FREE/BARGAIN - Romance + Discussion - 2014

[library addict]

Originally Posted by library addict

Box set Hometown Heroes--Hotter Ever After (Pets for Vets Charity Bundle) $1.99

Spoiler:

This Pets for Vets charity bundle is available for a limited-time discount.

They’re all hometown heroes, guys from small towns who’ve made a name for themselves, big or small, who’ve withstood the odds and risen to the challenge, who are heroes in their own right.

Presenting a contemporary romance bundle of 16 novels with happily-ever-after endings, including previously published readers' favorites and brand-new material.

A LITTLE HARMLESS SEX by USA Today author Melissa Schroeder--When Anna falls for her best friend Max, it might be true love, or the biggest mistake of her life.

CHANGE THE GAME by USA Today author Lucy Monroe--Alex is looking for revenge. Isabel is looking for a relationship without those pesky things called emotions. Neither will get what they're looking for, but a whole lot more!

WILD RIDE (Changing Gears, Book 1) by USA Today author Nancy Warren--Trouble is piling up in the small town of Swiftcurrent, Oregon with hints of a treasure missing since WWII, a motorcycle riding bad boy history prof, a sexy librarian and a murder. It all adds up to a very Wild Ride.

HEARTBREAK ON A STICK by USA Today and New York Times author Sabrina York--When the man who broke her heart ten years ago suddenly returns to town—a hot shot movie star—Gina Fox is determined to avoid him. But for some reason, Jason Sherwood is pursuing her again.

MADRONA SUNSET by bestselling author Jami Davenport--Meet a wounded warrior suffering from paralyzing guilt and a woman pining for her dead husband--both damaged souls craving comfort for a moment or a lifetime.

BRACE FOR IMPACT by bestselling author Allie K. Adams--Bush pilot Reid Cavanaugh’s life is turned upside down when he takes a fare that ends up driving his plane into the ground and him into the danger surrounding her.

HONORABLE SACRIFICE by bestselling author Destiny Blaine--Hired to protect an affluent family with embarrassing secrets, Audra McAllister reconnects with a small-town hero willing to risk everything to win Audra’s heart.

SHE'S WORTH IT ALL by bestselling author Cathryn Cade--Mase Barnett is a hometown hero with a secret. Natalie Cusco has a broken heart only a strong man can heal. Will this wounded hero risk everything to show her she's worth it all?

DECEIVING DANTE by award-winning author Kate Davies--A stolen car on her front lawn. A sexy cop - looking to arrest her favorite student. A principal ready to fire her. Could Ellie's Monday get any worse?

ROCK, RATTLE AND ROLL by USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn and bestselling author Taryn Elliott--A beachfront cottage, hours of alone time, and plenty of skin-on-skin action is just what the rock star and his new wife ordered—until the future comes much quicker than they expected.

GRAVE DANGER by Golden Heart finalist Rachel Grant--An archaeologist digs up a murder victim in a Northwest archaeological site and must help the hunky local police chief solve the crime before she becomes the next victim.

TURNING THIRTY-TWELVE by award-winning author Sandy James--Jackie Delgado didn't want a new man in her life until a dreaded blind date with detective Mark Brennan turns out to be more exciting than she'd ever imagined.

HIS ONLY DESIRE by Adrianne Lee-- Nick Rossetti married the wrong twin sister. Will the right one ever forgive him? Not if her stalker has his way.

EVEN HEROES CRY by Hildie McQueen--War widow Tesha Washington slowly draws Adam Ford out of the shell that used to be a man, and learns there really is such a thing as starting over.

THE VIXEN & THE VET by bestselling author Katy Regnery--In a Beauty & the Beast reboot, an ambitious reporter tracks down a wounded war vet for a scoop and ends up falling in love with him instead.

TROUBLE WITH A COWBOY by Sandy Sullivan--Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun...and a little more?

Releases Monday Sept 29th

Kobo (couponable)

Amazon

Just FYI - Most of these are full length books. Only a few were new (though more were new to me )

It splits pretty easily.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I just want to read something that's close enough to not throw me out of the the time period. For me it's like this.

Pure Regency - Austen - Heyer - Cartland
Traditional Regencies - These are like Signet, Chater, Wolf, Bough Layton...etc
Regency Lite - Hawkins, Jefferies, Chase, Micheals...etc
Mistoricals - Dare, Borrows, Galen And a whole slew of authors

To me it is more like:

1. Really good historical fiction/adventure/gothic that is also a romance. Heyer, Patricia Veryan, Victoria Holt (and all her other pseudonyms) a few others (many in hardback).

2. Decent romance with an effort at historical setting. (most fall here, to some degree)

2a. An attempt is made to make the characters aware of at least to some extent the attitudes and social mores of the time, to the extent that violation of such mores is obviously done deliberately.

2b. Little to no attempt is made to make the characters aware of the attitudes and social mores of the time. (costume historical)

3. Did the author even TRY? (the most blatant anachronistic sloppiness, and the romance isn't that great either.)

I prefer the first; what I like about historical romance is characters having to work with external and social constraints which don't exist anymore today (particularly in the constraints women and gays had to deal with; dysfunctional family dynamics and more stratified social and economic castes certainly add to the constraints. I like to see what the h/h do when everything is dead set against them). If I'm not going to have that, I might as well have a contemporary. This is why I prefer category 1 and 2a. I'll read 2b if it's really good id writing (Burrowes!) because that has its appeal as well.

I just read the Rose Lerner book this week; I liked it significantly less than her two others (I *really* liked her first a lot). I didn't fully connect with the characters and the election stuff bordered on silly.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Joykins

To me it is more like:

1. Really good historical fiction/adventure/gothic that is also a romance. Heyer, Patricia Veryan, Victoria Holt (and all her other pseudonyms) a few others (many in hardback).

2. Decent romance with an effort at historical setting. (most fall here, to some degree)

2a. An attempt is made to make the characters aware of at least to some extent the attitudes and social mores of the time, to the extent that violation of such mores is obviously done deliberately.

2b. Little to no attempt is made to make the characters aware of the attitudes and social mores of the time. (costume historical)

3. Did the author even TRY? (the most blatant anachronistic sloppiness, and the romance isn't that great either.)

I prefer the first; what I like about historical romance is characters having to work with external and social constraints which don't exist anymore today (particularly in the constraints women and gays had to deal with; dysfunctional family dynamics and more stratified social and economic castes certainly add to the constraints. I like to see what the h/h do when everything is dead set against them). If I'm not going to have that, I might as well have a contemporary. This is why I prefer category 1 and 2a. I'll read 2b if it's really good id writing (Burrowes!) because that has its appeal as well.

I just read the Rose Lerner book this week; I liked it significantly less than her two others (I *really* liked her first a lot). I didn't fully connect with the characters and the election stuff bordered on silly.

Some plots would be best in modern times only.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Joykins

To me it is more like:

1. Really good historical fiction/adventure/gothic that is also a romance. Heyer, Patricia Veryan, Victoria Holt (and all her other pseudonyms) a few others (many in hardback).

2. Decent romance with an effort at historical setting. (most fall here, to some degree)

2a. An attempt is made to make the characters aware of at least to some extent the attitudes and social mores of the time, to the extent that violation of such mores is obviously done deliberately.

2b. Little to no attempt is made to make the characters aware of the attitudes and social mores of the time. (costume historical)

3. Did the author even TRY? (the most blatant anachronistic sloppiness, and the romance isn't that great either.)

I like your categories! Sadly, 3 is far too common and far too popular... There needs to be more of 2a and 1.

[pisceschick]

Originally Posted by Joykins

This is why I prefer category 1 and 2a. I'll read 2b if it's really good id writing (Burrowes!) because that has its appeal as well.

I just read the Rose Lerner book this week; I liked it significantly less than her two others (I *really* liked her first a lot). I didn't fully connect with the characters and the election stuff bordered on silly.

Burrowes is one of my few auto-buys. I mean, I wait until they're on sale because I'm a cheapskate but I don't even read the reviews or samples with her. Her writing is just lovely, and I love her beta heroes.

Originally Posted by Blossom

I love that she uses Category 1-4 in her post, although her definition of each is more strict than mine.

I just want to read something that's close enough to not throw me out of the the time period.

It sounds like your categories are similar to mine. I seem to be getting more strict as I go along. I hadn't done much reading in the 5-ish years prior to my first e-reader, and some of the first authors I remember enjoying when I jumped in are waaaaay to anachronistic for me now.

In July our A/C broke (we had to have someone over to look at it over the holiday!), and spent a week staying with my folks. Their Internet is sketchy and being in a house full of people I didn't get much time to myself to figure out what I was going to read. I read several trad Regencies that were already on my Kindle and was surprised that I enjoyed them as much as I did. I had thought they'd be too squeaky-clean and fluffy for me.

[briefcandles]

$0.99 @ Kobo and $2.99 (at least that's the price that shows up for my region) @ Amazon

Highland Werewolf Boxed Set
by Terry Spear
(Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Spoiler:

The Highland Werewolf Boxed Set contains the first four books in Terry Spear's Highland Werewolf series.

In Heart of the Highland Wolf a modern werewolf laird and a beautiful red female werewolf enter into an intrigue involving the laird's secretive clan, an ancient relic, and a romance novel. Has this wiley female met her perfect hero?

In A Howl for a Highlander the driven Duncan MacNeill has left his highland home to chase a thief into a tropical paradise. When he meets lone wolf and botanist Shelley Campbell on Grand Cayman Island, he'll discover just how tempting paradise can be.

Scottish Cearnach MacNeill and sexy little American werewolf Elaine Hawthorn collide, quite literally, on a foggy Highland road in A Highland Werewolf Wedding. Now they're stuck with each other while they wait for help to arrive, and it's going to be a delightful, steamy and devilishly funny wait.

She's never been to Scotland, but when werewolf Colleen Playfair learns she must spend a year and a day in the highlands learning to manage her new estate, she's up for the challenge. But she did count on the stubborn Grant MacQuarrie whose clan has been managing the castle for the last three centuries and will do anything it takes, including taking Colleen to bed, to convince her that nothing needs to change in A Hero of a Highland Wolf.

"Spear combines captivating characters, gripping mysteries, and all-consuming love stories." -Fresh Fiction

"With just enough wolf detail and werewolf lore, this action-packed story crackles with mystery, adventure, violence, and passion." -Library Journal

"Romance, adventure, and a paranormal twist...If you like your werewolf stories with a bit of a bite, then pick this series up now." -Night Owl Romance (Reviewer Top Pick)

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by briefcandles

$0.99 @ Kobo and $2.99 (at least that's the price that shows up for my region) @ Amazon

Highland Werewolf Boxed Set
by Terry Spear
(Sourcebooks Casablanca)

$.99 at Amazon for the US. You might be running into the stupid $2 whispersync fee some regions still get. A good price either way considering the prices of the individual books, but an odd bundle in that it contains books 7, 10, 11 & 14. EDIT: Or maybe not since it looks to be the first four of five (looking at titles) in the overall series that are "Highland" (maybe a sub-series?).

[library addict]

Grr. I purchased the wrong anthology at Kobo this morning. Not the first time, and sadly probably won't be the last. At least there's a few new-to-me novellas I can use in the one I bought in error so not a total loss. But will have to wait for another Kobo contest to get the one I meant to buy.

So many similar sounding names of books... Oh well

[BuyMore]

Originally Posted by library addict

Grr. I purchased the wrong anthology at Kobo this morning. Not the first time, and sadly probably won't be the last. At least there's a few new-to-me novellas I can use in the one I bought in error so not a total loss. But will have to wait for another Kobo contest to get the one I meant to buy.

So many similar sounding names of books... Oh well

Oh? If you don't mind me asking, which anthology did you intend to buy? And which one did you end up buying?

[library addict]

Originally Posted by BuyMore

Oh? If you don't mind me asking, which anthology did you intend to buy? And which one did you end up buying?

I meant to buy Timeless Encounters by Coleen Kwan, Shannon Curtis, and Jennifer Brassel. But I bought Moonlist Encounters by the same three authors plus 5 others. I already bought the Coleen Kwan story from that one as a separate novella. But I haven't read the others so it's not a huge deal. I just don't know why I got myself so confused this morning. It's what I get for not looking at my To Buy List I guess. That and Kobo coupon fever.

[Britomart]

Free from Amazon US DE (repeat freebie):

What Wild Moonlight by Victoria Lynne (orig. Dell, 1998).

On a bet, Nicholas Duvall, rakehell Earl of Barrington, assumes the role of a coach driver. When he witnesses Katya Alexander picking the pocket of a fellow passenger, her beauty, skill, and audacity captivate him.

Katya is exactly what he needs to retrieve an ancient family scroll that has been stolen from him. He makes her an ungentlemanly offer: pose as his mistress and help him retrieve a priceless family scroll. In return, he would offer her his protection.

Katya has her own reasons for agreeing to the deception, reasons that she must keep hidden from Nicholas: an age-old family feud that made them mortal enemies. Caught up in the glittering intrigue of 19th century Monaco, together they embark on a mission filled with danger and intrigue,

Their plan was flawless, until Nicholas loses his heart to the beautiful stranger with secrets to burn, and the passion smoldering between them finally ignites,

[Blue2u]

Free: A Starstruck Kiss - Lauren Blakely

FREE AT LAUNCH FOR A LIMITED TIME! This book will go to $2.99 in early October!


WARNING: The hero in this book is NOT an asshole. He is hot, charming, smart, funny, ripped, gorgeous, respectful and completely panty-melting. Please proceed.

A sexy and swoony new adult romance...
There are no two ways about it -- William Harrigan is a certified babe. He's sexy, smart, and British, and he wants nothing more than to charm the pants off fellow college senior Jess Leighton. Well, he does want other things; he just can't tell her about the job he's working on since it maybe, possibly involves her. Jess, who moonlights as a celebrity photographer, is laser-focused on earning enough money snapping pics to pay her way through grad school, but when the criminally handsome William starts moving in on her turf, she's got to fend off the competition from him as well as resist her desire to smother him in kisses because William makes her heart race and her skin sizzle.

Too bad this man is not to be trusted.

Right? Except if Jess wants to snag the million-dollar picture she desperately needs, she'll have no choice but to trust Will, and he'll have to come clean about everything he wants from Jess. Including her.


*Welcome to Wrapped Up in Love, a new adult series that's sexy, swoony, scandalous and full of intrigue! A Starstruck Kiss is the first book in Jess and William's love story...their love story continues in the novel Stars in Their Eyes, releasing Oct. 9 and available to preorder now.*


THE WRAPPED UP IN LOVE SERIES:


BOOK 1: A STARSTRUCK KISS (Jess & William's story begins)

BOOK 2: STARS IN THEIR EYES (Jess & William's story continues)

BOOK 3: 21 KISSES (Kennedy & Noah's story, releasing February 2015)

More couples to come!

[Blue2u]

$.99 Rockers After Dark: 6 Book Bundle of Sexy Musicians

Kobo also.

Six Rockers, Six books, Six New York Times, USA Today, and National bestselling authors.

DEFINING DESTINY by NYT Bestselling author Deanna Chase

Singer-songwriter Lucy Moore has already met her soul mate. But when he betrays her she returns home with some decisions to make. Can she stay away from the one person who she’s destined to be with or will Seth, the tortured artist claim her heart?

After a horrific accident, Seth Keenan’s own destiny is shattered. Now he’s abandoned his career in favor of his tattoo gun and has vowed to never to get close to anyone again...until he meets Lucy. In a world where everyone has one true soul mate, can these two find love in the arms of each other?

THIS TIME by NYT Bestselling author, Marie Hall

Jaime Sullivan is a woman trapped by her past. Tor Boler is the flame to her moth. An all consuming passion that cannot be denied...

I've lived my life in a daze, trying to save someone hell bent on destruction. I'm in a club, I'm drinking, and so when Tor asks me to stay with him, I stay. I needed to feel alive again, to feel wanted. It was just supposed to be one night. One night where I could forget how screwed up my life had become. One night where I could pretend I wasn't me. God, I couldn't have been more wrong.

STILL LIFE WITH STRINGS by L.H. Cosway

My name is Jade Lennon and I stand still for money.

The night I saw Shane Arthur watching me everything changed. My sobriety rests on staying away from men, but there was something about him that made me throw caution to the wind.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think Shane was going to show up where I work. So now on a daily basis I have to resist one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever met and he plays the violin. For me that’s one hell of a deadly cocktail.

FOREVER OURS, by NYT Bestselling author Cassia Leo.
Sometimes, it takes more than love to mend a shattered heart.

After eight years of being tossed from one foster home to another, Claire has finally found her forever home. And Chris and Claire soon find themselves falling in love. But Chris's dreams of musical stardom and Claire's need for a stable home soon put their love in jeopardy. Chris struggles deeply with his plans for the future, entirely reluctant to leave Claire behind; until Claire does something that may break their love -- and the only home she's comes to know -- forever.

A SEDUCTIVE MELODY by NYT Bestselling author Crista McHugh

Ethan Kelly lost his best friend and bandmate to an overdose, but staying clean is proving harder than he thought it would be. His only safety net during his first weeks of sobriety is fellow recovering addict, Becca.

After years of failing to be the daughter her socialite parents wanted her to be, Rebecca Shore finally has her life on track as an assistant at Moderne magazine. She’s just waiting for the scoop of a lifetime that will take her to the next level. But when she’s asked to help the reclusive and enigmatic rock star, her heart is torn between the career she’s always wanted and the man who bares his soul to her.

STEP by NYT Bestselling Author Roxie Rivera

Sinister Mayhem lead singer Step likes his women wild, his sex rough and his partying hard—but his reckless lifestyle finally catches up with him. His thirtieth birthday ends with a face-plant onto the floor of his penthouse suite.

But hotel maid Jem comes to his rescue. One stolen kiss from the sweet, innocent beauty—and Step finally tastes happiness. So when someone dares to threaten her, he'll do anything to protect Jem.

Even if means calling in favors from his cousin Ten, the infamous Russian mob enforcer…

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by pisceschick

It sounds like your categories are similar to mine. I seem to be getting more strict as I go along. I hadn't done much reading in the 5-ish years prior to my first e-reader, and some of the first authors I remember enjoying when I jumped in are waaaaay to anachronistic for me now.

In July our A/C broke (we had to have someone over to look at it over the holiday!), and spent a week staying with my folks. Their Internet is sketchy and being in a house full of people I didn't get much time to myself to figure out what I was going to read. I read several trad Regencies that were already on my Kindle and was surprised that I enjoyed them as much as I did. I had thought they'd be too squeaky-clean and fluffy for me.

I like fluffy reads if they are fun and I am in the mood for them. For me a novel doesn't need sex if it's well written. Sometimes I am in the mood for something spicy and I'll read something a bit more hot but a Romance can be very well written and still be squeaky clean.

I find I don't enjoy books where h/h jump into bed within the first part of the book or it's instant lust and all your hear is how hot each other is. I like a build up first with a good strong plot.

[copyrite]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I like a build up first with a good strong plot.

Currently reading a novel by {insert rather popular author name here}where as soon as the sex started I found myself skipping ahead to the non-sex bits. Came to the conclusion early on there really isn't too much plot in this book!