Author: kavlovestoread

Hunting a Killer + Giveaway

Digging up past secrets puts a K-9 team in the line of fire.

During an investigation into a series of homicides, FBI agent Finn McDaniel is unexpectedly attacked, and a blow to the head leaves him with amnesia. Left for dead, he’s discovered by cadaver dog Cipher and her handler, search and rescue specialist Jordyn Williams — who is also Finn’s missing sister’s best friend. As Finn and Jordyn work to recover his crucial memories, they unearth evidence that links his sister’s disappearance to the killings. When the body of the latest victim is found, can they stop the murderer from striking again…or will their pursuit place them directly in the enemy’s crosshairs?

My Review:

I’m a cautious fan of the amnesia trope because — love it when thoughtfully plotted and abhor it when the story relies on trite cliches. Happy to say Sarah Varland did an amazing job incorporating Finn’s amnesia into this story. Believable, intriguing and whoa, but did it ever add to the suspense! That opening scene when he…ack, I can’t say what happens but…yikes, I was on tenterhooks for the rest of the read. Well played, Sarah Varland, well played indeed.

I love a good K-9 story and cadaver dog Cipher is a devoted floof with stellar instincts. Her human search-and-rescue partner is pretty nifty too. And brave. Searching the wilderness for human remains takes grit and stamina and Jordyn has both in spades. But a routine search morphs into chaos when Cipher leads her to an unconscious Finn. And then things get really complicated.

Loved the edginess to both the suspense and the romance. Finn and Jordyn have both struggled in the aftermath of his sister’s (her best friend’s) disappearance and that makes for a messy reunion. So lots of emotional stuff to work out while they try to figure out if the current missing person is related to their cold case. Absolutely riveting from start to finish!

I listened to the audio edition of ‘Hunting a Killer’ expertly narrated by Cindy Kay. I’ve added her to my ‘must listen’ narrator list. I love the way she breathes life into a story and conveys emotional tension with her voice. Makes for an incredibly great listening experience!

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please note: this book doesn’t release until January 27 so the winner will have to be patient and accept an IOU until then. 🙂

US – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

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

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Hunting a Killer, 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 January 10 2026

Without a Clue + Giveaway

When a mystery writer mysteriously dies on a cruise filled with rabid fans, his protégé (and personal assistant) teams up with a rugged cowboy and fellow writer to crack the case. One part Only Murders in the Building, one part Book Lovers, and a whole lot of laughs, Without a Clue will keep readers guessing and swooning until the very end.

If there’s one thing Penelope Mae Dupont prizes most, it’s her composure–her ability to stay calm in the face of stress. It’s a vital trait in her job as a personal assistant to renowned mystery author Hugh Griffin. But when Pip organizes a book cruise featuring The Fabulous Seven–seven celebrated authors from different genres who have supported each other through thick and thin–her famed composure is in danger of sailing away. One boat, hundreds of devoted readers, and seven Big Personalities. What could possibly go wrong?

Disaster strikes when, on the second day of the cruise, Hugh is found murdered. And, in the face of gross incompetence by the on-board security force, Pip realizes she’ll need to be the one to discover who did it. With the ship stranded in the middle of the Atlantic and no help on the horizon, it’s up to her to unravel the mystery. Along with her friend Nash–a dreamy Western author who’s just as rugged as the cowboys he writes about. As Pip’s composure starts to sink faster than a leaky dinghy, Nash becomes her anchor in a storm of clues and red herrings.

With Nash at her side, Penelope dives into the murky depths of the mystery, navigating treacherous waters filled with unexpected twists and turns. No one, not even a desperately hopeful mystery sleuth named Pip, could anticipate the wild ride ahead. Whether she likes it or not, she is on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and maybe, just maybe, she’ll find love along the way.

In this laugh-out-loud funny Clue-meets-Emily-Henry rom-com, Penelope Mae Dupont is about to find out that in the world of mystery and romance, you have to risk going overboard to find the truth.

My Review:

A brilliantly crafted rom/com meets cozy mystery mash-up and so much fun! I especially enjoyed listening to the audio edition narrated by Karissa Vacker. She not only brought distinctive voices to each character, she captured the nuances of all the personalities too, making this a superb listen!

I love the way the author gives equal billing to both mystery and romance, with plenty of comedic moments to lighten everything up. The story flows really well, all told from Penelope’s point of view and, believe me, being inside her over-active mind is highly entertaining!

Madcap mayhem ensues when a book cruise turns sinister — eeeeppp, love that ‘locked room’ aspect to the mystery. Obviously, the killer has to be someone on the ship, right? And unable to elude capture since they are surrounded by ocean! Which is a good thing….and a bad thing because that means the killer could strike again! Of course, Penelope turns amateur sleuth with the help of some friends which results in enough plot twists to keep things very interesting.

And readers who aren’t especially fond of the cozy mystery genre — never fear — this really isn’t that kind of book. Ferguson has done an amazing job of combining the best elements of both the romance and mystery genres and has created a unique hybrid which is sure to please a variety of readers.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Please note: this book doesn’t release until February 17, 2026, so this giveaway is an IOU until the release date. 🙂

US – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice

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

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Without a Clue, 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 January 10 2026

Reader’s Choice Week Winter 2026 Winners

Thanks for joining me for another week full of anticipatory bookish delights! Looks like we’re off to a great reading year! My TBR wishlist is looking quite healthy and I’m already debating over what to buy first. Decisions, decisions!

First, allow me 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 Elly Cox
contemporary popular pick
won by Jackie
Mystery/Suspense popular pick
won by Kim Hansen

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE READER’S CHOICE WEEK WINNERS!

HISTORICAL FICTION
WON BY CONNIE SAUNDERS
CONTEMPORAY FICTION
WON BY DIANE FLOWERS
mystery/suspense
won by Cindy davis
christian fiction
won by Jo Ruth
goals REVIEW
won by Tracey

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 rkkoppen

I’m drawn to the softness that comes through on this cover. Everything from her blouse to the chateau? castle? in the background. And I love the contrasts between the figures in the foreground and the lush garden/house in the background.

contemporary cover love
won by Mark Buzard

Maybe it’s the season, but I love all that snow and the couple embracing front and centre (though they aren’t adequately dressed for an Alaskan winter!) This cover promises pure romance and I love it!

Mystery/Suspense Cover Love
won by Parkand Mom (Tammy)

This cover has all the feels. Eerie, moody, chilling. Leaves my imagination running overtime with all kinds of questions. And I love that background colour!

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 54.

54th historical
won by Perrianne
54th contemporary
won by Pam K.
54th mystery suspense
won by Tammy hudson

And that’s another wrap on a glorious Reader’s Choice Week. Thanks for participating and growing my wishlist! 🙂

Looking ahead to next week:

This week wore me out and I need to give my eyes (and brain) and rest, so I’m skipping Conversations with Kav this week but we’ll be back to chatting all things bookish next Sunday!

monday
tuesday
wednesday

Hello January! Time to take a look at January releases now that they are fresh on our minds!

thursday
friday

Reader’s Choice Week Giveaway – Winter 2026 – Goals in Review

Happy New Year, reading friends! 

Time for a bit of quiet reflection at the end of a busy week, when we look back on the highs and lows of our reading year. If you are a goal setter, it’s also time for our Annual Reading Goal Review. I always like to assess the past year’s goals before setting new ones. So, today is all about what we read in 2025.

I’ll share how I did, and, if you are so inclined, feel free to share some of your 2025 reading successes…or failures. Hmm…let’s not call them failures. More like….kafuffles. That sounds friendlier. Nothing wrong with a few goal kafuffles in the grand scheme of things, right? And I had more than a few kafuffles this year!!!!

Today’s Giveaway is a little different, so be sure to read the fine print before entering!

To enter this giveaway you can, a) reflect on a 2025 reading goal OR b) if you’re not a goal oriented person, share a book that made an impact from your 2025 reading list. Then, in the same comment, list a book that will help you reach your goal. So it looks like this:

“I am still two books shy of my goal to read-to-zero Hannah Linder. The Red Cottage by Hannah Linder.”

OR

“Still thinking about the characters from A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh. I need to read more of her books! The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh.”

NOTE: BOOKS MUST BE CHRISTIAN FICTION

You can enter up to three times in three separate comments 

Books can be published any time up through to March 2026. Currently published books will be ordered this coming week for winners, otherwise it will be an IOU for a title releasing later.

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)

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

Here we go! Time to face up to what worked and what didn’t when it came to my goals this year.

Overall, I’m pleased with how much I accomplished with my Author Goals – with the exception of my Read-to-Zero goals. I did make some progress with two of the authors on my list, Hannah Linder (2 left to read!) and Annah Conwell (I’m a little more than halfway through her books.) but otherwise I really didn’t make any headway. Something to think about for 2026 (ack, that’s this year!)

As far as book goals — I accomplished what I set out to do with diverse settings and diverse characters and I hope to increase that in 2026. I even exceeded my Non-Fiction goal! (gasp!) Where I epically failed, er, majorly kafuffled, was with the targeted series I wanted to catch up with or keep current with. I was really haphazard with my tracking and didn’t include a lot of the series I did complete (though they weren’t on my targeted list.) I did manage to complete 8 series out of 15 of the ones I had picked for this goal. I need to be more organized in 2026!

I had made goals for both upgrading this blog and getting more savvy on Instagram and those were dismal failures as well! Ah well, there’s always next year, right? 🙂

DRAW WILL BE HELD ON AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 3 2026

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon EST on Saturday January 3 2026 Winners will be announced later that afternoon or early evening.

Reader’s Choice Week Giveaway – Winter 2026 Edition – General Christian Fiction

Another New Year. Fresh goals to set. And a whole year’s worth of new books releasing! Woohoo!!!! All my reading journals are blank, waiting to be filled with all the fictional delights 2026 has to offer. So, I’m on the hunt for New Releases and this is where Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2026 (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 including previous selections you made on other days this week as well as specific genres not covered yet such as Amish, Speculative, YA etc.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! May 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 January, February or March 2026

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.

DRAW WILL BE HELD ON AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 3 2026

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon EST on Saturday January 3 2026 Winners will be announced later that afternoon or early evening.

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Winter 2026 Edition – Mystery / Suspense

Another New Year. Fresh goals to set. And a whole year’s worth of new books releasing! Woohoo!!!! All my reading journals are blank, waiting to be filled with all the fictional delights 2026 has to offer. So, I’m on the hunt for New Releases and this is where Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2026 (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 MYSTERY/ SUSPENSE 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 Mystery/Suspense Fiction genre you would like to win.

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.

How does it work?

Easy Peasy! May 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 January, February or March 2026

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.

DRAW WILL BE HELD ON AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 3 2026

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon EST on Saturday January 3 2026 Winners will be announced later that afternoon or early evening.

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Winter 2026 Edition – Contemporary Fiction

Another New Year. Fresh goals to set. And a whole year’s worth of new books releasing! Woohoo!!!! All my reading journals are blank, waiting to be filled with all the fictional delights 2026 has to offer. So, I’m on the hunt for New Releases and this is where Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2026 (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 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! May 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 January, February or March 2026

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.

DRAW WILL BE HELD ON AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 3 2026

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon EST on Saturday January 3 2026 Winners will be announced later that afternoon or early evening.

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Winter 2026 – Historical Fiction

Another New Year. Fresh goals to set. And a whole year’s worth of new books releasing! Woohoo!!!! All my reading journals are blank, waiting to be filled with all the fictional delights 2026 has to offer. So, I’m on the hunt for New Releases and this is where Reader’s Choice Week comes into play.

Here’s how this week’s giveaway works: You recommend CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in January, February or March 2026 (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 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! May 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 January, February or March 2026

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.

DRAW WILL BE HELD ON AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

Saturday January 3 2026

(You can enter any of the giveaways up until noon EST on Saturday January 3 2026 Winners will be announced later that afternoon or early evening.

December Giveaway – Week Three

won by Paula Schreckhise
won by Tammy Hudson
won by Leslie Waters
won by Kim
won by Elizabeth Litton

Winners will be contacted if they left their email address, otherwise it’s up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca (please note it’s ca as in Canada, not com.) From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven’t been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now, so please, DON’T BE SHY — CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN’T LEAVE AN EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN’T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU!

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE REST OF THE YEAR:

I’m taking a break from December 21 through December 28 but when blogging resumes it will be time for:

2026 New Year

Reader’s Choice Week!

The blog tradition that keeps us looking ahead for new releases. This time ’round it’s Christian Fiction releasing in January, February or March 2026.

Monday December 29 2025

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 December 30 2025

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 December 31 2025

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 set in any time period and cross genres such as Amish, dual timeline etc.

Thursday January 1 2026

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, Speculative, SciFi etc. 

Friday January 2 2026

Goal Reviews – time to reflect on those 2025 goals and tally up our successes and failures. This giveaway will feature suggestions of books that got away in 2025.