Kav's Best Reads

A Hopeful Christmas

Kindle the spirit of the season as four of your favorite storytellers weave tales of love and hope in this charming yuletide collection.

Lord Blakely’s Gift by Anneka R. Walker

When Miss ivy Hunt and Lord Curtis Blakely establish a secret acquaintance, neither can deny that their feelings extend beyond friendship. But as the children of bitter rivals, it will take a Christmas miracle for this star-crossed pair to reach their happily ever after.

A Season of Hope by Sian Ann Bessey

Following the death of her father, Amelia knows Christmas will be lean. But when circumstances become dire, it is the unexpected arrival of a childhood friend that renews Amelia’s hope — both for the future and for love.

Christmas by the Sea by Carla Kelly

After two years at sea with the Royal Navy, surgeon Will Crenshaw longs for a quiet Christmas with his family. But when unrest at home threatens to ruin the holidays, it takes the kindly intervention of a mysterious house sitter to remind them of the true meaning of the season.

Expectations at Canterwood by Krista Lynn Jensen

Marina Rowley is a spinster, Richard Stanhope a war-weary military man. A case of mistaken identity throw them together, but the unexpected stirrings of their hearts lead to an unforgettable holiday romance.

My Review:

published in 2020

I’m in twitterpated Regency heaven! What an exceptional collection of Christmas stories! I was only familiar with one author (Sian Ann Bessey) and bought A Hopeful Christmas because I loved the two books I’ve read by her but now I have discovered three new-to-me favourite authors! Woohoo! How cool is that?!

And this is definitely a case of all four novellas being equally matched. Gripping, well-written stories that speak to the true meaning of Christmas with engaging characters and emotional plots. I can’t name a favourite for they all deliver exactly what the title promises — hope. (And some delicious toe-curls besides!)

Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

As the most joyful holiday draws near, three couples discover the recipe for love includes faith, hope, and the sweetest blessings . . .

A CHRISTMAS CAKE FOR REBECCA
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Shelley Shepard Gray
When carpenter Aden returns to Lancaster after twenty years away, bakeshop owner Rebecca is dismayed to find he’s still as handsome and kind as ever. He broke her heart when he left the community back then. Will a holiday emergency provide a second chance at love, this time forever?

BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER * USA Today Bestselling Author Rachel J. Good
When a lonely widower with a sick daughter and a new cake decorator meet at the bakeshop, they discover they were once childhood playmates. But as each of them helps the other care for family, their neighborly kindness inspires a gift that only love could make possible . . .

THE CHRISTMAS CUPCAKE * USA Today Bestselling Author Loree Lough
A builder who never learned to read believes he must hide his fond feelings for a kind schoolteacher. But after they run into each other at the bakeshop, she offers to teach him—and as Christmas approaches, each of them learns a lesson about the great gift of love . . .

My Review:

published in 2021

I can’t fully enter into the holiday reading spirit until I’ve added an Amish novella collection to my TBR! This one got away from me a few years ago, but I’m catching up now.

Great authors, wonderful stories full of heart and faith and gently festive happily ever afters. Love the special Amish bakery at the heart (pun intended) of each romance. It’s like they’re dousing their batter with love potions. So much fun.

This trio of authors brings a distinctive flare to their stories, but all are tender and sweet (in more ways then one!) From Shelley Shepard Gray’s second chance romance in their forties to Rachel Good’s lonely widower with a heartbreaking challenge to the secrets keeping a wary pair at arm’s length in Loree Lough’s contribution — this collection engages and entertains and leaves a reader with a happy Christmas afterglow.

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 Christmas at the Amish Bakeshop, 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 November 23 2024.

Snowed in at Silver Lake + Giveaway

INDIE!

Getting snowed in with a stranger is dangerous—especially for her heart.

Gracie Turner just broke up with her fiancé before Christmas, so after a severe snowstorm causes her car to skid off the road into the deadly waters of Silver Lake, she can’t help falling for her rugged, handsome rescuer. There’s only one problem. He’s a fugitive running from the law.

Barron Hart has a plan to bring his brother’s killers to justice, and it does not involve Gracie. But when the snowy winds batter the backwoods cabin he’s using as his hideout, he has no choice but to wait out the storm with the Sheriff’s daughter. Against her will. Although, if he’s being honest with himself, she’s the one holding his heart captive.

After their first explosive encounter, nothing will warm Gracie up… or stop the sparks flying between them. There are too many secrets keeping them apart. Barron is further dismayed when Gracie uncovers his tragic past. She has the faith to help him heal, but he’s not ready to give up his revenge. Will the mysteries that brought them together, now have the power to tear them apart?

My Review:

True confession: One of my bookish weaknesses is a heroine in peril rescued by a brooding, gruff hero. And once the cold weather hits, for some inexplicable reason, I crave a stranded in s snowstorm scenario. And, mercy, but does this novel ever deliver! Plus there’s a kinda bad boy vibe going on with our hero which brings an extra thrill.

Loved the tense opening scene, with Gracie trying to navigate her way along treacherous roads. Through a phone conversation with her sheriff father, we learn that not only are the roads practically impassable, but there’s a dangerous fugitive on the loose. Eeeepppp….cue a dramatic drumroll as Gracie’s car slides off the road and….well, then the fun really begins.

Great action scenes, multiple rescues and not only being snowed in for Christmas, but for a couple of weeks! Lots of time for Barron and Gracie to work through their uncertainties, gradually easing their relationship from wary strangers to something much more meaningful.

The author blends in some lovely inspirational themes as well, especially through Barron’s point of view as he struggles to make sense of a troubled past and his deep grief. The redemption of his brokenness brought extra depth to the story.

My first Stephanie Fowers novel, but it won’t be my last. In fact she has a series of ‘snowed in’ books that I have my eye on now. Hoping to get to at least one more before Christmas.

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 Snowed in at Silver Lake, 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 November 23 2024.

The Christmas Clue to Finding You + Giveaway

INDIE!

After five years away, Piper Dawson returns home to Kedgewick Creek and is pulled into a Christmas Scavenger Hunt that resurrects a heartbreak from Christmas past she’s not quite ready to mend. Will a matchmaking granny, a little Christmas magic, and a cute guy in a kilt make all the difference to her Christmas yet-to-come?

My Review:

published 2022

How did I miss a Pepper Basham Christmas novella two years ago?! My stealthy bibliophile spidey senses must have been waaaay off. Glad I ‘discovered’ this sweet novella this year when I went on a hunt for more indie Christmas reads.

We were just talking about favourite tropes and I’m adding ‘cute guy in a kilt’ to my list! Bwahaha! And this is also a second chance , friends to more romance. Eeeeppp! Plus it’s Christmas! Written by Pepper Basham which means we’re not only going to get a swoonalicious love story, we’re going to get an insightful inspirational message as well. And the author has out done herself with this poignant look at how the Christmas story can affect the way we live our lives all year round.

So, Piper’s returning home a to place she thought she needed to leave in order to find herself. Only that didn’t work as well for her as it did for her sister. So she’s back helping out at her grandma’s inn (I do so love a holiday inn story!) and getting reacquainted with the town and all the folks she’s missed…including some she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to see again – like Gabe.

They have such an interesting backstory that includes some tragedy which led to their estrangement and, well, you’ll just need to let them tell you their story. This quote sums it up quite nicely:

“Sometimes the wrong road helps our hearts appreciate the right one when we find it.”

Love the thread of redemption woven throughout and the quest to find a place to belong. And there’s an intriguing Christmas scavenger hunt that propels the plot forward in a delightful way (provides a clever title tie in too.) Makes for some sublime holiday reading!

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 The Christmas Clue to Finding You, 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 November 23 2024.

Secrets in the Snowstorm + Giveaway

Indie!

Evelyn Wayford must marry, and quickly, before all of society learns her secret, one she fears will tarnish her future without question. Luckily, she has found just the man, and a Christmas house party is just the place to secure his proposal. She is confident in her plan, so long as her brother’s friend Gilbert keeps his distance, as his flirtatious ways tend to be particularly distracting.

Gilbert Marshall has secrets of his own. Secrets that demand he marry for wealth regardless of where his affections lie. If only his heart didn’t long for the one person he feels he cannot have. And if that knowledge was not enough, now he must endure the torture of watching Evelyn form an attachment to another man during her family’s house party.

When an unexpected snowstorm strands Evelyn and Gilbert alone in a hunting lodge for Christmas, both remain convinced of their separate futures, until Evelyn begins to experience a side of Gilbert she has never seen. Secrets have a way of coming to light when two people are trapped together, but will the revelations bring them closer or push them apart before the snow clears?

My Review:

Eeeeeeppp! Regency! Christmas! New-to-me author! I am in bibliophile heaven! And the close proximity trope is written to perfection! Happy sigh!

So, Gilbert (brother’s best friend trope) has been falling in love with Evelyn for years but he has a secret that prevents him from acting on his feelings. He’s created an annoying (to Evelyn) persona in order to keep his distance so this also starts out with a bit of enemies to more trope too. Eeeeep! But Evelyn also has a secret which, of course, complicates things even more.

The romance is so well paced. Unhurried, with lots of banter and playfulness…and fireworks! Loved how Gilbert and Evelyn gradually lower their guard and really get to know each other. And the way the author builds the suspense behind their secrets (especially Evelyn’s) kept me riveted. At first I thought she was being a ninny but when I realized there was so much more going on…well, just, wow!

All the lovely old-fashioned Christmas celebrations and games brought a nice, cozy ambience to the story. Such a different time, with much simpler and more innocent amusements! Kinda made me homesick for a past I never experienced!

A beautifully written, heartwarming holiday romance. Will definitely be hunting down more Miranda D. Nelson novels in my reading future.

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 Secrets in the Snowstorm, 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 November 23 2024.

Conversations with Kav – Tropes + Giveaway

Excited to talk about a hot topic today — Romantic Tropes. BUT first, I think Amazon’s bot’s spied on last week’s conversation ’cause I got the official notification this week banning me from posting reviews because of my “repeated violations of their community guidelines.” Sigh. They said I could email them if I had any concerns and, let me tell you, following the maze of links to finally get to the right place to send the email to was….interesting. So, now I’m waiting for their response.

Meanwhile — let’s talk about tropes! Do you have favourites? Ones you absolutely detest? If a favourite author writes a novel with one of your least favourite tropes, will you still read it? Inquiring minds want to know. AND, since I just discovered that Baker Book House offers gift cards and I’m miffed at Amazon — we’ll do a giveaway for a BBH gift card today too…but more about that later.

So, I’ll start the conversation off by answering my own questions. Yes, I have favourite tropes, so much so that knowing a story includes a certain trope will guarantee I’ll buy it. And yes, I also have some strong negative feelings about certain tropes that will pretty much guarantee I won’t read the book. There are only a very FEW fave authors I will blindly follow anywhere. So, for instance, if Irene Hannon wrote a love triangle (please, nooooo!) I’d read it. But that’s a very rare exception.

I brainstormed Romantic Tropes and here’s what I came up with. Did I miss any?

As a rule, I enjoy a variety of Romantic Tropes, but I do have favourites:

Grumpy/Sunshine – Love me a brooding hero with a heart of gold and the whole opposites attract thing he has going on with the heroine. (Yes, I know it can be reversed with the hero the grump but I prefer it the other way around.)
Marriage of Convenience – Yes, I know it would actually be horrendous in real life but it’s swoonworthy in my fiction!
Secret Crush – Soooooo much fun, especially in a rom/com. Angsty but with enough lighthearted scenes to not make it gutwrenching. And I don’t care who is pining for who…I just want all the feels. 🙂
Close Proximity – Especially in Romantic Suspense. So many opportunities for character development and relationship growth.

Now for the Romantic Tropes I don’t have a fondness for:

Secret Baby – There’s practically no good reason for a woman to keep the father of her child in the dark. If this trope isn’t written really, really, really well, the heroine comes off looking selfish and shallow. And no, just because your college boyfriend said he didn’t want kids doesn’t give you carte blanche to not tell him when you get pregnant. He deserves to know and make his own decision about how involved he’ll be in the child’s life. That’s not your call. Grrr…I pretty much always pass over books with this trope with very few exceptions. Having said that, I’ll concede that I have read some good ones where the author did manage the secret keeping reasons to feel plausible and relatable, but they are rare.
Amnesia – this used to be one of my favourite tropes but then it seemed like every Romantic Suspense book I picked up featured an amnesia plot and a lot of them weren’t developed well. So, I just had enough and started avoiding this trope altogether. I’ll make a few exceptions (again, if Irene Hannon wrote an amnesia story I’d be all in.)
Love Triangle – You all know I feel about this. No….just Noooooooooooooo! And part of the reason is I’m reading a romance for the happily ever after and, in a novel where both potential love interests in a love triangle are likeable I can’t stand the idea of the rejection one of them will feel. Yes, I know it’s a story but….And if it’s really clear who the love interest should be then I feel that all the nonsense with the obvious ‘loser’ is just a lot of wasted page time when I could be swooning over the nicely developing romance. Oh — and if a heroine is dithering over two guys and one is obviously a creep and she can’t see it, then I lose respect for her and I find it hard to be in her corner as she figures it out. I just want to shake some sense into her and tell the good hero guy to jump into another story and find a better heroine.

Hmmm….it seems I have strong opinions when it comes to tropes, but now it’s your turn. Have I missed any tropes? Feel free to add more in the comments. What are your favourite tropes? What are your least favourite?

WOOHOO! And now it’s time for the GIVEAWAY:

Just leave a comment and I’ll put your name in my Random Wheel of Names Generator and you could win a $10.00 e-gift card for Baker Book House. They have fantastic deals, including free shipping and discounts for new releases as well as used books.

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 23 2024.

November 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:

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!

Sniffing Out Justice

A witness in peril. A K-9 protector. A fight for survival.

After witnessing her best friend’s murder, Kristina Ashbaugh-Richards and her search and rescue dog, Bella, find themselves targeted by the killer. Kris can identify the criminal — and she’s exactly what he looks for in his victims. Her high school crush, Detective Tony Sanderson, vows to protect Kris and her son, but as they try to outwit a dangerous murderer, no place is safe to hide. With her life at stake, Kris’s only hope of survival is to catch the serial killer before he catches her.

My Review:

I always sit up and take notice when Carol J. Post releases a new Love Inspired Suspense novel. Love her brand of romantic suspense — she gets the tension, both emotional and case-related just right.

So, we have a second chance love story that comes with it’s own kind of angst along with the danger and torment of an unidentified stalker/possible serial killer, just to stir things up even more. Oh — and there’s a hurricane. Edge of your seat stuff all the way to the end. Add in the K-9 search and rescue theme and an adorable toddler and this romantic suspense delivers all the feels.

Vivid descriptions, compelling dialogue, lighter tender moments and, of course, the intensity of the suspense, all combine to make this one unputdownable read.

Well, make that listen for me. So thrilled to have some of the Love Inspired and Love Inspired Romantic Suspense lines available in audio format. I really enjoyed Emma Lysy’s narration.

Miracle on 30 Woof Street + Giveaway

Indie!

I love spending Christmas with my best friends. Especially since all they ever ask for is naps, treats, and belly rubs. They also don’t complain when I play my Christmas music on endless repeat. It’s a perk of running the Miracle on 30 Woof Street Pet Shelter.

While out one night to get my daily Holly Jolly Latte, I run into the most attractive woman with a very expensive looking coat. Literally. I spill my latte all over her, and what do I do? I invite her to stay in my guesthouse after her car breaks down, like a Christmas-crazed lunatic.

Taking the opportunity to show all Candy Cane Creek has to offer the week before Christmas, I hope to turn this Christmas-hater into a jolly elf, but along the way I develop feelings I shouldn’t be having. Ones I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with. Especially when the magic of the holidays doesn’t seem to be enough to grow her heart three sizes and make her stay.

My Review:

Fun, flirty and festive — with a sleigh load of holiday whimsy from the cute title to a Christmas-centric town aptly named Candy Cane Creek. What more could a reader in search of yuletide wonder ask for?

Well, a German Shepard wearing a Santa hat comes to mind. Really, Tag stole the show…er story…for me. Hanson clearly understands ‘dog’ and she writes it so well. Which is a good thing since Rex runs a pet shelter and I do so adore an animal loving hero!

Then there’s Holly, aptly named for a Christmas story, don’t you think? Only Holly lost her Christmas spirit five years ago (I’ll let her tell you why) and now she’s a grit your teeth and get through the holidays kind of gal. Only she’s got an assignment to cover small town festivities in the area and winds up being stranded in the middle of her worst nightmare: a town on holiday overload.

A funny meet-cute brings Holly and Rex together and sets the stage for pages of yuletide celebrations and glad tidings as Rex sets out to change Holly’s opinions of Christmas.

Really enjoyed this light-hearted rom/com, though it is written in first person, present tense POV which isn’t my favourite. The story is sweet and hopeful with enough canine antics to thrill discerning dog loving readers everywhere.

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 Miracle on 30 Woof Street, 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 November 16 2024.

We Three Kings + Giveaway

In this Christmas collection, Weise men still seek Jesus–and love

Best-selling romance authors Caudill, Putman, and Strong follow three generations of the Weise family in this third collection of Christmas novellas from Kregel that will prove just as popular as the previous award-winning volumes.

“Star of Wonder” by Crystal Caudill
The Christmas-themed maiden voyage of his family’s grand steamer ship was supposed to be Aldrich Weise’s chance both to instill investor confidence and to romance Celestia Isaacs. Instead, he must foil a criminal and leave his lady love behind forever.

“Beauty Bright” by Cara Putman
Lieutenant Charles Weise served as a Monuments Man after World War II and now works to restore stolen art to rightful owners. Captain Lillian Thorsen pairs up with him not only to return treasures but also to fix the war-torn lives around them.

“Perfect Light” by Angela Ruth Strong
Essential oils mogul Brendon Wise is drawn to Lacey Foster, the event planner for his huge Christmas lights festival. But when he inadvertently makes a spectacle of her on television, Lacey wants nothing to do with him. Will a chance to give gifts to those in need at Christmas be the key to discovering common ground–and maybe love?

My Review:

A wonderful collection of Christmas novellas written by some talented authors. While each story is unique, they are linked by the generational ties of the Weise family.

Crystal Caudill starts us off in 1884 with a shipboard romance fraught with mystery and adventure. Fast forward to the end of WWII in 1945 and Cara Putman brings the Monument Men to life as Lieutenant Charles Weise works to restore stolen art to their rightful owners. And finally, Angela Ruth Strong takes us into present day with an unusual holiday romance that just happens to feature my least favourite trope but she nailed it!

Nice variety, compelling stories and the generational link makes this collection shine.

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 We Three Kings, 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 November 16 2024.