Kav's Best Reads

Finding You + Giveaway

She thought love was lost to her until a stranger with a secret connection to her former fiancé opens her heart to a second chance at love in this uplifting contemporary romance from Amy Clipston.

It’s been eighteen months since Darcy Larsen’s fiancé, Jace, was killed in a car accident on his way to pick up Darcy’s medicine from the pharmacy. Eighteen months of missing him and struggling to overcome her heartache, grief, and guilt. Unwilling to open up her heart to more hurt, Darcy is sure her one chance at a Happily Ever After is gone, until a random encounter with a handsome stranger changes everything.

Carter Donovan has a new lease on life. An emergency kidney transplant saved his life, but while he’s eternally thankful to the anonymous donor, he can’t help but feel like a burden to his family. Forced to move in with his sister and her family, he’s ready to move forward–past his broken engagement and his former illness and embrace his second chance at life and love.

When Darcy’s car breaks down and Carter rushes to the rescue, these two souls are thrown together in an unexpected way. As they start to date, Darcy feels herself coming back to life, and Carter begins to believe in the future again. But as they grow closer and open up more about their hopes, fears, and pasts, an explosive secret threatens to break down the gentle romance they’ve built. Carter’s transplant isn’t as anonymous as he’d first thought, and its connection to Darcy–and her fiancé Jace–could shatter everything they’ve built.

My Review:

A touching romance full of heartache and hope. Particularly poignant given the author’s personal experience with the subject matter. Made the read that much more impactful since she obviously captured all the emotional nuances.

‘Finding You’ is pure romance that starts with Darcy and Carter’s unexpected meet-cute and gently evolves into a cautious exploration of deepening feelings…BUT…as in all good romantic fiction…there are complications! Unusually challenging ones, in fact, and Clipston did a wonderful job of driving me crazy as this heroine and her hero battle insecurities and secrets. 🙂

I could understand their hesitancy but, I couldn’t help becoming frustrated over their trust issues. Of course, as the reader, I had the advantage of being aware of both Darcy and Carter’s inner most thoughts so trusting either of them wasn’t an issue for me…until it was! The author did a fantastic job with pacing and plot which included some memorable secondary characters who help our hero and heroine navigate their way to a hard-won happily-ever-after.

I listened to the audio edition and really enjoyed narrator Melissa Moran’s performance. She breathed life into these characters and related their story with warmth and compassion. A pleasant, easy-to-listen to ‘reading’ experience.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

ebook copy available to anyone with a US Kindle account (.com)

Canadians will have a choice of receiving an Amazon.ca gift card towards the purchase of an ebook OR an audible copy. Winner’s Choice.

If you would like a chance to win an ecopy of 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 July 13 2024.

2024 Carol Award Finalists – Novella + 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 2024 finalists are books published in 2023. 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 7 2024 at the ACFW Gala in New Orleans, Louisiana (wouldn’t you love to be there?!)

How does this giveaway work?

You select which of the Carol Award finalists 2024 —Novella 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.

Novella Finalists

Christmas Snowstorm Standoff by Sami A. Abrams (in the Christmas in the Crosshairs Collection) — Sunrise Publishing — Editors: Lynette Eason and Susan May Warren — Giveaway will be for the collection Christmas in the Crosshairs — ebook copy

It’s finally time for bodyguard Lizzie Tremaine to tie the knot with the man she’s loved for years—fellow bodyguard Charlie Lee.

But maybe fate is still against them, because on the eve of their big day, a snowstorm hits. And, while it’s kept the guests away, it’s brought trouble in the form of a woman from Charlie’s past. More, she’s on the run from a killer…

A man who will stop at nothing to make sure Charlie and Lizzie never make it to the altar.

Now Lizzie and Charlie must battle the storm, stop the killer, and defeat the doubts that suddenly have them wondering if they are truly meant to be.

Honor’s Mountain Promise by Misty M. Beller — Indie — Editors: Robin Patchen and Jalayne Setzer — winner’s choice of paperback or ebook (also audible in Canada)

They both want a new start, but nothing prepared them for this treacherous journey.

Finally on the right side of the law, Aaron Long expected his life to take an upward turn. Instead, he ends up with a bum leg and driving a freight wagon through the wild Rocky Mountains. At least he has the joy of his newfound faith in God. The last thing he expects in the middle of an urgent delivery to Settler’s Fort is to discover a woman begging him to take her the opposite direction. She’s heavy with child, so he can’t leave her, but neither can he take her where she wants to go.

Katie Barlowe has never had control of her life. Especially not when her parents married her off to a successful businessman who was determined to start a ranch in the faraway Montana Territory. Now she’s a widow left on her own in these breathtaking but treacherous mountains. She’s determined to forge a better future for herself and the new life growing inside her. To do so, she needs to get back to civilization before the babe is born. When she finally finds a freighter to take her the first leg of the journey east, all seems to be falling into place. Then the driver is killed and she’s left with a stranger who’s unwilling to take her farther than a tiny mining town, far from Fort Benton and the steamship she’d hoped would carry her home.

When Aaron and Katie set out through the mountain winter, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.

Return of the Monarchs by Beth Wiseman — Indie — Editors: Janet Murphy and Audrey Wick — Winner’s Choice of paperback or ebook

Janelle Herron isn’t interested in having a boyfriend. She wears black clothes, dark makeup, and sees herself metaphorically as a caterpillar who hopes to transform into a butterfly someday. She hopes that she will grow into a vision of herself that she can live with, and she has her reasons—reasons that only her parents are aware of—but that doesn’t include having a romantic relationship. But when she sees a handsome Amish man being harassed by bullies, she gets involved and becomes friends with Thomas Schrock. He’s safe. They can never be together romantically because he’s Amish.

Thomas Schrock is intrigued—and a little embarrassed—when a Goth-looking young English woman intervenes in a one-sided fight Thomas is about to be lured into by three bullies. Janelle is spunky, brave, and might even be pretty behind all the dark makeup she wears. She is easy to talk to, fun to be around, and as they spend more time together, he begins to understand some of the reasons she dresses the way she does. But as Janelle and Thomas’s feelings begin to lean toward romance, Janelle holds tightly to a secret she has no plans to share. Her plan is to stay on course and leave for college at the end of the summer.

But will a magical meadow filled with monarchs and a little divine intervention turn things around for Janelle? Will she finally share her secret with Thomas and become the butterfly she’s always wanted to be?

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday July 13 2024. REMEMBER TO CHECK GIVEAWAY EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH TITLE!

Between a Flock and a Hard Place

Readers will flock to New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews’s next installment in the award-winning Meg Langslow series.

Meg’s neighbors, the Smetkamps’, have won a makeover for their old home from Marvelous Mansions, a flashy, yet dubious company, focused on making historic homes more “modern.” The company already several days into its makeover of the Smetkamps’ house, and tensions are running high–not only between the officious, demanding Mrs. Smetkamp and her neighbors, but also between her and the renovation crew. Meg, who is trying to keep the peace and prevent the makeover crew from trampling on every clause of the county’s building code, arrives at the Smetkamps to find that Caerphilly’s resident flock of feral turkeys has moved into their yard–or been relocated there by someone who wanted to cause them trouble.

The turkeys are huge, territorial, cranky and aggressive – and impossible to move! Meg does what she can to calm down the irate neighbors and help the makeover crew make progress in spite of the turkeys. She comes up with a plan to gather a group of turkey wranglers to snatch them early in the morning. But when they arrive, they find the body of Mrs. Smetkamp in her backyard. Someone stabbed her, and then tried to make it look as if she was attacked by one of the turkeys, but Meg, the Chief, and the Sheriff are not fooled. Together, they must figure out what really happened to Mrs. Smetkamp…and what to do with all these turkeys!

My Review:

I adore Meg Langslow. I love her wild and whacky family, her quirky neighbours, the town of Caerphilly with all its Southern charm and the sheer madcap mayhem that ensues in every book. And, of course, there’s murder. I mean, really, what more can you ask from a cozy mystery? Oh — and the pun-y titles! The books are worth collecting just for those titles alone!

In fact, I am so enamoured with this series that it’s become an annual reread, well, re-listen, for me. I divide the books by 12 and read…er, listen, to 2 or 3 a month (saving all the Christmas books for last, of course.) This is my fourth year and I’m still as enchanted as the first time I met Meg and company!

I contribute some of my fascination with all things Langslow to narrator Bernadette Dunne. She has become the voice, well voices really, of this series, bringing distinctive qualities to each character that are consistent with every book! And her comedic beats are priceless. I get the feeling that she is getting just as much enjoyment out of the story as I am and that feeling is contagious…hence my compulsion to revisit each book every year. A brilliant author/narrator team!

‘Between a Flock and a Hard Place’ is #35(!) and held me gleefully spellbound all the way through. Lots of familiar characters — and I love how Grandfather is still going strong though he is well over 100 now. Spike too, he’s too ornery to die. 🙂 Absurd situations that seem downright normal for Caerphilly kick off a rollicking riot of twists and turns, high drama, and lots of laughs. And the way the town pulls together in times of adversity is inspiring! Just all kinds of feel good, heartwarming hilarity – the perfect cozy mix!

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

Reader’s Choice Week Winners – Summer 2024 Edition

Photo by u00c1nh u0110u1eb7ng on Pexels.com

Well, that’s another Reader’s Choice Week wrapped up. And don’t we have a ton of fresh new reads ahead of us? The perfection distraction for the hot, sticky days in our future!I always like to welcome in a new season with new books so I am grateful for all the input you had in making up my Summer TBR!

Before we get to the fun stuff, here’s some ( nerd alert) bibliophile stats for you. I always find it fascinating to see what the most requested books are in each category. If you don’t, just scroll down until we get to the part where I announce the winners.

And now it’s time to move into the part of this post you will be most interested in (and I thank you for indulging in my bibliophile nerdiness.)

READER’S CHOICE WEEK SUMMER EDITION 2024 WINNERS!

But wait, it’s not over yet. The Vanity category has become a blog tradition. It’s where a book is actually judged by its cover and I choose my favourite cover art per genre and then draw from a pool of readers who requested that title. Here are my COVER LOVE winners!!

WAIT! Don’t go away ’cause we’re not through. We have another Reader’s Choice tradition of picking a random number which becomes a ‘just because giveaway’ on the genre specific days. If that doesn’t make sense, all you need to know is that it means more book giveaways. Woohoo! This time the number is: 30

That’s another RC wrap up. I’ll send winners an email stating their book win, publication date and requesting contact info so that I’ll have everything ready for release day. Then I’ll email you once again once the book has been ordered. Oh — and if you didn’t include your email in your comment it’s up to you to contact me.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

Please remember to check +Giveaway in the title and note the book editions available for each giveaway as they will vary. (I’m all graphic-ed out so this is just a list!)

SUNDAY – Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews

MONDAY – Carol Award Finalists – Novella

TUESDAY – Finding You by Amy Clipston

WEDNESDAY – Truth Be Told by Patricia Raybon

THURSDAY – Hello July!

FRIDAY – Beachy Keen by Kaci Stockton

Reader’s Choice Goal Review Giveaway

HOW THIS GIVEAWAY WORKS

Another Best Reads Blog tradition is quarterly reading goal reviews. I’ll share my progress (or not!) here just for some fun, book nerdy stats and, if you’re so inclined you can share a goal or two in the comments. But no pressure – a goal can be as simple as ‘read a book.’

So, to enter this giveaway, just share anything goal related in the comments. Then, in the same comment, list a book that will help you reach your goal. So it looks like this:

“I want to catch up on some suspense series. Night Prey by Susan Sleeman.”

NOTE: BOOKS MUST BE CHRISTIAN FICTION

You can enter up to three times in three separate comments — and you can use the same goal or a different one each time, but a different title for each entry.

Books can be published any time up through to September 2024. Currently published books will be ordered this coming week for winners, otherwise it will be an IOU for a title releasing later in July, August or September 2024.

See? Easy Peasy. But if you’re still not clear, don’t be shy about asking questions.

Books Read: 232

‘Other’ is a mix of YA, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Novellas & Fairytale Retellings.

Shout out to Perrianne for putting me onto Chirp and I’m so blessed to have Net Galley audio books to review now (thank you, Tracey for giving me the nudge to check them out) — I’m averaging 4 or 5 NG audio books a month so that’s fantastic!

My first five goals centre around authors and I’m sad to say, I’ve let the indie and debut goals slide a wee bit. I plan on paying special attention to them this next quarter.

‘Serious About Series’ is popular on Book Tube and Bookstagram and I tweaked the 2024 challenge a bit to suit my goals. (The original challenge was to target 24 series you want to make progress on over the year.) I’ve found it really helpful to refer to my lists, particularly when I’m searching for books at my library and I’m pleased with my progress so far. (Though I will confess to starting way more than 24 series — and most of them NOT on my list. 🙂

Okay, that’s enough nerdy stats stuff. Let’s get on with the giveaway!

Share below and remember to include a book title that will help you achieve any kind of reading goal. You can enter three times in three separate comments using the same goal or different ones. What ever strikes your fancy. Just make sure each entry is for a different title.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON

SATURDAY JULY 6 2024.

OFFER OPEN TO ANY READER WHO HAS A US KINDLE .COM ACCOUNT FOR EBOOKS. OTHERWISE IT’S WINNER’S CHOICE OF PAPERBACK OR EBOOK FOR US AND CANADIAN ENTRIES.

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2024 Edition – Christian Fiction

I don’t know about you, but I’m so over the summer heat and the season has just started! I’d almost like to snap my fingers and fast forward to Autumn, but if I did that I’d miss the best thing about summer — all the books releasing in July, August and September! I definitely don’t want to miss out on any of that, especially since it’s…

READER’S CHOICE WEEK

Here’s how this week’s giveaways work: You recommend a CHRISTIAN FICTION genre specific titles with release dates in July, August or September 2024 (up to three suggestions per genre day) and you have a chance to win one of your recommendations! BUT it’s a little more complicated than that so be sure to read ALL the details before entering.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S CHRISTIAN FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the General Christian Fiction genre you would like to win.

Christian Fiction — any full length story or novella or collection of novellas. Any genre and titles can include previous selections you made on other days of the Reader’s Choice – Summer 2024 edition days as well as specific genres not covered yet like Speculative, Middle Grace, Sci-Fi etc.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August or September 2024
Each day is genre specific, so so nly submit titles from that genre
Christian Fiction books only please!
You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of)
No email entries this time since comments are working on WP (OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POSST AUTOMATICALLY. I’LL TRY TO KEEP ON TOP OF THINGS, BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT.)
Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in)
It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on

Saturday July 6 2024

(you have until noon of that day to enter any of the Reader’s Choice Giveaways)

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2024 Edition – Amish Fiction

READER’S CHOICE WEEK

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S AMISH FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Amish Fiction genre you would like to win.

Amish Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where the hero or heroine (or both) are Amish OR the story has significant Amish content through secondary characters and an Amish community. Can be set in any time period and cross genres such as Suspense, YA etc, and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August or September 2024
Each day is genre specific, so so nly submit titles from that genre
Christian Fiction books only please!
You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of)
No email entries this time since comments are working on WP (OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POSST AUTOMATICALLY. I’LL TRY TO KEEP ON TOP OF THINGS, BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT.)
Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in)
It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on

Saturday July 6 2024

(you have until noon of that day to enter any of the Reader’s Choice Giveaways)

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2024 Edition – Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

READER’S CHOICE WEEK

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S MYSTERY/SUSPENSE / THRILLER GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Fiction genre you would like to win.

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas where mystery is an important part of the plot. The hero or heroine (or both) are often in peril (more so in suspense). Can be set in any time period and may cross genres such as YA, Amish etc, and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August or September 2024
Each day is genre specific, so so nly submit titles from that genre
Christian Fiction books only please!
You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of)
No email entries this time since comments are working on WP (OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POSST AUTOMATICALLY. I’LL TRY TO KEEP ON TOP OF THINGS, BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT.)
Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in)
It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on

Saturday July 6 2024

(you have until noon of that day to enter any of the Reader’s Choice Giveaways)

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2024 Edition – Contemporary Fiction

READER’S CHOICE WEEK

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE / FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Contemporary Romance / Fiction genre you would like to win.

Contemporary Romance / Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period after 198o. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc, and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August or September 2024
Each day is genre specific, so so nly submit titles from that genre
Christian Fiction books only please!
You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of)
No email entries this time since comments are working on WP (OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POSST AUTOMATICALLY. I’LL TRY TO KEEP ON TOP OF THINGS, BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT.)
Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in)
It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on

Saturday July 6 2024

(you have until noon of that day to enter any of the Reader’s Choice Giveaways.Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)

Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Summer 2024 Edition – Historical Fiction

READER’S CHOICE WEEK

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: These giveaways are available in paperback or ebook format to US and Canadian readers. Ebooks available internationally if you have a .com kindle account (US Amazon)

IT’S HISTORICAL ROMANCE / FICTION GIVEAWAY DAY!

To be entered in the draw just leave a comment (or 3) below, including the title(s) of the book(s) in the Historical Romance / Fiction genre you would like to win.

Historical Romance / Fiction — a full length story or novella or collection of novellas set in any time period before 1980. May cross genres such as YA, Suspense, Amish etc, and may include dual timelines.

How does it work?

Easy peasy! Make recommendations in the comment section and if you win, you win the book you suggested.

BUT YOU GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES!

Publication date must be July, August or September 2024
Each day is genre specific, so so nly submit titles from that genre
Christian Fiction books only please!
You can offer up to three suggestions per genre day BUT they need to be made in 3 separate comments (easier for me to keep track of)
No email entries this time since comments are working on WP (OF SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU HAVEN’T COMMENTED ON THIS BLOG BEFORE, YOUR FIRST COMMENT WON’T APPEAR UNTIL I APPROVE IT. AFTER THAT YOUR COMMENTS WILL POSST AUTOMATICALLY. I’LL TRY TO KEEP ON TOP OF THINGS, BUT PLEASE BE PATIENT.)
Entrants must submit their own selections (no piggybacking on someone else’s log in)
It’s helpful to include your email (using AT and DOT instead of @ and . to protect yourself from spammers) but you only need to add it to one of your comments per day. If you choose not to include your email, then it’s up to you to contact me if you are a winner.

Draw will be held and winner announced on

Saturday July 6 2024

(you have until noon of that day to enter any of the Reader’s Choice Giveaways.Winners will be announced later that afternoon.)