Tag: Christian Fiction

His Alaskan Redemption + Giveaway

Earning her trust is the start of his second chance.

Crab fisherman Gus Colman is just trying to make a living for his daughter. But when his fishing boat capsizes, he’s injured and stranded in Hearts Bay, Alaska, where he comes face-to-face with Mia Madden — his late best friend’s fiancee. As she helps him recover, he works hard to prove he’s changed. But could Mia ever love another man who risks his life at sea?

A Home to Hearts Bay Romance

My Review:

I have no idea why I am so enamoured with Alaskan settings, but I am, so this book was an auto buy for me. Well, the author being Heidi McCahan might have influenced that decision some too. 🙂

And what a heart-stopping, beautiful, emotional love story this is! Painful pasts clash in a disastrous way and provide the opening for healing and hope. Loved the ‘meet-cute’ which was more angst-riddled than cute. I was hooked and committed in that first chapter.

Yowzers, but my emotions were in knots a lot during this read because Gus is dealing with so much stuff! Of course I was also swooning over this dedicated single dad and the connection he has with his adorable toddler daughter. And it wasn’t long before Mia began to feel those fluttery swoons coming on too. But, oy, her life is more than a tad complicated at the moment…in a very big way. The author struck a wonderful balance between all that turmoil and the tender, light-hearted moments. Made for an emotional, unputdownable kind of read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of His Alaskan Redemption, 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 March 11, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Double the Lies + Giveaway

In the second instalment of Patricia Raybon’s critically acclaimed mystery series, amateur detective Annalee Spain races the clock to solve the murder of a handsome young pilot before she is framed for the crime — and before his dashing twin falls head over heels for her, tempting her promised heart.

On a cold spring night in 1924, Annalee Spain offers her new fancy lace handkerchief — a gift from her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake — to a young woman crying in a Denver public library. But later that night, when police find the handkerchief next to the body of the young woman’s murdered husband, Annalee become the number one suspect, and her panic doubles when she learns that Jack has gone missing.

With just days to solve the murder before the city’s Klan-run police frame her for the crime, Annalee finds herself hunting for clues in the Colorado mountain town of Estes Park. She questions the victim’s wife and her uncle, a wealthy Denver banker, at their mountain lodge, desperate for leads. Instead, she finds a household full of suspects and even more burning questions. Who keeps threatening her, wh can’t she find Jack, and will a dangerous flirtation be her undoing? Her answers plumb the depths of the human heart, including her own, exploring long-buried secrets, family lies, even city politics — all of which could cost the young detective her fledgling love…and perhaps even her life.

My Review:

Annalee! Annaleee!! Annalee!!! You made my heart hurt and my blood pressure rise and I loved every minute of it! I’m a glutton for punishment when it comes to angsty reads, I guess. And, while I loved All That Is Secret, I loved Double the Lies that much more.

Annalee Spain, an up and coming private investigator, has her work cut out for her. Especially since she’s a Black woman in 1920s Denver — a town run by the Klan. So, Annalee doesn’t just have a twisty-turny mystery to solve, but the added complication of trying to do it while dodging police and the blatant prejudice that prevents her from going about her investigation in a direct manor. Gah, but my blood boiled over some the situations she faced.

Annalee is brash and headstrong and impulsive — traits that both help and hinder her work. And the way she throws herself into some alarming situations kept me in a panic stricken state for most of the read. She’d no sooner get out of one dire predicament than she’d rush headlong into another one. Mercy, but that girl has guts and grit!

Loved the depth in characterization — Annalee is an ever-evolving heroine and I appreciate the growth she makes not only through the series, but within this book in particular. And a lot of that comes about through the aid of some incredible secondary characters. I am attached to so many of them now! Plain speaking Mrs. Mason is an all time favourite . She kind of reminds me of a Marilla and a Rachel Lynde mash up (aka Anne of Green Gables.)

Double the Lies is the second book in the Annalee Spain Mystery series and, while it could be read out of order, there are some spoilers from the first book — from both the mystery and Annalee’s personal life, so I think it’s best if you read the books in order. Your read(s) will be all the richer for it.

History, mystery and faith make for a winning combination.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

*IMPORTANT NOTE:* Because I think The Annalee Mystery series should be read in order, this giveaway is for either book one, All That Is Secret (Christy Award Winner) or book two, Double the Lies — Winner’s choice, in either paperback or ebook, again, winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of All that is Secret OR Double the Lies, 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 March 11, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Detecting Secrets + Giveaway

Tracking the scents of the missing might be the only way to save them.

Partnered with her air-scent dog and Sheriff Dennis Monroe, marriage and family therapist Charlotte Bradley is desperate to put an end to a black-market baby smuggling ring in Anderson County. Who is kidnapping the pregnant girls she counsels and taking their babies? As Charlotte searches for answers, she and Dennis must dodge gunfire and deadly attacks. But the sinister agenda they uncover just might include her.

A Deputies of Anderson County thriller.

My Review:

This is the third book in the Deputies of Anderson County series and don’t ask me how I missed the first two books! The good news is that I can vouch for Detecting Secrets working fine as a standalone. There’s lots of give and take and teasing amount the deputies which might have meant more if I’d met them all in the first two books but I still enjoyed the banter and teamwork and didn’t feel lost or overwhelmed at all. So, definitely don’t hesitate to pick this one up even if you haven’t read the first two books.

And what a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seater! Pulls at your heartstrings too because the crime is so vile. Kidnapping babies. Bah! And Charlotte’s backstory is pretty heartbreaking. I was emotionally engaged all the read through.

Luckily, we have Theo, air-scent SAR canine extraordinaire for distraction and comic relief. If I wasn’t laughing and melting over his antics, I was cheering him on as he seeks and defends and generally creates bedlam for the bad guys .

A fast-paced, adrenaline rush of a read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Detecting Secrets, 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 March 11, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Beneath His Silence + Giveaway

Will seeking justice lead to her own demise?

A Gothic Style Regency Romance from a promising young author

Second daughter of a baron — and a little on the mischievous side — Ella Pemberton is no governess. But the pretence is a necessity if she ever wishes to get inside of Wychkhorn Manor and attain the truth. Exposing the man who killed her sister is all that matters.

Lord Sedgewick knows there’s blood on his hands. Lies have been conceived, then more lies but the price of truth would be too great. All he has left now is his son — and his hatred. Yet as the charming governess invades his home, his safe cocoon of bitterness begins to tear away.

Could Ella, despite the lingering questions of his guilt, fall in love with such a man? Or is she falling prey to him — just as her dead sister?

My Review:

Well, I’m gobsmacked by this debut novel! Very Jane Eyre-esque with Gothic undertones. Lots of emotional angst and high drama that peaks by the end. And so much character growth! Which is a good thing because Ella’s obsession with seeking vengeance over her sister’s death was a bit hard to take in the beginning. She is full of self-righteous indignation and preconceived assumptions based on her late father’s consuming hatred. And now she feels compelled to carry on his crusade to destroy Lord Sedgewick.

If you like brooding heroes you will definitely be drawn to poor Henry. He fits the Mr. Rochester archetype — with one major difference. Henry constantly leans into his faith. Imperfectly, maybe, because he still struggles with bitterness and unforgiveness but he never turns away from God. Very realistic and relatable.

So, Ella arrives at Wychkhorn Manor under false pretences, intent on exposing the dark truth about Lord Sedgewick. She isn’t prepared to fall in love with her young charge — the nephew she’s never met before (gah, and I wanted to know why — the family had no contact with the older sister, didn’t even attend the wedding and that was never explained. My mind is working overtime thinking up credible possibilities.) Of course, Ella is about as ungovernessy a governess as they come. She’s also opinionated and impulsive which makes for some interesting cutting-edge banter. And I do so love great banter in my Regencies!

Very much an enemies to more trope and I love the way the author developed the relationship that grows between Henry and Ella. It’s all two steps forward, one step back and full of self-doubts and erroneous assumptions. You never met two more reluctant would-be-lovers! And I enjoyed every second!

And the Manor had a character all its own. Steeped in tragedy and hiding so many secrets! I was on tenterhooks the whole read trying to piece everything together. From the closed mouth servants to Ella’s feelings of being watched, to…well, I can’t say any more without posting spoilers…but, eeeeppp, deliciously mysterious.

I listened to the audible edition of Beneath His Silence and enjoyed Anna Flosnik’s narration. Her performance enhanced the Gothic vibes and kept me riveted.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Beneath His Silence, 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 March 11, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Winning His Trust + Giveaway

To build a future together they must both let go of the past…

Returning home after a bad breakup, Jordan Wood is eager to prove she can run her family’s store. Setting up a partnership with Declan Porter’s struggling adventure business might do the trick. But the handsome single dad is set in his ways — in business and in love. Can winning his — and his son’s — heart help them all heal?

My Review:

My oh my, but I love the way Toni Shiloh spins a story! This one is so heartfelt and touching. There’s a lighter side too — little spurts of comic relief, often provided by Declan’s little boy. “When I grow up, I’m going to save dinosaurs from extinction.” (p 72) Bwahahaha! Cutest kid ever!

Both Jordan and Declan have overcome difficulties and I appreciate how the author worked faith into their situations. They are both guarded in different ways and it’s only through allowing themselves to be vulnerable that they can truly overcome. So many inspiring discussions — the kind that a reader can take to heart right along with the characters.

Love the small town Arkansas setting and Jordan’s large and loving, though sometimes misguided, family. Each book in this series features a Wood sibling. Though I’ve read the first book, this second one reads very well as a standalone. That’s one of the great things about the Love Inspired line, it’s easy to jump into a series at any point.

The kind of read-in-one-sitting book that has all the feels.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Winning His Trust, 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 March 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Call of the Sea + Giveaway

A Viking Historical Romance

On the eve of her betrothal to a nobleman she’s never met, Rhiannon seeks comfort on the shores of the sea she loves so well. But instead of offering peace to her uneasy heart, the ocean heralds doom with the arrival of dreaded Viking ships. A vicious raid leads to the death of her beloved father and leaves Rhiannon’s life in tatters. Heartbroken, she travels to Ynys Mon where she takes up residence at the royal court of Owain Gwynedd.

Leif loves voyaging on the open water. As the son of a Viking chief, he’s accustomed to his people’s practice of plundering and looting. But when one of his companions ruthlessly kills an old man in front of the man’s beautiful daughter, Leif is haunted by the memory. Desperate to find forgiveness for the atrocity he allowed to occur, he’s offered a chance at redemption through the kindly teachings of an Irish priest and the unexpected arrival of a royal fugitive. Suddenly thrust into he midst of the Cymry’s political turmoil, Leif is reunited with the dead man’s daughter — Rhiannon. Forced to work side by side to uncover the truth behind the turmoil, they come to discover that love can grow from even the most tragic of beginnings. But with such in compatible backgrounds, surely a future together can never be theirs.

My Review:

I was drawn to the Celtic vibes of this story right from the cover and description. It takes place in both Wales and Ireland and the historical details are fantastic. Not a time period I am very familiar with and I ended up googling Vikings in Ireland and went down a fascinating rabbit trail of interesting facts. Love when a story inspires me to do more research! (and perfect for a March read! Happy St. Patrick’s day!)

Sian Ann Bessey delivers action, adventure and danger along with political intrigue which was was all kinds of nefarious. Plus there’s a star-crossed lovers trope that had me on tenterhooks wondering how Leif and Rhiannon would find a way to their happily ever after.

And Leif’s redemption story brings extra depth to the story. Going from worshiping multiple gods to finding the grace of the one true God made this read all the richer for me.

Beautifully written and expertly narrated by Robert Lewis Owen (yes, this is another book I listened to and I highly recommend this narrator!) I did find it difficult to grasp all the Welsh names, but I loved the accent. I imagine some of them would have made more sense if I could see the words written out as well as hear the Welsh pronunciation. But it didn’t hamper my ‘reading’ enjoyment and our main characters’ names are easily recognizable so that helps as well.

This stunning historical romance ticked all the boxes for me and I actually feel a little more knowledgable for having read it. 🙂 Wish my high school history lessons came in a package like this!

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 Call of the Sea, 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 March 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Alaskan Avalanche Escape + Giveaway

Sabotage in the mountains…Can this K-9 sniff out the truth?

After surviving a sudden avalanche, mountain survival expert Jayla Hoyt and her search-and-rescue K-9 discover that it was no accident — someone deliberately triggered the mountain explosion. To uncover the culprit, she’ll have to partner with Alaska park ranger Bryson Clarke, a man she doesn’t trust. But when the investigators become targets, can they capture the criminal mastermind…before they’re buried alive?

K-9 Search and Rescue

My Review:

First — love that I could listen to this heart stopping romantic suspense! Kelli Tager did a fantastic job of conveying the intensity and desperation in her riveting narration. Unputdownable…or should I say unstoppable?

Super excited to report that, despite the title, a good portion of this story takes place in the Yukon. In fact, the border patrol between the US and Canada plays a key role and it was fun to watch the two forces work (or not, as the case may be) together.

In some ways, Jayla and Bryson are on their own, since they can’t figure out who they can trust…and Jayla has some history with Bryson which makes him untrustworthy in her eyes. But she has her own issues to deal with and I did find her attitude towards Bryson a bit hard to take at the beginning. Thankfully there’s lots of character growth, including spiritually, but, Jayla is very much a work in progress for most of the story. So, there’s angst aplenty and Turner dishes it out on both the romance and suspense front.

Love the search and rescue details around avalanches — so many interesting details in what is involved and how the dogs work to find victims. The weather plays as an important role in the suspense as the mayhem the villains dish out. Makes for a nail-biting read (or listen.)

While part of the multi-authored K-9 Search and Rescue series, Alaskan Avalanche Escape can easily be read as a standalone novel.

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 Alaskan Avalanche Escape, 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 March 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Dusk’s Darkest Shores + Giveaway

Mary Bloomfield has no illusions. Her chances for matrimony have long since passed her by. Still, her circumstances are pleasant enough, especially since she has found purpose in assisting her father with his medical practice in England’s Lake District. Even without love, she’s content with her life.

That is until Adam Edgerton returns to the sleepy Lakes. This decorated war hero did not arrive home to acclaim and rest, but to battle an insidious disease. Mary’s caring nature cannot stand by as someone suffered — but how can she help this man see any brightness in his future when he’s plunged into melancholic darkness, his dreams laid waste by his condition?

Adam wants no charity, but if this gentle woman can work hard on his behalf, how can he do less? Together they struggle to find a way forward for him. Frustration and antipathy slowly develop into friendship and esteem.

Then a summer storm atop a mountain peak leaves both Mary and Adam searching the depths of their closed hearts for answers. Is there hope of find any future path with happiness at its end?

My Review:

published in 2021

Why did I wait so long to start this series?! Why oh why oh why? Well I’m here now and have the second book in my TBR stack and once I’ve read that, I’ll be all set for the third Regency Wallflowers book which releases in April. (I say this to console myself over my tardiness.)

Dusk’s Darkest Shores is a sublime read with some unexpected tweaks to the Regency genre. Because this story doesn’t take place in London ballrooms among the ton. Mary is a village doctor’s daughter and Adam is a farmer’s son. Their families are wealthy enough to employ a few servants, but they still work for a living and move in very different circles than the lords and ladies I am used to meeting in a Regency Romance. And I absolutely loved that about this book! A fresh perspective that adds a whole different dimension to the storytelling. And this book is exquisitely written — the kind that makes you want to savour every phrase and bask in the images those words create.

Another difference is the amount of faith infused into every corner of the story. Again, a refreshing take on the Regency era and I loved the spiritual reflections and deliberate seeking out the Lord. Especially when it came to the topic of miracles and healing. As someone who has coped with a chronic condition for years now, it lightens my heart so much to meet characters who wrestle with some of same things I do. Makes me feel seen in some small way, so I’m grateful to the author for including that aspect in the story.

Of course, there are similarities to the classic Regency novel too. Shallow mean-ish misses who brought out the worst in me. Honestly, Mary had such grace and patience. I, on the other hand, was ready to do some hair pulling and arm pinching. And maybe a slap upside the head with my reticule (stuffed with books so as to pack a wallop.) Can’t bring me out in polite society when my dander is up over a beloved character, that’s for sure.

And Adam’s struggles! His soul-searching journey as he tries to find a way back to the life he had before the war. Only that’s impossible. And it’s stoic, determined, caring Mary who shows him that’s okay. I love that she has harboured feelings for him since childhood. Unrequited and she expects nothing less now. Especially since she is firmly established in the village as the doctor’s spinster daughter, dedicated to charitable works and healing rather than hearth and home.

In a way, I want to call this a Grumpy/sunshine romance but it isn’t…quite. Oh, Adam is grumpy enough in the beginning to be a hero of that trope, but Mary can give as good as she gets so she’s not quite all sunshine. She’s too practical and plain-spoken for that. Loved the banter between these two — whether it was serious or in jest, the dialogue zings. Sometimes I laughed, sometimes I winced, but I always hung on every word.

So, I found Dusk’s Distant Shores to be unexpected in many good ways and enchanting throughout. The kind of book you just have to hug and sigh over when you reach that last page.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Dusk’s Darkest Shores, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you include an email in your comment, please 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 March 4 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

All That I Dread + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO READ

After a tragic loss, Jessica Chamberlain changes jobs, moves, and adopts a rowdy German Shepherd. The two begin training with a Virginia search-and-rescue group. The group’s training director, Nathan Tanner, is a former military working dog handler with scars of his own and he quickly picks up on Jess’s ongoing anxiety. After the unexpected discovery of a body in the woods, Jess and her dog and Nate are drawn into the FBI’s search for an abductor targeting women. Tormented by her past and terrified of the future, Jess still forges ahead. Can the secrets of her late father give her the courage she needs to continue?

My Review:

published in 2019

Wow. New-to-me author (an instagram discovery) and I am hooked on her storytelling style! It puts me in mind of Carrie Stuart Parks — has that same depth and grittiness infused with faith. The author digs deep to push past layers of characterization that is raw and real and emotionally sucker punching at times. And she draws out Jessica’s backstory with intriguing hints of foreshadowing. I was on tenterhooks trying to put the puzzle pieces together and once I knew everything….whoa!!!!

The K-9 details are incredibly well done. I knew a bit about Search and Rescue from other suspense novels, but there are so many new elements (at least to me) addressed in this story. Jess’s K-9 is a work-in-progress. Mischievous Luke makes for an endearing four-legged hero — good for laughs, ‘ahhh’ moments and heroic Lassie flare. 🙂

Told from three points of view, the author expertly weaves disparate lives together in a compelling way. Faith might be considered a fourth POV as inspirational subplots interlace throughout. Powerful. Moving. Redemptive. Healing. I was as captivated by Jess’s faith journey as I was the suspense.

I enjoyed listening to the audible edition of All That I Dread, narrated by Vanessa Daniels. She has the right ‘voice’ for Jessica and the rest of these characters and enhanced my ‘reading’ pleasure.

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 All that I Dread, 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 March 4 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

A Steadfast Companion + Giveaway

Offering a helping hand…could give him everything he needs.

Fighting his way back from a troubled past, handyman Angus “Witt” Wittenbauer needs refuge. When do sanctuary owner Maddie McNeill needs someone to fix her kennel’s roof, it seems like the answer to his prayers, especially when he’s reunited with his long lost dog, Ranger. His growing friendship with Maddie hints at the promise of something more, but will Witt ever feel deserving of love again?

K-9 Companions

My Review:

Oh my — gobsmacked over this emotional romance that tugged at my heart and buoyed up my spirits. I got teary-eyed on page 24 and that wasn’t the only time during this read. Witt’s story is so…gah, I can’t say anything without sharing spoilers so all I will say is you’d have to have a heart of stone to not feel a connection with this hero!

And the whole idea of a dog sanctuary, where aging, ailing or ‘unadoptable’ dogs can find a fur-ever home. Well, there goes the waterworks again! But Maddie has been struggling to bounce back from some losses and the sanctuary is perilously low on funds. She needs a miracle and that might just be Witt. You’ll have to read the book to find out.

This Love Inspired features ‘older’ (than the norm, anyway) characters. Witt is fifty-one and Maddie is in her mid forties or so. I was surprised at how much depth that brought to the story because that’s a lot of life lived, mistakes made, struggles to overcome…well, it just made this romance that much richer. And the redemptive faith thread is so beautiful.

Absolutely stunning addition to the multi-authored K-9 Companions series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Steadfast Companion, 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 February 25, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.