Tag: Christian Fiction

The Lost Girl of Astor Street + Giveaway

random retro reread

To most people, Piper Sail looks like a rich girl with little potential, but she surprises everyone, including herself, when she starts investigating her best friend’s disappearance. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Maureen Johnson, The Lost Girl of Astor Street combines the allure of Jazz Age Chicago with a twisting mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Lydia has vanished. Lydia, who’s never broken any rules, except falling in love with the wrong boy. Lydia, who’s been Piper’s best friend since they were children. Lydia, who never even said goodbye.

Convinced the police are looking in all the wrong places, eighteen-year-old Piper Sail begins her own investigation into Lydia’s disappearance. With the reluctant help of a handsome young detective, Piper searches for answers in the dark underbelly of 1924 Chicago. Did Lydia get abducted by one of the city’s most notorious gangsters? Or does the trail lead back to their own affluent neighborhood?

Piper must decide if she’s willing to risk her life to find out the truth.

My Review:

published in 2017

I read this book when it first came out and loooovvved it sooooo much! Was so hopeful for a long running series but then…nothing. For years. So imagine my extreme bibliophile ecstasy when I discovered that not only did the publisher reissue the book with a swanky new cover, but they also included a new audio edition and there’s a second book now as well. Eeeeeeeepppp! I can’t even….

—

Nancy Drew meets Veronica Mars in this astounding Young Adult Mystery that can certainly be enjoyed by readers who have passed their teen years.

Love the mix of historical (roaring twenties in Chicago) and mystery. And I’m actually surprising myself by saying I also loved the first person, present tense point of view which is usually my least favourite POV. But it works here, catapulting the reader into Piper’s heart and mind as she navigates a complicated web of intrigue and secrets.

I love her spunk! And her fierce loyalty and dogged determination. She just doesn’t quit, much to the exasperation (and reluctant admiration) of a certain young police detective. But Piper’s stubbornness leads to danger as she exposes secrets and follows clues that lead her into the seedy side of town. And if the heart-stopping suspense doesn’t keep you frantically turning pages, the sweet romance certainly will. Praying this is the first of many cases for this new, intrepid female detective.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Megan Trout’s compelling narration. She did these characters justice – especially our indomitable heroine!

My thanks to HarperCollins Focus / Blink and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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 The Lost Girl of Astor Street,  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 9 2025.

Sense and Suitability + Giveaway

In this clean Regency rom-com, a woman with a scandalous past (and an even more scandalous secret) swears off love—until the man who broke her heart needs her help. What could possibly go wrong? Perfect for fans of Tessa Dare and Eloisa James looking for a low-spice, witty Regency romance.

After two failed social seasons, her family may think the third time will be a charm, but Emmeline Lockhart just wants to survive with her dignity (and singleness) intact. She thought she’d found her perfect match in Simon Reeves–charming, handsome, a veritable hero from a novel—until he vanished from her life without so much as a “farewell” or “my deepest regrets” (or even a vague apology scribbled on the back of a calling card). Lesson never fall for a man known for his charm.

Fortunately, and unlike many of the other eligible young ladies of the ton, Emmeline has no need for a husband–because she’s already found success in her scandalous (and very anonymous) profession as an author. Why bother with matrimony when she can make her own fortune and write men exactly the way she wants them?

But fate—or the misfortune of Simon’s reckless patriarchs—has other plans. Simon’s once-proud estate is in shambles, his family fortune has been gambled away, and the younger impressionable siblings in his care are running wild across his estate (and possibly across all of England). Simon is in desperate need of a wealthy, prestigious bride . . . and a friend.

Emmeline may not fit the role of heiress, but she can certainly be a friend. Just a friend. She’ll help him find a suitable match, ensure his reputation remains intact, and keep things strictly platonic—no matter how dangerously appealing his new-and-improved sincerity and regret may be.

There’s just one small the undeniable chemistry that still smolders between them. Can Emme play matchmaker for the man she’s still in love with without losing her heart all over again? And is it possible that some love stories–especially the messy, inconvenient, impossible ones–are worthy of a rewrite?

Filled with lively banter, adorable children, a frog named Blast, and swoony kisses, Sense and Suitability is the clean Regency romance you’ve been looking for. Basham brings her signature humor to the Regency era where social strictures keep the tension tight but the stakes low in this second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance.

My Review:

Swoonaliciously delightful!!!! Pepper Basham’s versatility as an author astounds me. She does justice to her first foray into the Regency Romance genre and, while I’m not surprised, (she is a fave author for a reason, after all) I am sooooooo impressed! And, mercy, but let Pepper’s bantering talent loose in a Regency drawing room and….blissfully bookish swoons abound. Fainting couches are a must to get through this book unscathed!

The author’s signature humour shines throughout this story. So many laugh out loud moments! Often courtesy of a trio of unruly children, especially the youngest imp and her special frog friend. H-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.

And the second chance, enemies to more romantic tropes are played out to perfection. Lots of lovely tension and emotional layers. Along with the agonies of societal expectations of the day thankfully punctuated by some truly memorable toe curling scenes! Thud! I do so enjoy an impossible love story that triumphs in the end.

I listened to the audio edition of ‘Sense and Suitability’ (love that pun-y title!) and thoroughly enjoyed the dual narration performed by Fiona Hardingham and Christopher Ashman. The way they delivered all the emotion and humour made for an absolutely brilliant listening experience.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS BOOK DOESN’T RELEASE UNTIL OCTOBER 14 SO THERE WILL BE A BIT OF A WAIT TO CLAIM YOUR WIN!

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 Sense and Suitability,  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 2025

The French Kitchen + Giveaway

As Paris rebuilds in the aftermath of World War II, one ex-pat uses the skills she learned in French kitchens during the war to bring long-held secrets to light.

Paris, 1952 — An ex-pat wife living in Paris signs up for a cookery class taught by an American chef with an indomitable wit and decidedly French airs–an instructor by name of Julia Child. Amongst classes of the L’Ecole des Trois Gourmandes, with pots and pans and prim Paris wives learning to sauté in the French way, Kat Fontaine learns much more than she bargained for.

Still haunted by the years she spent serving in the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII, Kat soon finds a simple cookery class unearths the tangle of gut-wrenching memories of war and questions about the high-ranking society husband whose past is as murky as her own. But when the puzzle pieces start to come together–and her carefully crafted Paris world begins to fall apart–Kat must confront her own secrets against the mounting suspicions of the husband she thought she knew . . .

Rue, 1943 — Deep in the heart of Nazi-controlled northern France, Manon Altier shifts between working for the enemy by day–as a French chef at the famous Château du Broutel, where names like Himmler, Rommel, and Goebbels frequent the guest list–and running with underground networks against the Vichy regime at night. Working undercover to filter information to agents within the burgeoning OSS, Manon digs deep into the glitz and glamour of a Nazi stronghold that has her teetering on the edge of being discovered at any turn. But when an intriguing stranger appears at the chateau claiming to work with the French Resistance, Manon must lean on her instincts to judge whether to run and hide or stand firm–even as a terrifying discovery tests her resolve to continue the fight.

From the heights of culinary cuisine in 1950s Paris society to the underbelly of a WWII spy network embedded deep within Nazi-controlled Vichy France–and the spy backstory of the world’s most famous would-be French chef, Julia Child–The French Kitchen turns up the heat on the pasts of women whose worlds collide, and forces each to question what she thought she’d planned for a perfect future.

My Review:

I’m always a little gobsmacked and ferhoodled after reading one of Kristy Cambron’s dual timeline novels. How on earth does she manage to weave so many story threads together and keep everything straight? I’m in awe!

The start of the ‘The French Kitchen’ drops us right into the middle of a tense (understatement) resistance fighting scene in 1943 and leaves us hanging at a particularly precarious point. Then we’re whisked away on a breathtaking whirlwind of scenes both before that pivotal moment and then nearly ten years afterwards. Completely riveting and emotionally whiplashing!

Love the inclusion of Julia Child in the 1950s timeline. I haven’t read many novels that explore post-war Europe and I found the complexities of that time in France so fascinating. The author does an amazing job of bringing Paris to vibrant life through rich descriptive storytelling. And she kept me riveted (and my emotions in tatters) all the way to the end. Just…stunning!

I listened to the audio edition narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and, whoa, her performance elevated my ‘reading’ enjoyment so much! She captured the essence of every character, including accents, while conveying the emotional depth of the story to absolute perfection. Highly recommend giving the audio edition a try.

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

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

US – ebook copy

Canada – ebook or audible — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The French Kitchen,  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 2 2025

Perilous Tides + Giveaway

Three years after her mother’s suspicious death, forensic artist Jo Cattrel is in hiding, working at a storm-watching lodge along the Washington coast. When her father sends her a disturbing and cryptic message, Jo leaves the safety of the lodge to find him. But during the ferry crossing, Jo witnesses a murder–and becomes a target. 

More surprising to Jo than being in danger is the identity of the person who steps in to protect none other than her ex, former Green Beret Cole Mercer. Now a private investigator, Cole has been looking into her mother’s death. If he can just uncover the truth, maybe Jo can end her self-imposed captivity and the two of them can pick up the pieces and build a future together. 

As Cole and Jo search for answers, the past rushes in like a dangerous tide to sweep them away before the truth can be revealed. 

In this action-packed thriller, USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard serves up a complex plot and the sizzling romance readers have come to expect.

My Review:

The kind of suspense that leaves a reader delightfully muddled and on the edge of her seat right through to the heart pounding conclusion. So many gasp out loud moments with Cole and Jo battling natural elements while evading relentless danger as they try to stay alive long enough to figure out what on earth is going on! And that opening scene! Wowzers! No turning back for me after reading that!

Love that Jo and Cole have a bit of a history. He’s back working on regaining her trust while trying to explain what went awry months ago. Made for some lovely romantic tension that served to amplify the overall edginess of the story that much more. Definitely an inhale in one gulp kind of read!

Also love the way the author worked in a significant faith thread without overwhelming the story or making it feel forced. There are some stunning inspirational tidbits that a reader can carry away with her. I appreciate that so much!

This is the second book in the author’s ‘Hidden Bay’ series and, though it reads perfectly fine as a standalone, I enjoyed having inside Hidden Bay knowledge and seeing more of Hawk and Remi’s (Book #1’s hero and heroine) happily ever after.

As with the first ‘Hidden Bay’ book, I listened to the audible edition, narrated by Chloe Peiffer who did an amazing job conveying the tension and desperation and emotional angst in this story. Would totally recommend the audio book to people who enjoy a good listen as much as they enjoy a good read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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 Perilous 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 August 3 2025

Remembering Christmas + Giveaway

Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He’s never liked Art and resents the man’s presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. When what was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keep hanging about, Rick’s attitude sours even more.

Still, slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons–as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day–work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas. With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.

My Review:

published in 2011

Remembering Christmas is destined to be a holiday classic, I’d love to see this story played out on the big screen! I guarantee it would become an annual favourite. Somebody call Hallmark!

Walsh writes with a measured clarity that evokes images. Vivid, heart-wrenching and definitely heart-warming, the author has penned a story that shows us the powerful difference one constant follower of Christ can make in many lives. Have a Kleenex box handy and be prepared for more than just a few goosebump moments. This is a timeless tale you’ll want to immerse yourself in. I read it in one sitting because I simply couldn’t stop.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read print copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Remembering 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 26 2025.

Like a Winter Snow + Giveaway

Cozy up with this charming and uplifting romance all about unexpected love, true friendship, and family loyalty. Set during a Christmas-time wedding among the falling snow, this sweet story will warm your heart.

Women’s counselor Joy Beckman has always been a friend and helper to all. That’s why she’s given up everything to be with her parents as her mother suffers through Alzheimer’s. Joy may not have a thriving career or a love life at the moment, but she’s doing what she does best—taking care of others. And even though it’s difficult, she knows it’s where she is supposed to be.

But life throws a curveball when she has to leave her parents temporarily to travel to Cornwall, England, for the December wedding of her best friend. While there, Joy helps Sophia tackle her last-minute to-do list, and in the process, finally meets a man who turns her head—and her heart. The only problem? He lives in snowy London, and her life is with her parents back in sunny Florida. 

She tries to resist Oliver Lincoln’s charms, but it’s harder than it should be. With her heart torn in two, Joy is forced to choose between a life she knows she’s meant for and the one she didn’t see coming.

Fall in love with this enchanting romance that’s sure to delight fans of Rachel Hauck and Melissa Tagg. Even if you have not read The Secrets of Paper and Ink (where the quaint village of Port Willis was first born), you can fully enjoy this heartwarming holiday novella.

My Review:

published in 2020

A lot of bookish friends have recommended this Port Willis Romance Christmas series and this is the year I am going to catch up with them all. After reading this first book #1, I can totally see what all the buzz is about.

A short, sweet novella length story filled to the brim with inspiration and hope and the spirit of Christmas. Oh, and an impossible romance. Oliver is British, Joy American, and they meet at a mutual friend’s Christmas wedding in Cornwall. Eeeeeppp – perfectly divine setting! Their attraction is real and quickly developing into something much deeper only they are an ocean apart except for Joy’s brief holiday sojourn.

Such a captivating, insightful story that explores the kind of courage it takes to trust God – especially at the most difficult time in our lives. “Yes, but I think sometimes God wants us to be stretched. To choose the thing that’s frightening and unsure. To live boldly. To take a chance on the unknown.” (p 156.)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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 Like a Winter Snow,  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 26 2025

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor + Giveaway

As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn’t seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their old friendship would kindle into something more–but that was before she heard that Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will finally be the heir her stepfather needs, but she’ll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.

Due to misunderstandings, Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself torn between his affection for her and her family’s distance toward him because of Lady Pearl, a woman he’d rather forget. Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah’s hand by Christmas . . . and to disgrace Cyril in the process.Inspired by The Nutcracker, this Edwardian-era historical romance is a tale of holiday spirit, love, and the power of family and friendship from bestselling and award-winning author Roseanna M. White.

My Review:

I’m quite enamoured with retellings – especially Christmas ones and Roseanna M. White has done an exceptional job with her reimagining of The Nutcracker. And while she has crafted her own unique story, I really enjoyed spotting the gentle nods to the original classic as well. So much fun!

A reunion romance, of sorts – Mariah and Cyril were great friends for a time during their childhood. And Mariah corresponded with him for years afterwards but their meet-cute is awkward and stilted as they shift from childhood friendship to adult expectations. Cyril is the heir apparent to her beloved Plumford estate and she has a potential suitor coming to stay with the family for Christmas.

I’ll admit, I was worried about the romantic plot because I am so love triangle adverse and I am happy to report that it wasn’t as angsty as I anticipated. Oh, there’s a bit of drama, but the story really does focus on Mariah and Cyril getting reacquainted and building on that childhood friendship which was so delightful! And occasionally toe-curling. 🙂

An inspiring Christmas full of old-fashioned holiday ambiance and the true meaning of the season.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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 Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor,  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 26 2025.

The Christmas Heirloom + Giveaway

Perfect for the Christmas season, four beloved authors bring their bestselling, award-winning talents to a multigenerational collection of romantic holiday novellas. In stories ranging from 1820s Regency England to present-day Washington state, readers will be treated to Christmas tales of an heirloom brooch passed from mother to daughter for almost two hundred years. Will the family legend claiming the brooch brings love to its recipient hold true for these women separated by the years but bonded together by the ties of family?

In Kristi Ann Hunter’s “Legacy of Love,” Sarah Gooding never suspected returning a brooch to an elderly woman would lead to a job . . . and introduce her to the woman’s grandson. While he may be far above her station, she can’t help but notice that his desire to make this Christmas special for his grandmother matches her own.

In Karen Witemeyer’s “Gift of the Heart,” widow Ruth Albright uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local banker. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love as the holidays draw near.

In Sarah Loudin Thomas’s “A Shot at Love,” Fleeta Brady’s rough-and-tumble childhood means she prefers hunting to more feminine activities. She never expected her mother’s brooch might be how a fellow hunter turns her attention from competition to romance one December.

In Becky Wade’s “Because of You,” Maddie Winslow has spent years in love with a man whose heart was already spoken for. When a church Christmas project brings them together and she stumbles upon an old family brooch, might it finally be her turn for love?

My Review:

published in 2018

I don’t read a ton of novellas but I’m fond of Christmas collections and these stories do justice to that beautiful cover. I love the heirloom brooch connection to all four stories and the way we get to follow it through the generations.

Loved the opportunity to time travel with four of my favourite authors, savoring spectacular love stories that span centuries. Each one reads like a full length novel with all the complexities of character and plot. Think toe-curls and swoons times four! Leaves a romantical reader kinda breathless! And you can’t beat four happily-ever-after Christmas themed love stories to get you in the holiday spirit! A perfect pre-Christmas gift for any avid reader on your list (including you!)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the The Christmas Heirloom, 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 26 2025.

The Girl From the Hidden Forest + Giveaway

The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves.
 
Enjoy another Gothic Style Regency from Hannah Linder.
 
Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from.
 
That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed.
 
When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind?
 
As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives?

My Review:

All kinds of gothic-y goodness. So atmospheric! The kind of mysterious ambience that holds a reader captive. And oh my, the secrets revealed…I..just…didn’t anticipate most of it! Major or minor plot twists! Phew!

And that first chapter! Felton was certainly no hero and I was positive that he would never make my book boyfriend list but he did end up charming me. It took a while but I definitely became twitterpated a time or two. And the journey to get to that point! Epic drama full of heartbreak and betrayal. A classic tortured brooding hero! Incredibly good reading!

Eliza is so out of her depth in her new surroundings after her simple upbringing in the forest. Talk about culture shock! So many plot twists and ‘aha’ moments and divine amateur armchair sleuthing. Encroaching danger, growing bolder with every attempt on her life. And Felton…friend or foe? Can he be trusted or should he be feared? This is one mystery I couldn’t figure out until the gasp-out-loud revelations. Took my breath away, they did.

Hannah Linder’s exceptional storytelling held me captive until the very last word.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

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 The Girl From the Forest,  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 19 2025

Snowed in at the Castle + Giveaway

Random Retro Read
Indie!

A light-hearted holiday romance about an orphaned woman who gets snowed in with a prince for Christmas.

What if you were snowed in far away from home with a prince…

But you thought he was just a normal guy?

A normal guy who spoke beautiful words and snuck you into the ballroom in the middle of the night just so he could hold you close?

Avery Rossi’s had a rough year. She took a dream European vacation to push a restart button on her life, only to end up stranded in the airport. Her tour group is directed to temporary lodging in the castle–every girl’s dream come true. When she meets a royal advisor with brooding eyes and broad shoulders, she’s tempted to tear up her return ticket.

Prince Matteo de Luca must announce his engagement at the Christmas Eve ball. There are several problems.

1. The women his parents want him to marry is a troll.
2. He doesn’t want to get married at all.
3. He’s met an adorable American who makes him believe in things like love at first argument and the joy of Christmas.
4. She doesn’t know he’s a prince.

Pulled apart by centuries of tradition and loyalty to God and king, it’s going to take more than a royal rebellion for these two to be together.

Find out if Christmas truly is a season for miracles in this new holiday romance today!

My Review:

published in 2020

Such a festively fun discovery! McConnell delivers classic Christmas charm with a bit of a fairy tale feel. Loved the castle setting! I mean, if you’re going to be stranded in a snowstorm that’s the place to be! And the author includes some lovely details that made me feel like I was right there with Avery.

She’s been on an emotional journey over the past year, culminating in the first Christmas without her parents. A European tour between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed like the perfect distraction. Meeting a prince in disguise even more so.

Loved the way the hidden identity trope played out! Matteo is swoonworthy hero material. The romance develops quickly but somehow it never felt rushed and I loved the way the author incorporated Christmas traditions into the story. This is very much a holiday read. Heartwarming and hopeful with a dollop of Christmas whimsy to make your season brighter.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy available to anyone, anywhere in the world so…woohoo…International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Snowed in at the Castle, 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 19 2025.