Kav's Best Reads

Memory Lane + Giveaway

After surviving a trauma several years back, Remy Reed relocated to a cottage on one of Maine’s most remote islands. She’s arranged her life just the way she wants it, spending her time working on her wood sculptures and soaking in the beauty of nature. It’s quite and solitary — until the day she spots something bobbing in the ocean.

Her binoculars reveal the ‘something’ to be a man, and he’s struggling to keep his head above water. She races out to save him and brings him into her home. He’s injured, which doesn’t detract from his handsomeness nor make him any easier to bear. He acts like a duke who’s misplaced his dukedom…expensive tastes, lazy charm, bossy ideas.

Remy would love nothing more than to return him to his people, but he has no recollection of his life prior to the moment she rescued him. Though she’s not interested in relationships other than the safe ones she’s already established, she begins to realize that he’s coming to depend on her.

Who is he? What happened that landed him in the Atlantic Ocean? And why is she drawn to him more and more as time goes by?

There’s no way to discover those answers except to walk beside him down memory lane.

My Review:

“God has a soft spot for those of us who feel like we we’ve been thrown onto the garage sale pile….He’s never closer to us then when we are beaten up, unloved, betrayed.”

My brain is fried, my heart is short-circuited and I’m drifting on a cloud of bibliophile euphoria right now so excuse me if this review doesn’t make any sense. 🙂

Seriously not what I expected…at all. I love Becky Wade’s storytelling and have read all of her novels, but I have to say that this first book in her new ‘Sons of Scandal‘ series is off the charts phenomenal in every way imaginable! I listened to the audible edition and highly recommend it if you love audio books. Narrators Heather Masters and Ryan Hunter do an incredible job of bringing Remy and her ‘Jonah’ to life. I was spellbound all the way through.

This is the kind of read that you can’t wait to get through because there is so much you need to know, but you also want slow down and savour every scene. Besides, what on earth will you do once it’s all over?! (Except impatiently wait until next year when the second book comes out.)

And I guess here is as good a place as any to point out that the amnesia trope is one of my least favourites. Read too many, seen it way overdone, cliched to death etc etc. But two words convinced me to give this one a try: Becky. Wade. And (is anyone surprised?) Best Amnesia story EVER!!!!! Seriously believable and anxiety inducing and so intriguing. This isn’t the ‘bam on the head one week later and your memory comes back’ kind of deal. This is agonizingly slow and soul searching and really delves into the uncertainty and complications of walking around without any concrete memories.

It’s no wonder ‘Jonah’ connects to Remy — she’s all he really knows at first. But she’s not a fan. Their romance starts out in a very humorous enemies to more kind of way. My, but that woman can hold a grudge and drag her heels and get her back up over ever little thing! (She has her reasons which are slowly revealed through the course of the story.) But ‘Jonah’ gets a kick out of her fiery attitude so it doesn’t deter him at all.

Their romance is…no words here. Complicated. Heart-rending. Toe-curling to the point of not being able to stand upright for the swoonability of some scenes.

And there’s even a mystery to add to the unputdownableness of it all!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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 – winner’s choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Memory Lane, 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.

Scent of Truth + Giveaway

An innocent suspect. A look-alike killer.

Can a K-9 team crack this case?

After Officer Colt Maxwell and his K-9 partner, Sampson, discover a body, all signs point to Brooke Stevens as the murderer. But Colt suspects someone’s framing the park ranger — and that the killer looks exactly like her. When the imposter turns her sights on Brooke, it’s up to Colt to guard her. But can they track down the truth…before innocent Brooke loses her life?

Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit

My Review:

This second book in the multi-authored Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit continuity series is full of intrigue and danger — and romance (of course!) Love that these books come out every month and especially that they are available in audio format. I have them all preordered and have to admit that this one was ‘read’ in a day since Colt and Brooke kept me company in the garden while I cleaned up and planted peas and beans. Multi-tasking at it’s finest. 🙂

Oh — and, in case you are wondering, these books can be read out of order. Each novel has it’s own unique suspense which is solved as well as a romance that ends in a happily ever after, but there is also an over-arcing suspense thread that gradually builds with each book and won’t be solved until the last story.

I’ve never personally known a bloodhound, but, if they are all like Sampson, I can see I’ve been missing out. Love the bond Colt has with his K-9 and the heart-to-hearts they share. Brings great insight into the characters of both man and beast. And Brooke is a popular topic of ‘conversation.’

Murder and mayhem have unexpectedly become the norm for Brooke as she strives to prove she’s a victim not a suspect. But, oh, it’s so complicated and twisty-turny! Luckily it doesn’t take long to convince Colt of her innocence…right about the time the attempts on her life ramp up. Great pacing and a measured approach to the romance kept me riveted right to the very last word.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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 – winner’s choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Scent of Truth, 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.

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.