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slacktivist_feed) wrote2025-12-15 10:34 pm
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-15 04:30 pm
RECOMMENDED: The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe is $2.99 and a KDD! Elyse loved this scifi with romantic elements and gave it an A, but gave a warning:
The Blighted Stars is the first book in a series, so we don’t get a ton of resolution in this novel, romantic or otherwise. If you’re looking for a complete romantic arc, don’t start this book.
When a spy is stranded on a dead planet with her mortal enemy, she must first figure out how to survive before she can uncover the conspiracy that landed them both there in the first place.
She’s a revolutionary. Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they’re found and Naira Sharp knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity’s expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.
He’s the heir to the dynasty. Tarquin Mercator never wanted to run a galaxy-spanning business empire. He just wanted to study rocks and read books. But Tarquin’s father has tasked him with monitoring the mining of a new planet, and he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter.
Disguised as Tarquin’s new bodyguard, Naira plans to destroy his ship before it lands. But neither of them expects to end up stranded on a dead planet. To survive and keep her secret, Naira will have to join forces with the man she’s sworn to hate. And together they will uncover a plot that’s bigger than both of them.
August Lane by Regina Black is $2.99 and a KDD! This is a standalone contemporary with a second chance romance and a backdrop of country music. It released over the summer.
For fans of Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter and The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, a Southern small-town romance about the visibility of Black women’s voices in country music, and “the best romance I’ve read all year.” (The New York Times).
Every Thursday night, former country music heartthrob Luke Randall has to sing “Another Love Song.” God, he hates that song. But performing his lone hit at an interstate motel lounge is the only regular money he still has. Following another lackluster performance at the rock bottom of his career, Luke receives the opportunity of his dreams, opening for his childhood idol—90’s era Black country music star, JoJo Lane, who’s being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But the concert is in Arcadia, Arkansas, the small hometown he swore he’d never see again. Going back means facing a painful past of abuse and neglect. It also means facing JoJo’s daughter, August Lane—the woman who wrote the lyrics he’s always claimed as his own.
August also hates that song. But she hates Luke Randall even more. When he shows up ten years too late to apologize for his betrayal, she isn’t interested in making amends. Instead, she threatens to expose his lies unless he co-writes a new song with her and performs it at the concert, something she hopes will launch her out of her mother’s shadow and into a songwriting career of her own. Desperate to keep his secret, Luke agrees to put on the rogue performance, despite the risk of losing his shot at a new record deal.
When Luke’s guitar reunites with August’s soulful alto, neither can deny that the passionate bond they formed as teenagers is still there. As the concert nears, August will have to choose between an overdue public reckoning with the boy who betrayed her, or trusting the man he’s become to write a different love song.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin is $ 2.99 and a KDD! This is a fantasy novel with a bit of romance and a strong, fierce heroine who is MUCH loved by readers. This book was nominated for the Hugo, the Nebula, and won the Locus for Best First Novel.
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had.
As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother’s death and her family’s bloody history.
With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate – and gods and mortals – are bound inseparably together.
Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs is $2.99 and the only non-KDD out of the bunch! I know we’ve mentioned this on the site, but I can’t remember in what capacity. Three estranged sisters reunite on a camping trip, only for the night to end in murder!
“Compulsively readable, Drop Dead Sisters is perfect for readers who love shows like Bad Sisters and Dead to Me. A mystery about three estranged sisters who accidentally kill someone? Yes, please.” —Mindy Kaling
Three sisters reunite on a family vacation and rekindle their relationship the only way they know how—by covering each other’s tracks in a real-life murder mystery not even they can figure out.
Remi Finch has spent the better part of her adult life avoiding family—especially her sisters. They just don’t click. Besides, her unconventional upbringing and major anxiety have convinced Remi that she can’t build a relationship with anyone. Period.
When her parents plan a family reunion camping trip to celebrate their anniversary, Remi’s willing to reconnect, if only because she doesn’t have a choice. But then a dead body turns up at their campsite, and their sisterly bonding kicks into high gear.
No one knows the whole story, but the Finch women are prepared to cover up the pieces before anyone tries to put them together. It’s a precautionary measure, probably unnecessary. Nobody else was there, so how could they have seen anything?
Between old grudges and new dynamics, a handsome park ranger, and a body that won’t stay hidden, Remi is about to learn that nothing strengthens family ties quite like crime.
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-15 07:00 amWelcome back to Cover Snark!
From Karen H, who sourced this cover set: “I noticed My Cowboy Groom has a cowboy hat that is not oriented properly (he’s looking to his right but the hat is straight on plus it sits too high.
Sarah: This is too big and photoshopped on, right?
Wait, none of the guys on the covers of this series know how to wear a hat.
Karen H: then I noticed My Cowboy Kiss has the same hat in the same orientation. It just looks almost okay because the model is looking to his left where the hat brim sticks up. But I think that is a side flare and not the actual front of the hat.
Sarah: LOL the Cowboy Kiss hat is on straight while he’s looking to the side
Elyse: That is not the right hat for this genre, sir.
Karen H: And on My Cowboy Boss the inner lining of the hat looks visible.
Amanda: It looks like there’s a hat within the hat. Hat-ception
Sarah: It is FLOATING on his head. Is he the boss of gravity?
Maybe if he takes off his hat there’s another hat, and another, and another.
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-14 10:00 amThe latest bestseller list is brought to you by heating pads, mugs of your hot beverage of choice, and our affiliate sales data.
I hope your weekend reading was cozy!
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-14 07:00 am
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah!
Get ready, we’re going into the new year with candles and jelly donuts and latkes and it’s going to be a party!
Like last year, I’ve put together eight care packages designed to make your winter more fun, mellow, warm, and entertaining.
Just in time for the beginning of 2026!
First: my Hanukkah wishes for you tonight and for the next eight: may each candle lit lead to another and another, until we have all connected to bathe the world in light and warmth. May there be peace in our lifetime.
Now, let’s talk about what’s in the care packages. I used to be super great at care packages because my kids went to sleepaway camp – not the type of camp where the care packages included Gucci bags and Loro Piana slippers wrapped in an Hermes scarf or anything – and I LOVED putting them together.
I still sort of send care packages now that they’re in college because I have to send them things pretty regularly, but that’s a small item in a bubble mailer. This is a whole ass box.
So what’s in the care package?
I’m not telling!
Well, I’ll share some details so you know what to expect, but some of it will be a surprise. It might rhyme with “schmeggo.”
In keeping with my wishes for all of you to have a cozy and warm 2026, the care packages will include:
And, like last year, I reached out to folks I know in publishing, and have assorted books, of course! There will be several books in each package, including some major titles from this year. And maybe an ARC or two (shhh!).
This is a way for me to thank you for being part of yet another lovely year here at SBTB. We are still here, and it’s because of you hanging out with us each day. It’s been a big year, and we’re looking forward to more mayhem and silliness in 2026!
SO, ready to enter to win?
To enter, please comment and tell us what book (or recommendation of any sort!) that you found at SBTB that you most enjoyed?
It doesn’t have to be a 2024 book, of course. Any book that you haven’t read is a new book! But what did you discover this year at SBTB that you really liked?
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to be warm and cozy. May cause increased feelings of security, warmth, and delight.
Comments will close 21 December 2025 at or near 11:59am ET, and winners will be announced shortly afterward. Packages will be shipped out in January 2026.
Thank you to the indefatigable Kristen Dwyer of LeoPR for their generosity!
Good luck, Happy Hanukkah, and thank you for being part of Smart Bitches! May you have a lovely holiday, and for everyone, a peaceful new year.
post_secret_feed) wrote2025-12-14 12:05 am
I opened PostSecret this morning and I think “well thats relatable – I hate Christmas too”
Then “wait, that’s my handwriting — I made that secret!” I sent that postcard many years ago. So strange that it wasn’t postmarked.
Over the years, I have sent you 5 postcards, and you have now published all 5. I feel incredibly seen and I thank you for that. I still hate Christmas for many reasons and that’s not going to change. Skipping the holiday season is not an option but I would in a heartbeat. I am hosting a brunch today for 14 people and I will put on my happy face and make the next 11 days magical for everyone.
I can’t wait for December 26 when I can take down all these decorations and stop pretending.
The post Sunday Secrets appeared first on PostSecret.
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-13 08:00 am
Welcome back! It’s our first Whatcha Reading of the month, and that means only one more to go before 2026. Here’s what we’re reading:
Lara: I’m reading and enjoying Dom-Com by Adriana Anders. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I’m finding the growth of trust and intimacy in this book particularly great. There’s a lot of (hot) sex/scenes but each one pushes the characters development and evolution.
Elyse: I’m reading Audition by Katie Kitamura. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s not romance but I’ve heard multiple people say it’s wonderful and its shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
It’s also 200 pages which is right where my attention span is right now.
Amanda: I’ve been using my TBR game board and landed on “continue a series.” Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco ( A | BN | K | AB ) is book two in the Prince of Sin series and I really enjoyed book one. My only gripe is that it’s hardcover and lugging it around is less than ideal.
Carrie: I’m polishing off The Novel Life of Jane Austen: A Graphic Biography by Janine Barchas and Isabel Greenberg ( A | BN | K ) and it is delightful.
Sarah: I’m currently reading Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel, which I just started. I think I might have a thing for “magical hotel/boarding house” stories. I know I like innkeeping stories – one of my favorite Nora’s is Born in Ice, about a woman who runs a bed & breakfast, though magic isn’t a major plot point. I’m very curious about where this book is going.
Shana: So I’m currently hate reading Fascinating Womanhood, ( A ) an anti-feminist self help guide published in 1963. It is WILD.Sarah: I’m both intrigued and alarmed.
Shana: I can’t really recommend it. The book feels a bit like if NXIVM and a religious cult had a baby, and that baby spoke with hyperbolic mania.
I’m at the point where the author explains that men’s ideal woman has the “charms of femininity, radiance, good health, and childlikeness.” Also domestic skills and inner happiness.
So a child in a frilly dress, who happily scrubs floors using her healthy body and knowledge of cleaning supplies.
Sarah: Yikes on trikes.
Whatcha reading right now? Tell us in the comments!
thebloggess_feed) wrote2025-12-13 03:30 amsmartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-12 09:38 pm
This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-12 04:30 pm
The Love Wager by Lynn Painter is $1.99! This is a contemporary romance with some friends to lovers and fake dating elements. Fingers crossed this deal lasts!
Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it’s time to become a full-on adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of.
After agreeing they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realize they’re each other’s perfect wing-person in their searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don’t go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.
Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.
Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they both struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.
The Right Player by Kandi Steiner is $2.99! This is a sports romance and book two in the Love of the Game series.
I have a three date rule — but it’s not what you think.
See, I’ve been told I’m the “good time girl,” not the one you take home to Mom. And while that label stung at first, I’ve since embraced it — living the wild and free life and sticking to a three date max. That’s just enough time to have some fun and snuff out the possibility of catching feelings. And it’s been working for me for years…
Until Makoa Kumaka.
Sadly, he also has a three date rule — and it’s the exact opposite of mine. From the second I meet him, all I can think about is stripping down that six-foot-five Herculean hunk of a man. But like the gentleman I wish he wasn’t, he’s making me wait.
The more time we spend together, the more I feel those pesky emotions creeping in. I’m even tempted to trust him, but blame it on my past or my instincts, I can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something…
I’ve been playing the game forever, and no man has ever won my heart — which meant they never had the power to break it.
But maybe I just hadn’t met the right player.
Maybe I’ll wish I never did.
Haunt Your Heart Out by Amber Roberts is $1.99! This is a romance between a ghost hunter and a heroine who is about to take ownership of her favorite bookstore, set in small town Vermont.
Everyone Lex McCall knows always moves on from their sleepy Vermont hometown. Unable to imagine a life outside of her quiet bookshop job, Lex has one rule for no tourists, newcomers or anyone bound to leave her behind.
One day she hitches a ride with a handsome stranger from out of town, and when he stops by the bookshop a few days later, Lex finds herself questioning this rule.
It turns out James is not just any tourist but a ghost-hunting filmmaker looking into the town’s “haunted” landmarks including the bookshop she works in. Lex can’t resist tampering with his research, especially because these so-called ghosts are made-up stories from an anonymous vlog she started as a teenager and if her secret gets out, it could ruin her chances of owning the bookshop one day. After all, James’s stay is only temporary and her career dreams come first.
But as they spend more time together, Lex realises she’s falling for James. Worse, his mission isn’t as frivolous as it seems and her interference may cost him much more than a spooky story.
Will her ghost-faking secret be the end of them?
The Siren by Katherine St. John is $1.99! This one is a mystery novel. Elyse loved St. John’s first book, but be warned that despite the fun colorful cover, these are pretty dark.
From Katherine St. John, author of The Lion’s Den, comes another sublimely escapist thriller: When dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power hires his ex-wife Stella Rivers to play opposite him in his son’s film, he sparks a firestorm on an isolated island that will unearth long-buried secrets–and unravel years of lies.
In the midst of a sizzling hot summer, some of Hollywood’s most notorious faces are assembled on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Genesius to film The Siren. Written and directed by Cole Power’s son, the thriller promises to entice audiences with its sultry storyline and intimately connected cast.
Three very different women arrive on set, each with her own motive. Stella, an infamously unstable actress, is struggling to reclaim the career she lost in the wake of multiple, very public breakdowns. Taylor, a fledgling producer, is anxious to work on a film she hopes will turn her career around after her last job ended in scandal. And Felicity, Stella’s mysterious new assistant, harbors designs of her own that threaten to upend all their plans.
With a hurricane brewing offshore, each woman finds herself trapped on the island, united against a common enemy. But as deceptions come to light, misplaced trust may prove more perilous than the storm itself.
slacktivist_feed) wrote2025-12-12 12:00 pmsmartbitches_feed) wrote2025-12-12 07:00 am
We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Rae A., Josephine, and Sneezy!
This week we are talking romance bookstores and road trips, luxurious bidets, webtoons, and, of course, books. And some ranting about women artists in history.
We are traveling as far as Taiwan in this episode – and this should be the last of my laryngitis – hooray for all of us!
Updates? Updates!
Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all dynamic ads will be turned off permanently for everyone who listens. Thank you so much!
AND! The Smart Bitches Candle Collection is LIVE! I partnered with Wax Cabin Candle Company, an independent small chandlery, to offer two limited edition candles just for the holiday season!
They are on sale now through early January, and you can buy one or both in a gift set! And they are going very fast!
The Smart Bitches 20th Anniversary candle is an 11 ounce hand poured soy candle with notes of sea salt, book pages, sandalwood and jasmine.
The Bad Decisions Book Club candle, also 11 ounces, is designed to be the perfect pairing for late night reading, with scents of sweet tobacco, book pages, leather, rose, and sandalwood. I had a marvelous time picking out the scents.
So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or the book lovers in your life, check out the 2025 Smart Bitches Candle collection. You can shop small, support the site, and spread light and warmth this year.
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