5 Fab Thriller Novels that Span the Globe
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on July 28, 2020
Every month, hundreds of new thriller novels get published – and some of the best of them are offered to Hidden Gems subscribers to read for FREE. We looked back over some of the recent action packed tales shared with our subscribers and cross-referenced their reviews, rankings, and popularity to pick five ‘hidden gems’ to highlight for you. The stories here span the globe, with thrills from the heat of Texas, to the rains of London. Never Look Back in Texas by Russ Hall Russ Hall has brought us six vibrant adventures featuring retired Texas lawman Al Quinn – rich with detail, and filled with taut, terrifying action. In Book Six, Al is on the hunt for a school friend’s missing son – but that path places him in the sights of the vicious Mara Salvatrucha gang; and what should have been a manhunt now turns into a battle for… Read More >
5 Steamy Summer Romances
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on July 21, 2020
Even if where you live hasn’t opened up post-COVID-19, the weather is certainly announcing the arrival of summer – and so now is the perfect time to stock up on steamy summer reads for the beach, poolside, or backyard if you’re still in quarantine. Fans of romance get a ton of value by subscribing to Hidden Gems books – the following five books were offered for FREE to subscribers, in addition to dozens more from 15 other genres. The SEAL’s Convenient Marriage by Katie Knight It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience – so tough-as-nails SEAL Nate could help Emily provide care and treatment for his cancer-stricken little brother. However, when Emily discovers their doctor is embroiled in a conspiracy worth killing for, Nate has to fall back on his lethal training; and protect Emily at all costs. “This is the first book that I have read from this… Read More >
Fantasy Reads with STRONG Female Protagonists
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on July 7, 2020
Conan the Barbarian can stand aside – the fast-moving fantasy genre is dominated at the moment by feisty, female protagonists and it couldn’t come at a better time. We’ve scoured the rankings from the last month or so and identified the five highest-rated fantasy books shared with Hidden Gems subscribers in recent weeks; and a strong woman driving the action is one thing they all have in common. Take a look and you’ll be hooked! Fate Forged by B.P. Donigan All good fantasy stories begin with a tough, scrappy protagonist – and in Fate Forged, you’ll meet Maeve O’Neill – a once-homeless young woman who’d managed to pull herself up despite the odds stacked against her. All this progress is threatened, though, when nightmarish visions of torture and murder plague Maeve – and her attempts to get to the bottom of this mystery see her burdened with magical powers that immediately… Read More >
5 Mind-Bending Mystery Books to Unravel
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 23, 2020
Mystery books never go out of season, and to prove that we scoured the shelves of Hidden Gems subscribers to identify five of the best-performing mystery novels shared to them for FREE this springtime. From ice cold and chilling to cozy and perplexing, you’ll be sure to find one that suits your tastes; and leaves you pondering “whodunnit.” Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson The little town of Edgehill, Oregon has its own unique mysteries – like an uncommon captivation with cats – but perhaps the most mysterious of all is Amber Blackwood, owner of the curious Quirky Whisker store. For the most part, nobody cares – Keep Oregon Weird, right? – until Amber’s best friend turns up dead, and a bottle of her headache tonic is found in the corpse’s hands. Now, attention turns to Amber, and her identity as a witch threatens to condemn her for a crime she… Read More >
5 Horror Books That Bring the Fear
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 9, 2020
It many not be the best selling genre around, but f you look back over the decades, you can see that the best horror books stand the test of time (we’re still reading Dracula and Frankenstein, a century or more later). But what makes a good horror story? Most indie-published horror novels fail to make an impact because the genre is small and competitive, and the books on offer have a tough time differentiating themselves from others in the category. It doesn’t have to be this way, though! We checked the downloads, reviews, and rankings for the horror novels shared with Hidden Gems subscribers this quarter, and identified the five which resonated with our readers the most. If you’re looking to write horror well – or just want a scary read – you’d be well off starting with these. What Preys Within by Brett Gurda The first novel by author Brett… Read More >
5 Children’s Books That Really Stood Out
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on May 26, 2020
Each and every week, subscribers to Hidden Gems are offered FREE books to download, read, and review – from any or all of over 15 different genres. Today, we’re going to look at some of our subscribers favorite Children’s Books that were recently sent out to them. Children’s Books are one of the more challenging genres to be successful at as a self-publisher, so hopefully it’ll be valuable to take a look at these “Hidden Gems” among their ranks. Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm by D. G. Priya Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm is one of two books in this charming series of children’s books by author D. G. Priya, who is a computer science major with a passion for helping introduce children to STEM subjects, and computational thinking. In an age in which computer science experience is considered one of the foundational skills for success in our… Read More >
The 5 Romance Novels Readers Picked in April 2020
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on May 19, 2020
Romance novels never go out of favor, and this April subscribers to Hidden Gems received invitations to read and review some really fantastic romantic reads. We rounded up the numbers – the readers who picked each book, and the reviews they left for it – and decided to share the five ‘Hidden Gems’ as selected by our subscribers. Pioneer Dream by Ramona Flightner Dozens of 5-star reviews attest to how popular Ramona Flightner‘s historical romances are, and with Pioneer Dream she weaves a tale that hits every note. This is the tale of tough, down-to-earth frontiersman Kevin O’Rourke – who never expected to plunge into the cold waters of the Missouri River in pursuit of a woman overboard, or to fall just as deeply in love with her when she’s pulled from the water. Likewise, the waterlogged Aileen O’Keefe had very specific reasons to travel to Fort Benton, Montana – but… Read More >
5 Intense Thrillers to Enjoy
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on May 5, 2020
Each and every week, subscribers to Hidden Gems receive invitations to review brand-new ebooks for FREE – sometimes before they’re even published. Of the over 15 different genres we offer, thrillers remain one of the most popular – and so we’ve gathered a list of the five favorite thrillers shared with subscribers in recent months, as calculated by the number and quality of the reviews our readers gave them. Seven Shadows by V.S. Kemanis The best thrillers are centered around vividly-believable characters, and that’s what’s so impressive about Seven Shadows – the fifth and most recent of the Dana Hargrove Legal Mysteries. Although four books proceed this one – following brilliant New York prosecutor Dana as she makes her way toward a new position as a trial judge – you can dive right in, and you’ll love seeing through the eyes of this principled, but complex woman as she sees the… Read More >
Isolate yourself with these 5 Epic Fantasy Adventures
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on April 14, 2020
With the COVID-19 crisis continuing, your Kindle or eReader might just become your new best friend. Today, we’re sharing 5 fantasy titles recently read and reviewed by Hidden Gems subscribers – and remember, if you want to receive free fantasy books like these – or others from 15 different genres – just sign up today and select your favorites. Exile’s Redemption by Lee Dunning The Elven Nation lies fractured, and ambitious young scholar Raven hopes to reunite it with knowledge she scours from the great library. However, when portals to another dimension open, flooding her homeland with bloodthirsty demons, Raven needs to ally herself with an even darker entity; and hope she can use the power of the exiled W’rath to defend her people. “I might become a fantasy reader,” warned JD Lovil in a 5-star review. “The Author starts you off with a very artfully drawn map of the elfish… Read More >
5 Infectious Non-Fiction Reads
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 31, 2020
With the engine of the world grinding to a halt in the face of COVID-19, we thought our regularly-scheduled list of recommended books might be a good place to explore some of the most infectiously immersive non-fiction books about plagues, pandemics, and all manner of other biological unpleasantness. While none of those will make you feel comfortable, they’re all valuable reads when it comes to understanding just how devastating infectious diseases can be – and how modern society is often ‘whistling past the graveyard’ in the face of an inevitable infectious apocalypse. And what better time to read about these than when you’re stuck in home quarantine anyway? Viruses, Plagues, and History: Past, Present and Future by Michael B. A. Oldstone AIDS, influenza, polio, and smallpox make up a chilling cast of characters – with the last in that list responsible for 300 million deaths in the 20th century alone. In… Read More >
