Tag: Contemporary Romance

Pixels and Paint + Giveaway

For Emma Trinket, life is a delicate balancing act between loving her family and pursuing interests they don’t understand. When the opportunity arises to finally impress them with her job as a computer programmer, she jumps at it even if it means immersing herself in a world she’s despised since childhood. Unfortunately the one man who could crush her prospects is also the best person to help her navigate the lessons she needs to be a success.

Artistic expression is both Carter Anderson’s safe space and his livelihood, but his fading inspiration has him worried about his place in life. His encounters with Emma spark a passion to create that he hasn’t felt in years and he isn’t ready to let go of his new muse even if she’s threatening the sanctity of his art world with her digital technologies.

As each tries to gain an advantage from the other, Emma and Carter discover they actually might be more compatible than they thought. Will that be enough to unify their opposing missions or will the real differences between pixels and paint tear them apart?

My Review:

Eeeeeppp!!! I’m happy to report that Kristi Ann Hunter’s knack for Regency banter translates well to a 21st century rom/com. Love the wit and wisdom and heart-rending angst that flows around all that entertaining dialogue. I’d be snort laughing one minute and choking up the next.

And Emma!!! I just wanted to smoosh her up in a hug and carry her away from her totally annoying and unsympathetic family who just didn’t get her because she was different. Gah! Why do parents what to create mini-mes? And her sister is just as bad! Nothing Emma does has any value if it isn’t orchestrated by them – from her clothes to her decor to the way she makes small talk at a party (that she totally doesn’t want to attend) – they are all for improving Emma.

So Emma lives in two worlds; her personal/work life and her family one. And she acts out roles in both, hiding her true self from everyone, including herself sometimes. Until Carter.

Cue the toe-curls and fainting couch, but keep a stash of comfort chocolate handy too because this is an impossible attraction between two polar opposites. What follows is funny and poignant and tumultuous…and achingly beautiful.

I listened to the audible edition of ‘Pixels and Paint‘ and really enjoyed the way the dual narrators (Julie Rogers and Christopher Ragland) brought these characters to life.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible book if you have audible.ca  

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Pixels and Paint, 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 December 16, 2023.

The Gift of Christmas Past + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

At twenty-seven, Hadley is still trying to get free of the weight she’s carried all her life — entering foster care at age give, getting arrested at seventeen for arson, and losing her boyfriend, Monroe, when she needed him most.

Monroe never wanted to walk out on Hadley. He’d understood her, from her desire to help children with speech issues to her intense temper. But when she was arrested, he became haunted by what he knew and convinced his only choice was to end their relationship.

Almost ten years later, Hadley and Monroe are both specialists in the field of speech therapy. They meet again…thrown together to help a four-year-old girl who’s been rendered mute after being rescue from an apartment fire.

Years of secrets and anger beg to be set free as Hadley and Monroe try to push aside past hurts and find common ground in order to help the traumatized young girl and her family.

Can the love of Christmas past drift into the present, bringing healing and hope for all?

My Review:

“Health strengthened them. Hope sustained them. And God guided them.” (p 91) I think I need to make this my mantra! It has definitely seen Hadley and her best friend, Elliott (a girl) through a decade of struggles. And what an emotional journey! Brilliantly delivered with compassion and grace.

Their story starts when they are teens sharing a room in a foster home. Volatile Hadley and rule keeper Elliott make an interesting team. And while this is largely Hadley and Monroe’s story, we are treated with Elliott’s point of view from time to time which also brings a secondary romance into the mix. A fascinating study in personalities and coping mechanisms as all three struggle to come to grips with a desperate situation that quickly gets out of control.

Fast forward ten years and life hasn’t gotten any easier for these foster sisters. Oh, they’ve survived and thrived, supporting each other as they worked their way through school but life’s logistics are still challenging. I loved the way they pull together. How they’ve invited strangers into their ‘family’. Women of faith, shining Christ’s light through their actions.

Then there’s Monroe. It appears he has had everything handed to him by wealthy parents. But appearances can be deceiving and he’s paid a huge emotional price for those ‘rewards’. Both Monroe and Hadley have been scarred by their tumultuous past so when they unexpectedly end up on the same team in order to help a traumatized child…well fireworks would be putting it mildly. These two have issues that bring out the worst and the best in one another. Such a tangled web of deceit and sorrow and confusion to wade through! All while attempting to restore speech to a mute child.

My emotions were all over the place as I got deeper into the read. I could see both sides of Monroe and Hadley’s struggle so I could totally feel the frustration and anger and longing. And Monroe’s parents?! Argh! I think my blood pressure is still registering through the roof. 

An emotionally complex story that celebrates the joy that comes from truly living in community.

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 Gift of Christmas Past, 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 December 9, 2023.

The Veteran’s Vow + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

Could his biggest fear be what he needs to heal?

After a traumatic brain injury, military vet Behr Delgado refuses the one thing that could help him — a service dog. But Ellery Whiston is sure the perfect pup will change Behr’s life and offers to work with him one-on-one. As Behr sets about overcoming his fears, Ellery’s surprised to find herself opening up about her troubled nephew. Will family obligations force them to deny what’s in their hearts?

A K-9 Companions Story

My Review:

published in 2022

Gah! There’s so much I want to say about this book but I won’t because…spoilers! I was completely captivated from the very first page…from the front cover, actually! I am so loving this multi-authored series that highlights different kinds of companion working dogs and this one is fabulous!

Love the dynamics between Behr and Ellery. She’s one determined firecracker which both amuses and frustrates him. ‘Cause Behr isn’t going to make the whole dog training thing easy on anyone and you all know I love me a grumpy hero with a crusted over heart of gold. 🙂 But Ellery isn’t a quitter and he grudgingly respects that. Not-so-polite strangers morph into friends and then…happy sigh, you know what comes next, this is a Love Inspired novel after all. Cue the toe-curls and get ready to break out in a happy dance.

Lynn writes with emotion and humour and brings depth to all her characters, including the secondary ones. Real life issues, faith-inspired answers all woven together to make a sigh worthy escape read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for an autographed 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 Veteran’s Vow, 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 December 2, 2023.

Amish Christmas Twins + Giveaway

In these heartwarming, faith-affirming stories, three Amish families face the joys, and challenges, of the holidays—with fruitful results . . .
 
THE CHRISTMAS NOT-WISH
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Shelley Shepard Gray
When the foster parents they’ve cautiously grown to love discover they’re expecting, orphaned Roy and Jemima Fisher, ages six and seven, are secretly devastated by the certainty they’ll be given up. With Christmas around the corner, their only wish is for new foster parents as nice as Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz. Meanwhile, the Kurtzes have wishes of their own—and with faith, they all may be gifted with twice the blessings . . .
 
NEW BEGINNINGS * Rachel J. Good
Still grieving the loss of her husband in an accident a year ago, Elizabeth Yoder is oblivious to her neighbor Luke Bontrager’s deepening affection for her. But while she bleakly faces Christmas alone, it’s Luke who reminds her it’s the season for giving. And when Elizabeth follows his advice, she soon finds her gifts repaid beyond measure, which leads to new beginnings . . .
 
TWINS TIMES TWO * Loree Lough
What happens when two secretive, stubborn people find themselves thrown together to help four rascally youngsters—twins times two!—create a Christmas surprise for their parents? Mischief and mayhem, and just maybe . . . love!

My Review:

What’s really interesting about this novella collection is the different way each author approached the ‘twin’ theme and that results in three unique and entertaining stories.

Shelley Shepard Gray’s ‘The Christmas Not-Wish’ features a pair of foster children longing for a place to belong. Emotional on so many levels, from both the kid’s perspective and their foster parents’. If you’re a Gray fan you might recognize Elizabeth Anne and Will Kurtz from ‘The Protective One‘ (Walnut Creek series.) This story is a peek into their happily ever after, which hasn’t gone exactly as they planned.

Dealing with loss is difficult any time of year, but especially so at Christmas. That’s the challenge Rachel J. Good tackles in ‘New Beginnings’ as heroine Elizabeth struggles to find a balance between her need to deal with things on her own and the good intentions of family and friends who want to ease her way. Add in an unexpected friendship with neighbour Luke, some sacrificial giving and suddenly Elizabeth’s world opens up to all kinds of new possibilities.

The twins in Loree Lough’s ‘Twins Times Two’ are adolescent trouble makers who turn into unlikely matchmakers when Abigail and Jubal are thrown together in their bid to help four troublesome boys discover the spirit of giving at Christmas.

A lovely collection of heartwarming stories.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Amish Christmas Twins, 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 November 25 2023

Better Watch Out + Giveaway

An accidental meet-cute, a case of mistaken identity, and a bucket-list of Christmas activities befitting a Hallmark movie make this holiday romantic adventure the perfect Christmas read.

Leave the candy canes, take the pepper spray! 

Nothing screams Christmas like a week spent ice skating, visiting Santa, and sharing a kiss or two under the mistletoe. Frannie Frost has crafted the perfect bucket list of romantic activities to surprise her boyfriend in the most magical place at Christmas time—New York City. When he unexpectedly becomes her ex, her plans are derailed leaving her with a choice. Wallow in self-pity at Christmas time or take matters into her own hands. 

Former NHL defenseman turned personal protection agent, Andrew Bishop, loves his job—when things go as planned—but Frannie Frost is definitely not part of the plan. Still, when her brother, the man who saved Andrew’s life last year, asks him to deliver his sister safely to the airport, he can’t say no. 

The only problem? Frannie isn’t leaving. She’s determined to make the most of her trip by checking off a bucket list of cliché Christmas actives that would make even Santa’s elves jealous. Andrew’s content to let her go until he learns that Frannie’s been mistaken for his client and thrust into the midst of danger. 

Better Watch Out is a sweet romantic holiday adventure that gives you all of laughs of a rom-com while adding a touch of suspense. Tropes you’re sure to love include the new girl in the city vibe, stranded at Christmas, under the mistletoe, forced proximity, and a touch of enemies to lovers. Enjoy this romantic adventure that’s sure to make your holidays merry and bright.

My Review:

A rom/com with a sideline of suspense. But, really it’s the Christmas-themed, comedy-infused romance that takes centerstage here. And I loooovvvvveedd it!!! From the hearty guffawing meet cute through all the awkward, quirky moments. Frannie is all wide-eyed, small town Southern charm to Andrew’s jaded big city persona. What a contrast and it opens the way for some great comedy as well as touching, feel-good scenes. A lethal combination.

Oh — and speaking of Andrew — former hockey player, now a personal protection agent, working with a company of ex-NHLers turned body guards. THUD! I sure hope this is the start of a series because the office camaraderie is hilarious and now I need to know all these guys’ stories. And see them each get their happily ever after too, of course!

Christmas is practically its own character in this novel. The author does an amazing job of vividly describing holiday traditions in New York City as Frannie plays tourist to the nth degree and Andrew plods along. He’s kind of a grump at the start, but Frannie’s yuletide enthusiasm soon works its charm and he gets on board with the holiday magic. Just in time to send me into swooning tailspins and loop-de-loops!

For fans of the author’s ‘Harbored Secrets’ series: you’ll be thrilled to discover that Vivian and Ryan (Deadly Deceit; Book 2) play a secondary role here. They are always off page but we get their input via phone calls and text messages since Frannie is Ryan’s little sister. Can we say ‘Over protective brother syndrome’?! That brings a whole other line of comedic action to the story.

An absolute-must-read 2023 holiday release!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Better Watch Out, 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 November 25, 2023

A Family Under the Christmas Tree + Giveaway

RANDOM RETRO RE-READ

This Christmas, will their shared puppy love lead to a forever family?

Sophie Griffith travels around the world as a photographer. Her new assignment — helping her grandmother for a few weeks — is just temporary. Once Christmas Day comes, Sophie will be on her next adventure.

Caring for Grandma is a piece of cake. Caring for her new Bernese mountain dog, Riggs, is a different story. Then Riggs strikes up a friendship with a lost little boy at the park, who leads her to David.

David Murphy never knew much about kids. But when his brother dies unexpectedly, David is granted custody of his five-year-old nephew, Troy. He already has his hands full running his business, and he has no idea how to help the grieving boy. When Troy runs off one day, David finds him at a park playing with an adorable and rambunctious Bernese mountain dog — who leads him to Sophie.

Sophie will be gone after Christmas, and the last thing David needs is another distraction. Still, their faith and growing love for the little boy — and the mischievous dog — soon have them falling for each other. Could this be more than a holiday romance? Will Troy finally get his Christmas wish for a family?

My Review:

published in 2016

It’s official — it’s puppy love! As in Riggs the Bernese Mountain dog pup. Squealll! His antics are hysterical and endearing and kept me grinning and ‘ahhhing’ all the way through the read. Okay, yes, there is a two-legger hero in this novel as well and he’s pretty fetching too. I expect you want to hear about him. 🙂 

David is in over his head when it comes to his five-year-old nephew. His workaholic bachelor days are over and if that isn’t enough of an adjustment, dealing with the intricacies of a grieving little boy might prove to be his breaking point. Until his elderly neighbour’s granddaughter visits for the holidays. His conniving, matchmaker-minded neighbour, that is. 

David and Sophie are thrown together as they strive to make a memorable Christmas for Troy. Emotions become entangled despite their best efforts because no matter how much they seem right for each other, common sense tells them they’re all wrong. Sophie lives a nomadic lifestyle as a photographer. David is anchored by a growing business and an orphaned nephew. A future together seems impossible. That makes for some truly tender love scenes that kept me on edge because it all seemed so futile. 

The Christmas backdrop brings a stirring element to the story and includes a children’s pageant complete with Riggs in reindeer antlers!!!!! (one of my favourite scenes, by the way!) Destined to become a Christmas classic.

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 A Family Under the Christmas Tree, 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 Nov 25, 2023.

O Little Town + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-read


Stores of small-town Christmas and the enduring love of God from three critically acclaimed authors. In the sleepy small town of Mapleview, Michigan, Christmas is always something special. In this charming collection of romance novellas, join three generations of Mapleview residents longing for love — and finding it — on the most wonderful night of the year.

Hopes and Fears by Amanda Wen

Emma Trowbridge is determined to give her students the Christmas pageant of a lifetime. The last person she expected, or wanted, to encounter in her two-room schoolhouse is her childhood rival, Frederick Oberstein. He would rather be far away himself. He wants no part of cheer, Christmas or otherwise. Can they learn to see each other in a new light — embrace a new season of hope and faith tougher?

While Mortals Sleep by Janyre Tromp

While World War II rages overseas, news reporter Eleanor Sweers returns home to Mapleview to face the repercussions of the death of her sister and her nightmare of Christmases past. But the Homefront isn’t as far from the war as she thought: a bomb has landed in the middle of the U.S. Now Eleanor and family friend Gideon Braum may have to choose between the scoop of a lifetime and the love of a lifetime.

The Wondrous Gift by Deborah Raney

High school football coach Caleb Janssen and music teacher Rachel Hamblin bond when they both lose their jobs at a Christian school. But when they discover their plans for the future are mutually exclusive, the fallout threatens to tear them apart.

My Review:

published in 2022

A stunning collection of Christmas stories that I will cherish every year. These authors deliver the very essence of the season in classic tales of loss and hope and the wonder of new beginnings during the most magical time of the year.

I felt all kinds of ‘Anne and Gilbert’ vibes from Amanda Wen’s ‘Hopes and Fears’.  As students, Emma and Fredrick shared a long standing school rivalry, but they are adults now, teachers in the same two room school house where that rivalry has the chance to spark into something so much more…if only past sorrows and mistakes can be faced and forgiven. Brilliantly paced and beautifully told, the author has managed to capture the heart of Christmas and its everlasting promise of hope. 

Janrye Tromp’s Christmas offering includes a compelling World War II mystery which was a fun surprise. She has packed all the depth and substance you’d find in a full length novel into‘While Mortals Sleep’ — from characterization to plot and beautiful descriptive writing. Unputdownable!

Deb Raney’s ‘Wonderous Gift’ was the least Christmas-y of this trio. It starts a week before Christmas (present day) and ends on Christmas the following year. So seasonal bookends to a fun and flirty contemporary romance with just the right touch of angst. And there’s a very sweet ‘coming full circle’ vibe between the first story in this collection and this one. Uplifting and inspiring.

I enjoyed listening to the audible edition of ‘O Little Town’. Excellent narrators in Leah Horowitz and Matt Godfrey (though only Janyre Tromp’s novella included both a male and female narrator.)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy — open to any reader, anywhere in the world, so, yay, another International Giveaway!


If you would like a chance to win a copy of  O Little Town , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. 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 November 25 2023 .

Kiss Me on Christmas + Giveaway

Random Retro Read

Single mom Kaitlyn Stafford has never considered Christmas a balancing act, but when her sister calls with the news that she’s getting married in less than two weeks — on Christmas Day — that’s exactly what the holiday looks like becoming. Helping with the out-of-state wedding will be fun. The challenge will be doing so while accommodating her neurodivergent son’s need to keep every single one of their Christmas traditions while they’re away from home. It’ll be tricky, but she can do it.

At least, that’s what she thinks before her son’s favourite YouTuber, Beckett Walsh, shows up on the scene, knocking her world off kilter with his speaking glances and knowing smiles. How on earth is she supposed to pull off her balancing act when her world’s just tilted on its axis?

My Review:

published in 2022

What a wonderful blend of humour and hope mixed up with a slice of real life…at Christmas time! I was drawn in right from with the very personable 1st person present tense POV, which, is not a favourite, but somehow it worked for me here. Brought me right into every scene, experiencing every emotion and impression. And I love that we are given both Kaitlyn’s and Beckett’s points of view, with young Liam gleefully worming his way into every scene.

The whole story takes place in about a two week time-span amidst the flurry of wedding preparations. Kaitlyn is concerned about keeping routines and traditions for her neurodivergent son in the middle of all the chaos. Loved this glimpse into a mother’s heart and the challenges and rewards of raising a unique child like Liam. He’s funny and personable and often all too literal. And I love the way Beckett fits into the story, his true swoon-worthiness shining in the way he accepts and champions Kaitlyn’s son.

Kiss Me on Christmas is short on length but not in depth — this novella packs an emotional punch. The kind of Christmas story that celebrates the season and leaves the reader with a heartwarming afterglow .

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 Kiss Me on 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 November 25, 2023.

Shadows on the Sand + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

She serves him breakfast at her cafe every morning…but he never seems to notice her.

Carrie Carter’s small cafe in Seaside New Jersey, is populated with a motley crew of locals…although Carrie only has eyes for Greg Barnes. He’s recovering from a vicious crime that three years ago took the lives of his wife and children — and from the year he tried to drink his reality away.  While her heart does a happy Snoopy dance at the sight of him, he never seems to notice her.

When Carrie’s a dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries…and into her life. But when Carrie’s own painful past becomes all too present, her carefully constructed world begins to sink.

Will the fragile relationship she’s building with Greg implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry?

My Review:

published in 2011

I was organizing my bookshelves (translation — trying to fit more books into an already crammed bookcase) and came upon this gem from twelve years ago. I started reading and couldn’t stop. My original review is below, but I just wanted to mention…or muse over…how much the mystery/suspense genre has changed over the years. This one is almost cozy — in the way we’re given a glimpse into the lives of the people who frequent Carrie’s cafe — as well as her own personal backstory. The mystery is there, gradually building as the story progresses, but sometimes it’s in the background in order to allow these characters to shine. I really enjoyed the different pacing and the way it all balances out so beautifully by the end. 🙂

—–

I completely and utterly adored this book! I mean how can you resist a heroine who describes her heart doing a happy Snoopy dance at the sight of the hero? And when things heat up she declares, “No way could Snoopy move his feet fast enough to keep up with my tap-dancing heart.” (pg 186) I could totally relate to Carrie on that point alone. But of course there is much more to this complex character, including a gnarly past that she hasn’t quite left behind.

Greg has his own issues too but he finds himself surprised by his sudden desire to enter the land of the living again. Carrie has a lot to do with his change of heart and that scares him. His emotional struggle is a strong thread in the story — achingly touching and I had a real wow factor once I’d finished the book and read the author’s note at the end.

The mystery/suspense is incredibly well developed — the kind where the reader is handed the clues at the same time as the hero and heroine. We try to solve the mystery together and it totally surprised me…multiple times. A really riveting read, which is what you want in a suspense. 

Roper’s writing style is unique in that she mixes POV. Carrie’s is in first person, but all the other characters are written in third person. You’d think it would make for a disjointed read, but somehow Roper makes it work. The story flows into the page-turning kind that you want to devour in one sitting. Highly recommended for lovers of mystery/suspense.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy and open to any reader, anywhere in the world — so, yay, another International Giveaway!

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Shadows on the Sand, 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 easier for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday November 11 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Christmas in Sugarcreek + Giveaway

Random Retro Re-Read

Judith Graber has always been the obedient daughter. When her older brother Josh struggled with his love life, she offered wise counsel. When her younger brother Caleb flirted with the idea of leaving their order, she firmly told him he was wrong. Over the years, she’s watched her younger siblings, helped around the house, and worked in her family’s store during her spare time. Judith feels overworked, overlooked, and underappreciated this holiday season. 

But everything changes when her father hires Ben Knox. 

Ben Knox is the “bad boy” of Sugarcreek. Though he’s never considered jumping the fence, he’s certainly never tried to be anything close to dutiful. Two years ago he left Sugarcreek under a cloud of shame. Rumors circulated that his rumspringa had been filled with more than the usual harmless explorations. 

Now he’s back and working side by side with Judith. 

As the chaos of the holiday season threatens to sap all joy, sparks fly between Ben and Judith. But Judith steels herself to ignore her infatuation. The last thing she wants to be is just one more girl who falls under Ben’s spell. Ben, on the other hand, wants Judith to realize there’s more to him than his bad reputation. When he fled Sugarcreek, he was running from a disruptive home life. Now that he’s back, he wants a fresh beginning. 

Could this Christmas season bring love and a new life for the unlikeliest pair in Sugarcreek?

My Review:

published in 2011

Shelley Shephard Gray is exceptional at developing relationships.. The way she builds attraction and tension and then shatters it with conflict. Over and over and over again. 🙂 But her angst is never for naught. She delves deep insider her characters and brings their fears to light…and sets them free. In Christmas in Sugarcreek, that results in a story that turns despair into hope during one of the most sacred seasons of the year. A beautiful book that will bless your Christmas season.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read hardcover copy — open to any reader, anywhere in the world so…yay…another International Giveaway!

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Christmas in Sugarcreek, 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 November 3, 2023