FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[Critteranne]

Originally Posted by library addict

Did anyone get an email about this? I only discovered it as I went to look up a book on the site and saw it.

I ended up using a lot of points to get a $20 of a $60 purchase coupon -- and then buy some trade paperbacks and one hardback. (At least those can be Christmas presents!) That was a better alternative than buying eBooks I can read only on that nagging app they use.

Of course, after I made that purchase, I earned even more points.


I ended up those points to buy eBooks and try out the Glose app again. Each day, it "adorably" nags me because I haven't read anything.

I still have another $20 off a $60 purchase coupon. And 13,900 points to spend.

[Hemmi]

Yes, I got an email last week about the My Rewards program ending. I stopped using the program when you couldn't download your ebooks anymore

[apesmom]

I have sooo many credits for Harlequin but stopped even looking at their site when they stopped allowing downloads and pulled Avon. I supposed I can see if there's anything I want but none of their books have showed up on my radar for the past year. I guess I'll redeem credits and wait for the day we can download again.

[apesmom]

Freebies. Books #1-6 of Tricia O'Malley's Siren Island series are free. I haven't read it but they are very well and consistently rated throughout the series and they're free!

#1 - Good Girl

Spoiler:

Wouldn't it be nice to escape to paradise?

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Tricia O'Malley, comes a brand-new series about love, self-discovery, and embracing your inner mermaid.

When Samantha books a trip to Siren Island, it’s because she has finally hit a wall. Worn-out, defeated, and dead tired – Samantha is ready to run away from it all. Her whole life has been spent playing by the rules, and for what? An empty apartment, a career with no upward movement, and one failed relationship after another. When it all blows up in her face, what's a girl to do but take a last-minute trip to the ridiculously named Laughing Mermaid Bed & Breakfast on an unknown speck of an island in the Caribbean?

Lucas is no stranger to burn-out. He landed on Siren Island seeking solace from his own troubled past. What he didn’t expect was to find that his mysterious neighbors at the quirky Laughing Mermaid bed & breakfast would show him there’s more to this world than he ever could have believed. When Samantha arrives as their guest - depleted and needing respite, Lucas can't help but feel like he could be the man she needs. Irresistibly drawn to her uptight demeanor, Lucas is determined to unwind Samantha and show her that life on Siren Island could be the answer to all her problems.

#2 - Up to No Good

Spoiler:

Lola Ramon has cultivated a life most would dream of – or judge – depending on who is doing the looking. A world traveler and artist, she never stays in one place for too long, or with one man. A fateful meeting with a psychic in Italy reveals the cracks in her happy exterior and sends her to Siren Island determined to take a break from her wandering lifestyle. There, she hopes to finally find answers to a question that’s always enchanted her.

Gage Rivelle waved goodbye to the corporate world from the deck of his beautiful new sailboat years ago and has happily settled into a leisurely life leading sailing tours on Siren Island. Used to women of all ages throwing themselves at him, Gage has developed a discerning eye for what he’s looking for in a life partner. When Lola steps off the plane, Gage knows instantly he’s found the one.

Fiercely independent and determined to explore the mermaid mythology of Siren Island, Lola has promised herself a break from whirlwind relationships. Admittedly attracted to Gage, she pushes him away, wanting to take this time to focus on herself.

In a battle of wills, Gage must prove to Lola that he isn’t the island playboy she thinks he is, but instead could be the one man who will stick by her side forever.

#3 - A Good Chance

Spoiler:

Will she be swept away?If someone had told Avery that she’d be flying to a tiny island in the Caribbean to film a reality show masquerading as her identical twin sister, she would have thought they were crazy. And yet, she finds herself in a tin can of an airplane, about to land on Siren Island where a film crew waits to document her every move for a new reality love show – Swept Away.Even though Avery has a long history of helping her sister out of trouble, this time really takes the cake. Avery promises herself that she’ll push herself outside her comfort zone as she’s spent the last several years focusing on her career and healing from a near-death accident. As much as self-reflection can be annoying, Avery admits she’s been letting fear take the reins for too long. What she doesn’t expect is for Siren Island to live up to its name, nor to actually find love. When she meets the women of the Laughing Mermaid, Avery’s world tilts as everything she’s ever thought to be true of herself, and of the world, gets thrown out the window. As her beliefs get tried, the producer, Roman, can’t seem to stop baiting her as she does her very best to meet the challenges head-on and tries to form a connection with the bachelor, Beckett.As her reality gets rocked, Avery scrambles to not let fear dictate her future, and to emerge from the depths a new woman – ready for love and a life of adventure.If only he will give her a chance.

#4 - Good Moon Rising

Spoiler:

Even mermaids fall sometimes…

The ladies of The Laughing Mermaid guesthouse are renowned for both their beauty and their enchanting ways. Jolie, one of the owners, has only dated casually for years, as she is searching for the one man who has been foretold to be her future. When he arrives, Jolie is shocked to find him impervious to her charms. Used to men falling at her feet, Jolie is completely unprepared to have to work for the love she was promised.

Dr. Theodore Macalister harbors a deep admiration for mermaid myths and legends. As a literature professor, his summer sabbatical has led him to Siren Island to research the origin story of Siren Island’s mermaids. When he arrives at The Laughing Mermaid, Ted is half-convinced the inn is being run by goddesses. Meeting Jolie is like a punch to his gut, and Ted is immediately transported back to his awkward college years when beautiful girls would make him stutter. Determined to stop his attraction to Jolie, Ted firmly places her in the friend zone and is oblivious to all the signals she throws his way.

As Ted keeps Jolie at arm’s length in his search for mermaids, he might soon discover that the very thing he is looking for has been right in front of him all along.

#5 - Too Good to be True

Spoiler:

When the oracle predicted that Mirra would need to be rescued…Mirra is shocked to find the premonition unfold literally. When Silas Somerborne races to save the day, and rescues Mirra from certain death, she knows immediately that he’s the one she’s been waiting for. And yet, no matter how hard she tries, Silas pushes Mirra away.

Silas has spent his life escaping notice by living on the fringes of society where hard work and keeping his head down is all he knows. He’s content with his life as it is, and Silas certainly doesn’t need a bombshell beauty like Mirra to intrude. As far as he’s concerned, women could disrupt the course of even the most seaworthy sailor.

When danger comes to Siren Island, Silas must do his best to quell the threat and keep Mirra safe. However, is Silas actually the one who has needed rescuing all along?

#6 - A Good Soul

Spoiler:

Irma’s life has been defined by tragedy – one which the legends of Siren Island will never let her forget. Because of this, she’s learned that taking a chance on love isn’t worth the high cost that comes with it. Instead, Irma contents herself with the simple pleasures in life – running her guesthouse, spending time with her girls, and swimming in the Caribbean-blue waters each day. However, when a handsome Australian with a mysterious past shows up at The Laughing Mermaid, Irma’s understanding of the world shatters.

Ezra has settled into an easy life of bachelorhood, preferring to travel and focus on his one goal – uniting the Mer tribes of the world. Freedom, flexibility, and following his own whims are things he values most and he lives his life exactly as he pleases. But it only takes one note of Irma’s siren song to entrance him and now he only has one goal in mind – how to make this luscious siren his own.

Now, despite Ezra’s irresistible charms, Irma still feels like she must guard her heart. Will she be able to let down her walls and risk it all for love – one more time?

[apesmom]

Ugh, I forgot about Harlequin's propensity for promoting old titles with new covers as a new release.

[Critteranne]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

Yes, I got an email last week about the My Rewards program ending. I stopped using the program when you couldn't download your ebooks anymore

I did pretty much the same -- although I did get a few print books. The problem with the original discounts was that you could use the free book code on an $8.99 or lower paperback, and those usually have tiny print.

I used one coupon to buy Glose. I didn't realize that Glose pops up at the end of the day and sweetly nags you because you haven't read any books on Glose yet.

[apesmom]

Freebie! #1 was recently free.

Harvest Web (Moonshadow Bay #4) by Yasmine Galenorn

Spoiler:

Summer has been kind to January—work has involved a lot of quiet research, she’s helped Ari revamp her wedding plans, and settled into a comfortable routine with Killian. That all comes to a screeching halt when autumn crashes in like a bull in a china shop.

January finds herself plagued with a frightening ghost when renovations literally uncover a skeleton in a hidden room. She must discover who the dead man was and why his skeleton is in her house before she can exorcise the spirit—not an easy task in itself. On top of that, at work an even more serious issue arises when Conjure Ink’s new client is killed by the Whatcom Devil—an urban legend come to life. And now, it’s stalking January. Can Conjure Ink manage to find and destroy the creature before it manages to claim January as its next victim?

[apesmom]

This week . . .

Iron Seas by Meljean Brook

#0.4 - The Blushing Bounder - 4
#1 - The Iron Duke - 4
#2 - Heart of Steel - 3
Read the short story and listened to #1 & 2, narration is good. Of the 3 I liked the novella the best. Didn't care about the characters in #2. This finishes off the ones I already owned and I don't think I'll carry on with the series.

Valkyrie Bestiary by Kim McDougall

#6 - Ghouls Don't Scamper - 4.5
KU. I'm not getting tired of this series at all. There's a holiday novella that comes out on the 10th.

Romantic Suspense by Karen Rose

#26 - Quarter to Midnight (New Orleans #1) - 4.5
Listened, male narrator but different than the one that did the Sacremento sub-series, he does a pretty good job. Sadly, I'm now all caught up on Karen Rose. Back to one book a year as they release. Binging them definitely exposed her writing tics but still love her. Next one releases 2/28/23.

Cainsville by Kelley Armstrong

#4 - Betrayals - 4
Listened, narration good. Unique series, one to go to finish the series and I don't have a sense of how it's going to finish up.

Buchanan-Renard by Julie Garwood

#4 - Murder List - 3
Listened, narration is meh and the tin can effect on voicing phone calls is super annoying. Didn't really care for the characters.

Purchased: none

[library addict]

Originally Posted by apesmom

Iron Seas by Meljean Brook

#0.4 - The Blushing Bounder - 4
#1 - The Iron Duke - 4
#2 - Heart of Steel - 3
Read the short story and listened to #1 & 2, narration is good. Of the 3 I liked the novella the best. Didn't care about the characters in #2. This finishes off the ones I already owned and I don't think I'll carry on with the series.

FWIW I wasn't much of a fan of book 2, but I loved Rivited (book #3) and The Kraken King (book#4) as well as some of the other novellas particularly Wrecked (#3.5) and Salvage (#3.7). The second half of the series is far better than the first half IMO though I do have a soft spot for Here Be Monsters (#0.5) and The Blushing Bounder (which in published order is #1.5).

[library addict]

We lost power yesterday afternoon and it is not expected to be back on until tomorrow evening. Pretty sure this is all I read new this week but can't access my PC at the moment 😢


Weekly Report:

Read:

• Honor and Shadows [new version] (Starlight's Shadow #1.51) by Jessie Mihalik (B-/3 stars)
• Hammered (Legacy of Magic #1) by Lindsay Buroker (B+/4 stars)

Purchased:

[library addict]

I read Buroker's Death Before Dragons series earlier this year mostly in audio. But I didn't want to wait for the audio books to start the spin-off series. That was one nice thing about coming late to the earlier series.

[Terisa de morgan]

Yes, I totally agree.

[zelda.owns.link]

I will happily take any eBook codes you want to send to me for Harlequin!

[apesmom]

Deal. I rated this one 4.5

First Star I See Tonight (Chicago Stars #8) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - $1.99

Spoiler:

A star quarterback and a feisty detective play for keeps in this sporty, sexy, sassy novel—a long-awaited new entry in the beloved, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author’s fan-favorite Chicago Stars football series.
Piper Dove is a woman with a dream—to become the best detective in the city of Chicago. First job? Trail former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. Problem? Graham’s spotted her, and he’s not happy.

Which is why a good detective needs to think on her feet. “The fact is . . . I’m your stalker. Not full-out barmy. Just . . . mildly unhinged.”

Piper soon finds herself working for Graham himself, although not as the bodyguard he refuses to admit he so desperately needs.

Kindle | Kobo | Google

[sufue]

Three price drops on authors mentioned by others upthread. All are KU, so if you have a subscription you may want to go that way instead...

Midlife Bounty Hunter, first in the Forty Proof series by Shannon Mayer, $0.99.I've read the first three or four in the series, and liked them, need to get around to reading some more!
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084VT2NYC

Court of Darkness, second in the Shadow Fae series by CN Crawford, $0.99. The first was free a while back, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GWGJ8NN

Taming Demons for Beginners, first in the Guild Codex: Demonized series by Annette Marie, $0.99. First in this spin-off series - I've read and liked it, and some (all?) of the previous series.
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X2WZ819