Category: Book Review

Almost by Design + Giveaway

Kenya Stewart is so close to getting her dream position at an event agency. When a scheduling blunder risks her promotion, she hopes an upcoming pitch will give her a second chance. But an accident at her cousin’s wedding sends her to the emergency room in the care of another wedding guest, Solomon Anruchi, the handsome doctor who ghosted her after their first date.

Solomon’s parents are eager for him to find a business-savvy wife and make the move to New York to take over a recent acquisition by their family’s company. But he needs to buy more time to finish his residency and convince them that staying in Hope Springs is the best path for him. He realizes that Kenya is the perfect person to help, and Kenya needs his connections to land a high-profile client and save her career. Their solution? A fake dating relationship.

As attractions increase amid their ruse, secrets they’ve kept from each other and the weight of others’ expectations begin to unravel their scheme. Will their carefully constructed plans crumble when the truth comes out?

Jenny Erlingsson’s charming new contemporary romance is brimming with heart, humor, and characters that leap off the page.

My Review:

Happy sigh of supreme bibliophile satisfaction, that’s me after reading (listening) to ‘Almost by Design.‘ I am a forever Jenny Erlingsson fan now. Her evocative storytelling style invites a reader in and compels her to stay. I love the combination of comedy and drama centred around a fake dating trope. Kenya and Solomon couldn’t be more right for each other…in all the wrong ways…and it was so much fun watching them come together after an inauspicious beginning. Hmmm, might even be able to say this starts out as an ‘enemies to more’ trope as well, on Kenya’s side anyway.

She’s feisty and focused. Career-minded to the nth degree because she has something to prove, or thinks she does anyway. Her intense need to prove herself feels almost exhausting at times but she has very good reasons for feeling that way.

Solomon is burdened by the weight of parental expectations. They see his future one way, he sees it going in a completely different direction. He loves and respects his parents, but does that mean he has to sacrifice his hopes and dreams for them?

Honestly, the character growth for both hero and heroine is phenomenal. Lots of emotional depth with touches of faith and insightful wisdom from unexpected places. And the romance? Swoonalicious all the way! From their hesitant fake relationship pact that grows into friendship that deepens into something they both need to be brave enough to hold onto. Oh la la! Sublime, toe-curling romance with just the right touch of angst!

A full cast of opinionated secondary characters adds flare and even more drama to Solomon and Kenya’s love story (as if they actually needed any more drama!) Leaves me eagerly anticipating more Hope Springs stories in my reading future because some of these characters deserve their chance to shine in their own stories!

I listened to the audible edition of ‘Almost by Design’ narrated by AhDream Smith who delivered a stunning performance. She matched the energy and emotion of Erlingsson’s storytelling and added to my overall enjoyment.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Almost by Design, 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 13 2026

The Tangled Tale of the Wool Gathering Cast-Offs + Giveaway

random retro read

A humorous, heartwarming tale of love, loss, and the power of community

Fair Meadows Retirement Community might as well be a country club for most of the retirees enjoying the pool, golf course, and book clubs. But for the caregivers whose family members reside upstairs in the special Memory Care Unit, vacation is over.

Comforting these caregivers is exactly why the Woolgatherers group has formed. They make prayer shawls to support those affected by the heartbreaking reality of not being recognized by a loved one-people like Sam Talbot, who has been barely existing since his wife moved into Memory Care. He finds that his life has lost all color and meaning without her.

That’s something the Woolgatherers can’t bear to see. Flirtatious Jenny Alderman, cranky crocheter Edna O’Brian, kind Rose Harker, and the rest of the prayer shawl group weave him into the circle. Sam has no idea how he got tangled up with them, and he’s no good at knitting. But when one member talks him into taking up his wife’s old crochet hooks, he discovers that this one small gesture might just have the power to heal his life–or even save it.

Full of Sharon Mondragon’s characteristic humor and heart, this book wrestles with the loneliness of being the forgotten spouse of a dementia patient, moving past the fear that the spouses often face into the love and compassion that can make all the difference.

My Review:

published in 2024

This book has been on my TBR for way too long and now that I’ve read it, I’m wondering what on earth I was waiting for?! Mondragon’s unique blend of humour and faith bring such heart and hope to life’s everyday stories. Well worth stepping out of my usual genre comfort zone!

This is a kind of spin off of ‘The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady’ though you don’t need to read that book in order to enjoy this one. But the storytelling approach is similar – multiple POVs from an eclectic mix of characters drawn together by a unique knitting group.

The Woolgatherers meet three mornings a week to knit (or crochet) prayer shawls for caregivers of dementia patients. I was charmed by the humour, touched by the compassion and gut punched by the hard hitting reality of this dreaded ‘old timer’s disease.’

The prayer group sets up in the lobby of the memory care unit in their retirement community and it isn’t long before others are drawn into their circle. Prayers are lifted, lives are changed and I came away from this read with the realization that you are never too old and it’s never too late to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Heartwarming, hard hitting and utterly captivating from start to finish!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

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

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs, 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 13 2026

Protecting the Baby + Giveaway

Guarding a child in danger

…is a K-9 team’s most important mission.

When a dangerous assailant trespasses on his ranch in the middle of the night, K-9 Officer Eli Blackwood must act quickly to outwit a kidnapper targeting his neighbor and her baby. Protecting veterinarian Carly Mayor and the infant she’s become guardian to means going off the grid and hiding out at his grandfather’s cabin. But who is after baby Ariel…and does it have to do with the mysterious deaths of her parents? Chased through the Colorado wilderness by deadly gunmen, Carly and Eli must work together to survive. But with threats coming from every direction, untangling the mystery behind the attacks could be the last thing they do…

My Review:

An exceptional addition to the ‘Colorado K-9 Unit’ continuity series. I love how the author blended the over-arcing series suspense with the suspense unique to this book. She did an amazing job of piquing my interest for both. My sleuthing armchair worked overtime this read!

This is the fourth book in the series – no worries, ‘Protecting the Baby’ reads well as a standalone too – but I’ve been curious about Eli’s backstory since I first ‘met’ him and, whoa, talk about heartbreak and trauma! His personal growth through the course of this novel is phenomenal. Loved the way he gradually softened towards Carly and baby Ariel. Even in the midst of tension and danger, there were so many bright moments that lightened the darker ones.

So, an emotional romance paired with lots of intrigue and action along with the best K-9 team to provide back up, made this an unputdownable read…

Well, I should say ‘unstoppable’ since I listened to the audio edition expertly narrated by Cindy Kay. Absolutely love her narration style, her voice fits this genre perfectly. She knows how to inject the right sense of tension and drama in the action scenes and she’s great a creating memorable dialogue too. Her performance added to my overall enjoyment of ‘Protecting the Baby.’

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Of Note: this book releases On June 30 2026

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

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

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Protecting the Baby, 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 6 2026

The Undercover Heiress of Brockton + Giveaway

A Socialite in Disguise Seeks Truth and Justice

Collect a new series of six historical romances. When life seems weighed down by challenges, there are always pillars of enduring hope and love to be discovered.

Henrietta “Etta” Maxwell, heiress to the Maxwell fortune, is a hard-hitting investigative reporter for The Enterprise Daily. The catch? Etta must pen her columns under the nom de plume, Henry Mason—a fact that routinely puts a knot in her knickerbockers.

Leo Eriksson is a second-generation firefighter with a passion for rendering aid to those in need. When Leo discovers that Henry Mason is really Henrietta Maxwell, the fire department’s wealthy benefactress, he agrees to keep her identity secret. 

After a sudden blast rocks the Grover Shoe Factory, Leo and Etta team up to determine if the explosion is related to a series of suspicious fires in the area. But sparks fly when Leo accuses Etta of negating the human side of the disaster in her determination to get a good story.

When an unnamed source reveals Etta’s secret identity to a rival reporter, she falsely accuses Leo of being the informant. As the truth comes to light, Etta must persuade Leo to give her a second chance or lose the only man she’s ever loved.

My Review:

This has been my introduction to Kelly J. Goshorn’s writing and I am definitely a fan. I especially love the way she develops her characters. Etta is such an intriguing contradiction, from disguising herself as a man in order to fulfill her investigative reporter dreams to meeting her commitments as a prominent young socialite to keep her family happy. She’s leading two very different lives and it’s paramount that they stay separate which, of course, means she’s on a collision course with disaster!

Leo is as charming and dashing as you’d expect a firefighter hero to be. His occupation is also his family legacy and I loved the camaraderie he had with his brothers and Fire Chief father. It was also interesting to view the fire fighting profession from a historical aspect, complete with the station house Dalmatian!

Leo and Etta’s meet-cute provides a bright light of humour right before the tension ramps up with page-turning drama and intrigue. There’s an arson investigation as well as an actual explosion and subsequent fire straight out of the history books to contend with. The details are fascinating and the author did an incredible job of conveying a whole gamut of emotions in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion.

Etta and Leo’s unorthodox ‘courtship’ is full of sizzle and spark (see what I did there?) right from the start. Their admiration for each other equals their attraction and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop during such a complicated time for them both.

Goshorn has created a swoonable romance in the midst of real-life tragedy that includes her own unique twist of intrigue with touches of faith to pull everything together into a cohesive whole. Makes for an exceptional reading experience.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

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

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Undercover Heiress of Brockton, 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 6 2026

Conspiracy + Giveaway

Conspiracy, the third book in USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble’s Sanctuary series (following Ambush and Prowl), delivers exactly what her fans the ideal blend of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat with just the right amount of romance. Perfect for fans of Laura Dave, Allison Brennan, and Lynette Eason.

Fifteen years of secrets. Once chance for justice.

Just as wildlife veterinarian Paradise Alden begins to envision a future with Blake Lawson, the ghosts of her past return with a vengeance. The murder of her parents has shadowed her for fifteen years, but a new threat brings the cold case into the terrifying present. A trained leopard–a chilling embodiment of Paradise’s deepest fears–is now stalking her.

Haunted by resurfacing memories, Paradise, Blake, and her newfound brother, Drew, follow a trail of clues that leads them into a web of dark family secrets. The deeper they dig, the more shocking the connections become, linking their families to a dangerous conspiracy that someone is still willing to kill to protect.

With every step closer to the truth, the killer becomes more desperate. Paradise, Blake, and Drew must race to expose a murderer who has remained hidden for fifteen years, but this time, they are the ones being stalked. If they can’t unmask the killer, the past will destroy both the fragile future Paradise and Blake are trying to build and the family she has finally found with her brother.

A conspiracy of lemurs is a family. But a conspiracy of people can be deadly.

My Review:

This has been my favourite Colleen Cable series, but be forewarned, the ‘Sanctuary’ books should be read in order, ‘Ambush‘, ‘Prowl‘ and finally ‘Conspiracy‘. The perfect blend of romance along with stalkerish suspense make each book impossible to put down and all combined — phew, what I call sweet perfection. Or maybe that should be eerie perfection. Lots of shivery chills and romantical thrills!

The wildlife sanctuary setting is so unique and utterly fascinating between the details on the various animals and the challenges of keeping a facility like that funded and running smoothly. And it provides some wonderful scope for compelling suspense and action scenes!

The romance between Paradise and Blake has been spectacular. It’s been so fulfilling to watch their relationship deepen over the course of three books, making their ultimate happily ever after downright epic! And that goes for personal character growth as well, especially in Paradise. Her backstory was brutal and her struggle to overcome the subsequent fears inspiring. I love how Blake didn’t back away from any of their issues either. They talked things through, fretted when they didn’t see eye to eye but neither gave up on the other. That kind of romantic depth just couldn’t happen in one book.

‘Conspiracy’ is the series grande finale, where all the loose ends are tied up nicely, from cold cases to Paradise’s family history and even the ultimate comeuppance for one particularly nasty secondary character (I cheered out loud!) Such an enriching read!

Well, listen in my case as I enjoyed the audio edition narrated by Karen Peakes. She has been the narrator for all three books and I appreciate that continuity. She has the incredible ability to portray each character with unique voices that suit their personalities and is especially wonderful at creating believable children’s voices. Highly recommend the audio editions in the ‘Sanctuary‘ series.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Conspiracy, 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 6 2026

The Imposter

random retro reread

Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. Those plans started to crumble when her father moved the family to Stoney Ridge, then completely collapsed when John decided to marry someone else. Katrina is devastated. How could she have felt so loved, yet been so deceived?

As she struggles to face a future without him, a widow asks for her help to start a new business and Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose. What she doesn’t need is attention from Andy Miller, a farm hand who arrives at the widow’s farm just when help is most needed–and who always seems to say the right thing, and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy
for real, or too good to be true? Deceived once before, Katrina is determined to keep her feelings in check. 

When a cascade of events is set in motion by some surprising information, the little Amish church is turned upside down. Soon, everyone has a stake in the outcome, and the community struggles to find the best response to an imposter in their midst. Can they forgive even the most deceitful deeds?

My Review:

Squeeeeeallll! Fisher takes us back to Stoney Ridge in her new series, The Bishops Family. There are some carry over characters from The Inn at Eagle Hill series, but no worries if you haven’t read any of those books, The Imposter works perfectly fine as a standalone story. If you have though, you’ll get a tickle out of connecting with some familiar and oh-so-lovable quirky characters — like Hank and Fern.

There’s an unhurried charm to the way Fisher tells this story. It’s so easy to slide right into the thick of things and forget that you have a life outside of Stoney Ridge. And it feels like you have all the time in the world to explore and discover. Talk about overflowing on the reader contentment meter!

Love the multiple viewpoints in this read — and the way seemingly diverse plotlines connect in some truly amazing ways. The Imposter is filled with all the true to life drama and humour that you find anywhere people gather as a community. I was especially challenged by the inspirational thread. As in the case with many Amish fiction I read, I was able to parallel solid gospel truths with my own faith journey and this one packs quite a punch.

The Imposter is chock-full of surprises. Seriously — I did not see that coming. Or that. Or the other thing either. Completely blew my mind…and has left me eager for the next installment because this story isn’t over yet. Yes some threads have been neatly tied up in a bow but many others are just waiting to take on a life of their own. I can’t wait.

The Cactus Creek Challenge + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

Anything he can do, I can do better.

At least that was what Cassie Bucknell thought before she pinned on Ben Wilder’s badge and took to patrolling the streets of Cactus Creek, Texas. Cassie has been in love with Ben since primer school, but Ben treats her like a little sister. When they are picked to swap jobs for a month as part of the annual Cactus Creek Challenge in their Texas hometown, the schoolhouse is thrown into an uproar, the jail becomes a temporary bank vault, and Cassie and Ben square off in a battle of wills that becomes a battle for their hearts.

My Review:

published in 2015

Romantic comedy meets the Wild West. Such a fun read! I mean, how can you possibly resist reading sentences like this one:

“He almost petted her on the head since she looked so cute and disgruntled, but he figured she’d take to that about as well as a rattlesnake to having his teeth brushed.”

Seriously, this book needs to be read just for the clever word choice that’s guaranteed to generate a chuckle, never mind the impossible situations Cassie and Ben find themselves in! Plus there’s a second romance brewing in the heart of Cactus Creek and those poor souls are just as challenged as Cassie and Ben. It’s a wonder everything works out so well! That’s thanks to the cunning brilliance of the author. She’s created a fast-paced plot with plenty of action, not to mention a bevy of notorious secondary characters, that all conspired to keep me turning pages, grinning right to the very end. Sweet perfection.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and open to any reader anywhere in the world so, yay, an International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Cactus Creek Challenge, 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 May 30 2026

Silent Menace + Giveaway

A vulnerable target. A mysterious discrepancy. An unforeseen love.

After the exposure of her deceased husband’s criminal activity, CPA Hailey Nieland struggles to move on with life as a single mother raising a hearing-impaired toddler in a hostile small town. When she gains a major client, she hopes the extra income will be just what they need . . . until she begins finding anomalies in the accounts. 

No one should trust their life to a bodyguard who can’t protect himself, much less his client. At least, that’s what Peter Lewis believes after his failed mission. But leaving his former career behind is much harder than he expected–especially when someone begins targeting an accountant who works in the office building he’s now responsible for. As threats against her escalate, Peter and Hailey must work together to overcome their fears and expose a complex cover-up before she becomes the next victim. 

Parable bestselling author Angela Carlisle delivers edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense featuring a single mother, a bodyguard seeking redemption, financial intrigue, and a small-town setting for readers who enjoy high stakes and nonstop action.

My Review:

Angela Carlisle has become a must-read romantic suspense author for me, right up there with Irene Hannon, Lynette Eason, Lynn Blackburn and so many more. One of my favourite genres and Carlisle’s intricate plotting and deeply emotional relationships add so much to the edge-of-your-seat suspense. Unputdownable to the nth degree!

And it starts right from the opening scene – a prologue full of intrigue that leaves the reader with so many questions. Or listener in my case – kudos to narrator Amy McFadden for breathing life into these characters and relating their story with the kind of delicious edginess all that action and danger deserve.

We’re quickly brought into Hailey’s point of view with the ominous opening sentence of chapter one, “Something wasn’t right.” Cue the thrills and chills of anticipatory foreshadowing and what unfolds comes very close to romantic suspense perfection!

A hero with a wounded heart, a heroine struggling to come back from the unthinkable and her innocent, vulnerable daughter are the key players in this gripping novel, though there is also a strong cast of secondary characters, both the kind to love and the kind to, well, dislike intensely. Encroaching danger, a perplexing mystery and a slow-burn romance fraught with its own unique tension all combine to make ‘Silent Menace’ a compulsively addictive read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Silent Menace, 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 May 30 2026

Through Rushing Water + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

When the life she planned for herself is snatched away, Sophia’s eyes open to the life God has planned for her.

Sophia Makinoff is sure that 1876 is the year she’s going to become the wife of an up-and-coming congressman. But when the congressman humiliates her by proposing to her mousy roommate, Sophia wants nothing more than to disappear and avoid the wedding plans. She grasps at her first opportunity for escape and signs up for the Board of Foreign Missions.

She thinks she’ll be going to China . . . but even running away doesn’t go as planned when she’s instead sent to the Ponca Indian Agency in the Dakota Territory. It’s an abysmal, primitive place for a lady of society, but as she gets to know the people, she discovers she can’t abandon them. The motives that led her there were anything but pure, but she finds a new purpose in trying to protect “the least of these.”

The water rushes around her—literally and figuratively—as Sophia learns that the only way to fulfill her purpose is to ignore the distractions and focus on God’s leading.

My Review:

published in 2012

A historical romance with substance. You’ll relive a piece of American history that should never be forgotten. The plight of Native Americans is heart-wrenching to read — the blatant prejudice, well-meaning ignorance, mis-guided charity — well let’s just say there’s enough fodder to drive a tender-hearted reader into despair. 

Thank goodness for Sophia and Will. Their passion for the Ponca people and their way of life is a refreshing change — though will it be enough to change the course of the tribe’s fate? Well, you’ll just have to read  Through Rushing Water to find out.

When I first started reading I wasn’t sure if I would like Sophia. She wasn’t shallow exactly, but definitely single-minded with a teensy lean towards entitlement — looking forward to becoming a congressman’s wife and the place in society that would afford her. Those dreams are quickly dashed and on the rebound she volunteers as a missionary to exotic China. It’s when she finds herself in the Dakota Territories instead that we really see what Sophia is made of. Richmond has given her a fascinating background which has uniquely prepared her for all she encounters.

And it’s as I watched Sophia come into her own that I came to love her. Much like Will, I was dubious at first, but quickly enchanted, astonished, and entertained by Sophia’s antics. And humour in unexpected places! Oh my, I’m still grinning!

This is the kind of the book that has your alternately laughing and crying and screaming out in frustration not to mention sighing over the slow and exacting romantic development. Definitely a fulfilling and thought-provoking read. Bravo, Catherine Richmond

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and open to any reader anywhere in the world so, yay, an International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Through Rushing Water, 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 May 30 2026

Mists Over the Channel Islands + Giveaway

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything–providing medical aid to escaped workers even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

A renowned author of World War II fiction, Sundin showcases a compelling tale of loyalty and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.

My Review:

Sarah Sundin has an uncanny knack for showcasing lesser known aspects of World War II history in her fiction and ‘Mists Over the Channel Islands’ is a stunner! She captures the day to day life under Nazi occupation with devastating reality. And, oh my, but the emotional rollercoaster she took me on!

There’s the slowly simmering enemies to more romance that kept me on edge right to the very end. Ivy in particular, can’t see past Gerrit’s brown uniform and he doesn’t blame her. She can’t know that he is an underground resistance operative, not only for his mission’s success, but her safety as well. So he admires Ivy from afar and I completely lost my heart to him. His secret yearning undid me. The man is noble and loyal and fiercely protective. Swoony sigh!

And then there’s Ivy, fighting an inner battle over her attraction to Gerrit even as she notices discrepancies in his behaviour. His actions don’t measure up to the brutal arrogance she has come to associate with the Nazi officers. I loved every scene they shared, their exchanges, the covert glances that held such promise if only…I was twisted all up in knots until Ivy and Gerrit could finally unveil their secrets. Because she has a pretty big one as well in her capacity as an island physician.

I so appreciated Ivy and Gerrit’s struggle to follow Jesus in the midst of all the madness. There’s a beautiful, thought provoking theme of choosing good that carries throughout the story. That sounds simplistic but it really isn’t. Ivy and Gerrit both grapple with their faith as they look for God in the increasingly darker places as the war closes in around them. They persevere by choosing the good in a million little ways every day but it isn’t until the very end of the story that they can look back and see the greater good God has done because of their choices. Total goose bumping ‘aha’ moment for me and a memorable takeaway as well. Thank you, Sarah Sundin!

And speaking of that ending…eeeeeppppp!!!!…if you are familiar with the author’s other books you are in for an extra thrill! Like I said, a stunner of a novel that will touch your heart and captivate your imagination and leave you a better person for having read it!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – paperback or ebook copy – winner’s choice

Canada – ebook or audible copy – winner’s choice

International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Mists Over the Channel Islands, 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 May 23 2026