Category: Book Review

The Gift of Faith + Giveaway

The quietest of the three Kanagy boys, Daniel, would prefer to spend his time keeping his bees and selling the honey rather than tending his family’s gift shop. But with both his brothers breaking away from the family business, his parents need Daniel more than ever.

Contrary to town gossip, Faith Kemp didn’t jump the fence—she left to track down her twin sister, Mercy. When Faith returns home with a newborn baby, the rumors are tough to set right, and not everyone in the community is welcoming. To help support her family, Faith sells dried flower arrangements to the popular gift shop in town. Each visit, she looks forward to seeing Daniel Kanagy. He doesn’t say much, but his steady strength speaks to her just the same.

With girls buzzing around Daniel and trying to catch his eye, why would he turn his gaze to a quiet, plain girl who has a baby and too many rumors about her?

My Review:

Woohoo!!! New-to-me Amish Fiction author and I’m a fan! This is the third book in her Unexpected Gifts series, but I can attest to the fact that it reads wunderbaar as a standalone, though, I’m definitely going to backtrack and read the first two books. Love a series that features siblings — especially brothers — and there are three hero material Kanagy boys in this one. The only spoiler is that they all end up with a happily every after. 🙂

So, Daniel…he’s an unassuming leading man but that doesn’t mean he lacks appeal. He’s kind and sensitive, but somewhat shy…or maybe I should say contemplative. He has known Faith all their lives, crushed on her during their school days and the attraction deepened as they grew older. Only, in true Daniel fashion, he took his time deliberating and by the time he’d settled things in his mind, Faith had left their community in pursuit of her fence-jumping twin sister.

But now she’s back with Mercy’s baby in tow and Daniel is just as smitten…and still a wee bit clueless. I love how accepting he was of Faith’s return and baby Rose, when there are definitely some harsh critics in the community who aren’t as welcoming. The human nature to judge is alive and well even among the Amish.

Faith is devastated that her sister chose to remain in the Englisch world, but she’s determined to raise Mercy’s daughter up Amish. Even as she realizes the decision will drastically alter the expectations of her own future. There’s some clever plot twists that make the story fresh as well as some well-loved tropes that are just plain fun to experience. Like a man-hungry mean girl with Daniel in her sights. Not overdone — just enough to cause some eye-rolls and righteous indignation on behalf of my hero and heroine. 🙂

Skilled storytelling, a compelling plot, and the kind of characters it’s easy to love (or…dislike) made this a book to devour. Read it in a day.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com 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 Gift of Faith, 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 July 22 , 2023.

Man of Shadow and Mist + Giveaway

“The world seems full of good men—even if there are monsters in it.”
–Bram Stoker, Dracula

England, 1890

Vampires are alive and well in North Yorkshire, leastwise in the minds of the uneducated. Librarian Rosa Edwards intends to drive a stake through the heart of such superstitions. But gossip flies when the mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his shadowy manor. The townsfolk say he is cursed.

James hates everything about England. The weather. The rumours. The scorn. Yet he must stay. His mother is dying of a disease for which he’s desperately trying to find a cure—an illness that will eventually take his own life.

When Rosa sets out to prove the dark gossip about James is wrong, she discovers more questions than answers. How can she accept what she can’t explain—especially the strong allure of the enigmatic man? James must battle a town steeped in fear as well as the unsettling attraction he feels for the no-nonsense librarian.

Can love prevail in a town filled with fear and doubt?

My Review:

Atmospheric with a dark Gothic flare. I experienced thrilling shivers of delight during the opening scene (what a meet cute!) and I was hooked! Couldn’t put the book down…mainly because these characters needed watching over — not that they ever listened to any of my advice! Gah! I couldn’t leave them alone for a second. 🙂

If you were to look up the definition of ‘brooding hero’ in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of James. He’s the perfect combination of tortured soul and gruff demeanour. Why do I find brooding heroes such a draw, when, in real life, I’d likely cosh them over the head and send them packing! lol Such a strange literary conundrum.

By contrast, Rosa is the exact opposite so this is a Grumpy/Sunshine trope and it’s written to perfection. Rosa kind of reminds me of Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She’s a librarian (who can resist a book loving heroine?! Not I!) and works at her father’s subscription library, though she sneaks free books to the poor which gets her into all kinds of trouble.

When she’s not working, Rosa is desperately trying to evade the onerous matchmaking ploys of her conniving mother and there’s a particularly odious man who just won’t take no for an answer…but that’s because he’s hatching a nefarious plot…bwahahaha!

Loved the way the Gothic elements all come together with innovative plot twists that kept me hanging on to every word. We even get to meet Bram Stoker just as he is beginning his soon to be famous novel, ‘Dracula.’ So much fun!

There’s drama and action and no end of emotional angst as well as a redemptive faith thread that weaves its way through it all. A sublimely satisfactory read. Happy, happy sigh!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) 

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Man of Shadow and Mist, 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 July 22 , 2023.

Eliminating the Witness + Giveaway

A hidden identity exposed…and murderers on the hunt…

Rachel Bright’s time hiding in a small town comes to a crashing halt when her witness protection location is compromised. Now to evade her serial killer ex-husband after his surprise release from prison, she must go on the run with US marshal Kyle Reid. But with a bounty on her head and determined contract killers on her tail, every move could be their last.

My Review:

Equal parts intense and emotional with enough hair-raising to…well, make your hair stand up on end. 🙂 Some beautiful descriptive passages as well, along with multi-faceted characters that keep a reader on edge with every new revelation.

I particularly appreciated the way the author included fascinating bits of Emergency Medicine (the author is an ER nurse) and the intricacies of the WITSEC programme. It all added an extra dimension to this romantic suspense.

And I love our take-charge heroine! Rachel has been through a horrific ordeal that’s necessitated going into hiding. She’s reinvented herself, from the inside out, leaving her victim persona behind. If only the past would stay in the past! Her resiliency, the way she leans on the Lord and her courage in the face of adversity are all admirable traits that I found so appealing. And so does Kyle. Only there’s all kinds of complications — like keeping the witness alive!

A plot full of twists and turns that kept me engaged up to the very last page.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Eliminating the Witness, 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 July 15 , 2023.

A Sweethaven Summer + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

Campbell Carter has come to Sweethaven in search of answers about her mother’s history. Just before losing a battle with cancer, Suzanne Carter sent letters to childhood friends from her hometown of Sweethaven, Michigan. Suzanne’s three friends — Lila, Jane, and Meghan — haven’t spoken in years, yet each has pieces of a scrapbook they made together as girls. Suzanne’s letters have lured them all back to the idyllic lakeside town, where they meet Campbell and begin to remember what was so special about their long Sweethaven summers. As the scrapbook reveals secrets from the past, old wounds are mended, lives are changed, and friendships are restored — just as Suzanne intended.

My Review:

published in 2012

Somehow I completely missed an entire Courtney Walsh series! (Hanging my head in bibliophile shame.) I discovered this book on audible and just had to dive in. Excellent narration by Vaness Daniels – she delivers all the emotion and angst in perfect detail. And, since this is a Courtney Walsh book, you know there’s gotta be some angst!

Told from multiple points of view — we get both the past and present in compelling snippets that lead to redemption and hope. Largely through twenty-four year old Campbell’s POV as she comes to grips with the death of her mother and the quest to discover who her father is. But we hear from the women, now in their early forties, who summered together in Sweethaven all through their teens. And everyone has secrets! I’d classify it as Women’s Fiction with romantic elements.

This is a great introduction to the town of Sweethaven and the series. From reading the synopses of the next three books, I get the feeling that each story builds on the previous one. There is some wonderful closure in the lives of some of these characters, but there’s also a cliffhanger ending for one plot thread. Not enough to discourage a reader who likes her endings all wrapped up with a bow. More like an enticing teaser for the next book. 🙂

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Sweethaven Summer, 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 July 22 , 2023.

A Friend to Trust + Giveaway

A special K-9. A troubled child. Can their bond heal the past?
Pastor Nate Fisher is confident he can handle a bunch of teenagers and ignore his attraction to camp codirector Hayley Harris for the summer. That is, until he learns a camper with an emotional support dog is the child Hayley placed for adoption thirteen years ago. When a misunderstanding brings Hayley and Nate closer together, keeping the secret becomes impossible. But will the truth reunite a family…or destroy Hayley’s trust forever?

My Review:

This is part (14th) of the hopefully never-ending K-9 Companion series — standalone novels that are connected through the theme of companion /service dogs. But ‘A Friend to Trust’ is also the third book Lee Tobin McClain has set at the Bright Tomorrows Residential Academy — a school for troubled boys. It can easily be read as a standalone, but there are some exciting cameos from earlier books which I found all kinds of fun.

As usual, this author delivers emotional angst mixed with faith and hope in a spellbinding way. Noah (love a single pastor hero!) and Hayley have adapted their idea of future based on circumstances in their past and it’s a struggle to let old demons go in order to trust in God’s forgiveness. It’s especially refreshing to read about a pastor who, though strong in faith, has difficulties in applying the same counsel he gives his parishioners to his own life. He’s also ex-military which carries its own unique challenges.

This is a friends-to-more trope, though Hayley’s prickly reaction to Noah’s camp involvement puts up barriers — she has her reasons, misguided though they may be.

Lots of summer activities and, of course, Samoyed Snowflake steals the show time and time again. (I have a personal Samoyed bff and I can’t wait to tell her all bout this canine heroine. I’m sure she’ll be impressed.)

I absolutely adore this series and the diversity and unique storytelling the authors bring through the various services the dogs provide. Entertaining and informative!

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 A Friend to Trust, 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 July 15, 2023.

The Thing About Home + Giveaway

Home is not a place—it’s a feeling. Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame—the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina’s Lowcountry hoping to find long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share.

What Casey doesn’t expect is a postcard-worthy property on a three-hundred-acre farm, history, culture, and a love of sweet tea. She spends her days caring for the land and her nights cooking much needed Southern comfort foods. She also meets Nigel, the handsome farm manager whose friendship has become everything she’s never had. And then there are the secrets her mother can no longer hide.

Through the pages of her great-grandmother’s journals, Casey discovers her roots run deeper than the Lowcountry soil. She learns that she has people. A home. A legacy to uphold. And a great new love story—if only she is brave enough to leave her old life behind.

My Review:

Gobsmacked. That’s me. And a bit addlepated and unsure of how to convey the emotional connection I made with this story. Riveting. An unexpected dual timeline (courtesy of Casey’s great-grandmother) made for an even richer read and really highlighted the powerful legacy that comes through family. And, oh my, but did Casey need that!

Truth: I really didn’t like Casey on first meet. Social Media Influencer making pouty faces at the camera over every little twist and turn in her life? Uh, shudder, no thank you. I expected shallow, self-absorbed and while she isn’t that bad…it’s pretty close. Hmmm, I thought, how am I going to relate to this heroine and care about her story? Why because of Rhonda McKnight’s astounding storytelling, that’s how! Because she lets us see into Casey’s vulnerabilities and challenges right away. I may not have liked her life style/values, but I could totally see how she got there. I mean, there really wasn’t any other option, given her micro-managing mother! Gah, but I wanted to purse whomp that woman a time or two (or three or…)

Basically, Casey’s online and personal lives implode and she’s on the run. Straight down to South Carolina’s Low Country with some vague hope of finding her father’s people. (One of my purse whomping urges comes courtesy of Casey’s mother keeping her completely away from her deceased father’s familyI) What follows is the kind of story that burrows into your heart and takes up residence. The kind that will stay with you forever.

Great-Grandmother Odessa’s scenes from the late 1800s give even more depth to Casey’s story. I’m going to call ‘The Thing About Home’ a coming of age story even though Casey is thirty-six years old. This is her awakening — when she comes to terms with her past and starts to understand how her future balances on all the lives that came before. A heritage of strong woman; a descendent of enslaved people. Survivors. Prayer warriors. Over-comers. And she’s blessed to be able to learn from Odessa’s journals and her very own 99 years young ‘Granna’ who has so much wisdom to share. I could write a whole review just on Granna!

Here I am, rambling on and I haven’t even touched on Nigel yet! So…Swoon. Thud. And repeat! He’s the kind of hero that curls your toes and melts your heart. He’s funny and flirty and comes with his own interesting back story which made this read all the more enthralling.

Gah — there’s so much more I’d like to say about this novel. So many interesting talking-points would make it a phenomenal book club selection. It definitely holds an honoured place on my Keeper Shelf. The kind of story I know I can get even more out of with a second reading. The ‘Granna-isms” alone are worth further reflection!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com 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 Thing About Home, 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 July 15 , 2023.

Tunnel Creek Ambush + Giveaway

Danger lurks in the shadows…
and a police dog is keeping watch

Officer Jasper Holt never thought he’d see his high school girlfriend, Kinsley Miller, again—much less become her protector. But when the wildlife biologist returns home for her aunt’s funeral, she’s attacked twice in a matter of hours. With his K-9 partner at his side, the single father will protect Kinsley with his life. But can they uncover the reason behind the assaults…before the next strike becomes the last?

My Review:

Reunion romance of high school sweethearts + action and adventure all wrapped up in a K-9 suspense? Yes please! Lots of elements to lure me in and Johnson’s writing style kept me hooked. Oh — and I love that Kinsley is a wildlife biologist. You can tell the author appreciates all creatures great and small…even the squirmy kind! I enjoyed the wilderness aspects of this story and how the setting added to the suspenseful elements.

‘Tunnel Creek Ambush ‘starts out with the ambush — a nail-biting scene that sets the tone for the rest of the book. Loved the perplexing mystery that keep Kinsley and Jasper stymied while they dodge multiple attacks of an imaginative nature. Fast-paced with enough breathing room to toss in some banter and soul-searching. The kind of read you can’t put down until the cutest ever epilogue promises a happily-ever-after.

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 Tunnel Creek Ambush, 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 July 15 2023.

To Write a Wrong + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read


Miss Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer by day, inquiry agent by night. Known for her ability to puzzle out plots, she happily works behind the scenes for the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, staying well away from danger. However, when Mr. Herman Henderson arrives on the doorstep of the agency, desperate for someone to investigate numerous attempts on his life, Daphne soon finds herself in the thick of a case she’s determined to solve.

Mr. Herman Henderson is also a mystery writer, but unlike the dashing heroes he pens, he prefers living a quiet life, determined to avoid the fate of his adventurous parents, who perished while searching for the Lost City of Gold.

As the list of suspects grows and sinister plots are directed at Daphne, the situation quickly deteriorates, and a revealed secret jeopardizes their newfound affection. Only time will tell if Daphne will be able to regain Herman’s trust and save both their lives.

My Review:

published in 2021

These authors! Just when you think they can’t get any more brilliant they publish another book that defies description and you’re left scrambling for words to fill a review. Let’s call me gobsmacked and call it quits. 🙂

I laughed so hard I’m checking sit-ups off my exercise routine ’cause my belly got that much of a workout being pummeled inside out from hearty guffaws. Zany. Outrageous. Witty. Glib. I can’t wipe the silly grin off my face. This book is destined to lift your spirits and lighten your load. 

I can honestly say I never imagined myself swooning over a Herman but swoon I did. 🙂 He’s a man who doesn’t think of himself as hero material which makes him all the more alluring. And he’s a writer! And avid reader!! And he’s forward thinking enough to be willing to hire a women’s investigation agency! 

Speaking of which…that meet-cute is hysterical! The way Turano writes the dizzying twists and turns that make up conversations involving Daphne is priceless! I’m kind of worried that I was beginning to follow her rabbit trails of thought bursts by the end. She often leaves everyone around her muddled until she concludes with a brilliant solution that suddenly makes sense out of everything she said previously. So much fun to read!

As is always the case with a Turano novel there is a huge cast of quirky secondary characters who bring even more chaos and mayhem to the mix! And there’s a house party full of them in this novel. Which means the whodunit possibilities are endless. The suspense thread is just as light-hearted and amusing as the rest of the story, for all that someone is trying to kill Herman! It’s a clever plot with multiple surprises.

I  listened to the audible edition of To Write a Wrong and enjoyed Andrea Emmes interpretation of Jen Turano’s characters. She captured them all to sweet perfection.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy and available to any reader anywhere — so, yay an International Giveaway

If you would like a chance to win a copy of one of To Write a Wrong, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a 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 July 15 2023. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

The Cowboy’s Little Secret + Giveaway

To keep his child’s nanny
He’ll have to let down his guard

The last thing struggling cattle rancher Austin Watkins needs, or wants, is for his son’s nanny to quit. But Cassie Berber longs to follow her dreams. The solution seems simple: prove to Cassie she can have the life she’s always wanted right here in their small town. There’s just one problem—Austin has a secret. And the only way to get Cassie to stay is to tell the truth…

A Wyoming Ranchers Romance

My Review:

What a stunning conclusion to the Wyoming Ranchers series — but — sob! — it’s the last time we get to visit with these guys and their gals and that’s all kinds of sad. Each book can be read independently, but I love the way the author brings the whole group together in every story. Supportive friends who have created strong ties in their ‘found family’ and they keep it growing with wives and babies which has made for some fun reading. 🙂

I love the vulnerability we see in Austin. The opening scene is pretty gut wrenching and I immediately felt as overwhelmed as he did and then, the one right thing in his life is suddenly threatened.

That would be Cassie’s desire to move on. She’s been the only nanny his son has ever known, and the anchor in his tumultuous rancher’s life. Only she doesn’t know that because he’s never told her. Basically, Austin isn’t good with change — especially the kind of change that happens when things are beyond his control. I can so relate to that.

Overcoming fears, looking for ways God is working in our lives instead of the ways He isn’t (or doesn’t seem to be) are some of the inspirational themes brought to life in this this touching inspirational romance. I enjoyed journeying with Austin and Cassie has they figure it all out.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway if for a gently read paperback — available to anyone, anywhere, so yay — an International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Cowboy’s Little Secret, 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 July 8, 2023.

Olympic Mountain Pursuit + Giveaway

Can this K-9 get a child to safety?

Four years ago, former US Marshal Jackson Dean left his job after falling for a witness—who’s suddenly the target of an assassin. Now it’s up to Jackson and his K-9 partner to protect single mom Everly Lopez and her young daughter when Everly’s identity is blown. But with hired killers looking for a payday, Jackson must use all his resources to stop them from silencing Everly permanently.

Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit

My Review:

Another compelling addition to this continuity series, though it reads wonderfully well as a standalone too. There’s an overarching suspense plot that slowly builds through all the books and won’t be solved until the last one, but each book has it’s own suspense and romance that come to satisfactory conclusions so you aren’t left with too much of a cliffhanger. 🙂

I really loved the way this story developed. Not as fast paced as many Love Inspired Suspense novels, but no less captivating — maybe even more so because of the unique pacing. There’s still plenty of action — but enough ‘down time’ in between to really get into the intricacies of the romance.

An almost-but-not-quite second chance love story. Jackson and Everly developed a close bond four years ago when he over saw her protection in the WITSEC programme. But, of course, those circumstances aren’t conducive to romance and we fast forward four years to a time when so much as changed for both of them.

I really appreciated Everly’s very real struggle with her anger towards God. I found those scenes so honest — emotionally raw — and very relatable. Moving and inspiring.

I listened to the audible edition of Olympic Mountain Pursuit, expertly narrated by Cindy Kay. I’m beyond thrilled that the whole series is available on audible and I have them all pre-ordered and ready to start listening to the day they release. A special kind of bibliophile thrill.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com 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 Olympic Mountain Pursuit, 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 July 8 , 2023.