FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by sufue

I liked it a lot, but then I really like police procedurals, which often are a bit slow and methodical. And Hidden Nature seems to be a police procedural trying to masquerade as a romance. My one big issue was that I really didn't like the "ick factor" stuff, but was able to skip over those parts pretty easily.

Yes, I skip the "ick" parts too (something I've got to do with some of Dallas' books)

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• The Obsidian Curse (Lunaterra Chronicles) by L Penelope (B/4 stars)

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

Purchased:

[sufue]

I haven't read anything by this author, but this looks just like the kind of thing I'd like, so I'm going to give it a try. It's on sale right now in the US for $1.99.

Ana María and The Fox, #1 in the Luna Sisters series, by Liana De la Rosa
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5SQXSWR
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ana-maria-and-the-fox

And when those well-known romance experts, the NYT Book Review and The Washington Post, have nice quotes about it (see the blurb) - well, that's just catnip, even if I more-or-less still have a mad-on at The Post.

Spoiler:

"Pleasingly subversive."--New York Times Book Review

“A perfect mix of slow-burn romance, geopolitical maneuvering and sisterly antics.”—The Washington Post

One of Library Journal's Best Romances of 2023!

A BookList Editor's Pick of 2023!

A forbidden love between a Mexican heiress and a shrewd British politician makes for a tantalizing Victorian season.

Ana María Luna Valdés has strived to be the perfect daughter, the perfect niece, and the perfect representative of the powerful Luna family. So when Ana María is secretly sent to London with her sisters to seek refuge from the French occupation of Mexico, she experiences her first taste of freedom far from the judgmental eyes of her domineering father. If only she could ignore the piercing looks she receives across ballroom floors from the austere Mr. Fox.

Gideon Fox elevated himself from the London gutters by chasing his burning desire for more: more opportunities, more choices. For everyone. Now, as a member of Parliament, Gideon is on the cusp of securing the votes he needs to put forth a measure to abolish the Atlantic slave trade once and for all—a cause that is close to his heart as the grandson of a formerly enslaved woman. The charmingly vexing Ana María is a distraction he must ignore.

But when Ana María finds herself in the crosshairs of a nefarious nobleman with his own political agenda, Gideon knows he must offer his hand as protection . . . but will this Mexican heiress win his heart as well?

[sufue]

Joffe/ChocLit are offering a romance as part of their Free Friday program. (There is also a mystery - you can find that one in that thread.) These "Friday freebies" are usually good through the weekend, but I still advise that you grab them now if you want them...

The Wedding Proposal is part of Sue Moorcroft's Summer Romance collection.
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D87RCCZM
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D87RCCZM

Spoiler:

Fall in love with Elle and Lucas this summer!

Two exes, one disastrous proposal and a tropical island escape.

Sensible Elle Jamieson is ready for a new start. One where she can be carefree and adventurous. And put the past firmly behind her.

She’s spending the summer living on her friend’s boat in Malta. Elle imagines sun-drenched days discovering the island’s hidden gems.

But her dream getaway turns stormy when she discovers she’s sharing her floating home with gorgeous, but insufferable, Lucas Rose. The man who broke her heart.

Four years ago, Lucas proposed to Elle and she turned him down. His injured pride prevented him from staying to ask why and Elle never forgave him for it.

With both of them refusing to give up their holiday they must learn to live side by side in paradise. Which is easier said than done when they can’t agree on anything. And past emotions begin bubbling to the surface.

But one thing they can agree on . . . falling out of love is a lot harder than falling in love.

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Curse of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic #5) by Lindsay Buroker (B+/4 stars)

Also up to Storm Echo in my complete Psy/Changeling series reread.

Purchased:

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• Wanted: Once Scoundrel (The Bustlepunk Chronicles #1) by Jenny Schwartz (C/2 stars)
• Courting Trouble (The Bustlepunk Chronicles #12) by Jenny Schwartz (C/2 stars)
• Curses and Confetti (The Bustlepunk Chronicles #13) by Jenny Schwartz (C/2 stars)

Also I am done with my complete Psy/Changeling series reread.

Purchased:

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:
Only rereads


Purchased:

[sufue]

Joffe has a free romance for Friday/this weekend. It's Welcome to Port Berry, which is the first in the Port Berry series by KT Dady. I haven't read anything by this author, but WTH, it's free, and maybe if I ever get retired, I'll have time to check out some new authors.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1838QZ1
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D1838QZ1

Spoiler:

Welcome to Port Berry, where love is just around the corner.

Sophie Moore has sworn off men. Ever since her ex-boyfriend ran off with her, now, ex-friend. So the appearance of handsome newcomer Matt Rose to Port Berry doesn’t bother her. Sophie knows her heart is safe.

Even if it does flutter annoyingly every time he smiles at her.

Matt Rose has arrived in Port Berry with no money or place to stay. He’s running from a troubled past, and looking for a fresh start.

Matt gets a job with the local fisherman, Jed. But it’s Sophie, hearing Matt will be sleeping on the fishing boat, who offers him a place to stay at her home Cockle Cottage.

Now Sophie can’t escape bumping into Matt everywhere she turns. Neither can she avoid noticing the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles and how she looks forward to seeing him every day.

But she can’t risk another heartbreak.

Matt knows his feelings for Sophie are far more than just gratitude for her kindness. But can he convince Sophie he’s not the only one who needs a fresh start?

There's also a Joffe free mystery this weekend, posted in that thread...

[sufue]

A bunch of Annabel Chase box sets are $0.99/£0.99 in the US/UK right now. Some have been at that price for a while, and some are more recent price drops.

Federal Bureau of Magic: Box Set 1-7 - a box set of books 1-3 was on sale a while back, but $0.99 is still a good price, even if you only need/want the next four
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1XDNVKV
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F1XDNVKV

Spellbound Box Set, Books 1-10 - most or all of these were free on at least one occasion a while back, so check before you buy
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPLH1PBQ
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CPLH1PBQ

Spellbound Ever After Box Set: Books 1-9 - and most or all of these were also free on at least one occasion a while back, so check before you buy
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWJ6BDZP
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DWJ6BDZP

Spellslingers Academy of Magic Complete Series
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWFJLHHP
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CWFJLHHP

Midnight Empire Complete Series
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTGY6PP4
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DTGY6PP4

Starry Hollow Witches Box Set, Books 1-10
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6X226YY
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D6X226YY

[sufue]

The first book in another Rachel Aaron series, the Tear Down Heaven series, is on sale for $0.99 at Kindle US.

Find Hell for Hire at Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWWVS37W

Spoiler:

The Crew
A hulked-out wrath demon who eats gamer rage and loves cats, a shapeshifting lust demon who enjoys their food a bit too much, and a void demon who doesn’t see the point of any of this. They’re not the sort of mercenaries you'd hire on purpose, but Bex wouldn’t trust her life to anyone else.

Ever since the ancient Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh decided death wasn’t for him, killed the gods, and conquered the afterlife, times have been rough for a free demon. But the denizens of the Nine Hells aren’t the quitting sort, and Bex and her team have been choking a living out of the Eternal King’s lackeys for years. It’s not honest work, but when Heaven itself declares you a non-person, you smash-and-grab what you can get.

This next gig looks like more of the same…until Bex meets the client.

The Job
Adrian Blackwood is a witch with a problem. His family has skirted the edges of King Gilgamesh’s ire for centuries, but thanks to a decision he made as a child, Adrian is personally responsible for putting his entire coven in Heaven’s crosshairs.

Determined to set things right, Adrian drags his broom, caldron, and talking cat thousands of miles across the country to Seattle where he can fight the Eternal King’s warlocks without bringing the rest of his family into the fray. But witchcraft--like all crafts--takes time, and if the warlocks catch him before his spells are ready, he’s dead. So Adrian does what any professional witch would do and hires a team of mercenaries to keep the warlocks off his back. He didn’t expect to get demons, but when you’re already on the killing-edge of Heaven’s bad side, what’s a bit more fuel on the fire?

Sometimes you get more than you paid for.
Neither Adrian nor Bex knew what to expect when they signed their contract, but witch-plus-demon turns out to be a match made in the Hells. With this much chaos at their fingertips, even impossible dreams can come back into reach, because Bex wasn’t always a mercenary. She used to be the Eternal King's biggest nightmare, and now that she’s got a witch in her corner, it’s time to put the old magics back on the field and show Adrian Blackwood just how much Hell he’s hired.

It's also KU, as are the second and third in the series, and presumably the fourth, when it comes out in October.

Originally Posted by sufue

I've read and enjoyed a couple of Rachel Aaron's series, including her Heartstrikers (aka "nice dragon") series, and her DFZ series. Now she has a three-book spin-off to the DFZ series, called the DFZ Changeling series, and the first book, By a Silver Thread, is on sale at Kindle US for $0.99. And the whole series is KU if you have that, and thus binge-able if you like it!

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYB6MX9F

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:

• The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon (C+/3 stars)

Purchased:
none

[sufue]

Hidden Nature, by Nora Roberts, is on sale in the UK for £0.99. This prompted a fair bit of discussion a few days ago...

Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DHXV58QT
Kobo UK: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/hidden-nature-12

Originally Posted by sufue

I liked it a lot, but then I really like police procedurals, which often are a bit slow and methodical. And Hidden Nature seems to be a police procedural trying to masquerade as a romance. My one big issue was that I really didn't like the "ick factor" stuff, but was able to skip over those parts pretty easily.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by sufue

Hidden Nature, by Nora Roberts, is on sale in the UK for £0.99. This prompted a fair bit of discussion a few days ago...

This just released May 27th (so a few days over 6 weeks ago).

Yay for sale but publishers really aren't incentivizing readers to pre-order or buy release week. Of course you never know exactly which titles they will do this with but sheesh!

I read it the day I paid full price for the ebook so it was worth it to me, but again sheesh.

[MegDreamsofBooks]

Too bad that sale isn't also in the US. Nora Roberts used to be an auto-buy for me, but the last few years have been hit or miss so I've started getting her new releases from the library before buying them. This one was good enough I'd like to add it to my collection, but not at full price for a book I've already read. It's "I will probably read that one more time sometime" good, not "re-read every year because it's a favorite" good.

[copyrite]

Originally Posted by MegDreamsofBooks

Too bad that sale isn't also in the US. Nora Roberts used to be an auto-buy for me, but the last few years have been hit or miss so I've started getting her new releases from the library before buying them. This one was good enough I'd like to add it to my collection, but not at full price for a book I've already read. It's "I will probably read that one more time sometime" good, not "re-read every year because it's a favorite" good.

I'm the same with... with Nora Roberts' books and with my reading attitude, although it's rare I buy anything at full price. I tend to borrow from Libby or Hoopla, possibly purchase later.