FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Teddy (Jasper Creek #3.1) by Nicole Helm (A-/5 stars)
• Hit by the Cupid Stick (Brimstone Inc #6) by Abigail Owen (B/4 stars)

Also up to season two and Silver Silence in my complete Psy/Changeling series reread.


Purchased:
none

[apesmom]

Kindle Dailey Deal (has not dropped elsewhere)

Radiance (Wraith Kings #1) by Grace Draven - $0.99

Spoiler:

~THE PRINCE OF NO VALUE~

Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.

~THE NOBLEWOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE~

Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.

Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.

This is romantic fantasy. I've read the first 2 books in this series and liked them both.

[worktolive]

Radiance is wonderful! Highly recommend it. The relationship between Brishen and Ildiko is everything you want in a romance. And the second book, Eidolon, is just as good, although that one tips more to the fantasy rather than the romance side.

[apesmom]

Box set deal. This author is on my KU list but I haven't gotten to her yet. She recently took this series out of KU. Book 1 was free back in Dec.

The Unlikeable Demon Hunter Collection: Books 1-3 by Deborah Wilde - $0.99

Spoiler:

At 10:47 AM, Nava Katz is given a magic destiny. Turns out it’s non-refundable. Destiny can suck it.

When Nava interrupts her twin brother's induction ceremony into a secret supernatural society, she doesn’t expect to accidentally torch his life-long dream and steal his destiny.

Horrified she’s now expected to take his place, she's faced with the one thing she swore off forever: a purpose.

The all-male squad isn’t cool with a woman in their ranks and assigns her to Rohan Mitra: former rock star and their most ruthless hunter. He may be the perfect bad boy fling with no strings attached, but what happens when he won’t let her run—not even from herself?

The Unlikeable Demon Hunter Collection: Books 1-3 includes the first three novels in this fast-paced, completed urban fantasy series.

Odds of her new teammates expecting her to fail? Best not to think about that.

Odds of her succeeding out of spite? Dive in and find out.

Kindle | Kobo | Google

[sufue]

Another one for a buck...The Ivy Tree has dropped to $0.99 in the US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GVFUDWI
Kindle US/Smile: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00GVFUDWI
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-ivy-tree-1

Spoiler:

Whitescar is a beautiful old house and farm situated in Roman Wall country. It will make a rich inheritance for its heirs, but in order to secure it, they enlist the help of a young woman named Mary who bears remarkable resemblance to missing Whitescar heiress, Annabel Winslow. Their deception will spark a powder-keg of ambition, obsession and long-dead love.

The ivy had reached for the tree and only the tree's upper branches managed to thrust the young gold leaves of early summer through the strangling curtain. Eventually the ivy would kill it . . .

Originally Posted by issybird

Nine Coaches Waiting by the incomparable Mary Stewart has dropped to 99¢ at Amazon and Kobo and presumably elsewhere.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GW4OZH2/
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/nine-coaches-waiting-1

This was one of my top three Stewarts when I read them as a girl (the other two were The Ivy Tree and Wildfire at Midnight); I’m not entirely sure I’ll reread, but I can’t resist having it for a buck.

Crosspost in Mystery.

[library addict]

Penguin Random House shuffled a whole bunch of release dates due to printing supply chain issues (so digital and audio dates will move as well).

Including but not limited to:

• Milla Vane's A Dance of Smoke and Steel was Nov 29 now May 23, 2023
• Jayne Castle's Sweetwater and the Witch goes from Sept 6 to Sept 20 (just two weeks so not too bad)

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Dodging Bullets in Blue Valley (North Star #5) by Nicole Helm (B+/4 stars)
  

Also up to Alpha Night in my complete Psy/Changeling series reread.


Purchased:
none

[apesmom]

Freebie! Romantic Suspense boxset, 10 full length novels.

Dangerous Touch Kindle | Kobo | Google

A gripping collection that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as your heart pounds in anticipation. Perfect for fans of Laura Griffin, Nora Roberts, and Rebecca Zanetti.

Cold Blooded (Cold Justice #10) – Toni Anderson
Scrappy investigative journalist Pip West vows to determine how her best friend died—the only thing standing in her way is one devastatingly attractive, incredibly stubborn FBI agent. Hunt Kincaid needs Pip to stop interfering in his investigation before she spooks a ruthless terrorist and gets them both killed.

Firestorm (Flashpoint #3) – Rachel Grant
A spy and Green Beret set off on a mission to stop a coup in DR Congo, entering a jungle in which everyone is after the mother lode. Deep in the sultry rainforest, they forge a relationship more precious than diamonds while uncovering a conspiracy that could ignite the continent.

Stiff Drink (Secret Billionaires #3) – Blair Babylon
Arthur Finch-Hatten is six-feet four-inches of hot, ripped, loaded English nobleman who is wasting his life and his earldom so audaciously that his younger brother is suing him for control. Arthur stands to lose everything, including his cover as an MI-6 spy.

Running Blind (Men of Steel #4) – Gwen Hernandez
To rescue her sister from traffickers, Caitlyn must attend a gala with a fiancé she concocted to rebuff her boss's lecherous son. Can she convince former special operator Kurt to forgive past betrayals and play groom-to-be?

Protecting His Witness (Shattered SEALs #1) – Amy Gamet
Summer became a penpal to her Navy SEAL brother’s teammate, his letters claiming a place in her heart. But when her brother is killed, his friend disappears as well. Now her life is in danger and she seeks help from HERO Force, coming face-to-face with the man who'd stolen her heart.

Deep As The Dead (Mindhunters #9)– Kylie Brant
When Dr. Alexa Hayden becomes a serial killer's newest obsession, she and Sergeant Ethan Manning have to confront their painful past to predict the criminal's actions. The Tailor will leave no sin unpunished, and his unholy crusade has marked Alexa for death.

HAN: Her Ruthless Mistake (Ruthless Triad #4) – Theodora Taylor
I should stay away from her. Let her pay me back some other way.
But I can't. She's golden sunshine wrapped in a sexy little package, lighting up all the dark parts of my heart. And when she asks me why I did it, two words rise without thought or reason.
You're mine.

Simon Says Hide (Kate Morgan #1) – Dale Mayer
Newly promoted detective Kate Morgan stands up for the victims in the world, never backing down or giving up. Having the gift of Sight, Simon St. Laurant is determined to help. Simon vows to save these children—even if it means dealing with the cranky and critical Detective Kate Morgan.

Diverted (Coast Guard RECON #1)– Lori Matthews
When Chief Petty Officer Axel Cantor is sent to investigate the death of an American journalist on a cargo ship blocking the Suez Canal, it should be an open and shut case. He didn’t count on running into his ex- girlfriend Sloan Bishop or a cold-blooded killer.

First Do No Evil (Blood Secrets #1) – Carey Baldwin
Warning: Contents include one heart-melting hero—good luck getting this delicious detective out of your head. One reluctant heroine—wielding a Glock was never on her to-do list. One crazed villain. And a lifesaving vaccine with one deadly side effect—murder.

[apesmom]

This week . . .

Ghosts of Gotham by Craig Schaefer

#3 - The Hungry Dreaming - 5
Very long, almost 700 pages, but I was completely immersed in the story. Same world as the first 2 but a new set of charters, witches, Greek gods and a few other things. UF, no romance. I really appreciate her writing, there's nothing about her prose that annoys me and pulls me out of the story. Looking forward to the next one in the series. Completely absorbed by the story for 700 pages gets a 5.

Black Hat Bureau by Hailey Edwards

#4 - Black Wings, Gray Skies - 3
The author doesn't seem to post expected publish dates, the new books just appear out of the blue. It was hard to get pulled into the story after just finishing the Craig Schaefer where the writing was so much better. The one sentence paragraphs are pulling me out of the story enough that I'm ruling out reading any of her earlier series and I'm probably going to drop this one too.

Scarlet Falls by Melinda Leigh

#1 - Hour of Need - 3.5
Listened via KU. Story was just OK. Didn't care for narration, voices were OK but descriptive narrative was robotic.

Game Changers by Ilsa Madden-Mills

#1 - Not My Romeo - 4.5
#2 - Not My Match - 4
Listened on KU, book 1 narration is good. Narration on book 2 is also good except for the female voice performed by the male narrator. Sports romance, once I started book 1, listened all the way to the end. Almost the same for book 2. No more in this series but there's room for 2 more. That's the last of the listen for free from this author in KU.

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

#1 - Stillhouse Lake - 4.5
Listened on KU. Narration is very good. Haven't read anything from this author since her Weather Warden series which I loved. Not romance, this is suspense, a very compelling listen. Looking forward to the next one.

Purchased:

[sufue]

There seems to be a little bit of a recent thing with occasional Mary Stewart titles going on sale for $0.99 one-at-a-time in the US.

Now it's The Moon-Spinners...

Info and links in this previous post.

[Little.Egret]

A Suitable Boy: THE CLASSIC BESTSELLER AND MAJOR BBC DRAMA by Vikram Seth (1993)

1553 pages, 99p

[BuyMore]

Thanks to the recommendations by apesmom and library addict, I've read and liked the Death Before Dragons series by Lindsay Buroker. I'm not exactly a fan of high or epic fantasy, so I'm more interested in her books in an urban setting or a sci-fi setting.

That said, I've been slowly collecting her Star Kingdom series, and came across this in one of those Kindle recommendation email. I'm not a KU subscriber so any discount on the books is exciting. I'm not sure about the regular price, but I doubt it's $0.99. I actually got Book 1 for free last time, so $0.99 for Book 2 and 3 isn't bad at all either.

Star Kingdom Box Set (Books 1 - 3) by Lindsay Buroker - $0.99
Kindle

Spoiler:

It is a time of treachery, terrorism, and tyranny in the Star Kingdom. The king cannot be trusted, the galaxy is on the brink of war, and a notorious mercenary is destroying everything—and everyone—in his path on his quest for vengeance.

The Star Kingdom is in dire need of heroes.

What it gets is a band of misfits and underdogs:

• A washed-up bounty hunter struggling to make ends meet.
• A genetically engineered cat woman on the run from her makers.
• A robotics professor who gets space sick before leaving orbit.
• A brilliant scientist who’s better at punching people than talking to them.

As unlikely as it seems, this motley crew is the best hope for bringing peace to the galaxy. But they have troubles of their own, and they’ll have to fly fast to avoid being hunted down and killed.

A romping science fiction adventure for fans of Star Wars and Firefly, this space opera bundle includes:

1. Shockwave
2. Ship of Ruin
3. Hero Code

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• When She Dreams (Burning Cove #6) by Amanda Quick (A/5 stars)
• Kiss Hard (Hard Play #4) by Nalini Singh (A-/5 stars)

Also up to Last Guard in my complete Psy/Changeling series reread.


Purchased:

[Terisa de morgan]

As I see you've enjoyed Nalini's book, I'll try to see if it's available at the library.

[apesmom]

This week . . .

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

#2 - Killman Creek - 4.5
#3 - Wolfhunter River - 4.5
#4 - Bitter Falls - 4.5
#5 - Heartbreak Bay - 4
Listened on KU, narration is excellent, even with multiple POVs. This is suspense but there is a work in progress relationship throughout the novels so far. Once these books get rolling I have a hard time taking a break. No more left, don't know if there will be more.

Sam Quinn by Seana Kelly

#4 - The Hob & Hound Pub - 4
One of the few non-KU series I'm currently purchasing. Still enjoying it, nothing annoying me.

Guild Codex Universe/Unveiled by Annette Marie

#18/#3 - The Twice-Scorned Lady of Shadow - 4.5
Sigh, now I have to wait until September. Stupid cliff hanger.

Purchased: none