Free and bargain romance ebooks in September 2013

[kg3]

FREE @ Amazon:

The Shy Bride (Harlequin Presents) - Lucy Monroe
-Publication date = June 22, 2010

Thrust into the limelight, child star Cassandra timidly enchanted audiences night after night.... But when her parents died, Cass retreated into her own world--too shy to leave her home. Once a year she shares her musical passion by offering lessons in a charity auction.... This year, money talks. The winning bid: $100,000!

Enter Neo Stamos, arrogant Greek tycoon. He wants Cass with a burning desire, though he knows that, shy and sweet, she will need a gentle awakening.... But Neo's the master of seduction!

[apesmom]

Samhain's first of the month freebie

Night of the Tiger (Hades Carnival #1) by N.J. Walters
Kindle | Nook | Samhain (should drop soon)

Aimee Horner lives and breathes her career as a graphic novel illustrator, but she never expected it would invade her dreams. In recent months, worsening nightmares have pulled her into the darkest corners of Hell.

On a rare night out with friends at a traveling carnival, she finds herself strangely drawn to an abandoned carousel adorned with vividly exotic animals. One steed, a massive white tiger, is a temptation she can’t resist. The moment she climbs upon him, her world changes forever.

More than five thousand years ago, Roric and his fellow shapeshifting warriors were imprisoned in their animal forms, a last-ditch effort by the goddess they served to save them from the horrors of Hell.

With one special woman’s touch, he has a chance at freedom and redemption—but the clock is ticking. If he is still alive in twenty-four hours, the spell will be broken, and Hell will have no claim on his soul. The only hitch is his blazing attraction to Aimee. If only he could trust that she isn’t merely a distraction sent by Hades—luscious bait to lure him from his mission.
Product Warnings
This book contains an ancient curse, an imprisoned goddess, a graphic artist and the hot shapeshifting immortal warrior who turns her life upside down while they battle Hades and his minions for their immortal souls. There is also plenty of hot sex between the heroine and her hot, shapeshifting warrior. Just saying.

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

Last Sunday I had nothing to report (except I bought 3 non-fiction books for a total of $19.48). This past week, including today, I bought 4 books for a total of $10.26; one of these is a non-fiction for $6.82 and three I just bought this morning.

I'm really trying to curb my spending these days. It's not so much a matter of budget as of getting value for money. I have close to 500 paid ebooks (I should say 'ebook files') I have yet to read, and the figure for actual books is much higher than this because I have a number of bundles/collections in that total. Also, notice I said ebooks; I'm still buying print books though I don't track my spending on these. When does it become enough? Plus, I'm buying full series of which I haven't read not one book; what if I hate the first book? I need to slow down the buying and start reading more from my own stash. Easier said than done, right?

Gosh girl, I'm in the exact same boat and have been thinking the exact same thing! I have over 600 in my TBR pile, and those are only the ones I really want to read...NOW! I keep telling myself that I should only allow myself to buy as many books as I've read that week... ummm, how the heck do I do that?!

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

Gosh girl, I'm in the exact same boat and have been thinking the exact same thing! I have over 600 in my TBR pile, and those are only the ones I really want to read...NOW! I keep telling myself that I should only allow myself to buy as many books as I've read that week... ummm, how the heck do I do that?!

Oh. Dear.

I just looked at how many paid books I've yet to read. GACK!
Over 800 and that's not counting appalling number of Harlequins I bought for $0.05 (those were almost free so I refuse to count them )

On the plus side I think my average $ per book has been dropping and I've been getting a lot of really good stuff. I think I'm hoarding so that when Agency returns I can crawl into my reading bunker and not have to return to the ebook market wasteland. (hmmm, I think I'm in the mood for something Dystopian).

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by apesmom

Oh. Dear.

I just looked at how many paid books I've yet to read. GACK!
Over 800 and that's not counting appalling number of Harlequins I bought for $0.05 (those were almost free so I refuse to count them )

I know, right? And I agree, freebies don't count, and .05 is free to us book-hoarders!

On the plus side I think my average $ per book has been dropping and I've been getting a lot of really good stuff.

Yes, my average price per book has dropped greatly, and yes, I've gotten tons of great stuff off my wishlist. But when is enough, enough?

I think I'm hoarding so that when Agency returns I can crawl into my reading bunker and not have to return to the ebook market wasteland. (hmmm, I think I'm in the mood for something Dystopian).

I don't keep up on that except for good news [like agency pricing dropping], but really, it's returning? Well, then I say have it while the couponing/sales are on. I keep saying that if there's a zombie-or-some-other-type- apocalypse, then my book hoarding will not have been in vain!

[mikaelalind]

I am in the same boat too. I have become more and more picky when it comes to buying books. And with Calibre's new Cover Grid it feels like I am browsing a store ( especially if I download the metadata), which makes it much more inspiring to browse my library .

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

I don't keep up on that except for good news [like agency pricing dropping], but really, it's returning?

They are allowed to go back to it after 2 years from when they dropped the Agency contracts. Whether they do remains to be seen. What do they like more, selling books or looking at catalogs with high prices?

It won't make any sense for the early adopters to switch back too soon because the competition which can't switch til much later (Penguin) will continue to get the sales. Apple dragging their feet on settling and the staggered terms of their settlement may actually make it difficult for eligible publishers to readopt agency for several more years (if they choose to at all).

[apesmom]

My weekly confession. . .

I thought it would be a quiet week while I waited for my new releases. Nope, had to use up my code stash.

17 books for $25.48 ($1.50 per book for some good stuff).

• Arend, Vivian - High Risk
• Balogh, Mary - The Arrangement
• Brown, Sandra - Slow Heat in Heaven
• Carr, Robyn - The Hero
• Force, Marie - Fool for Love
• Gerard, Cindy - Black Ops books 1-7
• Hart, Megan - Tear You Apart
• Jackson, Lisa - Left to Die
• Neville, Miranda - The Ruin of a Rogue
• Noble, Kate - Let it Be Me
• Wylde, Joanna - Reaper's Property

I still have 3 new releases left to grab on Tuesday and a half dozen codes to burn at Kobo (think Ima gonna coupon me some Loveswepts).

I also still have some 35% Kobo codes if anybody needs them.

[NixLapi]

Thank you ladies for making me feel MUCH better about my 180 paid files on the TBR! I rarely buy paper books anymore, so maybe only 20 or so of those to-read. And I'm reading ALL these stats out loud to my husband! lol

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

Plus, I'm buying full series of which I haven't read not one book; what if I hate the first book? I need to slow down the buying and start reading more from my own stash. Easier said than done, right?

I learned my lesson on that one! I've stopped buying more than one or two in a series until I read at least the first. Like the Jaci Burton Play by Play, totally not worth the price IMHO when there are SO many similar books out there. SO glad I didn't go nuts on that series, even at 65%-75% off they are still well over $3 ea. It adds up!

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by NixLapi

Thank you ladies for making me feel MUCH better about my 180 paid files on the TBR! I rarely buy paper books anymore, so maybe only 20 or so of those to-read. And I'm reading ALL these stats out loud to my husband! lol



I learned my lesson on that one! I've stopped buying more than one or two in a series until I read at least the first. Like the Jaci Burton Play by Play, totally not worth the price IMHO when there are SO many similar books out there. SO glad I didn't go nuts on that series, even at 65%-75% off they are still well over $3 ea. It adds up!

OMGosh, I totally agree! Especially about the Play by Play series, was so sorry I bought 3 after I read the first one, at least it wasn't the whole series. It was ok, just not GREAT for what the price would suggest!


Oh and edited to add, even though the Ruthie Knox books are only $3-$4, they are couponable now, just finished buying the 2 I didn't have.

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

Oh and edited to add, even though the Ruthie Knox books are only $3-$4, they are couponable now, just finished buying the 2 I didn't have.

Flirting with Disaster is the first one I added to my newly couponable buy list. I think I have all the others.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

Gosh girl, I'm in the exact same boat and have been thinking the exact same thing! I have over 600 in my TBR pile, and those are only the ones I really want to read...NOW! I keep telling myself that I should only allow myself to buy as many books as I've read that week... ummm, how the heck do I do that?!

What's the fun in that?

I went through last year and deleted a bunch of the freebies I'd gotten and the books I bought on sale. Read the first chapter of most and if they didn't grab my attention, out they went. I have been pretty good this year in only buying books that I actually do want to read.

I do have about 850 unrated books in Calibre (which are the ones I need to read or reread), but over 400 of those are from the magical Harlequin sale (how could I pass up books for a nickel?) I've put a small dent in the ones from that sale, but just a small one.

I read between 200 to 300 book a year, so I actually don't consider my TBR pile too out of control. Or I am the queen of justification or denial, take your pick

[apesmom]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

OMGosh, I totally agree! Especially about the Play by Play series, was so sorry I bought 3 after I read the first one, at least it wasn't the whole series. It was ok, just not GREAT for what the price would suggest!

I've got the first 3 on that one and have been holding off on anymore til I read at least one. If nothing else, the covers are luuuurvly.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by NixLapi

I learned my lesson on that one! I've stopped buying more than one or two in a series until I read at least the first. Like the Jaci Burton Play by Play, totally not worth the price IMHO when there are SO many similar books out there. SO glad I didn't go nuts on that series, even at 65%-75% off they are still well over $3 ea. It adds up!

I need to get better at this.

But the good thing about having more than the first book in a series is it means I usually give the author/series more than one chance. There have been times I was meh on the first book, but ended up liking the series overall. But if I'd only had the first book I doubt I would have tried the author/series again. But I do need to limit myself top the first 3 or 4 books. There have also been times a series did not improve and that was money down the drain.

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by apesmom

I've got the first 3 on that one and have been holding off on anymore til I read at least one. If nothing else, the covers are luuuurvly.

Yes, yes the covers are, uh, beautiful!

library addict:

But the good thing about having more than the first book in a series is it means I usually give the author/series more than one chance. There have been times I was meh on the first book, but ended up liking the series overall. But if I'd only had the first book I doubt I would have tried the author/series again. But I do need to limit myself top the first 3 or 4 books. There have also been times a series did not improve and that was money down the drain.

Yes, that's a very good point, for the price I paid I'll definitely read the 2nd one to see if the series improves.

And what you said before, about the amount you read, yes, that's a very valid point too! Last year I only read about 150-200, this year I'm past that already, but still... I guess it's all perspective. I'm just too OCD I think that there's sooooo many I want to read right now that I even have trouble picking out which one at times. I am getting better at trying to weed out purchases, even if they're only $1, I'm still trying to overlook lots of them, especially with new authors. But it's like anything else, hit or miss sometimes. I've discovered at least 30-40 authors this year that will be auto-buys for me down the road and I hate to bypass something just on the fact that they're new.