Category: Book Review

All That I Dread + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO READ

After a tragic loss, Jessica Chamberlain changes jobs, moves, and adopts a rowdy German Shepherd. The two begin training with a Virginia search-and-rescue group. The group’s training director, Nathan Tanner, is a former military working dog handler with scars of his own and he quickly picks up on Jess’s ongoing anxiety. After the unexpected discovery of a body in the woods, Jess and her dog and Nate are drawn into the FBI’s search for an abductor targeting women. Tormented by her past and terrified of the future, Jess still forges ahead. Can the secrets of her late father give her the courage she needs to continue?

My Review:

published in 2019

Wow. New-to-me author (an instagram discovery) and I am hooked on her storytelling style! It puts me in mind of Carrie Stuart Parks — has that same depth and grittiness infused with faith. The author digs deep to push past layers of characterization that is raw and real and emotionally sucker punching at times. And she draws out Jessica’s backstory with intriguing hints of foreshadowing. I was on tenterhooks trying to put the puzzle pieces together and once I knew everything….whoa!!!!

The K-9 details are incredibly well done. I knew a bit about Search and Rescue from other suspense novels, but there are so many new elements (at least to me) addressed in this story. Jess’s K-9 is a work-in-progress. Mischievous Luke makes for an endearing four-legged hero — good for laughs, ‘ahhh’ moments and heroic Lassie flare. 🙂

Told from three points of view, the author expertly weaves disparate lives together in a compelling way. Faith might be considered a fourth POV as inspirational subplots interlace throughout. Powerful. Moving. Redemptive. Healing. I was as captivated by Jess’s faith journey as I was the suspense.

I enjoyed listening to the audible edition of All That I Dread, narrated by Vanessa Daniels. She has the right ‘voice’ for Jessica and the rest of these characters and enhanced my ‘reading’ pleasure.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of All that I Dread, 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 March 4 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

A Steadfast Companion + Giveaway

Offering a helping hand…could give him everything he needs.

Fighting his way back from a troubled past, handyman Angus “Witt” Wittenbauer needs refuge. When do sanctuary owner Maddie McNeill needs someone to fix her kennel’s roof, it seems like the answer to his prayers, especially when he’s reunited with his long lost dog, Ranger. His growing friendship with Maddie hints at the promise of something more, but will Witt ever feel deserving of love again?

K-9 Companions

My Review:

Oh my — gobsmacked over this emotional romance that tugged at my heart and buoyed up my spirits. I got teary-eyed on page 24 and that wasn’t the only time during this read. Witt’s story is so…gah, I can’t say anything without sharing spoilers so all I will say is you’d have to have a heart of stone to not feel a connection with this hero!

And the whole idea of a dog sanctuary, where aging, ailing or ‘unadoptable’ dogs can find a fur-ever home. Well, there goes the waterworks again! But Maddie has been struggling to bounce back from some losses and the sanctuary is perilously low on funds. She needs a miracle and that might just be Witt. You’ll have to read the book to find out.

This Love Inspired features ‘older’ (than the norm, anyway) characters. Witt is fifty-one and Maddie is in her mid forties or so. I was surprised at how much depth that brought to the story because that’s a lot of life lived, mistakes made, struggles to overcome…well, it just made this romance that much richer. And the redemptive faith thread is so beautiful.

Absolutely stunning addition to the multi-authored K-9 Companions series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Steadfast Companion, 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 February 25, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Miss Newbury’s List

Before Rosalind weds, she wants to experience ten things. Meeting Charlie wasn’t on her list.

England 1820

Rosalind Newbury is counting down the days until her wedding to the Duke of Marlow, a man she has only met twice, and she knows exactly how she wants to spend her time. As a child, Rod created a list of ten things to do before her wedding day. So far, she had done none of them.

She is determined to tackle each item, though she’ll have to accomplish them all in secret. After all, a soon-to-be-duchess is not usually allowed to bury treasure in the pasture, eat sweets all day, or learn how to swim. She enlists the help of her best friend, Liza, who brings along her cousin, Charlie, a prodigal son-turned-boxer who has come to the countryside to mend his reputation and learn how to be his father’s heir.

Together, the three of them work to complete the list, and as each item is crossed off, an unlikely friendship blossoms between Ros and Charlie. The more time they spend together, the more Ros falls in love with this imperfect man and his good heart.

With he wedding looming, Ros must decide to either admit her romantic feelings for Charlie and risk her family’s future, or keep her promise to marry the duke and start a new life as a noblewoman.

My Review:

Sqqqqquuuueeeeaaallllll! That is an ear-splitting shriek of bookish glee over this enchanting Regency Romance. I am charmed. And besotted. And so giddy that I can’t wipe the Cheshire grin off my face. Absolute perfection from pacing to plot. Not to mention characterization and all the toe-curling swoonyness of it all!

And, oh, the banter! My favourite part of Regency Romances and Walker delivers it in spades. Witty and clever and highly entertaining. Laughed out loud so many times. (I listened to the audible edition narrated by the incredible Justine Eyre(!) and, once again, got curious stares as I walked around the neighbourhood overcome by snorts and guffaws. I’d be considered a scandal in Regency times.)

Honestly don’t think a Regency comes any better than this.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Miss Newbury’s List, 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 February 25 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Ranch Under Fire

A witness on the run. A mission to survive.

Fleeing after witnessing a shooting in her office, Bailey Scott must rely on cowboy Jackson Walker for protection when the gunman turns his sights on her. With a drug ring determined to silence her, Jackson promises to protect her at his ranch. But he’s an undercover DEA agent with secrets he can’t reveal. Can he take down the criminals before their pursuers lead them straight into an inescapable trap?

My Review:

High stakes. High octane. High stress. A new edge-of-your-seat LIS author for me to start following. I couldn’t be happier ’cause I always have room on my TBR for stellar authors who write the unputdownable kind of suspense I so love reading. And, phew! This one had me turning pages until the read was over…in one sitting.

Love the way Wheeler set up the opening scene. A normal, if harried, day for our heroine until — wham — it isn’t! And then the tension mounts and the investigation begins. And Jackson being undercover makes things that much more complicated in the romance department. And, while this isn’t labeled as a series, I checked the author’s website and she does have a follow up novel coming out in August. Eeeep! I ams so there for more perilous adventuring with Tina Wheeler.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Ranch Under Fire, 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 easier for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 25 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Pink Bonnet + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

A desperate mother searches for her child.

Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbour puts little Millie Mae into he clutches of Georgia Tank, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’t Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Mille uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.

How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?

My Review:

published in 2019

I was first introduced to Georgia Tann and the Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal through Lisa Wingate’s heart-rending novel, Before We Were Yours. I was fascinated and appalled during that read and experienced similar emotions over The Pink Bonnet.

This isn’t light fiction by any means, though the author does manage to infuse the story with hope. So many angst-riddled emotions stirred up inside of me while I lived every desperate second right alongside Cecile. Tolsma does an amazing job of capturing every dark emotion and the stark desperation of a mother searching for her kidnapped child. Cecile is relentless, her steely resolve propelling her forward in an investigation that becomes more daring and dangerous with every passing day.

And the way the levels of deceit and corruption are slowly uncovered…just chilling! Georgia Tann (an unconscionable monster of the vilest sort) had cooperation on every level of government and social class. The way she disparaged the poor (in the middle of a depression no less!) and saw them as unworthy of raising their own children, kidnapping and selling those children without a thought for the grieving families left behind. Never mind caring about what type of conditions many of the children were sold into. And her ‘work’ went on for 25 years! It just boggles the mind.

And all that ugliness is exposed in these pages. But there are triumphs too. And redemption. Percy’s story was particularly riveting. A legal assistant duped by Georgia Tann, he slowly begins to question her methods and reasoning and struggles with his own past trauma and need to become a successful lawyer…but at what cost?

A haunting page-turner.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This copy is for a paperback or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

If you would like a the opportunity to win a copy of The Pink Bonnet, 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. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 25 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Defending Honor + Giveaway

Brains. Beauty. Boldness. The Elite Guardians will keep you safe.

Laila Rabinowitz is all business. Tough and stoic, she was the perfect Massad agent…until a terrible betrayal led to her words nightmare. Being a bodyguard with the Elite Guardians allows her to keep her heart safe — she’ll never let anyone close enough to betray her again. And she’s certainly not going to trust anyone who doesn’t earn it.

Billionaire and former playboy Whittaker walked away from his famous family after a terrible event, but then his father and brother are killed in a suspicious boating accident. Since he’s next in line to helm the family business, now someone wants him dead.

Preston needs 24/7 protection, and the only solution is a fake marriage. In order to keep him safe, Laila will have to convince everyone that she and Preston are in love. She’s used to putting her life on the line for a client. But, what will this case cost her heart?

Book three of the riveting, high-octane world of the Elite Guardians reboot!

My Review:

Phew — this one got my ire up on so many levels! I am totally not into all things rich and famous or reality stars with skewed values and this story is rife with that. Poor Preston! No wonder he fled his noxious family but now he’s back, reluctantly taking charge of the business empire which puts a target on his back. Loved the intrigue, there were just so many truly dreadful characters to line up as suspects. So many shallow, manipulative, conniving…gah! Like I said, ire up the whole read through.

Laila put me in mind of Ziva of NCIS fame. She has the same kind of grit and determination and aloofness that hides so much hurt. And she’s really good with the Ninja moves. And the pretend marriage trope is sooooo much fun! Equal parts toe-curling and anxiety inducing.

And the suspense was really good. Hooray to me for pegging the villain before our intrepid hero and heroine. But that was after discarding so many other possibilities. This one kept me on my toes. And there’s a gripping scene at the end that sent shudders through me. Very creepy.

An exciting addition to the Elite Guardians Collection.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Defending Honor, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT Yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, please 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 easier to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 25 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Solid as Steele + Giveaway

He lost his memory…

Mackenzie Steele has been instrumental in keeping Steele Guardians afloat, working long hours for months. Nearing burn out, her family encourages her to take a vacation, and she reluctantly agrees. She needs solitude and quiet, and a vacation rental home in the Oregon desert is just the ticket. But she’s no sooner unpacked her bags when a man lands on her doorstep. A man who can’t remember his identity or why he’s there. All they know is that the name Owen seems familiar to him.

But will finding it bring a killer to her doorstep.

Mackenzie shouldn’t trust this man, but something about his earnestness draws her to him and she agrees to help him determine his identity. When her rental home is bombarded with bullets, she knows she’s accepted a task that could turn deadly, and she should walk away. But by this time, her deepening connection with the stranger keeps her firmly rooted at his die, and she can only pray that she won’t regret her potentially life-altering decision.

My Review:

First, who knew that there was a desert in Oregon? Not this Canadian, that’s for sure. So, great setting, including some wilderness adventuring. And we’re also introduced to a band of brothers who run an outdoor wilderness adventure business and I am heartily hoping that their inclusion might be a foreshadowing of a future series! Please, please, please!

But, I digress. Best opening line ever: “The body lying on the front porch wasn’t included in MacKenzie Steele’s vacation home rental.” Bwahahahaha! And we’re off and racing through pages of adventure and danger and toe-curling romance! And didn’t Susan Sleeman go and bewitch me by turning a not-so-favourite trope of mine into something dazzlingly clever?!

I think I might have to stop saying I’m not an amnesia trope fan now. It’s done so well, and with a fresh slant too which makes it all the more interesting. Loved MacKenzie’s reaction to meeting Owen and that she was smart and sensible about it (you have to read the book to find out what I mean.)

And then I was in sheer bibliophile delight all the way to the end as Sleeman delivered her iconic blend of family, faith, humour and suspense. And I loved all the investigative details — along with some exciting cameos from previous series.

I listened to the audible edition of Solid as Steele, narrated by Whitney Dykehouse (who does all of Susan Sleeman’s audio books and I love the giddy ‘home coming’ feeling I get when I start listening to a new book.)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Solid as Steele, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you leave an email in your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. I 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 announce don Saturday February 18 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Gentleman Physician + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

A second chance Regency Romance

“I didn’t really understand what love was. I didn’t know what it meant, that I should’ve fought harder for it.”

Banished from home by her angry father, Julie Devon travels to Bath to fulfill her role as family spinster by assisting her cousins, Lady Macon, in caring for her dying husband.

Nathaniel Hastings’s life runs in a predictable pattern, until a routine visit to one of his ailing patients brings him face to face with Julia, the woman who broke his heart five years before in London.

Julia and Nathaniel find themselves unlikely allies as they work together to tend to the family’s needs, fend off Lady Macon’s scheming brother-in-law, and avoid confronting the pain of their shared past. But could this accidental meeting be their second chance at love?

My Review:

published in 2018

Sometimes a reader just needs to lose herself in everything that is wonderful in a Regency Romance and when that mood hits, Sally Britton is definitely the author to reach for. In fact, she’s on my short list of authors I want to catch up with in 2023 so expect to see more of her books here in the future.

And this one is sheer perfection. Starting with — squuueeeeaaaaaallll — the second chance romance trope, which is done so well. My heart felt every ache and tug and the way the author develops the reacquainting of Julia and Nathaniel is absolutely divine. I felt the shock of their first meeting, the scattered thoughts, the battered equilibrium as they come to grips with not only seeing each other after five years, but having to work together for the greater good of a grieving family.

I was on delicious romantical tenterhooks all the way through! From the stilted conversations that slowly grow warmer as time passes to the barest hint of an eye twinkle and the wrenching sighs of pent up longing. Well, it is best to indulge in this read while reclining on your fainting couch and devouring chocolate bonbons (the better for keeping your strength up to deal with these broken hearts.)

No worries though, despite the more serious tone of this romance, there are light-hearted moments as well. And some truly comedic ones when poor Nathaniel receives love life advice from best his friend.

This is the second book in the Branches of Love series but can readily be enjoyed as a standalone novel. It’s definitely a series I intend to be reading more from very soon.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Gentleman Physician, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, please 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 February 18, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Secret Society of Salzburg + Giveaway

Based on true event, this is a gripping and heart-wrenching story of two very different women united to bring light to the darkest days of World War II

London, 1933

At first glance, Austrian opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun has little in common with the young English typist she encounters on tour. Yet she and Hattie Featherstone forge an instant connection — and strike a dangerous alliance. Using their friendship as a cover, they form a secret society with a daring goal: to reduce as many Jews as possible from Nazi persecution.

Though the war’s outbreak threatens Elsa and Hattie’s network, their efforts attract the covert attention of the British government, which offers more opportunities to thwart the Germans. But Elsa’s growing fame as Hitler’s favourite opera singer and her secret Jewish ancestry make her both a weapon and a target — until her future, too, hangs int he balance.

From the glamorous stages of Covent Garden and Salzburg to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen, two ordinary women swept up by the tide of war discover an extraordinary friendship — and the courage to save countless lives.

My Review:

I’m emotionally wrung out after this kind of read, but filled with hope too. Because people like Elsa and Hattie actually lived and risked their own lives to stand up against the horrors of Hitler’s regime. I always come away humbled after reading about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the greater good. And, okay, you might not classify a famous opera singer as ‘ordinary’ but Elsa’s immense talent only masks the vulnerability and tender heart of this very real, flawed woman.

I was intrigued to learn that the author’s inspiration for this story comes from real-life sisters, Ida and Louise Cook, British citizens who rescued 29 Jews from the Nazis through out the 1930s. There’s even a book about them which I’ve put on hold from my library. Love, love, love when fiction inspires me to do some research!

Renee Ryan has brought something fresh to the World War II genre. I’m not an opera fan at all(!) but this book almost makes me want to revisit that opinion. Elsa’s life on the stage contrasted with Hattie’s more ordinary existence which created extra depth and breadth to the story. And a lot happens in both women’s lives since this book spans more than a decade!

The story starts in 1943 with an ominous foreshadowing scene, then goes back to the 1930s and progresses chronologically with occasional leaps back to the crucial event in 1943. So, in a way this could be considered a dual timeline story, though both are historical and only years apart. It’s very artfully done and makes for a compelling read.

Rich characterization, heart wrenching stories and even a gentle romance all contribute to make this an incredible unputdownable read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of The Secret Society of Salzburg, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you leave an email in 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 easier to spot your entry. Draw will held and winner announced on Saturday February 18 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Coming Home + Giveaway

When an army vet becomes a firefighter in small-town Colorado, the flames of an old love reignite in this sweet romance by bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray.

In Woodland Park, a small town nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak, Anderson Kelly and Chelsea Davis were once the high school “it” couple — the star quarterback and the cheerleader. They broke up when Anderson joined the army, and one poor decision at a college party changed Chelsea’s like. Now she works long shifts in a senior center to support her eight-year-old son, Jack.

After multiple tours in Afghanistan, Anderson has changed too. Physically scarred but mentally strong, he decides to move back to Woodland Park. Anderson and Chelsea steer clear of each other to avoid reopening old wounds, until they are forced to reconnect through the senior center. They soon discover that the love they once shared never completely vanished. But it will take a fire, a dangerous collision, and the love of one little boy to help Anderson and Chelsea see that the future they’ve always yearned for is in sight…

My Review:

A whole romance series featuring fire-fighter army veterans?! Yes please!!!! And Coming Home is the perfect introduction to this crew and the community they serve. I’m super excited about this series.

Love the reunion romance trope and Gray writes it well with just the right balance of angst and new hope. Anderson and Chelsea have grown up quite a bit since their high school days, both dealing with life experiences that have transformed them. Once they stop avoiding each other, they ease into a wary friendship that gradually blossoms into something more. Love that they meet challenges head on — choosing to discuss issues rather than stew over misconceptions…for the most part! 🙂

There’s a nice blend of action and romance and I particularly enjoyed all the details as far as the day in the life of a fire-fighter goes. From the mundane to the heroic, the author showcases the career in a positive and realistic light.

And the community of Woodland Park is definitely a place I’d like to visit. There are some wonderful secondary characters, including a bonus senior romance, that added to my reading enjoyment.

Waiting with bated breath now for the second book in the Woodland Park Firefighers series which comes out in August of this year.

P.S. Can you spot the heart in the picture? That’s my nod to Valentine’s Day!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy, reader’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Coming 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 February 11 2023. Offer open to International Readers..