Tag: Contemporary Romance

Friday Bargains: Black Friday/ Cyber Monday deals

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The Trouble with Magic by Patricia Rice is 1.99 right now. If you haven’t read her Malcolm and Ives novels yet, this a great price. ( Each book stands alone.)

Google Play is having a sale this weekend, and a lot of bestsellers are steeply discounted.  Amazon is price matching some of them.

Amazon is offering 30 % off on paper books with this coupon_BOOKDEAL  ( tip: Buy a book that’s in Kindle Matchbook, so that you can gift a copy to someone ( either print or e-book).

BN also offers 30% off: BFRIDAY30.

Kobo offers an multiuse 50% off. BLACKFRIDAY50. ( They have done that so often, that I cannot get excited any more. What can I say, I’m spoiled!)

No details, but Samhain has hinted that they are running a sale on Monday. I’m hoping that ARe will run one of their rebate sales.  Their #areblast campaign isn’t impressing me. Lots of books, though!

 

I’m probably missing lots of sales, but I hope you have a great weekend! :).

Friday Bargains: A little bit of everything

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Midnight ink is 0.99 right now, and contains stories from 9 authors I think. I’ll admit it. I’m often wary of multiauthor bundles, but since all the stories are interlinked, I decided to buy it.

TheDuchess warby Courtney Milan has been on my wishlist for awhile, and it is just 0.99 right now, and the sale ends TODAY. So grab it while you can.

For the Honor of the Hunt by Lazette Gifford

This is a short story collection, with 3 interconnected and is 1.99 right now. No idea if it is the ordinary price, or not, but I love Lazette Gifford books, so I’m buying it. If you haven’t tried Lazette Gifford yet, this is a good place to start.

Carina Press still has a bunch of titles on sale, among them is Defiance by Stephanie Tyler.

 

Kobo has another, unlimited coupon code 50% off: Unlimited50.

 

A bit sparse, this week but next Friday is Black Friday. I expect a lot of sales then, or on Monday.

( Do they still use Cyber Monday?)

 

 

Friday Bargains: Mostly books on my wishlist

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Like many readers, I have a long, and ever growing wishlist. I am getting better on putting books on my wishlist, instead of buying them directly. This week this pays off. Big time.

I really liked Dance in the Moonlight by Raeanne Thayne, and I have had her books on my wishlist ever since.  This week, I discovered to my delight that Harlequin have  discounted most of her Cold Creek novels to 1.99.    I promise to not blow my entire budget on them.. On the other hand, they are reward eligible at Allromance.

I have wanted to read Joshilyn Jackson ever since I saw the cover for one of her previous novels at Alison Kent’s novel.  Now Gods in Alabama is only 2.99.  The blurb sound interesting, so.. *click*

I think I mentioned before that Carina Press have discounted a lot titles, but I thought I would highlight some of the titles.

Chance of rain by Amber Lin is a new release that have had good reviews.  At 1.99 it is cheap enough that, I am adding it to my cart.

I have had Debra Kayn’s contemporary romances on my wishlist for years, and her Carina Press titles are only 1.99 now.

An Affair to Dismember by Elise Sax isn’t on my wishlist, but it sounds really good. Plus, it is just 0.99 right now.

 

And some non romance books, since I do read those too.

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb is just 1.99 right now. I have no idea how much longer it lasts, so I wont wait. The rest of the books in the trilogy are 4.99 each.

I have heard really good things about The Darwin Elevator by Jason Hough, and right now it is  just 1.99. ( The other titles in the series is 9.99)

Oh, and Kobo has a 50% off coupon, Novend50, that’s supposedly multiuse. Expires on Monday.

Now, if you excuse me, I am off to Allromance to do some shopping….

ARC Review: I’ll be home for Christmas by Jessica Scott

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18141126The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, ForeverYours, available as e-book

The Source: Arc from Netgalley

The blurb:

 

There’s nothing in the world Army Sergeant Vic Carponti loves more than his wife and his country. Smart-mouthed and easy tempered, he takes everything as a joke . . . except his promise to come home to his wife, Nicole, for Christmas. As he prepares to leave for his latest deployment into Iraq, Vic will do everything he can to shield his beautiful, supportive wife from the realities of war . . . and from his own darkest fears.

As a career army wife, Nicole Carponti knows just what to expect from her husband’s tour of duty: loneliness, relentless worry, and a seemingly endless countdown until the moment Vic walks through the door again. But when the unthinkable happens, Nicole and Vic’s bond is tested like never before and changes everything they believe to be true about the power of love and the simple beauty of being home for the holidays.

 

 

 

The Review:

I loved Because of you, so when I got the opportunity to read an ARC, I took it.

And I am glad I read it. This was a sweet and heartwarming novella, about Vic’s and Nicole’s struggle to keep their marriage going while Vic was in Iraq.
I really appreciated that Ms Scott didn’t pull any punches. She showed both the dangers in Iraq,and how it affected the troops moral. At the same time, she also show the waiting at home.For a call, for news. She also shows how marriages are impacted if you don’t call home.

This was the perfect novella to whet readers appetite for Laura and Trent’s story that’s coming in Jan 2014. And it is surprisingly stand alone. My biggest complaint is that  I wanted to read about how Carponti and his wife met, not get a glimpse of their life together now. It was well written, and intriguing, but I would have liked it more if it hadn’t felt like like there was an previous story I hadn’t read.

Grade: B-

Review: Turning up the heat by Laura Florand

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TheHeat_Cover_400x250-187x300 particulars: Contemporary Romance, AOS Publishing, available as e-book

The Source: Purchased at Kobo

The Grade: B

The Blurb:

After eleven years of marriage, Léa Laurier knew her husband.  Knew how he could take on responsibility for a world-famous restaurant, a wife, and her two teenage siblings at nineteen years old and never falter, never tire.  Knew his drive and his ambition, that took him to the stars.  Knew how briliant his gray eyes looked when they met hers for just one moment across a host of cameras.  She didn’t know why she was so tired.  She didn’t know why she needed to just get away.  For a while.  Maybe a week or two.  A month.  She’d be back.

After eleven years of marriage, international superstar chef Daniel Laurier knew his wife.  Knew how she could lavish caring on everyone, her siblings, his staff, and most especially him.  Knew the way her face lit up when he won yet another television contest, and the way she hugged him for it.  Knew how her hair smelled when he sank into bed exhausted at one in the morning.  He didn’t know what to do when he came home from a consulting trip to find she’d disappeared to remote South Pacific island:  I just needed to get away for a little while.  A week or two.  I’ll call you.

As the whole solid world under his feet turned into a sandcastle in the tide, Daniel knew only one thing:  whatever was wrong with his marriage or his wife, he wasn’t losing her.  So as a top chef, he did the one thing he always knew how to do:  turn up the heat.

 

The Review:

Laura Florand have been on my TBR list for a long time, but I was a bit reluctant to buy her Kensington novels, since they cost 11 dollar ( And yes, I know they have been on sale, but the sales have been US only). So when I saw this novella, I snapped it up. After reading it, I am glad I did.

No matter what subgenre, the healing of a strained marriage is one of my favorite tropes. So maybe I was pre-disposed to like this story. I enjoyed Lea and Daniel’s story. From the moment Lea just feel she has to get away from her hectic life, to Daniel’s reaction to her sudden decision to go on a vacation. The bulk of this story took place at Tahiti, and it felt like the perfect place for the story. Just the two of them on a tropical island, spending time together, talking, making love. What I liked was that their relationship wasn’t healed over night, that Lea recognized the danger it posed. By taking time, they had time to sort out their misconceptions.

At the end of the book, it felt like both of them had healed, and were devoted to what was important.

The biggest problem I had with this book was Daniel. He felt a bit cold and distant in the beginning of the book, even if I  never doubted that he loved his wife.

ARC Review: Beguiled Again by Patricia Burroughs

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The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, Book View Cafe, available as e-book and in print
The Source: e-ARC from the Author
The Grade: B+
The Blurb:

Order
Jeff shook off Cecilia and her high school crush seventeen years ago, and he’s made an orderly, boring, safe, successful life for himself as an accountant. Just the way he wants things.
Chaos
Cecilia’s taste for driven, orderly men has left her divorced with three kids and two half-incomes. But nobody’s looking over her shoulder, criticizing her for being messy and disorganized. Life is never boring, is always filled with laughter and energy. Just the way she wants things.
Disaster
From the moment she sucks him into her sticky, single-mom universe, Jeff can’t keep it together anymore. Her checkbook is a nightmare, her oldest kid hates him, and she’s lush and messy, mouth-watering and independent and annoyingly unforgettable. And he can’t stay away.
Cecilia is a fighter. She doesn’t need Jeff turning up again, making her feel like she’s still fourteen years, treating her like she can’t manage her life without his assistance. Why, why, why does he keep trying to help? To make matters worse, Jeff is hotter than ever, and a single mom can’t afford a sex life.
Plus, his parrot hates her.
In this battle between order and chaos, between hostile kids and cranky parrots, between romance and responsibility, is heartbreak inevitable?
Or this time, can love win?

The Review:

I have wanted to read this ever since I saw the blurb and cover on Patricia Burroughs blog. So when she contacted me, wondering if I would be interested in an ARC, I said yes.
And, I had a blast reading it. Cecilia’s and Jeff’s romance was a case of opposites attract. Jeff’s life were ordered, Cecilia’s were chaotic. It was intresting to see how they fought against their attraction, yet they couldn’t stay away from each other. I really appreciated was that the obstacles were believable. From Cecilia’s children, to Jeff’s busy schedule, to Cecilia’s scars after her divorce.
But,it was also intresting to see how their lives changed during the story. Cecilia slowly started to realise that she didn’t have to fit the mold, that her occupation was perfect for her. Jeff started to realise that he needed Cecilia’s chaos in his life, and that Cecilia needed his calm. One thing I especially liked was how Cecilia’s children treated Jeff. From the wariness at the beginning, to the grudging acceptance at the end of the book.
All in all, this was an enjoyable romance. I just wish that it was longer. I wanted to stay with Cecilia and Jeff, and see how they together dealt with all the chaos created by a household full of children.

Review: Waiting for Love by Marie Force

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The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, Selfpublished, available as e-book

The Source: Kobo

The Grade: B-

The Blurb:

Sometimes the best offense is a good rebound…Adam

McCarthy has had a really bad week. In addition to nearly losing his three brothers in a tragic boating accident, his now ex-girlfriend has double-crossed him right out of the successful computer company he founded in New York City. What he needs is a few days at home on Gansett Island to make sure his beloved brothers are safe and to get back in touch with what really matters—his family, his friends and the tiny island that soothes his battered soul. On the ferry ride home, he runs into an old family friend who’s had her own share of heartache, and Adam helps her through some rough moments, sparking an unlikely alliance.

Abby Callahan has come home to Gansett, single once again after her relationship with Dr. Cal Maitland blows up in her face. After two epic failures in the game of love, she’s decided this is going to be the summer she busts loose and finally has some fun—and she’s shaking things up in a big way! The new Abby swears, drinks, gets a tattoo, sleeps around and generally does anything her kinder, gentler alter ego wouldn’t have dreamed of doing.

Before too long, Adam has appointed himself her guardian and is determined that the only sleeping around she’s doing is with him. That is… unless his brother Grant is willing to risk his newfound happiness with Stephanie to keep Adam from rebounding with his ex. And what happens when Adam and Abby realize their summer fling has taken a serious turn, especially when he gets the chance to return to New York and fight for the company that’s rightfully his? Abby has already followed two men off the island. Does she have it in her to find out if the third time really is the charm?

Another wild summer on Gansett Island is under way, complete with new stories for many of your favorite couples from past books! You’ll also see more of Dan and Kara, David and Daisy, and find out whether Carolina has made peace with her relationship with the much younger and very sexy Irishman, Seamus O’Grady. Ready? Set? Let’s go back to Gansett Island!

The Review:

I hesitated over buying this book. After reading it, I am glad I did. Mostly

It was nice to revisit Gansett Island, and see how it prepared for the onset of the Tourist season. This is the 8th book in the McCarthy series, and this time the focus was on Adam and Abby. Both of their lives were in upheaval at the beginning of the story.  It was intresting to follow their Romance as it turned from a fling, into something more. What I liked was how they didn’t have sex until they had gotten to know each other. Instead, they spent time hanging out with each other. I really liked how Abby slowly rebuilt her selfconfidence when it came to men.

 

This romance unfolds at the same time the McCarthy’s are struggling with the aftermath of the boating accident.  It was touching to see how they become even more close knit. Both when it came to assuring themselves that all of them was still alive, and when it came to Grant, Mac and Evan adjusting to the fact that they still were alive and Steve wasn’t.

 

And, that is also my biggest complaint. As always, there was secondary romances. Normally I enjoy them, but this time they felt superfluous.I wish that Marie Force had scaled them down and let the focus be on the McCarthy’s healing.

ARC Review: Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley

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The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, Forever Yours, available as e-book.
The Source: Galley from Netgalley
The Grade: C
The Blurb:
Lanie Heron isn’t looking for love—no surprise, considering her last serious relationship nearly got her killed. So when Lanie propositions Hop Kincaid, all she wants is one wild night with the hot-as-hell biker who patrols with the Chaos Motorcycle Club…

For Hop, Lanie has always been untouchable. She’s too polished and too classy for his tastes. But when she gives Hop the once-over with her bedroom eyes and offers him a night in paradise, he can’t say no. And he doesn’t regret it when he finds that Lanie is the best thing that’s ever happened to him—in or out of bed. Now the trick will be to convince her of that

The Review:
I read and liked Motorcycle Man, so when I got the chance to read an Arc of Fire Inside, I took it.
It was intresting to revisit Chaos and Ride, and see how they lived now. At the heart, they hadn’t changed.  They were still rough bikers, that had a honor codex they strived to follow. I appreciated how they were determinded to defend their turf.  
I loved Hop. He was rough, he had a temper, but he also had a heart of gold. And my heart melted when I saw all the ways he helped Lanie.  Lanie…  In the beginning, I struggled a bit with Lanie. She had a lot of issues, both from how her fiance died, and how her parents treated her. It was intresting to follow her path from a disharmonic bitch, to being more certain of herself. She grew on me through the book, especially when she started to face her fears.  This  might sound odd, but I appreciated the fact that their relationship wasn’t easy.  That they had their rocky moments, since it added  a sense of uncertainty if they would reach their HEA.

But, despite the fact that I liked several things with the book, the problems I had with  Lanie was too big. Mainly because I never felt the angst Lanie felt after her nightmares, or the passion between them.  I cannot pinpoint why. For me  it just lacked that magical something that takes a good book to a great book.

Review: When Summer comes by Brenda Novak

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The Particulars: Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, available as e-book and in print
The Source: purchased at Kobo
The Grade: C+
The blurb:
One day, Callie Vanetta receives devastating news…

She needs a liver transplant. But her doctors warn that, in her case, the chances of finding a compatible donor aren’t good.

Determined to spend whatever time she has left on her own terms, she keeps the diagnosis to herself and moves out to her late grandparents’ farm. She’s always wanted to live there. But the farm hasn’t been worked in years and she begins to fear she can’t manage it, that she’ll have to return to town.

One night, a stranger comes knocking at her door…

He’s an attractive and mysterious drifter by the name of Levi McCloud, and he offers to trade work for a few nights’ shelter. Callie figures she doesn’t have anything to lose. He needs a place to stay until he can fix his motorcycle; she needs an extra pair of hands. The arrangement seems ideal until what was supposed to be temporary starts to look more and more permanent. Then she realizes she does have something to lose—her heart. And, although he doesn’t yet know it, Levi stands to lose even more.

 

The Review:
I have wanted to read Brenda Novak for awhile, so when this was on sale, I decided to give it a try.
And I am glad I did.
I liked both Callie and Levi. Callie was open hearted, and loyal to her friends. Levi was scarred by his past, and had his reasons for drifting through he states. They are each others opposites, which made their romance even sweeter. I enjoyed following their relationship as it developed from virtual strangers to lovers.
I appreciated that the threat to their relationship came from different sources. There were both Callie’s struggle with her disease, and keeping her slow decline from her family and friends. And then there were Whiskey Creek’s reaction to Levi. Somewere wary, some was more positive. I liked how Levi slowly won over Callie’s friends as they got to know him.
That said it wasn’t perfect. The biggest problem was tha I felt that the uncertainty of Callie’s disease overshadowed their path to HEA. And, I also felt that Levy’s issues was wrapped up too neatly. To me it felt like the author waved a wand, and they were gone. poff

Hidden Gems: The Daly sisters novels by Lani Diane Rice

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All Lani Diane Rich novels that I have read are good, but these two are my favorites.  Maybe because they were the first Lani Diane Rich novels that I read.

Love on the rocks, with a twist.

Flynn Daly’s a screwup. She knows it, but worse, her property tycoon dad knows it, and that’s why he sends her off to Scheintown, NY—aka, the dead center of nowhere—to manage the beautiful countryside inn the family has just inherited while he figures out what to do with it. Being a part of the family business would be bad enough, but Flynn has to deal with an insecure staff, a sexy bartender with his own agenda, and regular ghostly visits from her nutty—and very dead—Great Aunt Esther.

Crazy is as crazy loves.
Can Flynn finally find get it together and do something right? Can she uncover the mysteries that lurk behind the outward charm of the Goodhouse Arms? Or are the ghostly visits, and her undeniable attraction to the one man she should not be falling for, a sign that her life is spiraling out of control forever?

 This one, is out of print, but I think the author is working on getting the rights reverted.

 Freya Daly has always been a smart businesswoman – tough, unemotional, and a killer at negotiations. But for the last few months, she’s been bursting into tears for no reason at all. Even though she’s sure it must be some kind of rare eye condition, her boss (and father) removes her from her usual task of buying high-rent commercial properties in Boston, and banishes her to a rundown campground in Idaho with orders to obtain the property at any cost. Why the property is so valuable, Freya doesn’t know. All alone and far from home, her rare eye condition only gets worse. The one thing that seems to help is the friendship she strikes up with Piper Brody, a little girl who shows Freya that being a kid again can be a lot of fun.

Nate Brody is a five-star chef in Cincinnati. Unfortunately, at the moment, he’s not in Cincinnati – he’s running his father’s rundown campground in Idaho. Having made a deathbed promise to his father to find a mysterious lost item before selling the place, Nate is anxious to get back home, where his restaurant and career wait for him….though, maybe not for much longer if he doesn’t get back soon.