Amazon's annual Prime Day is fast approaching, but the retail giant is already offering early deals to shoppers. Kindle Unlimited, a vast collection of ebooks operating like a library lending system, is available free for three months for Prime members who have not previously redeemed a free trial.
For those without Prime membership, they can still access 30 days of the reading subscription at no charge before it increases to £9.49 per month. The subscription allows readers to borrow up to 20 books simultaneously, with instant downloads available.
A similar promotion is running with Audible, Amazon's audiobook platform. New members can secure three months for free, along with a £10 bonus credit if they register this month.
Alternatives to Kindle Unlimited
Kobo also offers a reading subscription with Kobo+ at a competitive rate. It costs £8.99 per month for either the reading or listening service, and for customers wanting both, it is available for £11.99. This makes it more affordable than subscribing to both Audible and Kindle Unlimited. It is worth noting that Kindle's prices are slightly higher than those of competitors like Kobo.
The Kobo+ library boasts a varied selection of titles, with some likely available on other platforms as well. Notably, the extensive range of V. E. Schwab's works includes The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, currently the third most-read fantasy novel in the 2026 Goodreads challenge, behind The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.
Other Free Options
Libby is another option for borrowing ebooks and audiobooks at no cost, though it requires linking to a local library using a library card. This can lead to long waiting times and some titles being entirely unavailable.
Staff Recommendations
Here at the Mirror, several team members subscribe to Kindle Unlimited and have shared their recent picks. Jada Jones, already on her 63rd book of the year, is currently reading Anderson in Bloom by Jennifer Dugan—a story about a florist who abandoned her Hollywood career after being let down by her agent.
Five years later, she learns that her ex-girlfriend is writing a memoir featuring her story, much to her displeasure. A tipsy text results in the Oscar-winning former love of her life showing up at the shop, and by the halfway point, Jada hopes the pair find their happy ending.
Jada also recently borrowed Ashley Poston's The Dead Romantics and said: "I've had a couple of Ashley Poston books on my shelves for years and never got around to reading them, but with her latest book, The Someday Garden, coming out this month and a tour giving a chance to get copies signed, I suggested we cover one of her books for my book club. I saw The Dead Romantics and decided to give it a try, and I kicked myself for not reading it sooner."
"Florence Day can see ghosts, which is why, after solving a crime with the help of one, she got a reputation in her home town that sent her running for the Big Apple. With her heart broken by an ex, a romance novel deadline looming, and an unexpected death in the family forcing her back to the funeral home she grew up in, she has a lot on her plate. More so when her brooding new editor shows up on her doorstep, and he is undeniably a ghost."
"This book made me laugh, cry, and had me practically begging for a grumpy man to be brought back to life. Poston has landed the magical realism voice perfectly, and I've since bought all of her books, which I plan to power through this month."
Harriet Morphy-Morris, who uses her Kindle Scribe more on weekends, has been enjoying a choose-your-own-adventure thriller on Kindle Unlimited. She said: "My favourite book of the month has been The Dinner Party by Freida McFadden. I'm not one to go for thrillers usually, but this has been enticing."
"One book I keep clicking into is So Good Express by Emily English, a recipe book. It might not be a first thought for Kindle readers, but with the Scribe's screen, it is big enough to use as a tablet while cooking."
It appears that the three-month complimentary Kindle Unlimited offer is only available to Amazon Prime members who have not previously subscribed to Kindle Unlimited.
