Free and bargain romance ebooks + Discussion June 2014

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Oh my!!! I am adding this on my next to buy or hope Scribd gets it list. Thanks for the heads up. I've been waiting forever it seems.

I just looked at the original cover on this one on goodreads and its bombastic.
And that blurb, I want I want.

The thing with the Jo Beverley and such from those days is that they are never boring to me. They are big and over the top. Every time I see a back list title re-released I am afraid that the author neutered it for current audiences. I think Marsha Canham did so with one of the scenes in one of her books where it was somewhat forced seduction. There where a few authors that "fixed" their books that way. I prefer to read them as they were.
The Flame and the Flower wouldn't be what it is without those scenes for example. But the newer romances in general don't have any of that.

An Arranged Marriage was a 3 star for me. I didn't like it a whole lot either. The second is better, but still a difficult one. But sometimes I want that complicated stuff when I read romance. I like to change it up.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Atunah

An Arranged Marriage was a 3 star for me. I didn't like it a whole lot either. The second is better, but still a difficult one. But sometimes I want that complicated stuff when I read romance. I like to change it up.

I don't want that in my historical romance. Those are my comfort reads, I've come to realize.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Atunah

I just looked at the original cover on this one on goodreads and its bombastic.
And that blurb, I want I want.

The thing with the Jo Beverley and such from those days is that they are never boring to me. They are big and over the top. Every time I see a back list title re-released I am afraid that the author neutered it for current audiences. I think Marsha Canham did so with one of the scenes in one of her books where it was somewhat forced seduction. There where a few authors that "fixed" their books that way. I prefer to read them as they were.
The Flame and the Flower wouldn't be what it is without those scenes for example. But the newer romances in general don't have any of that.

An Arranged Marriage was a 3 star for me. I didn't like it a whole lot either. The second is better, but still a difficult one. But sometimes I want that complicated stuff when I read romance. I like to change it up.

Exactly. I really need to read the Flame and The Flower.


I too am disappointed when I find out a book has been edited. Patrica Rice I think it is just said she is edited all her old romances from the 80s and removed like 20,000 words from each book. This is sooo sad.

Patricia Rice
JUN 11, 2014 @ 16:34:28

I am currently editing some of my old 80′s and 90′s historical romances, many written on a typewriter. I’m easily cutting out 20k words without cutting a single scene because these books were seriously unedited back then. Readers expected big books and we gave it to them, complete with every adverb known to mankind.
Those books were written before the proliferation of the internet and cable TV. People needed to have verbal pictures drawn of sailing ships and tropical islands and Big Ben. These days, not so much.

So there are quite a few reasons for the changes over the decades, but I do miss the meaty stories.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I don't want that in my historical romance. Those are my comfort reads, I've come to realize.

They are my comfort reads too for just the opposite reason. I like the craziness in them when it was okay to write a book that was over the top and you needed to hang on for a emotional roller coaster ride to the end. To me that what's makes these old school novels great.

They aren't light and fluffy reads and they don't follow modern rules and many times what happens in them isn't fair but it all works out in the end.

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Exactly. I too am disappointed when I find out a book has been edited. Patrica Rice I think it is just said she is edited all her old romances from the 80s and removed like 20,000 words from each book. This is sooo sad.

[/SIZE]

Oh that is sad. And her explanation makes no sense to me. The whole reason we like these romances from those days is because they were rich and full. I notice a lot of stuff lately is very short and can be shallow with not much sense of adventure. How can there not be scenes cut out with 20000 words. So nothing described anymore? Whats left, a shell? Strange that one. But I am not a writer, so what do I know. I only read the things.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Oh that is sad. And her explanation makes no sense to me. The whole reason we like these romances from those days is because they were rich and full. I notice a lot of stuff lately is very short and can be shallow with not much sense of adventure. How can there not be scenes cut out with 20000 words. So nothing described anymore? Whats left, a shell? Strange that one. But I am not a writer, so what do I know. I only read the things.

I love the long flowing words of the old novels so this is heartbreaking for me. This is why I wont get rid of my paperbacks. I can't trust the digital to be a 1:1 copy of the real book.

[booklover6]

Oh they were so good at evoking emotion, those bodice rippers. But even back then, the pirate one by Johanna Lindsey where he repeatedly raped (or forced seduction) her bothered me.

[BuyMore]

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

Is there any new/good romance books being released Tuesday?

I'm waiting for a few, but my top priorities would be Kristen Proby's Breathe With Me and K.A. Tucker's Five Ways to Fall. Another top priority is Vivian Arend's One Sexy Ride which will be released on Monday.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

Is there any new/good romance books being released Tuesday?

Then Came You by Jill Shalvis (Animal Magnetism #5)

There are also some Harlequin categories I want to get.

And if you read Jaci Burton's Play-by-Play series, Straddling the Line which I think is #8 in the series.

OOPS, I am a week ahead. These all release July 1st not June 24th

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by BuyMore

I'm waiting for a few, but my top priorities would be Kristen Proby's Breathe With Me and K.A. Tucker's Five Ways to Fall. Another top priority is Vivian Arend's One Sexy Ride which will be released on Monday.

Gah, I already have the first 2 you mentioned in my to-buy-soon pile, but I've never read Vivan Arend. Long story short, the first book 'Rocky Ride' in that series is $.99 so I'll snatch that up with my other purchases. So thanks for the enabling heads up!

[copyrite]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I thought someone here mentioned Jo Beverley as being a good author. So I read one, An Arranged Marriage, and I though it was terrible. Rape, sleeping with another woman after marriage, psycho twins, and Barbie....ugh. Makes me start to re-think my plan to re-read romances I enjoyed in the 80's and 90's.

I haven't read An Arranged Marriage, but I've read a fair number of the Malloren books, not necessarily in order, and I must say A Most Unsuitable Man had to have been one of the most boring books I've ever read. Added to the DNF list and almost turned me off to her books altogether. *yawn*

[BuyMore]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

Gah, I already have the first 2 you mentioned in my to-buy-soon pile, but I've never read Vivan Arend. Long story short, the first book 'Rocky Ride' in that series is $.99 so I'll snatch that up with my other purchases. So thanks for the enabling heads up!

Glad that I help?

I'm not a fan of paranormal romance, so I don't read some of Vivian Arend's books. But I like her contemporary (erotic) romance, especially the sexy Six Pack Ranch series. Thompson & Sons is a spinoff series of the SPR series, but they can be read as standalone.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by library addict

Which isn't to say having multiple suitors/possibilities in the beginning of book/series is always a bad thing. I don't consider Darcy/Elizabeth/Wickham to be a love trinagle as an example.

To be fair, they never were one. Elizabeth was far too smart to be taken in by Wickham for the long haul.

[dandelioncottage]

I agree. At least Stella Riley (who I just discovered) is "revising and extending" her historical romances as she turns them into ebooks.

Originally Posted by Blossom

I too am disappointed when I find out a book has been edited. Patrica Rice I think it is just said she is edited all her old romances from the 80s and removed like 20,000 words from each book. This is sooo sad. [/SIZE]

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by dandelioncottage

I agree. At least Stella Riley (who I just discovered) is "revising and extending" her historical romances as she turns them into ebooks.

Giving authors the authority to edit or add from a previously published story is a dangerous thing.