FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[apesmom]

Freebie

Midlife Bounty Hunter (Forty Proof #1) by Shannon Mayer

Spoiler:

One day I’m married, living in Seattle, and magic isn’t real.

The next, I’m divorced and living in the guest room of my ex’s hotter- than-sin cousin’s place in Savannah . . . and talking to an animated skeleton named Robert.

I have to admit, Robert isn’t my worst date.

At forty-one, I didn’t think I’d be starting over. But I’ll be damned if my ex thinks I’m down and out because he pulled a fast one on me.

When a job comes my way that offers me a chance to use my childhood training in the shadow world, I take it—I need the money more than I care about my sanity.

It’s dangerous.
I have to embrace the magic and dark of my past.
And I need Advil to keep me going.

But those who’d hold me back better sit up and take notice, because a new woman is in town, and she’s not about to be counted out by anyone.

Even if she does groan when she rolls out of bed in the morning.

This series along with the A.J. Lancaster that Sufue posted above are in the top 5 of my new series to start in KU.

[apesmom]

Amanda M. Lee has a bunch of first in series free today. These are mix of PNR/UF and Cozy/PNR mysteries. She consistently gets very high ratings. I have read a few and while they weren't quite what I was in the mood for at the time I gave them 4s. Pretty sure I'll pick them back up at some point.

• Any Witch Way You Can (Wicked Witches of the Midwest #1)
• Sinfully Delicious (Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch Cozy Mystery #1
• Bad to the Crone (Spell's Angels Cozy Mystery #1)
• The Bigfoot Blunder (Charlie Rhodes #1)
• Witchin' USA (Moonstone Bay Cozy #1)
• Freaky Day (Mystic Caravan Mystery #1)
• Grim Tidings (Aisling Grimlock #1)
• Only the Lonely (Death Gate Grim Reapers #1) Aisling Grimlock spinoff
• Who, What, Where, When, Die (Avery Shaw Mystery #1)
• Awakening (Covenant College #1)

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by sufue

I followed @worktolive's recommendation for AJ Lancaster's Stariel series a while back and ending up binge-reading all four (they are all KU). Now the first one, The Lord of Stariel, is free at Kindle US and UK, so you can try it even if you don't subscirbe to KU. Happy holidays!

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HD681WN
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07HD681WN

Thanks for the heads-up on this freebie. I read it in KU (on recommendation from here, thanks much!), had told my sister about it, and now I can tell her it's free to try

[apesmom]

Didn't read as much this week because I had to binge a couple Netflix series. All titles I either read or listened to are in KU.

Shadow Guild/The Rebel by Linsey Hall

#2/#2 - Wicked Deal - DNF
This feels like a Disney UF at times, all that is missing is a star tipped magic wand. World does not work for me. Moving on.

Rosie O'Grady's Paranormal Bar and Grill by B.R. Kingsolver

#1 - Shadow Hunter - 4
There are some big plot gaps as to why a supposedly anonymous bartender immediately becomes the nexus for the city's power players, hoping next book better explains this. Romance on the lite side so far with a couple potential suitors. There are similarities to Annette Marie's GCU:Spellbound series.

I took advantage of my free Audible trial but found only a handful of interesting titles in the free library. Going to work through those before I cancel the membership at the end of the month. On the plus side the trial gave me 2 credits for premium titles that I'll listen to after my month is up. Everything I'm listening to is in KU. The sparse selections included in the Audible membership made me realize what a great option the "Read and Listen for Free" titles (Amazon imprints) are in the KU subscription since those titles aren't included in the free Audible library.

Warrior Chronicles by K.F. Breene

#1 - Chosen - 4
#2 - Hunted - 3.5
#3 - Shadow Lands - 3.5
The series is fantasy/romance, listened to the first 3 but will have to read the next 2. It spends too much time describing battles and the manipulation of the MC's power, but the story and characters outside the battles are good.

Colbana Files by J.C. Daniels (aka Shiloh Walker)

#1 - Bladesong - 4
UF/PNR - Read this title years ago and gave it a 4 but didn't remember much so I listened again so I could pick up the rest of the series in the Audible membership. Glad I did, will continue with the next 4 available titles. The last title is in KU but not Audible.

Purchased:

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Chosen for Power (Dragon Gate #4) by Lindsay Buroker (A/5 stars)
• Mountainside Murder (North Star #3) by Nicole Helm (B/4 stars)

With that I've met all of my reading goals for the year re: new books. Still need to squeeze in two rereads.

Purchased:
none

[worktolive]

Free box set of the first three books and a novella in the Marry the Scot series by Jolie Vines. This is contemporary romance set in Scotland. I've read and enjoyed the first two books. It's in KU so only on Amazon.

Marry the Scot series: Volume 1 by Jolie Vines

Spoiler:

A stern laird who will do anything to get his lass.
A downed military pilot in love with his best friend's younger sister.
Four steamy romances, each containing a modern day hot Scot finding his happily ever after.

Storm the Castle
"Come, lass. Get on a plane with me."
A Highlander walks into a bar...
My father's conference, to be exact. The Scot is huge, overbearing, and his gaze sets me on fire. He wants to take me home to see his mighty tower.
I'm tempted. I really am.
Except I just had a proposal from someone else. One that could give me everything I wanted.
Apart from love.
But when did I ever have a need for that?

Love Most, Say Least
"With my foot to the accelerator of a stolen vehicle, I kidnapped an unconscious heir."
I never cared about who I'd marry, only that I had to walk the aisle before I was twenty-one or lose my inheritance. Then a tiny, wild-haired beauty pulled a stunt that sent my heart into overdrive, and my pulse hasn't slowed since.
She had no idea a car wreck scarred my body and stole my family.
She couldn't know that from one kiss, I'd be all but in love.
I'd saved myself for a marriage I didn't value. Now Beth is in my sights, I finally know what I want, even if loving her means losing everything.

Hero
"Sit tight, lass. I'll find ye."
I always pictured my brother's best friend to be impressive--after all, he's a military helicopter pilot whose job is to save people. Then he appears in front of me and my assumptions fly out of the window.
Tattoos on muscles.
Grey eyes and a sexy smirk.
A Scottish accent to die for.
And what's more? He's here to rescue me from my uncle's clutches. My poor sheltered heart stands no chance.

The Rival
"I won't lose you. Not to him."
Resigned to marry a man I despise in order to save my family's farm, I can't let one point lie. My first time will be on my terms. But when I proposition a stranger, I can't predict that the sweet, generous, super smexy man will turn out to be my betrothed's relative.
And fierce rival.
Let the Highland Games begin.

[library addict]

What were your favorite reads of 2021?

As usual it is impossible for me to pick just one book or even one series as so much depends on my mood. Not all of these are new releases as I also read a lot of backlist. So I just limited myself to books read this calendar year. It was a tough one for me reading wise (even before my mom died unexpectedly), but I still managed to somehow read a bunch of books. I have to be honest, I don't remember reading some of these (or more precisely it feels like more than a year since I did so, even though it hasn't been). 2021 was tough!

alphabetically by author, then by release date:
Demon Angel by Meljean Brook Jan 2007 (The Guardians #1)
Demon Bound by Meljean Brook Nov 2008 (The Guardians #4)
Blind Spot * by Meljean Brook Sept 2009 (The Guardians #5.5)
Demon Marked by Meljean Brook Sept 2011 (The Guardians #7)
Guardian Demon by Meljean Brook Aug 2013 (The Guardians #8)
Spellswept * by Stephanie Burgis Oct 2018 (Harwood Spellbook #1.5)
Conspiracy by Lindsay Buroker Apr 2012 (The Emperor’s Edge #4)
Blood and Betrayal by Lindsay Buroker Sept 2012 (The Emperor’s Edge #5)
Beneath the Surface * by Lindsay Buroker Jan 2013 (The Emperor’s Edge #5.5)
Forged in Blood: Part 2 by Lindsay Buroker July 2013 (The Emperor’s Edge #7)
Diplomats & Fugitives by Lindsay Buroker July 2015 (The Emperor’s Edge #9)
Assassin’s Bond by Lindsay Buroker Feb 2019 (Chains of Honor #3)
Great Chief by Lindsay Buroker Apr 2019 (Chains of Honor #4)
Kingdoms at War by Lindsay Buroker Apr 2021 (Dragon Gate #1)
Art of the Hunt by Lindsay Buroker June 2021 (Dragon Gate #2)
Broken by Magic by Lindsay Buroker July 2021 (Dragon Gate #3)
Chosen for Power by Lindsay Buroker Dec 2021 (Dragon Gate #4)
Under Christmas Stars * by Alissa Callen Sept 2017 (Woodlea #2)
The Red Dirt Road by Alissa Callen Jan 2018 (Woodlea #3)
The Round Yard by Alissa Callen Jan 2019 (Woodlea #5)
The Silver Creek * by Alissa Callen Oct 2019 (Woodlea #6)
Guild Boss by Jayne Castle Nov 2021 (Arcane Society #21/World of Harmony)
Gaming Grace * by Piper J Drake Mar 2020 (Gone Wild #2)
How to Love Him * by Nicole Helm Feb 2021 (Jasper Creek #2.4)
The Promised Queen by Jeffe Kennedy June 2021 (Forgotten Empires #3)
All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz Jan 2021 (Fogg Lake #2)
Mercenary Instinct by Ruby Lionsdrake Oct 2014 (Mandrake Company #1)
The Assassin’s Salvation by Ruby Lionsdrake Nov 2014 (Mandrake Company #3)
Mercenary Courage by Ruby Lionsdrake Feb 2015 (Mandrake Company #5)
Bait N’ Witch [new version] by Abigail Owen June 2020 (Brimstone Inc #3)
The Warrior King by Abigail Owen Mar 2021 (Inferno Rising #3)
The Cupid Complication * by Leslye Penelope Aug 2018 (The Cupid Guild #3)
Requiem of Silence by Leslye Penelope Aug 2021 (The Earthsinger Chronicles #4)
The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick May 2021 (Burning Cove #5)
Light My Fire by Christie Ridgway July 2014 (Rock Royalty #1)
The Devil You Know by Kit Rocha Sept 2021 (Mercenary Librarians #2)
Waking Up Married by Reese Ryan Mar 2021 (The Bourbon Brothers #5)
Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh Mar 2021
Last Guard by Nalini Singh July 2021 (Psy/Changeling Trinity #5)
The Home They Built by Shannon Stacey Feb 2021 (Blackberry Bay #3)
Feels Like Christmas * by Shannon Stacey Oct 2021 (Kowalski Family #10.5)
Driven by Rebecca Zanetti Feb 2021 (Deep Ops #4)
* indicates novella

There were more books I rated at B+ that I would also consider favorites, but figured the above is a large enough list . So only my five star reads for the year are listed here.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by library addict

Yeah, it's the plugins and tools etc I am worried about. Plus I am still using old ADE with no issues. So need to research how all of it works (if it does) with Windows 11. Been reading a bit about the changes there, but I am hoping to keep the setup I have. Not sure what's been going on with Calibre as I haven't kept up with the news since I haven't been upgrading every other update as I did for many years.

I have no plans to stop using the windows 7 PC as it is still a nice computer and I can't afford to replace the photo editing software, Word, etc. But it was stating to have issues accessing some websites, hence the new laptop. It's basically just for going online.

But I also figure better to start researching soonish as I want to ensure everything works before I am forced to if the harddrive fails or something. Better safe than sorry.

But I am going to wait until after the new year.

I am Right There with you! My Win7 desk top has some issues but I will use it as long as possible. I did recently do the export/import of my entire Calibre library and install it on a Win10 laptop as a back up (and also because my new Kindle Paperwhite 5 won't work with the old Calibre) and it did take a long time, but at least it's there should my PC die. (Had a scare Christmas day...resloved by unplugging all USB cords and plugging them back in...whew!)

[sufue]

Now a smidge better at £2.49...

Originally Posted by sufue

The Queen's Bargain is the tenth in Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series, and also the most recent, at least until March of next year. It has dropped to £2.99 at Kindle UK, not an awesome price, but not bad for most-recent-in-series.

Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V9C3D5L
Kindle UK/Smile: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V9C3D5L

[sufue]

Silver Borne is the fifth in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It has dropped to £2.99 at Kindle UK. Not a great price, but Briggs' books don't go on sale all that often, so it may still be worth it.

Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003CUDP2U
Kindle UK/Smile: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003CUDP2U

Spoiler:

MERCY THOMPSON: MECHANIC, SHAPESHIFTER, FIGHTER

Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack - who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend - has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be.

OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday . . .

A fast-paced adventure featuring the ingenious and appealing Mercy Thompson - mechanic, trouble-magnet and coyote shapechanger.

[apesmom]

PNR/Fantasy sale from my author watch list, have not start this series yet.

A Touch of Stone and Snow (A Gathering of Dragons #2) by Milla Vane aka Meljean Brook - $1.99

Spoiler:

Danger lurks in the western realms. The Destroyer’s imminent return has sent the realms into turmoil as desperate citizens seek refuge—but there’s no safety to be found when demons and wraiths crawl out from the shadows. Even Koth, a northern island kingdom left untouched by the Destroyer a generation past, is besieged by terrors spawned from corrupt magics.

When Lizzan leads the Kothan army against these terrors, only to see her soldiers massacred and to emerge as the only survivor, she is called a coward and a deserter. Shunned from her home, Lizzan now wanders in solitude as a mercenary for hire, until she encounters a group of warriors seeking new alliances with the northern kingdoms—a group that includes Aerax, the bastard prince of Koth, and the man who sent her into exile.

Though they were childhood friends, Aerax cannot allow himself to be close to the only woman who might thwart his treacherous plan to save their island realm. But when a goddess's demand binds them together, Lizzan and Aerax must find a way to overcome their painful pasts. Or there will be no future for the western realms...

Kindle | Kobo | Google

[library addict]

Originally Posted by apesmom

PNR/Fantasy sale from my author watch list, have not start this series yet.

A Touch of Stone and Snow (A Gathering of Dragons #2) by Milla Vane aka Meljean Brook - $1.99

This sale lasts until Jan 11th.

And A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1) will be on sale again December 31st only also for $1.99

Spoiler:

A generation past, the western realms were embroiled in endless war. Then the Destroyer came. From the blood and ashes he left behind, a tenuous alliance rose between the barbarian riders of Parsathe and the walled kingdoms of the south. That alliance is all that stands against the return of an ancient evil—until the barbarian king and queen are slain in an act of bloody betrayal.

Though forbidden by the alliance council to kill the corrupt king responsible for his parents’ murders, Maddek vows to avenge them, even if it costs him the Parsathean crown. But when he learns it was the king’s daughter who lured his parents to their deaths, the barbarian warrior is determined to make her pay.

Yet the woman Maddek captures is not what he expected. Though the last in a line of legendary warrior-queens, Yvenne is small and weak, and the sharpest weapons she wields are her mind and her tongue. Even more surprising is the marriage she proposes to unite them in their goals and to claim their thrones—because her desire for vengeance against her father burns even hotter than his own…

Kobo

Google Play

Apple Books

Amazon Kindle

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by library addict

This sale lasts until Jan 11th.

And A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1) will be on sale again December 31st only also for $1.99

Thanks for the heads up, I need that one!

[Terisa de morgan]

Thank you both of you for discovering these books, one of my libraries have both of them.

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Thank you both of you for discovering these books, one of my libraries have both of them.

There is also a prequel called The Beast of Blackmoor, either as a stand alone or in an older anthology called Night Shift.