kavlovestoread

December Giveaway – Week One

WON BY CC

WON BY DIANE ESTRELLA

WON BY PERRIANNE

WON BY MELMO 2610

WON BY MARYANN

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:

Please remember to check giveaway details (paperback, ebook, either/or, gently read etc.) each day as they will vary and check for the ‘+ giveaway’ notice added after the title . Titles without that addition are review only.

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!

So Into You

Opposites attract in this heartfelt rom-com about overcoming your past and embracing all that life has to offer.

Britt Branch has a successful My-tube channel where she teaches all kinds of art lessons. Obsessed with the 1970s, she has a style all her own and loves yacht rock. She also has a huge problem–severe social anxiety. She lives with her mom, and while she pays her own bills, she wonders if she’ll ever have the courage to move out. When her best friend announces she’s getting married, Britt thinks it’s time to make a change.

Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has always skated by on his model looks and applying very little effort to anything except sports, and even that was iffy at times. The third son of extremely wealthy and successful parents, he’s always been the black sheep of the family and has dealt with the issue by drinking and using drugs. When he lands in jail, he turns his life around. But by his third year of sobriety, he’s still dealing with aimlessness. When he catches Britt’s channel, he’s intrigued and ends up watching her videos even though he’s not interested in art . . . at first. He reaches out to her, and they eventually become friends and make a deal–if she gives him art lessons, he’ll help her with her social anxiety.

But neither of them is completely honest with the other. When all the secrets come out in the worst way possible, relationships must be rebuilt, and Britt has a decision to make–is she going to continue to hide from life, or is she going to finally start living?

My Review:

How ironic that the heroine in this contemporary romance struggles with social anxiety, because my empathetic reader anxiety levels kept me mildly uncomfortable throughout the story. Especially as I began to understand how things were going to play out. I’m still kinda reeling with aftershock.

The multiple point of views played a hand in amping up that anxiety, as messy lives gradually converge into an epic scene of disastrous chaos! I was dreading it but, at the same time, couldn’t tear my eyes away from the train wreck happening right in front of me. Oy — the emotions, the mistakes, the miscommunications, the misunderstandings! So many layers of angst!

I appreciated the sensitive way the author handled the mental health issues in this novel. Britt is literally crippled by severe social anxiety and Hunter is a recovering addict. Fuller depicts both their struggles and triumphs realistically and leaves readers with a better understanding of these issues and the difficulties that come from trying to break free while maintaining family support and acceptance.

So, a different kind of second chance romance, even though the hero and heroine have just met. I really liked the idea of them getting their individual second chances together (if that makes any sense.)

The romance starts out sweetly, well, once you get past their excruciatingly awkward meet-cute! Love the way Hunter accepts Britt’s limitations and sets about gently wooing her through friendship first. She’s naturally cautious, her struggle to move out of her comfort zone is palpable and made for some intense reading.

They both have complex family situations which play a major role in the way the story plays out. We get two more POVs and there comes a point where they all converge in the same aforementioned epic scene. Phew! Results in some epic fallout too.

But, thankfully, Fuller doesn’t leave it there and I really enjoyed the way she sorts everything (and everyone) out by the end. Big sigh of relief!

I listened to the audio edition of ‘So Into You’ and enjoyed Melissa Moran’s narration. I like the way she portrayed these characters and their emotional story — she kept me listening even when I didn’t want to. lol

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this novel.

An Amish Christmas Match + Giveaway

Can one Amish woman give a struggling widower with five rowdy boys a helping hand—and chance at love—this Christmas season?

Phoebe Kropf knows everyone thinks she’s a bit odd—and more than a little accident-prone. She doesn’t understand why they fuss over her at home rather than see her as a bright, independent Amish woman. So when a friend asks Phoebe to help care for a house full of young men in nearby Sweetbrier Creek, she leaps at the chance to prove she’s more than her shortcomings . . .

Widower Seth Beiler is in over his head with his five orphaned brieder to care for and all the Christmas orders his woodworking shop needs to fulfill. When he asked for help with some cooking and cleaning, he wasn’t expecting a housekeeper as unconventional—or lovely—as Phoebe. Yet her warm care and holiday traditions win their hearts one by one. And soon the farmhouse finally starts to feel like home again. When the Christmas season and Phoebe’s time there is nearly at an end, will Seth convince her that the greatest gift would be her staying . . . as part of their familye?

Book Review:

Heartwarming and faith-stirring. A holiday romance centred around change and how difficult it can be to let go of what you’re used to in order to embrace something better.

Both Phoebe and Seth have misconstrued ideas of who they are in relation to their families and their communities. She’s an accident-prone free spirit who doesn’t quite fit in. He’s all structures and rules with not an ounce of spontaneity. When their worlds collide, the sparks begin to fly in this opposites attract slow burn romance. And I do mean slow burn, they have to learn to like each other first! 🙂

Loved both these characters, flaws and all. Their heartbreaking back stories make it easy to understand their thoughts and actions — even when I wanted to shake some sense into them. And I enjoyed Seth’s Auntie Edna’s sly matchmaking machinations. The Beiler brothers add laughter and chaos to the mix while providing a sympathetic backdrop to Seth’s and Phoebe’s blossoming romance.

A satisfying sweet and cozy Christmas read.

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 the An Amish Christmas Match, 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 December 7 2024.

Christmas Cold Case + Giveaway

Snowed in with a killer on the loose— and a baby to protect…

K-9 officer Ethan Finnick’s investigation into a cold case disappearance takes a dangerous turn when the missing man’s wife is attacked—and an abandoned baby is found on her property. Now Ethan must team up with Casey Thompson to safeguard the infant from kidnappers and find out the truth about her presumed-dead husband. But as the danger escalates, they realize that a hidden killer lurks in Casey’s small town, ready to protect deadly secrets at any cost…

My Review:

Eeeeeeppp!!! I’m so excited about this series and one of the reasons is that I love cold case stories. So much history and mystery and Maggie K. Black has done a marvellous job with this holiday romantic suspense. She even found a way to make the bad guy festively creepy. Bwahahaha!

Loved the snowed in angle — and double eeeeeepppp — the Canadian setting on Manitoulin Island is refreshingly different. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful part of northern Ontario (google images to catch a glimpse of God’s magnificent handiwork.)

Ethan is heading up a new cold case investigation team and he’s back on the island looking into a decade’s old case surrounding a missing husband, now presumed dead. He and his K-9 cadaver dog did the initial search when they were both young rookies and Ethan is anxious to bring closure to man’s wife.

So, great set up introduced in a gripping white knuckle opening scene and then the twists and turns start piling up. Lots of danger and action and K-9 heroics (even if Nippi, short for Nipissing, is getting a bit white around the muzzle now.)

Black still manages to bring a cozy ambience through the small, close-knit community with plenty of Christmas-y touches that leave a reader in no doubt as to the season. Love, love, love a holiday romantic suspense that delivers the promised yuletide touches. There’s a significant inspirational thread focused on prayer which adds yet another layer to this compulsive read.

I listened to the audible edition, narrated by Patrick Zeller. He really amped up the tension in the action scenes. Amazing what a skilled voice actor can add to an already thrilling story.

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 the Christmas Cold Case, 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 December 7 2024.

An Honorable Deception + Giveaway

As the leader of elite private investigative firm the Imposters, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon dangerous secrets.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects there’s more to her oldest friends than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. Happy as she is for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her. And the one thing to bring laughter back into her life–her friendship with Yates–lands her squarely on the bad side of her best friend, his sister.

Tormented by a past that she doesn’t dare to voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the darkest of society’s secrets, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia soon learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble . . . and truth isn’t always honorable.

My Review:

I have been anticipating Yates’ story since I met him in ‘A Beautiful Disguise’ and it’s finally here! Honestly, I’ve poured over every Yates scene in books one and two, desperately giddy at the thought of getting a whole book dedicated to him. In fact I’m completely invested in these characters and this fictional world so I’m truly heartbroken that we’ve reached the conclusion to the series. But, oh, my, what a grande finale!

At this point, I’d strongly suggest reading ‘The Imposters’ in order. It’s a fantastic series rich with character growth, relationship development and the whole Imposters angle is spectacularly introduced in the first book.

So back to our hero Yates. Eeeep! Fainting couch a necessity and smelling salts not optional for this read. However, you might want to have some comfort chocolate on hand because….ack…I can’t believe I’m saying this but…there’s a bit of love triangle here. Groan. I know, I’m not a fan either and if this was anyone but Roseanna M. White writing Yates I might have skipped over this book. Or at least delayed reading it for a while because love triangle angst is my bibliophile kryptonite.

So, our hero is pretty much fictional perfection. He’s kind and noble and fiercely loyal. Ultra protective. Intelligent. Compassionate. A justice seeker. A true gentleman. But, he can also be a dunderhead when it comes to romance, which roughens up some of those perfect edges and adds some realistic quirks to his personality.

And I can’t really say anything about our heroines without showing any bias though there’s soooooo much I want to say! So many talking points about their histories, the way they face their challenges, the way they feel about Yates. Aghhh. It’s torture not to say anything. The author has done a wonderful job of making them both sympathetic characters so, though I felt the love triangle had a definite ‘winner’ fairly early on, I was an emotional basket case because I liked them both and could see Yates happy with either of them. And there was always the chance I was wrong. Oy, the romantical angst!

The Imposters investigation is one of the most treacherous to date. Pure evil lurks among London’s elite and the horror that they uncover is heartbreaking. But, oh my, the comeuppance scene at the end is sheer brilliance. Stand up and Cheer and stomp and clap and hoot and holler stuff that leave a reader emotionally drained.

But there’s also lighthearted moments, playful banter between siblings and friends, swoony kisses (not telling with who!) And then……just before that aforementioned grande finale there was a gasp-out-loud, can-this-be-who-I-think-it-is? appearance of a character from a previous series which totally stunned me into gobsmacked stupification!

A stunning conclusion to what might just be my favourite Roseanna M. White series to date.

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 the An Honorable Deception, 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 December 7 2024.

The Silent Night + Giveaway

INDIE!

Twas the hour after midnight and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for the owls. And Holly.

Holly is no stranger to the night. Her unique position means that the still hours in the darkest parts of the night are when most of her work gets done. It’s not completely silent—she has Parliament to thank for that—but it does get a bit lonely. Not even the letters from her faithful correspondent can completely fill the empty space, and it’s only a matter of time before she loses even those.

Dominic Klause has watched as, year after year, the winters in Weihnacht grow longer and colder. The nights are dark, food is scarce, and his fellow countrymen are desperate for a miracle, but too proud to accept charity, leaving Dominic no choice but to hide his attempts at helping them under the cover of darkness. But his resources are limited, and not even the brilliant suggestions of his friend Joy can change the fact that it will require the riches of a king to continue his charitable efforts.

As Deus Natus Eve approaches, Dominic turns his attention towards the one place that could solve all his problems—the abandoned castle of the former king. But all is not as it seems behind the towering holly hedges that surround the castle, and Dominic encounters more than he bargained for. When the unexpected gift of love is dropped into his lap, will Dominic find the treasure he seeks? Or will it be lost to the silence of the night?

This book is a part of The Christmas Chronicles, a collection of festive novellas filled with clean romance, chilly weather, and cozy adventures.

My Review:

Sqqquuueeaaaalll! Eeeeeepppp!!!Squeeeeeeep!!!!!

This is me in a discombobulated state of dithery biblio-phoria because I’ve just discovered a new-to-me fave author who writes fairy tale retellings!!!!! And this one is beyond clever. A mix of Sleeping Beauty and The Legend of St. Nicholas and it is BRILLIANT!!!! There are some one liners in here that had me laughing out loud and more then a few ‘aha’ moments as I discovered fairy tale connections. So. Much. Fun.

Beran has a lovely storytelling ‘voice’ that suits this specialty genre to perfection. I don’t think I can find the words to explain just how much I loved ‘The Silent Night’. The author is. an absolute genius at creating a unique story using familiar fairy tale ‘prompts’. I’m astounded and gobsmacked and eager to read more Sarah Beran very soon.

I enjoyed listening to the audible edition of this book. Tawnya Rollingson charms with her heartfelt narration which added to my overall appreciation for these characters and their story.

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 the The Silent Night, 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 December 7 2024.

Conversations with Kav – Notable Read of the Year + Giveaway

First a bit of blog business: Christmas is fast approaching as is our last Reader’s Choice Week of the year and I’m looking for your input as to when and how to schedule it. I’m taking a break from blogging for Christmas week, December 22 – 28 so we’re looking at Reader’s Choice Week being mid December or the first week in January. I’m also considering drawing it out over two weeks instead of the hectic one, so we’d do three genre days the first week and three genre days the second week. That could be three days the week of December 15-21 and three days the week of December 29 – January 4. Or the first two weeks of January – Any preferences? Let me know in the comments.

‘Tis the season where bloggers, booktubers and bookstagrammers start making their top books of the year lists, daring to answer absolutely horrid questions like: What was your favourite book of the year? Seriously?! Who can pick just one? And choosing a favourite is like asking a mother to identify her favourite child! It’s just not done! So, I’ve modified the question and asked myself:

What is one notable book you read this year?

I thought I’d have a really hard time picking just one, but, honestly, there actually is one book that did come to mind right away, and it’s one I’ve thought about time and again since I read it way back in January! One of the reasons is because it seems to have been largely overlooked, in my sphere of social media anyway. There wasn’t a lot of hoopla over the book’s release or lots of review chatter. I didn’t see it posted on Instagram. I don’t even remember how I stumbled upon its existence — but oh my, am I ever glad I did! This story has stayed with me for a whole year! And it’s definitely one I’ll be adding to my re-read list. The book:

Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

This is how I started my review: “Me after finishing this book: languishing on my fainting couch in a gobsmacked swoon of astounded delight. I did not expect this story to be so…royal and deep and spellbinding! And the faith thread about trusting God and how easy/hard that is all rolled into one. Goyer touched my heart and made me think and stunned me with the richness of this not quite fairy tale.”

You can read the full synopsis and my complete review here (but then come back for the giveaway): https://kavsbestreads.ca/2024/01/11/trust-the-stars-giveaway/

Because this is such an awesome, unsung hero kinda book, I’m offering a giveaway of Trust the Stars. Details below. And feel free to share one of your 2024 notable reads as well!

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 the Trust the Stars, 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 December 7 2024.

November Giveaway – Week Five

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!

Mr and Mrs Christmas

Falling for my best friend’s brother while pretending we’re engaged to save our hometown at Christmas—what could go wrong?

There’s no place like home for the holidays … especially for Lesley Carver. Life in the big city just wasn’t her jam and now she’s back in Hickory Falls, working at the family diner and helping her mom after she took a tumble. Lesley longs to build a life here, working at the cafe, selling her handmade ornaments and … er, apparently reviving her high school crush on her best friend’s older brother. Only one problem, her mom wants her to leave Hickory Falls far behind.

Jamal Gainey is beyond busy keeping the family farm afloat. But when the mayor ropes him into pretending to date his little sister’s best friend to help make the town into a Christmas destination, he finds he doesn’t want to say no. Plus oops, a reporter has already dubbed them “Mr. and Mrs. Christmas” and the story may have gone a teensy bit viral on social media.

As the story draws tourists from far and wide, bringing much needed life back to Hickory Falls, the ruse starts to feel all too real. “Mr. and Mrs. Christmas” takes on a life of its own even as Jamal and Lesley start to realize their relationship isn’t just a Christmas miracle for the town, but the miracle they both need.

My Review:

The tagline says it all: falling for best friend’s brother, fake relationship for the noblest of causes and it’s Christmas! Perfect balance of humour and angst — the way they get roped into the fake engagement is so funny! And the small town vibe makes for a cozy setting. Pretty much Christmas romance perfection in my book.

Loved Lesley and Jamal’s friendship and the way it morphed into something so much more. They’re like deer caught in the headlights in the beginning but gradually become comfortable with the charade…maybe a little too comfortable? Bwahahaha! Swoonalicious all the way to the end!

A solid cast of secondary characters add extra dimension to the story. And all the Christmas-y details made for a very festive read. Honestly, one of my favourite holiday reads this year — and I’ve read a lot of Christmas books since September! ‘Mr and Mrs Christmas’ is the kind of story I’ll happily revisit in the future.

Ahem. Excuse me if I gloat a little but y’all have your Kindle Unlimited deals and now I have this audible original which, as far as I can tell, isn’t available in either print or ebook format. Plus, it’s available free if you have an audible membership (even though it’s a new release.) It seems a strange concept, to offer a free book in only one format but there must be a marketing strategy in there somewhere. I’m just thrilled I made the discovery and got to listen to this amazing story. The dual narration is excellent. Marcella Cox and Ian Hackney did a fabulous job of bringing these characters to life.

Southern Snow + Giveaway

indie

For the last three years, Georgia has called the quirky southern town of Sugartree home, dutifully moving back to manage her parent’s coffee shop after her father suffered a heart attack and finding contentment in her busy schedule and the occasional shenanigans of her three younger siblings.

When Lakeland Lovett, troubled son of the local pastor, wafts through the door of Good Start Coffee like a tantalizing cup of hot chocolate, Georgia promises herself she won’t fall prey to his charms and annoyingly perfect face again. She’s not the girl she was in high school who foolishly put her trust and heart in his careless hands. She knows better now, and more importantly, she knows Lake… at least she thinks she does.

But with Lake strutting around Sugartree, driving Georgia crazy all over again with his pesky nicknames, dumb dimples, and swoon-worthy attention laser focused on her, she starts to find any promises to maintain her distance from Lakeland Lovett harder to preserve, and Georgia begins to see him, and her life in Sugartree, in a whole new way.

My Review:

Another amazing find courtesy of November’s Bell Pepper Romance Event.

This is rom/com at its best. Full of small town charm and witty banter and, oh my goodness, Georgia and her siblings are a riot of fun! Flying quips, teasing tomfoolery and heartwarming loyalty. I almost feel like those scenes were the best but then I think of Lakeland and…swoon!

The teenage crush with a bad boy reputation is back home to make amends and Georgia’s the girl he left behind. She’s not about to forget the past and he’s just as determined to show her the future could be different. Sometimes I wanted to shake the pig-headedness out of her because Lake is so…well, I could list all the reasons why he makes the best kind of book boyfriend, but then I’d give the whole plot away. Trust me, the man is kind and thoughtful with an attention to detail that should have clued Georgia in early on, but, she’s busy trying to hold onto her grudge in a misplaced attempt at safeguarding her heart. Silly girl!

I appreciated the significant faith threads woven organically throughout the story. Reconciliation. Redemption. Forgiveness. Grace. With a multi-faceted approach that touches the lives of both Lake and Georgia and those close to them.

And Christmas is definitely centre-stage in this holiday romance which adds to all the cozy, heartwarming vibes and makes it the best kind of festive read.

I listened to the audible edition and thoroughly enjoyed Grace Woods’ narration. She brought out the Southern charm and lightheartedness in the story, making this a Christmas ‘read’ I will happily listen to again in the years ahead.

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 the Southern Snow, 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 November 30 2024.