Category: Book Review

Dear Henry, Love Edith + Giveaway

After a short and difficult marriage, recently widowed Edith Sherman has learned her lesson. Forget love. Forget marriage. She plans to fill her thirties with adventure. As she awaits the first paperwork for a humanitarian trip to South Africa, she accepts a short-term nursing position in a small Midwestern town. The last thing she needs is a handsome local catching her eye. How inconvenient is that?

Henry Hobbes isn’t exactly thrilled to have Edith, who he assumes is an elderly widow, dumped on him as a houseguest for the summer. But he’d do almost anything for his niece, who is practically like a sister to him given how close they are in age. Especially since Edith will be working nights and Henry works most days. When he and Edith keep missing each other in person, they begin exchanging notes — short messages at first, then longer letters, sharing increasingly personal parts of their lives.

By the time Henry realizes his mistake — that Edith is actually the brown-eyed beauty he keeps bumping into around town — their hearts are so intertwined he hopes they never unravel. But with her departure rapidly approaching, and Henry’s roots firmly planted at home, Edith must ultimately decide if the adventure of her dreams is the one right in front of her.

My Review:

I’m flabbergasted! And gobsmacked. And besotted over Becca Kinzer’s incredible comedic gift. She gets the ‘beats’ just right and the way she creates mass confusion out of a simple sentence uttered by the hapless Edith…or Henry…reaches new levels of hilarity. Helped, I think, by the sublime performance of narrator Liam DiCosimo. He gets all the voices right — and there are a ton of small town neighbours who aren’t shy about sticking their oar in at the most inopportune time. I laughed so hard! Hardy guffaws in the grocery store which got me all kinds of wary looks. (I usually stop listening to an audio book when I’m out in the masses but I couldn’t leave myself dangling at a pertinent point in the story.)

So, if you are looking for a light-hearted read, this is it. But there’s depth too. In the characters and their situations. Their back stories and the issues they wrestle with. But it’s the kind of angst you can chuckle through as well as wince over.

I thought the faith thread was so relatable. Edith is searching for an adventure through mission work. She’s determined to make a difference, do something significant with her life only to discover that those she serves actually serve her best. Henry is battling with feelings of not measuring up to his family name. He’s significantly younger than his older brother, hence the niece who is a mere two years younger than him. Both hero and heroine battle with self-doubt and their journey towards trusting God…and themselves…with the future He plans for them is inspiring.

And then there’s romance and witty banter and toe-curling kisses. I mean, really, can you ask for anything more from a rom/com?!

GIVEAWAY OPPORUNTITY:

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

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Dear Henry, Love Edith, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you leave your email in a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw vie email, please add the book title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 11 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Yesterday’s Tides + Giveaway

In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations.

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same — until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie’s inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling’s injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he’s tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper’s daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling’s lives in World War II, it seems yesterday’s tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

My Review:

I have no words. Seriously speechless but heart-filled and gobsmacked and wondering what I’m going to do now that this book is over. Yesterday’s Tides (such an apt title — love when a story and title are a perfect match!) is the kind of read that you want to linger over and rush through all at the same time. I mean, I didn’t want it to end but I couldn’t wait to get to the ending!

I love Roseanna M. White’s books, but this might just be her best yet. And such a thrill to encounter some fave characters from previous series in this one! Though, no worries if you haven’t met them, it will totally make sense anyway — just gave me an extra thrill of bibliophile bliss!

And — squeeeeaaaalllll — this is a dual timeline story set in two historical eras. And the way past and ‘present’ mesh together is breathtakingly beautiful and filled with some unique twists. Two heroines. Two heroes. Two world wars. The clash of conflict over race and class. (Gah, but I was spitting-nails-furious in places!) Absolutely stunning. And unputdownable.

I listened to the audible edition expertly narrated by Pilar Witherspoon. Her performance kept me riveted through to the very last world.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Yesterday’s Tides, 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 4 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Critical Threat + Giveaway

FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley tracks serial killers, using her skills as a psychiatrist and behavioural analyst to get dangerous people off the street and safely behind bars. But prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe knows that just because a killer is incarcerated doesn’t mean they’re not a threat. His own father, Peter, is a serial killer — in prison but certainly not out of Sam’s life, as much as he wishes he was.

When bodies start showing up with Peter’s MO, Sam and Grace are both called in to consult. They’ve met before — and though Grace thought they’d made a real connection, Sam ghosted her. They’ll have to get past the awkwardness and mistrust to solve this case — especially because it’s about to get personal.

My Review:

Wowzers! This one crept out of my comfort zone a wee bit, ’cause serial killers aren’t a favourite suspense trope of mine. My all too active imagination ran riot with the thriller-ish aspects of this story. Plus there’s a rather gruesome murder detail that isn’t overtly described but just knowing about it raised the creep factor for me. But, this is Lynette Eason and her characters are so real and relatable that I couldn’t resist.

Lots of edge-of-your-seat moments that include heart-stopping near misses and ominous foreshadowing which made me rush through the read. Well, listen, actually — I enjoyed Sheryl Sheckells’ gripping narration. Made it seem all the more real to me which is both a good thing and a bad thing. 🙂

One of Eason’s many talents is the way she creates characters who are honest and vulnerable and flawed. And then she gives them complicated back stories and throws them into a vortex of chaos and mayhem. She really is an evil genius, at least, I bet that’s how her characters think of her!

Both Sam and Grace have complex family issues which add a whole other level of angst to their lives. I loved the way they respected each other’s boundaries, willing to listen but open to waiting for the ‘right time’. They never pushed for more but they also didn’t shy away from sharing for long. Such a rich, emotionally laden romance that felt believable.

Critical Threat is the third book in Extreme Measures series but it can easily be read as a standalone. And, yay, we have a fourth book to look forward to later this year and it’s going to have a stalkerish vibe! Can’t wait for Countdown’s release this summer!

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 Critical Threat, 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 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

What Happens Next + Giveaway

Everyone has a story, and maybe everyone needs a little help toward healing.

Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy — but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she’s asked to spotlight her childhood best friend’s missing person case on her podcast.

Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her old daughter intervenes, she agrees to counselling and to pack up her missing daughter’s belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.

As the long-abandoned investigation moves forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?

My Review:

Enthralling is an apt descriptor for this unputdownable novel. I stayed up until midnight (which might not sound late to you, but I’m of the early to be, early to rise mindset) to finish reading What Happens Next because…well…I needed to know what happened next! And, oh, what an incredibly emotional read! My heart felt like it had been yanked out of my chest and stomped on and then crammed back in — upside down and inside out. 🙂

The story is told from three points of view: Dora (the mother of the missing girl) and Faith (the childhood friend) in present day and from Heather in occasional flashbacks to that fateful summer. They flow together beautifully, building tension and plot while delivering emotional sucker punches left and right.

And there are so many layers to each character, which kept me on tenterhooks as well. I could sympathize with each of them and it was easy to lose myself in the drama unfolding right in front of me. At least, it felt like I was there, living out that long ago summer and this present day one, my heart on my sleeve.

Mesmerizing. Captivating. Unforgettable.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of What Happens Next, 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 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.