Category: Book Review

Target for Terror + Giveaway

“If you leave on your own, you’ll be dead by morning.” 

Critical Care Nurse Natalia Sokolova can’t ignore former FBI Agent Sloan Dryer’s dire warning. After the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia dies under her care, her house explodes in front of her eyes and she finds her best friend brutally murdered. Ironically, the only bright spot in this horrific nightmare is Sloan’s bad Ukrainian accent and his willingness to protect her.

Sloan is convinced that someone wants to kill Natalia and when he finds a link to her family, he’s not sure who they can trust. As they run for their lives, and from the attraction simmering between them, they uncover a terrorist plot that could bring the nation to its knees. Time is running out. Can Sloan and Natalia save their country and their future, before it’s too late?

My Review:

Desperation. Tension. Hyperventilating panic. Sheer terror. This is one edge-of-your-seat thrill of a read…and a bit on the grittier side so be prepared. Not quite a spy novel, but there is some international espionage going on and traitors in high places which just ups the ante that much more.

Great dynamics between the hero and heroine. Sloane is kindly surly (and yes, that can be a thing) and Natalia is sooooo stubborn. And clueless when it comes to what they’re up against. She drives Sloane crazy, especially when she lapses into sullen Russian. Bwahaha. But once they figure out they’re on the same side, they bond over bodies and explosions. 🙂

I listened to the audio edition and enjoyed the dual narration by Melissa Moran and Alex Knox. Unputdownable…or maybe I should say unstoppable.

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 (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Target for Terror, 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 October 28, 2023

Maiden in the Tower + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO READ

He’s the first man she’s ever met. She’s the exact opposite of the woman he’s supposed to marry.

Lisette Hunt has been hidden away her entire life, with nothing but a large window up in the cottage turret to give her a glimpse of the outside world. Until Gerry Worthington stumbles into her garden in search of his runaway dog. 

As a second son, Gerry has never seen the need to take life too seriously. Less than pleased with his frivolity, his mother orders him to marry a woman of means and banishes him to his family’s small, rundown estate. Unfortunately, innocent and penniless Lisette is the very opposite of what he needs.

But Gerry cannot resist the mystery surrounding Lisette, and soon he can no longer resist Lisette and her endearing peculiarity. As Gerry slowly opens Lisette’s eyes to a larger world, she begins to open her heart to him. However, when Gerry uncovers the truth about who Lisette really is, it may cost them a chance at happiness together.

My Review:

published in 2019

Squuueaaalll!!! I adore fairy tale retellings — especially Regency ones — and this is my first ever Rapunzel. I’ve read numerous Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Snow White re-imaginings but nary a single Rapunzel so I was so excited to discover this little gem. And curious to see how the author would work the fairy tale elements into the story. Let’s just say she handled it brilliantly!

Short and sweet and oh, so satisfying. Lisette’s innocent enthusiasm had me grinning all the way through. And Gerry is so flummoxed by this unusual young woman who defies all high society etiquette. There’s even a bit of a mystery element to this tale involving Lisette’s background which was all kinds of fun to follow to a very sigh-worthy conclusion.

“Maiden in the Tower” is the fifth book in the multi-authored “Forever After Retellings.” I’ve read the first two and intend to hunt down the rest of the series. And — bonus — such pretty cover art to fancy up my bookshelves.

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 (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Maiden in the Tower, 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 October 28, 2023

Most Wonderful Time + Giveaway

Gabe Lewis loves Christmas, just not as much as his eccentric mother who gave him and his siblings Christmas names. When he discovers that his new co-worker Shanée Mitchell wants nothing to do with the season, he makes it his mission to show her the true meaning. 

But he never expected feelings to develop for the Air Force veteran. Can he take a chance that she feels the same way or miss the best gift of all?

My Review:

published in 2021

A sweet, heartwarming holiday romance that hits all the feels. And it’s a kinda grumpy sunshine trope, only in reverse with our heroine being the grump and our hero, the ray of sunshine. Which is all kinds of fun!

Shanée is an Air Force veteran struggling to find her place in a civilian world especially since she is living with chronic pain from an injury that ended her military career. So now she’s switching gears and she’s not entirely happy about it.

Cue our hero, Gabe, who is all about making Christmas bright and spreading good cheer. It’s in his DNA, passed down from his holiday loving mama. 🙂 Shanée, on the other hand, isn’t into Yuletide celebrations…at all! But Gabe intends to change all that. 🙂

Squealing over a heroine with glasses (she’s even wearing them on the cover!) Also appreciate a story centring around a character dealing with chronic pain and how that impacts her everyday life. And swooning over the way Gabe takes it all in stride. He’s compassionate, understanding and nonjudgemental — the perfect heartthrob hero!

And this Christmas romance has a significant faith thread that has me brimming over with joy. A perfect holiday read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Most Wonderful Time, 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 October 21, 2023

I’ll Be Seeing You + Giveaway

Generations of secrets unfold as a young college student learns the truth about her great-grandmother’s World War II heartbreak and love.

Brianna Hastings’s life seems dull and full of disappointment until a handsome young man visits her church. She’s instantly smitten by the charming Greg, who leads an exciting, independent life—the kind of life she longs for. But when a college history assignment forces Brianna to interview her great-grandmother about life during World War II, she can’t believe it when Daisy presses her with questions about Greg’s character. “What sort of man is he? Who is he at his core?”

What could her great-grandmother possibly know about love at first sight?

The questions take both women back to Boise, Idaho, in the early 1940s, when war emphasized how fragile life could be. Daisy and her older sister pine for the same handsome bomber pilot—until one night of terrible judgment reveals their true characters and drives them apart. Trying to protect the people she loves the most, Daisy condemns herself to live a lie.

In the years that follow, as Daisy grapples with the consequences, she receives unexpected grace from a man she’s known her whole life but never looked at twice. Could what she learned about love save Brianna from heartache three generations later?

My Review:

I love intergenerational stories and this one is extra special because it involves a great-grandmother and her great-granddaughter. Love the way the two timelines compliment each other as we follow two young women, decades apart, learning about love and heartbreak and living in God’s grace with the choices made.

Present day Brianna (19 and with a bit of an attitude) tested my patience at the beginning of this book. Very much a product of our modern, fast-paced, want-it-now society. Thankfully, she matures over the course of the story, growing in her faith as she deepens her bond with her great-grandmother who patiently guides her and isn’t afraid to ask Brianna the hard questions.

Daisy (our 1940s heroine) is just as young, but in some ways more mature. In other ways she’s quite naive. She too, is a product of her time and the backdrop of war adds a whole other dimension to her story.

Oh, the foibles of youth and the mistakes we make! That’s at the heart of both timelines and Hatcher portrays both women realistically. There’s angst and romance and more angst. My heart hurt for both of them at different points in their stories. But there’s rejoicing also and a stirring conclusion that delivers hope and happily ever afters.

I so appreciated the myriad of faith threads. There is no doubt that this is a Christian Fiction offering and the author pours her heart into the lives of these characters, showing them the difference a deeper relationship with Christ can make in their lives. So inspiring!

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Windy Lanzl who did an excellent job of bringing these characters to life.

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 (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of I’ll Be Seeing You, 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 October 21, 2023

Safeguarding the Baby + Giveaway

A child is in danger. Only he can keep them safe.

The discovery of a wounded woman and baby in a stranded vehicle plunges Sheriff Rylan Pierce into a chase with a murderous mastermind. Not only must he protect Emily and the child from a killer hot on their trail, he must uncover the culprit’s identity. But with Emily suffering from amnesia, his task just got harder. Will Rylan find the answers he needs before the killer finds them?

My Review:

Once again an author tackles one of my least favourite tropes and sells me on it! Sometimes amnesia stories — especially suspense ones — can end up reading like a cliche but Nelson had me hooked from the very first page. It starts out deep in the heroine’s perspective and her panic and confusion just roll off the page. I could feel the tension climbing and had a solid knot in my stomach by the end of first chapter! So well done!

What follows is an intricate, cleverly executed suspense that left me as puzzled as Rylan and Emily. What was going on? What did these villains want? How were they always able to suss them out? Great combination of action and romance that kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Safeguarding 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 October 21, 2023

The Widow and the Highlander + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

She needs to be protected. He’ll take on the job…for a price.

Christina MacKinnon is secretly relieved to be a widow. She is equally desperate to distance herself from the clan of her dead husband, but as the heir to his estate—one she needs in order to support her siblings—she must first stave off both the advances and threats of the man next in line to inherit. It seems the only person she can turn to is a nearby stranger who seems inclined to help her. But he has a request…

Freshly returned from the war, Lachlan Kincaid has one aim: to see justice served to the MacKinnons for betraying his family years ago and depriving him of his inheritance. While biding his time at a nearby inn, he discovers the death of the MacKinnon laird—whose widow has inherited everything. The way to accomplish his goal is becoming more evident, but the path is murkier than he could have foreseen.

As Christina’s and Lachlan’s lives intersect, it becomes clear that their separate aims may well only be achievable if they join forces. But to do so is to court more danger, and it requires a sacrifice Christina isn’t sure she’s prepared to make.

My Review:

published in 2021

I was already in a dither over the Highland setting but, then, as the story progressed and turned into one of my favourite tropes, I swooned with bibliophile delight (and partly over Lachlan, truthfully.) Am I going to tell you what trope that is? Nope, because it isn’t mentioned in the synopsis, though it is hinted at…:-)

I think Keyes really captured the time period and Scottish setting well. I felt transported back in time and to a place that has always fascinated me. The excellent audio book narration by Mhairi Morrison certainly helped too.

And these characters! Lachlan. Swoon. Sigh. Swoon. And repeat! He’s everything you want to find in a Highlander hero. Strong and courageous — a wee bit hot-headed at times — but always chivalrous. Kindness and compassion balance his harder edges and a fierce determination to set wrongs right compels him to do the impossible.

Christina is slowly coming back into herself after surviving a brutal marriage. She’s rediscovering her opinionated self which is all kinds of fun when she engages in a battle of wits with Lachlan. And poignant too because…well, you just have to read the book to understand the impact of her back story.

And then there is a truly despicable villain to defeat. His character is darkly disturbing and he made my blood boil over and over again. I so wanted to see him get his comeuppance!

So you see? All the elements you’d expect to find in a Historical Romance set in the Scottish Highlands — all woven together into a rich, vibrant story of loss and love and second chances.

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 (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Widow and the Highlander, 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 October 21, 2023

Spines & Leaves + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

Can his love of books save a store and a budding relationship?

With a month to get from Orange County, California to Delaware for his next corporate challenge, Milton Coleridge decides to spend a week at Joshua Tree National Park. 

He never expected to find a floundering bookstore in need of his particular business skills. Will his methods of saving companies from bankruptcy or takeover work on such a small scale? And can he convince two people to risk their hearts?

Step into the Spines & Leaves, Tamarisk, California’s oldest (and only ever) bookstore. Come in out of the harsh, desert sun and wind and peruse all the store has to offer. It might just be more than you think.

Of note: Spine & Leaves is the introductory novella to the Bookstrings series and is part of the Mosaic Song of Grace Collection.

My Review:

published in 2021

My bibliophile radar went into overdrive when I heard about this series. A man (and his parrotlet, Atticus) on a mission to save a languishing bookstore and, perhaps, ignite a spark in a couple clearly meant for each other but failing miserably at finding their way to romance. So — meet Milton the bookish matchmaker! 🙂

A short novella (112 pages) but immensely satisfying nonetheless. Havig has a beguiling way with words, creating pictures and emotions that bring her story to life. Relatable characters, a bookstore(!) and oodles of encouraging literary quotes kept me ecstatically engaged from start to finish.

And there’s romance. And high drama too. Seriously, this little book packs a powerful dose of story magic that made my heart sing and I’m now eager to dive into the next book ASAP.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Spines & Leaves, 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 October 14, 2023

Tracked Through the Woods + Giveaway

Targeted by the mob…and their’s no place to hide.

Abby Miller is determined to find her missing FBI informant father before the mafia does, but time is ticking away. Someone tried to kill her father before he disappeared—and now gunmen are on her trail. Teaming with Agent Wyatt Kane is her only chance to uncover an FBI mole—and survive the mob. But finding the truth could uncover deadly secrets…and lead them into a dangerous trap.

My Review:

Still hyperventilating after finishing this incredibly tense, action-filled romantic suspense! Way above the level of a page-turner — Tracked Through the Woods is a thrilling wonder that is impossible to put down.

The suspense is so…suspensey! 🙂 I mean, there are layers of clues and misdirections to wade through and all the while the feeling of dread shivered up my spine because….I can’t say without posting spoilers but Scott handles all the pressure and strain with sly precision. She knows how to mess with her characters and keep her readers glued to the page!

I was so excited to discover this Love Inspired Suspense on audible (usually it’s just their continuity series that are given ‘voices.’) Jennifer Jill Araya did a magnificent job of bringing these characters and their desperate situation to life. A thrilling, spine-tingling 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 (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Tracked Through the Woods, 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 October 14, 2023

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton + Giveaway

In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.

My Review:

It’s been a week since I finished listening to this book and I’m still deep in a stupefied bibliophile state. Epically struck dumb and blown away and…well, gobsmacked! So, I beg forgiveness ahead of time for my incoherent ramblings.

Random thoughts:

Astonishing! Just when I thought I had something figured out, I didn’t and there are so many ‘aha’ moments!

Which brings me to pacing. The tension between the two timelines is expertly drawn out. We slip seamlessly back and forth from past to present and back again, almost gently at first but, as the story progresses, the pacing picks up and the pressure increases until I was so wired up I wanted to rush to the end. (Of course, I didn’t because I am not the kind of reader who reads the last page first…no offence meant to anyone who is, of course. You read you, and I’ll read me. lol)

And the way the mystery of Poppy’s disappearance is developed in both timelines — brilliantly executed. Kept me on edge all the way through. The author is very clever in the way she teases hints without full reveals until the exact perfect time. Made the read that much more excruciatingly wonderful.

The setting gave me all kinds of thrills. My family vacationed around the Thousand Island area when I was a kid. No private island mansions for me, though every year we toured the islands and visited Bolt Castle and I imagined what it would have been like to live in my own island castle. 🙂 It’s not often that I get to read about a place I’ve actually visited so that was loads of fun.

I could say a whole lot more, but I don’t want to fall into spoiler territory. There is some romance which always makes me happy. And found family themes. There’s heartbreak — some almost too much to bear. At one point I wasn’t sure if I could go on but reading some reviews soothed my jangled nerves and I persisted and am so glad I did! Ecstatic, actually.

I listened to the audible edition of The Wings of Poppy Pendleton and Nancy Peterson’s narration paired with Melanie Dobson’s storytelling kept me captivated right to the very end.

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 (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Wings of Poppy Pendleton, 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 October 14, 2023

The Heirloom + Giveaway

This heartwarming prequel to The Shunning is a tender story of love, belonging, and the courage to move forward.

After her widowed father remarries, nineteen-year-old Clara Bender is no longer needed to help run his household. Marriage seems like her best hope of moving out, but there are few young men in her tiny Indiana Amish community. When she comes across letters from her mother’s aunt Ella Mae Zook, she sets off to visit Lancaster County’s Hickory Hollow to decide where her future lies.

Ella Mae is not quite ready to move from the farmhouse where she and her recently deceased husband spent over fifty happy years, but her children are eager to resettle her, making Clara’s visit seem like an answer to prayer. The two women form a warm bond while restoring an heirloom wedding quilt and sharing their lives, with Ella Mae confiding about a tragedy from her courting years. Eventually, Ella Mae suggests Clara stay for the summer, allowing Ella Mae more time with her and giving Clara an opportunity to meet the area’s eligible young men. But when the unexpected happens, will Clara find where her heart truly belongs?

My Review:

First off, you don’t need to have read The Shunning or subsequent books set in Hickory Hollow in order to enjoy this ‘prequel.’ If you are a Beverly Lewis fan, however, Ella Mae Zook has already captured your heart and you will be thrilled to delve into her story pre ‘The Shunning’ era.

Life experiences have contributed to Ella Mae’s standing as the Wise Woman of Hickory Hollow. For decades she has served her community with sage advice, patient understanding and boundless compassion and now we’re finally offered a peek into this beloved character’s past.

Plus we get grandniece Clara’s story as well. Loved the contrast in ages of our two heroines and the inspiring friendship that develops between them. They are both at transitional points in their lives. Both grieving someone they loved. Both leaning on God to see them through, even when they can’t understand the why’s. The kind of faith thread that buoys a reader up and inspires her to reflect on her own transitioning times and how she can follow God’s leading in the midst of the confusion.

Lewis has a lovely, unhurried oral storytelling lilt to her writing. I always feel like I’m sitting with her characters over a cup of tea, listening raptly as they tell me their stories. It makes for a charming timeless tale that gently unfolds. Classic Lewis.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy — open to any reader, anywhere in the world so…yay…another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Heirloom, 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 October 14, 2023