Kav's Best Reads

Heart of the Glen + Giveaway

Can the lonely thread of her life be woven into a new and finer pattern?

When Saoirse Fagan arrives at Drumboe Castle to start her new job as housemaid, she is dismayed to learn that the lord of the house passed away a week prior. Already running from the tragedy that claimed the lives of her family members, Saoirse wanders the road through the darkening glen with nowhere to go until Aileen McCready offers her a lift and a place to stay for the night.

Aileen’s brother, sheep farmer and weaver Owen McCready, is known for his intricate and impeccably woven tweed. But when he’s injured, his entire livelihood is endangered. A new–and distracting–mouth to feed adds fuel to the fire, and Owen struggles to keep his family afloat. Though Saoirse is eager to help, even offering to learn the weaving craft, Owen is hesitant to accept aid from this strange young woman, no matter how inexplicably magnetic he finds her.

But Saoirse is not one to give up easily. She’s determined to convince the McCreadys that they need her–perhaps as much as she needs them.

My Review:

Happy sigh. ‘Ireland’ is a fictional buzz word for me so I might still be a tad shy of giddy after reading ‘Heart of the Glen’. Deibel has created the kind of atmospheric setting that seeps all the way into a reader’s soul, making this the kind of immersive read that easily transports you to another time and place.

And, eeeeeeppppp, this story comes complete with a brooding hero which makes it all the more tantalizing. I mean, who wouldn’t want to armchair travel to Ireland in the company of a brooding hero, right? Owen is the strong, silent type and totally lovable despite his grumpy, taciturn self. He just needs someone like Saoirse to soften his rough edges.

She arrives in the glen at the worst possible time…or so, Owen thinks in the beginning. But events transpire to throw the two together and soon their lives become entwined in a delightfully complicated tangle. Their slow-burn romance makes for a sweetly fulfilling love story.

But it comes in the midst of challenges. There’s enough action and danger and conflict aplenty to keep an avid reader frantically reading into the wee hours of the night.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

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

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Heart of the Glen, 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 August 23 2025

Conversations With Kav – Summertime Book Chat + Giveaway

Can’t believe that I’m saying this but….it’s time to start wrapping up summer! Can’t say I’m not looking forward to the the change of seasons – I’m an Autumn baby so fall’s my favourite. In honour of the transition I thought it would be fun to take a look at our summer reading in review so I’ve prepared some questions that you’re at liberty to answer…or not. Answer one or two or all….but you might want to pay extra attention to the last questions ’cause there’s a giveaway attached to that one! So…here we go:

What was your first read of the summer (June – August) ?

Sadly, a three star book for me. Not a great start to my summer reading!

What was your most anticipated summer read? Doesn’t have to be a summer release, just a book you looked forward to reading this summer.

I was desperate to read this book in January when it released but at first it wasn’t available in Canada and then it was at a crazy price – $60. I kept checking the online bookstores and voila – the price finally went down to $12.00 earlier in the summer so I grabbed it! Now it’s back up to $35! Makes absolutely no sense. Glad I kept checking the website.

What was your most read genre this summer?

Can’t say I’m terribly surprise about this stat ’cause I have been craving mystery and suspense like crazy this summer. What shocked me was how many more contemporary romances I read versus Historical. I need to up my Historical reading in the fall!

Who was your Summer Book Boyfriend Crush?

There is something so toe-curling about a grumpy, gruff, bear of a guy who is completely besotted with his pint-size pixie of a daughter. I melted so many times! And when Emmett goes into full protective mode – whether on behalf of his daughter or Hazel – well, hand me a fan and clear off my fainting couch!

What was a summer book purchase?

Soooo many!!!!! I might have a bit of a bookish problem 🙂 so I’m sharing the latest one I bought…August 15th.

What book brightened your day?

The author’s signature humour shines throughout this story. So many laugh out loud moments! Often courtesy of a trio of unruly children, especially the youngest imp and her special frog friend. H-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.

Giveaway Question!

Share the title of a book you wish you’d read this summer in a comment or an email to me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. and I’ll add you to the draw. If you name is chosen, you will win a copy of that book. Please check out edition options available for your country:

US – your choice of a paperback or ebook edition

Canada – your choice of paperback, ebook or audible (where available)

International – ebook with a US Kindle account.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 23 2025.

August Giveaway – Week Three

Winners will be contacted if they left their email address, otherwise it’s up to the winner to contact me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca (please note it’s ca as in Canada, not com.) From time to time a winner and I do not connect so I have a one month time frame on giveaway wins. If I haven’t been able to reach you within 30 days of your win, it will be forfeited. This has happened a few times now, so please, DON’T BE SHY — CONTACT ME IF YOU DIDN’T LEAVE AN EMAIL OR IF I HAVEN’T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REACHING YOU!

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

SUNDAY

Conversations with Kav – a place for us to chat about bookish topics if anyone is so inclined. Sometimes there will be giveaways, sometimes there won’t. It will just depend on the topic of the day. Hope to see you there! Otherwise my inner book nerd and I will carry on by ourselves. Bwahaha!

To Love a Beast

Beauty & the Beast in 1800 Texas

Once known among New York’s elite as the American Adonis, Everett Griffin now lives as a recluse in the wilds of Texas. The treachery of a former admirer left his face and his spirit riddled with scars, so he hides himself away, his only companions a trio of trusted servants and an oversized dog. Locals whisper of the beastly man who lives in the gloomy manor outside of town and his tendency to attack anyone who dares approach. Everett relishes his fearsome reputation and uses it as a shield to guard his privacy. Until a young woman as stubborn as she is beautiful infiltrates his sanctum and lays siege to his defenses.

When an injury to her father jeopardizes the family’s book binding business, Callista Rosenfeld determines to fulfill the contract herself, and no insufferable client or woman-eating dog will deter her. Finding unlikely allies among Mr. Griffin’s staff, Callista secures her position and sets to work transforming the manor’s remarkable library. Her employer transforms as well, his ill-tempered growls subsiding to reveal a considerate, intellectual nature. Affection blooms as Callista and Everett discover hidden depths in each other, but the evil schemes of a vengeful hunter threaten to leave their love and their lives in tatters.

My Review:

I am beyond thrilled that Karen Witemeyer has elected to continue her Texan fairy tale retellings independently. I love the way she mixes classic tales with ‘Wild West’ culture. Praying this series goes on for as long as there are fairy tales to retell!

What a remarkable reimagining of Beauty and the Beast! I enjoyed the subtle twists to the classic tale and the way the author added those elements to create a truly unique love story.

And Witemeyer is brilliant at developing characters into real-life relatable folks a reader can’t wait to spend time with. Even Everett who is so beastly during their meet-cute! We see his heart right away through his affection for his big lumbering ox of a dog, so we know he can’t be all bad. And Callista’s determination to save the family bookbinding business (a perfect occupation for a Beauty and the Beast heroine!) is the perfect excuse to bring them together. A true enemies to more trope that morphs into friends to more and I loved every second of their romance!

Of course, it isn’t all smooth sailing. There’s evil lurking near by, waiting to strike at the unlikeliest of moments. Eeeeppp!

I listened to the audible edition of ‘To Love a Beast’ and thoroughly enjoyed Cara Firestone’s storytelling style.

Northargyle Abbie + Giveaway

When Abigail Morgan, a naive pastor’s daughter with an overactive imagination, inherits a cottage in Australia, she never imagines the story it will unlock. Armed with a museum studies degree and a penchant for daydreams, Abigail heads to Hyacinth Cottage to unravel the truth of her grandmother’s past—an unknown world of adventure, deception, and love.

While sifting through letters, photographs, and hidden relics, Abigail meets Colter Wellesley, a charming local who helps her navigate the labyrinth of clues with a blend of wit and charm she struggles to resist. But Colter comes with secrets of his own. As their investigation and romance deepen, Abigail wonders if Colter is more tangled up in her grandmother’s mystery—and that of the princess who vanished more than sixty years ago—than she ever imagined.

In this modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, the line between imagination and reality blurs, and every clue discovered could be the key to unlocking a royal legacy.

My Review:

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and Janelle Leonard did not disappoint! Impressive debut novel!

Love the family history angle that sends Abigail way out of her comfort zone on the hunt for her beloved gran’s secret story. (Hello! Road trip to Australia? Yes, Please!) She’s wildly imaginative and endearingly awkward. Each chapter includes whimsical Abbie musings in classic museum placard style which gives readers a glimpse of her quirky wit.

So, insecure pastor’s daughter finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime as Leonard loosely reimagines Jane Austen’s ‘Northanger Abbey’. But make no mistake, ‘Northargyle Abbie’ is most definitely a unique story all on its own.

This is as much a coming of age story as it is a delightful contemporary romance. But, oh my, when Colter makes his appearance, well, time to clear off you fainting couch. In Abbie’s words, “Ladies and gentlemen, I just experienced a meet-cute worthy of its own chapter.” ( p 70) And the man arrives with a certain air of mystery which was all kinds of fun to sort out.

The romance is swoonaliciously unhurried, there are mysteries to solve and bad ‘uns to thwart, all with an eye on the fairy tale promise of a scrumptious happily ever after. Divine reading that was impossible to put down.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Northargyle Abbie, 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 August 16 2025.

Detecting Concealed Evidence + Giveaway

Sniffing out the enemies requires a K-9’s help.

A panicked call sends detective Chase Wolfe and his search-and-rescue bloodhound, Tank, racing right into the path of his neighbor—who’s just barely escaped an abduction. But Pilar Alonso has no idea who’s after her or why. Now she must rely on Chase to keep her safe while they work together to track down the unknown assailants targeting her. Only, their investigation reveals layers of a much more sinister agenda, and danger is rapidly closing in. Drawn into a web of deceit, can they untangle the mystery…before they’re permanently silenced?

My Review:

An outstanding Romantic Suspense with Mentink’s unique blend of action and humour. Riveting all the way through. And Tank is a furry wonder of floof and drool and good intentions. His extraordinary sniffer is often all that stands between Chase and Pilar and danger. Plus, he lives up to his name in spectacular ways!

Love the enemies to more vibe going on with the romance. Nothing like upping an already tense plot with some emotional trauma! And the action scenes are spectacular. Couldn’t quite catch my breath until the very end. Big sigh of relief and bookish glee!

I still get giddy every time I see a Love Inspired Suspense book in audio format and Abby Craden did a wonderful job narrating ‘Detecting Concealed Danger.’ She brings the right amount of tension to the harrowing scenes and is great with dialogue, infusing humour and warmth in all the right places. As well as stark terror and sheer frustration. Craden manages to capture the full gamut of emotions that bring these characters to life.

My thanks to Harlequin Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

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

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Detecting Concealed Evidence, 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 August 16 2025

Final Approach + Giveaway

Air Marshal Kristine Duncan is not on duty when a hijacker attempts to seize control of the plane she and her friends are on as they head out on a much-needed vacation. Jumping into action and aided by FBI Special Agent Andrew Ross, Kristine thwarts the attack and the plane lands safely. But as the investigation into the incident gets underway, Kristine and Andrew are confused at every step. Nothing about the investigation goes as it should, and each layer they peel back just reveals another layer of perplexity.

As the two work together to navigate a web of deception, blame, and personal reckoning, they find there’s more to this story than meets the eye–and more to love and admire about each other. They’ll have to put their skills to the test–and their hearts on the line–to unravel the truth and ensure that justice prevails.

USA Today bestselling author Lynette Eason is back with another edge-of-your-seat thrill ride as she brings her popular Lake City Heroes series to a shocking and satisfying close.

My Review:

Whoa – be prepared to experience a rush of adrenaline on repeat all the way through to the end of this compulsive romantic suspense! I’m still feeling the after shocks and trying to put all the pieces together because this is one complex, twisty, turny plot with lots of players.

It starts with the whole Lake City Heroes gang on a flight headed on vacation. Well, technically, Kristine is performing one last U.S. Air Marshalling duty and then she’s free to join her friends for some rest and relaxation…until the hijacker. Unlucky for him he’s on a plane with the creme de la creme of law enforcement and, though tense, the takedown is inevitable.

But what seems to be the end suddenly becomes a beginning as Kristine and Andrew are thrown into a maze of contradictory and confusing puzzles. I honestly had no idea what was going on (a deliberate ploy on the author’s part) which made the suspense plot so engaging. How are certain events connected? Who are the targets? And why?

The chaos of the case becomes entangled with the engaging backstories of our hero and heroine which serves to amp up the tension all the more. And then we reach a pivotal point leading to a succession of ‘aha’ moments that left me breathless and Kristine in grave danger. Oh, and three cheers for a blockbuster, stand-up-and-cheer climax! Such a thrill of a read!

This is the fourth book in the author’s ‘Lake City Heroes’ series and all the former heroes and heroines are included in this enthralling series send-off so it might be a bit overwhelming for new ‘Lake City Hero‘ readers. ‘Final Approach’ can still be read as a standalone, I think, just be prepared to to be a bit confused in the first couple of chapters. Things will soon sort themselves out as Kristine and Andrew take centerstage.

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of this book, narrated by Lauren Pedersen.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

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

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Final Approach, 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 August 16 2025

Carol Award Finalists – Debut + Giveaway

First off — what exactly are the Carol Awards?

They are awards given out by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) in recognition of outstanding Christian fiction in the previous calendar year. So these 2025 finalists are books published in 2024. You might have read them already, you might not. I’ll include links to books I’ve read and reviewed.

Carol Award Winners will be announced on September 6 2025 at the ACFW Gala in Springfield, Missouri (wouldn’t you love to be there?!)

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the Carol Award finalists 2025 —Debut Category you would like to receive. Mention the title in your comment (or an email if you’re entering that way) and if you win, that’s the book that will be sent to you. Easy Peasy.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

Giveaway details may vary with each book (print, ebook only or winner’s choice of either, plus audible options for Canadians.) Edition availability will be noted in bold after the title/author/publisher of each entry. ALSO NOTE: Giveaway is for US and Canada OR ebook international if you have US Kindle account.

Debut Finalists

When Plans Go Awry by Denise M. Colby – Scrivenings Press – Editors: Linda Fulkerson and Regina Merrick – Giveaway options: US: ebook, Canada: paperback or ebook, International: ebook with a US Kindle account.

Olivia Carmichael escapes her past to be the next schoolmarm in the small ranching community of Washton, California. Her plan? Live a quiet spinster life, alone, never to depend on anyone ever again.

Luke Taylor selected a mail-order bride, a necessity to help raise his two younger sisters, and the only way he knew to protect his heart. His plans don’t include being responsible for the beautiful new schoolmarm, who threatens his resolve between his need to stay away and his need to be near to make sure she stays safe.

Along the way, neither feel much in control of their circumstances. Olivia’s carefully laid-out plans are challenged at every turn. Luke’s mail-order bride is not what he expected.
Will Luke and Olivia learn to trust God’s plan for their lives?

CORE Deception by Jeremiah Friedli – Indie – Editors: Jon Tilton and Jeanette Windle – Giveaway options: US: ebook, Canada: unavailable, International: ebook with US Kindle account.

In a world where the government’s CORE systems see and track everyone, seventeen-year-old hacker Seth Alvarez is determined to save his sister from being placed in a reeducation facility. Armed with a cryptic letter, Seth embarks on a search for the valuable incognito devices—cyber master keys that can set his sister free. But with only three weeks remaining, he finds himself wedged between two powerful forces who will stop at nothing to get the devices first.

Protector by Megan Schaulis – White Crown Publishing – Editors: Janelle Leonard and Marisa Stokely – Giveaway options: US and Canada: ebook, International: ebook with US Kindle account.

As the orphaned daughter of a traitor, Novalise grew up in hiding with an outlawed religious group hated by the Crown. She dreams of aiding her people as a scientist and begs her overprotective brother for a chance to assist in his schemes against the government. All her hopes of making a difference implode when she’s kidnapped and forced to compete against the Enhanced—a group of highly trained, biologically upgraded young women—for a position as the king’s Protector.

Plagued by insomnia, King Zadien is still reeling from his father’s untimely death. When his council suggests a competition as the way to choose his new bodyguard, he lacks the confidence to oppose the plan. Given the role he played in his father’s murder, choosing the right Protector could mean relieving his guilt or repeating his worst mistakes. Can he trust the intriguing and beautiful candidate who’s nothing like the others?

After discovering a long-hidden connection between the Enhanced and her father, Novalise realizes winning the competition would give her people the strategic advantage they desperately need. But is that leverage worth compromising herself, body and soul?

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 16 2024. REMEMBER TO CHECK EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH BOOK.

Conversations with Kav – Summer Catch Up and a bit of Housekeeping + Giveaway

Can you believe we’re more than halfway through the summer already? Can’t say I’ll miss the heat when the autumn comes. We’re already getting back to school advertisements and the stores are stocking up with school supplies. I always get the itch to buy notebooks and pens etc. ’round about now. I might have succumbed at the Dollar Store recently, but, in my defence they had the cutest composition journals! And nifty eraser tape. Coloured pencils. Gel pens in a rainbow of colours. Oy. I may not be going back to school but I still can’t resist!

Ahem, but we’re not here to talk about all that. Today is going to be a smorgasbord of topics in random order. Feel free to join in the conversation in the comments and, if you do, I’ll enter you in a draw for a $10.00 Baker Book House gift card. Speaking of which…the perfect segue to our first topic:

Baker Book House Online Woes! I have been having issues logging on to the BBH site to place my orders for a while now. It used to be hit and miss and then I couldn’t log in on my laptop but I could log in on my computer only I haven’t been able to sign in at all this week. (Apologies to Connie and Cindy, last week’s winners who are still waiting for their wins. Well, Cindy has a long wait since her book doesn’t release until October so we have a bit of leeway there!)

I’ve sent two help emails to Baker Book House without any response. I’m not sure what else I can do. I have a MacBook Air laptop and an Apple computer – not sure if that could play into it? What’s happening: either I get nothing when I click on the ‘sign in/my account’ button OR I do get the log in box but nothing happens when I fill it out. Sooo frustrating. So, I thought I’d ask if anyone else has been having the same problem? And if so, did they find a solution? Any suggestions?

Funny AI Update: Literally the week after I posted my AI blog, my yahoo email suddenly decided to bestow an AI assistant upon me. Every time I opened an email, the helpful AI ass’t would summarize the body of the text for me, getting the simplest things all muddled up in the process. So ridiculously annoying, since emails are usually brief and to the point anyway, so really why would I need a summary of four or five lines?! And hilarious that it couldn’t grasp the important points of an email text.

On top of that this irritating AI ass’t ‘helpfully’ prioritized my emails so that when I signed on, I only got the emails the AI thought were important. It took me nearly a week to realize that I could click on an ‘all’ button and see all the emails and by then I had over fifty of them. So if I’ve missed an email somewhere along the way recently, that might be why. AI always defaulted to ‘priority’ email list and I’d have to manually select ‘all’ every single time I went into my email. Gah!

I finally discovered a cleverly hidden ‘opt out’ button and was able to go back to my plain old un AI email. Phew! Of course, then the email popped up a message box and wanted to know what it did wrong. I was very thorough in my reply and now I’m feeling kinda guilty lest I hurt it’s feelings. 🙂

Garden Woes: Those ripening, juicy red tomatoes? Yeah, the chipmunks enjoyed them. Well, they took a bite out of each one and tossed the rest. Sigh. Now I’m picking barely orange tomatoes and letting them ripen on my counter.

Best Reads Summer Book Bingo Update: We already have 7 Bingo Blackouts and a slew of line Bingos with more coming in every week. Woohoo! I finally found my holiday romance so I’m a Blackout too. Just a reminder that you have until midnight EST time on August 31 to get your Bingos in. So…just three more weeks of summer reading. If you need a refresher here’s the original post: https://kavsbestreads.ca/2025/06/01/conversations-with-kav-summer-reading-fun-giveaway/

Re Giveaways: just a reminder to always check the editions available in your country for the giveaways. I’ve tried to make it as clear as possible by adding ‘+Giveaway’ to the blog title if there will be a book giveaway that day and then listing the options in red under the ‘Giveaway Opportunity’ at the end of each blog. Not every review will necessarily include a giveaway, so do look for that ‘+ Giveaway’ after the title, as well as the giveaway options listed after the review.

But today there is a giveaway! Add to the conversation in the comments below (especially if you have solutions to my BBH woes) to be entered for a $10.00 Baker Book House gift card. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 16 2025.

August Giveaway – Week Two

won by Paula Shreckhise

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

sunday

monday

2025 Carol Award Finalists – (Debut) I can’t believe it’s that time already but the finalists were just announced this week and the winners in each category will be announced on September 6 at the ACFW Conference Gala. Soooo exciting. This year especially because 40% of the finalists are indie authors! And most of the rest are from small publishing houses. Tons of new-to-me authors listed and books I’ve never even heard of.

So, while all that is exciting, I’ve discovered it can be a little be tricky when it comes to sourcing all editions of the books. I’ve noticed that small press books seem to carry hefty price tags in print format for a while now, but some of these were crazy! One 300 page book is $80 in Canada! And a $10 US book is $32 in Canada while another book was $7 here and $40 in the US. All kinds of crazy — so, all this to say pay particular attention to the giveaway options for each Carol Award Finalists title in the coming weeks. They will be listed in bold after the title/author/publishing info statement and will be divided by US, Canada and International.

tuesday