Kav's Best Reads

The Double Play + Giveaway

I have no business falling in love with Emmett Foster.

The man is an incredibly wealthy professional baseball player who’s ten years older than me and has a daughter.

But when he hires me to take care of said daughter, I find myself catching feelings for the star pitcher.

He’s gruff, but sweet, and has a big heart that he shows in small pieces. Pieces I’d like to collect and call mine.

Unfortunately, he has no plans on marrying again after his ex-wife cheated on him then abandoned him and June.

So even though I think there’s a hint of chemistry between us, nothing will ever come of it. I’ll be stuck crushing on him in silence until we part ways.

The Double Play is a grumpy/sunshine romcom for fans of sweet sports romance. It has all the sizzling chemistry you love, without any of the explicit scenes. Check out the fourth book in the More Than a Game series, an interconnected standalone series based around four men in four different sports.

My Review:

Swoon. Sigh. Swoon…aaannnd repeat until the very last word. This is the kind of grumpy/sunshine romance I am crazy for! Every delicious detail plays out to perfection. It’s funny and emotional and heart-palpitatingly romantical. Emmett and Hazel sizzle every time they are on page together and their inner conflicted musings are the kind that wrap a sensitive reader up in knots.

Love the way the story unfolds as their relationship slowly develops and I so appreciate the way the author avoids using cliche conflict to stymie the romantic progression. Every bump along the road is thoughtfully deliberate and understandable but not impossible to overcome.

And, oh my, but 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!

Superb secondary characters including an all guy friend group for Emmett add depth and humour and occasional sage advice. This is the fourth book in Conwell’s ‘More Than a Game’ series but reads fine as a standalone. (I’ve only read one of the other books.) They each feature a different sport and the guy friends are all athletes. Oh — and no worries if you’re not a huge sports fan, the technical details are light and easy for a novice to grasp. And Hazel is just as clueless about baseball as I am, so that evened out the playing field (ha, see what I did there?!)

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition narrated by Tim Paige and Charlotte North. They captured the personalities of Emmett and Hazel and enhanced my ‘reading’ pleasure.

Sheer bibliophile bliss from start to finish!

My thanks to Dreamscape Media 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 The Double Play, 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 June 21 2025

Cold Case Peril + Giveaway

An unsolved crime. A K-9 team on the case. Unexpected danger is closing in fast…

When someone tries to run dog trainer Micah Landon off the road, Officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 partner, Piper, show up just in time to make a rescue. Someone wants Micah dead — but why? Is this connected to Lucy’s weapons smuggling case, in which she’s investigating Micah’s younger half brother? Or was Micah attacked because he started looking into the cold case murder of his stepmother? As threats against Micah escalate and secrets are revealed, it’s clear someone will stop at nothing to keep an unsolved murder buried. Can they uncover the truth before it costs them their lives?

My Review:

Woot! Puppies galore! Not only do we have an incredible K-9 centerstage, we also have an eclectic mix of therapy/guide dogs in various stages of training courtesy of our dog trainer hero. Absolute bookish heaven for this dog loving reader.

The tense opening scene starts off a sequence of nail-biting events that leave Micah stymied and Lucy suspicious. Are they case related or something more personal? Love the balance between suspense and slow-burn romance along with a healthy dose of canine shenanigans thrown in.

Once again the Dakota K-9 team pool their resources to sort through fact from fiction. Lucy’s in the lead as she develops a special rapport with Micah but the team always has her back. This is the fourth book in this multi-authored continuity series but reads well as a standalone. The over-arcing suspense plot is beginning to take shape and I’m excited to see where new leads take the team but I also enjoyed getting full resolution to the suspense unique to this book as well as a delightful happily ever after.

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of ‘Cold Case Peril’ narrated by Patrick Zeller. So happy to see more of the Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense lines available in audio format.

My thanks to Harlequin Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition 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 Cold Case Peril, 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 June 21 2025

2025 Carol Award Finalists – Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

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 20245at 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 —Mystery/Suspense/Thriller 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.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Finalists

Fatal Domain by Steven James – Tyndale House – Editor: Karen Watson – Giveaway options: US: paperback or ebook, Canada: ebook or audible, International: ebook with a US Kindle account

When the past scratches its way into the present, it can leave deep scars.

A series of cryptic clues leads Department of Defense redactor Travis Brock to suspect that a grim chapter from his past is not yet over. With the help of his eidetic memory and his newly formed team, he must unearth the truth and stop a terrorist group from stealing one of the military’s most highly guarded technological breakthroughs. With it, the group plans to commit a daring act of espionage that could upend the work of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms and impact millions of people worldwide.

In a high-stakes story of action and intrigue that reaches from a refugee settlement in Uganda to the shores of the Potomac in Washington, DC, shattering secrets from the past will be revealed, loyalties tested, and intimate betrayals brought to light as Brock is forced to decide how to forgive what he cannot forget.

From a novelist that Publishers Weekly has called a “master storyteller” comes an intricate and taut thriller that will have you guessing until the final page.

When All the Birds Sing by Susie Peace Pybus – Indie – Editor: Lynee Lloyd – Giveaway options: US: ebook, Canada: paperback or ebook, International: ebook with a US Kindle account.

Crayfish Cove, 1975 – a tranquil Tasmanian fishing town where doors are left unlocked and kids roam free.

On a lonely road, a young girl meets a man with wild hair and a woodsmoke smell. He invites her to join a band of local children building a treehouse on his bush property. Lily is soon smitten with Harry who spins stories, whistles like the birds and can swing a billy can without spilling a drop.

Kids adore him, parents trust him.

Until a child vanishes …

Who really is the recluse they’ve been entrusting with their children?

As Lily grows, she and her friends attempt to unravel the dark truth of what really happened.

The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens – Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group) – Editors: Luke Hinrichs and Jessica Sharpe – Giveaway Options: US: paperback or ebook, Canada: paperback, ebook or audible, International ebook with a US Kindle account.

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.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 21 2025. REMEMBER TO CHECK EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH BOOK.

Conversations with Kav – Read to Zero Authors + Giveaway

I need you all to hold me accountable for one of my reading goals this year. I’ve been woefully negligent with goal #4 – Read to Zero Authors (play catch up with specific author’s backlists.) I’ve had great success with this goal in the past but for some reason I’ve been dragging my heels this year. I’ve only read a grand total of two books for this goal. Sigh. I need to make a major comeback with Goal #4 if I hope to make any kind of headway before the end of the year. So this is me publicly committing to focusing on three authors’ backlists for the next quarter. (Can you believe we’re half way through the year already?!)

My Read to Zero Authors

Sarah M. Eden – I’m officially overwhelmed and this right here might be what mired my progress overall because I actually thought I was doing a well with Sarah’s backlist…until I counted up the books I haven’t read yet. That would be 48!!!!! Where did they all come from? Obviously I won’t be able to complete her backlist this year so I’m going to strategically focus on a couple of series and some of her novella collections. So expect to see her books featured on the blog in the near future, specifically:

From the Lancaster Family series:

Romancing Daphne
Loving Lieutenant Lancaster
Charming Artemis

From the Huntresses series:

The Best-Kept Secrets

Novella Collections:

I had no idea this author is featured in so many novella collections! I’ve decided to focus on the seasonally themed ones and my goal is to read at least one collection per season.

Hannah Linden: Thankfully Hannah doesn’t have a huge backlist so reading her down to zero is entirely possible this year! Woohoo!

Garden of the Midnights
The Girl From the Hidden Forest
Never Forgotten
The Red Cottage (releasing November 2025)

Irene Hannon: I have read all Irene’s books except her Encore editions – early Love Inspired works revised and rereleased. The list is long but they are shorter books so I think it’s doable. I’d love to be able to say I’ve read every single book she’s written! (These books were originally published between 1997 – 2009)

The Hero Next Door
From This Day Forward
A Dream to Share
Where Love Abides
Crossroads
All Our Tomorrows
Gift From the Heart
The Unexpected Gift
The Way Home
Seasons of the Heart
A Place to Call home
A Time to Love
Till There Was You
Apprentice Father

So that’s me being accountable publicly. 🙂 Feel free to nag me if you don’t find these authors’ books cropping up in reviews frequently.

How about you? Any fave authors you are working on reading to zero? if so, share the author and a specific title on your backlist wishlist and I’ll enter you in the giveaway.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Here’s an opportunity to win a specific title you’ve been pining for. Please stick to Christian Fiction and Closed Door Romances.

Paperback or ebook for US and Canada. Ebook for International readers with a US Kindle account.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 21 2025.

June Giveaway – Week Two

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!

MONDAY

2025 Carol Award Finalists – (Mystery/Suspense/Thriller) 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.

The Lies We Believe

Riley Bishop is a single mother, working at home as a security analyst to provide for her two children, Sadie and Oliver. But something is very wrong. Riley starts forgetting things—like appointments, where she put her keys, and where she parked her car. And then she thinks she sees her deceased ex-husband while out shopping. But as Riley begins to question her own sanity, her twelve-year-old Sadie goes missing. Soon Riley finds it harder and harder to know what is truth and what are lies as she is forced to question her own reality while she searches for her daughter.

Apprehending fugitives as a part of the SOG team gives Tucker Shaw the purpose and drive he needs to fight the demons from his past. When he’s called out on a mission, Operation Jackal, to track down a group of endangered children, he has no idea how drastically his life is about to change. It’s a frantic hunt as Tucker and his team race to save thirteen children, including Sadie. But when Sadie’s mother comes to him with credible evidence on who is behind the girls’ disappearances, the situation quickly spirals out of control with a final twist that has Tucker questioning everything he knows to be true.

My Review:

published in 2023

Whoa! Intense and riveting! I was totally sucked in from the very first sentence: “There are seventy-two unbroken white tiles on the floor of the intake lobby of the psychiatric hospital.” Major thriller vibes all the way through as Riley is faced with a tsunami of impossible situations. Has she lost touch with reality or is someone trying to make it look that way? Super suspenseful. I non-stopped listened to the entire book. Just couldn’t tear myself away. And while some things are sorted in this first ‘Shadow Stalkers’ novel it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger which makes me think this is going to be a continuous sort of series featuring Riley every step of the way. Eeeep. Can’t wait for more.

Of Silver and Secrets + Giveaway

In 1889 England, Eva Inman finds herself overwhelmed with responsibility. Haunted by guilt over her parents’ deaths, Eva struggles to care for her blind sister and manage her family’s crumbling estate. With the threat of overdue taxes looming, Eva’s situation grows dire until an ancient silver ring is unearthed on her property. Despite local superstitions warning against disturbing the supposedly cursed acres, Eva’s need for funds forces her to consider the potential of more buried relics. She turns to Bram Webb, a Cambridge professor of Roman antiquities, for help—only to be reminded of a past she would rather forget.

Bram Webb is under immense pressure to find proof of a legendary Christian Roman settlement in an attempt to conceal his uncle’s deteriorating memory from the Trinity College disciplinary board and save both of their jobs. When Eva steps into Bram’s office, old sparks fly, rekindling memories that are both fond and painful. The excavation is fraught with challenges from the start, and as Eva and Bram work together with time running out, they must confront their pasts, face the growing attraction between them, and decide whether their love is strong enough to overcome the buried truths that threaten to tear them apart.

Award-winning author Michelle Griep transports you to Victorian-era England with a gripping romance.

My Review:

Happy sigh. Do you ever open a book and immediately get swept away by the sheer artistry of the storytelling? ‘Of Silver and Secrets’ is that sort of book for me. The second I started listening (fave audible narrator Sarah Zimmerman added to my bookish delight!) I felt myself physically and mentally relaxing into the story and in this care-worn world, that is such delightful decadence for an avid reader to experience!

Once again, Griep blends history and mystery to weave together a captivating story full of intrigue and drama. This time it centres around Roman archaeology on British soil. A discovery on Eva’s crumbling estate that might be her saving grace…if she can get past the fact that the one man who can help her is part of a past best forgotten!

Loved the second chance, friends-to-more romance struggling to blossom amidst the background of treachery and betrayal. Eva and Bram make an unforgettable team — when they can leave off sniping (Eva, I’m looking at you) long enough to realize they are better work together. And the plot twists! This author knows how to keep a reader anxiously engaged right to very end.

This is the second book in the ‘Times Lost Treasure’ series but reads wonderfully well as a standalone. However, if you have read the first book, you will be thrilled to see some familiar faces here.

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 Of Silver and Secrets, 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 June 14 2025

Alaskan Police Protector + Giveaway

To save a child, he has to risk his own life.

When a minivan slides off the road into an icy lake, Officer Samuel Miller narrowly rescues a woman and child from certain death. Only, Rachel Harding insists the crash is no accident — it’s eerily similar to how her sister and brother-in-law recently died. As the unexplained attacks escalate, Samuel is determined to protect Rachel and her orphaned niece at all costs. But when they make a shocking discovery, their investigation becomes even more dangerous, and survival may be impossible.

My Review:

Whoa! An amazing debut written with the classic nail-biting flare much loved in this genre. Honestly, the action and tension was through the roof! Constant danger, relentless pursuit, intriguing predicaments, all lead our hero and heroine along a treacherous trail of devastating destruction and hair-raising near-death experiences. Not sure when my heart rate will get back to normal!

I listened to the audio edition expertly narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya who is fast becoming one of my favourite narrators. And with good reason. She manages to capture the personalities of each character through tone and inflection. Makes a listener feel like she’s right there in the midst of all the chaos right along with Samuel and Rachel. Highly recommend the audio edition of Alaskan Police Protector for discerning listeners.

My thanks to Harlequin Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition 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 Alaskan Police Protector, 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 June 14 2025

Echoes of Darkness + Giveaway

A serial killer stalks a small town, and a police officer must face her family’s dark past to catch him.

The sleepy community of Kenorapeake Falls in northern Ontario seems like somewhere Constable Oaklynn Brock can finally outrun her violent past. That is, until she’s assigned to investigate a series of suspicious deaths. She can’t reveal that she knows how serial killers think because she grew up with one. Yet the eerie similarities between these murders and those committed by her father, known as the Suicide Slayer, hint at a copycat in their midst. But why here and why now?

Caleb Greene of the Canadian Watchers Squad, a special task force, has his own reasons to be wary of working alongside Oaklynn. But with rumors of a local cult known as the Light Paragons gaining power, the stakes are too high to refuse.

As they explore connections between the killings and cult, Oaklynn and Caleb are forced to confront old secrets…and a terrifying new threat. Someone is watching Oaklynn’s every move. They know exactly who she is and what she might be capable of. And soon her biggest fear isn’t just having her past exposed, but that a killer will turn whatever days she has left into a living nightmare…

My Review:

Look at me, getting all brave and venturing out of my comfort zone! Serial killer stories usually aren’t my go-to suspense genre but this one intrigued me. It might have been that beguiling cover, actually, so deceptively serene with only a hint of mystery in the way the heroine is glancing back over her shoulder.

So, was it creepy? Definitely. Over the top? Not so much…quite tame for seasoned readers I would imagine. There’s an eerie stalkerish vibe that sent chills up my spine all the way through. The suspense is riveting with exceptional storytelling skill. It was easy to get swept away into the grit and grime of a particularly nasty case…I just didn’t read this one after dark. Bwahahaha!

Intense in both the investigation and the personal lives of our hero and heroine. Oaklynn in particular is wrestling with some really heavy stuff that’s left her distanced from God. Loved the way the author seamlessly wove a significant faith thread throughout the story without it coming across as heavy handed. Very organic to the story and the lives of these characters.

There are some brutal scenes (though not overly descriptive) and a host of heavy subject matter which sensitive readers might find difficult to read about. Though, again, not overly descriptive and no over-the-top gratuitous scenes. Turner manages to breathe grace and hope into even the direst circumstances. This isn’t a light, escape read though, so keep that in mind when you settle down to lose yourself in this gripping romantic suspense.

I listened to the audio edition narrated by Lenor A. Woodworth. I really liked the way she portrayed these characters, delivered their dialogue and even gave voice to the creepy villain POV scenes (eeeek!) Made for some thrilling listening!

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US: ebook
Canada: ebook or audible edition
International: ebook with a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Echoes of Darkness, 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 June 14 2025.

2025 Carol Awards Finalists – Historical Romance

First off — what exactly are the Carol Awards?

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 – Historical Romance 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:

Historical Romance Finalists

The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder – Barbour Publishing – Editor: Becky Fish -Giveaway options: US: paperback or ebook, Canada: paperback, ebook or audible, International: ebook with US Kindle account.

The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves

Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from.

That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed.

When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind?

As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves―and both of their lives?

Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle – Tyndale House – Editors: Elizabeth Jackson and Sarah Rische – Giveaway options: US: paperback or ebook, Canada: ebook or audible, International: ebook with US Kindle account.

Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything.

Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris’s new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire.

But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.

My Review: https://kavsbestreads.ca/2024/01/22/of-love-and-treason-giveaway/

Above All Dreams by Naomi Rawlings – Indie – Editor: Erin Healy – ebook giveaway for US, Canada and International with US Kindle account.

Ever since she was a girl, Kate Amos wanted to be a doctor, a dream that made her leave Alaska and travel clear to Boston for medical school. The problem is, there aren’t too many female doctors in 1886, and there are even fewer people who will let a female doctor treat them.

Fortunately for Kate, the only other doctor in the growing town of Juneau Alaska is drunk more than he’s sober, and he doesn’t know the first thing about medicine. So even though the townsfolk might not want a woman doctor to treat them, they don’t have much choice.

Until Dr. Nathan Reid arrives in town.

Nathan has been tasked by the Marine Hospital Service to start a hospital in the gold rush town of Juneau, and he’s excited to get started. His research on the area showed him the town was desperately in need of a competent doctor. But Nathan is only in town for a few minutes before discovering that Juneau already has a competent doctor. She just happens to be a woman.

A rather beautiful woman—who’s worried he’s going to take away her patients.

But when trying to save a man’s life leaves them in a compromising situation, Nathan finds himself standing at the front of a church while Kate walks down the aisle toward him.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 14 2024. REMEMBER TO CHECK EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH BOOK