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Posted by Amanda

Workspace with computer, journal, books, coffee, and glasses.Hello and happy Wednesday!

What a week! I’ll be bopping around Disney next week to attend a giant pin trading event and partake in the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. I’m so stoked. I feel like my last vacation was to South Korea over a year ago.

Doesn’t it feel great to have a big thing to look forward to? (Even if it means the time crawls by.)

Any exciting plans on the horizon for you all?

Sarah: I’m going to be in conversation this week with Sara Raasch to celebrate the launch of The Entanglement of Rival Wizards! Friday, September 12 at Friends and Lovers in Alexandria, VA – the event might be sold out, but if you have a ticket, please come say hi to me. I’d be delighted to meet you.

From Jen: A friend of mine just introduced a project she’s been working on for the past few months: Spinsters Row. “Spinsters Row is a virtual town square that blends e-commerce, original content, community, and narrative world-building.”

The site as a whole is GORGEOUS and worth exploring. (As a reader of and even a one-time contributor to Cover Awe, I say this with my whole chest). BUT, there is a Spinster Archetype quiz that is well-written and so much fun. Definitely a fun link and one that would appeal to the SBTB readers!

Amanda: I can confirm that the site is very fun to explore!

These links were sent in by Ellen, who saw an IG reel about those serial soap operas on social media.

There’s also a corresponding article on the Washington Post.

I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of Chinese serial dramas, so this link came at a good time.

Looking for a new fall crochet project? The algorithm served me this video for 30+ projects!

Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!

F/F Romances, Paranormal, & More

Sep. 10th, 2025 03:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

Love in Focus

Love in Focus by Lyla Lee is $2.99! This came out in May and was mentioned on Dahlia’s monthly queer romance roundup. I also believe this is Lee’s adult romance debut.

When her seven-year long relationship suddenly falls apart, relationship advice columnist Gemma Cho is convinced that real love doesn’t exist. As a bisexual woman who’s had zero luck with both men and women, she’s ready to give up on her own romantic prospects when she gets paired up with Celeste Min, a world-renowned photographer, on a highly visual, potentially career-saving piece on modern love.

Celeste is extremely talented, sexy, and gay, and would be the perfect collaborator and rebound for Gemma if it weren’t for one major fact: she’s Gemma’s ex, the one that broke her heart in college and moved to a whole another country before Gemma could even make sense of what went wrong between them. Despite working on a project together about what constitutes love and romance in the modern age, when it comes to their own affairs, both Gemma and Celeste are tripping over each other’s feet…and into each other’s arms.

Heightened by their shared love for love and the unmistakable sparks that still fly between them, Gemma and Celeste struggle to keep their relationship strictly professional. For the sake of her career, Gemma needs this piece to do well. And for the sake of what’s left of her beaten up hopeless romantic heart, she wants to fall head over heels for Celeste again. But can she trust Celeste to feel the same this time around?

LOVE IN FOCUS is a second chance sapphic rom com that will appeal to fans of THE BOLD TYPE and DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Big Name Fan

Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is $3.99! This also had a mention in Dahlia’s monthly queer roundup posts. The main characters used to play detectives on a TV show and come back together to do a reunion special.

Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer aren’t detectives, but they play them on TV. Well, played, past tense. The iconic cult hit that was Craven’s Daughter ended five years ago, and their friendship died along with it. Fans were disappointed that the pair’s legendary chemistry went unfulfilled—and other fans were crushed that the actual spark between actresses Bex and Sam didn’t pay off, either. The network never intended for two women to get romantic, in life or onscreen, despite the fans. But the bigger tragedy was the loss of their dear friend, makeup artist Jen Arnot, whose accidental death cast a pall over the series’ last episodes.

Now the network has decided on a reunion special, and Bex and Sam are thrust together once more as hosts of a rewatch podcast that will feature favorite episodes. Their first guest—a megawatt star who played a murder victim early on—drops a bombshell. Among the millions of pixels of fanfic written about the show online, one truly prolific author, known in the fiction world as the show’s Big Name Fan, was an insider, almost certainly someone from the cast or crew.

As the podcast moves along—and the spark between Bex and Sam threatens to burn down the studio—the pair realize they’re faced with two actual Who is their Big Name Fan? And was Jen’s death an accident, or did someone want her dead? Sifting through clues as they question cast and crew, the duo will need to separate fact from fiction as they make their personal partnership into an unmistakable canon . . .

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

When Sparks Fly

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This is a friends to lovers romance with two BFFs who are roommates. I thought this one was just okay, though felt the main characters annoyed me more than usual. Have you read this one?

Charming, hilarious, and emotional…When Sparks Fly is Helena Hunting at her very best!

Avery Spark is living her best life. Between her friends, her sisters, and Spark House, the event hotel her family owns, she doesn’t have much time for anything else, especially relationships. She’d rather hang out with her best friend and roommate, Declan McCormick, than deal with the dating scene. But everything changes when she is in a car accident and needs someone to care for her as she heals.

Declan avoids relationships, giving him a playboy reputation that he lives up to when he puts a one-night stand ahead of a promise he made to Avery. While he may not have been the one driving the car, he feels responsible for Avery’s injuries and is determined to make it up to her by stepping into the role of caretaker.

Little did they know that the more time they spend in compromising positions, the attraction they’ve been refusing to acknowledge becomes impossible to ignore. When they finally give in to the spark between them, neither is prepared for the consequences. Their love is fragile and all it will take is a blow from the past to shatter it all.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Impractical Magic

Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire is 99c! This is a small town, grumpy/sunshine romance that might work to ease you into the fall season. Or help you go full steam ahead. We listen and we don’t judge.

The perfect autumn read where Gilmore Girls meets Charmed in a cosy second-chance romance with a sprinkle of magic. Perfect for readers of Pumpkin Spice Café, Erin Sterling and Lana Harper.

In Oak Haven, this witch is about to brew up more trouble than she bargained for…

When Scarlett Melrose receives a call from her estranged sisters, she immediately knows something is wrong. Their mother’s inn has been cursed, and they need her help to save it.

As the conflicted middle-child, returning home is giving Scarlett the heebie jeebies. And to make matters worse, she’s just come face-to-face with charming old flame and handyman, Nate.

When her spell to break the curse goes horribly wrong, all Scarlett wants to do is flee back to the peace and quiet of her San Francisco flat. But she can’t keep running away forever, and she’ll need all the help she can to solve this magical mess.

With time slipping away, Scarlett must learn that sometimes the greatest spells really do come with the greatest responsibility – especially when love is involved…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

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Posted by Carrie S

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell

Sep. 10th, 2025 06:00 am
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Posted by Guest Reviewer

Squee

A Rare Find

by Joanna Lowell
June 10, 2025 · Berkley
LGBTQIARegencyRomance

This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at _@‌thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next good freelance job.

Joanna Lowell has thoroughly won me over with her fun, warmhearted historicals; A Rare Find continues her adventuresome, spirited tradition, sending her two protagonists through a long journey to find a missing artifact – and perhaps true love, even though they can’t stand one another — at least at first.

Elfreda “Elf” Marsden is an archeologist with an influential father who chooses to mainly ignore her but uses her archeological breakthroughs to advance his reputation. Her dream of unearthing new facts about the Northmen who once roamed Derbyshire seems to be coming true. She plans to prove that the Great Heathen Army camped on her family’s tumbled down estate, and is thrilled to finally discover an amulet that ought to date back to that time period right there in her ancestral mud. Finally, she’ll be able to lead her own dig and prove that her notions about ancient civilizations aren’t foolish and form an identity of her own apart from her dad. She’ll be a Fellow of the Albion Society just like him.

And then her childhood enemy Georgie tries to drown her in the bog she’d been digging about in.

Georgina “Georgie” Redmayne wasn’t actually trying to drown Elf – they thought she was another friend of hers, and merely hoped to dunk Elf under water. But this misunderstanding is cardinal of the rivalry the two of them have had since childhood, when they were neighbors. Georgie had since moved away, but they’ve left London to escape a monumental scandal involving a broken engagement, a reticule crash and a duel. If only the ton knew that they also performed as a man onstage in various theatrical roles to boot. They are bored stiff by country living and would do anything to hie away somewhere lively and modern.

When Georgie dunks Elf, Elfreda loses her grip on the amulet and it tumbles into the bog. Now she needs further evidence of her theory. She realizes that finding a clutch of Viking gold might be her key to proving herself. She offers Georgie a deal: help her search up some gold and she’ll give them the funds they need to get out of Derbyshire. But nothing is as simple as they think it will be, and lust, esteem and attraction soon intervene. Can Georgie settle down? Does Elf want more than to finally make it in the archeology world?

A Shore Thing
A | BN | K | AB
What a delightful romp. This is a little lighter in spirit than A Shore Thing ( A | BN | K | AB ), but carries a sense of effervescent humor to it that’s shared throughout all of Lowell’s work. I loved the slow burn build for the romance between these two, and I loved the peek into Regency-era archeological and theatrical mores.

Georgie is so roguish and zesty: teasing, sensual, but also filled with purpose and self-confidence. They have lived a life far outside of the strictures of the world they and Elf grew up in, but their home is with the serious, determined Elfreda all the same.

Elf has been so wrapped up in her work that she’s barely gotten to live a life for herself. Georgie lifts that lid for her, introduces her to pleasure, shows her the unconditional love others have for her, and makes her reach beyond trying to please her father and living to gain his approval. It’s a coming of age tale for Elf, and one that sees her form a world beyond anything she imagined. Through Elf, the world of archeology in the Regency era is explored, something I greatly enjoyed as I had no prior knowledge as to how that research was conducted back in the day.

The romance is so utterly breathtaking – classic enemies to lovers tropage, but also the deep affinity and support these two find in one another over time is simply delightful. It’s filled with passion and spice, and the sexual combustibility between them is undeniable. When they finally actually kiss — and do more than kiss — I was genuinely moved. They grow together in such a completely wonderful, special way.

All of the supporting characters are great, even Elf’s sometimes nightmarish father. Her sister is a delight, and so are the great garden of friends the two of them share. Even the Marsden family estate – with its collapsing ceilings and its moldering character – adds a fresh spirit to the book.

Joanna Lowell’s novels are like little summer vacations for me, so I’m proud to state I was transported away by this one. A Rare Find gets the highest marks for its solid history, beautiful romance, fun plot and great peek into the professional worlds of its characters. As the summer comes to a conclusion, it’s a great novel to kiss those hazy, lazy days goodbye.

NOTE: in a period-appropriate fashion, Georgie goes by they/them pronouns in close company but she/her pronouns in public; I’ve used they/them pronouns in this review to describe them because, as Lowell observed, they would use them were they living in the modern world, and it’s clearly the character’s preferred pronouns. As underlined by the author note, the book includes misgendering and misogyny from other characters.

 

HaBO: She Reads Erotica on Cam

Sep. 9th, 2025 02:00 pm
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Posted by Amanda

This HaBO is from Sarah from our podcast patreon discord:

I’m looking for an erotica novella I read circa 2020/2021. It was probably a Kindle Unlimited title, although I can’t find it on my KU history. Age gap I think.

The heroine was a cam girl who rented a room in hero’s home. She dressed in lingerie and read erotica on cam. The hero was supportive of her desire to do this kind of work, but she had parental-type family who were very opposed.

Author is not Jessa Kane.

Let’s HaBO!

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Posted by Amanda

Happy Tuesday!

A petite release week for SBTB HQ. It’s mostly contemporary romances, plus a little horror to help kick off the fall season.

Which releases are you excited for this week? Let us know in the comments!

The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn

The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn by Valerie Bowman

Author: Valerie Bowman
Released: September 9, 2025 by Avon
Genre: ,
Series: Honeycrisp Orchard Romance #1

For fans of the Lovelight series and The Pumpkin Spice Café, this cozy and sexy romance follows a young event planner who returns to her family’s inn on an apple orchard to help run their Harvest Festival—only to find herself butting heads with the handsome son of the apple orchard’s owners. 

Ellie Lawson’s city life was treating her just fine until a sour turn of events knocks her out in one fell swoop. Dumped by her boyfriend and fired from her event planning job, she is left with no choice but to return to her parents’ idyllic inn, nestled within a picturesque Honeycrisp orchard on Long Island. Anticipating a quiet hiatus in the attic apartment, she is instead met with Aiden, the stubborn, attractive son of the orchard owner who is currently occupying her planned refuge.

Forced together by circumstance, they find themselves not only roommates but also coworkers, when they’re put in charge by their parents of the orchard’s vital Harvest Festival, a lifeline for both the struggling orchard and the inn. Amidst the enchanting disorder of small-town life, Ellie and Aiden grapple with their conflicting values, burgeoning feelings, and an electrifying tension.

As Ellie discovers the unexpected charm of the life she left behind and Aiden learns there’s much more to Ellie than he’d first assumed, one fact the future of the orchard and the inn depends on their unlikely collaboration.

Embark on a captivating journey of rediscovery, love, and the irreplaceable magic of small-town life.

Valerie Bowman is starting a new cozy, contemporary series. We just discussed this on the podcast

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

People Watching

People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young

Author: Hannah Bonam-Young
Released: September 9, 2025 by Dell
Genre: ,

In this sexy and emotional romance from the acclaimed author of Out of the Woods and Out on a Limb, a small-town woman’s journey to spread her wings intertwines with the arrival of an adventurous newcomer who brings out the best in her.

Prudence Welch has found solace in her introverted life in Baysville, a charming tourist town in Northern Ontario. Despite once dreaming of a life beyond its borders, she now finds contentment in her working at her father’s gas station, writing poetry, and caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s shortly after Prue’s nineteenth birthday. But as her mother’s condition worsens and her father’s concerns about her future intensify, Prue feels her world slipping further out of control.

Enter Milo Kablukov, an enigmatic wanderer whose beat-up van covered with ill-advised bumper stickers rolls into town just when Prue needs a change. It’s all too easy to let go with him, and Prue can’t help but strike up an unlikely friendship with Milo, which leads to a wild and sexy agreement between them.

Milo, a man of many adventures and countless stories, is not one to settle down. However, his brother’s urgent need for help has brought him to Baysville, and now the intriguing Prue has given him more reason to stay. Especially once they start spending more time together, their chemistry intensifying, and casual-sex lessons start at Prue’s request.

But as their temporary arrangement blossoms into something deeper, Prue and Milo discover that getting out of their comfort zones is one thing . . . taking that leap together is something else entirely.

Hannah Bonum-Young has a new standalone. Are any of you picking this one up?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Pitcher Perfect

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey

Author: Tessa Bailey
Released: September 9, 2025 by Avon
Genre: ,
Series: Big Shots #4

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating sports romance about a playboy hockey rookie and the disciplined softball pitcher completely immune to his charms.

Boston Bearcats rookie Robbie Corrigan is living the dream. He’s made it to the NHL, his best friend/teammate and fellow “orgasm donor” is his roomie—and the women of Boston love them both. Life is sweet. That is, until he meets Skylar Paige, division 1 softball pitcher, girl least likely to take anyone’s bull…and the one member of the opposite sex immune to his charms. Robbie might be dazzled by the badass pitcher, but Skylar pegs him as a filthy player and wants nothing to do with him.

When he discovers she’s carrying a serious torch for her brother’s best friend, Robbie knows he should just go back to clubbing and whipped cream bikini parties, but he can’t seem to leave Skylar to flounder on her romantic quest to land another man. Nor can he miss out on the opportunity to spend time with her and hopefully redeem himself. Before Robbie knows it, he’s agreed to be Skylar’s fake boyfriend/love coach at an upcoming family wilderness competition where her crush will be in attendance. What could go wrong?

Through a series of contests that require them to trust each other, Robbie and Skylar grow closer and closer until their fake relationship starts to feel like the realest thing they’ve ever known and the sizzling lessons in sensuality burn out of control.

But it’s all just pretend…right?

Tessa Bailey’s latest installment in her Big Shots series.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Play Nice

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Author: Rachel Harrison
Released: September 9, 2025 by Berkley
Genre:

A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Black Sheep and So Thirsty.

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parents’ messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped her of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, a sinister presence in the house manifests, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation.

Amanda: Harrion’s playful horror releases are auto-adds to my TBR pile.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Tapout

Tapout by Nicole Disney

Author: Nicole Disney
Released: September 9, 2025 by Bold Strokes Books
Genre: , ,

Every fight has stakes, and the hardest jabs are the ones you don’t see coming.

Laila Moretti was on the verge of making her UFC dream a reality. A standout in the regional circuit, she was one win away from a contract—until a crushing defeat shattered her confidence. Convinced she’s not cut out for the big leagues, she walks away from the cage, her coach, and the future she fought for.

Harlow Hayes doesn’t believe in limits—only opportunities. Running an underground fight promotion takes nerve, ambition, and a willingness to play dirty. She’s built an empire on giving fighters a shot the system never would. But the audience craves blood, and with her reputation on the line, she needs a star who can do more than survive—she needs someone who can win.

When Laila steps into Harlow’s world, she sees the fighter Laila refuses to believe she is. Their attraction is undeniable, their ambitions impossible to ignore, and as the lines between business and something far more dangerous begin to blur, Harlow faces a push Laila to reclaim the dream she abandoned or admit she’s already lost sight of her own.

Tara: This just sounds really cool.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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Posted by Amanda

Welcome back to Cover Snark!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. A new illustrated cover. The background is bubblegum pink with Austen's name over and over again in rows. Flowers with green leaves and purple petals line the edges. A woman in a pink turtleneck and pink pattern skirt is facing a man with her hands on his shoulders. She has white, chin length hair with the top layer pulled up into two space buns. The man has on a purple vest and a teal checkered long sleeved shirt. He has dark, shoulder length hair.

Sarah: The whole set of new covers is killing me.

There are forwards by Tessa Bailey, Ali Hazelwood and Alexis Hall and others.

Elyse: I don’t remember a court jester in those books

Maya: In every iteration, the checkerboard pattern shirt makes no sense to me

Elyse: Also are people going to pick up those books expecting the characters not to be white?

Sarah: I didn’t know Emma was a poly romance

it looks like a rather smoking hot triad from the cover. Is this a revised edition?

Amanda: Okay a couple questions. They say that there are forewords by prominent YA authors. Half of them aren’t. Like Alexis Hall and Tessa Bailey.

Sarah: yet another example of ‘clearly I am not the audience’

Amanda: Also the covers make them seem like contemporary retellings but I don’t think they are?

Sarah: Very contemporary. How far is the distance between the vibe of the cover illustration and the actual text of the book? Miles? Nautical miles? Light years?

Amanda: Nothing in the jacket copy could tell me either way.

Keeper by Hope Ford. A man in jeans is looking down at his crotch. He has a red zipper hoodie on that is zipped open. His chest has a set of wings by the sternum and pecs. His belly button has a biohazard symbol.

Carrie: He looks like he’s cold but can’t figure out how his zipper works

Sarah: Shirts! Shirts are a great choice!

Kiki: Wash your belly-button, bud.

That tattoo is reminding me of a radioactive symbol.

Sarah: I think it is?

No, it’s not I’m wrong.

Kiki: I thought it was too, so I have to assume his belly button has got some stuff going on.

Amanda: It’s a biohazard sign which I think might be worse.

Kiki: That’s it! Yeah, that’s absolutely worse.

Sarah: You don’t want your belly button to be a biohazard.

I remember when mine nearly turned inside out while I was pregnant. I looked like a torpedo, all out in front. But I wasn’t a biohazard. I was cute.

Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter. A lilac background and an illustrated cover.  The hero is on the left looking at the heroine. he is in a suit and has his hand behind his head. The heroine is on the right and positioned a little farther down. She has long red hair with a white clip pinning the side back. She has on a baby pink dress and black converse shoes. A red bucket is at her feet and she's trying to hide a mop behind her back.

Amanda: That looks like a child.

Sarah: oh gosh, yeah…it does.

Lara: Major ick.

Sarah: I wonder why that is. The height difference, for sure, but also the hair and the long nightgown looking dress?

Kiki: I think all of that, combined with her hiding the mop behind her back, is really giving it a “I hope dad doesn’t find out!” vibe.

Sarah: It’s really interesting that we’re agreeing but there are so many little things leading us to that impression

Amanda: I also think there’s a teen movie where the main character wear’s converse to prom, but I’m blanking.

Sarah: Also that the illustrated dress looks too big for her, like she’s wearing an adult’s clothing and she’s small.

Rescued by Bears by Skye Mackinnon. A headless shirtless man with two bears beside him. One bear is on all fours and the other bear is on his back legs, standing behind the other bear. Everything has a blue hue laid over it. The man has lots of droplets (maybe sweat?) on his abs.

From Melodie: Today’s bears seem to be smirking? The one on all fours seems to be outright laughing. Do they know something about the cover model that we don’t?

Sarah: Those bears are not rescuing him. They’re mocking him.

“Aw, look who went out into the frigid national parks with no fur and no clothes!”

Amanda: Is he interrupting the bears having sex?

Sarah: If so they don’t seem too mad about it.

 

Giveaway: Romance Reader’s Journal

Sep. 8th, 2025 06:00 am
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Posted by SB Sarah

A dark red cover that reads Romance Reader's Journal in loopy script in pink outlined in white. In the center is a lit match with a flame, and the head of the match is a heart Hey, guess what?

I wrote (part of) a book!

This one right here, Romance Reader’s Journal: A Log for Book Lovers & Lovers in Books!

This is, as the title states, a prompted journal for romance readers, created by Chronicle Books.

They asked me to write portions of the book, and wow, was that fun!

I think the section I’m most proud of are the recommendation lists. I wanted to make sure that current and classic titles were included, and I’m really, really pleased with how it turned out.

Y’all, I think this journal is really nice.

The pages are printed on a luscious paper, and there are coloring pages, games, challenges, and plenty of pages on which to record, rate, and review your romances.

A ratings page. It spans two pages and includes fields such asMy Reads Title Author Book Release Year Subgenres/Tropes Recommended by Why did I pick this book up? Who would love this book? Overall Rating DNF TBRR Summary of the book Start Date End Date Book No. Spice Rating Favorite characters Favorite moments Favorite quotes Review
A sample rating page

This would make a marvelous gift for a romance reader, especially one who loves a journal. You can find it on Amazon, or at Bookshop.org. 

But I have four copies to give away!

If you’d like to win a copy for yourself (or to give to someone else!) just comment below and recommend a romance you’d want to include in this journal if it were yours. Any year, any genre, but one book that you’d want to write down, and write about.

Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Please note that I do not receive royalties from this book. Must be over 18 and ready to read, record, and revel in how great your taste is when it comes to romance novels! Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Entries will end around noon on Thursday 11 September 2025, and winners will be announced and notified shortly afterward.

It is truly a special thrill to see the finished copies of something you worked on arrive in the mail, and I’m very excited to share copies with some of y’all. Good luck!

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool 2025 Recap

Sep. 7th, 2025 06:04 pm
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Posted by Elyse

It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year– the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival–but this year it felt a little bit like a letdown. There seemed to be fewer vendors and less stock, meaning that even though I went early on the first day a lot of the specialty colorways I was looking for were already sold out.

First of all, I attend the event every year with friends and I wasn’t the only one who thought that while the crowd size seemed the same, there were fewer vendors and more space in the “country store” barns where most of the yarn, notions and other crafts are sold.

One of my favorite vendors is Oink Pigments, and every year I look forward to their specialty colorway for the event. Even though we arrived pretty early she was down to three skeins and none of them were sock yarn. Fortunately she was happy to dye a skein to order for me.

Three skeins of lavender yarn shot through with pink and orange sit next to an antique trunk under a sign that says HAUL THE WAY TO EYE an exclusive Colorway only at Wisconsin sheep and wool 2025

The larger vendors were still there, but it seemed like some of the smaller ones were not. I did manage to find a few new vendors, though.

Knitz and Pearls had a bunch of yarn that glows under a blacklight that appealed to my 80’s and 90’s child neon loving heart.

Skeins of yarn glow under a blacklight with a large pink glowing shawl hung in the shape of a bat over skeins that glow green, yellow, purple, and pink

I also find Fiber MacGyver (can we just take a minute to appreciate the name) and their adorable mushroom sock yet. They even gave out the little camper stitch stoppers with each purchase.

A partially knitted colorwork sock with mushrooms in front of a few sock sets. The sock is a yellow green with red and white mushrooms. The bottom row is marked in place by tiny teal and white camper trailers

There were also yarn trucks there, which, rather than selling products from a single vendor, sold several different brands of yarns and notions similar to a little yarn shop on wheels.

yarn trucks parked along the edge of the fairgrounds. There are baskets and tubs alongside the campers and trucks

And of course people still had their beautiful projects to show off, like this colorwork sweater.

A colorwork sweater with Halloween themes. The base is dark dark purple, with rows around the yoke of ravens, candelabras in pink, blue crystal balls, and ghosts in white in two sizes. below the body rows which have a polka dot pattern is the hem, and above the hem are tiny blue gravestones. The end of one sleeve has green RIP gravestones and the other has what looks like pink umbrellas?

So what do I think is happening?

I suspect the smaller stock and fewer vendors has to do with uncertainty regarding tariffs. Not a lot of wool is actually produced in the US, meaning a lot of dyers purchase their stock from overseas.

I don’t dye yarn but I do buy finished, dyed yarn from a few vendors in Europe and this year there has been a ton of delays and uncertainty regarding shipping and cost. A lot of shipments have taken much longer than usual, and some producers aren’t shipping to the US at all.

If you’re interested in further reading, Slate has an article on tariffs and knitting.

I’ll be going to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival next month (aka Rhinebeck) and I’ll be very interested to see how it compares to other years.

I still managed to find some cute yarn this year and I’ve already started a project so obviously it wasn’t a bust.

Four bundles of autumn colored yarns. the top is deep wine, purple and gold, the second one is a pale blue and cream with speckled brown and gold, kind of like Indian corn, the third is salmon colored, the fourth is dark grey and gold, then a set of wine, white, dark green and light green

Have you been to any fiber festivals lately? Have you noticed a difference year over year?

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Posted by Amanda

The latest bestseller list is brought to you by scented candles, firm hugs, and our affiliate sales data.

  1. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  2. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  3. The Chief by Monica McCarty Amazon | B&N | Kobo | GooglePlay
  4. Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  5. The Just City by Jo Walton Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  6. The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  7. To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt Amazon | B&N | Kobo | GooglePlay
  8. Back After This by Linda Holmes Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  9. A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston Amazon | B&N | Kobo
  10. Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim Amazon | B&N | Kobo

I hope your weekend reading was comforting!

Sunday Sale Digest!

Sep. 7th, 2025 06:00 am
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Posted by Amanda

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

September 2025 Queer Romances

Sep. 5th, 2025 09:00 am
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Posted by Dahlia Adler

This month is positively spoiling us with queer romance of various genres, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Debuts, established names, and notable category-jumpers are all on the syllabus this September, so gets your wallets and library cards ready because queer romance school is definitely in session!

See You at the Finish Line

See You at the Finish Line by Zac Hammett

Author: Zac Hammett
Released: September 2, 2025 by Slowburn
Genre: , ,

Their only path to victory is each other . . .

George and Lucas can’t stand each other – which makes it awkward being on the same Cambridge University rowing team. The uber-charming, womanising George got parachuted into Cambridge from America for his sporting prowess, despite his subpar grades, whereas Lucas worked for everything he’s got – which sadly doesn’t include a boyfriend. When George is told that this year he’ll have to sit his exams fair and square, Lucas agrees to help him study – in exchange for help in wooing his crush, Amir.

Together, they embark on a journey to seduce, cheat, and beat their way to the top. They face rivals within their own squad, cutthroat competitors at Oxford, and their own annoyance with each other. But as they get closer, they find that they actually make a great duo. Will Lucas and George help their rowing team beat their arch rivals in a centuries-old feud? Will George manage to pass his fiendishly hard exams? Will Lucas finally work up the courage to ask Amir out? And what will Lucas and George do when they realise that what they really want is each other – even if that means changing their lives forever.

For fans of Red, White and Royal Blue, See You at the Finish Line is a brand-new LGBTQ+ enemies to lovers romance with a love story that will warm your heart.

I am automatically down for any queer sports romance, but college rowing with enemies-to-lovers and the glorious “falling for the person helping me to get the person I thought I wanted” trope?? I am definitely picking up this debut, and feeling optimistic there’ll be at least one solid coxswain joke.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

It Had to Be Him

It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram

Author: Adib Khorram
Released: September 9, 2025 by Forever
Genre: , ,

Heartstopper meets Eat Pray Love in this swoony, spicy, second-chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Adib Khorram about two former classmates unexpectedly reuniting in Italy.

Ramin Yazdani’s marriage proposal has just gone bottoms up: his ex dumped him in public for being boring. Bent on proving him wrong, Ramin books a spontaneous solo trip to Italy. When he runs into his high school crush while in a gelateria, however, his resolve to reinvent himself is put to the test.

Noah Bartlett’s in a rut. Since his divorce, he’s become a bit of a homebody. So when his ex-wife insists he join her and their son on an Italian holiday, Noah reluctantly agrees. But his reticence turns to excitement when he sees his former classmate, who’s aged just like a fine wine. As a teenager, Ramin fascinated him—and since Noah now knows that fascination was code for crush—all those feelings are quick to come rushing back.

Soon Ramin and Noah are tumbling headfirst into a relationship. Only Ramin fears Noah’s feelings won’t last without Ramin’s adventurous new persona—and Noah’s not sure he can be the supportive partner Ramin deserves. With the days counting down to the end of their trip, can their love last without the magic of Italy?

I have a simple rule when it comes to Adib Khorram’s books: I read them. Picture books, young adult, adult romance… I’ve got AK books all over my shelves. This newest is a companion to one of my favorite m/m romances of last year, I’ll Have What He’s Having, and if Khorram’s name isn’t enough to get you to pick it up, the fact that it’s set in Italy and full of gelato should do it. Plus, both Ramin and Noah are total sweethearts you’ll adore traveling with.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Lady Like

Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee

Author: Mackenzi Lee
Released: September 9, 2025 by The Dial Press
Genre: , ,

Two women, one refined and one ribald, set their sights on marrying the same duke, but instead of becoming natural enemies, they find themselves falling in love—though not with him.

Harriet Lockhart never planned to marry. The educated daughter of a high-class prostitute, Harry has spent her life defying playing male roles in bawdy Shakespearean productions on London’s seediest stages, pursuing the many women who adore her, and wearing whatever she pleases, so long as it’s well tailored—all while being subsidized by her late mother’s trust. When she is contacted out of the blue by her hitherto anonymous father, she finds herself at risk of losing the trust that he actually funds unless she acquiesces to his request that she lead a more respectable life, starting with finding a husband.

Emily Sergeant, on the other hand, has only ever wanted to marry. She is the modest, tea-sipping, soft-spoken Regency bride. And were it not for one mistake in her youth that rendered her a social pariah, she would be appropriately betrothed. Instead, she’s due to wed the only willing man in her small the abominable Robert Tweed. Desperate for an alternative, Emily flees to London for the summer to snag a less lecherous fiancé before she’s shackled to a scoundrel.

Worlds collide, dramatically and hilariously, when both women decide on the very same duke as their best possible chance at a tolerable husband and the security that he brings. A tongue-in-cheek romp through London’s summer season, from balls to brothels, horseraces to duels, Harry and Emily compete for the duke’s favor, only to find their true hearts’ desires may be more compatible than they ever could have predicted.

Mackenzi Lee has definitely shown her historical chops with her bestselling Montague Siblings series in YA, which kicks off with an international romp of an adventure and suggests this will be an extremely promising adult debut. Even if I weren’t already familiar with the author’s skill, it’d have me at the tagline: “In need of a husband. In want of a wife.” (Note: for another exciting Sapphic historical romance out this month, check out Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti.)

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Girl Next Door

Girl Next Door by Rachel Meredith

Author: Rachel Meredith
Released: September 9, 2025 by Harper Perennial
Genre: , ,

Girl Next Door is everything I love. Complex characters, a prickly love interest, secrets, yearning, questionable decisions, and that glorious HEA. A tender, funny, sexy novel.” — Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

In this charming debut rom-com, a young freelancer returns to her suburban hometown to uncover why her childhood next door neighbor’s bestselling book appears to be an epic love story about the two of them.

When MC Calloway’s best friend Joe, an editor at the notorious gossip website Jawbreaker, calls her in for an emergency meeting, MC is unprepared for how frantic he is. But when he shows her a copy of Girl Next Door, the steamy, bestselling rom-com taking the literary world by storm, written under a pen name, points to one of the women on the front cover, and says, “that’s you,” its MC who begins to panic.

Joe is convinced that the author is Nora Pike, MC’s prickly, childhood next-door neighbor, and their former high school classmate – and MC knows he’s right, since the book describes actual events that happened their senior year, down to the tiniest details. But in the book, the characters based on MC and Nora are desperately in love, rather than the awkward acquaintances MC remembers being in real life.

Joe begs MC to go home undercover and get the scoop on Nora. That’s the last thing MC wants to do, especially for an assignment that seems morally dubious at best, but she reluctantly agrees, knowing Joe is desperate to break a big story. Crashing in her childhood home with her older brother Conrad (now married to MC’s secret high school crush, Gabby), MC begins untangling truth from fiction, trying to get close to Nora, who is just as hot and prickly as ever – and now suspicious of MC to boot. But the more involved she gets with Nora, the more it becomes clear they’re both hiding secrets . . . and MC realizes she might be in over her head.

Perfect for readers of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and Book LoversGirl Next Door is a delicious debut brimming with romance, humor, and heart.

I’ve read “childhood friends to lovers,” and I’ve read “second chance romance,” but I’d never read a play on both quite like this. Meredith’s debut is witty, fun, sexy, and compulsively readable (I personally read it in one shot), and so chaotic and wonderfully honest, it automatically landed her on my instabuy list.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Night at the Vampire Castle

Night at the Vampire Castle by Hari Conner

Author: Hari Conner
Released: September 23, 2025 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
Genre: , ,

It is a dark and stormy night…

When your car breaks down on a cold evening, you must take refuge in the ominous castle that looms above on the hillside, where a handsome, mysterious stranger invites you in. At dinner, you encounter three vampires and decide which to spend the evening with… Choose to charm one of the creatures of the night, have a fling with a few, or escape their clutches in Night at the Vampire Castle.

Stranded in rural Transylvania on a stormy night, you stumble upon an ominous castle, where the mysterious inhabitants seem keen to have you… for dinner.

In Hari Conner’s newest chose-your-own-path book, the reader chooses between gothic romance, partying with werewolves, or seducing an ancient vampire into revealing their secrets. Get swept away from the 9-5 by a whirlwind romance or steamy encounters – if you can avoid meeting your end…

With three main vampire romance paths, this story has fun, lighthearted elements as well as gothic themes, with choices to explore characters’ pasts in real European and queer history. Spend a Night at the Vampire Castle, if you dare.

I haven’t gotten my hands on this one yet, but there is not one thing about the description that is not absolutely killer. A Choose Your Own Romance?? Set in rural Transylvania??  Get to bang a vampire?? The author first flew on my radar last year with a queer YA graphic novel mashup of various Austen titles called I Shall Never Fall in Love, so it’s clear there are some seriously innovative chops at play, and this is definitely one of my most anticipated reads in a while.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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Posted by Amanda

So…didja watch it?

What did you think? Tell me everything!

Amanda: I’m putting my thoughts in a spoiler, just in case you may have started it and not finished it. Or if you haven’t read the book yet, as most of my issues came from the differences between the movie and the book.

Show Spoiler
I had just finished reading the book the day before and my memory was still fresh.

My biggest gripe was what they did with poor Bogdan’s storyline. I liked it much better when Bogdan was biding his time before seeking revenge for his murdered friend.

I watched the movie with a friend who’s a big fan of the series. She also thought the Bogdan storyline wasn’t great, given that he shows up in subsequent books. She did make a good point. Perhaps Netflix wasn’t sure how well this would do for a sequel and with the actors being older, who knows what they could commit to.

Coopers Chase was not how I pictured it in my head. It was more sprawling in my imagination, though I’d still want to live at either version.

This version of Bobby Tanner wasn’t to my liking either. I much preferred the notion that he was in hiding and really wanted nothing to do with crime life.

The whole nun/priest romance storyline was cut, which made me a little sad. There’s a moment in the book where Bogdan changes the headstone and I remember tearing up at that kind gesture.

Okay, I’ve done a lot of complaining!

I think if you’re going into this movie without prior knowledge of the book’s events, you’ll have a more enjoyable experience than I did. You won’t be caught up in what they changed or took out.

The movie did a good job of capturing the tenderness of the book, especially the relationships between the Murder Club members. The strongest part of both the book and movie, for me, were the characters anyway. The casting was pretty perfect.

If I had to assign a grade, perhaps a B- or a C+. The book was better, as it typical.

Sarah: I copy everything Amanda said. I loved how beautiful it was, and how much money was invested in sets, location, costumes, and everything that makes a movie or show feel lived in and real.

I also loved playing, “Oh, hey, it’s Famous Actor Person!” Like, every other scene. At point point Adam looked up and said, “Wait, David TENNANT is in this, too?” Literally the casting for this must have been a delight.

But wow, the compromises for length were a massive bummer.

Show Spoiler
  1. Justice for Bogdan. The reworking of his plot line was straight up terrible.
  2. Most folks were concerned that Pierce Brosnan was a bit too posh to be Ron, but he had the most energy out of everyone. He lifted every scene he was in.
  3. Ben Kingsley was deeply underused. (Let him explain the algorithm of how long the journey would take!)
  4. I thought Helen Mirren played Elizabeth with one particular dour flavor and never deviated (though the scene where her husband tells her she looks like the queen was A HOOT).
  5. I wish it had been a series, though I understand how extra more expensive that would have been.

I hope that there’s a sequel. I hope that it’s better than this one. It was pretty to look at but not something I’m going to watch again. I’m with Amanda: C+ for me.

What did you think of the movie? Tell us in the comments!

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