FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Badlands Beware (Badlands Cops #5) by Nicole Helm (D/1 star)
• Close Range Christmas (Badlands Cops #6) by Nicole Helm (B+/4 stars)
• The Silver Snare by Stephanie James (D+/2 stars)

Purchased:

[copyrite]

Originally Posted by library addict

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Badlands Beware (Badlands Cops #5) by Nicole Helm (D/1 star)
• The Silver Snare by Stephanie James (D+/2 stars)

Oh dear... not a good reading week!

[library addict]

Originally Posted by copyrite

Oh dear... not a good reading week!

Yeah. Maybe I was too rough on the Helm series. But there were so many plot quibbles and character issues I had. I did really enjoy the romances in books 3 and 6.

Spoiler:

The heroes' father was the head of a biker gang so I knew the series would be a struggle for me.

But I loathed the heroines' father/uncle/foster-father and the way everyone treated him as Mr. Wonderful when he was such a lying

The Stephanie James/Jayne Castle books I've been reading this year are the remaining books in my print TBR pile. These are mostly old category (Candlelight Ecstasy Romance, Silhouette Desire, etc) books of hers that I had never got around to reading. I decided to go in published order. The oldest I had was 1980 and the book above was 1983. I still have about 14 more to go (including her two extra long single titles she wrote for Dell which are like 400 page tiny print monsters). These are all ones I've never read and kept getting buried in my TBR, by no means her entire backlist as I've read most of her backlist already. (I'll put my main issues in a spoiler)

Spoiler:

Now I am willing to let some things slide on the whole sexual politics front as these books are all at least thirty, most closer to forty years old and were progressive for their time. All of her heroines have always worked and been presented as smart and successful. But there are some where the hero's attitude just drives me batty and no amount of humor and love of the heroine can save them for me. It's not in every book, but many of them have had casual remarks about beating the heroine. Not just from the heroes, but the supporting characters and sometimes the heroine too. The very casualness of it is shocking, but I read a lot of this era when it actually was current and most authors had lines like this in their books. And while the heroes may talk of such crap they would never actually do it.

The one where the hero actually did spank the heroine as punishment for scaring him I threw against the wall and gave an F. But mostly it has been offhand comments and not really even a part of the hero's attitude. But some of her heroes it has been more integrated with their general attitude and those I usually dock at least a full letter grade or more.

These older categories are all strictly heroine POV. She obviously doesn't write this way anymore so I do try to give some stuff a pass and consider when they were written. They are still her voice, so there are parts I've liked in each book. It just depends on how frequently the problematic content occurs. Or more accurately how pervasive I felt it was in the story since I'm not tracking it on a spreadsheet or anything.

And of course, there are books where the plots and characters simply don't work as well as in others.

I am trying to get my entire print TBR completed. I thought I had done so last year when I read the rest of Carla Neggers' backlist. But I had forgotten I had put these JAK books on the shelf with the books of hers I had already read. This was back when my dog was a puppy and ate a library book. So I had put them on the shelf to be safe and though they were still on the TBR list I keep in Word it was a case of out-of-sight equals out-of-mind.

I wouldn't be reading these books if they weren't by a long-time favorite author, I would just DNF and move on. But as I said, her voice is still very much in evidence. So even if I ultimately give the book a D it still had some redeeming qualities/enjoyable parts. I'm just trying to rate them against the other books by the same author I've read and the general question of "how much did I enjoy this book?" as I do with all of the books I read. And from that aspect some of these just aren't as good. Add the problematic content and I've been ending up with a lot of Cs and Ds.

[copyrite]

Regarding one of your spoilers... a lot of times these older books are so problematic that they don't read well in this current environment. The heroes are so not heroes.

When something an author has written bothers me, most of the time I just skim the rest of the book, but consider it a DNF. And usually i don't bother with the author almost ever again, because there's just so many titles *glares at TBR* I would rather be reading.

[Terisa de morgan]

I totally understand you, @library addict. JAK is one of my favorite authors, perhaps the first one, but some of her older books... no way.

[sufue]

This Changes Everything is the first in the McLaughlin Brothers series by Jennifer Ashley. I haven't read anything in this series, but have really liked Ashley's Captain Lacey mystery series (written as Ashley Gardner) and I've noticed a few other folks upthread have liked her Shifters Unbound books. Which is all of long way of explaining why this seemed worth posting. Oh yeah, and it's free right now at Kindle US and UK.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08968MYYC
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08968MYYC

Spoiler:

See that gorgeous guy over there? Standing behind his brother at the altar, best man while I’m maid of honor. Zach McLaughlin. He was my first love. Hot, enticing, out of reach.

Now he’s back in my life, the two of us reconnecting when my best friend marries his brother. I haven’t seen Zach for years, now he’s next to me, irresistible in his tux. He looks at me with his sweet blue eyes, and his mouth quirks just a little. Enough to show me he’s noticing me, and wondering how we’ll get through this.

I’ll try to keep it casual, but I know inside that seeing Zach after all these years ... is going to change everything.

Book One of the McLaughlin Brothers

Note to readers: The McLaughlin Brothers are light, fun, humorous, short, feel-good romances. Meet the four McLaughlins: Ryan, Zach, Ben, and Austin, who will do anything for each other, and their spirited heroines: Calandra, Abby, Erin, and Brooke. Enjoy!

For those who might care, these do look self-pubbed, but Ashley moved to self-pubbing her Captain Lacey series part-way through, and I've still liked all of them....

[sufue]

Now at £1.49 at Kindle UK:

regular link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071X2K4S6
Smile link: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071X2K4S6

I just started reading the "original" Others series, although it's a little darker than I usually enjoy. But somehow, I'm still enjoying it. So, nice to see this one on sale...

Originally Posted by BuyMore

Lake Silence (The World of the Others #1) by Anne Bishop is currently on sale at $1.99.

Amazon | Kobo

[sufue]

This is sort of an odd cross-post, based on a pretty strong recommendation for Will Wight's Cradle series from Ilona of the Ilona Andrews duo. According to the IA blog, it's mostly martial arts with just the "merest hint of romance": https://ilona-andrews.com/2020/unsouled-by-will-wight/

But, since some folks here follow this duo, I thought I'd cross-post based on her recommendation.

Per @binaryhermit's post in the SciFi/Fantasy thread, the first seven titles in this series are all free today at Kindle US: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=4043671

Probably in honor of the new title coming out tomorrow, so probably today only ???

[worktolive]

A box set of the first three books in the Lord and Lady Hetheridge mystery series is on sale today for $0.99. I've read most of this series and enjoyed it. It has a modern day class difference/age difference romance between 2 Scotland Yard detectives.

Deadly Trio: 3 English Mysteries: Ice Blue, Blue Murder, Something Blue by Emma Jameson

Spoiler:

Here are the first three Lord and Lady Hetheridge Books in one collection! In ICE BLUE, meet Lord Anthony Hetheridge, chief superintendent for New Scotland Yard. A bachelor approaching his sixieth birthday, Baron Hetheridge has a neat, orderly personal life that his new subordinate, the impetuous and beautiful Kate Wakefield, turns upside down. And their first murder case together reveals not only a powerful attraction, but a secret from Hetheridge's own past.

In book 2, BLUE MURDER, Hetheridge and his detectives, DS Kate Wakefield and DS Deepal "Paul" Bhar, seek the culprit of a deadly Halloween bash while Hetheridge, ever more enamored of Kate, is determined to put an heirloom engagement ring on her finger.

In book three, SOMETHING BLUE, East Ender Kate is finally ready to marry her blue-blooded guv and become Lady Hetheridge at long last. But with Downing Street pressuring them to solve a case in the shortest time frame ever, and serial killer Sir Duncan Godington back in the mix, can the wedding actually go off without a hitch?

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by copyrite

Regarding one of your spoilers... a lot of times these older books are so problematic that they don't read well in this current environment. The heroes are so not heroes.

When something an author has written bothers me, most of the time I just skim the rest of the book, but consider it a DNF. And usually i don't bother with the author almost ever again, because there's just so many titles *glares at TBR* I would rather be reading.

I can definitely relate to this. I remember wishing that Fern Michaels would makes ebooks out of her older back list, but I went and reread one of my paperbacks or tried to and couldn't finish it.

It's amazing how my whole reading perspective has changed from when these books first came out and I thought were so good back then to what I can no longer read/tolerate!

[worktolive]

Free:

Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen

Spoiler:

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

Warning: This stand-alone novel contains growly alpha farmers, gourmet yumminess, a steamy outdoor shower and proof that farmers don't mind getting dirty.

[BuyMore]

Originally Posted by sufue

This is sort of an odd cross-post, based on a pretty strong recommendation for Will Wight's Cradle series from Ilona of the Ilona Andrews duo. According to the IA blog, it's mostly martial arts with just the "merest hint of romance": https://ilona-andrews.com/2020/unsouled-by-will-wight/

But, since some folks here follow this duo, I thought I'd cross-post based on her recommendation.

Per @binaryhermit's post in the SciFi/Fantasy thread, the first seven titles in this series are all free today at Kindle US: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=4043671

Probably in honor of the new title coming out tomorrow, so probably today only ???

Ah, I remember that blog post. Just got the seven books for free. Yay!

[sufue]

Oh good, glad this was of use to someone . And, just for the fun of it, I checked, and amazingly, they are all still free, as of Wednesday afternoon, 10/7, US Pacific Time. That's a long time for a whole series to stay free. Except the last one, of course, which came out yesterday, and is $6.99.

Originally Posted by BuyMore

Ah, I remember that blog post. Just got the seven books for free. Yay!

[copyrite]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I can definitely relate to this. I remember wishing that Fern Michaels would makes ebooks out of her older back list, but I went and reread one of my paperbacks or tried to and couldn't finish it.

It's amazing how my whole reading perspective has changed from when these books first came out and I thought were so good back then to what I can no longer read/tolerate!

I think it's a combination of life experience / a different perspective and a book that was written in a time period where some circumstances were viewed differently. At least that's my 2cents!

[library addict]

Ilona Andrews's Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) is on sale for $2.99

Spoiler:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Kobo

Google Play

Apple Books

Amazon

Possibly first sale in US. I know it's been on sale in the UK before this.