Free and bargain romances in April 2013

[NixLapi]

Connected by Kim Karr is on sale for $0.99

http://www.amazon.com/Connected-Conn...dp/B00BYHQ3KY/

What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?

Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London's soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.

When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soul mate.

Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift—but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her.

But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

PLEASE NOTE:
The Connection Series includes the sequel to Connected and it is titled TORN (due out October 1st, 2013). Connected and Torn are a duet! There are four other spin-off novels to come centering around characters introduced in Connected.

This one was being picked up by Penguin so the price is sure to go up!

[worktolive]

Originally Posted by library addict

As a person who reads reviews but doesn't write many, I think negative reviews are important to compare my reading taste to the reviewer's. I must admit if a reviewer has nothing but positive reviews (on a blog, Amazon, etc) I mostly ignore them because it comes across that they like EVERYTHING and I can't take them seriously.

Exactly, and this is why I decided not to start blogging. I only respect the bloggers that give their honest opinions, instead of an endless squee-fest about every book they read, but I don't want to give MY honest opinion

Sometimes though, if a book has a bunch of 5 star reviews, but I thought it wasn't very good, or had really bad grammar, I will go ahead and post a negative one, just to balance out the others.

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by worktolive

Sometimes though, if a book has a bunch of 5 star reviews, but I thought it wasn't very good, or had really bad grammar, I will go ahead and post a negative one, just to balance out the others.

*nods emphatically* I couldn't agree more and have done this myself on occasion.

Nixlapi, I bought it for full price the other day when you mentioned she'd been picked up by Penguin. I just returned it [thankfully it's within the 7 days] and will re-buy. Thanks so much for the heads up [both times!]

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by worktolive

I was thinking about starting a blog, but once I started writing reviews, and realized that I really disliked writing negative ones, I gave that idea up. The blogs that I like reading the most are the ones that are honest (both good and bad), but I don't want to be the one to post the bad reviews. I have posted some, usually on self-pubbed books that I didn't feel were ready for publication due to bad editing or writing, but I don't do very many.

Originally Posted by library addict

As a person who reads reviews but doesn't write many, I think negative reviews are important to compare my reading taste to the reviewer's. I must admit if a reviewer has nothing but positive reviews (on a blog, Amazon, etc) I mostly ignore them because it comes across that they like EVERYTHING and I can't take them seriously.

But my hats off to anyone who can read and review constantly. That is too much like work to me. I have a hard enough time doing the mini-reviews for the reading challenge at AAR.

I don't mind writing negative reviews (I have written a few myself) but what if I like the author and the book turns out to be not like her others. This was the case here. I do realize different editors can give the same author two different writing styles. This happen when I read Susan Andersen's Her Baby series was amazing. I loved all four books. Her Marine series I read the first book and it was just okay. It's alot of pressure to be honest these days!

I agree with negative reviews help balance out all the fluffy ones. After seeing all the reviews posted for ARCs and how it's done. I am rethinking of how much one can trust a book with good reviews. I suppose it have to be in the numbers but where does that starts? 25? 50? 75? Before when I went to look for Indies I would look at the review amount and I do look at the negative ones. Now I see how the process is done. How a reviewer might feel pressure to like a book. It will make rethink posting indies that might look good. I don't want everyone to wind up with a bunch of junk in their archives.

Then their are some book with bad reviews that I love! Take Suzanne Robinson's one of her books I read had nothing but bad reviews I don't why it's was an amazing book. Now one of my favorite books I have read. It's really hard to know what to believe when it comes to reviews on Amazon or Goodreads even.

[Blossom]

Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekend? I so am!

Free @ Amazon

A Little Ray Of Sunshine by Lani Diane Rich
Original Publisher: NAL Trade 2008

Nightmare in Morocco by Vickie Britton & Loretta Jackson
Original Publisher: Thorndike Press (2002)


Indies:

Freedom's Promise (Task Force 125) by Lisa Pietsch

Honeymoon Bite (Golden Vampire Legacy) by Sharon Hamilton

Cooking For Cowboy (Stampede Sizzlers) by Brenda Sinclair

My Immortal by Ginger Voight

Hearts Afire by Monique McDonell

Fear for Hire by Natalie Ellis

Just a Matter of Time by T. Michelle

[Blossom]

On Sale @ Amazon $0.99

Wild Orchids by Karen Robards
Originally published in 1986
(Contemporary Romance)
Note: I own the hardback edition of this. This was written in a long time ago so keep that in mind. It's not a Political Correct cookie cutter romance. I am thrilled to have this in ebook. I must reread it, it's been years.


Original Blurb:

He wanted her hungry--hot and wild, burning with desire for him. She wanted him forever.

All her young life Lora Harding had dreamed of
a man whose touch would teach her passion. Then suddenly, on a Mexican vacation, there he was... in her car ... holding a gun to her head! The most attractive man she had ever laid eyes on was kidnapping her!

He called himself Max. A soldier of fortune, dark eyed and fierce looking, he was a man on the run, forcing Lora to help his outlawed rescue missions. Lora was both terrified and entranced by his presence. But in a lush jungle hideout high in the mountains, her fear melted into liquid fire when her captor crushed her creamy curves to his body with iron-hard arms, claimed the honey-sweetness of her lips, and tormented her with the sweet promise of ecstasy -- and total surrender...

[Blossom]

On Sale @ Amazon $0.99

Morning Song by Karen Robards
Original Publisher: Avon 1990
(Victorian Romance)

THE SWEET MUSIC OF RESTLESS HEARTS

Their destinies intertwined on a sprawling plantation in the heat of a blistering Southern summer - a young Mississippi wildflower in the early bloom of womanhood and a brazen riverboat gambler living the dangerous secret life of another man. An untouched beauty and an unscrupulous rogue, they were damned by forbidden desires in a rigid world of lace and propriety - as two reckless hearts courted shame, scandal, and ruin in desperate pursuit of a breathless, impossible love...

[Blossom]

On Sale @ Amazon $2.99

Night Magic by Karen Robards
(Romantic Suspense)
Originally published in 1987. (Again same disclaimer applies that I put on Wild Orchids.)

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE A SECRET AGENT?

Author Clara Winston was snuggling in for the night when the strange men burst into her carriage house apartment. Terrified, she couldn't make sense of their heavy Russian accents, but they seemed to be demanding the whereabouts of the "real" Magic Dragon -- the one she had dedicated her last romance novel to. "Under the bed," she managed to squeak out, wondering why in the world they wanted her old gray Persian cat, Puff...

When they went to look, Clara escaped out into the darkness and right into the strong arms of a magnificent stranger -- a man as sensual and exciting as the perfect lover she described in her books, but had never found in real life. He was CIA agent Jack McClain, code-named "Magic Dragon," a man running for his life and taking Clara and Puff with him into a wild spill of hair-raising adventure, deadly espionage... and unforgettable love.

[apesmom]

Kindle Freebie

Beyond Midnight by Antoinette Stockenberg (St. Martins 1996)

In 1692, Salem, Massachusetts was the setting for the infamous persecution of innocents accused of witchcraft. Three centuries later, little has changed. Helen Evett, widowed mother of two and owner of a prestigious preschool in town, finds her family, her fortunes, and her life's work threatened -- all because she feels driven to protect the sweet three-year-old daughter of a man who knows everything about finance but not so much about fathering. Helen's feelings toward little Katie's handsome father are decidedly mixed, and it will take more than knocks in the night, perfumed air, and bone-chilling cold to convince her otherwise.

Nathaniel Byrne is willing to consider Helen's advice and help. But he does it grudgingly, because the woman is by far the most determined, pushy force he's ever encountered. Recently widowed, tormented by the circumstances, and at sea about being a single parent, Nat is not inclined to hand over his daughter to just any preschool -- not when he has an accomplished, London-trained nanny who's more than willing to help make those decisions with him.

And the nanny herself? Peaches Bartholemew is as clever as she is beautiful, as efficient as she is soothing. Peaches can do anything. The trick, for Nat's dead wife, will be to keep her from doing it.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by apesmom

Kindle Freebie

Beyond Midnight by Antoinette Stockenberg (St. Martins 1996)

Great find!

[library addict]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I don't mind writing negative reviews (I have written a few myself) but what if I like the author and the book turns out to be not like her others.

I guess I just think that most authors are grownups. They realize not every book they write will work for every reader and that a review is about their book not them personally. So they expect negative reviews along with the positive and don't take it persoanlly. The expectation that an ARC review must be positive is just pressure you are putting on yourself for the most part. Sure the author hopes you like their book, but the professional ones won't be hurt if you do not. (I say professional because I know there have been some author kerfuffles online about reviews and reviewers).

There are plenty of authors that I consider favorites and auto-buys where I don't like each and every book of theirs. In fact I can't think of a single author on my keeper shelf where I love every book of theirs.

Originally Posted by Blossom

Then their are some book with bad reviews that I love! Take Suzanne Robinson's one of her books I read had nothing but bad reviews I don't why it's was an amazing book. Now one of my favorite books I have read. It's really hard to know what to believe when it comes to reviews on Amazon or Goodreads even.

There are lots of books I love that get negative reviews. That's why it helps to get to a know a reviewer's taste. In some cases when they give a book a bad review I know it may be one I'll love. I read reviews more for new-to-me authors and to see if the book in question contains story elements which just don't appeal to me. The content of the review matters more than the number of stars/grade. A 5-star "This is the best book ever" review is just as unhelpful as a 1-star "this is the worst book ever, don't waste your money" one. Reviews need the WHY.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by library addict

I guess I just think that most authors are grownups. They realize not every book they write will work for every reader and that a review is about their book not them personally. So they expect negative reviews along with the positive and don't take it persoanlly. The expectation that an ARC review must be positive is just pressure you are putting on yourself for the most part. Sure the author hopes you like their book, but the professional ones won't be hurt if you do not. (I say professional because I know there have been some author kerfuffles online about reviews and reviewers).

There are plenty of authors that I consider favorites and auto-buys where I don't like each and every book of theirs. In fact I can't think of a single author on my keeper shelf where I love every book of theirs.

There are lots of books I love that get negative reviews. That's why it helps to get to a know a reviewer's taste. In some cases when they give a book a bad review I know it may be one I'll love. I read reviews more for new-to-me authors and to see if the book in question contains story elements which just don't appeal to me. The content of the review matters more than the number of stars/grade. A 5-star "This is the best book ever" review is just as unhelpful as a 1-star "this is the worst book ever, don't waste your money" one. Reviews need the WHY.

There was author on Facebook complaining about negative review the other day. I have seen even some well known authors link to negative reviews on Facebook. Obviously because they need someone to pat their back and tell them their book is fabulous I totally agree on some reviews not being very helpful.

I thought for a minute... an Author whose books I have read and I loved everyone... Oh I know! Christie Craig! I love her books. So funny and all the heroes are cops or former cops turn P.I. I am a big fan.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by library addict

I guess I just think that most authors are grownups.

See, there's your first mistake.

Disclaimer: every author I've ever met was certainly seemed to be.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Blossom

There was author on Facebook complaining about negative review the other day. I have seen even some well known authors link to negative reviews on Facebook. Obviously because they need someone to pat their back and tell them their book is fabulous I totally agree on some reviews not being very helpful.

Sometimes those linkings through tweets and facebook bring out the fangirls/boys and have resulted in the reviewer being harrased and threatened. IMO it's best for authors not to comment on reviews unless it's to address something specific, like the reviewer calling out their historical accuracy wrongly.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Sometimes those linkings through tweets and facebook bring out the fangirls/boys and have resulted in the reviewer being harrased and threatened. IMO it's best for authors not to comment on reviews unless it's to address something specific, like the reviewer calling out their historical accuracy wrongly.

I totally agree with you. It can get ugly. I have seen it in the past. I have had author contact me once asking me to change my review. I kind of freaked out and just removed it. I at the time didn't realize authors read reviews. I figure it was for the reader but they do read them a lot I know that now.