, her ex, now a detective in Oklahoma, back in Cedar Creek, she knows he is the answer to her problem and begs him to intercede.

As Nate and Rachel come to terms with their shared history, despite knowing nothing can come of the longing they have for each other, the pair must look into Albie’s death as suspects stack up. The truth is out there, but can they find it before Nate has to return to his real life and face the shooting that has him so desperately searching for peace?

My Review:

An intriguing new mystery series set in Amish country. Love that the story is set in a unique Mississippi Amish community, a nice break from typical Pennsylvania/Indiana/Ohio Amish fiction. And the shunned ex-Amish hero returning to his roots for a personal matter adds all kinds of complicated layers to the story.

Nate and Rachel have a history — they once planned to spend the rest of their lives together until he left the community. His return to Cedar Creek seems providential to Rachel who desperately needs Nate’s help proving that her brother did not commit suicide. A detective on leave, his Amish ex-flame…what could go wrong?

Loved the emotional intricacies in all the relationships in this gritty mystery. Very edgy and angsty and the investigation proves heartbreaking right up to the jaw dropping conclusion. Readers looking for a very toned down Katie Burkholder experience (Linda Castillo) might find this new series by Amy Lillard a good fit.

Of Note: There is a signifiant amount of mild expletives throughout the story, something I wasn’t expecting since I’ve read a number of Amy Lillard’s Amish romances.

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition narrated by Greg D. Barnett.

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

Exposing Lethal Secrets + Giveaway

This bodyguard and his K-9 will do anything to uncover the truth.

Stumbling upon a burning car and rescuing an injured woman wasn’t on bodyguard Caleb Miller’s vacation itinerary—nor were the gunmen who open fire on them. But Olivia Delaney has no memory of who she is or how she got there, only that she is under threat. Vowing to protect the woman in danger, Caleb and his K-9 go on the run with Olivia. As they work to stay a step ahead of her pursuers, they must untangle her past together…before her family’s deadly schemes bury them both.

My Review:

So, amnesia isn’t my favourite trope when it comes to suspense, maybe because it’s become so popular in recent years and it’s kind of getting old…until I stumble upon a thrill of a read like this one. A+to the author for including all the favourite ‘feels’ of this trope while creatively crafting it into the story in a unique way.

In the first chapter, we meet Olivia pre-accident, memory intact, in a nail-biting scene that catapults her into a desperate fight for her life…and her memories. We know a bit more than she does, but not enough to figure everything out which made the suspense so intriguing.

And there’s Caleb, ready for some well deserved R&R with his K-9 bestie but suddenly they find themselves in the middle of a ‘situation’ – hello, flaming car, flying bullets and a damsel in distress. And the race is on – to stay alive while figuring out the answers. Of course, it helps that Caleb is part of an elite private security team who can pool their resources and come to their aid.

Thrilling action scenes punctuated by calmer ones as Caleb and Olivia regroup and get to know each other. Love the way their romance develops in the midst of all the chaos around them. And I enjoyed being back with the team too. While not tagged as part of a series, the author has written several books featuring this team. No worries though, ‘Exposing Lethal Secrets’ can easily be read as a standalone.

I listened to the audio edition of this book and narrator Teri Schnaubelt did a fantastic job bringing these characters (and their action-packed adventures) to life.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Exposing Lethal Secrets, 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 June 21 2025

The Double Play + Giveaway

I have no business falling in love with Emmett Foster.

The man is an incredibly wealthy professional baseball player who’s ten years older than me and has a daughter.

But when he hires me to take care of said daughter, I find myself catching feelings for the star pitcher.

He’s gruff, but sweet, and has a big heart that he shows in small pieces. Pieces I’d like to collect and call mine.

Unfortunately, he has no plans on marrying again after his ex-wife cheated on him then abandoned him and June.

So even though I think there’s a hint of chemistry between us, nothing will ever come of it. I’ll be stuck crushing on him in silence until we part ways.

The Double Play is a grumpy/sunshine romcom for fans of sweet sports romance. It has all the sizzling chemistry you love, without any of the explicit scenes. Check out the fourth book in the More Than a Game series, an interconnected standalone series based around four men in four different sports.

My Review:

Swoon. Sigh. Swoon…aaannnd repeat until the very last word. This is the kind of grumpy/sunshine romance I am crazy for! Every delicious detail plays out to perfection. It’s funny and emotional and heart-palpitatingly romantical. Emmett and Hazel sizzle every time they are on page together and their inner conflicted musings are the kind that wrap a sensitive reader up in knots.

Love the way the story unfolds as their relationship slowly develops and I so appreciate the way the author avoids using cliche conflict to stymie the romantic progression. Every bump along the road is thoughtfully deliberate and understandable but not impossible to overcome.

And, oh my, but there is something so toe-curling about a grumpy, gruff, bear of a guy who is completely besotted with his pint-size pixie of a daughter. I melted so many times! And when Emmett goes into full protective mode – whether on behalf of his daughter or Hazel – well, hand me a fan and clear off my fainting couch!

Superb secondary characters including an all guy friend group for Emmett add depth and humour and occasional sage advice. This is the fourth book in Conwell’s ‘More Than a Game’ series but reads fine as a standalone. (I’ve only read one of the other books.) They each feature a different sport and the guy friends are all athletes. Oh — and no worries if you’re not a huge sports fan, the technical details are light and easy for a novice to grasp. And Hazel is just as clueless about baseball as I am, so that evened out the playing field (ha, see what I did there?!)

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition narrated by Tim Paige and Charlotte North. They captured the personalities of Emmett and Hazel and enhanced my ‘reading’ pleasure.

Sheer bibliophile bliss from start to finish!

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Double Play, 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 June 21 2025

Cold Case Peril + Giveaway

An unsolved crime. A K-9 team on the case. Unexpected danger is closing in fast…

When someone tries to run dog trainer Micah Landon off the road, Officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 partner, Piper, show up just in time to make a rescue. Someone wants Micah dead — but why? Is this connected to Lucy’s weapons smuggling case, in which she’s investigating Micah’s younger half brother? Or was Micah attacked because he started looking into the cold case murder of his stepmother? As threats against Micah escalate and secrets are revealed, it’s clear someone will stop at nothing to keep an unsolved murder buried. Can they uncover the truth before it costs them their lives?

My Review:

Woot! Puppies galore! Not only do we have an incredible K-9 centerstage, we also have an eclectic mix of therapy/guide dogs in various stages of training courtesy of our dog trainer hero. Absolute bookish heaven for this dog loving reader.

The tense opening scene starts off a sequence of nail-biting events that leave Micah stymied and Lucy suspicious. Are they case related or something more personal? Love the balance between suspense and slow-burn romance along with a healthy dose of canine shenanigans thrown in.

Once again the Dakota K-9 team pool their resources to sort through fact from fiction. Lucy’s in the lead as she develops a special rapport with Micah but the team always has her back. This is the fourth book in this multi-authored continuity series but reads well as a standalone. The over-arcing suspense plot is beginning to take shape and I’m excited to see where new leads take the team but I also enjoyed getting full resolution to the suspense unique to this book as well as a delightful happily ever after.

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of ‘Cold Case Peril’ narrated by Patrick Zeller. So happy to see more of the Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense lines available in audio format.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Cold Case Peril, 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 June 21 2025

2025 Carol Award Finalists – Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

First off — what exactly are the Carol Awards?

They are awards given out by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in recognition of outstanding Christian fiction in the previous calendar year. So these 2025 finalists are books published in 2024. You might have read them already, you might not. I’ll include links to books I’ve read and reviewed.

Carol Award Winners will be announced on September 6 20245at the ACFW Gala in Springfield, Missouri (wouldn’t you love to be there?!)

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the Carol Award finalists 2025 —Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Category you would like to receive. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you’re entering that way) and if you win, that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Giveaway details may vary with each book (print, ebook only or winner’s choice of either, plus audible options for Canadians.) Edition availability will be noted in bold after the title/author/publisher of each entry. ALSO NOTE: Giveaway is for US and Canada OR ebook international if you have US Kindle account.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Finalists

Fatal Domain by Steven James – Tyndale House – Editor: Karen Watson – Giveaway options: US: paperback or ebook, Canada: ebook or audible, International: ebook with a US Kindle account

When the past scratches its way into the present, it can leave deep scars.

A series of cryptic clues leads Department of Defense redactor Travis Brock to suspect that a grim chapter from his past is not yet over. With the help of his eidetic memory and his newly formed team, he must unearth the truth and stop a terrorist group from stealing one of the military’s most highly guarded technological breakthroughs. With it, the group plans to commit a daring act of espionage that could upend the work of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms and impact millions of people worldwide.

In a high-stakes story of action and intrigue that reaches from a refugee settlement in Uganda to the shores of the Potomac in Washington, DC, shattering secrets from the past will be revealed, loyalties tested, and intimate betrayals brought to light as Brock is forced to decide how to forgive what he cannot forget.

From a novelist that Publishers Weekly has called a “master storyteller” comes an intricate and taut thriller that will have you guessing until the final page.

When All the Birds Sing by Susie Peace Pybus – Indie – Editor: Lynee Lloyd – Giveaway options: US: ebook, Canada: paperback or ebook, International: ebook with a US Kindle account.

Crayfish Cove, 1975 – a tranquil Tasmanian fishing town where doors are left unlocked and kids roam free.

On a lonely road, a young girl meets a man with wild hair and a woodsmoke smell. He invites her to join a band of local children building a treehouse on his bush property. Lily is soon smitten with Harry who spins stories, whistles like the birds and can swing a billy can without spilling a drop.

Kids adore him, parents trust him.

Until a child vanishes …

Who really is the recluse they’ve been entrusting with their children?

As Lily grows, she and her friends attempt to unravel the dark truth of what really happened.

The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens – Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group) – Editors: Luke Hinrichs and Jessica Sharpe – Giveaway Options: US: paperback or ebook, Canada: paperback, ebook or audible, International ebook with a US Kindle account.

Everyone in Wilbeth Green has something to hide, but she’s about to uncover their secrets.

1956: In a quiet English village, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey have set the residents’ tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of the crime of arson. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his plucky twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection–she felt her twin’s death an hour before the abbey went up in flames.

Armed with nothing but her wit and her keen sense of intuition, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the dubious townspeople and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul’s closest friend, warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 21 2025. REMEMBER TO CHECK EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH BOOK.

Conversations with Kav – Read to Zero Authors + Giveaway

I need you all to hold me accountable for one of my reading goals this year. I’ve been woefully negligent with goal #4 – Read to Zero Authors (play catch up with specific author’s backlists.) I’ve had great success with this goal in the past but for some reason I’ve been dragging my heels this year. I’ve only read a grand total of two books for this goal. Sigh. I need to make a major comeback with Goal #4 if I hope to make any kind of headway before the end of the year. So this is me publicly committing to focusing on three authors’ backlists for the next quarter. (Can you believe we’re half way through the year already?!)

My Read to Zero Authors

Sarah M. Eden – I’m officially overwhelmed and this right here might be what mired my progress overall because I actually thought I was doing a well with Sarah’s backlist…until I counted up the books I haven’t read yet. That would be 48!!!!! Where did they all come from? Obviously I won’t be able to complete her backlist this year so I’m going to strategically focus on a couple of series and some of her novella collections. So expect to see her books featured on the blog in the near future, specifically:

From the Lancaster Family series:

Romancing Daphne
Loving Lieutenant Lancaster
Charming Artemis

From the Huntresses series:

The Best-Kept Secrets

Novella Collections:

I had no idea this author is featured in so many novella collections! I’ve decided to focus on the seasonally themed ones and my goal is to read at least one collection per season.

Hannah Linden: Thankfully Hannah doesn’t have a huge backlist so reading her down to zero is entirely possible this year! Woohoo!

Garden of the Midnights
The Girl From the Hidden Forest
Never Forgotten
The Red Cottage (releasing November 2025)

Irene Hannon: I have read all Irene’s books except her Encore editions – early Love Inspired works revised and rereleased. The list is long but they are shorter books so I think it’s doable. I’d love to be able to say I’ve read every single book she’s written! (These books were originally published between 1997 – 2009)

The Hero Next Door
From This Day Forward
A Dream to Share
Where Love Abides
Crossroads
All Our Tomorrows
Gift From the Heart
The Unexpected Gift
The Way Home
Seasons of the Heart
A Place to Call home
A Time to Love
Till There Was You
Apprentice Father

So that’s me being accountable publicly. 🙂 Feel free to nag me if you don’t find these authors’ books cropping up in reviews frequently.

How about you? Any fave authors you are working on reading to zero? if so, share the author and a specific title on your backlist wishlist and I’ll enter you in the giveaway.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Here’s an opportunity to win a specific title you’ve been pining for. Please stick to Christian Fiction and Closed Door Romances.

Paperback or ebook for US and Canada. Ebook for International readers with a US Kindle account.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 21 2025.

June 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 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

2025 Carol Award Finalists – (Mystery/Suspense/Thriller) I can’t believe it’s that time already but the finalists were just announced this week and the winners in each category will be announced on September 6 at the ACFW Conference Gala. Soooo exciting. This year especially because 40% of the finalists are indie authors! And most of the rest are from small publishing houses. Tons of new-to-me authors listed and books I’ve never even heard of.

So, while all that is exciting, I’ve discovered it can be a little be tricky when it comes to sourcing all editions of the books. I’ve noticed that small press books seem to carry hefty price tags in print format for a while now, but some of these were crazy! One 300 page book is $80 in Canada! And a $10 US book is $32 in Canada while another book was $7 here and $40 in the US. All kinds of crazy — so, all this to say pay particular attention to the giveaway options for each Carol Award Finalists title in the coming weeks. They will be listed in bold after the title/author/publishing info statement and will be divided by US, Canada and International.

The Lies We Believe

Riley Bishop is a single mother, working at home as a security analyst to provide for her two children, Sadie and Oliver. But something is very wrong. Riley starts forgetting things—like appointments, where she put her keys, and where she parked her car. And then she thinks she sees her deceased ex-husband while out shopping. But as Riley begins to question her own sanity, her twelve-year-old Sadie goes missing. Soon Riley finds it harder and harder to know what is truth and what are lies as she is forced to question her own reality while she searches for her daughter.

Apprehending fugitives as a part of the SOG team gives Tucker Shaw the purpose and drive he needs to fight the demons from his past. When he’s called out on a mission, Operation Jackal, to track down a group of endangered children, he has no idea how drastically his life is about to change. It’s a frantic hunt as Tucker and his team race to save thirteen children, including Sadie. But when Sadie’s mother comes to him with credible evidence on who is behind the girls’ disappearances, the situation quickly spirals out of control with a final twist that has Tucker questioning everything he knows to be true.

My Review:

published in 2023

Whoa! Intense and riveting! I was totally sucked in from the very first sentence: “There are seventy-two unbroken white tiles on the floor of the intake lobby of the psychiatric hospital.” Major thriller vibes all the way through as Riley is faced with a tsunami of impossible situations. Has she lost touch with reality or is someone trying to make it look that way? Super suspenseful. I non-stopped listened to the entire book. Just couldn’t tear myself away. And while some things are sorted in this first ‘Shadow Stalkers’ novel it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger which makes me think this is going to be a continuous sort of series featuring Riley every step of the way. Eeeep. Can’t wait for more.

Of Silver and Secrets + Giveaway

In 1889 England, Eva Inman finds herself overwhelmed with responsibility. Haunted by guilt over her parents’ deaths, Eva struggles to care for her blind sister and manage her family’s crumbling estate. With the threat of overdue taxes looming, Eva’s situation grows dire until an ancient silver ring is unearthed on her property. Despite local superstitions warning against disturbing the supposedly cursed acres, Eva’s need for funds forces her to consider the potential of more buried relics. She turns to Bram Webb, a Cambridge professor of Roman antiquities, for help—only to be reminded of a past she would rather forget.

Bram Webb is under immense pressure to find proof of a legendary Christian Roman settlement in an attempt to conceal his uncle’s deteriorating memory from the Trinity College disciplinary board and save both of their jobs. When Eva steps into Bram’s office, old sparks fly, rekindling memories that are both fond and painful. The excavation is fraught with challenges from the start, and as Eva and Bram work together with time running out, they must confront their pasts, face the growing attraction between them, and decide whether their love is strong enough to overcome the buried truths that threaten to tear them apart.

Award-winning author Michelle Griep transports you to Victorian-era England with a gripping romance.

My Review:

Happy sigh. Do you ever open a book and immediately get swept away by the sheer artistry of the storytelling? ‘Of Silver and Secrets’ is that sort of book for me. The second I started listening (fave audible narrator Sarah Zimmerman added to my bookish delight!) I felt myself physically and mentally relaxing into the story and in this care-worn world, that is such delightful decadence for an avid reader to experience!

Once again, Griep blends history and mystery to weave together a captivating story full of intrigue and drama. This time it centres around Roman archaeology on British soil. A discovery on Eva’s crumbling estate that might be her saving grace…if she can get past the fact that the one man who can help her is part of a past best forgotten!

Loved the second chance, friends-to-more romance struggling to blossom amidst the background of treachery and betrayal. Eva and Bram make an unforgettable team — when they can leave off sniping (Eva, I’m looking at you) long enough to realize they are better work together. And the plot twists! This author knows how to keep a reader anxiously engaged right to very end.

This is the second book in the ‘Times Lost Treasure’ series but reads wonderfully well as a standalone. However, if you have read the first book, you will be thrilled to see some familiar faces here.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Of Silver and Secrets, 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 June 14 2025

Alaskan Police Protector + Giveaway

To save a child, he has to risk his own life.

When a minivan slides off the road into an icy lake, Officer Samuel Miller narrowly rescues a woman and child from certain death. Only, Rachel Harding insists the crash is no accident — it’s eerily similar to how her sister and brother-in-law recently died. As the unexplained attacks escalate, Samuel is determined to protect Rachel and her orphaned niece at all costs. But when they make a shocking discovery, their investigation becomes even more dangerous, and survival may be impossible.

My Review:

Whoa! An amazing debut written with the classic nail-biting flare much loved in this genre. Honestly, the action and tension was through the roof! Constant danger, relentless pursuit, intriguing predicaments, all lead our hero and heroine along a treacherous trail of devastating destruction and hair-raising near-death experiences. Not sure when my heart rate will get back to normal!

I listened to the audio edition expertly narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya who is fast becoming one of my favourite narrators. And with good reason. She manages to capture the personalities of each character through tone and inflection. Makes a listener feel like she’s right there in the midst of all the chaos right along with Samuel and Rachel. Highly recommend the audio edition of Alaskan Police Protector for discerning listeners.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Alaskan Police Protector, 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 June 14 2025