FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[apesmom]

So I opened an email from Kobo this morning and saw this . . .

[sufue]

I haven't read Quiet in Her Bones, but I read Singh's first suspense/mystery title, A Madness of Sunshine for my blog. I liked Madness okay, but wasn't crazy about it. (If you want to read my review, my blog's URL is in my signature...)

I'll be interested to try her second one, now that I can snag it for a good price...thanks @library addict!

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

Quiet in Her Bones is not a romance, for sure. I like it, but no hint of romance.

[apesmom]

Freebie! I've read the first 3 in the series and gave them 4s, haven't gotten to the next 3 yet.

Motion (Hypothesis #4) by Penny Reid

Spoiler:

One week.
Home alone.
Girl genius.
Unrepentant slacker.
Big lie.
What’s the worst that could happen?

Mona is a smart girl and figured everything out a long time ago. She had to. She didn’t have a choice. When your parents are uber-celebrities and you graduate from high school at fifteen, finish college at eighteen, and start your PhD program at nineteen, you don’t have time for distractions outside of your foci. Even fun is scheduled. Which is why Abram, her brother’s best friend, is such an irritant.

Abram is a talented guy, a supremely gifted musician, and has absolutely nothing figured out, nor does he seem to care. He does what he feels, when he feels, and—in Mona’s opinion—he makes her feel entirely too much.

Where to read more of the Hypothesis Series:
Book 1 ATTRACTION (ends in a cliffhanger!)
Book 2 HEAT (ends in a cliffhanger!)
Book 3 CAPTURE (no cliffhanger)
Book 4 MOTION (ends in a cliffhanger!)
Book 5 SPACE (ends in a cliffhanger!)
Book 6 TIME (no cliffhanger)

[apesmom]

This week in KU . . .

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

#6 - Haunted Blade - 4
#6.5 - Haunted Magic - 4
Series finished, maybe. Despite the fact that these last 2 installments are sorely in need of proof-reading I would be happy to see more, there's a wide opening for another book. #6 was published in 2017 and #6.5 was published in 10/20 so big gaps between books leave me hopeful for another. Recommend if you're looking for gritty UF with romantic elements.

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

#4 - Well of Magic - 4
#5 - Knights Magica - 4
Series finished. The last 2 entries in the series got a lot better, more polished. I'm glad I pushed through and am now looking forward to her more recent series The Rift Chronicles. The heroine in the books is looking for love and finally finds it, I think, but do not pick up this series for romance.

Stariel by A.J. Lancaster

#1 - The Lord of Stariel - 4.5
I finally got to this series. So far the writing is lovely, very even pacing as the story slowly unfolds.

Ghosts of Gotham Saga by Craig Schaefer

#1 - Ghosts of Gotham - 4
Listened for free in KU, narration is excellent. There are 2 more in the same universe but not listen for free. Very unique UF mystery. Kind of feels a little bit like someone I've read before, maybe Neil Gaiman? Will be reading the next one.

Purchased:

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Oaths (Dragon Blood #8) by Lindsay Buroker (A/5 stars)
• Abandoned in Death (In Death #54/#65) by JD Robb (C+/3 stars)
• Thanks to You by Maggie Blackbird (B-/3 stars)
• Opposites Attract by Nora Roberts (D-/1 star)

Purchased:

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by library addict

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Oaths (Dragon Blood #8) by Lindsay Buroker (A/5 stars)
• Abandoned in Death (In Death #54/#65) by JD Robb (C+/3 stars)
• Thanks to You by Maggie Blackbird (B-/3 stars)
• Opposites Attract by Nora Roberts (D-/1 star)

Purchased:

I see that you're not happy with the last J.D. Robb, like me.

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by apesmom

This week in KU . . .

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

#6 - Haunted Blade - 4
#6.5 - Haunted Magic - 4
Series finished, maybe. Despite the fact that these last 2 installments are sorely in need of proof-reading I would be happy to see more, there's a wide opening for another book. #6 was published in 2017 and #6.5 was published in 10/20 so big gaps between books leave me hopeful for another. Recommend if you're looking for gritty UF with romantic elements.

I think the gap has a name: Samhain.

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

I think the gap has a name: Samhain.

I purchased some of these a couple years before Samhain went under, I'm pretty sure they've been self-pubbed from the start. Although I think she had quite a lot in Samhain under Shiloh Walker.

[apesmom]

Don't forget to check Amazon's daily deals today. 89 titles, all romance, $0.99 - $3.99.

[apesmom]

Deal. Haven't started this series yet but it's got a ton of good ratings.

A Touch of Malice (Hades x Persephone #3) - $0.99

Spoiler:

"I am not sure who you think I am," she said. "But let me be clear—I am Persephone, future Queen of the Underworld, Lady of Your Fate—may you come to dread my presence."

Persephone and Hades are engaged. In retaliation, Demeter summons a snowstorm that cripples New Greece, and refuses to lift the blizzard unless her daughter calls off her engagement. When the Olympians intervene, Persephone finds her future in the hands of ancient gods, and they are divided. Do they allow Persephone to marry Hades and go to war with Demeter, or prohibit their union and take up arms against the God of the Dead?

Nothing is certain but the promise of war.

Kindle | Kobo | Google

* FYI, 40% off "partners" code is currently active at Kobo.

[worktolive]

Originally Posted by apesmom

This week in KU . . .
[B]

Stariel by A.J. Lancaster

#1 - The Lord of Stariel - 4.5
I finally got to this series. So far the writing is lovely, very even pacing as the story slowly unfolds.

Another convert. I stretched the series out so I'd have something to look forward to and finally read the last book, The King of Faerie, last month, although the author is writing an offshoot book in this world featuring Hetta's brother. The author said the plot got away from her a bit as the series went on. I rarely reread, but I've already got the urge to do so with this series.

[apesmom]

A couple agency bargains

The Bride Test (Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang - $1.99

Spoiler:

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he's defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can't turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn't go as planned. Esme's lessons in love seem to be working...but only on herself. She's hopelessly smitten with a man who's convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme's time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he's been wrong all along. And there's more than one way to love.

Kindle | Kobo | Google

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren - $2.99

Spoiler:

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine”and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

Kindle | Kobo | Google

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by worktolive

Another convert. I stretched the series out so I'd have something to look forward to and finally read the last book, The King of Faerie, last month, although the author is writing an offshoot book in this world featuring Hetta's brother. The author said the plot got away from her a bit as the series went on. I rarely reread, but I've already got the urge to do so with this series.

Count me in as another convert! I stretched out my reading from the first to second book, but I gobbled it up after that. I started the second book last week and I’m now on The King of Faerie, and already wishing there were more books to follow.

[worktolive]

This has been free in the past, but it's back down again and worth reposting. Jackie Lau is one of my favorites. This book is set in Toronto, features lots of yummy food, and a grumpy/sunshiny neighbor pairing.

Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie Lau.

Spoiler:

A grumpy/sunshine rom-com!

When small-town engineer Amy Sharpe inherits a house in Toronto, she decides it’s the perfect opportunity to start over and go back to school. Away from the family that takes her for granted, away from the ex who expected so much and gave little in return.

The new Amy enjoys wandering around the city and frequenting bubble tea shops, German beer halls, dim sum restaurants, and coffee bars serving Japanese pastries. She has a roommate with the same name as her favorite fictional character, and a group of friends who meet at a cider bar every couple of weeks.

The new Amy is also in lust with her brooding, tattooed next-door neighbor, Victor Choi, who is far from friendly but looks really hot cutting the grass without a shirt. Too bad the grass doesn’t grow faster.

As she starts telling him about her daily adventures—and as a little kissing in the garden becomes a regular activity—Amy begins to feel more than lust. But she fears she’s falling into her old patterns in relationships and refuses to let herself be underappreciated again.

Is Victor really more than a hot fling? And what’s he hiding behind that grumpy exterior?

[worktolive]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

Count me in as another convert! I stretched out my reading from the first to second book, but I gobbled it up after that. I started the second book last week and I’m now on The King of Faerie, and already wishing there were more books to follow.

The author is writing a book featuring Marius. She's sent out a few excerpts. No publication date yet though.