Kav's Best Reads

The Burning of Rosemont Abbey + Giveaway

Everyone in Wilbeth Green has something to hide, but she’s about to uncover their secrets.

1956: In a quiet English village, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey have set the residents’ tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of the crime of arson. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his plucky twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection–she felt her twin’s death an hour before the abbey went up in flames.

Armed with nothing but her wit and her keen sense of intuition, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the dubious townspeople and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul’s closest friend, warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.

My Review:

Squuuueeeaaalllll!! I experienced all kinds of gothic-y shivers of delight while reading this stunning mystery! Kind of reminds me of Mary Stewart novels from way back in the day. I can picture Louisa thrilling to ‘Madame, Will You Talk?’ (Stewart’s 1955 debut novel) in the rambling old house she lives in with her aunt and uncle. And, of course, she has just as much gumption as any fictional heroine…wait, she is a fictional heroine only it didn’t seem that way when I was reading. Am I making any sense? Maybe not but I blame ‘The Burning of Rosemont Abbey’ for my discombobulated state.

First – love the 1950s time period. Long enough after the war for life to be getting back to some sort of normal but not quite modern enough to shun all those hoity-toity societal expectations Louisa’s aunt and uncle foist upon her. She is, after all, the orphaned niece living on their charity.

Caught between family duty and her desire to find justice for her bother, Louisa’s set on discovering the truth, even if it shakes their sleepy little village to the core….and infuriates a certain police inspector who used to be a childhood friend. Brilliant pacing, absorbing mystery, characters it’s easy to forget aren’t living, breathing people…well, ‘The Burning of Rosemont Hall’ contains everything I’m looking for in a historical mystery…and then some!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

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 The Burning of Rosemont Abbey, 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 8 2025

February New Releases + Giveaway

It’s a new Best Reads blog tradition! Celebrating the month’s new releases the first week of each month.

WHY?

Because I recently discovered that a book’s success or failure is often determined by first month sales! (Though I bet preorders play into that as well.) Publishing houses look at those stats to determine whether they’ll add on to a series or accept the author’s next manuscript! All that literary goodness hanging in the balance but for a month’s worth of sales! (This was a cozy mystery author, but I imagine all traditional publishers use the same ‘system’.) So, I thought I should do my wee little bit to promote Christian Fiction.

HOW?

By hosting a special “Hello — insert month” giveaway. It’s easy to play along. You just have to choose one of the February 2025 new releases on your TBR wishlist (must be Christian Fiction) and mention the title in a comment below (or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca.) If your name is drawn, that February release is the book you will win and we’re one book count closer to keeping our fave authors in business.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE TO:

ebook for anyone anywhere who has an Amazon.com kindle account

US – paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice

Canada -paperback or ebook (in form of an Amazon gift card) or audible.ca audio book (if available) – winner’s choice

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 8 2024.

Conversations With Kav – Blog Biz., Authors as Booksellers + Giveaway

Hate to start out with a bit of a reality check, but here we go. With the onset of tariffs and the uncertainty around how that will affect both the Canadian and US economies (and the book and publishing industry specifically), I’m giving fair warning that giveaways on this blog will have to adapt. That means there might be fewer giveaways per week or more ebook giveaways or ecard giveaways instead of specific book giveaways. I’m just going to play it by ear week to week so it’s important for you to check the giveaway details (or lack of) each day.

What Giveaways Will Look Like:

A review that includes a giveaway will always include ‘+ Giveaway’ at the end of the title (see today’s title as an example.) If you don’t see the ‘+ Giveaway’ after the title, the post is just a plain ol’ review.

Another ‘giveaway’ indicator is the section in blue and red type that comes after the review. It starts out with ‘Giveaway Opportunity’ and includes specific details on the type of giveaway in RED. This is where you’ll want to pay particular attention to the editions available for where you live – US, Canada or International.

International giveaways are generally gently read paperbacks which I can mail anywhere in the world. Averages about one a week, sometimes more. It just depends on what I’ve been reading.

ebook giveaways are available to anyone with a US Amazon account OR to Canadians who will receive an Amazon.ca gift card for the amount of the ebook (because we can’t gift ebooks here. Strange, I know.)

Print book giveaways will usually be available to both US and Canadian readers BUT I’ve noticed the occasional waaaay over priced book up here. Recently spotted a current release that was $11.99 in the US and $34 here in Canada! Same company (Amazon) Now I know there’s a difference in our dollar value, but not that much!!! So sometimes print might not be an option in Canada. BUT Audible editions are depending on availability.

Sigh — I know this is kind of complicated and I’m sorry about that. I’ll try to make it as clear as I can for each Giveaway — just make sure to read the red print carefully so you know what you are entering for.

Author as Booksellers

This is me, seeking your wonderful collective knowledge as I look for alternatives to Amazon for giveaway books. They are still giving me a run-around about my reviews being ‘harassing’ etc. (insert eye-rolling emoji here) and I am steamed so I’m broadening by book buying horizons. Of course, I’ll still use them, especially for ebook giveaways, but I’ve noticed that more authors, especially indie authors, are starting up their own bookshops on their websites.

I just checked Becky Wade’s out and it seems straight forward and allows for gift buying which is an essential feature for me. But, of course, I have questions (because it’s Sunday and we need something to start the conversation going, right?!)

Have you ever bought a book from an author’s website? If so, which author?
Was there a credit card option? (I saw a few that featured some online thingy I’ve never heard of and assume it’s only available in the US so that wouldn’t work for me.)
Did it have a gift option (as opposed to only delivering to the purchaser?)
Did you feel like the transaction was secure?
What was the delivery turn around like?
Would you be open to giveaways coming from author stores even if it meant it would take longer for the book to reach you?

I know, a ton of questions, but I’d really love some input.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Leave a comment to be entered in a draw for a $10.00 Baker Book House gift ecard. Open to anyone, anywhere who is willing to shop at https://bakerbookhouse.com

February Giveaway – Week One

WON BY JACKIE

WON BY CARYL KANE

WON BY LUCY

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:

Please remember to check giveaway details (paperback, ebook, either/or, gently read etc.) each day as they will vary and check for the ‘+ giveaway’ notice added after the title . Titles without that addition are review only.

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!

HELLO FEBRUARY!

The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton

Random Retro Read

In her search for a rare gem, will Everleigh end up uncovering the true treasure of her heart?

Personal care nurse Everleigh Wheaton knows it only takes a few well-placed lies to ruin a reputation. She’s experienced it time and time again. But there’s a silver lining to repeatedly proving she’s confident and self-reliant.

When she loses yet another job and an enigmatic stranger offers her a potential way out, she’s game. After all, she loves a good mystery, and an invitation to visit the legendary Halstead Manor is irresistible. But she’s not about to let her guard down–especially with the other women who received the same invitation.

A strange voice on the phone tells them he’s gathered the three of them to work together as treasure hunters. The first assignment requires Everleigh to be a traveling nurse for retired FBI agent Gertrude Levine, who has one cold case she just can’t let go the Florentine diamond that went missing when the Austrian Empire fell.

With Everleigh’s keen ability to solve puzzles, Natalie Daughtry’s vast knowledge of history, and Brooke Sumner’s connections to the antiques world, they’re bound to track down the diamond. Except that Gertie’s nephew, Niles Butler, doesn’t trust Everleigh’s innocent act . . . even if he finds himself falling for her. Worse, Everleigh’s walls of self-preservation may doom the entire team.

Hints of real-life historical events combined with contemporary characters make this first book in the Treasures of Halstead Manor series a masterful blend of romance, mystery, and strong female friendships. Readers of authors like Denise Hunter and Nicole Deese who enjoy unfolding relationships and the organic discovery of God’s love will relish this new series.

My Review:

An international treasure hunt with all kinds of ‘Charlie’s Angels’ vibes! And it includes a slow-burn, enemies to more romance with lots of sniping and banter. Add in the historical mystery element along with the not quite dual timeline (More time is spent in the present than the past) and well, this quickly became an unputdownable read for me.

This is my first Susan L. Tuttle book and I have fallen for her storytelling style. Love the way she developed the characters – especially Everleigh. I didn’t quite like her at the start, and she frustrated me no end with some of the decisions she made, but she has spunk and tenacity and a gnarly past that explains so much. And there are two more women on the team who obviously have just as intriguing backstories so I’m hoping future books in the series will feature them.

Guilty Until Innocent

When an old case is reopened, two lawyers work to prove a man’s innocence despite the odds stacked against them.

After being fired from his last two jobs, Ryan Clark lands an associate position with a law firm run by his distant cousin, Tom, in a small North Carolina town. Over twenty-five years earlier, Tom represented local man Joe Moore when he was convicted of murder in the deaths of a prominent young couple. Even though the evidence was circumstantial, Joe was high on drugs and doesn’t remember the details of the crime. He never seriously questioned his own guilt, even when he was originally accused. Not only has he adapted to life in prison but he’s become a different person there and has a significant ministry to fellow inmates.

But Joe’s family remains unconvinced of his guilt, and they hire Ryan and Tom to file a motion to obtain Joe’s release. The resulting investigation uncovers layers of dark secrets in the local community. It will result either in Joe’s vindication–or expand the number of people who should join him behind bars.

My Review:

A character driven story that slowly builds in suspense and, mercy, but the faith elements in this novel are phenomenal.

The book’s strength is in the character growth. It is told from multiple points of view with varied perspectives that blend into a cohesive whole by the end. There’s Joe, twenty + years into a lifetime prison sentence for double homicide; Ryan, an up and coming young lawyer and his wife, Paige. I enjoyed the time I spent with each character and loved the way their faith journeys intersected, shining a spotlight on how God can work good out of any situation.

I went into this book expecting a legal thriller/suspense but I found the plot takes more of a meandering pace towards the action packed conclusion. Definitely more of a redemptive type of story with a side of suspense. I figured out the whodunnit aspect very early on, but it was still fun (and frustrating) to watch Ryan take his sweet time reaching the same conclusion…when it’s almost too late!

I listened to the audio edition of ‘Guilty Until Innocent’ and found it to be an easy listen. I don’t usually enjoy male narrators because their female voices often feel like caricatures, but Jason Keller’s performance worked well for this story. I liked the way he brought distinctive voices to the characters…along with some Southern twang!

My thanks to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

Now or Never + Giveaway

Indie!

Will leaving positive legacies mean kissing their own happily-ever-after goodbye?

If Tim Bergeron got a lifetime achievement award for anything, it’d be managing the iconic rock band, Awestruck, but he’d trade his successful career for the opportunity to prevent his daughter from repeating his mistakes.

When a health scare proves time is short, he talks Isabella into a cross-country road trip. His attempts to talk her out of a hasty marriage drive a wedge between them, and it looks like the best he can hope for from the trip is scouting out promising new talent to represent. That is, until he meets Gabby.

Widow Gabrielle Voss has responsibilities to her daughter and patients, deep roots in the community, and a dream that scares her. Though she’d never utter it to the people she lives and works among, the truth slips out with Tim, who’s not in Many Oaks, Iowa, to stay.

As her fiftieth birthday party draws near and an attraction to Tim sparks to life, Gabby realizes she must pursue her dream now—or, more reasonably, never.

This prequel novella to the Many Oaks Romances stars a popular character from the Rhythms of Redemption Romances.

My Review:

The perfect place to begin a new series, with the prequel novella! I love the glimpse the author gave us of the town and some characters who I believe will be featured in future novels (angsty ones at that!)

But this story focuses on a ‘later in life’ romance between Tim and Gabby who are both in their early fifties. And, of course, it’s all kinds of complicated given each of their personal histories. And the fact that they don’t live in the same town or even state!

But it’s attraction at first sight at a time neither of them is looking for love. Conrad writes a beautiful romance with depth and grace…and a healthy dose of grit. I appreciated the maturity in the way they tackled all the issues they faced, both personally and together as they try to figure out what their future might hold. And I love that they are both anchored by their faith which makes for a strong foundation.

Realistic drama, family struggles and the way the author approached some tough topics added emotional layers to their story and made for a captivating read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and is available to any reader, any where — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Now or Never, 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 1 2025.

Serial Burn + Giveaway

She’s out for justice. But the arsonist she’s tracking is out for retribution.

Now the fire marshal of Lake City, Jesslyn McCormick is determined to find the person who started the fire that robbed her of her family when she was just seven years old. As the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy approaches, a string of fires–including at Jesslyn’s church–brings up all those old feelings and offers new evidence.

Because church fires are considered a hate crime, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. Nathan has his own past–one he’d prefer not to revisit. And focusing on helping Jesslyn track down the arsonist is a great distraction.

As both the case and the chemistry between Jesslyn and Nathan heat up, memories will come flooding in from the past to bump up against hopes for the future. And when Jesslyn comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare, she’ll have to confront her fears and rely on Nathan and her community of friends in order to survive.

My Review:

Gobbled this one up in a day. Just could not leave these characters at any point in the story. An engrossing police procedural mixed with arson investigation and a s-l-o-w burn romance had my bookish heart singing!

This is the third ‘Lake City Heroes’ book and something that is done spectacularly well in this series is the ‘found family ‘aspect in the diverse friendships. The gang is back, ready to serve and protect and kid around at every opportunity. As well as have those pointed heart to hearts when necessary. It was such a blast to spend time with these characters again and I loved getting a glimpse at previous books’ power couples. Having said that, ‘Serial Arson’ can easily be read as a standalone novel too so don’t be afraid to hop in mid-series if you feel the urge.

Jesslyn and Nathan make a great team – both in the investigation and as friends…and maybe something more? This book is quite light on the romance and more about the deepening friendship (they’ve known each other through their friend group for a while.) They both have traumatic backstories and I appreciated the time the author gave them to work through issues and come to terms with how they can move forward together.

And there’s a powerful inspirational thread about forgiveness that really hit home. “Forgiveness is a decision.” Had to sit with that simple but profound statement for a bit. I love when something like this jumps out at me through my fiction and there’s a moving scene involving Nathan that really touched my heart.

Of course, the suspense is stellar (this is a Lynette Eason creation after all) with just the right mix of action and danger and good old boots to the ground legwork before the pieces of the puzzle finally come together in a resounding conclusion.

I enjoyed listening to the audible edition of this book, narrated by Lauren Pedersen. She’s become a familiar voice in my audio book ‘reading’. I really love the way she captures the personalities of each character which helps me feel even more connected to the story.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

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 Serial Burn, 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 1 2025

With All Her Heart + Giveaway

Bonnie and Elijah each believe that marriage is not in their futures . . . but they hadn’t counted on God’s plans being bigger than their own imaginations.

Bonnie Yoder owns and operates a gift shop popular with tourists and local shoppers alike. She’s glad she’s found a way to be a productive member of her Plain community where all women aspire to marry and have children–something she’s sure she’ll never do because of her physical disability.

Elijah Miller has been acutely shy his entire life, which makes joining his brothers as auctioneers unthinkable. It also means he’s never courted a woman. Instead, he spends every spare moment creating wooden children’s toys and child-size furniture in a workshop he built behind his parents’ house, all the while dreaming of starting his own business.

It’s that dream that prompts Elijah to approach Bonnie about selling his wares in her store. He feels an immediate connection. So does Bonnie, but she’s afraid to believe he’ll ever see her as more than a shop owner kind enough to sell his toys. Elijah’s convinced that someone so sure of herself would never be interested in a man who’s too shy to put two sentences together around her.

What they can’t see, others can. Matchmaking mothers and caring friends conspire to bring the two together. After spending time with each other, Elijah and Bonnie learn that sometimes the most challenging obstacle is a lack of faith–in themselves and in God. Together, they will traverse a difficult road to find their way to the future they’ve never allowed themselves to dream of having.

My Review:

First off, as someone who lives with a disability, it was exciting to see that representation in this book. Just simple things like distinguishing between a walker and a rollator nearly made me giddy! And a romance featuring a heroine with mobility issues is such a gift, not only for people like me, but to help others understand that physical limitations don’t have to limit life choices.

That’s something Bonnie wrestles with. She has an almost false sense of pride, not wishing to be a burden to others which was so relatable. I cringed in places because I could see myself being as stubbornly independent in just as exasperating a way as she is. So, lessons learned here.

Definitely don’t skip the author’s note at the beginning of the book. It is heartfelt and to the point and should be read before diving into the story.

And what an incredible story it is! With a surprise second romance! There’s a real sense of Amish community – both comforting and frustrating (for this reader, anyway) and two strong women finding their way after life has knocked them around a bit.

An emotional and rewarding read…well, listen in my case. I thoroughly enjoyed narrator Lauren Berst’s performance. She doesn’t just narrate, she brings the characters alive with her emotional interpretation. An immensely satisfying listening experience.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

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 With All Her Heart, 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 1 2025

Conversations with Kav – Let’s Get Technical – Good Reads, Instagram, StoryGraph!

True confession: I am a book nerd. Are you surprised? 🙂 I am absolutely NOT a tech nerd and tend to muddle through on the fringes of whatever site, programme etc. I’m engaged in. Technology has never been my jam and I doubt it ever will be. I almost believe that muddling through is my destiny but then, last week Perrianne asked a question about Good Reads and I thought — whoa, light bulb moment — we have this awesome resource right here within our bookish community!

So, this is me, shamelessly asking for HELP! from all you techie experts! If you can answer a question, please do (in the comments.) If you have a question, please ask in the comments and maybe someone will be able to answer it.

Good Reads

Last week, Perrianne mentioned this in her comment: ” I’d like to learn more about Goodreads and if I’m using it optimally.” This is totally me too! Right now my GR is a chaotic mess. I basically use it to track books read and to write reviews. And I click ‘want to read’ on books I’m interested in, but I’m not sure what good that does since I don’t know how to organize lists or folders so I can’t access that information.

So, how do you use Good Reads?

How do you find like minded readers to follow/friend? And for that matter, what is the difference between following someone and friending them?!

And is there a way to merge all the different editions so that they all get marked ‘read’? I’m finding that books I know I’ve read are marked as read in only one edition (I guess the one I wrote the review for?) but if I search the title it often comes up as unread because the search turns up a different edition. Very confusing.

Do you participate in any of the community groups? Would Good Reads be a good venue to do a book club chat on?

Good Reads Vs Story Graph

Does anyone have experience with Story Graph? I’ve heard a lot of online chatter about readers moving over to Story Graph or at least trying it out. I’m curious about what the draw is and whether it’s worth joining. Any input appreciated.

Instagram

Okay, these questions is going to show how truly clueless I am but here goes….

I often see people requesting others to share their post…but I don’t know how. I see the little paper plane icon but that just gives options to message or email, I think. Is there a way to forward someone’s post into my own…feed? Is that what it’s even called? Gah. Hope this makes sense.

The other thing I see all the time is ‘go to link in my story or bio’…but where is that? I’ve clicked on the users name and get their ‘about me’ bit but there’s never a link. I’m so confused.