Free/Bargain Romances in June 2013

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by library addict

Had to go the eye doctor to get new contacts RX. They dialated my eyes and I can't see well enough to read

That is horrible!!!!

[Sydney's Mom]

Sorry, double post. Hope everyone has a very wonderful weekend!

[laurla]

Originally Posted by Blossom

NA is based on age so if you see the label you know the characters are under 25. Right now NA is so hot that authors are redefining their books just to take part of the NA craze. Some NA fans will buy anything NA and authors are taking advantage of that.

Yes, NA is based on age, but I also think the sub-genre (well, those that are truly NA) is about more than the age of the character - it's about the type of story being told. Before NA became a thing, I read lots of contemps about early to mid 20 year olds that I wouldn't call NA because they weren't experiencing that 'coming of age' angst and were getting an HEA instead of NFN.

I don't care about the age of the character (okay, I do... I don't read YA at all, but that's a whole different reason). It's the trope... I don't like the dark, angsty, drama crap. That's also part of the reason I stay away from all the rockstar stuff... same trope mostly, or seems to be, at least to me. I'm probably missing out on some good books, but then again, I can't see the top of my TBR pile, so I'm not too worried about it To each her own, I say

I'm with NixLapi - it's nice to have the heads up - which is of course what labelling sub-genres are all about - making it easier for readers to find (or run away) from their preferred stories. I've just realized I need to pay closer attention to the blurb or sample

[laurla]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

I bought the http://www.amazon.com/Philadelphia-P...s=Philadelphia I loves me baseball players!

Originally Posted by Blossom

Some of my favorites are any of Pamela Britton racing books (Her book Playboy Prankster is my favorite), Erin McCarthy's Fast Track series, Roxanne St Claire's Dangerous Curves.
Harlequin has a whole line up dedicated to NASCAR though I own almost all of them I haven't read them. Another good racing book was Thrill of the Chase by Christina Crooks.

Originally Posted by apesmom

Rachel Gibson's Chinooks Hockey series is probably my favorite.
I also enjoyed the early books in Deirdre Martin's Blades series.

Originally Posted by library addict

I've got the first two of Jaci Burton's Play-by-Play series in my TBR pile, but like others here I've yet to read them.

My favorite sport romance is an old Silhouette Intimate Moments book that's not available in digital yet, The Edge of the World by Kathleen Korbel. It's plot is a bit OTT, but I loved it.

I recently read and enjoyed Dangerous Race by Dee J Adams. The heroine is a race car driver. Not a sport I watch so no idea if she got details correct or not.

Jill Shalvis did a baseball series. Only two books so far. Double Play and Slow Heat. I enjoyed the second much more than the first, but they're worth a read.

Thanks all for the recs! I've read or have a lot of what's here (Chinooks, Blades, Sharon Stey, Dee Dee Adams) but I look forward to digging up some of the others - esp those NASCAR books. *licking lips*

Sydney's Mom - have you tried any of Morgan Kearn's Deadlines & Diamonds series? I have the last one (from an anthology), so am holding out hoping the others drop in price... Also, Kate Angell's Richmond Rogues...mmmmmmm

[Loosheesh]

I just completed the Psy-Changeling series. And I want more. More! For the past two and a half weeks my head and heart has been in this world and it will take some doing to shake both loose. I think I need to go immerse myself in a few innocuous Harlequin Presents romance (which I have sorely neglected so far this year) to get down from my current high.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I just completed the Psy-Changeling series. And I want more. More! For the past two and a half weeks my head and heart has been in this world and it will take some doing to shake both loose. I think I need to go immerse myself in a few innocuous Harlequin Presents romance (which I have sorely neglected so far this year) to get down from my current high.

LOL, I'm reading Heart of Obsidian right now.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I just completed the Psy-Changeling series. And I want more. More! For the past two and a half weeks my head and heart has been in this world and it will take some doing to shake both loose. I think I need to go immerse myself in a few innocuous Harlequin Presents romance (which I have sorely neglected so far this year) to get down from my current high.

I've only read a few books since. And then I reread Heart of Obsidian.

Have you read the short stories on the author's website? They're mostly snippets, but a few fun ones.

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by library addict

I've only read a few books since. And then I reread Heart of Obsidian.

Have you read the short stories on the author's website? They're mostly snippets, but a few fun ones.

I've read everything. Everything. The only short story I didn't get to read is Poker Night; apparently it went out with her newsletter and she hasn't posted it on her site yet.

Spoiler:

Didn't you feel HoO was really worth the wait? I'm in awe. The pairing. The love story. The plot. And the Ghost! That man just blew me away. I'm still swoony, lol.

[library addict]

Yes.

Spoiler:

I thought it was one of, if not THE, best book of the series. And I am so, so glad I decided to read to read all the rest before I read it. There were so many payoffs and tying up loose ends from the previous books. Swoony is the perfect description.

I am also very happy I read the entire series in less than two weeks as waiting a year for the resolution to the end of Tangle of Need would have made me nuts

[Loosheesh]

Ditto to everything!

Spoiler:

I felt it was the best one as well. Nalini Singh is the master of tying up loose ends; the series is amazingly consistent from the first book to the latest. So many beautiful details and hints spread throughout the books, it's just wonderful. It will be hard to settle into reading anything else for a little while.

And I agree, reading them straight like we did was great; I think I would've been pulling hair waiting that long from ToN

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by laurla

Yes, NA is based on age, but I also think the sub-genre (well, those that are truly NA) is about more than the age of the character - it's about the type of story being told. Before NA became a thing, I read lots of contemps about early to mid 20 year olds that I wouldn't call NA because they weren't experiencing that 'coming of age' angst and were getting an HEA instead of NFN.

I don't care about the age of the character (okay, I do... I don't read YA at all, but that's a whole different reason). It's the trope... I don't like the dark, angsty, drama crap. That's also part of the reason I stay away from all the rockstar stuff... same trope mostly, or seems to be, at least to me. I'm probably missing out on some good books, but then again, I can't see the top of my TBR pile, so I'm not too worried about it To each her own, I say

I'm with NixLapi - it's nice to have the heads up - which is of course what labelling sub-genres are all about - making it easier for readers to find (or run away) from their preferred stories. I've just realized I need to pay closer attention to the blurb or sample

Not all NA is about coming of age. I have read a few that read like contemporary romance but the couple was just younger. Not all NA is angsty either. There are a some out there that are lighthearted or full of suspense. It really be refreshing for the most part. It's not confined by the strict rules of mainstream romance. Because it's new it's not formulated yet though there are some who try to copycat other NA plots most of it is fresh and outside the box.

[worktolive]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I belong to their club so I know I have this. Let me know if you read it what you think of it. I get 5 new titles from them a week. It's a little overwhelming to pick the good ones out.

A quick review of Incandescent by M.V. Freeman, from Crimson Romance, the daily romance deal a couple of days ago, I bumped it to the top of my TBR because something about it appealed to my mood at the time. Anyway, I ended up really enjoying it.

However, there are things about it that might not appeal to the typical romance reader. For one thing, the hero is somewhat morally ambiguous. I read lots of UF so I'm used to that and like it, but he definitely wouldn't fly as your typical upstanding romance hero. He's pretty ruthless and uses the heroine and her powers "for the greater good" without much regard to how she feels about it. Also, there is more focus on the worldbuilding (which is actually pretty good), and the action, then there is on the romance (which is nonexistent until about 2/3 of the way through the book). When the h/h do get together, it's pretty explosive, but it's definitely not love, and there isn't much build-up to it - it pretty much comes out of nowhere. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but there are plenty of loose ends. All in all, the book has more of a UF than a PNR feel - again, a positive for me, but YMMV.

As soon as I was done, I rushed to the author's website to see when the next book would be out, so that tells you how much I liked it, but sadly, although she has completed the next one, there was no release date.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by worktolive

As soon as I was done, I rushed to the author's website to see when the next book would be out, so that tells you how much I liked it, but sadly, although she has completed the next one, there was no release date.

I checked upcoming releases at Crimson Romance and didn't see it. I will put a check by it, your review has me intrigue. I am putting check by all the CR books I may read. There are sooo many it's good when you hear one is worth reading.

I just finished The Sweethearts' Knitting Club by Lori Wilde. I loved it! (4 and half stars.) So I'm off to buy the second one.

Now I am back to what do I read next phase....

[auntykatkat]

Freebie: Call of the Trumpet by Helen Rosberg B&N Amz

A tale of love, loyalty, and heartbreak, this book follows a young European girl, Cecile, as she travels to the Sahara desert to reconnect with her past and the memory of her mother. When she was an infant, her French father felt shattered when his Bedouin wife died in childbirth, and thus fled the desert with Cecile. As Cecile gets older, she decides to leave the country she feels lost in, and return to the Sahara and its Bedouin culture. Faced with a physical, mental, and spiritual struggle, Cecile must deal with the danger and the culture clashes as she learns about love, honor, devotion, and her past.

[apesmom]

Samhain's mid-month freebie.

So far only free at Amazon but I will include nook and publisher links as they should drop soon.

Maiden Flight (Dragon Knights 1) by Bianca D'Arc
Kindle | Nook | Samhain

A chance meeting with a young male dragon seals the fate of one adventurous female poacher. The dragon’s partner, a ruggedly handsome knight named Gareth, takes one look at the shapely woman and decides to do a little poaching of his own.

Sir Gareth both seduces and falls deeply in love with the girl who is not only unafraid of dragons but also possesses a rare gift—she can hear the beasts’ silent speech. He wants her for his mate, but mating with a knight is no simple thing. To accept a knight, a woman must also accept the dragon, the dragon’s mate…and her knight, Lars, too.

She is at first shocked, then intrigued by the lusty life in the Lair. But war is in the making and only the knights and dragons have a chance at ending it before it destroys their land and their lives.

This book has been revised for rerelease.

Product Warnings
Contains dragons, their sexy knights and a damsel who is not quite in distress. Sizzling hot m/f/m scenes may leave you breathing fire.