Free and bargain romance ebooks + Discussion February 2014

[NixLapi]

Originally Posted by Blossom

What was the first Adult Romance book you read?

Maybe not the exact first, but one of the first I remember the title of is Suzanna's Surrender by Nora Roberts! It was in one of those Reader's Digest condensed editions - I found it at my grama's cottage one pre-teen summer. I was totally entranced by the big mansion, family history, and hot guy! I think there was also a boat involved... or at least a dock. lol

[Keslynn]

I don't recall the first ever that I read but I remember devouring Victoria Holt novels when I was 12/13. I read every one that my library had and then branched out and read everything they had under her other pen names.

[apesmom]

Kindle Freebie

Cupid's Mistake (Cupid #1) by Karen Harbaugh (Signet Regency 1997)

Miss Cassandra Hathaway is beautiful, intelligent, and innocent. Lord Blytheland is handsome, intelligent, and sophisticated. A perfect match, yes? Lord Blytheland doesn't think so. After a disasterous marriage in which this widower suffered with a faithless, bluestocking wife, there's nothing he'd like worse than another educated miss with an unfortunate penchant for blurting out the painful truth. As for Cassandra, there's nothing she'd like less in her life than an illogical man prone to emotional outbursts--and never mind his good looks and devastating smile. Neither one of them figures on the tortuous machinations of Cassandra's little sister, Psyche, or Psyche's mischievous friend, Harry, and his arrows that cause people to fall very, very desperately in love.


Karen Harbaugh is an award-winning romance novelist of eleven novels and a RITA finalist. A Navy brat who grew up along the west coast of the U.S. and Hawaii, she has a BA in Expository Writing, is happily married, and has a grown son. She has held various day jobs, from a research assistant in a child development center to a quality assurance analyst to a technical writer. Despite her wanderlust, she has managed to stay for a few decades in the Pacific Northwest and now works for a civil and structural engineering company, although she did manage to live and travel for a short while in Europe, where she hopes to visit once again some day.

[TallMomof2]

I hope that everyone facing life crises find a positive resolution. I know about mysterious medical issues. It took 2 years to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and another 10 for the fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Re the "mistorical" discussion. For the most part I read "mistoricals" because I started reading romances after years of reading science fiction and fantasy. Alternate realities and histories are my favorite genre. Grace Burrowes is one of my favorite authors because of the twists she gives to the regency genre. I'd rather read about characters rebelling against societal norms especially when those norms entrench a rich, privileged class who don't care those less fortunate. Yes, it's not accurate but it's fiction.

The so-called traditional historicals are of less interest to me as I get older. Most of the time the female protagonist is so young and sheltered that I really can't relate.

I'm just glad that there are a variety of novels available for everyone's taste.

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

Yes, it's not accurate but it's fiction.

Yes. Exactly! It's fiction, just entertain me.

[hannahi]

Kindle Freebie

Cupid's Mistake (Cupid #1) by Karen Harbaugh (Signet Regency 1997)

Thanks for sharing. I missed the Signet Regencies when they were first published (I guess my library didn't carry them). I love the cover art. The guy is holding the violin and bow backwards

[worktolive]

Originally Posted by apesmom

Kindle Freebie

Cupid's Mistake (Cupid #1) by Karen Harbaugh (Signet Regency 1997)

This sounds very cute and I love clueless, bluestocking heroines.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

Re the "mistorical" discussion. For the most part I read "mistoricals" because I started reading romances after years of reading science fiction and fantasy. Alternate realities and histories are my favorite genre. Grace Burrowes is one of my favorite authors because of the twists she gives to the regency genre. I'd rather read about characters rebelling against societal norms especially when those norms entrench a rich, privileged class who don't care those less fortunate. Yes, it's not accurate but it's fiction.

The so-called traditional historicals are of less interest to me as I get older. Most of the time the female protagonist is so young and sheltered that I really can't relate.

I'm just glad that there are a variety of novels available for everyone's taste.

That isn't always the case though that's what stero typical heroines use to be but much of the older ones have some very smart heroines.

My problem with mistoricals isn't so much a herione who acts out of her element as I am sure there were a few it's doing so without consequences but my biggest pet peeve about mistoricals is the modern words used in dialogue and writing. You can write an alternative historical regency and still keep it sounding as if it fits in the time period using words like celebrity and cash in a Regency just makes me grind my teeth together!

Seriously I picked up a historical novel the other day and on the first page the hero asks someone "Did you bring cash?" I don't think someone who hasn't got a clue how to write the time period should be allowed to write a story set in that time period. Research is key when writing historical. It doesn't need to be totally accurate as I'm no purist but C'mon show some effort here at least!

Right now anyone can write a historical without doing any research and get published by a real publisher now that's just plain sad.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by apesmom

Kindle Freebie

Cupid's Mistake (Cupid #1) by Karen Harbaugh (Signet Regency 1997)

I am slowly collecting her books as they are released in digital. The Devil's Bargain and The Vampire Viscount are her two best books and the start of the series. Cupid's Mistake is #3 in the series.

[Keslynn]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Seriously I picked up a historical novel the other day and on the first page the hero asks someone "Did you bring cash?" I don't think someone who hasn't got a clue how to write the time period should be allowed to write a story set in that time period. Research is key when writing historical. It doesn't need to be totally accurate as I'm no purist but C'mon show some effort here at least!

The term "cash" to mean money apparently dates back to the 18th century. Language can seem more modern but still be accurate to a historical time period. I was surprised at how modern the language seemed when I had to read through Early Modern religious pamphlets. Now the handwriting and spelling... that was a totally different story.

I'm not going to pretend that inaccuracies never bother me. It still makes me grind my teeth when anyone says witches were burned in England or the US (Salem). Then again, the witch trials are my specialty. I'd probably have more Regency peeves if that was my area.

I think this probably places me more on the "it's fiction/entertainment" end of the spectrum.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Keslynn

The term "cash" to mean money apparently dates back to the 18th century. Language can seem more modern but still be accurate to a historical time period. I was surprised at how modern the language seemed when I had to read through Early Modern religious pamphlets. Now the handwriting and spelling... that was a totally different story.

I'm not going to pretend that inaccuracies never bother me. It still makes me grind my teeth when anyone says witches were burned in England or the US (Salem). Then again, the witch trials are my specialty. I'd probably have more Regency peeves if that was my area.

I think this probably places me more on the "it's fiction/entertainment" end of the spectrum.

Actually the term cash means a box of money not money itself and it wasn't used in the context we use it today yet so asking if you have cash was not common use back then so it's seriously being misused by the author. I think the correct term would be coin or just money.

[Keslynn]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Actually the term cash means a box of money not money itself and it wasn't used in the context we use it today yet so asking if you have cash was not common use back then so it's seriously being misused by the author. I think the correct term would be coin or just money.

cash
1593, from M.Fr. caisse "money box," from Prov. caissa, It. cassa, from L. capsa "box" (see case (2)); originally the money box, but the secondary sense of the money in it became sole meaning 18c. Verb meaning "to convert to cash" (as a check, etc.) is first attested 1811.
(relevant section bolded by me) Source: Online Etymology Dictionary

I'm sure there are still plenty of words that are not time-period correct being used in historical romances (mistoricals). My overall point is that it can be difficult to tell linguistic accuracy based on modern sensibilities and ideas of when words were actually used. Your mileage may very. Void where prohibited. And if the book you were talking about takes place before the 18th century, then feel free to ignore my whole point anyway.

Since time-period-appropriate language is very much your thing, Blossom, have you read Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories books? She made a whole specialty spellcheck dictionary with only words that were used during the time period in question. I've only read the first book, Shades of Milk and Honey, and it's wonderful. They're Austen-like romances with a little magic thrown in. Highly recommended.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Keslynn;2768228

Since time-period-appropriate language is very much your thing, Blossom, have you read Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories books? She made a whole specialty spellcheck dictionary with only words that were used during the time period in question. I've only read the first book, [I

Shades of Milk and Honey[/I], and it's wonderful. They're Austen-like romances with a little magic thrown in. Highly recommended.

Thanks I added it to my wishlist. Maybe it will go on sale.

[JNCalif]

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

I hope that everyone facing life crises find a positive resolution. I know about mysterious medical issues. It took 2 years to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and another 10 for the fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Same here, except for me it was fibromyalgia and autoimmune thyroid disease...

[auntykatkat]

Originally Posted by mrscoach

That was waayy too long ago. I'm pretty sure it was a Harlequin because my mom always had a stash of those hidden in the closet and i remember sneaking in and snatching one or two. She never read anything racy, so they couldn't have been very physical, but I remember blushing and being embarrassed: and then sneaking another one. LOL

I remember alternating between those and Trixie Belden books from my own shelf. (think Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys, same age bracket)

I have to say that my first REAL romance was Johanna Lindsey's A Pirate's Love.
That was when I was in junior high around 1979. You need to understand that I was reading John Jakes Kent Family Series. I started that series when I was 14. I just seemed to want to have happy endings and was use to reading alot word wise. The Harlequin's were just too damn short. I then corrupted my sister who was reading horror stories. She and I still read romance and share our libraries.

Auntykatkat