A bunch of Carina Press titles are marked down to .99c and $1.99 right now – have a look if you'd like to browse. Some are being price matched, while others I'm still waiting for the price matching fairies to zap them. Here are a few from varying genres that you might really enjoy.
Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau is $1.99 right now. This is science fiction romance, and was nominated for the DABWAHA this year. Carrie gave it a B when she reviewed it, saying:
Caught In Amber takes on a challenging premise and does a great job with it. The ending is a bit of a cop-out but overall I was pleased at how the author made this book enjoyable and romantic without sugar coating the serious issues it describes.
Recently out of rehab, Sasha James is determined to keep her head down, complete her parole and never touch amber again. The chip in her neck controls her cravings for the highly addictive drug, but also tracks her every move. Not that she goes anywhere other than work and the halfway house she calls home—a far cry from her luxurious former life as lover of the mining colony's top drug dealer, Guy Christiansen.
Agent Nathan Sterling has no desire to see Sasha fall back into amber, but his sister has become Guy's latest conquest and the unexpectedly attractive Sasha is the key to getting her back. So in exchange for an introduction, he offers Sasha the one thing she can't refuse—her freedom. From the chip, her parole and even the planet if she wants. Though he would be sorry to see her go…
Torn between her growing attraction to Nathan, fear of Guy and the allure of amber, Sasha accepts. But who will save her if Guy refuses to let her go a second time?
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo
Rulebreaker is $1.99. This is also a science fiction novel with espionage that is lighter on the romance but high, according to reviewers, in chemistry. (Also, I have very lustful thoughts about that heroine's hair.)
Liv Braxton's Felon Rule #1: Don't get emotionally involved.
Smash-and-grab thieving doesn't lend itself to getting chummy with the victims, and Liv hasn't met anyone on the mining colony of Nevarro worth knowing, anyway. So it's easy to follow her Rules. Until her ex, Tonio, shows up with an invitation to join him on the job of a lifetime.
Until Zia Talbot, the woman she's supposed to deceive, turns Liv's expectations upside down in a way no woman ever has. Until corporate secrets turn deadly. But to make things work with Zia, Liv has to do more than break her Rules, and the stakes are higher than just a broken heart . . .
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks
Deep Deception is a f/f science fiction novel and it's on sale for $1.99. Carrie also reviewed this one, giving it a B+. She wrote:
There's so much to like about this book. The main characters are exasperating and likeable at the same time. They keep huge secrets from each other and yet they have an underlying straightforwardness that anchors their relationship. Their attraction is immediate, but it's not the kind of insta-lust that drives a lot of other stories. Their relationship contains lust, but it's not driven by lust. It's driven by mutual admiration and a slowly growing sense of trust. By the end of the book there is no doubt that they can totally count on each other regardless of what is going on in their lives or with their relationship.
Colonial Mining Authority agent Natalia Hallowell doesn't always play by the rules, but she wouldn't compromise a case either. Put on administrative leave under a cloud of accusation, with no support from her boss, Natalia seeks a little anonymous companionship at her favorite bar.
But she's surprised when the woman who catches her fancy starts buying her drinks.
Desperate, Genevieve “Gennie” Caine has no choice but to seduce, drug and tie Natalia to the bed to get her attention. With the Reyes Corporation after something she has, Gennie needs Natalia to open an investigation and distract them long enough for her to get off Nevarro.
Natalia doesn't trust Gennie—despite the growing attraction between them—but the corporation's suspiciously high profits and abnormal business dealings convince her that they must be hiding something. She has no idea just how deep the deceptions run…
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo | iBooks
Runaway Groom by Fiona Lowe is .99 right now at Amazon. Over here, price matching fairies! This is a contemporary romance, and part of Lowe's Wedding Fever series. It has a 4.36-star average at GoodReads, and readers who enjoyed it particularly liked Lowe's use of the small town setting and the forced proximity – the heroine dislocates the hero's shoulder and has to share her cabin with him. Have you read this one?
Book three of Wedding Fever
Amy Sagar's life is in ruins. Fired from her fast-track job and dumped by her double-crossing boyfriend, she retreats to Whitetail, Wisconsin, to lick her wounds and regroup. Meeting an impossible, sexy Australian isn't part of her strategy for getting back on track.
Ben Armytage is running away. After being left at the altar and publicly humiliated, he's taking his vintage motorcycle on an extended road trip from Argentina to Alaska. Having his journey interrupted by a breakdown and sharing a house with a curvy, redheaded lawyer in a town obsessed with weddings was never on his itinerary.
Though being stuck in a luxury log cabin isn't really a hardship, living together with their broken hearts isn't easy. When the attraction between Amy and Ben proves unstoppable, they'll both begin rethinking their plans…
For more weddings in Whitetail, check out Saved by the Bride and Picture Perfect Wedding, available now!
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo
Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon is .99c right now. This is a m/m historical mystery romance, and was originally published in 2007. It has a 4+ star average, and readers really loved the equal strength of the mystery plot and the romance plot as well. This seems to be a reader favorite story among Lanyon fans, too.
Los Angeles, 1943
Reporter Nathan Doyle had his reasons to want Phil Arlen dead, but when he sees the man's body pulled from the La Brea tar pit, he knows he'll be the prime suspect. He also knows that his life won't stand up to intense police scrutiny, so he sets out to crack the case himself.
Lieutenant Matthew Spain's official inquiries soon lead him to believe that Nathan knows more than he's saying. But that's not the only reason Matt takes notice of the handsome journalist. Matt's been drawn to men before, but he must hide his true feelings—or risk his entire career.
As Nathan digs deeper, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay one step ahead of Matt Spain—and to deny his intense attraction to him. Nathan's secrets may not include murder, but has his hunt put him right in the path of the real killer?
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo
Knowing the Score by Kat Latham is $1.99 at Amazon (over here! Over here, fairies! Aim high! Or, low, rather.) This is a contemporary sports romance – set in the world of rugby. It has a 3.67 average, and readers at GR liked the humor and the dialogue between the hero and heroine (though some reviews warn of a slow start to the story).
Rugby player Spencer Bailey is determined to win a spot on England's World Cup team. But with a month break before the selectors start watching him, he's eager to have fun with a woman who knows the score: the relationship will end when rugby season begins. The lovely American Caitlyn Sweeney seems perfect for the role of temporary lover, since her visa will run out soon anyway.
Caitlyn works for an international disaster relief organization and can handle the world's worst crises, but she flinches from her own. Her past has left her with a fear of intimacy so deep that she has trouble getting close to anyone—until she meets sexy Spencer. His hot body and easygoing nature are too much for even her to resist.
Neither Caitlyn nor Spencer expects to fall hard for each other. But with their relationship deadline approaching, the old rules of the game seem less important than before…until past secrets surface, challenging everything they thought they knew about each other.
Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Kobo
Ugh, Knowing the Score is on my TBR list on GR, but I already have enough books to get to…I’M SO CONFLICTED!
I downloaded and read the Lanyon the other day when it showed up on DA’s daily deals list. Good story with a bit of a “The Big Sleep” vibe. Then I had to download his new book and spent the whole weekend re-reading his backlist when I should have been working in the yard.
Just want to enthusiastically recommend Snowball in Hell. It’s so good – very cinematic (at times film noir ish and other times a little mad cap). This is a good intro to Josh Lanyon, who has a huge backlist. And I’d recommend this for readers who are new to or cautious/picky about mm. Plus, bonus bi hero (not that they use that term in the story, but Matt’s a widower and his feelings for Nathan don’t invalidate his feelings for his late wife).
I really enjoyed Fiona Lowe’s entire Bridal series, and not just because it was set in Wisconsin. (Seriously, we need more romances set in the upper midwest!)
I am Fiona Lowe fan because the challenges that her characters face – with respect to romance, self-image, other areas, feel so true to life. That’s true for this series, and for her other books. You can see my review by looking for the review by “Turophile”.
Here’s a snippet: “What I really liked about this book is that the author doesn’t make it easy on either one of them. They make mistakes, they say and do stupid things to each other – like we all do. Heck Ben realizes he’s a dickhead and admits it! Yet they both find the strength, within themselves, to get beyond it. In too many stories, the woman saves the man or vice-versa – yet here, both Amy and Ben find their own inner strength while recognizing the love they feel for the other.”
Rule Breaker (f/f), Caught In Amber (f/m) and Deep Deception (f/f) is a pretty awesome trilogy.
Thanks SBTB for the F/F suggestions. 🙂