Kav's Best Reads

August Giveaway – Week One

WON BY PARKLAND MOM

WON BY CINDY DAVIS

WON BY MARIAN BAAY

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.

Summer Tease

Falling for Beau Palmer would be the ultimate crime

Wild horses couldn’t drag me back to the small island where I grew up, but you know what can? Making sure the Palmer family—aka the worst neighbors ever—show appropriate respect to the newest resident of their retirement center: my grandma.

But as soon as Grams moves in, her shenanigans put her at risk of being kicked out. Since she’s set on staying in Sunset Harbor until her last breath and there’s no way I’m staying on this nightmare island to take care of her, that’s not an option.

Enter Beau Palmer, the infuriatingly charming local cop who’s got the connections to keep Grams right where she needs to be and help me get out of Dodge sooner. But he’s got a price, and it requires putting the Sawyer/Palmer drama firmly in the past.

But the drama isn’t behind us. In fact, it’s right in front of me, wearing a police badge and a smirk that’s really started disturbing my peace.

My Review:

A breezy enemies to more summer romance that both delighted and irked me.

Delighted because…Beau. Dedicated to serving the island and his family, he’s quintessential hero material. Infinitely patient with some of the more…unique…Sunset Harbor citizens and more than fair at times when I just would have thrown the book at the culprit (I’m looking at you, Grams!)

Irked because Gemma was so combative and unwilling to compromise. She did not make a good first impression on me, though Beau took her ire in stride. Their families have a feuding history, so they’ve kind of grown up with the idea that Palmers and Sawyers don’t mix but Gemma took it to a whole other level, expecting the worse from Beau and his family even though they prove themselves time and time again. She does soften as the story progresses (this is a romance, after all) but, in the beginning, I couldn’t understand what Beau saw in her. He definitely has a kinder, more compassionate heart than I do.

Then there’s Grams — oy, spunky and ornery and her outrageous antics were sometimes hilariously funny and others times just plain annoying. I had a love/hate relationship with Grams. 🙂

So, not the ideal mix for a summertime romance, but Keyes makes it work, largely because of good natured Beau and his gentle pursuit of Gemma — at first just to lighten her load as she deals with moving her Grams into the retirement home and fixing up her cottage to sell (see, totally nice guy vibes all the way.) But his reasons soon morph into something much more personal, and honestly, Gemma didn’t stand a chance…I sure capitulated waaaayyyyyy faster than she did.

Like when he introduced his police partner, Xena the fluffy K-5 (because she only completed half the K-9 training and her easy going, love ’em and lick ’em into submission temperament wasn’t exactly K-9 material. Bwahahaha! ) I was a goner in chapter two.

And to be fair to Gemma, she’s been spoon-fed Palmer hostility from childhood and Grams keeps it up once she’s back on the island so it isn’t really any wonder that she struggles with her feelings for Beau. Until island history unravels their families’ dispute and causes Gemma to take an honest look at her past…and her future.

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of ‘Summer Tease’. Narrator, Ariel Royce made the listening easy — and I loved the way she delivered Grams’ mercurial temperament with such panache!

My thanks to Paradigm Press, Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

August New Releases Giveaway

Photo by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com

It’s a 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 August 2024 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 August 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 August 3 2024.

But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor + Giveaway

It’s not stalking if he’s your hot neighbor… right?

At least, that’s what I tell myself when Adrian Carter moves in next door.

His scowl should make me want to run in the other direction, but when I catch him smothering a smile around me, it makes me want to get to know him more.

And when Adrian starts to open up, I find myself falling in love with the cinnamon roll center hidden beneath his gruff exterior.

But between my emotional baggage and his aversion to relationships, it’s looking like we’ll never be more than neighborly.

But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor is a cozy grumpy/sunshine romcom for lovers of small-town romantic comedies. It has all the sizzling chemistry you love, without any explicit scenes. Check out the first book of the But He’s A Carter Brother Series, a series based around four strong, protective brothers finding love.

My Review:

I’m a tad shy of giddy over this ‘new-to-me author’ discovery. I’ve been hearing ‘Annah Conwell this, and Annah Conwell that’ all over book tube and Bookstagram lately and I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. And, oh my, now I understand!!!!

5 bazillion stars into infinity AND, be still my heart(!) because this is the first book in the Carter Brothers series and having met Adrian’s brothers I absolutely need more!!!!!!

And I do so love a good grumpy/sunshine trope and this one is fantastically wonderful! Adrian is all ‘nothing to see here, move along now I have no intention of being neighbourly…ever’ and Juliette is an over the top best neighbour ever (if you’re in the mood to have the bubbly, cheerful, klutzy kind living next door.) Adrian isn’t…at least that’s what he thinks. Priceless!!!!!! And so much FUN!!!

The small town setting with the majority of it’s population at 60+ adds to the humour (and explains why Juliette is so over the moon excited to have a new neighbour moving in next door who is most decidedly under 60!)

Clear off your fainting couch and practise your swoon dives because this deliciously slow-burn romance captures all the feels. Toe curling kisses included. Humour and angst blend perfectly to create a fulfilling read. And while this is a rom/com, the author brings added depth to the story by touching on a few more serious topics – issues our hero and heroine need to work through before they can reach their happily ever after. It never gets too heavy, Conwell approaches sensitive material with grace and hope…and yes, even humour. Just makes the story that much more emotionally satisfying.

And did I mention the Carter brothers? Some of the best scenes in the book include brotherly banter and camaraderie. I’m left with a real sense of who these guys are, each one with their own hint of mystery that makes me desperate to read their stories sooner than later.

An emotional romance that sizzles and sparks — without the spice. Sweet perfection!

I listened to the audio edition narrated by Leanne Woodward and Evan Sibley. They did a fantastic job bringing Adrian and Juliette (and all the characters) to life. A great narrator/author match which I really appreciate. Love when the narration enhances an already amazing story to new levels and that was definitely the case here.

My thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media and Net Galley 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 one of the But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 3 2024.

The Governess of Penwythe Hall + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

Cornwall was in her blood, and Delia feared she’d never escape its hold.

Cornwall, England, 1811
Blamed for her husband’s death, Cordelia Greythorne fled Cornwall and accepted a governess position to begin a new life. Years later her employer’s unexpected death and his last request to watch over his five children force her to reevaluate. She can’t abandon the children now that they’ve lost both parents, but their new guardian lives at the timeworn Penwythe Hall . . . back on the Cornish coast she tries desperately to forget.

Jac Trethewey is determined to revive Penwythe Hall’s once-flourishing apple orchards, and he’ll stop at nothing to see his struggling estate profitable again. He hasn’t heard from his brother in years, so when his nieces, nephews, and their governess arrive unannounced at Penwythe Hall, he battles both grief of this brother’s death and bewilderment over this sudden responsibility. Jac’s priorities shift as the children take up residence in the ancient halls, but their secretive governess—and the mystery shrouding her past—proves to be a disruption to his carefully laid plans.

Rich with family secrets, lingering danger, and the captivating allure of new love, this first book in the Cornwall Novels series introduces us to the Twethewey family and their search for peace, justice, and love on the Cornish coast.

My Review:

published in 2019

Sqqqqquuuuueeeeeee!!!! THUD. I’m bruised from head to toe from all the body slams onto my fainting couch (I’m an energetic swooner when it comes to Gothic + Regency.) And…oh my…I’m still reeling in a kaleidoscopic state of tizziness after finishing this sublime read. It took me back to my early teens when I discovered a treasure trove of Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney books at my public library. I got that same thrill of anticipation as I started to read Governess of Penwythe Hall. I mean — Cornish coast — a struggling ancestral home — a reticent hero — smugglers — danger! I feel a surge of fangirling excitement welling up inside of me just remembering it all!

“If you lean on your faith, you’ll arrive at a destination created just for you.”

And what a journey Ladd takes Jac and Delia on! Enticing descriptions and a mysterious ambiance lulled me into a stupor of bibliophile bliss. A romance that manages to be both sweet and passionate, the specter of danger, a shroud of mystery and cutthroat action — all the elements essential for this genre with the added bonus of a gentle faith thread woven throughout. Sweet Perfection!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Governess of Penwythe Hall , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 3 2024.

2024 Carol Award Finalists – Short Novel + 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 —Short Novel 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.

Short Novel Finalists

Their Holiday Secret by Betsy St. Amant — Love Inspired — Editor: Emily Rodmell and Caroline Timmings — Winner’s Choice of Paperback or ebook

Can their pretend relationship

Turn into a true Christmas gift?

Preston Green will do anything for a fake girlfriend—even bid on one at a charity auction. Sweet and quirky baker Lulu Boyd is the perfect choice to stop his mother’s constant matchmaking. And it’s just for one holiday family dinner—until his father’s failing health makes ending their ruse impossible. Soon it feels all too real…but another secret might make this their last Christmas together.

Together for the Twins by Laurel Blount — Love Inspired — Editor: Dina Davis — Winner’s Choice of paperback or ebook.

He opened his home to twin boys

Will he open his heart to their nanny?

Self-made man Ryder Montgomery is the guy with all the answers…until he inherits custody of his out-of-control twin nephews. Nanny Elise Cooper is a lifesaver and even agrees to give him parenting lessons. Soon they’re starting to feel like a real family. But with an end-of-summer expiration date, is it even possible to build a future together?

The Cowboy Bargain by Tina Radcliffe –– Love Inspired — Editor: Katie Gowrie — Winner’s Choice of paperback or ebook

A little competition…

Brings a change of heart.

Sam Morgan never thought he’d see his ex-fiancée again after she skipped town days before their wedding. He certainly didn’t expect to find her opening a restaurant on his property—in the building he’d intended to sell his crafts from. This time Olivia’s sticking around, forcing Sam to strike a deal: work together and see whose products sell best. Could their business venture lead to a surprising reunion?

My Review:https://kavsbestreads.ca/2023/09/15/the-cowboy-bargain-giveaway/

Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 3 2024. REMEMBER TO CHECK GIVEAWAY EDITION AVAILABILITY FOR EACH TITLE!

July Giveaway – Week Four

WON BY CARYL KANE

WON BY MELISSA ANDRES

WON BY JACKIE

WON BY KATHLEEN

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK:

Please remember to check giveaway details (paperback, ebook, either/or, gently read etc.) each day as they will vary.

Summer Ever After

Falling in love is easy. Finding the right guy to spend happily ever after with… that’s the hard part.

But I have a foolproof plan. I’m taking the tropes that work in romance books and applying them to my love life.

Only one bed? Never fails.

Caring for someone when they’re sick? A classic.

“Who did this to you?” Seals the deal every single time.

So long, loneliness. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

But the more I try to force romance, the more feelings naturally progress with the one man who’s off limits: Walker Collins, the guy I’ve had a secret crush on since 7th grade, not to mention my best friend’s older brother.

Dating Walker crosses BFF lines I swore I’d never cross. Plus, he hates Sunset Harbor, and his pro golf career will take him off the island as fast as he came, sending me back to the land of singlehood, loneliness, and broken hearts.

At the end of the day, I don’t want to be the fool in my foolproof plan.

My Review:

Bwahahahaha! Just….insert lots of snort laughing. And what a brilliant concept for a rom/com — featuring every trope imaginable (and a few micro-tropes I’d never thought of!) in a desperate bid to find a happily ever after with somebody somehow and most definitely by the end of the summer. Oh Jane!

Think a series of worst first dates only themed. So many laugh-out-loud scenes as Jane tries to force sparks upon the unsuspecting single men of Sunset Harbor. Only, of course, those dreamy romantic tropes that play out so wonderfully in fiction don’t quite translate the same way in real life.

Unless it happens to be with the only man not on her list — Walker Collins. And the way that Keisel works Walker into the chaos that is Jane’s summer campaign is so well done! And oh my! The man is flirty and outrageous and knows how to rile Jane up without even trying. 🙂

And while ‘Summer Ever After’ is a lighthearted rom/com, it also has some deeper emotional layers that make the read even more satisfying. Oh — and that ending? — Wowza — silver screen worthy and toe-curling good!

I listened to the audio edition brilliantly narrated by Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington. They delivered the teasing banter to perfection and really captured the charm and eccentricities of these characters — especially Jane’s Pollyanna-on-steroids persona. Such an easy and captivating listen. Highly recommend.

My thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

Meeting Her Match + Giveaway

Miss Camilla Pierpont, a renowned matchmaker and influential member of the New York Four Hundred, has vowed never to marry after suffering a devastating heartbreak during her debut years ago. However, when she is nearly abducted along the Hudson River, she finds herself rescued by an annoyingly outspoken, albeit fascinating, gentleman who challenges her in a manner she wasn’t expecting.

After learning that Camilla Pierpont has enjoyed success with taking wayward young ladies in hand, Mr. Owen Chesterfield travels to the Hudson River Valley determined to convince Camilla to sponsor his sister, who is in desperate need of social rehabilitation.

Knowing her life is in danger, Camilla agrees to Owen’s proposition and travels with him to West Virginia, finding herself charmed by the less-than-formal attitude of his small hometown, as well as by Owen himself. But danger waits in the shadows, disrupting what she knows would be the most spectacular match she’s ever made–her own.

My Review:

Snicker. I can’t wipe the silly grin off my face from the sheer absurd goings on in this novel! From the meet-cute fraught with mix ups to the bedlam that ensues afterwards, ‘Meeting Her Match’ is Jen Turnano at her zaniest best!

Honestly, no one can write riotously convoluted dialogue that, oddly enough, makes sense…eventually like this author can. The fine art of talking at cross purposes is perfected in nearly every exchange between Camilla and Owen and it’s hysterical! Definitely laugh-out-loud funny in places, so consider yourself forewarned if you are planning to read this book out in public. 🙂

And once Camilla arrives in West Virginia the fun explodes off the page! I can’t even…Owen’s family!!! Oh, mercy, his grandmother and his aunt! Two of the finest secondary characters ever. I will never take an apple pie recipe for granted ever again! Bwahahaha!

Riotous hijinks, sweet romance, characters to love (and a few to love-to-hate) along with a wee bit of intrigue and danger makes ‘Meeting Her Match’ the very best kind of escape read!

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 one of the Meeting Her Match, 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 27 2024.

July Love Inspired Suspense Giveaway

Since I’m finding it difficult to read the print in the Love Inspired lines and I don’t do well with ebooks either, I’m reduced to enjoying my LI and LIS books whenever they appear in audio editions. Unfortunately, that means the number of LI and LIS books I read has dwindled.

I still want to support the authors though, so I have started a Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense monthly new releases giveaway. Separate days for each line. I’ll list all the books and synopsis in a post and you can choose which book you would like to win if your name is drawn.

FOR THIS GIVEAWAY: Choose ONE of the *July Love Inspired Suspense books listed below, add the title to a comment (or in an email – kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca) and if your name is drawn, that’s the book you will win.

*Just to make things complicated, these books have August as their release month but they actually become available in stores and online on July 23 so I’m calling them July releases?!

July Love Inspired Suspense Releases

Showdown in the Rockies by Kathleen Tailer – A secret cartel operation in the wilderness…A perilous winter pursuit…When their helicopter is shot out of the sky after they discover a drug operation, Detective Flynn Denning—along with her nephew and her ex-boyfriend Derek King—is stranded in the unforgiving Colorado mountains. They’ll need to rely on Derek’s military skills to survive the treacherous conditions and the assailants on their trail. But with the cartel dead set on eliminating any witnesses to their operation, this mission might be their last…

Montana Abduction Rescue by Jodie Bailey – Kidnappers out for vengeance…can a K-9 team stop them? Following the death of a crime boss he put behind bars, Ian Carpenter leaves witness protection—and runs right into an ambush. To escape assailants bent on revenge, he turns to his former handler, US marshal Meadow Ames, and her K-9 partner. But the stakes grow higher when Ian’s cousin is abducted. With threats closing in, can they rescue a kidnapped teen…and stop the criminals for good?

Hunted by a Killer by Laurie Winter – Is she the pursuer or the pursued? When a body was found at the edge of the bayou, police detective Charlotte Reid knew the serial killer who murdered her sister was back. And if she didn’t stop him, he’d kill again. FBI special agent Austin Walsh insisted Charlotte couldn’t do it on her own. But then the murderer gave Charlotte a deadly challenge—catch him, or she’d be his next victim…

Guarding His Secret Son by Laura Scott – A baby is in danger…and protecting him may be deadly. After discovering that he has a son and that the baby’s mother was murdered, Chief Deputy Garrett Nichols takes infant Micah and midwife Liz Templeton on the run. He vows to protect them as they race to uncover why the baby is a target. But danger lurks around every corner and time is running out. Can they track down the truth…before the killer silences them forever?

Deadly Ranch Hideout by Jenna Night – Some secrets aren’t just forgotten…they’re lethal. To expose her imprisoned father’s mob associates, Monica Larson races to find the evidence he’s hidden—until a car accident leaves her without her memories. Now she must locate the information with the help of Officer Kris Volker. Determined to keep her safe from relentless attacks, Kris takes Monica to his family’s Montana ranch. But someone is dead set on keeping their secrets buried…and they won’t stop till Monica and Kris are six feet under.

Ambush in the Mountains by Mary Alford – Innocent lives at stake…Can a former soldier and canine save them? Helping a pregnant woman he comes across in a mountain storm puts Axel Sterling right into the path of ruthless human traffickers. Now it’s up to the ex-soldier and his dog to keep Summer and her unborn baby safe from the abductors she’s finally escaped. But between the icy wilderness and the armed gunmen following them at every turn, one wrong move could cost Axel and Summer their lives.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

REMEMBER TO INCLUDE THE TITLE OF THE BOOK YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN IN YOUR COMMENT (OR EMAIL)

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 one of the one of the LIS books, 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 27 2024.