Tag: Johnson Liz

For digital content creator Cretia Martin, home is wherever her carry-on suitcase lands. And it’s constantly landing in new places as she travels the world. She’s never been interested in settling in one spot–after all, houses are just places that collect junk and tie you down. But when she literally bumps into local dog breeder Finn Chaffey on Prince Edward Island and all of the tools of her trade end up in the harbor, she can’t exactly leave until she gets things sorted out.

Finn is horrified by the part he played in the accident and offers to help, arranging for Cretia to stay with a friend at the beautiful Red Door Inn. The longer Cretia is forced to remain in one place, the more she discovers what she’s been missing with life on the road–and the more she wants to see Finn and his business succeed. But helping him means staying put, the one thing she always swore she wouldn’t do, and risking the only thing she’s never put on the line–her heart.

New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to the Red Door Inn on Prince Edward Island for an inspiring story full of adorable puppies, sweet friendship, and unexpected romance.

My Review:

Mercy! I think my toes are permanently crimped from all the toe-curling romantical moments in this story. Swoonable from start to finish — even though the meet-cute was anything but cute! Totally funny and kinda embarrassing though. And I love the way Joe Jr. saved the day! Bwahahaha!

Poor Finn. He’s way out of his element from the moment he meets Cretia and his discombobulated state doesn’t ease up any time soon. Conflicted is the word of the day for these two because of personal histories and the whole location issue. Cretia travels the world for her job, after all and Finn is rooted in the deep red soil of his PEI farm where he breeds and trains search and rescue Newfoundland dogs (eeeeppp, one of my favourite breeds!) And collects an assorted menagerie of rescue animals. Happy sigh, Farmer Finn is my kind of hero.

This opposites attract romance is so achingly tender and full of emotion. It’s sweet and funny but when the sizzle starts to spark, watch out, sensitive readers might feel a little singed around the edges! Love the balance between lighthearted moments and the deep soul-searching ones. Finn and Cretia both have to come to terms with their pasts in order to be free to create a future together. This is a bit of a redemption story for both of them.

Love that we get glimpses of what life is like at the Red Door Inn since Marie (Red Door Inn heroine) takes Cretia in when she finds herself stranded after an unfortunate occurrence (the aforementioned meet-cute.) And the familiar small town community vibe adds warmth and grace to the story. Reading ‘Sometimes You Stay’ felt very much like a homecoming. Cozy and comforting and so, so satisfying!

I enjoyed listening to the audible edition narrated by Kelli Tager. She did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. Would definitely recommend the audio edition to discerning listeners.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Sometimes You Stay,  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 May 31 2025

For digital content creator Cretia Martin, home is wherever her carry-on suitcase lands. And it’s constantly landing in new places as she travels the world. She’s never been interested in settling in one spot–after all, houses are just places that collect junk and tie you down. But when she literally bumps into local dog breeder Finn Chaffey on Prince Edward Island and all of the tools of her trade end up in the harbor, she can’t exactly leave until she gets things sorted out.

Finn is horrified by the part he played in the accident and offers to help, arranging for Cretia to stay with a friend at the beautiful Red Door Inn. The longer Cretia is forced to remain in one place, the more she discovers what she’s been missing with life on the road–and the more she wants to see Finn and his business succeed. But helping him means staying put, the one thing she always swore she wouldn’t do, and risking the only thing she’s never put on the line–her heart.

New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to the Red Door Inn on Prince Edward Island for an inspiring story full of adorable puppies, sweet friendship, and unexpected romance.

My Review:

Well, this is embarrassing. I actually don’t have a review. I usually read a week or two in advance for the blog so my reviews are all scheduled to go and I don’t feel any pressure but sometimes I am soooooo looking forward to a book that I want to read it the second it comes out. ‘Sometimes You Stay’ is that kind of a book so I preordered it on audible (awesome preorder price!) and, thinking it released on May 6th, I went ahead and scheduled it for review this week. Only, oops, it doesn’t actually release until May 20th so we still have two whole weeks to wait! Sigh.

But I promised a giveaway, so here it is. I can also promise this will be an excellent read because…Liz Johnson! Prince Edward Island setting! Newfoundland dog on the cover! (Which is the only thing I like about the cover, FYI)

And, hey, if you have managed to nab a review copy, share a thought or two in the comments below and increase the ecstatic agony of our bookish anticipation!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

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

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Sometimes You Stay,  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 May 10 2025

A hurricane may have destroyed her livelihood on Prince Edward Island, but she’s determined to save her community

Kelsey Ahern has performed at the Victoria Playhouse on Prince Edward Island every summer since she was seven. But when a hurricane destroys the building, it’s not just her memories that are in jeopardy. Her future as a teacher and drama coach are too. She teams up with Levi Ross, the facilities director at the high school, to produce a benefit show to raise money to rebuild the theater. He has a reputation for being able to fix anything, and Kelsey is sure there’s more to the quiet man than meets the eye. 

For his part, Levi has admired Kelsey for years, but he can’t seem to find the words to tell her. When a popular weatherman arrives in town to cover the aftermath of the hurricane and takes an interest in Kelsey and her show, Levi realizes that the time has come to speak up–or lose the heart of the woman he longs for. 

Join New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson for a season of rebuilding, restoration, and romance with this final book in the Prince Edward Island Shores series.

My Review:

Hands down, my favourite book in the series…and Levi Ross has set the bar high for any future book boyfriends! I am so besotted! Because Levi is really something special. And unique to the typical contemporary romance lead.

To say that Levi is ‘quiet’ is a massive understatement. I can probably count on one hand the number of words he spoke in the first chapter. And they are just as sparse all the way through the story. But Levi has other ways of effectively communicating and those close to him easily interpret a look or a shrug, even his body language. I love that Kelsey doesn’t find that off putting — but then, her gift for gab makes her capable of carrying on more than her fair share of a conversation. 🙂

There’s a reason Levi is the way he is and I won’t be telling tales out of turn so you just have to read the book. But he is definitely swoonworthy material — a man pining over his childhood crush. And, yes, Kelsey makes him even more tongue-tied than ever. Readers have the advantage of being party to his thoughts, while Kelsey is left to decipher his cryptic responses and silence in her own way. Most of the time she gets it right but some of the time she doesn’t which makes things all the more interesting.

Fans of the Prince Edward Island Shores series will be happy at the page time given to the Ross family in general and there’s lots of brotherly bonding leading up to a resounding wrap-up to the family’s recent woes. Yes, that does sound cryptic, but no worries if you haven’t read the first two books in this series, Johnson has seamlessly included the pertinent details from the earlier books with minimum spoilers so I think you could read Summer in the Spotlight as a standalone.

And that title! Very clever tie-in to the story. Love the concept of the town rallying to save the summer theatre.The plot is both predictable and unpredictable so, as a reader, I got to bask in the comfort of the familiar while also experiencing the thrill of the unexpected. And then there’s the Prince Edward Island setting! I’m all Anne-girl starry eyed. 🙂 Summer in the Spotlight makes a perfect summer escape read!

(I enjoyed listening to the audible edition expertly narrated by Emily Ellet. She did a great job of creating unique voices for each character and, honestly, made Levi sound so dreamy. Happy sigh.)

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 Summer in the Spotlight, 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 19, 2023