Free and bargain romance ebooks + Discussion June 2014

[BuyMore]

Has anyone heard of a somewhat-new writer, Kris Calvert? I just saw that one of her books is only $0.99 now. (Okay, she only has had 2 books so far, and the other - a novella - is free.) There aren't many reviews, but almost all of them are quite good.

Kris Calvert - Sex, Lies & Sweet Tea (Moonlight & Magnolias #1) : Amazon | Kobo

Hotter than hell and half of Alabama, FBI Agent, Mac Callahan is thirsty for everything except love. Coming home to bust a white-collar crime ring, Mac intends to execute his usual practice with work and women – get in, get it on and get out. Instead, he finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the legacy of his family, his plantation, and the charms of a Southern girl.

Samantha Peterson possesses everything he needs in a woman, including the evidence to wrap his case. As the investigation heats up, so does their passion and a dangerous game ignites. But, then again, everything’s hotter in the South.

From some reviews I've read, it sounds like the book ends with a cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers, but it's okay if I know that a book has one before reading it. I can just wait till I've had all the books before I start reading. It's just that I've always preferred a series with related characters but different H/h for each book (i.e. standalone). I don't really like to read a romance series of 3 or 4 books with the same H/h. The story can become "draggy" with unnecessary angst and such.

However, I have fewer problems with the same H/h in more than 1 book if the story is more of a romantic suspense. So, yeah, I think this Moonlight & Magnolias series is probably more tolerable as it seems to be a romantic suspense.

Has anyone here read the book (or the other one)? I'll most likely buy it ($0.99 with good reviews is not something I would like to miss), but I certainly don't mind having more insightful reviews from you.

Oh, by the way, book #2 from the series is going to be released soon, thus the temporarily lowered price for book #1.

p/s: Kobo trivia contest is going to start soon! Get your lists ready, Blue2u and library addict!

[Britomart]

Free from Amazon US DE:

The Wedding Series, two novellas by Christine Dorsey. The Bride was first published as A Proper Victorian Wedding in A Bride's Desire anthology (1994); The Bride was first published as Sumptuous Bliss in The Way to a Man's Heart anthology (1997).

THE WEDDING SERIES combines two great romantic novellas by author Christine Dorsey, called by Romantic Times, “one of the most talented authors of the genre”.

THE BRIDE satisfies the romantic in all of us. It was Number 1 on Amazon’s free Bestselling List for Historical Romance.

John Bonner is tall, dark, handsome and incredibly rich, so why does he buy himself a bride, sight unseen?

Eleanor Fiske is the uncomfortably shy daughter of one of the most socially prominent families in Newport, Rhode Island and New York. Her domineering mother plans to marry her off to a British peer before the summer is over. But her father, despite his wealth, found himself in need of a great deal of cash, quickly, and promised his daughter to John Bonner.

THE WEDDING CAKE

What is a wedding without a wedding cake? And if you’re going to have a cake it might as well be the one served at Queen Victoria’s daughter’s wedding. And since Boston heiress, Cinnamon Murphy met her betrothed at Princess Beatrix’s nuptials, she decides to make the cake herself. Never mind that Cinnamon has cooks at her disposal, she is determined to bake the cake herself.

Captain Ian McGreggor has been summoned to the home of his employer, the owner of Murphy Imports and Exports. When a frightened maid squeals that there is a fire in the kitchen, Ian runs below stairs and throws water on the burning pile on the floor and the hem of the cook’s skirt.

Cinnamon realizes the handsome stranger thinks she’s a cook. And though she’s upset that her cake is burned to ashes and that she is wet, she has to admit it was good thing that the man threw water on her smoldering gown. So when he suggests a kiss as payment for helping her, Cinnamon agrees. After all, she’ll never see him again. At least that’s what she thinks. But the Captain and the kiss are hard to forget as Cinnamon continues to try to bake her cake.

Will she manage to bake it? Will the captain decide to give up his life at sea? Will true love win out?

[Britomart]

Free from Amazon US DE:

Knights of the North by Bobby Hutchinson (formerly called Northern Knights, Harlequin 1987).

HIS RIGHT HAND MAN TURNED OUT TO BE A WOMAN

Constable Christine Johnstone joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police looking for travel, adventure and promotion. But working undercover has put her life in danger, and the best way to protect her is to hide her in plain sight--as a working constable in Dawson City, Yukon.

Corporal Michael Quinn doesn't consider himself a chauvanist, but he needs a tough young policeman to help him uphold law and order in what is still in many ways a frontier town. He can't believe they've sent him a female constable. Quinn is a renegade cop, a still young, old fashioned, disillusioned Mountie whose career is at a standstill. He's the law in Dawson, and he'll be there upholding it until he retires. He knows his town and all the people in it, and he has no illusions about love, marriage and happily ever after--or about the ability of his new constable to subdue drunken miners.

But Chris knows that brains can outdo brawn. What she doesn't know is how to deal with the sizzling attraction between her and Quinn. How can they resist passion when winter is one long, dark, cold night?

[Tattncat]

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

They just met each other this morning without the exercise pen between them. They were trying to determine who would be the dominate. As little as Brownie is he stood his ground with CupCake. They stayed together between 5-10 minute. When they can stay together that long without fighting I will increase the time, but only while fully watching them until Brownie is fixed. He will not be able to be fixed until he is 8-10 months old. Currently he is around 4 months.

Congrats on the new baby bunnie, I hope he settles in well.

[copyrite]

Written In My Own Heart's Blood arrived on the Kindle in the wee hours of the morning, and a Nexus 7 will be arriving later today. Life's good!

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by copyrite

Written In My Own Heart's Blood arrived on the Kindle in the wee hours of the morning, and a Nexus 7 will be arriving later today. Life's good!

I'll be trying to win a good Kobo coupon all week to buy this one. Enjoy your good day!

[BelleZora]

Repeat freebie at Amazon: Wild Angel (O'Byrne Brides #1) by Miriam Minger first published by Jove in 1994.

Ronan was a legend among men . . . and the last thing he needed was a troublesome woman. Yet this fierce Irish warrior took a deathbed oath to protect a chieftain's rebellious daughter.

Triona was a hellion of a woman . . . who would let no man rule her. Raised in the ways of a warrior, she defied Ronan's every command. So he planned to marry her off, to be rid of the wild lass forever. But in the heat of battle--enflamed by her passionate spirit-Ronan decided he wanted this beautiful, impossible woman for himself!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BA5GUO

[BelleZora]

Here's another repeat freebie: Marked (Eternal Guardians #1) by Elisabeth Naughton, published by Love Spell, 2010.

THERON - Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He's the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn't exist in real life--silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron's duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendant of Hercules, he wasn't strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.

As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Amazon
Smashwords

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by copyrite

Written In My Own Heart's Blood arrived on the Kindle in the wee hours of the morning, and a Nexus 7 will be arriving later today. Life's good!

I finally scored a 75% code in the contest last night and immediately bought it. Wowzer, over 400K words, I should have expected it, this one isn't even the longest book in the series. I will be jumping into it as soon as I finish my current book later today.

Congrats on your new Nexus. Love, love, love mine!

[apesmom]

Kindle Freebie

Heat Wave by Jennifer Greene (Silhouette 1990)

Woman of Mystery — To Mick Larson, his next-door neighbor Kat Bryant was the perfect woman: smart, attractive, passionate. From the moment she'd stormed across his yard into his life, he'd only had eyes for the auburn-haired beauty. Kat was a woman ready for love, but there was a part of her that Mick couldn't touch... because she couldn't let him. Deep down Kat knew Mick was the best thing that ever happened to her, but she’d learned long ago that she had a personal problem when the lights went off. Although she loved Mick with all her heart, Kat couldn’t let him close enough to discover her secret.

[hannahi]

I finally scored a 75% code in the contest last night and immediately bought it. Wowzer, over 400K words, I should have expected it, this one isn't even the longest book in the series. I will be jumping into it as soon as I finish my current book later today.

Congratulations! I'm still stuck about 1/4 way through A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I have the audiobook also but that's pretty slow going. Maybe I'll catch up by the time the show starts in August.

[apesmom]

Kindle Freebie

Kingdom Collection (Books 1-3) by Marie Hall

THIS IS A COLLECTION OF THE FIRST 3 BOOKS. INCLUDED BONUS DELETED SCENES IN BOTH HATTER AND WOLF.

Her Mad Hatter:

Alice is all grown up. Running the Mad Hatter's Cupcakery and Tea Shoppe is a delicious job, until fate--and a fairy godmother with a weakness for bad boys--throws her a curveball. Now, Alice is the newest resident of Wonderland, where the Mad Hatter fuels her fantasies and thrills her body with his dark touch.

The Mad Hatter may have a voice and a body made for sex, but he takes no lovers. Ever. But a determined fairy godmother has forced Alice into Wonderland--and his arms. Now, as desire and madness converge, the Hatter must decide if he will fight the fairy godmother's mating--or fight for Alice.

Long length Novella ~ Approx. 40k words. Additional pages are sneak peeks to future books!

This is not erotica, just a good old fashioned romance.


Gerard's Beauty:

A not so classic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the villain...

Betty Hart has had it with men. Jilted in love, her life now consists of shelving books by day, watching too much Anime by night, and occasionally dressing up like a superhero on the weekends with her fellow ‘Bleeding Heart’ nerds. Men are not welcome and very much unwanted. Especially the sexy Frenchman who saunters into her library reeking of alcohol and looking like he went one too many rounds in the ring.

Gerard Caron is in trouble. Again. Caught with his pants down (literally) he’s forced to seek asylum on Earth while his fairy godmother tries to keep Prince Charming from going all ‘Off with his head’. Maybe, messing around with the King’s daughter hadn’t been such a great idea after all, not that Gerard knew the silly redhead was a princess. But his fairy godmother knows the only way to save his life is to finally pair Gerard with his perfect mate, whether he’s willing or not.

From the moment Gerard lays eyes on the nerdy librarian he knows he must have her, but Betty is unlike any woman he’s ever known. He thought Betty would come as willingly to his bed as every other woman before her, but she is a woman who demands respect and even… horror of all horrors… love. Is it possible for a self-proclaimed Casanova to change his ways?

Long length Novella ~ Approx. 41k words of the actual story. Included in the Amazon page count are teasers from future books, thank you!

This is not an erotica, but it is a good old fashioned romance.

Red and Her Wolf:

Long ago there lived a beautiful child. Her name was Violet. Fair of skin, with blonde hair and large blue eyes. Born of wild magic, she was a woman with a child’s heart. Innocent and lovely, but not at all what she seemed--you see Violet went by another name: The Heartsong.

She was the child of fairy magic, the physical manifestation of all fae kinds unbridled power. Cosseted and pampered, she grew up in isolation, never knowing who she really was, or why there were those who’d seek to harm her.

Ewan of the Blackfoot Clan is a wolf with a problem. He’s been sent to kill the Heartsong, but the moment he lays eyes on the blonde beauty he knows he’ll defy the evil fae he works for to claim Violet as his own.

This is the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, as it really happened...

This is not an erotica, just a good old fashioned romance.

[Britomart]

Free from Amazon US DE:

Legacy of Love by Louise Pakeman (Endeavour Press), first published in 2005 with Robert Hale as Flowers for the Journey.

Claire is a successful lawyer with a comfortable lifestyle in Melbourne, Australia.

As she turns thirty her life appears perfect.

But something is missing.

She realizes that she is no longer happy as a high-powered career women in the city.

Reflecting on the milestone, Claire feels that she is stuck in a rut, with her career as a divorce lawyer, her lack of a family and above all her relationship with an already married man, Robert.

Does she really want to live the life of the other women forever?

And if Robert does finally decide that he wishes to leave his wife for her, does she really want to marry him?

Then a surprise letter prompts her to take a holiday, away from her career and away from Robert, to meet the person who penned it.

Can Claire shake off the 'Legacy of Love'?

And can she sacrifice the security she has worked for to follow her passion?

[Britomart]

Free at All Romance eBooks:

Lost in a Royal Kiss by Vanessa Kelly. This has been free in the US before, as far as I remember, but not in Europe. I have finally been able to grab it!

In this thrilling introduction to her Renegade Royals series, Vanessa Kelly transports readers to the court of King George III—where a London street urchin unwittingly plays Cupid, ushering in a new era—and ultimately a new kind of royal...

With her widowed mother working long hours as governess to the royal children, Linnet St. Clare must look after her siblings and run the household. Now she must add to her worries the fate of Dominic, a poor orphan who has inspired the wrath of the king himself. Clearly Linnet has no time to consider her own desires—much less notice the attentions of a certain handsome, powerful magistrate....

Sir Anthony Tait is at a loss for how to capture Linnet's interest. If only she would be still long enough for courting. Outright seduction seems the only answer. But will his kisses be enough to persuade her—or might Anthony have something to learn from young Dominic about matters of the heart? And in saving the boy's future, might Anthony and Linnet at last create their own?...

[Britomart]

Also free at All Romance eBooks:

The Duchess of Love by Sally MacKenzie. This has been free at US and German Amazon before.

A DUKE IN DISGUISE...

The day was as hot as the pond was inviting. It's not as if anyone in Little Huffington was going to happen upon a secluded vale on the Duke of Greycliffe's lands. And Venus Collingswood didn't want to get her shift all wet. It was the perfect setting in which to plan her lovely bookworm of a sister's betrothal to the mysterious new duke arriving seven days hence. If only she had a suitable accomplice...

Andrew Valentine, Duke of Greycliffe, never thought arriving at his own household a week early would cause so much trouble. The housekeeper thinks he's his own cousin. Actually, the chance to not be the duke for a while is a pleasant opportunity indeed. It might even help him interrogate the delectable little nymph he's discovered swimming in his pond—if he can manage to get a word in edgewise...