Tag: Christian Fiction

Mistaken Twin Target + Giveaway

A case of mistaken identity. A bounty hunter to the rescue.

Taken by men who think she’s her identical twin, Charlotte Halstead finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun. Thanks to bounty hunter Wade Fast Horse, she escapes their clutches, but she’s not safe for long. Her twin sister suddenly goes missing, and someone wants Charlotte dead. Wade is her only hope for survival, but can they find Charlotte’s sister before the killer finds them?

A Range River Bounty Hunters Story

My Review:

Whoa! Unputdownable and then some! I intended to only read the first few chapters and then move on to a ton of other things I have on the go but, instead, I came back with a jolt to my real world a couple of hours later. Just couldn’t put it down. I had to know if Charlotte was going to be okay and what happened to her sister and then I was squealing over cameos from previous books. Had way too much fun to stop reading anywhere but at the last page!

This is the third Ranger River Bounty Hunters novel, but it reads really well as a standalone, so no worries if you’re just starting the series here. I love the bounty hunter angle and the way the author slips in tantalizing tidbits of information about the profession and the way they work alongside other law enforcement officials. As with her other books, there’s just the right mix of action and danger and romance which makes for the perfect escape read.

And I’m super excited because the next book is going to feature Connor and I’m all kinds of intrigued. Plus, who can resist a man who rescues stray animals? I’m on tenterhooks waiting to find out his full story…at last!

GIVEAWAY OPPROTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy of this book.

If you would like win a copy of Mistaken Twin Target, 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 11, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Her Heart’s Desire + Giveaway

What happens when we allow our pasts to define our futures?

Mary Margaret Miller needs an escape from her small Amish community. She boards a bus, all alone, for a vacation in Pinecraft, Florida. Meeting Betsy and Lilly on the way, she’s amazed to find two kindred spirits. They become fast friends and determine to have the best two weeks of their lives. For Mary, it starts when she meets Jayson Raber, a handsome and charming carpenter.

Jayson is taken with Mary from the get go, but he’s responsibilities back home in Kentucky — including a girl he’s supposed to marry. And when someone from Mary’s past shows up in Minecraft, it seems like her perfect vacation is ruined. But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming when she realizes what Jayson has been hiding.

My Review:

I’m bewitched by the Pinecraft setting for starters. Shelley Shepard Gray introduced me to this Amish ‘hot spot’ in a previous series she wrote — Amish Brides of Pinecraft. and I’m thrilled she’s returned for this new series. There’s nothing like sun, sand and romance to warm a northerner on a cold, wintry day!

Told in what I’ve come to think of as ‘Classic Shelley Shepard Gray style’, she delivers a thought-provoking and engaging read. We have multiple points of view, each character struggling with some aspect of their past that has led them to this point and time: the much needed escape a carefree holiday can bring.

Relationships are at the forefront of this story. New friendships, old enemies, budding romances and all the complications that entails. And I love the way the author ties myriad plot threads together by the end. Very excited to continue on with this ‘A Season in Pinecraft’ series. And, woohoo, we won’t have long to wait because the second book, Her Only Wish, releases this coming June!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Her Heart’s Desire, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you leave your email in a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter via email, please add the book title to the subject line so it’s easier to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 11 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

The Rose and the Thistle

In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley’s father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Blythe quietly awaits the crowning of a new king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known.

No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with her maid in tow. He has his own problems — a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.

In this whirlwind of intrigue, ambitions, and shifting alliances, Blythe yearns for someone she can trust. But the same forces that draw her and Everard together also threaten to tear them apart.

My Review:

I don’t even know where to begin. I’m gobsmacked and addlepated over this braw story — the latest (and very best, I think) Laura Frantz masterpiece.

Stunning details — from the incredible cover art to the rich story within. And let’s stop to admire that cover for a second. What you can’t tell from the photo is that the thistle and the rose emblems are actually embossed gold. And the heroine’s skirt is so lush looking that you just have to touch it and come away surprised when you feel paper instead of cloth. Yes, this is my book nerdiness showing, but sometimes a book is so pretty I just have to gush!

Now onto the story. Which is where the gobsmacking comes in. I’m pretty near speechless over the perfection of it all. Vibrant storytelling merges history and romance in the most spellbinding of ways. Descriptive passages that bring the Scottish countryside to life. Intrinsic historical details that both appall and intrigue!

(A little side note here: I didn’t know much about the politics of this time and I did feel a wee bit overwhelmed at the beginning, but as I got further into the story it all started to make sense. So I’d advise readers like me to just go with the flow instead of trying to figure out who was right and who was wrong and what each side stood for and why….Or maybe I’m the only one who madly googles facts in the middle of a read?!)

Now for the addlepated part. Everard. THUD! Fainting couch essential. Smelling salts necessary. Comfort chocolate optional, though advised (because when would chocolate consuming ever be considered ill-advised?!) And be prepared to be swept off your feet (hence the fainting couch) over and over again by this rather gruff, moody, sometimes churlish hero. He has a servant’s heart though and that shines through over and over again. Especially in the way he cares for his youngest brother. And reluctantly takes on the responsibility of sheltering Lady Blythe in the midst of her storm.

Their romance is delectable. I love the way Frantz takes time to develop it. From enemies, to wary strangers, to cautious friends, to…toe-curls!!!! Nothing ever feels rushed in this story but it never bogs down either. The author has found the perfect balance between delivering enticing details and keeping the plot propelling forward. All while keeping the reader hoping the story never ends!

Gah, this review is getting too long and I haven’t even mentioned the Hume brothers or wonderful mix of secondary characters or the way I feel like I’ve actually lived in Scotland in the 1700s or…so many points to recommend this read! Definitely a top ten contender for 2023.

Oh, and I couldn’t resist listening to the audio book, even though I have a paperback copy. Amy Scanlon’s narration exceeded everything I could hope for in an audible performance. All the accents, unique voices of each character, the sheer enjoyment that came from listening to her read. If you are an audio book lover, this is definitely one to listen to.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy.

If you would like to win a copy of The Rose and the Thistle, 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 via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easier to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 11 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Dear Henry, Love Edith + Giveaway

After a short and difficult marriage, recently widowed Edith Sherman has learned her lesson. Forget love. Forget marriage. She plans to fill her thirties with adventure. As she awaits the first paperwork for a humanitarian trip to South Africa, she accepts a short-term nursing position in a small Midwestern town. The last thing she needs is a handsome local catching her eye. How inconvenient is that?

Henry Hobbes isn’t exactly thrilled to have Edith, who he assumes is an elderly widow, dumped on him as a houseguest for the summer. But he’d do almost anything for his niece, who is practically like a sister to him given how close they are in age. Especially since Edith will be working nights and Henry works most days. When he and Edith keep missing each other in person, they begin exchanging notes — short messages at first, then longer letters, sharing increasingly personal parts of their lives.

By the time Henry realizes his mistake — that Edith is actually the brown-eyed beauty he keeps bumping into around town — their hearts are so intertwined he hopes they never unravel. But with her departure rapidly approaching, and Henry’s roots firmly planted at home, Edith must ultimately decide if the adventure of her dreams is the one right in front of her.

My Review:

I’m flabbergasted! And gobsmacked. And besotted over Becca Kinzer’s incredible comedic gift. She gets the ‘beats’ just right and the way she creates mass confusion out of a simple sentence uttered by the hapless Edith…or Henry…reaches new levels of hilarity. Helped, I think, by the sublime performance of narrator Liam DiCosimo. He gets all the voices right — and there are a ton of small town neighbours who aren’t shy about sticking their oar in at the most inopportune time. I laughed so hard! Hardy guffaws in the grocery store which got me all kinds of wary looks. (I usually stop listening to an audio book when I’m out in the masses but I couldn’t leave myself dangling at a pertinent point in the story.)

So, if you are looking for a light-hearted read, this is it. But there’s depth too. In the characters and their situations. Their back stories and the issues they wrestle with. But it’s the kind of angst you can chuckle through as well as wince over.

I thought the faith thread was so relatable. Edith is searching for an adventure through mission work. She’s determined to make a difference, do something significant with her life only to discover that those she serves actually serve her best. Henry is battling with feelings of not measuring up to his family name. He’s significantly younger than his older brother, hence the niece who is a mere two years younger than him. Both hero and heroine battle with self-doubt and their journey towards trusting God…and themselves…with the future He plans for them is inspiring.

And then there’s romance and witty banter and toe-curling kisses. I mean, really, can you ask for anything more from a rom/com?!

GIVEAWAY OPPORUNTITY:

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

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Dear Henry, Love Edith, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you leave your email in a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw vie email, please add the book title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 11 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Yesterday’s Tides + Giveaway

In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations.

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same — until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie’s inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling’s injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he’s tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper’s daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling’s lives in World War II, it seems yesterday’s tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

My Review:

I have no words. Seriously speechless but heart-filled and gobsmacked and wondering what I’m going to do now that this book is over. Yesterday’s Tides (such an apt title — love when a story and title are a perfect match!) is the kind of read that you want to linger over and rush through all at the same time. I mean, I didn’t want it to end but I couldn’t wait to get to the ending!

I love Roseanna M. White’s books, but this might just be her best yet. And such a thrill to encounter some fave characters from previous series in this one! Though, no worries if you haven’t met them, it will totally make sense anyway — just gave me an extra thrill of bibliophile bliss!

And — squeeeeaaaalllll — this is a dual timeline story set in two historical eras. And the way past and ‘present’ mesh together is breathtakingly beautiful and filled with some unique twists. Two heroines. Two heroes. Two world wars. The clash of conflict over race and class. (Gah, but I was spitting-nails-furious in places!) Absolutely stunning. And unputdownable.

I listened to the audible edition expertly narrated by Pilar Witherspoon. Her performance kept me riveted through to the very last world.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Yesterday’s Tides, 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 4 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Critical Threat + Giveaway

FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley tracks serial killers, using her skills as a psychiatrist and behavioural analyst to get dangerous people off the street and safely behind bars. But prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe knows that just because a killer is incarcerated doesn’t mean they’re not a threat. His own father, Peter, is a serial killer — in prison but certainly not out of Sam’s life, as much as he wishes he was.

When bodies start showing up with Peter’s MO, Sam and Grace are both called in to consult. They’ve met before — and though Grace thought they’d made a real connection, Sam ghosted her. They’ll have to get past the awkwardness and mistrust to solve this case — especially because it’s about to get personal.

My Review:

Wowzers! This one crept out of my comfort zone a wee bit, ’cause serial killers aren’t a favourite suspense trope of mine. My all too active imagination ran riot with the thriller-ish aspects of this story. Plus there’s a rather gruesome murder detail that isn’t overtly described but just knowing about it raised the creep factor for me. But, this is Lynette Eason and her characters are so real and relatable that I couldn’t resist.

Lots of edge-of-your-seat moments that include heart-stopping near misses and ominous foreshadowing which made me rush through the read. Well, listen, actually — I enjoyed Sheryl Sheckells’ gripping narration. Made it seem all the more real to me which is both a good thing and a bad thing. 🙂

One of Eason’s many talents is the way she creates characters who are honest and vulnerable and flawed. And then she gives them complicated back stories and throws them into a vortex of chaos and mayhem. She really is an evil genius, at least, I bet that’s how her characters think of her!

Both Sam and Grace have complex family issues which add a whole other level of angst to their lives. I loved the way they respected each other’s boundaries, willing to listen but open to waiting for the ‘right time’. They never pushed for more but they also didn’t shy away from sharing for long. Such a rich, emotionally laden romance that felt believable.

Critical Threat is the third book in Extreme Measures series but it can easily be read as a standalone. And, yay, we have a fourth book to look forward to later this year and it’s going to have a stalkerish vibe! Can’t wait for Countdown’s release this summer!

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 Critical Threat, 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 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

What Happens Next + Giveaway

Everyone has a story, and maybe everyone needs a little help toward healing.

Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy — but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she’s asked to spotlight her childhood best friend’s missing person case on her podcast.

Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her old daughter intervenes, she agrees to counselling and to pack up her missing daughter’s belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.

As the long-abandoned investigation moves forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?

My Review:

Enthralling is an apt descriptor for this unputdownable novel. I stayed up until midnight (which might not sound late to you, but I’m of the early to be, early to rise mindset) to finish reading What Happens Next because…well…I needed to know what happened next! And, oh, what an incredibly emotional read! My heart felt like it had been yanked out of my chest and stomped on and then crammed back in — upside down and inside out. 🙂

The story is told from three points of view: Dora (the mother of the missing girl) and Faith (the childhood friend) in present day and from Heather in occasional flashbacks to that fateful summer. They flow together beautifully, building tension and plot while delivering emotional sucker punches left and right.

And there are so many layers to each character, which kept me on tenterhooks as well. I could sympathize with each of them and it was easy to lose myself in the drama unfolding right in front of me. At least, it felt like I was there, living out that long ago summer and this present day one, my heart on my sleeve.

Mesmerizing. Captivating. Unforgettable.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of What Happens Next, 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 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.