The trouble with free books is:

[Joy77]

I agree with what you are saying, but most of the time I end up not buying the following books if I mostly tow the line between them. But sometimes you accually find some books really worth reading, and you love the rest of the series to. One series that was like that is
Fashionably Dead by Robyn Peterman. The book was free, I read it and now have allt the rest in the serie. So its sometimes a win-win and sometimes not but thats whats great about it.

[Kaya]

It seems to me that free books that begin a series are almost always based on romance. To me that seems like a cheap ploy to reel readers in. If the book isn't centered around a love triangle then I consider buying it.

[Bookaholic14]

I agree with many of the points raised by other reviewers.

Many of the free eBooks are the first of a series, which can be frustrating. I don't mind getting Book 1 for free and then paying for the rest if I enjoy the series, but when you get the first 100 pages of Book 1, and then you have to buy Books 2-5 for $1.99 each to get to the end of the story, that frustrates me, especially since it's usually a story that I wouldn't have spent $10 on in the first place. I am definitley one who prefers to finish the series, but lately I've found myself leaving a few series unfinished because it just isn't worth the cost to continue reading some books.

I've also found the problem with poorly edited novels. Sometimes these are smaller issues and don't bother me as much; other times I find myself mentally editing the book as I'm reading, and that gets very frustrating. Unfortunately, I find that poor editing also detracts from what might otherwise be a very interesting novel.

Sometimes you get what you pay for, but for the most part I've been fairly impressed with the free eBooks I've downloaded.

[Xinceesay]

There are always more (not free) books in the series! Ha!

Don't get me wrong, I totally love my Kindle and love that I can get free books. And I understand the idea that it is great to be able to read the first book of a series in order to find out if you are willing to invest in more (sometimes several more) books.

But sometimes there are books that are right on the line (to buy or not to buy). Yes I am interested in the story, the characters struck a cord and the plot isn't boring, but really I am not totally in love with the book. Do you sometimes find yourself reading a book just so you can finish it and see how it ends? Sometimes the free e-reader books are like that. I just want to know how it ends, but I do not want to spend money just so that my brain can mentally "close" that story down.

However, I have also found some great series that I have purchased the remaining books after reading the first one for free! I guess it is a give and take!
-Kate

If you have the book to choose and one is on the line to buy or not - do not buy it as there are so many books in the world which will suit you, that you can not imagine! Leave them and don`t be afraid to spare time for looking an appropriate book for you.

[ShawnaRose]

While I agree that there is a bit of frustration that comes with finding out that the free book is a means to getting a reader hooked into a series they have to pay for, I love that I am being introduced to so many new authors and stories!

[slothsarereal]

I always think that finding good free books is hard! Most of the books that are free on itunes are porn - which is not really what I want to read (but it's perfect ground for someone else I'm sure!)

[steampunk_girl]

Yup. These 'free books' are addicting making you crave more like this one I just read Treasure, Darkly by Jordan Elizabeth is an amazing Steampunk novel that ends with an ending as abbrut as The Heir by Kiera Cass making me feel the need to buy the next book in the series.

[RooneysReviews]

I have had a lot of similar problems that others have posted. There are so many free ebooks out there, that finding one I'm interested in is always difficult. Even if I find one that looks good, often times I find it is not as good as I expected. Usually, the topic sounds interesting but the writing has not been edited well or is just poor in general. However, I have found some really good books that were free ebooks. I also don't like when what is described as a free ebook is really just a long sample of a paid book.

[MsMartha]

I also don't like when what is described as a free ebook is really just a long sample of a paid book.

I have to agree. At least on Amazon there's that "Look Inside" feature that lets you see part of the book--several chapters usually--and you can use it to check out a book that's free or not. It usually takes me a couple of paragraphs to determine if I want to read a book, because I can see the author's writing style and also get an idea of how characters are handled. No, it doesn't necessarily show me how the plot is developed, or if the ending is great, but it gives me enough information to decide if I want to read the book.

[Kim Dale]

Hello all! I am a new member and I saw this post and totally agree! I also find that some free books can contain grammar mistakes or spelling errors which can prove frustrating and interrupt the flow of reading.

[Shelle]

I also love the free books! But you're right, you get hooked with the freebie, then end up loving the series or author and blow your book budget on e-books. I am super grateful for the freebies though, otherwise how would we all have "met" some of our favorite writers?

[Kate_Lewis]

To be perfectly honest, I love getting free ebooks, but my problem is that I have never been a fan of reading anything that wasn't paper. I just haven't been able to put myself through online books yet.

[bekkilyn]

I'm at the point where if I see that a book is part of a series, I usually just skip over it and move on to something else. In most cases, I also tend to wait until a series is complete before I start reading it, and I know exactly how many books are in it, how much it will cost as a whole, and most importantly, that the author has actually *completed* the storyline. I don't really consider a book to be free if it's really a part of a story that will take $50 to finish, so I need to look at the total cost. I don't mind standalone books that are part of a "series" though since the story doesn't continue from book to book. Exceptions have happened, but it's rare for me.

[Cee-Jay Aurinko]

I wish there wasn't such a thing as bad books. Even self-published ones. Freebies are cool, but most of them aren't great reads. I've read a lot of books just "to get to the end". I won't say that I find something wrong with free books, but just because it's free doesn't mean I'll read it.

[Topcho]

For me, the main problem with free books is that I accumulate too many. I follow many blogs and sites, that let you know when a book is free on Amazon or elsewhere for limited time; also I like to wander in all those free book sites, author blogs with goodies, blog hops, giveaways. In short, all those places where you can get a book for free.
But when it comes to reading, I usually pick books I paid for, or if I got it for free - books that are for review. Which is a pity, because actually I've found some great titles and authors via freebies! Lately I've been trying to persuade the people from my other book club to read and discuss some of those freebies. Usually it works, especially if the book is still free, because this means everyone in the club can get it. For example, now we're reading a novel that is free on Wattpad.

As for the "1st in a series" thing, I don't mind that much. If I like the first, I'd probably go on anyway. If I don't - I don't have any obligations, and at least I got the first volume for free.