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Reader’s Choice Week Summer 2025 Winners

This week was sooooo much fun! Thanks to everyone for contributing to my drastically overgrown wishlist…I think 🙂 We have a lot of reading ahead of us! Woohoo!

Time to indulge my inner stats nerd (who knew she was lurking inside of me for all these years?!) I tallied all the books mentioned on the 3 specific genre days and came up with the popular pick for each one and here they are:

HISTORICAL POPULAR PICK

WON BY DIANE F.

CONTEMPORARY POPULAR PICK

WON BY JOLENE

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE POPULAR PICK

WON BY CINDY DAVIS

And now for the rest of this Reader’s Week winners!

But wait, it’s not over yet. The Vanity category has become a blog tradition. It’s where a book is actually judged by its cover and I choose my favourite cover art per genre and then draw from a pool of readers who requested that title. Here are COVER LOVE winners!

HISTORICAL COVER LOVE

WON BY KAY GARRETT

I think this is such a pretty Christmassy cover! The pop of read in her clothes, the stars in the background and the light from the lantern leading the way. Perfect anticipatory ambiance.

CONTEMPORARY COVER LOVE

WON BY SYLVIA MILLER

I might be biased because of the world ‘Irish’ on the cover but there’s also a castle! And a moody sky. And Celtic knots. And the lure of an Irish setting. Cannot resist!

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE COVER LOVE

WON BY KCRHOADES

I’m surprised I like this cover so much. It’s stark, plain even, but the way the words pop out against the atmospheric background totally captivates me.

WAIT! Don’t go away ’cause we’re not through yet. We have another Reader’s Choice tradition of picking a random number which becomes a ‘just because giveaway’ on the genre specific days. If that doesn’t make sense, all you need to know is that it means more book giveaways. Woohoo! This time the number is 75.

And let’s not forget our Conversations with Kav Winner!

WON BY ELIZABETH LITTON

That’s another RC wrap up. I’ll send winners an email stating their book win, publication date and requesting contact info so that I’ll have everything ready for release day. Then I’ll email you once again once the book has been ordered. Oh — and if you didn’t include your email in your comment it’s up to you to contact me.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

I’m computer cross-eyed after this week plus it’s Canada Day weekend (official day is Tuesday but some of us are getting festive early!) so there won’t be any conversationing tomorrow but the rest of the week looks like this (without the graphics because eyes are soooo tired.)

Monday June 30 – Carol Awards – novellas

Tuesday July 1 – Happy Canada Day and Hello July – time to check your updated lists for a July release to enter in the giveaway!

Wednesday July 2 – These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Thursday July 3 – the official start to Christmas in July at Best Reads. At least one Christmas book will be featured every week and one every day between July 21 – 25. This week it’s Snowed in at Silver Lake by Stephanie Fowers.

Friday July 4 – Happy Fourth of July! – For Duke’s Sake by Donna Andrews – 37th Meg Langslow mystery!!!!!

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2025 Edition – Goal Reviews

Quarterly reading goal reviews have become a Best Reads Blog tradition. I’ll share my progress (or not!) here just for some fun, book nerdy stats and, if you’re so inclined, you can share a goal or two in the comments. But no pressure – a goal can be as simple as ‘read a book.’

So, to enter this giveaway, just share anything goal related in the comments. Then, in the same comment, list a book that will help you reach your goal. So it looks like this:

“I want to catch up on some suspense series. Night Prey by Susan Sleeman.”

NOTE: BOOKS MUST BE CHRISTIAN FICTION

You can enter up to three times in three separate comments — and you can use the same goal or a different one each time, but a different title for each entry.

Books can be published any time up through to September 2025. Currently published books will be ordered this coming week for winners, otherwise it will be an IOU for a title releasing later.

See? Easy Peasy. But if you’re still not clear, don’t be shy about asking questions.

So, half way through the year and this is how my goals are shaping up.

Overall not too bad. I’m on track to reach my Good Reads number goal and I managed to increase the number of indie books by a wee bit, still aiming for more though. Here’s what I’m going to concentrate on during the third quarter:

Even more Indie Books!
Look for Diversity in authors, characters, settings
Concentrate on my 3 Read to Zero authors and hopefully catch up with two of them – Hannah Linder and Irene Hannon. Sarah M. Eden is going to take a ten year plan. 🙂
Get more strategic with the series I want to complete. I’ve been doing this haphazardly and some of the series I really want to finish are getting overlooked.

Okay, that’s enough nerdy stats stuff. Let’s get on with the giveaway!

Share below and remember to include a book title that will help you achieve any kind of reading goal. You can enter three times in three separate comments using the same goal or different ones. What ever strikes your fancy. Just make sure each entry is for a different title.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday June 28 2025

OFFER OPEN TO ANY READER WHO HAS A US KINDLE .COM ACCOUNT FOR EBOOKS. OTHERWISE IT’S WINNER’S CHOICE OF PAPERBACK OR EBOOK FOR US AND CANADIAN ENTRIES.

Reader’s Choice Week – Summer 2025 Edition – General Christian Fiction

The heat is ratcheting up and I need a distraction so it’s the perfect time to plot our way into a new season of wonderful reads which is where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaways works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in July, August or September 2025 (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S GENERAL CHRISTIAN FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the General Christian Fiction genre you would like to win.

General Christian Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas. Any genre and can include titles you suggested on previous genre days as well as specific genres not covered yet – Sci Fi, Speculative YA etc..

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August or September 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

SPECIAL NOTE: Harper Muse books won’t fit into the giveaway criteria since they aren’t Christian Fiction even though some of our fave authors have moved over to this imprint.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday June 28 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on June 28 2025. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2025 Edition – Mystery / Suspense

The heat is ratcheting up and I need a distraction so it’s the perfect time to plot our way into a new season of wonderful reads which is where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S SUSPENSE/MYSTERY FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Suspense/Mystery Fiction genre you would like to win.

Suspense/Mystery Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where mystery is an important part of the plot. The hero or heroine (or both) are often in peril (more so in suspense.) Can be set in any time period and may cross genres such as YA, Amish etc. and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August, September 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

SPECIAL NOTE: Harper Muse books won’t fit into the giveaway criteria since they aren’t Christian Fiction even though some of our fave authors have moved over to this imprint.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday June 28 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on June 28. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

Reader’s Choice – Giveaway – Summer 2025 Edition – Contemporary Romance / Fiction

The heat is ratcheting up and I need a distraction so it’s the perfect time to plot our way into a new season of wonderful reads which is where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Contemporary Fiction genre you would like to win.

Contemporary Romance/Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period after 1980. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc. and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August September 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

SPECIAL NOTE: Harper Muse books won’t fit into the giveaway criteria since they aren’t Christian Fiction even though some of our fave authors have moved over to this imprint.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday June 28 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on June 28. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2025 Edition – Historical Fiction

The heat is ratcheting up and I need a distraction so it’s the perfect time to plot our way into a new season of wonderful reads which is where this Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S HISTORICAL ROMANCE/FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the books in the Historical Fiction genre you would like to win.

Historical Romance/Fiction – a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period before 1980. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc. and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August or September 2025

Each day is genre specific, so only submit titles from that genre

Christian Fiction books only please!

You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of.)

No email entries this time round since WP comments are working

OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POST AUTOMATICALLY.

Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in.)

SPECIAL NOTE: Harper Muse books won’t fit into the giveaway criteria since they aren’t Christian Fiction even though some of our fave authors have moved over to this imprint.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday June 28 2025

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon on June 28. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

Conversations with Kav – Chasing Sunbeams – Summer Blog Tag + Giveaway

Here’s a fun little Q&A tag that Stephanie shared in a comment this week and challenged me to give it a go. So here w are. You can read her answers here: https://stephaniesninthsuitcase.com/2025/06/15/chasing-sunbeams-summer-blog-tag/

And compare them to mine here:

What’s a book you read with a summer vibe?

I can’t say for certain if this one is set in summer but this book has been on my mind and is definitely going to make it into my reread pile this summer: A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini. I mean it has a dog called Moondoggy! An endangered piece of shoreline with the hero and heroine on opposite sides of a development project. So angst riddled, but funny too. My first Julie Carobini!

If you could travel anywhere this summer, where would you go?

Ireland!!!! Irish born, Canadian reared but there’s a huge chunk of my heart that sill belongs to the ‘ol’ sod’ and I would head there in a heartbeat. A cottage by the sea would be nice, especially since they have had some unseasonably hot weather the last few years. But close to a village with a bookshop and a library and a quaint stone church and I’d be all set for the summer!

What poem or quote reminds of you the summer?

Okay, so I might have gardening on the brain and for me, gardening is summer! I just happen to collect gardening quotes in a little gardening journal and here are a few favourites:

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” – Alfred Austin

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

“Gardening is an instrument of grace.” – May Sarton

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

Describe your favourite summer memory.

The summer I was nine and discovered Edward Eager’s magic books at the library. I read them all multiple times over the summer. Half-Magic, Magic by the Lake, Knight’s Castle, Seven-Day Magic, Magic or Not? The Well-Wishers. They opened up a whole new genre for me and led me to E. Nesbit (Five Children and It is still my favourite!) and Narnia, of course. What a magical summer! Up until then I’d mainly read realistic fiction and the occasional sci-fi.

Your ideal summer if filled with ______, _______ & _________.

Books, Gardening, and Merry Dairy Vegan Ice Cream! 🙂

What is your favourite summer food?

Strawberry rhubarb pie! Ohh and peach pie! And cherry tomatoes right off the vine. Peas and yellow beans.Fresh salads every day. Fresh locally grown fruit. Watermelon!!! And the aforementioned Merry Dairy Vegan Ice Cream.

Favourite summer activities?

Why reading, of course. (Is anyone surprised?) And gardening (bet you didn’t see that one coming!) Going to local fresh food markets. The Highland games! Walks along the canal. Summer theatre in the park.

What is a song that reminds you of summer?

Um….I’m too busy reading to listen to music. The only thing that comes to mind is Eensy Weensy Spider — bwahahaha!

What are you must excited for this summer?

Ummm….Summer Book Bingo, of course! 🙂 (shameless plug) And loading up my wishlist with all the summer releases I’m going to find during Reader’s Choice Week. Eeeeeeppppppp!!!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Well, that was fun! Now it’s your turn – answer one of the questions (or more) in a comment to be entered in a giveaway – $10 Baker Book House gift card for US readers or $10 Amazon gift card for Canadian readers. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 28 2025.

June Giveaway – Week Three

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:

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!

And then the rest of the week will be devoted to….drumroll please…

READER’S CHOICE WEEK – SUMMER 2025 EDITION!

Of note: Harper Muse books won’t be considered as giveaway options this time round as they are not Christian Fiction and may have some questionable content – usually mild – but this week is all about celebrating Christian Fiction. I know some wonderful authors are publishing with Harper Muse and I have read some stunning novels so certainly feel free to share any upcoming releases that interest you in addition to the novels you would like entered in the giveaway.

For folks new to the blog: Reader’s Choice is a week we eagerly look ahead for new books in the CHRISTIAN FICTION genre coming out over the next three months. So this time ’round it will be books releasing in July, August or September 2025. You recommend genre specific titles (up to 3 suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! Full details will be included in each day’s blog post so be sure to read them. And feel free to ask any questions along the way. Often helpful reader friends will answer them even before I get a chance to.

Monday June 23 – Historical Romance / Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period before 1980. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc and may include dual timelines.

Tuesday June 24 – – Contemporary Romance / Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period after 1980. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc and may include dual timelines.

Wednesday June 25 – Mystery/Suspense Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where mystery is an important part of the plot. The hero or heroine (or both) are often in peril (more so in suspense.) Can be set in any time period and may cross genres such as YA, Amish etc and may include dual timelines.

Thursday June 26 – General Christian Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas. Any genre, including previous selections you made on other days this week as well as specific genres not covered yet such as Amish, Women’s Fiction, Speculative, SciFi etc.

Friday June 27 – Goals in Review – where we share our reading progress and suggest books that can help us reach a goal. (can include books published any time up to and including September 2025)

Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday June 28
You have until noon on the 28th to enter any of the giveaways
It will take a good bit of the afternoon for me to calculate the winners so they won’t be posted until later in the day.

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