Free and bargain romance in April

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by apesmom

Is that a TN thing? I just selected a Harlequin to check out with and saw IL tax of $0.00.

I have no idea. We have two sales tax here. State at 9.86% and county at 8.25% We get charge for everything we buy. I've never been charged both even with Agency books this is the first time. Good to know it's not every state though they are doing this with.

[Blossom]

Lori Handeland is giving away her western historical Reese. You have to go to her Facebook page and fill out a form of your name and email address and she emails you a link in about 24 hours.

The email contains a link to All About Romance and a coupon code that makes the book free. This will work for Non Kindle users as well. I was able to use the code twice to get both the Mobi and Epub.

This is part of a formally published 6 part multi-author series between her and Linda Devlin. All others are available on Kindle or B&N for $3.99 a piece. Reese is Book one and was originally published by Zebra in 2001.

They are DRM free so if you buy them at Amazon a quick trip to Calibre and you can convert them to format of your choice.

You will be opting in to her Newsletter by filling out the form.

Note: You don't need a Facebook account to get your free book just an email address.

[KentE]

Originally Posted by Britomart

When I proposed we open up this thread to romances from other retailers and to freebies and bargains, I did so because I thought this would give the thread a wider scope.

.... The valuable information, for me, is which of the cheap or free ebooks out there are actually the ones worth getting. So the more people post here, identifying authors or titles that are worth reading, the better.
.....

Full disclosure-- I'm not typically a "romance" reader by any stretch of the imagination, but I find myself reading this thread regularly for two reasons:
1) I love the concept of it (readers of a particular genre banding together with good advice), and I find the member interaction in the thread compelling.
2) there are occasional authors that I know I enjoy that write both romance and non-romance books, and I guess/hope/suspect that their books are more likely to get a mention in this thread due to their "romance" fans.
I love Britomart's post quoted in part above. The critical thing in this thread is which books are worth reading at a bargain price, not where the books come from. It's a great idea if a post makes it clear what source the bargain is from, and if you can't (or aren't willing) to convert, scan for posts with that info and skip over the posts that are irrelevant to you.
As in nearly all threads in the Deals, Freebies forum, I wish there were more books mentioned from other sources besides Amazon. From my own attempts and comments by more experienced members, I know this is because the sheer quantity of free books is larger at Amazon & the search to find them is simpler. I try to compensate by always paying more attention to a post that mentions a source other than Amazon, since I have the feeling that an actual reader cared enough to ferret it out and post it!

Regarding 2) above:
I've read and really enjoyed several of Rachel Lee's non-romance titles, and have found myself waiting for a busy librarian to not notice that I'm checking out one of her books from the Romance section at the library. (okay, it's a guy thing.....). From her writing quality, I'm sure I'd probably enjoy some of her more accurately-classified-romance titles as well, although I've yet to try one.
There are also authors that I KNOW I enjoy that have never been classified as "Romance", although I've had a sneaking suspicion that someone in marketing was smart enough to realize that the intended audience would bypass the books for that reason. A particular writer that I enjoy is normally categorized as "Espionage", since he writes mostly Word War II era books, but I would certainly be tempted to classify some of his books as "historical romance" instead of the "Espionage" category they normally are in. (No sex, so heaving bodies, but most certainly romance in it's classic intent is the true theme.) I'm certain that there are authors where the opposite is true-- the "romance" classification targets the intended audience well, and unfortunately leads to guys like me passing up a good book. I have hopes that with a thread like this one, maybe I'll get over that problem and find more authors that I love!
... so, thanks to all here, and keep up the good work!

KentE

[library addict]

Blossom, you can download DRM-free books at ARe in multiple formats without "repurchasing."

Just click on Help --> How do I dowload an alternate file format --> Select the option for non-bold title --> Open a ticket --> select the title you wish from all the titles you have purchased. The book will then be back at the top of your My Library page and you can download another format.

[Britomart]

Lilith Saintcrow's Hedgewitch Queen is available at bargain prices (around $ 2.99) at Amazon US DE, at B&N and at Kobo (for Europeans, anyway, and no coupons can be applied). This is especially satisfactory as the price never went down for Europeans the last few times it was reduced in the US. And this time I waited before buying!

It's a fantasy romance / fantasy novel with strong romance elements and the first in a series:

Vianne di Rocancheil is content to play the gawky provincial. As lady in waiting - and more importantly, friend - to the Princesse of Arquitaine, she is free to do largely as she pleases. Court is a dangerous place for the unwary, but Vianne treads its measured steps well. Unfortunately, the dance has changed. Treachery is afoot in the Court's gilded and velvet halls. A conspiracy is unleashed, with blood, death, and warfare close behind. The fate of Arquitaine now rests on the wits of a lady in waiting, and she must flee. If she reaches the mountains, she may be safe - and her beloved land with her. A life of dances, intrigues, and fashion has not prepared her for this. Nor has it prepared her for Tristan d'Arcenne, Captain of the King's Guard and player in the most dangerous games conspiracy can devise. But to save her land and avenge her Princesse, Vianne will become what she must, say what she should, and do whatever is required. A Queen can do no less.

[Britomart]

Free at Amazon US DE: The Gates of Hell by Susan Sizemore, SF romance first published in 2000 by Speculation Press.

Thrilling Science Fiction Romance Adventure Novel from New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Sizemore!

As plague burns across the galaxy, a pirate and an empathic healer team up to stop the deaths and find the cause of the disease. Pyr and Roxanne have every reason to be enemies, but in the end pirate and physician risk betraying everything that either of them believes in, for the sake of a bond deeper than any they ever dreamed of.

Free at Amazon US DE: Return to Paradise by Carol Grace, a contemporary romance and part of a series. The author has published numerous books with Harlequin and this one may be a backlist ebook with a new title.

Rancher Parker Robinson was having one of those weeks. His cook quit and his daughter was trying her best to get expelled from boarding school. To top it off, he found a strange woman on his ranch who didn't know who she was! What he knew was that she was off limits. She could be another man's wife!
Christine couldn't remember her name or how she got to the ranch in the middle of Colorado. All she knew was that she'd landed in some kind of paradise where men were rugged and women were cherished. Somehow she had to find out who she was, where she came from and most important - was she free to love again?

Free at Amazon US DE: Playing Love's Odds by Alison Kent, a veteran writer with Harlequin and Kensington among others. This is a romantic suspense novel that was first published in 1993 as a Kismet romance.

It was not the sort of investigation Logan Burke usually handled. Nowadays he was hired by your average Joe - not sleek, polished corporate players in plush Houston office suites. But it was a straightforward case of industrial espionage with one advantage - a hefty check from ViOPet Chemical Company. All Logan had to do was watch Hannah Evans, a ViOPet employee, and figure out how she was leaking valuable research secrets.

In the six weeks that he spent watching her, Logan began to feel a special bond with Hannah. For the first time in years, he actually considered dumping the case and pursuing the mark. It was not enough to view Hannah across a crowded restaurant or through the lens of a camera. He wanted to breathe her scent. He wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to find the innocence he'd given up on finding in his life again.

Hannah knew someone was following her. She didn't know who he was or why he was there, but his presence was unnerving. It was time to take action, time to let a professional call the shots. She would pay a visit to a private investigator who had come highly recommended - a Mr. Logan Burke.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by KentE

Regarding 2) above:
I've read and really enjoyed several of Rachel Lee's non-romance titles, and have found myself waiting for a busy librarian to not notice that I'm checking out one of her books from the Romance section at the library. (okay, it's a guy thing.....). From her writing quality, I'm sure I'd probably enjoy some of her more accurately-classified-romance titles as well, although I've yet to try one.

Your library doesn't have a self-checkout? I smuggle all my "questionable" loans through the machine that scans my card and lets me check out the books myself. The line there is usually shorter anyway.

[terriluvsbooks]

Glad to see this thread. I loved the Harlequin thread. I use mainly Amazon, Overdrive and I Books but would attempt to convert files if I really saw something I wanted. 1 thread works best for me but it really doesn't matter.

I love Lori Handeland but have only read her futuristics.

[apesmom]

Kindle Freebie

Captured by Victoria Lynne - previously released by Avon in 1995

Nominated for two RITA Awards: Best Historical Romance of the Year; Best First Novel

Captured:

Devon Blake's quick wits and good luck helped her survive on the streets of Liverpool. But in America, she finds herself in serious trouble. Accused of spying, she seems destined for the gallows. And it is handsome, dynamic Captain Cole McRae who must lead her to prison. Treachery destroyed Cole's ship and most of his crew. Now he's determined to see the dark-haired beauty responsible jailed for her heinous crime- and Devon's wild attempts at escape only fire his fury. But Cole and Devon's daring race through enemy territory ignites a passion stronger than vengeance.

[apesmom]

Kindle Freebie

Healing Hearts by Kim Watters - published by Avalon as Home at Last in 2003

Bounced from one foster home to another, Sarah Churchill learned early that love is conditional and nothing is free. Not even the homeless dog she accidentally runs over.

Veterinarian Grant Morrison is a sucker for strays, both the four-legged kind and the two-legged kind. So when a redhead walks into his office with an injured dog, he does the only thing he knows how to do and stitches up the dog for free.

But Sarah has her pride. Determined never to be a charity case again, she won't accept the service and insists on working at the clinic to pay for the bill.

Can one man and one big, furry dog break down the wall of hurt and distrust and show Sarah the true meaning of happiness and unconditional love?

[apesmom]

Kindle Freebie

Tsunami Blue (Tsunami Blue #1) by Gayle Ann Williams - published by Love Spell in 2010

No Safe Harbor — With her badass rain boots, her faithful dog, and the ability to predict the monster tsunamis that have reduced the US to a series of islands, Kathryn O'Malley isn't afraid of much. Cut off from all society, she takes to the airwaves as Tsunami Blue, hoping to save something of humanity as the world around her crumbles. But Blue should be afraid - because her message reaches the wrong ears.

Now she's the target of ruthless pirates known as Runners who want to use her special talents for their own profiteering - as soon as they can find her. Blue's only shot at survival lies with the naked stranger who washes up on her rocky beach. A man who might just be working for Runners himself. Torn between suspicion and attraction, the two will have to navigate a surging tide of danger and deceit if they hope to stay alive.

[melmac]

Marriage of Convenience by Doreen Owens Malek pretty sure this is a repeat freebie as it sounds quite familiar

Taylor Braddock. His name brought back memories of a man so handsome that a young girl had fallen in love - and made a fool of herself. A man so unique he'd spoiled Sharon Philips for any other love.

But now her father's will had joined their lives once again. In a final attempt at matchmaking, Dad left half his California horse ranch to Sharon, the other half to Braddock - provided they were husband and wife.

A quick wedding. A quick divorce. A quick sale of the ranch. It seemed simple. But time had only fueled their passion. Could Taylor erase ten years of pain and show Sharon that loving him was her destiny?

[Blossom]

ATDrake posted this in her Smashwords thread but I thought I mention it here for those who might not subscribe to that thread.

Tempting Trace by Debra Webb is free at Smashwords. This is a Precious Gem romance that was published in 1999 by Zebra. Precious Gem was Zebra's attempt to compete with Harlequin. It had a contemporary and historical line. Each month four titles in each line would be released and they were cheaper than the Harlequins. All Debra Webb's PG romances are only 99 cents at Amazon with Here to Stay which is another Precious Gem romance is still free at Amazon and Going to the Chapel is free at Smashwords.

[Britomart]

Paths of Desire by Shannon Donnelly (Amazon US DE). The author published a number of trad regencies with Zebra. This novel appears self-published. According to comments, it's a regency historical with an adultery theme (not for everyone).

With too many secrets in her past, and too little future as an actress, Theodosia Newell wants one thing more than all else—security. She’s seen her mother abandoned, her younger brother die, and she’s vowed never to be poor. But then her path crosses that of a man who tempts her to abandon caution and all thought for the future for a passionate affair. Can she find the courage to break from her deepest fears? And will her love prove enough to save them both?

Born with a soul for adventure, David Llewellyn cannot resist a challenge—and his enthusiasm for life is as magnetic as his personality. But two women share his life, and only one can be his. Will his stubborn refusal to make a choice between them lead him to lose everything? Or will he find, in the journey to the lost city he dreams of discovering, a path to a deeper love than he thought possible?

For ten years, the affair between David and Thea goes from passion to love. Lives are changed. Secrets come out. Marriages end. And new ones begin. Through it all, the desire of two strong-willed people lead them to clash, and to eventually find their own path--to each other and to facing the need and love they share. From London to Italy to Syria, the Paths of Desire lead them on a journey they must make together.

From the Author
Book of the heart -- you hear that phrase and wonder if that means self-indulgent nonsense, or is this person crazy. It's probably a bit of both, but I like to think of it as book with heart. This is one of those books, written for the sake of bringing these characters to life, written because you had to write it, written because you hoped it would find readers but you had no guarantees.

This book is not for everyone--it's more historical novel than historical romance, but it's more romance than historical novel. The hero is unhappily married, and it's gotten rejections from editors who didn't want to touch adultery in a novel, but I felt that subject needed to be tackled. People end up in unhappy situations, and how do you deal with that and find your path through it is something we struggle with. The heroine is also searching outside herself for a security which she learns is an illusion--as are many of our desires.

I love writing this book--and I'm delighted at last that it can come out as a Kindle ebook and not wait for a publishing house to be brave enough to take a risk on the book. I hope it finds readers. I hope it finds its own path. Now it's up to the readers to make those choices for this book.

An Indecent Marriage (Amazon US DE) by Doreen Owens Malek, veteran Harper and Silhouette author, is a contemporary romance and a reissue of Bright River (1987).

The town of Bright River held too many sad memories for Jessica Portman. She’d returned for one reason– to oversee the takeover of her ailing father’s mill by a rival company. She intended to finalize the deal and go back to Italy.

Then she met the owner of J.C. Enterprises, Jack Chabrol– the boy she’d left behind. Only Jack was no longer a boy; he was a man– a man bent on revenge. He had never forgiven Jessica for leaving him to marry someone else, nor had he forgotten the love they’d once shared. Jack was determined to possess Jessica, and she had only one defense against his anger: her love.

[Britomart]

Gemma Halliday's Hollywood Headlines Mysteries trilogy is 0.99$ at B&N. They were free individually earlier this year, but if you missed that it's a very good price.

Boxed set of three Hollywood Headlines Mysteries novels from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Gemma Halliday, including:

HOLLYWOOD SCANDALS
Tina Bender is the gossip columnist at the infamous L.A. Informer tabloid. She knows everything about everyone who's anyone. And she's not afraid to print it. That is, until she receives a threatening note, promising, "If you don't stop writing about me, you're dead." Teaming with a built bodyguard, a bubbly blonde, and an alcoholic obituary writer, Tina sets out to uncover just which juicy piece of Hollywood gossip is worth killing over.

HOLLYWOOD SECRETS
Cameron Dakota is the L.A. Informer's staff photographer and paparazzi extraordinaire. Her latest subject is Trace Brody, top-shelf actor and half of America's favorite Hollywood couple. Trace is about to get married in a blow-out wedding, and Cams editor, Felix Dunn (from the High Heels Mysteries), has assigned her to get the first shots of the bride and groom. But when Cam takes pictures of what looks like Trace being threatened at gunpoint, she suddenly finds herself smack in the middle of a scandal more sensational than even she could invent. On the run, under fire, and in serious danger of falling in love with one leading man, Cam must get to the bottom of this story... before she becomes tomorrow's headline.

HOLLYWOOD CONFESSIONS
Allie Quick has high aspirations - much higher than reporting on the latest celebrity gossip for the L.A. Informer, Hollywood's most notorious tabloid. But if she's going to join the ranks of the real reporters, she's going to need a headline worthy story under her belt. Which is just what she gets when the producer of the trashiest reality shows on TV winds up murdered, and Allie convinces her editor, Felix Dunn, that this story has her name written all over it. Between an aging dance-off judge, a family with sextuplets and triplets, and the star of a little person dating show, Allie has no shortage of reality stars to question. But when she finds herself falling for her prime suspect, Allie's relationship with her editor is suddenly on the rocks, and her life is in danger. This is one deadline Allie can't afford to miss!