Christian Fiction – Page 31

The Governess of Penwythe Hall + Giveaway

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.

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.

You Make it Feel Like Christmas + Giveaway

Merry Christmas in July Retro Read!
What better way to beat the heat?!

Starr Lewis reluctantly returns home for the holidays jobless, single, and not at all prepared to be dragged into her sister’s wedding activities–or to witness her sister’s marriage to Starr’s ex-boyfriend on Christmas Eve. But when her brother’s charming best friend, Waylon Emmerson, attends their family Thanksgiving, Starr begins to believe that maybe coming home isn’t so bad.

As Starr endures wedding preparations, she takes comfort in Waylon’s presence and finds the perfect distraction in helping him keep his late mother’s Christmas shop afloat. As the spark between them grows, Starr must decide what she wants out of life–to go back to New York City or to stay and pursue a new dream.

My Review:

published in 2023

The perfect holiday read! The kind you can devour in one sitting but the story still packs an emotional punch and leaves a reader aglow with the warmth of a yuletide happily ever after. Plus it’s fun and flirty, with enough swoonable moments to keep a romantic like me more than content. My heart’s still humming and I can’t wipe the silly grin off my face. 🙂

And there’s a wonderful faith thread about the importance of prayer. Both Starr and Waylon are wrestling with some major life changes and I really appreciate the raw honesty the author brings to their dilemmas. They are both Christians and invoke the power of prayer in their lives but that doesn’t always mean decisions are easy, or that they even feel divinely guided all the time. Sooooo relatable. And refreshing to read about.

The Lewis family is…interesting. Five siblings, a Christmas obsessed mama (she gave all her children Christmas names, after all) and a kind, but somewhat distant father. Interesting dynamics within the family as well, which strikes a realistic chord. And I’m looking forward to getting to know more about these characters…and their happily-ever-afters…in future books.

While I did have a paperback copy of ‘You Make It Feel Like Christmas’ on hand, I couldn’t resist diving into the audible edition because of it’s wonderful narration. Jasmin Walker’s portrayal of these characters is pitch perfect and made me enjoy the story all the more.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of You Make It Feel Like Christmas , 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.

Matters of the Heart + Giveaway

He’s the community’s jokester auctioneer. She’s the serious caregiver for her siblings who also works at the local plant nursery. What future could they have together?

Declan Miller has always had feelings for Bethel King. Back when they were in school, she was the smartest girl in the class and, in his opinion, by far the prettiest. Now the two of them are in their twenties and while the attraction is still there, Declan is as hesitant as ever to let Bethel know how he feels. His corny jokes and wisecracks cover a heart that’s afraid of rejection.

Bethel can’t deny Declan is nice, funny, hardworking, and pleasing to the eye–a perfect match if you asked any Plain girl in the area. But marrying Bethel would also mean marrying into her family. Two of her younger brothers have a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and her sister Claire is now showing signs of having it as well. Fiercely loyal and nurturing, Bethel has promised herself her siblings will always come first. With a good chance that she carries the gene and could pass it on to her children, Bethel has tried to convince herself marriage and family just aren’t in the cards for her.

When a devastating diagnosis of his own turns Declan’s world upside down, he looks to Bethel for understanding, compassion, and a realistic outlook. As they share their dreams and fears and grow together in faith, a bond begins to develop between them. Perhaps their combination of optimistic extrovert and thoughtful introvert really isn’t such a bad thing–perhaps it’s actually a part of God’s beautiful design.

My Review:

I love finding a unique approach to an Amish novel and this one is phenomenal! So much heart and angst and real life (and faith) struggles for both Bethel and Declan which kept me riveted.

Kelly Irvin gently explores hereditary conditions specific to the Amish with compassion and understanding. Bethel’s family carries a gene that can result in a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Three out of her six siblings are living with the condition and Bethel is dedicated to supporting their every need. She’s so wrapped up with daily logistics and worrying that she’s letting the chance at her own future pass her by.

She is, in fact, resigned to the fact that her life’s role is to be the carer for her siblings. Notice I said ‘the’ not ‘a’ because Bethel has fallen into the trap of thinking she’s the only one who can. She harbours a kind of false pride out of her need to be there for her family. She hasn’t forgotten that the Amish are all about community and sharing life’s difficulties, she just thinks that isn’t needed as long as she can do it all. And isn’t that so relatable no matter what kind of community we live in?!

By contrast, fun loving Declan seems to have it all. A family run business he loves and the freedom from responsibility that Bethel can only dream of. These two are exact opposites. He’s the extrovert to her introvert. The jokester to her serious demeanour. And yet, there’s every indication that there could be so much more if only Bethel could let go of some of her responsibilities and a whole lot of her worries.

But then Declan faces a health challenge of his own and — whoa — this story, their romance, spun in a completely different direction. Heartbreaking and tender but ultimately hopeful though there’s a lot of overcoming to be done before the last page. I appreciate the way the author portrayed their unique challenges through their faith journey. She explores the age old question of why God allows suffering as Bethel and Declan wrestle with untenable circumstances.

A beautifully crafted story that shines grace into the darkest corners of our lives.

I enjoyed listening to the audio book narrated by Lauren Berst. She did a wonderful job with these characters — especially Declan with his evolving situation. Her performance helped me feel my way through the story, rather than just listen to it.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and 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 20 2024.

Truth Be Told + Giveaway

Denver’s newest detective. A garden’s deadly secrets.

On a lovely June night in 1924, amateur detective Annalee Spain is mingling bravely at a high-class political fundraiser in the lush backyard garden of famed political fixer Cooper Coates, one of the wealthiest men in Denver’s Black neighborhood of Five Points. When Coates’s young daughter discovers a pretty stranger dead in her father’s garden shed, Annalee is thrust onto the baffling new case just as she’s reeling from another recent discovery―a handwritten letter, found buried in her own garden, that reveals the identity of her mother.

Not ready to face the truth about her hidden past, Annalee throws herself into solving the mystery of the young woman’s demise. With the help of her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake, her orphaned buddy Eddie, and her trustworthy church friends, Annalee follows the clues to three seemingly disconnected settings―a traveling carnival set up downtown, a Black civic club, and a prestigious white seminary on the outskirts of Denver. Intriguing advice also comes from a famous, real-life Denver visitor. But is Annalee on the right track or just running in circles, fleeing from conflicts racing in her heart?

In a taut, heart-gripping narrative driven by secrets, romance, and lies, Annalee must unravel a case with higher stakes than she imagined―one where answers about a lovely woman’s death point to truths and tensions still throbbing today.

My Review:

This series just keeps getting better and better! I love the way we’ve seen so much growth in Annalee over these three books. She is more sure of herself, clearer in her purpose, more resolute in her faith. And she needs to be all that and more as she faces some of the toughest situations she’s experienced since arriving in Denver.

The author incorporates historical facts with unflinching honesty. No sugar coating here as Annalee seeks justice for an unknown murder victim. Racism, violence and corruption brings danger at every turn…and from unexpected places. It’s brutal and confounding – especially as Annalee is confronted by the social bigotry within her own Black community.

This is the kind of story you feel your way through. It’s impossible to be a detached observer. I lived every heartbreaking, infuriating and gut-wrenching moment right along with Annalee and Eddie and Pastor Jack and Mrs. Mason and all the people I hold so dear. And, oh my goodness, the cameo appearance of a revered historical figure who counsels Annalee and brings such hope….I got goosebumps!!!

The mystery is complex but Annalee is relentless and has the backing of loyal friends and unexpected strangers. It’s layered in tragedy and deceit, perpetuated by legions of ‘good people’ who chose to do nothing while atrocities were committed. A mystery with history and heart — the kind of novel that changes a reader for the better by the time she reaches the end.

I listened to the excellent audible edition narrated by Zakiya Young. She brought such energy and enthusiasm to the story and enhanced my ‘reading’ pleasure that much more. She has narrated the entire series so far and these books will definitely be ones I listen to again. Keeper shelf material for sure.

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 Truth Be Told, 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.

Refuge on Crescent Hill + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

Moving home after a recent job loss was supposed to reassure Camden Bristow and give her time to decide what to do next. But when she arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother, who she hasn’t talked to in years, has passed away and “home” is an empty mansion 150 years old. Not exactly the comfort Camden was looking for. What happened to the house she played in as a child, the bedtime stories that told of secret passageways and runaway slaves, and all those family memories?

When antiques start disappearing and footsteps are heard, some of those memories start to creep back and Camden wonders if her grandmother’s bedtime stories might actually be true. What really happened here . . . at Crescent Hill? How was her grandmother involved? Who still has access to the house? And for what purpose? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden also uncovers secrets about her family that could change the town―and her life―forever.

My Review:

published in 2010

If you like the hint of a Gothic vibe (aka classic Phyllis A. Whitney) then ‘Refuge on Crescent Hill’ is the read for you. So atmospheric right from the opening page with Camden in desperate straits, heading to her childhood haven and the warmth of her grandmother’s arms. Only her grandmother is dead and the ‘home’ she remembers is a decaying mansion as broken as she feels.

And the house is either haunted or invaded by someone other than herself though no one takes her seriously. And there are so many secrets! Decades of them, all surrounding Camden’s family. And strangers eager to buy the house and the land…some for altruistic reasons, some for nefarious ones. And the town watching every move Camden makes. Sooooooooo scrumptiously mysterious. Layers of villainy to unmask and family history to uncover. Plus a light romance to swoon over. The perfect 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 Refuge on Crescent Hill, 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 June 22 2024.

Never Fall Again + Giveaway

Landry Hutton has spent three years rebuilding her life behind the secure gates of The Haven, an exclusive resort on the outskirts of Gossamer Falls, North Carolina. As the artist-in-residence, and with her pottery prized by The Haven’s guests, Landry is finally ready to settle in permanently. She wants to give her daughter, Eliza, a safe home to grow up in and hires former Marine Callum Shaw to handle the construction.

Cal grew up in Gossamer Falls and always knew he would someday join his family’s business. He longs for a family of his own but has almost given up on that ever happening. Landry is funny, gifted, and everything Cal could ever want in a partner, but he vows to keep his distance. Landry has a daughter and a past. Cal has been down that road before and barely survived when the woman he loved left, taking her two sons with her. He can’t bear to lose like that again.

Before construction on the house can begin, Landry’s pottery is destroyed in a suspicious fire. It soon becomes clear that Landry and Eliza are in grave danger–but because of whom? But, after losing one relationship, he is hesitant to try again.

My Review:

A compelling introduction to Lynn H. Blackburn’s ‘Gossamer Falls’ series and she’s left me wanting more!

We’re introduced to a lot of key players right from the start and I’ll admit it took a few chapters for me to keep everyone straight but that might have been because I was listening to the audio book and not seeing everything written out. Basically the series is centred around a friend group from prominent families in the town…and there’s a feud between two of the families and…well, it’s complicated! But these characters (our hero and future heroes and heroines) decided in grade school that they wouldn’t let family tensions get in the way of their friendship and they’ve been loyal to each other ever since.

Cal Shaw is one of those friends and the hero of this story, and, be still my heart, meets all my swoonworthy criteria. Faith-centred. Check. Servant’s heart. Check. Protective but respectful. Check. Creative and talented. Check. There’s just one problem — he’s gun-shy about becoming involved with a single mom.

Enter Landry and her young daughter. They have an intriguing backstory that is slowly revealed bit by bit through the course of the novel. I was on tenterhooks all the way through trying to figure out just what they were running from and if that danger had finally caught up with them!

Love that Landry speaks her mind and tackles issues head on. She can be blunt, but never unkind, and she’s not afraid to call Cal on conflicted signals. Love that this romance features a hero and heroine who actually talk things through! Yes, there are some misunderstandings, but they aren’t the malingering kind and are aired fairly quickly. Not easily solved, mind you, but at least they both know where they stand.

Cal becomes invested in keeping Landry safe when she appears to be the target of a stalker which adds tense undercurrents to their burgeoning romance. I really like the way the suspense starts out ‘gently’ and slowly builds. The author gives lots of time to establish a relationship between Cal and Landry and provides enough page time to get to know a number of key secondary characters who will get their turn to star in future books. As always, those relationships shine with banter and heart-to-heart conversations and we’re given a tantalizing glimpse into future romantic plots. I love when the first book in a series gets me giddy with anticipation for the next one!

I enjoyed the audible edition narrated by Kate Forbes, a familiar voice in my romantic suspense listening. She did a great job of bringing this story to life and I’d definitely recommend the audio book to any fellow bibliophiles who appreciate a good listening experience.

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 Never Fall Again, 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 June 22 2024.

When the Day Comes

How will she choose, knowing all she must sacrifice?

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she’s the same person at her core in both times, she’s leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives–and any hope of love–are put in jeopardy.

Libby’s life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about–women’s suffrage–is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she’s not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other–but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

My Review:

I feel like I’m the last person on the planet to start this innovative series but better late than never, I guess. 🙂 Brilliantly clever time travel theme and the author even manages to include a faith thread! I’m beyond impressed. Especially at the way she developed the time travel elements and still fit the story into the Christian Fiction genre.

I think one of the reasons I hesitated to read ‘When the Day Comes’ is that I hate love triangles and I figured this one would be a doozy but — phew — it really isn’t. However it’s all kinds of complicated and heart wrenching with enough gasp-out-loud moments to give me unsettled nights for a while (I tend to carry my fiction over into my dreams.)

And that’s about all I can say because the things I want to comment on are major spoiler-y so I’ll sum up by saying this novel is unlike anything I’ve read before. Unique and compelling and so, so emotional! Now I’m eyeing book two but there are…yikes, three timelines (!) and I’m not sure my heart can handle that!

Even Forever + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

The last thing Rosalie Tomkin wants is another man trying to control her life. Her abusive jailbird father and her ne’er-do-well brother have cured her of that. Not even the wealthy visitor staying in her beleaguered mother’s boarding house can tempt her. She plans to leave Boulder Creek as soon as she can scrape together the funds to do so, and when she does, she won’t ever look back.

Michael Randolph is in a high-stakes competition for the family business and intends to beat his half-brother, no matter what. So when an innocent encounter with Rosalie threatens to cost him everything he hopes to achieve, he’s willing to pay the price demanded by her no-good father. Even if it means marrying a damsel in distress.

Strangers placed in an impossible position, Michael and Rosalie can agree on one thing. Neither of them wants to stay together any longer than they must. What they don’t know is that fate might have a better future in store for them than either could imagine.

My Review:

published in 2021

A classic Western Romance with complex issues that kept me on an emotional rollercoaster all the way through! Robin Lee Hatcher knows how to incorporate faith and hope in the midst of struggles and turmoil and turns out a stunning novel every time!

Marriage of Convenience. Happy sigh (which is so weird, but love it in fiction.) A husband who doesn’t want a wife gradually realizing he does and then the wooing begins. Swoon! But this is the Wild West so their love story is nearly thwarted by the vilest of villains. Kept me on tenterhooks all the way to the end.

Honestly, my emotions were all over the place during this read. Loved Rosalie’s spunk and determination to get out of an untenable situation. But, oh my heart hurt for her! And her mother! Gah! That woman…there are no words. I mean, I could see why she acted the way she did and it fit the circumstances, especially for the time period, but 21st century ‘girl power’ me was spitting nails in an angry/sad jumble of emotions. Phew!

‘Even Forever’ is touching and tender with a healthy dose of grit. Sometimes a reader craves a good marriage of convenience story and this one delivers!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of Even Forever narrated by Eve Passeltiner. She delivered an emotional performance that matched these characters and their story perfectly.

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 Even Forever, 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 June 15 2024.

Bitter and Sweet + Giveaway

Two sisters at a crossroad in life find the answers to their problems in the lessons from the past…

Mariah never pretended her marriage was perfect but that didn’t mean she ever suspected her husband of ten years would not only ask for a divorce but steal the business she built for them. Defeated and depressed, she’s not sure how to bounce back from the manipulative betrayal. Sabrina has been self-destructing for years, maybe since she was born, but certainly since the death of her long-time boyfriend. Barely scraping by and living in her van, she’s struggling to figure out what’s next for her, when all she’s ever wanted to do is bake cakes like her mother did.

When Mariah and Sabrina’s grandmother sends them a cryptic text message summoning them to Georgetown, South Carolina, both assume their ailing grandfather’s health has declined. Instead, the estranged sisters are faced with their grandmother’s undeniable request–save the family restaurant. Through letters written by their great-great-grandmother, Tabitha, Mariah and Sabrina learn a heartbreaking yet powerful story of struggle and survival. As the whole truth about Tabitha’s complicated past unfolds, the sisters are inspired by her ability to forge her own way in Charleston, a beautiful and prosperous city that was also rife with oppression under Jim Crow.

With the lessons in their family’s past guiding them, both sisters have a chance at a different life–if they can find a way to bridge the gap that tragedy and unhealed trauma forced between them. Told in a dual timeline that alternates between the 1920s and present-day Charleston, SC, Bitter and Sweet is an emotional story about love, one family’s perseverance, and the bonds of family and heritage.

My Review:

This is the kind of book you dread writing a review for because there is no possible way to convey the brilliance of the storytelling or the emotional impact it made. So excuse me if words fail.

First, I listened to the audio edition and was completely captivated by the trio of narrators. Janice Abbott-Pratt, Angel Pean and Lynette R. Freeman gave stunning performances, adding to the rich vibrancy of Rhonda McKnight’s words. The result — an exceptional listening experience. I savoured every second.

And, oh my, these sisters and their stories! Deep layers of personal and family drama culminating in divine healing. I was an emotional wreck by the end. (Gentle warning: don’t listen to or read this book in public, especially if you are an ugly crier like I am. Don’t ask me how I know 🙂 )

The author expertly weaves Mariah and Sabrina’s great-great-grandmother’s story into the mix, so – yay – dual timeline. ‘Bitter and Sweet’ honours the legacy of faith and family through generations. So much wisdom and insight! I’ve preordered a print copy because there are so many impactful quotes that I need to highlight and pour over again and again.

A stunning, emotionally-stirring, faith-filled read!

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

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 Bitter and Sweet, 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 June 15 2024.