Free and bargain romance ebooks + Discussion January 2014

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by apesmom

I guess my luck with indies has been better but I've been pretty discriminating about what I buy.

I just went through my library to see how I've been doing on self-pubbed books I've bought and read, boy there's been some home runs and solidly rated books in that group. Some stinkers too but the good out weighs the bad by far. The bad were mostly early day purchases when I was still trying to find non-agency stuff. Overall, of those I read I do now have some favorite authors: Kristen Ashley, Kitty Thomas with R. Lee Smith & Brenna Aubrey heading up the list. Much of the other self-pubbed stuff I've read has been novellas that are part of a traditionally published series. Also trad pubbed authors that have gone indie such as Courtney Milan and Bella Andre. If anything my pace is picking up on indie purchases because I've had pretty good luck.

I think it's best to stick to top rated ones at this point the slush pile now needs a new name I mean it's getting worse each day with the amount of junk out there. I don't consider authors who once decide to publish their own books and leave their publisher indies. I think they've established a different titled...maybe we need to come up with one?

I do believe there are diamonds out there waiting to be discovered but it's getting harder to find them.

[Terisa de morgan]

Not a good week for reading:



but some interesting purchases.

[Blossom]

I really blew my budget this week and see it happening again this week! I tell myself I was soo good during Christmas because I was too sick to buy anything that's okay right? two $8 books!

I read:

The Black Lion by Jude Deveraux (3.5)
This book reads like summary alot which is why I can't rate it higher.

The Velvet Promise by Jude Deveraux (4)
You can really see how much she improved in this book but hero is just such a jerk I couldn't rate it higher because I felt he didn't redeem himself. I love the heroine though.

Some Kind of Wonderful by Maureen Child (5)
My first 5 star book of the year! Oh my I love this book! I laughed, I cried and I sighed at the perfect ending! This is not a Christmas book at all it takes place in the summer but the town is called Christmas and it's a little tourist town in California. If you like small town romance you will love this book. If you like tortured heroes you will love this book.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by apesmom

I guess my luck with indies has been better but I've been pretty discriminating about what I buy.

I just went through my library to see how I've been doing on self-pubbed books I've bought and read, boy there's been some home runs and solidly rated books in that group. Some stinkers too but the good out weighs the bad by far. The bad were mostly early day purchases when I was still trying to find non-agency stuff. Overall, of those I read I do now have some favorite authors: Kristen Ashley, Kitty Thomas with R. Lee Smith & Brenna Aubrey heading up the list. Much of the other self-pubbed stuff I've read has been novellas that are part of a traditionally published series. Also trad pubbed authors that have gone indie such as Courtney Milan and Bella Andre. If anything my pace is picking up on indie purchases because I've had pretty good luck.

I've had the opposite experience unfortunately. I often do read the excerpts. They can appear well-written and coherent. But as soon as you get to the next chapter the writing and editing fall apart. That has happened to me a number of times.

So nowadays I am sticking with only indies recommended by readers/reviewers I trust. I don’t even trust ratings at Amazon, etc. anymore because of the number of high ratings for the aforementioned books that had multiple obvious grammar issues. I am not the grammar police by any stretch of the imagination. But so many indies I have started (many were DNF’d) had sentences with verbs missing, wrong word choices, switching tenses within the same paragraph, etc. Stuff like that can happen in books released by major publishers too, but not nearly to the extent it does with self-pubbed books. At least in my experience.

[library addict]

Nothing to report for purchases this week*. Kobo has only given me 10% & 20% codes in the contest so far Spent the week catching up on TV/movies (as the DVR was getting pretty full) so I only read two books.

Read:

• Welcome Back to Apple Grove (Small Town USA #3) by C.H. Admirand (C-/2 stars)
• The Paternity Proposition (Dalton Twins #1) by Merline Lovelace (C+/3 stars)

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I think it's best to stick to top rated ones at this point the slush pile now needs a new name I mean it's getting worse each day with the amount of junk out there. I don't consider authors who once decide to publish their own books and leave their publisher indies. I think they've established a different titled...maybe we need to come up with one?

I do believe there are diamonds out there waiting to be discovered but it's getting harder to find them.

I guess I would call them liberated indies. They are still indies though, they have the same responsibilities for editing, formatting and covers that any other has, they just have a bit of a track record with publishing houses (be it good or bad). That doesn't necessarily translate to a good book.

[Jane A]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Thanks! Jane at DA likes her so I may have to give it a try. I'm no scholar either which shocks me that authors don't get it right as I am the least educated one here in this thread (I was pulled out of school at the age of 12 by a crazy mother) but even I can tell when something is out of place in a historical book and if I can why can't someone who probably went to high school and possibly college not know any better? I would think the average writer would recognize the modern terms not belonging in their stories. I for one who would never even attempt to write in a time period because I see everyday how real authors on Facebook research and even travel just to write one book!

I have learned so much history from HR over the years. When I read one with really great detail I am thrilled.

Believe it or not I had never heard of Roberta Gellis till I was a member here so no I have not read her so which books should I start with? I got some of her books for free and on sale.

Can you tell me which ones you have? She has several series and if I remember correctly you really like to read them in order. Her most famous series is The Roselynde Chronicles and it starts with Roselynde.

Added the Kinsale ones to my list! I have been meaning to read her books. I don't mind reading a paperback at all if it's clean and wont break me out in hives. I've bought a few used ones that I have to wear gloves to read with but this is why I always try to get Like New books if I can. ebooks has saved me alot of annoyance with my sensitive allergies. My Bride of Lion copy is in good shape so I added it to my TBR list.

When you read any of them you'll have to let us know what you think!

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Some Kind of Wonderful by Maureen Child (5)
My first 5 star book of the year! Oh my I love this book! I laughed, I cried and I sighed at the perfect ending! This is not a Christmas book at all it takes place in the summer but the town is called Christmas and it's a little tourist town in California. If you like small town romance you will love this book. If you like tortured heroes you will love this book.

This was a 5 star book for me when I read it (back when it came out in print). It's what made me start reading Maureen Child.

[Jane A]

I didn't buy any ebooks this week, but I did get Slave to Sensation from
Audible.com. It was a Daily Deal and I got it for $3.95. I read the book ages ago, but really liked it then and wanted to listen to the audio version. So far I'm really enjoying it, this is the first time I've listened to Angela Dawe and I like her better than Justine Eyre who narrates Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series.

Within the last week I read:
Game Changer by Paula Marinaro. B (This book was a guilty pleasure, it had a lot of problems with editing, lack of dialogue and a personal issue I had with the hero, but I found it strangely compelling. I'm not sure if I can recommend it or not, people will either love it or hate it.)
About Last Night by Ruthie Knox B- This was pretty good, but I must not be as much of a fan as some who just loved this book.
C791 by Eve Langlois C+ This was a freebie short story that I picked up because it was a futuristic romance, which I am an absolute sucker for. I think it might be the beginning of a series. It was okay, but I sure wish another futuristic writer like Linnea Sinclair would come along. I remember when Gabriel's Ghost came out I was a squeeing fangirl.

[Little.Egret]

Amazon UK Daily Deal Has

Ta ra !

Thornyhold by Mary Stewart for £0.99

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004YD1K3K/


Thornyhold is a house deep in a wild wood like somewhere out of a fairy tale. To Gilly, it is an enchantment. Her very own enchantment, left to her by the cousin whose occasional magical visits had brightened her childhood. And as she explores, she discovers more about the woman who had come to seem like a fairy godmother for her: her herbalists's skills, her still room, her abilities to foresee and to heal. She discovers also that the local people believe that Gilly has inherited not just the house but the magical spell-weaving powers that live on in the house and garden. Slowly, quietly, she comes to realise that they are right.

Hm, have to re-read.

[library addict]

Okay, I was feeling antsy not having bought anything this week so I purchased a few...

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by library addict

Okay, I was feeling antsy not having bought anything this week so I purchased a few...

Well dang, you reminded me I need that baseball book.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by library addict

Okay, I was feeling antsy not having bought anything this week so I purchased a few...

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

This was a 5 star book for me when I read it (back when it came out in print). It's what made me start reading Maureen Child.

Can you recommend another one of her books? I really like how she writes her characters.

[FizzyWater]

All the books I bought as a result of Some Kind of Wonderful I read about 10 years ago...and I was actually remember to keep track of what I scored them. She had two series I really liked (all 4 or higher, although it looks like SKOW was the only 5 - I give half-stars )

The first series I found after reading SKOW was the Candellano family:

• Finding You (in a 2-book volume)
• Knowing You (in a 2-book volume)
• Loving You

The Marconi sisters series were some of the first ebooks I ever bought.

• And Then Came You
• A Crazy Kind of Love
• Turn My World Upside Down

She also writes a lot for HQN, but I don't have good notes on those.

I will admit, I could have sworn there were more, but I think it's because I think she and Susan Mallery have very similar writing styles and I'm always having to check who wrote what.