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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Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber is $2.99 and part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals! This seems to be women’s fiction with some magical realism and yummy food descriptions. Seeing as I love Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen a lot, this should be right up my alley, but I’ve been hesitant to add it to my TBR. Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café. It was supposed to be a quick trip to clo…
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This HaBO was sent in by Katie who wants to find this contemporary romance: This was my first contemporary I read in high school (so published pre-2007). It featured a sexy-when-he-takes-his-glasses-off nerd hero and a career-oriented hottie heroine who get stranded on a deserted tropical island – I think after a plane crash? I also remember they had only a limited number of condoms, which was a big plot point. I’d love to re-read this to see if the book that expanded my love of romance to include contemporaries holds up in any way! I do love a sexy-when-they-take-their-glasses-off moment. Blame She’s All That. View the full article
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It’s time for another edition of Stuff We Like! http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SWL-videogames6.jpg We have MANY game recs this week! What video games are you happily lost in for hours? 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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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix is $3.99! Carrie review this one and gave it a B: Truthfully, if I had known what I was getting into, I doubt I would have read this book. And yet I’m so glad I did, because this, among other things, is a story about reading whatever the heck we want to read and the power of women when they decide to unite, both of which are themes that are Relevant to my Interests, Oh, Yeah. Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flav…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Depositphotos_52671211_original-300x200.jpgWelcome back to Wednesday Links! Guess what tomorrow is?! Be sure to check back tomorrow for some wonderful April Fools shenanigans. It’s chilly and windy here in New England and I’m just waiting for allergy season to descent upon me with a vengeance. Hope you all are hanging in there ! … Sarah knows I love some ridiculous petty drama and I was completely tickled by this reddit thread about the drama happening between people’s pets. … At SBTB HQ, we’re all going wild for this Dumplings of the World graphic. It’s also being made into a print and I think it woul…
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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), but 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 quickly as the big five. As always, if we missed any books that you’re partic…
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Y’all know how much I love the annual April Fool’s jokes here at the hot pink palace of silliness. I ponder ideas all year, and have a whole page in my notebook reserved for potential goofiness. This year: The Smart Bitches Smart Device! Just holler from whatever room you’re in, “Hey now, Smart Bitches!” (I mean, you could customize it to respond to whatever phrase you’d like. I can suggest: Hey, Smart Bitches! Smaaaaaaaaaaart Bitches! I beg your pardon, most excellent bitches! http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sDepositphotos_243655170_xl-2015.jpeg And yes, it will surreptitiously build you that kitchen, if you’d like. I think it’s…
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When We Left Cuba When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton is $1.99 and a KDD! This one features a character from the first book in this series, Next Year in Havana, but I believe you can manage this one as a standalone. If I’m wrong, though, chime in below! Here’s what Sarah had to say: When We Left Cuba is beautiful and fascinating. Better recommendation comes from my house sitter earlier this year who very timidly asked if she could read my ARC of book three because she loves the series so so much and was so excited that a preview copy was in her vicinity. In 1960s Flo…
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Victoria Helen Stone has a new book out! The Last One Home is a dual-timeline domestic thriller in the genre of “Earl Had to Die.” In this conversation, we discuss her moving from writing romance as Victoria Dahl to writing domestic suspense and thrillers, growing up in poverty, and the power of nostalgia. Then Victoria figures out a key reason why “Earl Had to Die” books about revenge are so very satisfying. There are some spoilers for Jane Doe and Problem Child herein, so be ye warned! … Music: purple-planet.com Listen to the podcast → Read the transcript → Here are the books we discuss in this podcast: …
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Her Night with the Duke Her Night with the Duke by Diana Quincy by $1.99! This is a new series by Quincy and the first in the Clandestine Affairs series. I remember seeing a lot of buzz for this one when it came out. Have you read this one? Desire knows no reason… When Lady Delilah Chambers finds herself stranded at a country inn on a rain-swept evening, she’s forced to fend off a group of ruffians with the help of a handsome gentleman. Irresistibly drawn to each other, Leela and the stranger spend one reckless night in each others’ arms—and then go their separate wa…
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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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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/themes/smartbitches/images/posts/elyses-knitting-thumb.jpg The New York Sheep and Wool Festival (referred to as “Rhinebeck” by fiber people for the town it’s held in) is pretty much my happy place. It’s my Comic Con. It’s the largest fiber festival in the US, and I was so happy to be able to return this year. The festival is held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY in mid to late October every year. That means in addition to fiber joy, you also get beautiful fall colors. The weather can variable, but this year was warm if a little dizzily. Normally the festival draws about 30,000 peop…
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A The Menopause Manifesto by Jen Gunter May 25, 2021 · Citadel Press Nonfiction I didn’t expect this book to make me cry, but it did. Specifically, I got teary when I was reading the introduction and came across this sentence: “It shouldn’t require an act of feminism to know how your body works, but it does.” I felt equal parts furious, seen, and relieved when I read that. When The Vagina Bible was released a couple of years ago, I devoured it, paying special attention to the section about menopause. That was just …
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Duke I’d Like to F… Duke I’d Like to F… is 99c! This anthology was featured in last November’s Hide Your Wallet and has some wonderful authors included. Have you read this anthology yet? Do you have a favorite story? He’s got big duke energy… The Chasing of Eleanor Vane – Sierra Simone Ajax Dartham, the Duke of Jarrell, has a problem. And that problem is his future niece-in-law. When the clever and capable Lady Eleanor Vane—understandably—runs off into the night rather than marry his horrible nephew, the Duke has a choice. Should he catch Eleanor and return her to h…
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Welcome back to our Eurovision coverage as seen through the eyes of a somewhat sleep-deprived Australian at 5am! This review is absolutely full of links to YouTube clips of the performances, and as always, some of them don’t work in the US. We have done our best to find versions that are visible on both sides of the globe, so if the first clip doesn’t work for you, scroll a little bit further, because the second one hopefully will! For optimal Eurovision enjoyment, we recommend opening this post in a new tab, then opening all the links in subsequent tabs and savoring each one individually. It may take a while – but it will be WORTH IT! So, Eurovision 2021. Wow. I feel …
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This HaBO is from Liz, who wants to find this historical romance: I’ve had the same book pop into my head randomly for years, but it’s just a couple scenes that I can remember. It’s a historical. In a scene in a carriage the hero presents the heroine with a necklace, I think pearl, and then proceeds to Google her Yahoo with it. After her results come through she accepts it and wears it to a ball. At the ball she begins to notice smirks, for lack of remembering the exact details, and they’re coming from women wearing the same necklace. So yeah, he’s kind of a jerk to begin with but gets better later I think? If you have any ideas I’d appreciate it. We’ve had many a pe…
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The Bride RECOMMENDED: The Bride by Julie Garwood is $1.99! This is one of my favorite historical romances and was one of my gateway reads to the genre, if you’ve listened to the What Made Us Romance Readers podcast episode. It has a 4.2-star rating on Goodreads! By edict of the king, the mighty Scottish laird Alec Kincaid must take an English bride. His choice was Jamie, youngest daughter of Baron Jamison…a feisty, violet-eyed beauty. Alec ached to touch her, to tame her, to possess her…forever. But Jamie vowed never to surrender to this highland barbarian. He was e…
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B How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole May 25, 2021 · Avon LGBTQIARomance How to Find a Princess is a playful retelling of Anastasia with a lovable cast of characters that made me smile. It pairs a reliable pragmatist with her catnip, a chaotic adventurer. If you found the first novel in the Reluctant Royals series a bit stressful, rejoice! The sequel has less angst, but it also has an abrupt ending. Makeda Hicks grew up listening to her grandmother’s stories of an affair with a man who claimed he was a prince of……
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Force of Nature Force of Nature by Jane Harper is $2.99! This may have been the only Harper mystery we haven’t featured on sale, so get this one if you’ve been waiting. It’s the second book in the Aaron Falk series, though it works fine as a self-contained story. Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along a muddy track. Only four come out on the other side. The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and encourage teamwork and resilience. At least, that’s wha…
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A Beth & Amy by Virginia Kantra May 25, 2021 · Berkley Women's Fiction Content warning for the book Beth has an eating disorder, and we are in her head a lot, so we see quite a bit of it. Also, her relationship with Colt is borderline abusive, and there is sex that is not really consensual. Beth and Amy is a pitch-perfect retelling of Little Women / Good Wives from the point of view of Beth, Amy, and occasionally Abigail March. It completely captures the personalities of the March girls and their friends and …
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A | BN | K Author Lauren Willig has embarked on a monthly read-a-long for her Pink Carnation series, and she’s asked me to be the guest for month four, where we discuss The Seduction of the Crimson Rose! This event will be held over Zoom and registration is required, so please sign up if you’re interested in hanging out with us. Bring your favorite beverage! Details below and right here: Thursday 27 May, 8pm ET – on Zoom! Registration Required! http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Pink-Read-Along-Month-4-e1620395192701.jpeg This should be really zany and fun, so I hope you can join us! View the full article
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A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher is 99c and part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals! This one was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet, and the SBTB team has really been enjoying Kingfisher’s books lately. Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona’s life is turned upside do…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Depositphotos_52671211_original-300x200.jpgWelcome back, friends! Let’s share some links! Most of today’s links are related to food. Sometimes it just works out that way, though I’ve also included an amazing thread of recommendations if you’re looking for queer historical fantasy romances. Let’s goooo! … The queer historical fantasy recommendation thread in question: https://twitter.com/aqueda_veronica/status/1395485452480692228?s=21 … If you follow Roxane Gay on any type of social media, you’ve probably seen all of her amazing cooking content. Well here’s a cooking video she did for The New York Time…
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Gabriel’s Inferno Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Reynard is $1.99! This is an erotica forbidden romance that was later made into a PassionFlix movie. I could never get into Reynard’s books. Are you a fan? Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well-respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption. When th…
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A | BN | K | AB Tara and I exclaimed at each other about Dr. Jen Gunter’s latest book, The Menopause Manifesto, so we figured we should exclaim at her, too. In this conversation, we cover the book, the facts and science about menopause, and the history of how predatory patriarchal bullcrap has influenced how we think, talk, and learn about menopause. We also talk about pseudoscience, getting health advice from Facebook and Instagram (bad idea jeans), and curly hair! TW/CW we talk briefly about weight changes during menopause, and how people in medicine treat people based on weight (not good). That section is at about 27:00 in and lasts for two minutes. … Music: purple-p…
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