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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It Takes Two It Takes Two by Jenny Holiday is 99c! I don’t think we’ve featured this one on sale before. It’s the second book in the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly, and I know we’ve had book one and three on sale. Well now you can complete the trilogy with this one! For those who have read all three, do you have a fave? In this hilarious romantic comedy, USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday proves that what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas… All’s fair in love and war Wendy Liu should be delighted to be her best friend’s maid of honor. But after years …
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B+ The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan April 6, 2021 · Berkley Contemporary RomanceRomance I’ve said this on the site before, but during the pandemic, I’ve gotten more into contemporary romance, mostly because people getting to do things like attend in-person gatherings, see movies and plays, and eat at restaurants seems sexy and novel. My latest contemporary read was The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan, a companion novel to The Roommate. I have a lot to say on this one! Prepare yourself for a long review. (As…
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Pretty pictures time! http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Image-from-iOS-33-e1617589693537.jpg Cover design by Natasha Snow Designs Elyse: I love how simple yet striking this cover is. Amanda: The art deco (is that art deco) elements are definitely selling this to me. Shana: I need all the cheekbones, all the time. And the font feels like it would be at home in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. CarrieS: Right away I want to know what silent sin he is thinking about. Sarah: Those cheekbones are both silent and a sin. Lara: Also the rich details of this cover is a beautiful holiday from those 2D illustrated romance covers that are in vogue at …
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The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows RECOMMENDED: The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite is $1.99! Carrie and Tara wrote a joint review and gave this one a B+: This book does a lot of things right. The character work is deep and brilliant, the historical context is plentiful and guides readers along even if they know nothing, and the writing is so beautifully done. Like I mentioned above, the overall pace of the story didn’t bother me, just the pace of the romance. If that would have been sped up, this would be a near perfect book for me. I still recommend it, but you need to go into…
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If you’re looking for a new show to savor or binge (or both!) may I suggest Midnight Diner on Netflix(US)? http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Screen-Shot-2021-03-31-at-10.13.25-AM.png I learned about this show in a Reddit thread (though I wish I could remember which one) likening the peacefulness and relaxing nature of it to Great British Bake Off. I’m not entirely sure that’s accurate. There’s food, and people caring for one another, and more food, but the tone is different from GBBO. That said, the rec is 1000% correct about one thing: I do indeed feel relaxed and content after watching an episode. Midnight Diner is a Japanese show that’…
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Girls of Brackenhill RECOMMENDED: Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti is $1.99! Elyse reviewed this thriller last year and and gave it a B+ and mentioned there was a twist she didn’t see coming: Girls of Brackenhill is spooky and thrilling and contains all the Gothic elements I love. It’s a fun read for your dark winter nights. Haunted by her sister’s disappearance, a troubled woman becomes consumed by past secrets in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year. When Hannah Maloney’s aunt dies in a car accident, she retur…
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B+ A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah Maas February 16, 2021 · Bloomsbury Publishing Fantasy/Fairy Tale RomanceParanormalRomanceScience Fiction/Fantasy This review was brought to you in high-definition and surround sound by Crystal Anne with An E. Crystal is a Hufflepuff who works as an autism consultant by day and goes to Library School at night. She reads a lot, she cross-stitches a lot, and is always ready to make someone a reading list. … CW/TW: The protagonist of this book has experienced significant trauma, i…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/themes/smartbitches/images/podcast/header_05c.jpg The transcript for Podcast 451. More Earl Had to Die: Victoria Helen Stone’s The Last One Home 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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A- Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers February 23, 2021 · Park Row Books LGBTQIA CW/TW: self-harm, discussion of previous suicide attempt by a side character After 11 years of college, Grace Porter finally has her PhD in astronomy. Grace is the very best of the best, so every door should be open to her. Unfortunately... …because she’s biracial, that’s not the case. When she goes for an interview lined up by her advisor, Grace is picked apart by an all-White panel and leaves with tears behind her eyes. Grace drowns he…
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Hey! Did you need some Cover Snark today? http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/image-41.png From Melodie: I’m always attracted to a book where the hero’s face is an appeal for help (not!). I’m guessing that he’s been ambushed by a drunken ex and he’s begging one of his friends to help peel her off and stuff her in an Uber. Tara: I see that as more of a “What? Can’t you see I’m busy?” face. Sarah: Is it me or does he kinda look like Jake Gyllenhaal? Sneezy: I can’t unsee it now. Tara: If Jake Gyllenhaal and Bradley Cooper made a baby, I think. Catherine: On the plus side, this cover has a real sense of movement. On the minus side, that mo…
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Sometimes, news of someone’s death makes me pause, my body coming to a full stop for a long moment as I absorb and try to process a fast-moving stream of Twitter headlines. With the news of Beverly Cleary’s passing at 104 (104!!) I had a moment like that, sadness mixing with awe. I wanted to write this yesterday, but it was the first night of Passover, so much of my day was spent in the kitchen, making charoset like countless other people were doing, simmering soup and mixing matzo balls with schmaltz, and crafting food out of recipes that might stretch back generations. Multiple generations were likely creating the same scents and textures I was, using the recipes of a …
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The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers is $1.99! This scifi novel has been recommended and loved by many of my friends, and talked about highly in my book group. The book has some great queer representation, though readers remarked it’s more character driven than plot driven. And what a coincidence that it’s on sale as we just mentioned this in yesterday’s Whatcha Reading! A rollicking space adventure with a lot of heart When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn’t expecting much. The patched-up…
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C+ Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell March 30, 2021 · Carina Adores Contemporary RomanceLGBTQIARomance CW/TW: abortion consideration and discussion, toxic family, discussion of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia Tara: I mentioned this book in a recent Whatcha Reading post with the comment “I’m only a third of the way through, but if you like the idea of an f/f romance with fat rep, knitting, friends with benefits, and a truly nonjudgemental dive into abortion vs opting to complete a pregnancy, this is the book f…
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The Lord I Left RECOMMENDED: The Lord I Left by Scarlett Peckham is 99c! Thanks for everyone who let us know about this sale. I believe it’s best to read this series in order, rather than as standalones. Claudia gave this one a B+: There was a lot to like and enjoy: plenty of funny and tender moments, thoughtful discussions, and some of my favorite setups in romance, including an “one room at the inn” scenario. He’s a minister to whores… She’s a fallen woman… Lord Lieutenant Henry Evesham is an evangelical reformer charged with investigating the flesh trade in Lond…
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http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Depositphotos_49456069_original-1024x684.jpgWe’re about to finish up March and you know what that means… APRIL FOOL’S DAY! We like to go a bit big for that goofy holiday and yes, we do have something planned this year. I hope you’ll mark your calendars and be sure to join us on the start of the month. Anywho, let’s get into what we’re reading! A | BN | K | ABLara: I’m a teacher and my life has been swallowed by work of late. I only manage about a paragraph (!) before I fall asleep. So it’s been WEEKS with no real reading. But the major deadlines are behind me now and I intend on dedicating this long we…
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