kavlovestoread

Cloaked in Beauty + Giveaway

Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .

Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty’s resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm’s way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

My Review:

I do so love a good fairy tale retelling and this one is excellent! An intriguing mash up of Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty. Loved spotting the nods to both classic tales – only with such clever twists. I’m thinking of the wolf. And the role the hunter plays and…well…it was so much fun reaching these little ‘aha’ moments as the story unfolded.

‘Cloaked in Beauty’ (fabulous title – eye catching cover!) is also very much a classic Western tale too. The Texas setting brings a unique ambience to this fairy tale retelling and Letty and Philip’s journey across the state was peppered with action and danger along with some good old fashioned neighbourliness in unexpected places.

I enjoyed the way the romance unfolds at a gentle pace. It’s very much a forbidden love trope – she’s soon to claim her spot in Houston’s high society and he’s from a totally different class. Of course, Letty has grown up knowing she’s an heiress but living a simple, homespun country life which makes it hard for Philip to rein in his feelings since a romance seems so plausible. That’s once they shift from wary strangers to tentative friends! Some nice tension there, especially after Letty, who has lived a very solitary life with her Grandmother, becomes aware of Philip as more than a friend.

A captivating reimagining of two classic tales with lots of action and adventure to keep things interesting until the hard-won happily ever after!

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 Cloaked in Beauty, 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 February 22 2025

Oops! Snow Day!

So — we got hit with another crazy snowstorm this weekend and I lost Internet Saturday evening through to Sunday evening. I always schedule my reviews about a week in advance but I tend to write my Conversations With Kav posts on Saturdays depending on what I’m in the mood to talk about. So, while I was all chatty, the internet wasn’t cooperating so I couldn’t schedule the post. We’ll just have to save it for next week, I guess.

It’s like Mother Nature suddenly realized that winter was half over and she hadn’t been giving us enough attention so she made up for that this week. 36 cm on Thursday, 10 cm on Saturday and 30+ cm today…it’s still snowing so who knows how much it will end up being.

February 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:

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!

Husband Auditions

Random Retro Read

How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?

In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she’s handed a strange present at the latest wedding–a 1950s magazine article of “ways to get a husband”–she decides there’s nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can’t get any more single, can she?

Her brother’s roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love–Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.

When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she’s looking for . . .

With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.

My Review:

published in 2021

Unexpected, refreshing…and so funny!

A wonderful mix of solid gold comedic moments paired with an honest look at marriage from a Christian world view. It never gets heavy but there are some pointed ‘aha’ moments that made me want to cheer. There’s lots more that I could say, but I won’t for risk of revealing spoilers. This would make a great book club pick though because there really is a lot to talk about. And laugh over.

Brilliant pacing. Engaging characters (even if a certain hero had me pulling my hair out a time or two.) Lots of intriguing introspection from both Meri and Kai’s points of view. And the character growth – phenomenal. All while the comedic beats hit the right chords again and again.

Such a great idea for a contemporary romance. The YouTube channel touch is brilliant, drawing these two together with some sizzling results. They start as enemies though, and then turn into friends but it’s quite a while before that surpassed sizzle actually turns into fireworks. And the 1950s guide to finding a husband! I don’t know whether I laughed or cringed more.

Thrilled that I am at the beginning of my ‘Love Off Script’ journey. I have ‘Hero Debut’ perched on the top of my TBR clamouring for some attention so it won’t be long before I begin book two.

The Nature of Love + Giveaway

A doctor feeling fractured

Dr. Erykah Kennedy, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, finds herself at a crossroads in life. At forty-one, she’s achieved remarkable success in her career, yet when it comes to her love life, she feels hopeless. But when she meets Christian Gamble, a passionate wildlife conservationist, an unexpected bond forms between them despite their contrasting worlds.

A wildlife enthusiast ready for more

Chris has yet to find someone to share his adventures with, but as his friendship with Erykah starts to blossom, he begins falling for her in every way. When tragedy strikes and Erykah suddenly becomes guardian to her nieces, Chris helps her pick up the pieces.

Two hearts destined by nature

With their lives turned upside down, finding their way to a lasting love while putting their faith in God may be the biggest challenge they’ve ever faced.

The Nature of Love is a clean, African American contemporary romance with themes of friends to lovers and the healing power of love. This heartfelt happily-ever-after tale is the series finale of Shiloh’s beloved Love in the Spotlight novels.

My Review:

Eeeeeppp!!!! Excuse me while I swoon and squeal and happy dance over these characters, this series and the epic epilogue that brings everyone from all three books together in the best kind of happily ever afters!

Toni Shiloh is one of my favourite authors for a number of reasons. First, her characters. They are multi-dimensional with layered backstories that make it easy to connect with them. And feel for them! Which brings me to the second reason I love Shiloh’s books – she engages my emotions to the point I am totally invested in her characters. I’m not just reading about them I’m living their experiences right along with them. And then there’s the third reason, and perhaps the most important one – the way she weaves in significant faith threads that stir my soul and encourage my own relationship with Jesus.

And, mercy, but Erykah’s faith journey is a powerful reminder that God is always with us…especially during the times we feel most vulnerable and alone. I loved the way Chris patiently encouraged her interest in his faith, answering her questions with candid honesty. And what a prayer warrior! Simple, direct and heartfelt. Honestly, who can resist a guy like that? Erykah tried but failed miserably…eventually.

Which brings me to what I loved about the romance: it’s a slow-burn, purposeful friends to more kind of love story with lots of emotional depth. Lots of time for a reader to bond with these characters and delight in the subtle tension drawing them closer as the story progresses. Sheer romantical ecstasy! And I appreciated that both hero and heroine are on the ‘mature’ side for this genre – early forties. With successful professional lives and interesting careers.

Of course, no ‘Love in the Spotlight’ book would be complete without all the bro-bantering and texting between all three heroes. These guys are there for each other no matter what. Anything from lame joke pick-me-ups to empathetic listeners or united prayer partners, these guys do friendship right. So much fun to get glimpses into Tuck’s and Lamont’s lives as well. No worries though if you haven’t read the first two books in this series, you’ll still be able to enjoy this one as a standalone. Though I’m betting once you finish ‘The Nature of Love’, you’ll be scrambling to get your hands on ‘The Love Script’ and ‘A Run at Love’.

I preordered this book from audible and thoroughly enjoyed Dioni Michelle Collins’ narration. She has been the voice of this series through all three books. Love that continuity, especially since Collins is an amazing performer who breathes life into all these characters. Would definitely recommend the audio edition for discerning fans of this format.

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 Nature of Love, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 15 2025

How to Catch a Prince + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

Prince Stephen came to America to escape responsibility. But what he found complicates his life more than ever.

Corina Del Rey is happy with her life in Melbourne, Florida. She spends her days engrossed in her career as a journalist and has her sights set on climbing the corporate ladder if for no other reason, to distract herself from her dissolving family. But when she is confronted with the past she fought so hard to put behind her, she struggles to make sense of her future.

Prince Stephen of Brighton Kingdom has moved on since the tragic death of his buddies in Afghanistan. A star professional rugby player, he has no intention of looking over his shoulder at what could’ve been.

But when a notice arrives in the mail requiring his and his wife’s appearance before the courts to dissolve their marriage, he must deal with the questions rumbling around in his heart. He thought his marriage had been annulled long ago, but his memories of Corina Del Rey remain close. Does he still love her? Can he even find her? Above all, can he tell her the truth about that fateful night in Afghanistan seven years ago? If he does, he might really lose her forever.

My Review:

published in 2015

How can you not love a book that has exquisite lines like: “With a smile, Daisy pulled Corina into a hug. And for a fleeting second, Corina cradled her cheek on her friend’s shoulder and left a piece of her burden there.” Honestly, Hauck’s eloquence takes my breath away. Her words speak directly to my heart and I find myself emotionally invested in the lives of the characters she brings to life. There’s just no way I could have stopped reading. And when the end came, I didn’t want it to be over.

How to Catch a Prince is clever and witty and heartrending. A tumultuous mix that had me alternately laughing and crying and shouting scathing comments at ne’er-do-well characters that had no business giving Corina such a hard time. Not to mention swooning over some lovely romantical bits too. And yet it also has an ethereal, fairy tale quality with enough inspiration to touch my soul. That astounding combination equals sheer reading delight.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of How to Catch a Prince, 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 February 15 2025.

Paws for Love + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

The Only Thing Sweet About Jellybean Is His Name

Jellybean the terrier is about to unleash some serious mayhem on the unsuspecting town of Albatross.

There’s no quiet on the set when over-the-hill screen star Lawrence Tucker brings his naughty terrier, Jellybean, on location to the beachside town of Albatross, California. When Jellybean develops a rapport with Tucker’s violin tutor, the painfully shy, socially awkward Misty Agnelli, her arm is twisted into minding the mischievous animal. Trailing Jellybean leads Misty into the candy store of Bill Woodson, a handsome chocolatier with a painful secret and a three-year-old niece to raise.

Misty must deal with the unstable Tucker, a temperamental Jellybean, her budding feelings for the mysterious Bill, and the high-pressure atmosphere on the set. Though she wants nothing more than to flee, how can she tell her Grandma, Lawrence Tucker’s biggest fan, that she abandoned the star and his dog?

It’s actors, animals, and antics galore when Jellybean gives his own heartwarming performance.

My Review:

published in 2017

Paws down the cutest cover ever!!!! Who can resist that face? Even if it belongs to a “fuzzy wrecking ball?” I don’t know if anyone will be surprised if I tell you that Jellybean might have a bigger piece of my heart than two-legged hero, Bill. Such a little scamp (dog, not man) and while I found it highly entertaining to read about his escapades, I think the thrill would soon wear off if I actually lived through them. It takes a certain personality — one that consists of an abundance of patience — to cope with that opinionated mutt. Grinning just thinking about it.

And a huge ‘hoorah’ for a klutzy heroine!!! You don’t often find them in the pages of a romance novel. At least I haven’t spied that many and as a self-proclaimed klutz I pay attention to things like that. So there was an instant connection between Misty and me. And her deer-in-the-headlights reaction to complicated social situations just warmed my heart even more.

I think what impressed me the most about Bill was his insecurities and the fact that the author went out on a limb to write an atypical hero. He is struggling to adjust to being the sole caregiver to his orphaned niece and feelings of inadequacies keep creeping in. He’s an ‘out of the box’ kind of guy and I love the way Mentink slowly reveals a major issue. I fell in love with his vulnerability and courage.

And even though Paws for Love is slapstick funny — there’s a touching inspirational thread that binds everything together. “God made you to shine a light…You don’t get to pick what kind of candle you get.” (p 79) Has to be one of my favourite lines ever.

A rousing comedic masterpiece that also delivers a stirring amount of tenderness and hope.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Paws for Love, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 15 2025.

Love Overboard + Giveaway

A snort-laughing, cruise ship romance takes readers into topsy-turvy waters

When a group of four quirky friends retire on a neverending round of cruises, their attire consists of more than floral shirts and gaudy skirts. Armed with walkie-talkies and battle plans, these relationship experts–who’ve dubbed themselves the “Shippers”–target hostess Lacey Anderson and director Jonathan King in their romantic schemes. But the young couple refuses to cooperate. They’ve been on the “love boat” together before, and it went down in flames.

Boss matchmaker Emily Windsor has orchestrated multiple romantic successes, and these two upstarts certainly won’t get the best of her. The chemistry between Lacey and Jonathan is obvious, but the couple rebuffs every outlandish plot and “coincidental” meeting, forcing the matchmakers to chart a new course to true love–all while inadvertently thwarting drug smugglers threatening to ruin their floating home on the ocean.

This laugh-out-loud rom-com features loveable characters, over-the-top situations reminiscent of 1950s sitcoms, a dash of mystery, and romance to push the reader overboard and all in with Shannon Dunlap’s new series.

My Review:

I’ve had my eye on this book for awhile but I was waiting to see if it might come out in an audio edition (it hasn’t) so I finally bought a print copy because I kept hearing rave reviews about it and, guess what? They were right! ‘Love Overboard‘ is a deeeeelightful cozy read. Part romance, part mystery all wrapped up with a whole lot of senior sass. So. Much. Fun!

There are walkie-talkie toting seniors on do or die matchmaking missions. Emily is the head Shipper (yes, they have a name and everything) and she runs a tight ship (pun intended.) There are a vast number of single cruise employees after all! And, really, what else is a body to do when you live on a cruise ship year round?! That angle alone is fascinating. The Shippers bring in plenty of drama and a whole lot of laughter. Well…the only one not laughing is Lacey.

She loves her job as cruise hostess and finds the dear ‘old ladies’ sweet and charming most of the time. Just not when they have her in their sightline as the next matchmaking target. Enter Jonathan King, new to the ship but not to Lacey (a little something the Shippers aren’t aware of) and cue rom/com hilarity circa 1950s sitcom as these two reluctant lovebirds have a second chance romance forced upon them.

Oh — and if that wasn’t intriguing enough, there is actually a shipboard mystery to solve as well. Completely captivating from start to finish and — hooray — it looks like this is the beginning of a series as it ends with a nice set up for the second book which better come out soon!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Love Overboard, 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 February 15 2025.

Conversations With Kav – Let’s Celebrate Valentine’s Day Week With Some Book Love! + Giveaway

Before we get started with the St. Valentine’s Day festivities, I have some great news! I can post reviews on Amazon again! I’ve been checking off and on over the past few months and suddenly, this week, it worked! Wonder if the bots heard me dissing them last week? 🙂 Anyway, that’s my good news…though I’m a bit peeved that they wouldn’t send me an email to say my community features had been reinstated. Lucky I kept checking!

I had fun searching my shelves and TBR pile for books with hearts on the cover or the word ‘love’ in the title for this week’s review lineup. It was harder than I thought it would be and I found more contemporary romances than historical which was interesting. So then I thought it would be even more fun to start the week off with…drumroll please….

BOOK LOVE TAG!

Tags are a Book Tube thing, where a booktuber creates a series of questions around a central theme and then tags other booktubers to participate by creating videos where they answer the questions. I discovered the Book Love Tag on Chautona Havig’s channel and thought I’d accept the tag challenge only do it on my blog.

Get ready to participate, ’cause if you answer one (or more) of the questions in a comment, I’ll enter you in a draw for a $10 Baker Book House Gift Card ’cause every reader’s Valentine’s Day should include new books, right?! So, here we go:

Friendship Love – name a book that includes a loving friendship
Sibling Love – name a book that features a strong sibling relationship
Parental or Guardian Love – name a book that has a main character who is a parent or guardian.
Pet Love – name a book that features a loyal pet or animal companion
Romantic Love – name a book that contains a swoonworthy romantic plot
Self-Love – name a book that includes the theme of self love (finding yourself, self acceptance, personal growth etc.)
Divine Love – name a book with a strong faith thread featuring a character who comes to understand God’s love for them.

There were so many different books I could have suggested for each question but I tried to stick with the one that came to mind first — and discounted my most recent reads to make it a little more challenging. Here are my answers:

Friendship Love

I know the prompt didn’t mean a book featuring a friends to more trope but the friendship between this hero and heroine is so delightful. Everyone should have a bestie like one of these guys!

Sibling Love

I could have picked any of the books in Sarah M. Eden’s Jonquil Brothers series because…these brothers!!!!!! What a swoonworthy lot! And in this book, shy quiet Corbin is earnestly coached on how to attract a lady’s attention. The brotherly banter and shenanigans are priceless! And now I think I have to reread the whole series.

Parental Love

Nicole is a single mother with the most precociously adorable child! Nicole is well intentioned but a bit too intense and serious while her love interest is the exact opposite. It’s the way the author fits Nicole’s motherhood into the story so seamlessly that makes this one so memorable for me.

Pet Love

There is a wolf with a very unique relationship with the heroine…and he’s very, very, very loyal!

Romantic Love

Maverick heroine. Brooding hero. Mystery and romance. Fainting couch essential. Romantical bliss!

Self-Love

This is a tough read — the beginning is brutal (it deals with domestic violence quite graphically) but Leah’s growth – her journey towards discovering her worth and her value as a child of God is phenomenal.

Divine Love

January’s faith journey is funny and tender and angsty. So true to life and inspiring.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Now it’s your turn: What book would you pick for one (or more) of these categories? I’d love to add some more titles to my TBR list because…well, I don’t really have a good reason. There are too many titles on that list as it is, but, the more the merrier I say when it comes to books!

Leave a comment to be entered in the draw for a $10 e gift card with: