Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Bringing you the famous and cheeky SBTB blog for romance enthusiasts. If you're into the romance genre, this is where you want to be. If you're not, avoid at all costs to preserve your sanity. Ha ha. We're just kidding. There are some good things happening in the genre. Stay Golden, Horny Girl!
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/recleague.pngThis Rec League comes from Jessi. Thanks, Jessi! I know this might not be what other people are looking for right now, but I have been devouring post apocalyptic romances and I need more to feed the beast. So far, I’ve read everything by Kit Rocha, Claire Kent’s Last Light, Alysa Cole’s Radio Silence trilogy and most recently Kat Bostick’s Moonshine. I don’t care what type of apocalypse it is, and I really don’t need much plot, if that makes sense. What I really like is the dynamic of two people alone at the end of the world who have to rely on each other. You could maybe in substitute an extre…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Depositphotos_52671211_original-1024x682.jpgWelcome back to Wednesday Links! First off, thank you for all your kind messages from last week! Sarah and I recently had our end of the year check-in. (She’s a wonderful boss, by the way, and I mean it.). She always asks me to come prepared with what things on the site I’ve enjoyed this year. I named this post because we’ve created such a nice little community in the comments and it’s been a lovely bright spot. So thank you all again! I picture us all cozy with our coffee, tea, or beverage of choice, gossiping about all the weird and wonderful things on the inter…
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For the Love of April French RECOMMENDED: For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes is 99c! I didn’t review this one here, but I did for another site. I loved this one so much. It was so sweet and tender. I’d say this is more of a character-focused BDSM romance, than one that has a ton of BDSM scenes. I gave it a star over at Bookpage. April French doesn’t do relationships and she never asks for more. A long-standing regular at kink club Frankie’s, she’s kind of seen it all. As a trans woman, she’s used to being the scenic rest stop for others on their way to a hap…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/themes/smartbitches/images/posts/hide-your-wallet.jpg If you’re new to Hide Your Wallet, this is where we list new releases we’re pretty excited for in the coming month. Each reviewer has a book maximum (five per person), and we’ve separated HYW into two parts. The first HYW of the month will cover books that release from the 1st to the 14th. The second HYW will cover books released from the 15th to the end of the month. We also think this will help us feature books from smaller publishers who don’t have buy links up as early as the bigger trade houses. As always, if we missed any books that you’…
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A Court of Thorns and Roses Bundle The A Court of Thorns and Roses Bundle by Sarah J. Maas is $5.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and so far, isn’t being price-matched. This collections books 1-3 in the series, plus a novella. I believe that’s the first full story arc. Normally, this bundle would retail for over $45, so this is a steal! Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at a steep price, and Feyre has just killed the wrong wolf … Follow Feyre’s journey into the dang…
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This HaBO is from Katherine, who is looking for this romantic fantasy: This one has been driving me crazy and I’ve been trying to find it for a year at least! I hope someone can help me out. Here is what I remember. Definitely a romantic, fantasy (or at least alternate world), probably YA book. Heroine is an orphan taken into an orphanage run by a seemingly kind noblewoman who treats the girls there as her daughters, they call her Mother. Mother is later revealed to be the stealth villain, and her orphanage raises girls to be spies to help her quest in taking down the young Emperor of their kingdom (I forget why she wants to, exactly.) Heroine is The Most Gifted Spy…
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A Castle for Christmas by Kim Beyer-Johnson, Ally Carter, Neal H. Dobrofsky, Tippi Dobrofsky B Not a Book Carrie and Shana decided to start December off right with a midweek movie night. Also in attendance were Carrie’s daughter, a dog, and a cat. As consummate professionals, we prepared by reading this article about the realism, and lack thereof, of the movie. It’s been a long time since we’ve done a recap, and we are prepared. Shana was in charge of snacks. Bitches, let me tell you. If you ever have the chance to do so, PUT SHANA IN CHARGE O…
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Off the Clock RECOMMENDED: Off the Clock by Roni Loren is $1.99! I read this one and gave it a B+. Content warnings here for childhood trauma and suicide, which are the major ones I remember. Here’s what I thought: When I first heard about Off the Clock, I was pretty excited. I’m all for erotic romances with smart people and it’s nice to see non-billionaires. So I went into the book amped for some nerdy people getting down and dirty, but was pleasantly surprised that it was so much more than that – it was emotional and showed an interesting portrayal of individuals dealing with all manner of trauma an…
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Welcome back to Cover Snark! Most of these were sent in by you all, and oh, buddy…they are good. I also want to issue a content warning for discussion of self harm in the first cover in this series. http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/image-88.png Lara: Is it okay sometimes to not be clever? To look at something and just go, “Ew” Amanda: It is very okay, Lara Lara: I can’t even put my finger on what repulses me. My whole body just does a shiver. Heck, maybe that’s the cover designer’s intention!? Carrie: It’s the red…it looks like self-harm…this is really concerning. Lara: That’s it! Shana: It also looks like the guy behind her is a de…
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Pretty Little Wife RECOMMENDED: Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane is $2.99! This is part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals, which feature a lot of Harlequin category romances. Elyse reviewed this one and gave it an A: The story is really a cat-and-mouse game between Lila and Aaron (or whoever moved him), Lila and the police, and Lila and Aaron’s friends and family. It’s layers upon layers of deception, plots, counter-plots, and moments where I thought I figured out what was happening and was wrong. That’s all I can really say without spoiling this wonderful, twisty thriller. Just trust me. You’ll love it.…
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Is it that time already? Lovely to have all of you back. We’re onto volume seven of Get Rec’d! This is the space where I chat about some other books I’ve been recommending lately. They usually fall outside of romance and this time, a lot of these skew more toward horror elements. With the holidays coming up, my brain is constantly stuck on finding comparative titles for shoppers who need books for fickle readers. Get any good recommendations lately? Let me know in the comments! Moon of Crusted Snow I went on an Indigenous horror kick earlier this year and this is one I recommend to readers…
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It’s time for another edition of Stuff We Like! and our 2021 Gift Guide! http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GGCraft.jpg This week, Elyse has ideas for the crafty, especially knitty, person in your life. Want to see? Just click that image above or click right here, and come shop with us! And if you’d like to browse some more, we have a complete Stuff We Like archive, including past Gift Guides and other posts of our favorite items. View the full article
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Clean Sweep Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews is $2.99! This is part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals. I’ve heard good things about this book and it has a mix of scifi and paranormal elements, and I really don’t know why I’m dragging my feet on reading this series. It isn’t price-matched yet, but maybe later! On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…differe…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/themes/smartbitches/images/posts/kickass-women.jpg This month we look to Vietnam for Kickass Women. The Tru’ung Sisters led a rebellion against the Chinese in Vietnam and ruled for three years. They lived from around AD 12 to AD 43. Click for TW/CW This post mentions suicide. This entry comes with a few caveats. For starters, the history of Vietnam is long and complicated and not something I presume to have digested properly in the time it took to research this post. Secondly, stories about the Tru’ung sisters come from multiple sources, including Vietnamese and Ch…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bigstock-Christmas-Wooden-Mansion-In-Mo-270655558-e1544122079206.jpgWe’re approaching the end of the year and there’s only one more Whatcha Reading left after this one in 2021! Lara: I’ve hit a rough patch emotionally so I’ve turned to a series that Sarah has recommended: the Cadfael books by Ellis Peters. They’re a marvel and a balm for the soul! Sarah: Aren’t they lovely? I am so glad they are giving you the mellow reading feels. Lara: They’re just the best! I’m trying to convince everyone to read them! Claudia: Tell you what, you convinced me to read After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long and I’m…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/themes/smartbitches/images/podcast/header_05c.jpg The transcript for Podcast 488. Sweet Dreams Recap: Little Sister by Yvonne Greene has been posted! This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks. ❤ Click here to subscribe to The Podcast → View the full article
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Back in the Burbs Back in the Burbs by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn is 99c! This is part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals. This seems to lean more toward chick lit rather than a full-on contemporary romance. Have you read this one? Ever have one of those days where life just plain sucks? Welcome to my last three months—ever since I caught my can’t-be-soon-enough ex-husband cheating with his paralegal. I’m thirty-five years old, and I’ve lost my NYC apartment, my job, my money, and frankly, my dignity. But the final heartache in the suck sandwich of my life? My great-aunt…
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C The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl September 14, 2021 · Page Street Kids LGBTQIAUrban FantasyYoung Adult CW: torture Holly’s first 30ish years as a vampire were pretty great, roaming around America with her maker/dreamy boyfriend, Elton. Then it all turned to shit when he got bored and abandoned her at a truck stop. Now, Holly’s alone, compelled to follow Elton from town to town (one of the vampire rules specific to this story), so she’s currently back in her hometown for the first time since 1987. Holly isn’t the on…
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A This week, we have lots to talk about! First, some of y’all wrote fantastic epilogues to the very unsatisfying ending of Princess Amy, recapped in episode 486, and I share my ideas, too. Then, it’s time for Sweet Dreams 5, Little Sister. We’ve got: Big Misunderstandings Plot Points that were in the cover copy so they’re not that dramatic Snarky sister fights Really loving and supportive, thoughtful parents And Drama Kids! Lots of ‘em! Thank you to jfhobbit, Malaraa, and Kara for the epilogues! Don’t miss jfhobbit’s art! Listen to the podcast → Read the transcript → Here are the books we discuss in this podcast: …
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Lush Money Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez is $2.99! This one has a new cover and let me rant for a second. I hate when new covers result in new ISBNs because that then results in a whole lot of broken links that I have to fix. /endrant. ANYWAY! I gave this one a B-: The angst is high. The sex is hot. It should be high on your TBR pile if you’re in the mood for an emotional rollercoaster with flipped tropes. A marriage of convenience and three nights a month. That’s all the sultry, self-made billionaire wants from the impoverished prince. And at the end of the year…
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The holidays are here and with them comes a whole lot of new Tarot decks suitable for giving…to myself, BWAH HA HA! I’ve been waiting on The Labyrinth Tarot for several months and now that it’s finally here, it’s…well, it’s OK. Some of the art is lovely, and the suggested layouts are clever, but the creators seem to have run out of ideas before they ran out of cards. For a little Tarot 101 that explains the structure of a typical deck, look here: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/a-jane-austen-tarot-deck-by-jacqui-oakley/. Jim Henson’s Labyrinth Tarot Deck and Guidebook is based on the movie we shamelessly adore over here at the Bitchery, starring David Bowie …
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Depositphotos_52671211_original-1024x682.jpgWelcome back, everyone! Settle in! This week had some unexpected self-care moves for me because my depression is at an all time high (or is it low?). I did a grown up thing and scheduled an extra therapy appointment in between my regular ones because I definitely needed it. I bought a big purchase last month that arrived two weeks earlier than expected, so I got to enjoy the weekend with my new PS5. And I finally did something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile: made an appointment to get my septum pierced in January. When you’re sad or grieving or anxious, the o…
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Broken Broken by Jenny Lawson is $2.99! A couple of use here at SBTB have really loved Lawsons’ previous two memoir collections and this is her third, which came out this April. Humor can certainly be subjective. If you’re tempted by this one, but are unsure if her voice will work for you, she has a long-running blog: The Bloggess. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened comes a deeply relatable book filled with humor and honesty about depression and anxiety. As Jenny Lawson’s hundreds of thousands of fa…
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This special edition of our holiday gift guide is sponsored by AdamandEve.com and they’ve offered us a coupon code for your holiday shopping! Here is the most important information: AdamandEve.com is offering Smart Bitches readers 50% off a single item plus free standard shipping in the US and Canada with code SMART. Please note: certain exclusions apply, but the coupon covers most of the store. If you’d like to see some of the toys we’ve featured in previous posts, check out our Adam & Eve tag! It’s getting cold and the sun sets earlier and earlier this time of year – a perfect opportunity to gift yourself with some lovely accessories for pleasure and joy! Here a…
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The Princess Knight The Princess Knight by G.A. Aiken is $2.99 and it’s also part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals, which feature a ton of romance! This is book two in the Scarred Earth Saga. I loved and reviewed the first book and Lara reviewed this one, giving it a B: The cast of characters EXPLODES in this book. Pay attention to each and every new character; they are all important. We pop into a lot of different POVs which can be a little dizzying, but adds beautifully to the immersive world building of it all. In New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken’s grippi…
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