Kav's Best Reads

The Art of Victory + Giveaway

Diana Donovan was raised aboard a naval ship on a steady diet of war strategy, so when her orphaned friend, Lucy, is denied a perfectly respectable love match by her controlling guardian, Diana sees an opportunity to put her battle knowledge to use in service of a deserving friend.

But Marmaduke Russell is not the middle-aged curmudgeon Diana is expecting. He is a maddeningly cool, unmarried gentleman who seems uniquely able to parry her tactics — and infuse her with even more determination to win. As battle ensues, though, it becomes clear that there may be more hearts in the balance than just Lucy’s.

My Review:

I’m a tad shy of giddy over discovering a new-to-me author writing in one of my favourite genres! And this is the first book in a new series, so what an opportune time to jump onto the Martha Keyes bandwagon! I’ll be singing her praises with gusto forevermore, because this book is that good.

An enemies to more trope written in spectacular fashion. It’s a brilliant battle of wills that is only exceeded by a battle of wits — and the two combined make for such a fun read! If I wasn’t laughing hysterically, I was furiously fanning myself and then, when things really heated up, it was all swoon and repeat until the very end. My fainting couch got a real workout so I suggest you dust yours off and check the springs before starting in on The Art of Victory. (Such a clever title too!)

So, I just checked the author’s webpage and she not only writes Regency Romances — she writes Scottish (Historical) ones too. Eeeeeepppppp!!!! I’ll be happily playing catch up for awhile.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

paperback — US, Canada, UK.

ebook — with an Amazon.com account

audible — Canada

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Art of Victory, 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 May 6, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

May New Releases Giveaway!

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

Why?

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

How?

By hosting a special “Hello — insert month” giveaway. It’s easy to play along. You just have to choose one of the May 2023 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 May 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 May 6, 2023.

April Giveaway – Week Four

WON BY LUCY

WON BY LANE HILL HOUSE

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!

Books will be ordered or mailed within a week of receiving your address (or email address for ebooks) and I’ll email you to confirm your book is on the way.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK’S GIVEAWAYS:

Please read the giveaway options written in red noted under “Giveaway Opportunity” in each blog post as formats will vary. AS WILL AVAILABILITY IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS.

Paperback or ebook — winner can choose either format

Paperback — I have a new physical book on hand to give away

Gently Read Paperback — It’s the actual book I read to review

ebook — that’s the only format option available, often because it’s an indie book where a paperback copy is either unavailable or exorbitantly priced. Or when a physical edition is out of print.

Against the Currant + Giveaway

Investigating a murder was never on the menu…but someone’s set the table for bakery owner Lyndsay Murray to take the fall.

Little Carribbean, Brooklyn, New York: Lyndsay Murray is opening Spice Isle Bakery with her family, and it’s everything she’s ever wanted. The West Indian bakery is her way to give back to the community she loves, stay connected to her Grenadian roots, and work side by side with her family. The only thing getting a rise out of Lyndsay is Claudio Fabrizi, a disgruntled fellow bakery owner who does not want any competition. On opening day, he comes into the bakery threatening to shut them down. Fed up, Lyndsay takes him to task in front of what seems to be the whole neighbourhood. So when Claudio turns up dead a day later — murdered — Lyndsay is unfortunately the prime suspect. To get the scent of suspicion off her and her bakery, Lyndsay has to prove she’s innocent — under the watchful eyes of her overprotective brother, anxious parents, and meddlesome extended family — what could go wrong?

My Review:

I’m happing dancing over my discovery of this new cozy mystery series for so many reasons!

Love the unique Brooklyn setting. Cozies tend to be set in small towns so a metropolitan locale is quite the departure from the genre. But Matthews still manages to create that same sense of community and, well, coziness factor, within the cultural backdrop of this Little Caribbean neighbourhood.

And the close-knit Murray family is awesome! Love the way they pull together to help Lyndsay achieve her dream. And Granny’s spitfire attitude kept me grinning. As much as her words of wisdom left me pondering. Love the way the author included snippets of West Indian culture and food throughout the read. It brought an extra dimension to the story.

Lyndsay possesses all the qualities I enjoy in my amateur sleuth heroines. She’s reluctant, but determined to find a way to deflect the police’s focus on her as a primes suspect and she has to really stretch out of her comfort zone to do that. She’s more of an introvert who likes to stick close to home and family, but when’s she’s passionate about a cause — and what better cause is there than to keep herself out of jail?! — well, she’s relentless. And she also possesses a very unique talent that proves quite useful in her crime fighting. 🙂 Plus, she’s smart, but not reckless — no TSTL stunts for this heroine!

Of course, her family has her back and she picks up a few friends along the way who are ready to stand by her. In fact, the whole neighbourhood is rooting for Lyndsay! A solid mystery with so many viable suspects I had a hard time picking out just one potential killer! Love when my armchair sleuthing skills get a workout during a mystery read.

And I’m super excited because — eeeepppp — the next book in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series is due to come out on May 23rd! Just a month to wait before I’ll be back with Lyndsay and her clan, experiencing more murder and mayhem, Caribbean style.

*Of note: this isn’t a Christian Fiction read, but it is a clean one and Lyndsay’s life revolves around her family, her bakery and church. Plus, this is a family that prayers together.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Against the Currant, 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 April 29, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Then There Was You + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO READ

Would you give up everything for a life you hate with the person you love?

Paige McAllister needs to do something drastic.* She’s been playing life safe and predictable for six years.* Things need to change. A moment of temporary insanity finds her leaving her life in Chicago to move to Sydney, Australia. There she finds herself , against many of her convictions, as a logistics planner to one of Australia’s biggest churches, and on a collision course with her boss’s son.

Josh Tyler fronts a top-selling worship band and is in demand all over th world. But his past failed romantic relationships almost destroyed both his reputation and his family. He’s determined to never risk it happening again. The last thing he needs is some American girl tipping his ordered life upside down. Especially one who despises everything he’s ever worked for and manages to push every button he has.

When Josh and Paige are thrown together to organize his band’s next tour, the sparks fly. But can they find a way to bridge the differences that pull them apart? Or will they choose the safety and security of what they know over taking a chance on something that will require them to risk everything?

Please note: I radically altered the beginning of this synopsis because I felt it revealed too many spoilers so I condensed things into one brief sentence bracketed by *s.

My Review:

published in 2017

Have you ever wanted to read a book but for some reason or other you keep skipping it over for something else? Until, when you finally get around to reading it, you’re all kinds of furious with yourself for waiting so long? Because it turns out that the book is so incredibly marvellous you can’t believe you’ve spent the last six years without these characters in your life? Yeah, well, Then There Was You was that kind of read for me. I mean, really, why did I wait so looonnngggg????

I’m still reeling from all the revelations in this story. And the way the author s-l-o-w-l-y exposes truths one layer at a time. The depth in characterization is phenomenal. I laughed. I cried. I gasped out loud. Loved the unexpected bursts of comedic brilliance. At one point I was yo-yoing between tears and maniacal laughter. Not a pretty sight when you’re listening to your audio book while grocery shopping. 🙂

And the inspirational aspects in this novel — I don’t even know where to start! Again, so many layers that deal with everything from personal faith to the complexities that come with ministry in a mega church. I’m kinda gobsmacked still.

Then there’s the romance. Swoonworthy? Check. Banter? Check. Fiery dialogue? Double check! Tender moments? Melt-in-a-puddle check!

An extraordinary contemporary romance filled to overflowing with faith and hope and the kind of second chances that only come through God’s divine guidance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Then There Was 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 April 30, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Yosemite Firestorm + Giveaway

A raging forest fire isn’t the only threat…

When an act of arson claims the life of a hiker, Yosemite Park Ranger Livy Chatham is the only witness — putting her right into the path of determined criminals. Only rock climber Hayden Bryant can protect her from the killers destroying all evidence of their crimes. But can Livy and Hayden outrun the danger that’s as hot on their heels as the fires blazing through Yosemite?

My Review:

I really enjoyed all the wilderness action in this suspense — and the fires were an extra threat that made things that much edgier. Loved all the rock climbing details too — something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the nerve to try! Very fun to get the armchair experience here.

Livy and Hayden make a great dynamic duo — if only they’d let their guard down long enough to explore what a relationship could look like! This is kind of a grumpy / sunshine romance. Livy has ‘Pollyanna’ tendencies, irking the more pragmatic and cynical Hayden to no end. Sometimes his exasperation with her is funny and sometimes I just wanted to smack him upside the head. But Livy holds her own and makes the best kind of impression on this skeptical hero by the end.

Lots of action and adventure with lives — and love — hanging in the balance.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Yosemite Firestorm, 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 April 30, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

A Duchess for the Duke + Giveaway

The Duke of Monfort takes a wife.

Gregory Diner, a young duke caught unprepared for his role, needs a companion. When he meets Cecilia, he knows she has the grace and intelligence his duchess will need.

Lady Cecilia never expected more than a marriage of mutual benefit, but she’s still surprised when the duke proposes an alliance between them.

Will love find a place in this practical arrangement?

My Review:

Fun and flirty and delightfully swoonworthy!

This is a case of the prequel being written after the series (Clairvoir Romances) and I think it’s because Sally Britton fans have been clamouring for the duke and duchess’s love story after reading their children’s romances. I’ve read all but one of the Clairvoir novels so I found this sweet novella extra enchanting. I think you could also enjoy it as an introduction to the series though.

It’s a fast, snappy read, but don’t let the shorter length fool you — this novella has all the romantical elements I’ve come to expect (and thoroughly enjoy) from this author. Banter. Characters with depth. More banter. Social etiquette that both delights and appalls. Even more banter! A toe-curling kiss…or two. And…oh…just all that delightful b-a-n-t-e-r!!! (Can you guess what my favourite part of a Sally Britton book is?)

I listened to the audio edition and loved it as much as all the other books in this series. Jessica Elisa Boyd has become the voice I hear in my head when I think of all these characters — really love it when the same performer narrates an entire series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Duchess for the Duke, 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 April 29, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Not a Sparrow Falls + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO READ!

Schoolteacher Charlotte Brindle is relieved that her long journey from Boston to Wyldhaven is about to come to an end. And then the bullets start flying! As she sprawls on the floor of the coach and curls her arms around her head, she wonders whatever in the world possessed her to give up the civility of a Boston school for the promise of adventure on the wild frontier?!

Her fellow passenger, and elderly man named Patrick Waddell, has obviously angered the men outside. And he has no intentions of going down without a fight — or without a bargaining chip!

Sheriff Reagan Callahan grinds his teeth in frustration when Patrick Waddell emerges from the coach with the tiny slip of a schoolteacher as his hostage. Reagan’s perfectly planned-out capture has just been shot to smithereens. What had the town’s founder been thinking when he hired a woman like her? A petite and prim woman was not the kind of teacher Wyldhaven needed. He should be back at his desk drinking coffee! Instead, he now has to mount a rescue!

Take the next stagecoach to Wyldhaven, where the coffee’s perked hot, the sheriff likes his apple pie fresh from the oven, and adventure invariably waits just around the next river bend.

My Review:

published in 2017

Christy meets Doctor Quinn! Has that same citified schoolteacher totally out of her element paired with the kind of struggling town with heart you see in the Doctor Quinn series. Plus, we get a few extra POVs, so that really brings the town to life.

Not a Sparrow Falls was a total impulse buy — on sale on Chirp — and that cover beguiled me so, even though I’m not a huge western romance reader, I couldn’t resist finding out more about that woman on the cover. Aimee Lilly is an amazing narrator — I love the way she gave each character a unique voice and she read it as if she was relishing every word right along with me.

Charlotte intrigued me from the very beginning when we meet her in Boston and discover exactly why she’s so keen to leave the city! But I was well and truly hooked from the first Wyldhaven scene. It doesn’t get more block buster Wild West than bullets flying and outlaws and lawmen in a battle of wits .And poor Charlotte is stuck in the middle of it all. And her day just keeps getting worse.

The meet-cute between Charlotte and her sheriff is funny and touching and exasperating. This schoolmarm has opinions and she’s not afraid to share them and poor Reagan is plumb flummoxed. And when she finally sees the ‘town’ for the first time….bwahahahaha!

Bonner (new-to-me-author! yay!) does an incredible job of painting pictures with her words, engaging all my senses and making me feel like I was right there, living every second right along side Charlotte. Love the town and its diverse mix of citizens and the way they welcome the newcomer into their midst.

Charlotte is a captivating mix of spunk and doubt. I had no trouble believing she could do anything she set her mind to, but I so related to her struggle to understand God’s will in her life. Her uncertainty comes not from any lack of faith in her Heavenly Father, but rather in her own ability to interpret His will. And, my, but she kept me on my toes while she figured all that out!

Sometimes an unexpected ‘unknown’ novel can bring as much bibliophile delight as the most anticipated ones — that’s the case with Not a Sparrow Falls. It went deeper, read richer and entertained me way more than I thought it would. Now I’m eager to move on to the second book in the Wyldhaven series!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Not a Sparrow Falls, 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 April 29, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Forgiving Quilt + Giveaway

Running a historic inn on Pennsylvania’s beautiful Shadow Lake has blessed the Amish King sisters in work and family. Now they just need to add room for love…

Eliza King already has a broken heart, and thanks to a rickety ladder, she now has a broken leg too. She isn’t dealing with either very well. Ever since a brief romance ended when the boy who’d been courting her tried a little too hard to take things further, Eliza has sought refuge in reading books and tending to her beloved horses. Being incapacitated makes the latter impossible. But her Englisch doctor knows an Amish man looking for just such work…

Eliza is shocked to discover that the man is Levi Lapp, the very boy who humiliated her, now all grown up. Levi is embarrassed over his clumsy behaviour as a teen. He wants to earn Eliza’s forgiveness, even if he can’t win back her heart…And once Eliza reluctantly agrees to hire him, she finds herself enjoying the little gifts and encouraging notes Levi leaves for her. Encouraged by her older sister, she begins to fashion a quilt out of each item. Soon Eliza can see Levi’s caring spirit plainly before her — and the possibility that he might just be the best be the best thing for her horses — and for her.

My Review:

The second book in Lenora Worth’s Shadow Lake series is just as captivating as the first one. Love the fresh slant this author brings to Amish fiction. In case you’re wondering, The Forgiving Quilt can easily be read as a standalone novel. The King sisters and their family’s historic inn are the common link that unites each story. Three sisters, three romances, three quilts. And that’s the other unifying factor — each sister crafts a quilt that helps her work through a problem.

In Eliza’s case, her forgiving quilt it is literally the path forward through forgiveness. Because — eeeeppp — Second Chance Romance alert! Only Levi and Eliza were both too young and inexperienced and just not ready to take their courtship further back when they were teens. Eliza has been nursing a grudge in a very un-Amish like way ever since. And then Levi walks back into her world. Oy — but she can be snippety and stubborn and downright frustrating at times.

But Levi’s up for the challenge. He’s determined to make amends with the hopes of a renewed friendship…maybe something more. And, my oh my, the deliberate way he sets about mending fences is so romantical! And sometimes funny, if not downright daunting at times.

Love the way that family plays an important role in this love story. In fact it’s that kind of collective wisdom that helps move things along in the right direction. So many great heart-to-hearts, both touching, but also amusing. Like Levi lamenting about Eliza to her father:

“Levi had his doubts, not about Eliza being worth the trouble, but about his being able to pull this off. He nodded all the same. He was talking to Eliza’s father, after all. “I will do my best.”

Abe seemed please with that response. “Women are a constant mystery, Levi. That’s part of the fun.”

“I’m not really having fun,” Levi said as they walked toward the stable.” ( p 56)

Bwahahaha! No fears, Levi does prevail! (not a spoiler ’cause this is a romance, after all!)

Now that Eliza and Abigail have achieved their happily-ever-afters, I’m excited to read Colette’s story which will round out this great series — and it’s going to be a Christmas book as well! Yipee!!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Forgiving Quilt, 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 April 29, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

April Giveaway – Week Three

Just a little bit of housekeeping before we get started. Some of you might have already heard about Book Depository closing. (This coming week is the last week orders can be placed.) In the past, I’ve depended on Book Depository for my giveaways, especially for international winners, so I’m scrambling to find alternatives. Right now I have Canada and the US covered but am still searching for viable alternatives for the UK, Australia and Europe.

So, from now on, check in the ‘giveaway opportunity’ section (in blue right beneath my review in each blog.) I already list what editions are available in red, but that will get more detailed as some books won’t be available in some areas. I’m trying to get creative, but bear with me and read the fine print.

For example: for some unknown reason ebooks cannot be gifted in Canada. Makes no sense, but if you don’t have an Amazon . com account, I can’t gift you with an ebook. You can, however live anywhere in the world and get a .com account — I’m Canadian and I have one for giveaway purposes. What I do for Canadians, is offer them a gift card instead so they can purchase the book themselves. Hoping I can get creative like that for other countries.

Anyway — just a not so brief explanation and head’s up to check the red print on each giveaway before entering.

Books will be ordered or mailed within a week of receiving your address (or email address for ebooks) and I’ll email you to confirm your book is on the way.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK’S GIVEAWAYS:

Please read the giveaway options written in red noted under “Giveaway Opportunity” in each blog post as formats will vary.

Paperback or ebook — winner can choose either format

Paperback — I have a new physical book on hand to give away

Gently Read Paperback — It’s the actual book I read to review

SUNDAY