Book Review – Page 48 – Kav's Best Reads

To Spark a Match + Giveaway

After five unsuccessful Seasons on the marriage mart, Miss Adelaide Duveen has resigned herself to the notion that she’s destined to remain a spinster forever–a rather dismal prospect, but one that will allow her to concentrate on her darling cats and books. However, when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue that resembles the plots in the spy novels she devours.

Former intelligence agent Gideon Abbott feels responsible for Adelaide after society threatens to banish her because of the distraction she caused to save his case. Hoping to return the favor, he turns to a good friend–and one of high society’s leaders–to take Adelaide in hand and turn her fashionable.

When danger surrounds them and Adelaide finds herself a target of the criminals in Gideon’s case, the spark of love between them threatens to be quenched for good–along with their lives.

My Review:

Romance and mystery woven together with all the quirkiness only Jen Turano can create makes for some enchanting madcap mayhem!

Poor Gideon — so out of his depth for all he’s a former Navy man and intelligence agent! Nothing in the field has prepared him for Miss Adelaide Duveen or the pandemonium that follows in her wake. 🙂 She’s all but shunned from society, considered a hopeless lost cause on the marriage mart and has a penchant for rescuing cats. which she can’t find homes for so she has cats. Lots of cats. Oh, and she’s a voracious reader. Gasp!

And she’s smart enough to figure out that Gideon isn’t an ordinary gentleman and tenacious enough to suss out his secrets and then demand to assist in his investigative work. Wills clash, hearts are won, hilarity ensues. And, oh my, the banter! Cunning dialogue that hovers on the absurd but makes complete sense and kept me grinning all the way through.

All that as well as mystery and danger and a happily ever after to be won. Escape read perfection!

Nancy Peterson’s wonderful narration does justice to these characters and made for a highly entertaining listening experience.

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 To Spark a 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 January 20 2024.

Deadly to the Core

Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Julie Anne Lindsey, when Kate Mulligan inherits her great uncle’s fruit orchard, she quickly realizes that apples aren’t the only thing that can have rotten cores.

After losing her husband in a terrible car crash, thirty-five-year-old Kate is left to pick up the pieces of her life alone. Although she has physically recovered, she worries her spirit never will. But when she learns that she has inherited a fruit orchard in a small town just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from her great uncle Stan, she takes this as an opportunity ripe for the picking. Kate knew immediately what to do with open a cider house. Her hopeful plans fall far from the tree when she finds the body of the orchard manager, Carl Randolph, leaving her to figure out who is at the core of this murder.

She had been in correspondence with Carl, who had agreed with her brilliant idea of opening a cider house. But not everyone is so quick to buy what she was selling—Uncle Stan’s lawyer, Robert Larabee, paints a less rosy financial outlook of the orchard’s past, present, and future.

Kate discovers that Carl had large, unexplained deposits to his bank account and it becomes clear that either he was blackmailing someone, or someone was paying him to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Kate and her neighbors receive offers to buy their property from a mysterious buyer. And there’s more than meets the eye with the neighboring orchard owner, Daniel Martinez, although Kate can’t quite put her finger on if it’s sweet or sour.

Will she be able to pick out the bad apple among the bunch before it’s too late?

My Review:

That tag line mentioning Amanda Flower and Julie Anne Lindsey sold me on this new series. I’ve loved both Flower’s ‘Farm to Table’ mysteries as well as Lindsey’s ‘Cider Shop’ series and I’d rank ‘The Cider House Mysteries’ by Joyce Tremel right up there with them. — judging by this first book anyway.

First off – love the setting. Small town, tight-knit community and all the give and take that comes from country living. This is definitely a case of equal parts cozy and mystery, beautifully balanced in intriguing detail.

And I have to say it’s one of the best introductions to a mystery series that I’ve ever read. We meet up with a lot of characters right from the start but it’s done in such a way that each one makes an impression and is easy to remember — which is important as the mystery evolves.

Kate is easily relatable and, as someone who lives with a chronic pain condition, I appreciate that representation in a novel. (Kate was in a serious car accident and while she has mostly recovered, there are some lingering side effects that she has to deal with off and on.) She’s also a widow and I thought the way the author portrayed her grief journey was realistic and encouraging and brought depth to her story.

A solid mystery with a bevy of likely suspects made for some exciting armchair sleuthing (I was somewhat right, but mostly wrong!) I do so love a mystery that keeps me puzzling out the clues.

I listened to the audio edition narrated by Hillary Huber and enjoyed her interpretation of these characters very much. Made for an entertaining listening experience.

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the audio edition of Deadly to the Core.

Please Note: While not a Christian Fiction selection, this is a clean read.

Murder of an Amish Bridegroom

Petunia Yoder is Blueberry, Pennsylvania’s youngest old maid, at twenty-two years of age, and completely unmarriageable. But she’s determined to celebrate her friends’ weddings with joy and a full heart. Unfortunately, Petunia’s best friend, Eden Beiler, is playing a dangerous game with a man who is ruining her reputation.

Ike Smoker is the community’s ice man—the one who cuts, stores, and sells the ice—and when Petunia discovers him dead with an ice pick in his chest, Eden is found on the scene with blood on her hands. Homicide detective Asher Nate is new to the area, and he has a challenge on his hands. The Amish community sticks close together, and he doesn’t understand the subtleties and nuances of the clues he uncovers. He needs an Amish interpreter, and he asks Petunia if she’ll help. In a bid to keep her best friend out of prison, she agrees.

The community is filled with people who had good reason to hate Ike Smoker, especially as Petunia and Asher begin to uncover his secrets. Was someone trying to protect their family’s reputation? Or to exact revenge for a sin buried deep in the past?

There’s a litany of damning clues that litters the ground—and if Petunia and Asher can’t come up with the truth, they could end up as the next ones on the killer’s list.

My Review:

Absolutely love this debut cozy mystery! It’s so well done from plot to characters and the intriguing whodunnit that kept me guessing close to the very last second!

Love the way the author includes tidbits of Amish culture and tradition in a very natural way, even if our heroine, Petunia, isn’t quite the typical maidel. The forthright way she has of speaking her mind has kept suitors at bay has earned her the reputation as ‘the youngest old maid.’ 🙂

When murder strikes their peaceful little village, Petunia becomes enmeshed in the investigation as she attempts to clear her friend from murder charges. Love the clever way the author justifies her involvement and it leaves things open for more murder and mayhem to come in future books.

Satisfying blend of cozy and mystery with dashes of humour and characters it’s easy to care about. Looking forward to a (hopefully) long-running series!

Trust the Stars + Giveaway

Olivia Garza, a woman committed to making a difference in the world, thrives in her unconventional, service-oriented life. By day, she helps troubled teens in inner-city Little Rock. By night, she creates a viral docu-series in an attempt to better understand her mother’s desperate decisions by retracing her steps with a camera. So far, Olivia has always been the anonymous narrator, but she’s promised to reveal herself in the last stop on her documentary: Kenya.

Prince Louis, heir to the throne of the small European kingdom of Alloria, is in Kenya to run away from a broken heart—and the media circus that comes with it. When he meets Olivia, he recognizes her voice right away from the docu-series that has stirred his heart. Though they share a magical day on safari, any dreams of happily ever after come crashing down with the flash of the paparazzi cameras when Olivia realizes that he represents everything she most despises in the world.

In World War II Rome, another royal, however, has her own life-changing choices to make. Princess Alessandra Appiani could have chosen quiet safety within the walls of the Vatican, but instead she risks her life—and her family—to save the Jewish children so in need of someone to show them the love of God.

When Olivia is hired to help create a documentary about Alessandra, learning about the sacrifice of a royal who goes from palace to prison forces her to face the hardest questions of all: Should she continue on the path she’s carved for herself or trust God to give her the future she never thought she wanted?

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.

Okay — first off — I’m not a huge Royal Romance fan. I’ve read some, but I don’t go out of my way to find them so I went into this read without the expectation of becoming over-the-moon thrilled with it. Ha! Shows me how rewarding it is to venture out of a my bibliophile comfort zone from time to time!

While this is a dual timeline novel, most of the focus is on the present day story, with the WWII snippets about a courageous princess providing an intriguing sub-plot that eventually merges with the current timeline. And it’s done beautifully. At first I wasn’t sure how the two would connect, but they do to goose-bumping satisfaction.

And the romance! Happy sigh! Heavenly! Louis is the epic storybook hero and his gentle pursuit of a very reluctant Olivia kept me in a fully twitterpated state all the way through! I feel like Goyer really captured the complexities of a royal longing to live a ‘normal’ life and the compromises necessary to satisfy both the prince and his country.

Plus there’s banter! Sigh. And humour. And soul-searching conversations. Even some tears. So much hope too though and when Olivia visits the prince’s country the story takes on a whole different vibe. Fantastically divine!

I listened to the audio edition of Trust the Stars and Zura Johnson gave a truly amazing performance. Multiple accents, male and female characters of various ages — she made each one unique and captivating.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook copy available to anyone with a US Kindle account (.com)

Canadians will have a choice of receiving an Amazon.ca gift card towards the purchase of the book OR the option of an audible.ca edition.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of 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 January 13 2024.

Positively Penelope + Giveaway

Told mostly through letters, texts, and email, this contemporary romance will charm its way into hearts as Penelope rescues a theater and discovers her true self in the process.

Penelope Edgewood is practically positive in every way, so when, fresh out of college, she is awarded a paid internship to help save a century-old theater on the island of Skymar, she jumps at the chance. After all, a crumbling theater needs the special touch of someone who reveres all things vintage and adores the stage.

Unfortunately, not everything is as it seems at Darling House Theatre. Finances are in shambles, the local theater group is disenchanted, and the two brothers, Matt and Alec Gray, can’t seem to see eye-to-eye about how to run their theatrical business. So, of course, it’s the perfect place for Penelope to shine her own personal brand of sunshine.

With a little help from GK, the person emailing her encouragement along the way, she puts all her heart into helping the Grays save Darling House. But between Matt’s ever-present skepticism, Alec’s tendency to treat Penelope a little too much like the “princess” she thinks she wants to be (until someone actually started treating her that way), a grandfather who is stuck in his grief, and a mysterious person stealing Penelope’s marketing ideas, she’s not sure her optimism is enough to make a happily-ever-after of her own story, let alone The Darling House’s.

Between an adorable little girl, a matchmaker, a sea monster or two, and a copious amount of musical references, can Penelope draw enough confidence from her faith, her family, and her adoration of all things Julie Andrews, to find the thief and save the theater . . . without getting her heart broken in the process?

My Review:

Fun and flirty with a cinematic flare, Penelope is practically perfect in every way as she exudes positivity where ever she goes. She’s the radiant sunshine to a certain gentleman’s eternal grumpiness so if that’s a fave trope you’ll definitely enjoy this rom/com.

But, be aware, this is an epistolary novel with a good chunk of the storytelling told through emails and texts. I know this style isn’t popular with some readers but I’ve adored epistolary novels since I read Daddy Long Legs in my tweens. And Pepper Basham does it so well! Love the balance between the texts/emails from Penelope, Izzy, Luke and Josephine. She keeps the plot moving even though we’re hearing about things through their correspondence. And then, when things heat up in a certain way, the author intersperses ‘live’ scenes and it’s all done brilliantly!

I do feel like it would be best to read Authentically Izzy before diving into this second book so you can get to know these cousins/brother/sisters and their family dynamics before experiencing the…exuberance that is Penelope. 🙂 Because she’s…well, more than a breath of fresh air…more like a tornado of positivity accompanied by a tsunami of movie references to fit every occasion. Especially if you’re a Julie Andrews or Audrey Hepburn movie history buff! Not to mention Gene Kelly! And like all good musical heroines, she’s apt to break out into song and or dance at any moment which makes things interesting.

And then there’s the romance. Had me a wee bit nervous at first because there’s a kinda, sorta love triangle brewing only it’s not the full blown angsty kind and it’s pretty clear from the start who Penelope is going to end up with. So, mildly anxiety inducing for the LT shy reader. 🙂

But, oh my, when the romance gets going in the right direction! Be still my heart! Clear your fainting couches and have the smelling salts handy because…swoonworthy Scottish hero scenes ahead!

And then there’s Luke (Penelope’s brother.) He stole my heart in book one and this book reminded me why and now I’m clamouring to read his story. His emails and texts are snort-laugh out loud funny. I’m happy to share that Loyally Luke will release in May! Soooo excited!

I listened to the audible edition of Positively Penelope and was thrilled by the narration. Christopher Ashman, Hazel Beattie and Julie Rogers are amazing performers! Really brought these characters to life and made the listening so much fun. Highly recommend the audio edition!

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 Positively Penelope , 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 13 2024.

A Body on the Doorstep

Fiercely independent Mabel Canning can’t wait to begin working for the Useful Women’s Agency. But when she discovers a body on her client’s doorstep, it’s time to add solving murders to her job description…

London, 1921: Mabel Canning is proud to be a modern woman working for the Useful Women’s Agency, carrying out tasks for gentlewomen from flower arranging to washing muddy dogs. But when she answers the door for wealthy widow Rosalind Despard, she almost chokes on her cucumber sandwich when she finds a soldier’s body on the doorstep.

As she offers tea to the policemen of Scotland Yard, Mabel can’t resist getting drawn into the investigation. Who was the mysterious dead man? And why was he holding a letter for Rosalind, written by her husband on the day he disappeared?

As Mabel hunts for clues, she joins forces with Rosalind’s handsome brother, former detective Park Winstone, and his adorable terrier, Gladys. But when Mabel suspects she is being followed, the detective duo know that time is running out before the killer strikes again.

As she investigates, Mabel discovers dusty old photographs that help her reveal the soldier’s true identity. But as she gets closer to uncovering the young man’s murderer, she knows she’s also one step closer to danger… Can she outsmart the killer and save Park and Rosalind before they also turn up dead as doornails?

A totally unputdownable and utterly charming Golden Age cozy mystery from USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman, Verity Bright and T.E. Kinsey.

My Review:

A brilliant start to an exciting new historical cozy mystery series!

I love Marty Wingate’s storytelling. She has an incredible ability to create characters that are real and relatable and so easy to root for. Mabel is exactly that kind of heroine. And the fact that she considers herself at the young range of ‘middle age’ (she’s 32!) and therefore a perfect candidate for employment at the Useful Women’s Agency is so preposterously delightful!

But here we have Mabel new to London, fresh on the job and her first assignment leads to the discovery of a body on the doorstep! Gasp! Definitely not the kind of ‘gentlewoman task’ she set out to perform, but Mabel takes it all in stride and is soon enmeshed in her first investigation as an amateur sleuth.

The Golden Age vibes in this 1920s cozy hit just the right note. From social standards to the changing ‘modern’ times, this is London in transition at a pivotal time in history. I was just as excited as Mabel to experience all the wonders, drama and…yes, danger…this story provides. And just as intrigued by a cast of secondary characters who bring that much more depth and enjoyment to the story. Plus there’s the possibility of a romance brewing, which makes me all kinds of happy and eager to see what’s next for Mabel and her dashing former detective!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening the audio edition of this book. Naomi Frederick did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life which increased my enjoyment factor that much more! Excellent storyteller paired with a talented narrator makes for an addictive listen!

My thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an audio book copy of A Body on the Doorstep.

Please Note: While not a Christian Fiction selection, this is a clean read — and charming to boot!

Writing About the Amish + Giveaway

Why does every Beth Wiseman book include a red suitcase?

This is one of the many questions answered by an author who has sold over two million books. Beth has penned more than forty books about the Plain People in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Indiana. In this collection of essays, Beth gives readers a glimpse into her personal life and shares experiences she’s had while writing about the Amish.

Includes photos, Amish recipes, and a ‘bonus’ short story.

My Review:

I have Lucy to thank for recommending this little gem — love, love, love bookish friend reading referrals!

‘Writing About the Amish’ is a short but highly informative glimpse into the author’s research of various Amish communities. If you want to read realistic Amish fiction by an author who does her homework, Beth Wiseman’s book are definitely for you.

Bottom line: Each Amish community is unique with variations that make it hard to say, “The Amish would never…” The author includes actual ‘critiques’ of elements in her stories (even one from an Amish couple) and cover art and she answers them all with grace and humour. Interesting to note that the objection the Amish couple made was actually allowed in the community the book in question was set in, which totally stunned them! So even the Amish can get confused about what is and what isn’t allowed. 🙂

There are photos and recipes and some nifty insights into a writer’s life which I so appreciated as well. And the short story packs an emotional wallop: two childless couples, one Amish, one English and an orphaned child who needs a home. ‘Nuf said…but have a hanky handy when you read this one.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Writing About the Amish , 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 13 2024.

Blog Update!

So, it’s been nearly a full year since I started up the blog in these new digs and I think I’m wrapping my head around the differences between blogger and WordPress. Unfortunately, I learn by doing things wrong so I have a lot of behind the scenes fixing up to do.

Like with the subject tags for each blog versus categories. Apparently I need to switch those two around if I want an efficient and helpful way to search by authors and genres. Right now the tags are limited to a certain number and appear in a cluster and only the most currently popular tags are visible. Where as the category fields are unlimited and much better suited for long lists of authors.

Then there’s the way the blog posts just run on one after the other with no way to divide them up in to manageable groups that would be easier for browsing. Blogger automatically cued posts up by month and year which was ever so helpful. I need to figure out if that is possible on WP. Which means I have to conquer widgets. They sound cute, but trust me, they aren’t!

I’m also toying with creating pages for specific things — like winners. That would make it easy for readers to stop by the blog any time and scroll through recent wins in case they missed a notification.

Anyway, all this to say that the blog will be under construction for a while and I’m praying I don’t break anything. 🙂 So it might look different when you come to visit but I’ll keep Book Reviews as the home page so you should always wind up here…I think. Yikes!

Now for the biggest change to hit the blog for years!

Due to the steep hike in book prices I’ll be reducing the number of giveaways each week. Probably 2-3 instead of the usual 5. As well, please pay careful attention to the giveaway details as there will likely be more ebook only options in 2024. As well as more gently read print copies.

I’m hoping this all won’t become too confusing but I think I’ve figured out a way to be clear and concise — you just have to read the fine print!

Let’s say I wrote an awesome book entitled “Kav’s Amazing Year of Best Reads!” and, of course, I wanted to review it. A review only (as in no giveaway) blog title would look like this:

Kav’s Amazing Year of Best Reads!

BUT, if I wanted to do a giveaway for my truly awesome-guaranteed-to-be-a-bestseller book 🙂 the blog title would look like this:

Kav’s Amazing Year of Best Reads! + Giveaway

So easy peasy way to spot the giveaways but then you’ll need to scroll down to the giveaway section of each review blog and read the details. This will look like it always has — blue print with the edition options in red to catch your attention — but it’s more important than ever to make note of the giveaway options. Here they are:

For a giveaway where either print or ebook is possible:

Please Note: Unfortunately this type of giveaway will only be available in the US and Canada though International readers with a US Kindle account can opt for the ebook edition.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

For a giveaway where the book has been gently read by moi:

Gently read paperback copy available to any reader anywhere in the world! Woohoo, a truly International Giveaway!

For a giveaway where the book is for an ebook only:

ebook copy only — available to any reader who has an American Kindle account (com) OR Canadians will get an Amazon gift card towards the purchase of the ebook for their Canadian Kindle. (For some bizarre reason, we can’t gift ebooks up here in the True North!)

So, not too many changes. Just remember to note whether the title indicates ‘Giveaway’ and make sure to check formats available each time, as they will vary. Otherwise, it’s business as usual…bonding over the best kinds of reads!

PS: Monthly New Releases giveaways and Reader’s Choice days will remain the same, with options for either print or ebook for all entries.

Christmas Vendetta + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO READ

Is she a mistaken target…or next on an enemy’s hit list?

Sandy Lynn Forrester’s Christmas holiday takes a terrifying turn when someone breaks into her home and attacks her roommate…thinking it’s her. But no one believes that an imprisoned man from Sandy Lynn’s past is behind the attacks—except for her high school heartbreak, ex-cop Clay Danforth. Can she trust Clay to keep her safe in the Ozark wilderness long enough to stop a ruthless criminal’s vengeance?

My Review:

published in 2021

I somehow missed this book when it first came out, though I’ve read the rest of the series, so I was thrilled to discover it in audiobook format! Loved the narration — Romy Nordlinger did justice to the tense, action filled plot.

So, reunion romance amidst the chaos of vengeance and danger made for a thrilling read. Clay’s life is already complicated when he runs into (literally) Sandy Lynn again. Loved the pacing in their ‘reluctant return to love’ story, though survival takes the front seat in this taut romantic suspense.

Desperation. Revenge. Betrayal. Corruption. All play a part in this complex plot to create a spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat thrill of a read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible book if you have audible.ca

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Christmas Vendetta, 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 16, 2023

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater + Giveaway

Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy’s brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta’s younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her uncover the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must put the threat of the phantoms to rest.

Decades later, Kit Boyd’s best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. When television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher engages Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater’s history, Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of also finding out what happened to her friend. As the theater’s curse begins to unravel Kit’s own life, she sets out not only to save the historical building and her friend, but to end the pattern of evil that has marked their hometown for a century.

In this atmospheric dual-time tale, two women–separated by a century yet bound by the ghosts of the past–pursue light in the face of darkness.

My Review:

Epic Jaime Jo Wright! A bit of woo woo mystery with lots of eerie ambiance that you know has a sensible explanation but you just can’t figure it out. I was hooked from the opening line: “Sometimes death comes quietly.” Uh, yeah, I needed to read on!

Dual timelines — both with their own mystery — and I was invested in both equally. There’s also very light romance for both Greta and Kit…emphasis on the light though, but I liked the way it brings hope to the reader without shadowing the already murky waters of the mysteries.

And, oh, those mysteries! Blended to perfection by the end but made for a rabid read until then. I couldn’t put this book down though my poor eyes were screaming, “Rest! Rest! We need rest!” Huh, as if! And I was gobsmacked more than a few times — in both timelines.

Love the way the author wove in some humour amidst all the angst — especially in the current timeline. Kit is my kind of heroine. Impatient. Prickly. Stubborn.:

“Even now she could see Mom’s cautionary look that told Kit to breathe deep and let God be God.

“Maybe God wanted to work through her to slap Evan Fischer silly?” (p 55)

Bwahaha! Haven’t we all been there a time or two? But, whoa, this was also such an emotional read! I felt for both heroines and the complicated emotions churning within and around them. And the way they faced adversity with grit and courage and loyalty to those they loved. Made for such an intense read.

To sum up in one word: Unputdownable!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater, 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 16, 2023.