Hear Ye! Hear Ye! on ALL Eligible Titles today only! Just use #SupportIndies at checkout to get 50% rebate in eBook Bucks!
First: an eBook Buck rebate means you pay the price of the book, say $10, and after purchase, you'll receive 50% of the purchase price in eBook Bucks (in this example, $5), which you can use to purchase MORE BOOKS.
Second: I've been pretty frank about my frustration with many independent bookstores and the people who work there for their habit of looking down upon romance and being openly condescending about readers who wish to purchase it. I can't deliver a big blanket Indie Bookstores are the Best! because, well, many of them are absolutely NOT the best for romance fans. Some are – some are incredible. Others are happy to humiliate romance buyers who ask for the books they want to read. Screw that.
BUT: ? Clearly, a romance-supporting independent digital bookstore. They're the sponsor of the book club, and I know many of you shop there when you can. So while I can't be like, All Independent Bookstores are Great! (because dammit, when they're not, they really really not), but I can say, AllRomanceebooks.com is a pretty damn spiffy independent bookstore, and today only, you can get 50% in rebate for the books you're buying for the weekend.
AND SPEAKING OF – ready for sales?
RECOMMENDED: Summer is for Lovers by Jennifer McQuiston is $.99 right now. Elyse read this one, and despite not liking the prior book in the series – which is also on sale – she loved this book and gave it a big ol' A:
I recommend Summer is for Lovers as a break from the ballrooms of London scene in historicals, and as a way of reliving the best parts of summer vacation—rescuing a handsome Simon Baker look-alike from the ocean and then making out with him.
His heart is unavailable. Luckily, her interest lies in the rest of him . . .
Though she was just a girl when they first met, Caroline Tolbertson's infatuation with David Cameron remains undimmed. Now fate has brought the handsome Scotsman back to Brighton for what promises to be an unforgettable summer. Soon, Caroline will have to choose a husband, but for now she is free to indulge her curiosity in things of a passionate nature.
That is, if David will agree to teach her.
Past mistakes have convinced David he'll make a terrible husband, though he'll gladly help the unconventional Caroline find a suitor. Unfortunately, she has something more scandalous in mind. As the contenders for her hand begin to line up, her future seems assured . . . provided David can do the honorable thing and let them have her.
When a spirited young woman is determined to break Society's rules, all a gentleman can do is lend a hand . . . or more.
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo
Hero of My Heart by Megan Frampton is .99c right now. This is a historical erotic romance about a vicar's daughter and a war hero with personal demons – in the backstory sense, not the paranormal sense. He's addicted to opium (the drug, not the perfume, though that would be a funny concept). This book has mostly 4- and 3-star reviews, and those who liked it really enjoyed the depth of emotion and the issues each character had to overcome.
When Mary Smith’s corrupt, debt-ridden brother drags her to a seedy pub to sell her virtue to the highest bidder, Alasdair Thornham leaps to the rescue. Of course the marquess is far from perfect husband material. Although he is exceedingly handsome, with a perfect, strong body, chiseled jaw, and piercing green eyes, Alasdair is also too fond of opium, preferring delirium to reality. Still, he has come to Mary’s aid, and now she intends to return the favor. She will show him that he is not evil, just troubled.
Mary was a damsel in need of a hero, but Alasdair’s plan is shortsighted. He never foresaw her desire to save him from himself. Alasdair is quite at home in his private torment, until this angel proves that a heart still beats in his broken soul. The devil may have kept her from hell, but will Mary’s good intentions lead them back to the brink—or to heaven in each other’s arms?
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo
Another nice touch at ARE is that all of the rebate-eligible titles also qualify for their incentive program. Buy 10 books and get a coupon code to get a free book. There are some restrictions on the freebies, so check the website for details. But the incentive program makes these rebate sales, even better.
I was disappointed that Avon Books wouldn’t let Jennifer McQuiston keep her original title, Brighton Is for Lovers (a clever riff on the familiar Virgina tourism slogan). I enjoyed the book, but I was somewhat distracted that McQuiston (inadvertently, I hope) named her hero after the current Prime Minister of Great Britain. Also, I wasn’t sure if she realizes that Brighton’s beach is made of pebbles, not sand.
Oh I’d love to take advantage of AllRomance’s sale but most of the ebooks I choose are in Secure Adobe and I have a Kindle. ARGHH! I really hate not being able to convert from Adobe to Mobi because of the security feature. I don’t want to steal the books or post them somewhere or whatever but simply buy and read them on my ereader. I don’t want to buy another device and keep half my books on one or the other. [major hairpulling is going on here]
Hi Joy,
I am fairly new to having a kindle, but I have no problem using ARE and getting the books sent directly to my kindle. Maybe the titles I buy from them are different restrictions, not sure.
I was bummed out a couple of weeks ago, thinking that I couldn’t buy from All Romance due to geo-restrictions, since I’d tried in the past but my purchases had been rejected. Thanks to some awesomely helpful Twitter readers, I realized that all I have to do is filter for non-secure (DRM) formats. So while I still can’t buy as many titles as I’d like (and believe me, if I could I’d use All Romance over Amazon in a heartbeat, since All Romance sends books to your Kindle), there’s still a ton to choose from.
So just a heads up for other non-U.S. readers who might have been discouraged when they couldn’t make purchases.
I have a kindle and just purchased some books. When I signed up for allromance they asked if I wanted them for kindle. You have to add their email address to amazon so they have permission to send them to you. Once purchased you have to click the kindle icon and then they show up in Documents not books. It has worked for me.
Arrrgh! I was waiting for the Mothers day sale they usually have at ARe, but they didn’t do it. Then I waited a little longer, and two days ago I gave up and bought a bunch of books. Isn’t that the way it always goes.
Ut oh. The Pirate’s Secret Baby and Castaway Dreams just arrived on my Kindle.
About the indie booksellers, SBSarah. I’ve run across the same where they are a bit snobbish about romance readers. I lucked out and found an indie bookstore in the “touristy” area of town where the owner has taken notice of how many of us are out there and she stocks more romance and historicals than most. She’s brought in several authors for book signings, including Julia Quinn, and squeed right along with the rest of us.
@LauraL:
Oh, that’s fabulous! Which bookstore?
I LOVE ARe. Their buy 10, get 1 book free program is great for a frequent book buyer such as myself. And I really like that their site is all romance. I went crazy today. (grins)
@SB Sarah—- Should have given a shout out for Fountain Bookstore on East Cary in Richmond, VA. Great Edgar Allan Poe stuff, too, as Richmond claims him.
Just want to do a shout out to Katy Budget Books. They are very romance friendly, stocking lots of new & used
titles and offering author’s events to romance writers. I talked to the man who is a co-owner and he’s very respectful of the genre. I think it helps that his wife is a romance reader!