Secret Santa gift exchange! discussion

Talk about anything and everything here!

Thank you @Heather !

Yes, thank you Heather! :D

Can we add "Free books and discounts" thread?

I have a very good first entry :)

Death in the Spires by K.J. Charles is $2.99 on Chirp
https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks...

M'rella wrote: "Can we add "Free books and discounts" thread?

I have a very good first entry :)

Death in the Spires by K.J. Charles is $2.99 on Chirp
https://www.chirpbooks.com/..."

Here you go: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

M'rella wrote: "Can we add "Free books and discounts" thread?

I have a very good first entry :)

Death in the Spires by K.J. Charles is $2.99 on Chirp
https://www.chirpbooks.com/..."

Yes!! Great idea!

Sorry about my email typo, guys!! I'm matching everyone on November 17th!! Still time :)

This is so fun, thanks Heather!

Kelly (Maybedog) wrote: "This is so fun, thanks Heather!"

Of course!! xo

Okay everyone, I have a mission for you.
I need book recommendations for:

Ｍａｆｉａ　Ｒｏｍａｎｃｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｎ　Ａｇｅ　Ｇａｐ

ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ ɪꜱ ɢᴏᴏᴅ, ᴅᴀʀᴋ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ. This is a gift for someone, if it was for me it wouldn't matter.

Now Go!

Nadine Bookaholic wrote: "Okay everyone, I have a mission for you.
I need book recommendations for:

Ｍａｆｉａ　Ｒｏｍａｎｃｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｎ　Ａｇｅ　Ｇａｐ

ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ ɪꜱ ɢᴏᴏᴅ, ᴅᴀʀᴋ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴛ. This is a gift for someone, if it was for me it wouldn't matter..."

https://www.goodreads.com/series/2268...

Thanks Sandra, I’ll check it out.

Hi friends!

Care to share your favorite authors? I am looking to expand my library, but need good author recommendations. My only requirements are MM, and as little sex as possible.

My own recent favorites from 2025:
J.S. Harker
Gaia Tate
Martha Wells - specifically The Murderbot Series
Kai Butler

M'rella wrote: "Hi friends!

Care to share your favorite authors? I am looking to expand my library, but need good author recommendations. My only requirements are MM, and as little sex as possible.

My own recent..."

This one was a cute one, all bedroom is fade to black.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

@Sandra

Thank you! I love funny ones, too :D

Oh, and it's an author with only 3 books! I have both MMs on my TBR now. Thanks again :)

M'rella wrote: "Hi friends!

Care to share your favorite authors? I am looking to expand my library, but need good author recommendations. My only requirements are MM, and as little sex as possible.

My own recent..."

'Nathan Burgoine -- definitely not all his books are low/no sex, but Stuck With You is safe and wonderful!

@Jenn

Thank you for the rec! I have a few of his books, but never got a chance to actually read them. I will move them to my asap-to-read shelf :)

M'rella wrote: "Hi friends!

Care to share your favorite authors? I am looking to expand my library, but need good author recommendations. My only requirements are MM, and as little sex as possible.

My own recent..."

There's a Murderbot group chat if you'd like to join. https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Murderbot? Did anybody watch the apple show over the summer? It is also one of my fav book series and I am not really big on sci-fi books without a lot of romance but LOVE me some murderbot.

I would LOVE to watch it, but I don't gave apple TV. Unless you can watch it elsewhere.

@mwana
Thank you for the link!.

M'rella wrote: "I would LOVE to watch it, but I don't gave apple TV. Unless you can watch it elsewhere.

@mwana
Thank you for the link!."

Use a VPN and their free trial

Free trials tend to go sideways 🤣

My worst one was when I cancelled Adobe trial and instead they kept charging me double for the next 4 months (yes, I called them every time). Never got reimbursed either, after the dust settled.

Disney was another cluster. They couldn't find my email/account, but somehow kept charging my credit card until I finally cancelled the card.

I am sure it works for someone, but I would rather stay away from that trap 😉

I just looked at my persons wishlist she has expensive ebooks on her list

@Angela

From personal experience: If the books are over $15, send a book and a gift card for the difference. It's not very enjoyable, but there is only so much you can do without breaking the bank :(

Aղցela W. wrote: "I just looked at my persons wishlist she has expensive ebooks on her list"

Sometimes, I wait and see if the books go on sale around Black Friday.

Smashwords usually has a good sale at the end of the year.

Aղցela W. wrote: "I just looked at my persons wishlist she has expensive ebooks on her list"

Can you ask your match to add more to her wishlist?

@Angela

It happened to me in one of the exchanges as well. Either expensive or paperback rather than ebook. Try sending them a message on Elfster to add more options. Or if it doesn't work, well then gift card is your way to go. Not fun though.

I did thanks

I actually want to give my perspective as someone who certainly puts expensive ebooks on her wish list at least in the last two or few years of participation . I checked my wish list I did see two or three less expensive options so hopefully Angela was not talking about me , but even if she was :) I want to give my perspective. I do not put expensive books on my list for the sake of doing so ! I do it because in the last few years I had been dissatisfied with a lot of m/m offerings . And that doesn’t mean that I am tired of the genre it just means that often I can’t find the books I like . So when I look for the books I find that often enough when book is more expensive there is at least somewhat higher chance that it is better written . Not always mind you but at times . What I am trying to say is that I would certainly prefer getting two ( or one and the gift card if the price of one book is that high ) books that I found that I am very likely to read than the books that are cheaper but I would put it on the list just because they are cheaper but I am less likely to enjoy them . Hope that makes sense ! Having said that I will certainly try to look for more books I like to put on the list :)

Dumbledore11214 wrote: "I actually want to give my perspective as someone who certainly puts expensive ebooks on her wish list at least in the last two or few years of participation . I checked my wish list I did see two ..."

I agree with that and its not a problem for me to give them. I meant in terms of book prices going up in the last few years I mean an ebook with 200 pgs. that cost $12.99 also my person didn't realize that all his or her books have been on the list for years also.

Angela makes sense !

M'rella wrote: "Hi friends!

Care to share your favorite authors? I am looking to expand my library, but need good author recommendations. My only requirements are MM, and as little sex as possible.

My own recent..."

You should also check out the Rakshura series by Martha Wells! I loved it so much. She's such a talented author. Love Murderbot too.

Love Kai Butler too~

:D