Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/book-beat-changelings-paranormal-mysteries-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178510

Book Beat aims to highlight other books that we may hear about through friends, social media, or other sources. We could see a gorgeous ad! Or find a new-to-us author on a list of underrated romances! Think of Book Beat as Teen Beat or Tiger Beat, but for books. And no staples to open to get the fold-out poster.

The Art of Charming a Changeling

Author: Sylvie Cathrall
Released: August 25, 2026 by Orbit
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Historical: European, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Pigments and Paramours #1

A cozy slice-of-life romantic fantasy set in a Regency-inspired world where humans and fairies compete for artistic supremacy, from Sylvie Cathrall, author of A Letter to the Luminous Deep.

On her first day working in the prince’s galleries, art conservator Florrie Hyverfell discovers that the most famous portrait in the collection is not only a fake—it’s also inhabited by Vern, a fairy trapped in the forged painting.

Tracking down the stolen original is the only way for Florrie to save her job and for Vern to escape his canvas. Yet as they journey to a famed fairy museum to find the missing artwork, Florrie finds herself taking more than an art historical interest in the changeling painting’s charming inhabitant.

Cathrall’s debut, A Letter to the Luminous Deep, was a big hit on the site. However, this is the start of a new series and I felt like it’s flown under the radar.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

The Court of Venus

Author: Bel Banta
Released: September 29, 2026 by Tor Books
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

The Court of Venus is an ensnaring romantic fantasy in which a moon-blessed magician is summoned back to the deadly magical court she thought she had escaped; where power is determined by the stars—and the closer you are to the king, the more likely you are to die. Perfect for fans of The Knight and The Moth, The Familiar, and A Darker Shade of Magic.

In Alvion, magicians have always ruled beside kings. Blessed at birth by one of the seven planets, their abilities are miraculous and extremely rare. Magicians born under Jupiter influence luck. Saturnborn can speak to the dead. Venusborn read the desires of the living.

At the moment of Bianca Mortlake’s birth, the stars and planets aligned just so, making her the first Moonborn magician in over a thousand years. A sorcery so rare that even the history books cannot say what she is capable of.

After a childhood training under the realm’s most powerful magician—and alongside a most insufferable Venusborn named Roland—Bianca lives a quiet life far from court. Until a chilling missive arrives in the night, summoning her back.

A mad and deadly court awaits. Two queens have met the executioner’s blade, and one wrong move could see any of them next beneath its steel. As power is pulled between ruthless royals and courtiers like the tides by the moon, Bianca must rely on the last person she would ever want to—the infuriatingly alluring Roland.

Because something is terribly wrong in Alvion. And only this moon-blessed magician and her oldest rival can save the court—and each other—from the dark fate they see written in the stars.

I feel like I’ve seen this one talked about frequently in my own internet circles. I think I may have even seen some of you mention it in the comments!

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The Mystic and the Missing Girl

Author: Vicki VanSickle
Released: September 8, 2026 by Minotaur Books
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery/Thriller

Small town secrets, a reluctant psychic, and a cold case that could expose them all.

Drew Benson can read tarot cards and get impressions from objects―she just never expected to use her gifts to investigate an infamous cold case.

Drew Benson has a secret. She gets visions, something she hasn’t tapped into since she was a teenager, when her late aunt, a TV psychic known as Hannah Mystic, became the scapegoat in the unsolved disappearance of a local teenager. Twenty years later, Drew is happy to ignore her gift, focusing instead on keeping the metaphysical shop she inherited from Hannah afloat, wrangling her sole, astrology-obsessed employee, and dodging local rake Foster Banks in her picturesque lakeside hometown.

But when Drew’s arch-nemesis from high school, now a big city reporter, decides to investigate the cold case from all those years ago, it’s Drew’s ability that could finally make a break in the decades old mystery. With bills piling up, a disapproving mother laying on the guilt, and a local vandal who wants Drew and her witchy store gone, Drew has a lot to lose. But what she stands to gain―finding out what happened to the missing teen, clearing her aunt’s name, and a second chance at belonging―could change everything.

In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, Vikki VanSickle seamlessly draws readers into an utterly charming world in this unputdownable, small town mystery.

If horror isn’t your bag for spooky season, here’s a cozy paranormal mystery set in a small town to get you in the mood.

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Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

Now That We Don’t Talk

Author: Rachel Pologe
Released: October 20, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

A commitment-phobe finds herself stuck spending Hanukkah with her childhood best friend turned nemesis, only for holiday chaos to ensue and complicated feelings to resurface, in this emotionally resonant debut romance.

Norah Gold is a bolter. She avoids emotional situations at all costs, doesn’t do meaningful relationships, and when things get a little too real, she runs. She hasn’t let herself fall in love in nearly a decade, not since her whole world fell apart when her dad suddenly passed away. Desperate to escape a friends-with-benefits situation gone clingy, she returns home to Chicago for the holidays. Her one goal? Avoid Henry Cole, the boy who blew up her life and broke her heart back in high school. Easier said than done when she discovers that their mothers are dating and insist on celebrating the holidays together.

A decade later, Henry Cole is all custom suits and condescension. He is order to her chaos and absolutely insufferable about it. When Norah and Henry get snowed in together and learn just how serious their moms’ relationship is, they call a truce to make it through all eight nights of Hanukkah without setting each other on fire. As they begin to rediscover the foundation that made them so close growing up, Norah is desperate to keep her distance—the last thing she can handle is reopening decade-old emotional wounds. But even though they’ve tried to escape the past, Norah and Henry have unfinished business too pressing to ignore. Can Norah shake off her deep-seated impulse to bolt, or are they destined to flame out just like they did as teenagers?

This one is out soon and is a forced proximity Hanukkah romance with some second chance elements.

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Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/book-beat-changelings-paranormal-mysteries-more/

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Halloween vampire classic! Today I finished Carmilla by J. Sheridan le Fanu. This novella is posited as the “first vampire book.” I can’t actually confirm if that’s true or not. But there is a vampire.

Your exposure to Carmilla may be like mine, in that it’s the “old lesbian vampire novel.” While there is truth to this—Carmilla is undoubtedly attracted to the protagonist, Laura—if you go into expecting a torrid lesbian love story, you will be disappointed. On the whole, it’s a lot more “lesbian passionately into disinterested but lonely straight girl” than a romance. At various times, Laura is repulsed and “embarrassed” by Carmilla’s fawning, and although taken by Carmilla’s beauty, never desires more than friendship from her. This is a story of a predator preying on vulnerable and ignorant young women for her own ends. However, if we can romanticize Dracula, which I’m happy to do, we can of course romanticize Carmilla—I just want to be upfront about the actual text.

The story is told through Laura’s written recollection after the events take place. It does a solid job setting the scene of Laura and her father’s isolation and some of the strange goings-on in the area around them before the mysterious Carmilla makes her entry. The abandoned village three miles west, around the ruins of the defunct Karnstein castle, make for a delicious bit of foreshadowing.

It plays up Carmilla’s strangeness and the push/pull of her relationship with Laura as an unknown illness claims the lives of young women nearby. I enjoyed the slowly increasing fear and horror Laura experiences as these inexplicable events in her home and her mind start piling up.

The novel is paced well until the end, which felt jarringly abrupt. I think the book would have benefitted from being longer. I was disappointed not to learn more about Carmilla and the Karnsteins’ history, and that there’s not much room for Laura to consider her feelings about discovering the truth of Carmilla (How would it feel to find out your only friend had been slowly killing you, and had been planning to do so from the start?), or really a denouement at all.

Overall, there’s a lot of tasty gothic mystery and troubling, strange physical + psychological maladies here, and I can definitely see how Carmilla influenced later vampire novels. However, I did find the sudden wrap-up disappointing. I still liked the book though, and it was a very fun October read.

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/hockey-romance-sci-fi-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178489

Once Upon You and Me

Once Upon You and Me by Timothy Janovsky is $1.99! This is a m/m romance with an age gap. There are also some off limits elements, as one of the heroes is the ex-husband of the other hero’s boss.

Charming fairy tale meets spicy bedtime story in this deliciously enchanting age-gap LGBTQIA+ romance

When Taylor Frost’s boss, Amy, flies him across the country to prep for her daughter’s sweet sixteen at the Storybook Endings Resort in the Catskills, the solo mission is well within his wheelhouse. Taylor is excellent at his job—except, he’s probably not supposed to flirt with the resort’s mountain man of a manager, Ethan Golding. Because the rugged older man is also the birthday girl’s father, aka Amy’s ex-husband. Oops.

For Ethan, his divorce seemed like the bad ending to his romantic story. And now, making his daughter’s sweet sixteen dreams come true is the closest he’ll get to the kind of magic happiness in fairy tales. Until adorable Taylor has him wondering if maybe this is just the beginning of a more erotic kind of bedtime story…

The only problem is Amy. And how very not okay she’d be with the chemistry between her assistant and her ex.

If only forbidden flings ever led to happily-ever-afters…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Night Bus

The Night Bus by Tessa Bickers is $1.99! This is a standalone contemporary romance with a strangers to friends to romance scenario. It came out earlier this year.

One book. Two strangers. An unforgettable journey as they rewrite the ending.

Daisy Douglas has spent her life behind the scenes: at work, in her relationships, and now, in planning a wedding she isn’t sure she even wants. As an entertainment journalist, she can spot the start of a story a mile away. So when her routine 4 a.m. bus ride to the newsroom takes a surprising turn, she notices.

For months, the same man has boarded at the same stop, reading the same tattered copy of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando over and over as if his life depends on it. When a broken-down bus and a shared walk through the quiet early-morning London streets finally throws them together, Tom reveals the heartbreaking truth as to why he can’t be without his novel.

Determined to help him find the answer to the riddle hidden in its pages, Daisy joins Tom on his strange literary quest—one that leads them to places neither of them ever expected. But as their friendship deepens, she starts to wonder if what they’re both looking for might not be in the book after all.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Stars Too Fondly

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton is $2.99! Carrie reviewed this one and gave it a C-:

For goodness sake, if you are able to accept this story on its own terms and be happy, then do not let my grumpy ass stop you! I wish it had worked better for me.

In her breathtaking debut—part space odyssey, part sapphic rom-com—Emily Hamilton tells a tale of galaxy-spanning friendship, improbable love, and found family.

So, here’s the thing: Cleo and her friends really, truly didn’t mean to steal this spaceship. They just wanted to know why, twenty years ago, the entire Providence crew vanished without a trace, but then the stupid dark-matter engine started on its own. Now these four twenty-somethings are en route to Proxima Centauri and unable to turn around while being harangued by a hologram that has the face and snide attitude of the ship’s missing captain, Billie.

Cleo has dreamt of being an astronaut all her life, and Earth is a lost cause at this point, so this should be one of those blessings in disguise that people talk about. But as the ship travels deeper into space, the laws of physics start twisting; old mysteries come crawling back to life; and Cleo’s initially combative relationship with Billie turns into something deeper and more desperate than either woman was prepared for.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Evening the Score

Evening the Score by Lexi LaFleur Brown is $2.99! This is a hockey romance with a bit of fake dating. Brown has another hockey romance, but I’m unsure if these are part of a series.

USA TODAY bestselling author, NHL insider, and TikTok influencer Lexi LaFleur Brown is back with another trope-packed, spicy, hockey-accurate rom com!

Don’t get mad — get even.

A grudge hates to see Olivia Hinckley coming. Years ago, a dirty hit ended her late father’s NHL career with the Minnesota Freeze. It was never fair that Erik Parker walked away with little more than a penalty, but it’s worse that her father’s rival is now up for Hall of Fame induction. On top of that, Erik’s son—hockey’s golden boy, Brody—just signed on to play for the Freeze. Determined to dismantle the Parker legacy, Olivia enacts a revenge plot that has her donning the Freeze’s mascot costume to gain intel on the Parkers. And she can’t help but mess with Brody’s gameplay—and his heart for good measure. After all, what’s a little fake dating between enemies?

Brody Parker only ever wanted to play hockey for fun, but the pressure of being part of hockey’s “First Family” has him dodging nepotism allegations along with high sticks. Erik might act like Father of the Year when the cameras are on, but behind closed doors, Brody struggles with his father’s impossible expectations. Preserving Erik’s image is a full-time job, but lucky for Brody, his new connection with Olivia is a welcome (spicy) distraction.

When Brody finally opens up to Olivia, she never expected she’d pity a Parker for anything. Suddenly, she wants to protect her once-enemy. The romantic feelings she faked are now unexpectedly real, but after leading Brody on for so long, can she keep the lies and the truth straight before she accidentally blows up his whole life?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/hockey-romance-sci-fi-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178489

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/friday-videos-for-fighting/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178472

I’m commandeering Friday Videos this week!

On the podcast, I told Sarah that I listen to music that you start fights to. I love heavy drums and lots of screaming. For this Friday, Sarah asked me to share some of my favorite heavy metal songs.

Be warned, some of these may contain explicit lyrics and are certainly an assault on the senses.

One of my favorite collabs is “RATATATA” from BABYMETAL (from Japan) and Electric Callboy (from Germany). It’s one of the few heavy metal songs that even my partner enjoys.

Watch on YouTube

Electric Callboy is one of my favorite bands. I was lucky enough to attend a concert last year. The energy was so good. Lots of attendees showed up in costumes from their various music videos. There was a banana man in the mosh pit. Since they brought on Nico as a lead singer, their music is sillier with an an electronica feel.

“TANZNEID” is a great song off their newest album and I often listen to it when I’m commuting into the city for work.

Lorna Shore is a deathcore band with one of the most unique vocalists. I will say that his voice is very goblin pig-esque. You’ll see what I mean when I listen. However, the instrumentals combined with the harsh vocals just really do something for me.

“Sun//Eater” is a good example of this!

Watch on YouTube

Speaking of instrumentals! I love Nini Music for some amazing arrangements using traditional Chinese instruments.

For something not quite as heavy, Our Last Night does amazing rock covers of popular, trending songs. Many of their covers have made it onto my Spotify playlist.

Bilmuri is my go-to for “y’allternative” music, which blends pop punk, heavy metal, and some twang. The music videos are also goofy as hell. Last album, they just did a lost of posing around farming equipment that got progressively bigger and bigger.

Watch on YouTube

Ska also makes some great pump-up music, but not necessarily for throwing punches. I’ve seen a meme that describes it as “what plays in a 13-year old kid’s head when they kit extra mozzarella sticks.”

Perhaps if I takeover a Friday Videos again, we can do some cheese stick tunes!

May Friday Videos give you an outlet for the rage!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/friday-videos-for-fighting/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178472

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Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/740-a-study-in-sparkling-with-jodi-mcalister/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=178237

By listener request! My guest today is author and professor Jodi McAlister. You might remember Jodi from her appearance in episode 626 when we talked about her Marry Me Juliet trilogy, set within a fictional version of The Bachelor.

Now she’s in the middle of a new trilogy she’s calling Love Notes, and we’re going to discuss the latest book, A Study in Sparkling. We’re going to discuss learning a TON about wine, and about writing romance set within the terrifying world of academia. Then I come to find out she’s done recent published research on erotic audio dramas, and about the bonkbusters of the 80s.

Special thanks to Josephine for requesting this interview and asking such thoughtful questions!

ETA: The transcript is here!

Listen to the podcast →

Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

You can find Jodi McAlister at her website, jodimcalister.com.au.

We also mentioned:

IASPR: the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance
The IASPR call for papers for the 2027 conference
The Bonkbuster: Women’s Popular Reading in the 1980s.
Audioerotica
Somm (documentary)

If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to our feed, or find us at iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher, and Spotify, too. We also have a cool page for the podcast on iTunes.

More ways to sponsor:

Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)

What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.

Thanks for listening!

Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/740-a-study-in-sparkling-with-jodi-mcalister/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=178237

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/historical-romance-grumpy-sunshine-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178403

Julia Song is Undateable

Julia Song is Undateable by Susan Lee is $1.99! This was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet. It’s a childhood friends to lovers contemporary romance. Have you read this one?

CEO seeks dating coach

Critically acclaimed and reader-favorite author Susan Lee’s hilarious adult debut is a shimmering and joyful look at the magnificent—and sometimes suffocating—weight of family, the ways we limit ourselves, and the irresistible power of love.

Julia Song, CEO of Starlight Cosmetics, is at the height of her career. Then why does she feel like such a failure? Maybe because she’s thirty and single, with a terrible track record at dating. And in the eyes of her Korean family, that is just unacceptable. It never really bothered her—that is until her beloved grandmother drops the bomb that she is sick and her dying wish is for Julia to get married. Impossible. So in a moment of weakness, Julia asks her family for help. Set her up on three dates to help her find The One. But it will never work—Julia is undateable. If only there was a coach for that…

Tae Kim knows about the weight of familial expectation. He’s currently unemployed, living in his parents’ basement to care for his ill father. Sure, he’s become somewhat of a fix-it man for the Korean community around town, but that’s not a real job. And the pressure to get his life together is getting to be too much. So when the Julia Song—his childhood crush—asks for his help, it may be just the distraction he needs. He’ll do whatever it takes, even coach her for these three dates. Problem is, the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the more Tae wonders if anyone is good enough for Julia…including him.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Scot’s Seduction

The Scot’s Seduction by Megan Frampton is $2.99! This is book two in the Heirs & Spares series. The heroine is asked to help the hero’s niece through her Season debut.

A deliciously fun romance blossoms between a fiercely independent woman and a reserved Scotsman, in the latest installment of Megan Frampton’s Heirs and Spares series.

She’ll never say yes…

Lady Drusilla Courtenay has sworn off marriage, though she still dabbles in romance, much to Society’s shock. She’s determined to help other women remain independent, but she lacks the means to see her vision through. When Murdoch, Earl of Cragmore, arrives on her doorstep with his niece, he makes her an offer she can’t refuse; if she assists with his niece’s debut, he’ll turn her dreams into reality. But accepting this bargain doesn’t mean she can’t also have some fun with the burly, handsome Scot—as long as they both keep their stronger emotions in check.

He can’t say no…

Murdoch has never met a woman like Drusilla. Proud, opinionated, intelligent, and fiercely independent, she is also the most passionate woman he’s ever encountered. When she proposes they extend their bargain into something more intimate, he agrees, even though he knows it will end at the conclusion of the Season. As he gets to know her, he falls deeply in love. He knows it is hopeless, since the Drusilla he’s desperately in love with would never agree to upend her life to be with him.

Will the two most stubborn people finally compromise, or will they deny their hearts?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

House of Blight

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau is $2.99! This is billed as a Gothic romantasy and is the first in the series. I’ve enjoyed Martineau’s earlier releases, but haven’t tried this one just yet.

The first novel in an eerie, darkly creative, and romantic new gothic fantasy duology from Maxym M. Martineau, for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She’s always kept her abilities hidden…until the powerful Fernglove family discovers her secret.

The Ferngloves are charming and beautiful, possess powerful magic, and don’t take no for an answer—especially Orin, the head of these ruling elites. When Edira’s brothers unexpectedly contract blight—an incurable virus killing people throughout the town, and an illness too strong for her to heal them both—Orin offers to help. Together at his estate they’ll research a cure while Orin slows their sickness and Edira hones her magic. His kindness and honesty surprises Edira, as does her undeniable attraction to him.

But the other Ferngloves are suspicious of her power and may be more dangerous than the ever-present disease. The longer Edira stays within the confines of the Manor, the more the family’s pristine exterior begins to crack—until Edira discovers a terrifying secret and must choose who she can save and at what cost…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Bad Boy Era

Bad Boy Era by Amy Daws is $1.99! This is a grumpy/sunshine small town romance. It’s also book four in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series. I know we’ve featured books one and two on sale before in case you’re hoping to gradually accumulate the whole series.

Rule #1 on the Everly Fletcher Matchmaking Manifesto…Never fall for your best friend’s grumpy brother.

Everly is the matchmaking mastermind of her family, but her own love life is a bit of a flop.

Back from four years in Dublin, she’s ready for a quiet summer on Fletcher Mountain helping launch her aunt’s animal rescue center—until Conri “Wolf” Reilly shows up.

Wolf is her college roommate’s infuriating twin brother. He’s brooding, Irish, and college rugby’s resident bad boy with thighs that could crack a watermelon.

His red card reputation has trashed his rugby prospects…until a training camp in Denver comes calling. As a favor, Everly reluctantly gets Wolf a place to stay if he volunteers at the rescue center.

Now Everly’s finds herself working and living next door to the Irish tattooed grump who treats her like a nuisance—but looks at her like he could press her up against a hay bale until they forget their own names.

Wolf swore he came to America to fix his image, not fall for his sister’s best friend, but the more time he spends with Everly, the harder it is to keep his distance.

Perhaps Everly’s in her bad boy era…or maybe Fletcher Mountain might has its own matchmaking plans.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/historical-romance-grumpy-sunshine-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178403

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/the-rec-league-classics-with-happy-endings/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178391

This request is from Lara:

I’m reading Jane Austen’s Bookshelf and it’s making me really curious about the classics. Something I haven’t felt in at least a decade. So it’s a really broad rec request. Which classics (especially women writers who aren’t necessarily ‘canon’) would the bitchery recommend? I have only one other requirement – that the book have a happy ending. Oh and preferably available as an ebook as my budget and location don’t stretch to collecting rare books.

Sarah: I was an English major at a women’s college in the south so my ‘classics’ curriculum was a lot of Southern Gothic writers. Eudora Welty and Flannery O’Connor didn’t write romances, or books with what Lara would think are happy endings so I’m really pondering.

The thing with classics in what is considered the literary canon, aka A Lot of Books by Dead White Guys, is that they don’t end happily in a way that corresponds with our understanding of romance. Two very different genres, in other words.

So I’m playing a little loose with the idea of a ‘classic’ here.

Would Anne of Green Gables ( A | BN ) be considered a classic? I think so, and it ends happily. The Blue Castle is even more romantic.

Elyse: A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf ( A | BN | K | AB )

Sarah: A Room with a View by EM Forster, ends with choices that romance readers would probably identify as a happy ending (though if you read the unpublished epilogue, well, maybe don’t do that).

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim, which follows four women in a villa in Italy.

A | BN | K | AB

Oh! North and South! ( A | BN | K | AB ) The one with labor unions not the one with the US Civil War. By Elizabeth Gaskell

The Count of Monte Cristo ( A | BN | K | AB ) and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas ( A | BN | K | AB ) – a dude, but also some excellently satisfying revenge.

Amanda: Dumas is one of the few classic authors I don’t feel is overrated.

Sarah: One more book that is probably mentioned in Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: Evelina by Fanny Burney. ( A | BN | K ) I read that in grad school and woo was that a fun one!

It’s epistolary, and very Dramatique!

Tara: I think Pamela by Samuel Richardson ( A | BN | K | AB ) counts, although I haven’t read it since I was in university.

Carrie: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au | Scribd ) As with any classic be warned of issues around xenophobia, racism, classism, and ableism going in.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott ( A | BN | K | AB )

Not a romance but has a happy ending: A Little Princess by Frances hodgson Burnett and, also by her, The Secret Garden.

A lot of Dickens had at least some characters having happy endings

My Antonia by Willa Cather ( A | BN | K | AB ) had a bittersweet ending, everyone ends up at peace with where they are and Antonia has a very happy life.

Are there any classics you’d recommend? Let us know in the comments!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/the-rec-league-classics-with-happy-endings/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178391

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Posted by Lara

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/st-cyr-reading-journal-entry-one/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=177241

Welcome to my reading journal! So many of us love the Sebastian St Cyr series by CS Harris that it seemed silly to review each of the books. Instead, I humbly offer you excerpts from my reading journal: things that stood out, shocked, cheered, etc.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

A | BN | K | AB

When Gods Die– Book 2

The cover copy:

Brighton, England— 1811.

The young wife of an aging marquis is found murdered in the arms of the Prince Regent. Around her neck lies a necklace said to have been worn by Druid priestesses-that is, until it was lost at sea with its last owner, Sebastian St. Cyr’s mother. Now Sebastian is lured into a dangerous investigation of the marchioness’s death-and his mother’s uncertain fate.

As he edges closer to the truth-and one murder follows another-he confronts a conspiracy that imperils those nearest him and threatens to bring down the monarchy.

Here are my many and varied thoughts while reading this one:

Witch burning … I know one shouldn’t rely on historical fiction but the statistic given in the book on the number of women burnt as witches in ‘Christendom’ shocked me (5 million!). Can it be real? Does anyone have book recommendations for digging a little deeper on this?
Did anyone else struggle to keep all the family connections clear in this one? Everyone seemed to be related by blood or marriage. I really wanted a diagram of the connections. Through sheer repetition I eventually had somewhat of a grasp on it.
The author really doesn’t like fat people. Her favourite word to describe the villains of the piece is ‘fleshy’. Possibly my least favourite word to describe fatness.
So many people died! It’s so unflinching and because her writing is so vivid, it’s deeply affecting. I was so sad that Guinevere was killed. Sometimes I find in books that I don’t really get sad about the first person killed in the story, but Guinevere really came to life for me.
Is it weird that I’m developing a crush on Paul Gibson, the surgeon?

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed this one. I appreciated that the primary victim was seen as fully human and properly mourned. I coped with the pretty relentless violence. I am DEEPLY intrigued by the little that was revealed about Sebastian’s mother’s ‘disappearance’ and I’m really looking forward to learning what secret his dad is keeping – the one that prompts him to keep sending funds to Venice.

If I were to give this one a grade, I would say a B+ which might not be fair because the drawback (keeping the characters straight in my mind) could well be a personal failing and not a failing of the book!

A | BN | K | AB

Why Mermaids Sing -Book 3

The cover copy:

When the grisly remains of Alfred, Lord Stanton’s eldest son are discovered in the Old Palace Yard beside the House of Lords, the local magistrate turns to Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, for help.

Ranging from the gritty world of Thames-side docks to the luxurious drawing rooms of Mayfair, Sebastian finds himself confronting his most puzzling–and disturbing–case yet. With the help of his trusted allies–young servant Tom, Irish doctor Paul Gibson, and his lover Kat Boleyn–Sebastian struggles to decipher a cryptic set of clues that link the scion of a banking family to the son of a humble Kentish vicar.

For as one killing follows another, Sebastian discovers he is confronting a murderer with both a method and a purpose to his ritualized killings, and that the key to it all may lie in the enigmatic stanzas of a haunting poem…and in a secret so dangerous that men are willing to sacrifice their own children to keep the truth from becoming known.

The thoughts I thunk:

I was delighted when Sir Henry Lovejoy made his appearance so early in the story. He’s a firm favourite of mine. This quote delighted me:
“He was a funny little man with a shiny bald head, pinched, unsmiling features, and an almost comically high voice. Painstakingly moral, upright, and fastidious, he was also one of the most sincere and dedicated men Sebastian had ever met.”
For someone who usually abhors characters in historicals who believe that aristocrats are better than working folk, I have a lot of time for Sebastian’s dad, Hendon. I enjoy that he says ridiculous things like, “What sort of vile beast would perpetrate such a barbarity upon men of wealth and breeding?” while still clearly loving his son in his gruff way. Although that secret hinted at the end is a big one. I must learn more!
This author is forever telling us what scents from the outdoors come in with the character entering the room. Some from this book:
“Bringing with him the cold damp of the morning”
“Tom came hurtling into the dressing room, bringing with him the scent of the rain that had been threatening all morning.”
“… brought with him the crisp scent of the September morning.”
“… bringing with him the scent of well-bred horses and a cool morning rain.”
Kat Boleyn’s reveal took my breath away! AAAAH!
My crush on Paul Gibson continues unabated. Just FYI.
I am very hopeful for this new valet and can’t wait to meet him in the next book.

Final thoughts

I did a better job than usual of keeping track of the various clues in this one although the killer’s identity shocked me! Which I love. I don’t want to KNOW who the killer is. It MUST be a surprise. But also it must be a surprise that makes sense with the rest of the story.

I thought it was a really creative premise. I’m breathless with excitement at the secrets that have been revealed and those that have just been hinted at. I want to learn more about Hero and Jarvis himself. Will that secret of Hendon’s ever be revealed? This book left me with a burning hunger for more of this series.

Lara will be working her way through the Sebastian St. Cyr series and sharing here. Have you read – or re-read – this series?

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Silent in the Grave

RECOMMENDED: Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn is $2.99! This book and series has been mentioned quite a bit on the site. Elyse recommended it if you like historical mysteries. Reader StacieH4 mentioned it for those who prefer their romance light on sex, and Reader Tina Chaney said on a podcast that the book has one of her favorite opening lines. Have you read it?

“Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.”

These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward’s death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband’s murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward’s demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Witch You Would

Witch You Would by Lia Amador is $2.99! This is a standalone paranormal romance with witches and a reality show. I remember giving this one a go and felt there was a lot going on.

When a young witch gets a life-changing chance to compete in a magical reality show, sparks fly as she’s partnered with a man she can’t stand.

In a Miami where enchantment is just another college major, the magic of television could change two lives.

Penelope Delmar, a broke salesgirl, has been chosen to compete on Cast Judgment, a spellcasting reality show. The winner gets a big cash prize, and for extra hype, this season is the Spellebrity every contestant will be paired with a celebrity teammate. Unfortunately, her partner, Leandro Presto, is best known for his goofy viral spell videos, not his skills.

Gil Contreras, alias Leandro Presto, has been crushing on his pen pal Penelope for months. Now they’re working together to win a contest that could save his grandfather’s charity—except he has to stay in character the whole time, so his dream girl thinks he’s a total loser.

Can they beat snobby rivals, fix spells gone wrong, and survive increasingly dangerous sabotage attempts to win the grand prize—and each other’s hearts? Or will Gil’s secret make both their magic and romance fizzle out?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Ghost Bride

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo is $2.99! This is a mixture of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. The Ghost Bride. It’s also been made into a Netflix adaptation that I’m super curious about!

‘One evening, my father asked me whether I would like to become a ghost bride…’

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family’s only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, traditional ghost marriages are used to placate restless spirits. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lims’ handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits, and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Scotch on the Rocks

Scotch on the Rocks by Elliot Fletcher is $2.99! This is book two in the Macabe Brothers series. It’s a small town romance with some opposites attract and off-limits elements.

Opposites attract in this sexy Scottish romance between a young woman and the man who is completely off-limits, from the author of Whisky Business.

The Macabe Brother Rule Book (according to Juniper Ross):

Don’t look at a Macabe brother
Don’t talk to a Macabe brother
Don’t even think about a Macabe brother

It’s pretty tough for June to follow her own rules, considering one brother is in love with her best friend, one is her ex-fiancé, and one … well, one is super-hot, small-town hero Callum Macabe.

But when Callum seems to be popping up everywhere, especially when Juniper is at her most vulnerable, it’s hard not to imagine just how good breaking a rule might feel.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

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Posted by Amanda

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An illustrated image of a desk space with a computer, stack of books, reading glasses, and a mug. Welcome back!

Thank you all for the batch cooking suggestions from last week. We plan to do a freezer clean-out soon to take inventory and free up some space.

Things are also cooling off in New England, so it’s getting ready to be soup season anyway. I always anticipate my first batch of slow cooker chili of the season. Sorry, Texans, my recipe includes beans.

…

The 2026 finalists for the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards are up! I’m always so amazed at how photographers get these shots.

…

If you’re a frequent user of Libby, here are a few insider tips from a librarian.

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Do you love Labyrinth and Magic: The Gathering? Well, I’m happy to report your worlds are colliding.

…

Someone made Eddy’s dress from the cover of Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins for their Addy Walker American Girl doll!

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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!

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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.

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books

Yesterday I concluded Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Cespedes, translated from Italian by Ann Goldstein. This story was originally serialized in a paper, first published in the 1950s. It is structured as the covert diary entries of a dissatisfied housewife in Rome.

The book deals with various themes of generational conflict, the impact of both World Wars, and Italy’s economic downturn, but the heart of the book is the diarist, Valeria’s, fight to create and maintain a sense of self. Her struggle is contained so neatly in the fact that no one even calls her by her name—to her aging, aloof parents she is always and forever “bebe,” and to her grown children and even her husband she is “Mama.” She has no real friends to speak of.

Valeria keeps her diary hidden from everyone in their too-small apartment, terrified that her husband or adult children might find it. Frequently, she threatens to swear off writing in it and destroy it, emphatic that she’s only become more unhappy since she started it. This is because the more Valeria keeps track of her life, the less satisfying she finds it.

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The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien edited by Humphrey Carpenter

Concentrated on the ones about his works, though with a few personal ones, such as his horrified reaction to the atom bomb. Some philosophical discussions about life and religion. A lot to ponder about Middle Earth.

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Posted by Amanda

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A Tempest of Desire

A Tempest of Desire by Lorraine Heath is $2.99! This released December 2024 and we’ve heard good things about the crazysauce plot. Did any of you pick this one up?

New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath returns to the fan favorite series, The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, with the story of a viscount who has retreated to a small, secluded island only to have a mysterious and beautiful woman wash up on shore.

After surviving a horrific railway accident, Viscount Langdon retreats to his private island to recover and conquer the nightmarish memories that continue to haunt him. The very last thing he wants—or expects—is for London’s most infamous courtesan to wash up on his beach.

Marlowe is known for her bold flirtations, but her most daring exploits involve flying in her hot air balloon. When a storm blows her off course, she discovers herself alone with the isle’s only inhabitant. The gorgeous, seductive lord tempts her beyond reason, but giving into temptation would lead to her ruination because the all-consuming liaison would demand complete surrender. And she has secrets to protect.

Langdon finds the captivating beauty near impossible to resist, but he can’t risk her learning the true reason behind his isolation. However, a powerful tempest of desire is swirling wildly between them, urging them to give in to the perilous passion that could destroy them . . . or perhaps show them the way to love.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Like in Love with You

Like in Love with You by Emma R. Alban is $2.99! This is a f/f historical romance with some rivals to lovers elements. Have you read any of Alban’s romances?

Mean Girls meets Northanger Abbey in this brand new, sapphic, rivals-to-lovers Regency Romance by USA Today bestselling author Emma R. Alban!

When country-bred Catherine Pine relocates to Bath in 1817, she and her mother come face-to-face with her mother’s arch nemesis, Lady Tisend, and her daughter, the wildly popular and gorgeous Lady Rosalie. Though once her very best friend, Mrs. Pine alleges Lady Tisend ultimately did her a great injustice. Twenty-five years later, she sees the perfect opportunity for retribution:

Catherine will win the favor of Lady Rosalie’s suitor, Mr. Dean. Together, Catherine and her mother will ruin the Tisends’ lives, secure Catherine a fruitful match, and launch a fully triumphant return to Bath. It’s the perfect plan for revenge. Only Catherine soon discovers that there’s more to Lady Rosalie’s mean streak than meets the eye. Lady Rosalie is by far the wittiest, cleverest, most intriguing young woman Catherine’s ever met, and she’s utterly smitten.

Meanwhile, Rosalie feels trapped in her perfect life as Bath’s favorite daughter and resident mean girl. There’s no challenge anymore, no excitement, no surprise. But when she notices newcomer Catherine gunning for her spot as queen bee, Rosalie finally feels a spark again. She determines to meet Catherine’s challenge with gusto, because Catherine ignites something in her. Something Rosalie absolutely doesn’t want to extinguish.

As their mothers force them into increasingly absurd contests of wit and feminine charms to win Mr. Dean’s affections, Rosalie and Catherine instead find themselves falling for each other, scheme, by barb, by catty jab…

Can their sizzling rivalry really become a match to last?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Other Princess

The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce is $2.99! This one was featured in a previous Book Beat post. We’ve also had Bryce’s debut Wild Women and the Blues on sale before.

A stunning portrait of an African princess raised in Queen Victoria’s court and adapting to life in Victorian England—based on the real-life story of a recently rediscovered historical figure, Sarah Forbes Bonetta.

With a brilliant mind and a fierce will to survive, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a kidnapped African princess, is rescued from enslavement at seven years old and presented to Queen Victoria as a “gift.” To the Queen, the girl is an exotic trophy to be trotted out for the entertainment of the royal court and to showcase Victoria’s magnanimity. Sarah charms most of the people she meets, even those who would cast her aside. Her keen intelligence and her aptitude for languages and musical composition helps Sarah navigate the Victorian era as an outsider given insider privileges.

But embedded in Sarah’s past is her destiny. Haunted by visions of destruction and decapitations, she desperately seeks a place, a home she will never run from, never fear, a refuge from nightmares and memories of death.

From West Africa to Windsor Castle to Sierra Leone, to St. James’s Palace, and the Lagos Colony, Sarah juggles the power and pitfalls of a royal upbringing as she battles racism and systematic oppression on her way to living a life worthy of a Yoruba princess.

Based on the real life of Queen Victoria’s Black goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta’s story is a sweeping saga of an African princess in Victorian England and West Africa, as she searches for a home, family, love, and identity.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Magpie Murders

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz is $2.99! This was a pretty buzzy book when it released. It was also adapted into a series on PBS Masterpiece.

Alan Conway is a bestselling crime writer. His editor, Susan Ryeland, has worked with him for years, and she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. Alan’s traditional formula pays homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. It’s proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

When Susan receives Alan’s latest manuscript, in which Atticus Pünd investigates a murder at Pye Hall, an English manor house, she has no reason to think it will be any different from the others. There will be dead bodies, a cast of intriguing suspects, and plenty of red herrings and clues. But the more Susan reads, the more she realizes that there’s another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript—one of ambition, jealousy, and greed—and that soon it will lead to murder.

Masterful, clever, and ruthlessly suspenseful, Magpie Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage crime fiction.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

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Posted by Amanda

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This HaBO comes from Brooklynn, who wants to find this romance:

I am trying to track down a standalone mass-market historical romance paperback that I read years ago. It would have been published anywhere from the late 1990s to 2010.

The Heroine: Lucy. She lives with her father and is highly intelligent but very near-sighted—she completely relies on her glasses to see. She is hired to restore a library at a grand estate.

The Hero: Nicholas. He is a brooding widower who owns the estate where Lucy is working.

Lucy is working on restoring the books in Nicholas’s library. While searching a desk, she discovers a hidden drawer containing a fictional manuscript written by Nicholas’s deceased wife.

The manuscript tells a story about twin sisters who were severely abused by their mother. As Lucy reads it, she realizes this “fiction” is actually a true autobiographical account of the late wife’s hidden childhood.

The late wife’s unhinged mother is orchestrating a dark plot. She wants to secretly swap in the late wife’s identical twin sister (whom nobody knew existed) and trick Nicholas into marrying her, pretending his first wife never actually died.

It was a total standalone novel (not part of a massive family series), and it beautifully blended traditional Regency/historical romance with heavy Gothic suspense elements. I’m not completely sure that those are the main characters names but they sound right. Does this ring a bell for anyone? Thank you so much for the help!

Can we HaBO?

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/hide-your-wallet-october-13th-release-week/

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Happy Tuesday!

A bit of a calmer week from last Tuesday. Definitely expect holiday romances to ramp up in the coming weeks.

What books are you excited for? Let us know in the comments!

As You Wake, Break the Shell

Author: Becky Chambers
Released: October 13, 2026 by Harper Voyager
Genre: LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: As You Wake, Break the Shell #1

Explore a universe of stubborn survival and found family, of persistent danger and quiet wonder in the first installment of a heartfelt new duology from Hugo Award–winning author Becky Chambers.

Life on the resource-poor planet of Fortune is challenging, but for its inhabitants, it’s home. For two of them, Signy and Cora, this home might no longer be enough.

Signy is a brilliant but reclusive botanist who bio-prints medicine from her small plant shop, often bending the rules to help those the system leaves behind. Her life is filled with the green of her store, the warmth of her one elderly friend, and the quiet determination to help others without putting herself in danger.

Cora is a rorqual pilot, one of the few with the unique ability to navigate the massive, living ships that connect the scattered settlements of their solar system. Her bond with her rorqual, Colibri, is profound—a connection that is both her greatest gift and a threat to her career.

It is that threat—the “mindbleed,” a dangerous side effect of her piloting—that brings her to Signy’s shop, and her appearance puts Signy in the danger she so fears. But it’s soon apparent it’s not just about losing her license—this delicate balance between risk and trust has the potential to change everything for them.

Told in an alternating timeline of their initial coming together and a not-so-distant future where they have found domestic bliss, this is a story harrowing and haunting, heartfelt and hopeful. Through a love story centered around survival, we are given a glimpse into the very best of what Becky Chambers does in her writing: explore what it means to be human, and what it means to come together.

New Becky Chambers! And it’s the first book in a series.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

Entities to Lovers

Author: Mallory Marlowe
Released: October 13, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

A connection that’s more than supernatural emerges between two rival tour guides who wish they could ghost each other in this sparkling romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Mallory Marlowe.

Paranormal medium Rory Woods spends her days offering psychic readings at Ye Olde Spirit Shop and nights haunting the streets of Boston as a ghost-tour guide. Sure, business could be better, but she’s proud of the shop she runs with her mom.

Enter Ezra adjunct history professor, noted thorn in Rory’s side, and—though she’d only admit it under threat of medieval torture he surely knows too much about—a distractingly handsome, charismatic coworker.

Rory can’t stand Ezra’s know-it-all, show-offy behavior. Ezra loves to tease the gorgeous, brilliant medium at the shop. And when the two are forced to host a tour together? It’s no wonder they end up hexed after disturbing a matchmaking ghost.

Saddled with perpetual bad luck unless they’re physically near each other, Rory and Ezra will try anything, from séances to kissing, to stop the jinx from wreaking havoc on both their lives. But in their quest to appease the spirit, they realize that growing closer might not be the curse they once thought it was.

An autumnal paranormal romance.

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Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder

Author: Ally Carter
Released: October 13, 2026 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Romance
Series: Kiss, Merry, Kill #2

A billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter square off in this cat-and-mouse holiday romance-mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.

Ella Chambers didn’t kill Liam Montgomery.

If she had, she certainly wouldn’t have done it outside his family’s mansion during the Christmas party of the year. She definitely wouldn’t have loaded his body into the trunk of her car. And she absolutely would not have announced to the town that the boy who ruined her life ten years ago was “so dead to her.”

But now Liam is missing—nothing but a bloody spot on the drive and a host of unanswered questions—and Ella is the only person who knows he’s still alive.

So it’s up to her to prove it.

Liam Montgomery didn’t want to die.

But, it turns out, when you’re the sole heir to a billionaire, someone might want you dead. Luckily for Liam, being dead works for him.

Now he’s on the hunt for a killer. Unfortunately, Ella is on the hunt for him.

She’ll have to prove he’s still alive to clear her name, but that’s easier said than done in a quaint mountain town where everyone knows your story but no one knows the truth. Can the billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter join forces to catch a killer? Or is their past too steeped in secrets and lies?

As the storm of the century blows in, every step will bring these two childhood rivals closer to a killer—and each other.

Because, this Christmas, only one thing is it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.

Lara loved the first book in this series, so we expect good things for book two.

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Love You to Death

Author: Jenna Levine
Released: October 13, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

A jaded grim reaper and a woman who wants another chance at life give ‘til death do us part a new meaning in this paranormal romance from bestselling author Jenna Levine.

Lucy McKenzie’s life has always been a disaster. So it should come as no surprise when one day she’s hit by an inconveniently-timed bus—and dies. Unfortunately for the handsome grim reaper who shows up to take her to the afterlife, Lucy is not about to go quietly.

Daniel is tired of his job collecting souls. While working for the Agency beats the heck out of going to Hell, he’s been doing this for literal ages. The drudgery has him yearning for more. Touched by Lucy’s plea for more time on earth, he convinces the Agency to make a Lucy can have six more weeks of life if Daniel can observe her and report back on humanity.

But as Lucy and Daniel navigate the chaos of life and afterlife together, they discover that a second chance at living might be their real chance at love.

We’re seeing a lot of death/afterlife romances lately!

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Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

Mothsblood

Author: Lynn Jung
Released: October 13, 2026 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: LGBTQIA, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

An ambitious alchemist must uncover her university’s dark secrets while trying to escape from her mysterious past in this electrifying debut.

On a rain-soaked night in modern-day Paris, Larkspur Lee and her academic rivals find themselves at the center of an impossible crime: the murder of their university’s headmistress, the immortal Petronelle Flamel.

In the aftermath of Flamel’s death, the school devolves into chaos. The mysterious investigator assigned to the case, Violaine, believes a cult known as the Promethean Genesis is responsible for Flamel’s murder. But Lark, who knows all too well what kind of horrors that the Prometheans commit, will do anything to stay out of the cult’s reach. Matters are complicated when the mentor she crossed an ocean and a continent to escape re-enters her life, enticing her to his side once again while secretly wielding an agenda of his own.

As the Prometheans’ plans come to fruition and the university’s dark history comes to light, Lark has no choice but to decide whether the power she desires is truly worth the price.

Amanda: Fall is cooking with dark academia titles!

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Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

Snow This is Love

Author:
Released: October 13, 2026 by Hyperion Avenue Digital
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Meant to Be #5.5

The Cozy Holiday Romances You’ve Been Dreaming Of…

Come in from the cold and let your heart melt this holiday season with five all-new cozy romance stories from the best-selling authors of Disney’s Meant to Be collection: Zoraida Córdova, Jasmine Guillory, Christina Lauren, Julie Murphy, and Jesse Q. Sutanto.

From Christmas to New Year’s Eve to Lunar New Year, today’s best romance writers reimagine beloved Disney tales as contemporary romances with a dusting of holiday magic.

Featuring:
“Deck the Heels” by Julie Murphy
Nothing says Merry Christmas like a televised fairy tale wedding produced by your not-so-evil stepmother.

“Beauty and the Baking Battle” by Jasmine Guillory
A brainy beauty and her (reformed) beast’s visions of sugar plums for their dream baking competition turn into a nightmare.

“Siren in the Snow” by Zoraida Córdova
She’s the girl who has everything. He has nothing, when he loses his luggage and control of his romantic Christmas surprise.

“Best (New Year’s) Day Ever” by Christina Lauren
Can a sunshine and not-quite grump check off everything on their holiday bucket-list and make it home for their first New Year’s Eve kiss?

“Dreaming of a Perfect Lunar New Year” by Jesse Q. Sutanto
A possible curse, a meddling family, and a disastrous Lunar New Year party almost come between a couple that is meant to be.

This is a holiday anthology that features continuations from the Disney-retold couples in the Meant to Be series.

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/dukes-sci-fi-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178199

Villain

Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots is $2.99! This is the highly anticipated sequel to Hench and released in May. Did any of you grab this one release day and speed through it?

The Boys meets Starter Villain and Assistant to the Villain in Natalie Zina Walschots’s electrifying, sharp, violent, and hilarious sequel to the highly acclaimed novel, Hench, in which the Auditor must confront the near-impossible in order to right the many wrongs in the superhuman industry…or cause more of them. She’s not picky.

Anna, better known to superheroes as the Auditor, has carved out a name for herself. Any hero unlucky enough to cross her path knows her potential and powers. Surely, success should taste she has an incredible job with lots of perks, and her boss will literally annihilate anyone who crosses her, and her greatest enemy, the former hero Supercollider, has been utterly defeated and literally ground to a pulp.

But Anna still has her sights set on a greater destroying the Draft, the organization that makes, trains, and manages the world’s most powerful superheroes. These “heroes” have shown time and time again that they do more harm than good, and now is the time to stop the damage at its source.

Yet all is not well for the Auditor and her fellow evildoers. Her employer, Leviathan—the world’s most feared supervillain—is not coping well with Supercollider’s defeat at someone else’s hands. Moreover, her unlikely ally and unexpected friend, Quantum Entanglement, has vanished without a trace, leaving Anna to examine all the ways they deceived each other. Tension and uncertainty fill the air, and fear that this moment of triumph is about to crumble looms over all of them.

Anna soon finds herself facing down an opponent unlike any she’s taken on before—not another superhero, but someone like her…someone much more the Draft’s Chief Marketing Officer. This isn’t a test of physical prowess, but ideas, and as the fight spirals deeper and deeper, with new foes popping up every day—she’ll need more than just her superpower—data research—to keep ascending through the supervillain ranks.

It’s guerrilla ad warfare, and the Auditor might have finally met her match.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Chaos Reigning

Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik is $2.99! Ellen reviewed it, giving it a B-:

I think if you have enjoyed the series overall this is a worthwhile read, but I wish my expectations had not been so high coming off the second book.

Interplanetary intrigue and romance combine in this electrifying finale to the Consortium Rebellion series.

As the youngest member of her High House, Catarina von Hasenberg is used to being underestimated, but her youth and flighty, bubbly personality mask a clever mind and stubborn determination. Her enemies, blind to her true strength, do not suspect that Cat is a spy—which makes her the perfect candidate to go undercover at a rival House’s summer retreat to gather intelligence on their recent treachery.

Cat’s overprotective older sister reluctantly agrees, but on one condition: Cat cannot go alone. Alexander Sterling, a quiet, gorgeous bodyguard, will accompany her, posing as her lover. After Cat tries, and fails, to ditch Alex, she grudgingly agrees, confident in her ability to manage him. After all, she’s never found a person she can’t manipulate.

But Alex proves more difficult—and more desirable—than Cat anticipated. When she’s attacked and nearly killed, she and Alex are forced to work together to figure out how deep the treason goes. With rumors of widespread assaults on Serenity raging, communications down, and the rest of her family trapped off-planet, Catarina must persuade Alex to return to Earth to expose the truth and finish this deadly battle once and for all.

But Cat can’t explain why she’s the perfect person to infiltrate hostile territory without revealing secrets she’d rather keep buried. . .

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

My Once and Future Duke

My Once and Future Duke by Caroline Linden is $2.99! This is the first book in The Wagers of Sin historical romance series. Elyse wasn’t a fan of this book because she’s over heroes using heroines as pawns for revenge. However, others loved how the romance developed between the two main characters.

What happens at the infamous Vega Club . . .

Sophie Campbell is determined to be mistress of her own fate. Surviving on her skill at cards, she never risks what she can’t afford to lose. Yet when the Duke of Ware proposes a scandalous wager that’s too extravagant to refuse, she can’t resist. If she wins, she’ll get five thousand pounds, enough to secure her independence forever.

Stays at the Vega Club . . .

Jack Lindeville, Duke of Ware, tells himself he’s at the Vega Club merely to save his reckless brother from losing everything, but he knows it’s a lie. He can’t keep his eyes off Sophie, and to get her he breaks his ironclad rule against gambling. If he wins, he wants her—for a week.

Until now.

A week with Jack could ruin what’s left of Sophie’s reputation. It might even cost her her heart. But when it comes to love, all bets are off . . .

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Age of Magical Overthinking

The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell is $2.99! I’ve enjoyed Montell’s previous non-fiction titles, but haven’t got around to reading this one. It’s also her newest release.

From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking.

Utilizing the linguistic insights of her “witty and brilliant” (Blyth Roberson, author of America the Beautiful?) first book Wordslut and the sociological explorations of her breakout hit Cultish, Amanda Montell now turns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biases in her most personal and electrifying work yet.

“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world: Think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.

In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “Halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger than life celebrities, to how the “Sunk Cost Fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/dukes-sci-fi-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178199

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Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/its-after-dark-season-yall/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=177988

Hi there!

In the coming months, annual subscriptions to After Dark will be up for renewal.

First, some housekeeping:

If you’re a member, your subscription will automatically renew.

We wouldn’t want you to miss out on any of the mayhem we’re working on, so if you’d like to check your membership subscription, you can do that right here.

What’s the opposite of housekeeping? Whatever it is, that’s this part:

I have to give a massive, truly smothering thank you to the Smart Bitches After Dark members! THANK YOU.

Because of you: Smart Bitches is still here. No, really.

Or, as my grandmother would say, no foolin’!

I can’t overstate how important your support is. You might have noticed the media landscape changing rapidly, as sites shut down or are absorbed into other properties. Advertisement spend – marketing spend in general – is down, while AI scraping and repurposing of content is way up. I won’t get too detailed because it’s a massive bummer, but it’s hard to be independent in an increasingly corporate-driven media landscape.

Because of your support, we are open and accessible to everyone looking for a global community of romance readers, and a place where they can find connections and book recommendations that suit their tastes. Because of you, we’re about to hit 22 years! Twenty. Two.

Thank you.

I know that your time and your resources are important, and I am truly honored by your investment in our little corner of the internet.

Last year, I did a survey of the After Dark members, and these are some of the responses when I asked why they joined:

I love the book recommendations, but it is also just important for me to support a site that is probably one of my favorite things. Reviews are always interesting and insightful, the community comments are jerk free, I love this place.

I say all the time that I don’t take myself too seriously, but the comment space is something I take very seriously. Not only do we have wonderful humans here, but we maintain a supportive environment for new folks, too. Thank you.

Knowing I’m supporting the B*tchery and a safe place for books and love and romance of all kinds.

…

Honestly, I like knowing I am helping to keep the doors open and the lights on in what feels like the last safe space in the virtual world. I also love that the content is deeper and more thoughtful about the romance community.

We really are a piece of the vintage internet, aren’t we? How cool is that.

I never, ever thought Smart Bitches would become what it is, and I never expected to still be talking about romance after 22 years. But with the support of the After Dark community, I’ve been able to:

Remove intrusive ads
Upgrade to faster servers and better bot protection (you would not believe how many AI bot crawlers there are per hour).
Pay reviewers and contributors
Most importantly: keep the site open and free for everyone who stops by.

In the past 22 years, everything about the internet has changed, and very few people are doing what we do here at Smart Bitches.

If our community is important to you, we need your help to keep on Bitchin’.

Your support keeps us open, and your enthusiasm and dedication to our community keeps me going. There are fewer and fewer safe spaces online, and I’m extremely proud and humbled that you’ve helped safeguard this one for all of us.

Thank you, thank you, and on to another year of After Dark!

If you’d like to find out more, or join After Dark, we’d love to have you!

A sketched heart with red marker scribble mostly filling it in

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/its-after-dark-season-yall/

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Posted by Lara

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/movie-review-the-love-hypothesis/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=178173

The Love Hypothesis

by Sarah Rothschild
Based on the book by Ali Hazelwood

C+

Contemporary Romance, Romance

TW: sexual harassment, use of lab animals (not shown suffering) Highlight to read.

Lara: I have a theory that having been raised on rom-coms of the 90s and 2000s, I find it exceptionally difficult for a contemporary rom-com to meet all my expectations. I want wit and charm and swooning and that delicious warm feeling of falling in love. I get this feeling from loads of books, maybe because for me books are more immersive than film or TV.

I say all this because I think my expectations of contemporary rom-coms are unreasonably high.

That giant disclaimer out the way, I did really enjoy The Love Hypothesis. I read the book back in 2021 and reviewed it for the site. I landed on a B-. Most of the time, I prefer the book to the film so I anticipated giving the film around a C. But I didn’t! It was solidly in the B territory too, but for different reasons!

Carrie: I went into this without knowing anything about The Love Hypothesis ( A | BN | K ) except that it was by Ali Hazelwood.

Here’s a quick description of the plot:

A | BN | K

Olive Smith is a PhD student at Stanford University who becomes besties with fellow student Anh. Olive gets a crush on another student, Jeremy, but soon realizes that Jeremy and Anh like each other. Olive also realizes that Anh, being a true ride-or-die, will not have a relationship with Jeremy as long as she thinks that Olive likes him, so Olive sets up a fake dating arrangement with Adam, a postdoc at the university. This works for Adam because Adam is trying to get his grant renewed and thinks he has a better chance if the committee thinks he will stay in Stanford (you know, where his fake girlfriend is). So the fake dating shenanigans commence.

Lara: I adored Lili Reinhart as Olive. I found her charming and relatable and I really wanted her to win. I wanted her to have the career AND the guy and the great friendship with Ahn (Rachel Marsh).

Tom Bateman as Adam was hot and tall and very good at being grumpy, but I could have done with a bit more emoting of his inner feelings. I fully confess that I watched the show without my glasses so maybe I missed finer facial details. (My eye sight isn’t that bad and I hate wearing glasses)

Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman facing each other on a bench. Lili has her hair up, and is smiling at him, and she's wearing a white lab coat. Tom has dark hair, a beard, and a black tshirt on

Carrie: You did not miss finer facial details, although I give credit to Tom Bateman for being an extraordinary actor since he played the opposite type of character in Hedda. He has range. He does good ‘yearning’ face.

But Adam is a pretty flat character other than his hidden “squishy center.” I found both leads to be very genial and attractive and pleasant to spend 112 minutes with, but I honestly thought Olive had more chemistry with Anh than with Adam.

Lara: Now that you mention it, the real love story is Ahn and Olive. And isn’t that just always the case. Best friends for life. Soul sisters.

From what I remember of the book, it seemed a pretty loyal adaptation, with a few minor exceptions. It’s a rare film adaptation that can depart significantly from the source material without crashing and burning, in my humble opinion.

So I recommend this movie? Yes, I do! It didn’t give me that lovely giddy feeling that romance books or Sandra Bullock rom-coms do, but I enjoyed it and you know how I know that? I only picked up my phone twice and that was to add things to my to do list and I put my phone right back down again. In the attention economy, that’s saying something.

Carrie: I, alas, was more grumpy. I thought a lot of things about the movie were problematic, I had a hard time keeping my attention on it, and it did not cause me to swoon in romantic delight although I did swoon in horror from time to time.

I had a huge problem with the imbalance between Olive being a student and Adam being a postdoc. Adam immediately addresses it and says that the code of ethics permits their relationship because there’s no academic or professional overlap between them. But there clearly is a lot of overlap – because of Adam, Olive has access to faculty in ways she otherwise wouldn’t, and that is both to her detriment and to her benefit. While Olive isn’t Adam’s student, her roommate is, and that causes problems for all three of them.

I also felt bothered by the age gap, which is super hypocritical because I married a man twelve years older than me and we’ve been married for twenty-six years. So of all people to gripe about age-gaps, I’m the least justified. Olive and Adam are less than ten years apart in age.

Olive in her lab coat reaching up to kiss a baffled Adam. There's about 6-7 inches of height difference and it's clearly a reference to the cover art

But in the movie, they really play up how youthful, how naive and shy and vulnerable Olive is, and how much older Adam is. He’s much taller so she’s always on tip toes, he carries her around, she wears adorable clothes that are very cute and play up her youth, and his friends are much older than her friends and their social gatherings are completely different. So on paper the age gap probably wouldn’t have bothered me, but the visual made it impossible to ignore.

Lara: You know, Carrie, now that you mention it, they DID play up her youth, whereas if I’m remembering the book clearly, it was the staff/student thing that bothered me more in the book than the age gap. It would be interesting to reread and remind myself of how the age gap was treated in the book, but I’m afraid I don’t care enough to expend that effort (maybe this should be a C? Or maybe I’m just tired?).

Carrie: I have one last gripe which is that, while I praise this movie for having a diverse cast, and while I adored Anh and would follow her anywhere, they are all in service of these two White people.

Malcolm, Ahn, and a third man with brown skin are outside looking and smiling at something off screen

Ten years ago I wouldn’t even have noticed but now I’m so grumpy and I really would have found either Anh or Olive’s other friend Malcolm (played by Jaboukie Young-White) more interesting characters to follow.

Lara: Ditto and yes and please.

Carrie: That’s a lot of grumping about what is really a sweet, gentle, low-stress rom-com. I’d give it a C, maybe a C+?

Lara: I think I’ll stick with my B- if only because I didn’t check my phone much which I ALWAYS do when watching TV.

We’re averaging the C/B- grade to a C+, because our database only allows one grade. Have you seen The Love Hypothesis? What grade would you give it?

Source

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/movie-review-the-love-hypothesis/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=178173

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/cover-snark-whats-that-smell/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178188

Welcome back to Cover Snark!

The Bride Hunt by Jane Feather. A classic clinch cover. The woman is wearing a white, off the shoulder dress. The man has on black pants and the woman is peeling his white shirt off. However, the title font is in loopy script and it does no favors to the word hunt.

From Belle: Someone needs to be extra careful with their font choice, especially around words that end with -unt.

Sarah: NOBODY noticed this?

Amanda: Would 100% read a book called The Bride Cunt.

Sarah: Absolutely would.

I still cannot get over this cover. Literally nobody noticed? OR, someone DID notice and held their tongue, which, okay, I respect the commitment to chaos.

From MegCat: By the looks of the expressions on their faces, they’re in the toilet queue and whoever’s currently in the one and only cubicle is taking forever.

Sarah: Today’s edition of “Faces and necks are hard to draw.”

She looks like she’s about to hoist that L and swing it at his head. Think it’ll kill him?

Amanda: You can tell she hates his Burger King crown and is imagining ripping it off his head.

Devil's Promise by Tammy Andrews. A close up photograph of a man's face in black and white. He's covering his nose and mouth with his hand, which is heavily tattooed.

From C: I know the big bad mafia man is trying to look all secretive, but I can’t shake the feeling that what he’s hiding is morning breath.

Sarah: The Devil’s Promise must begin with a gnarly fart.

Amanda: Or he’s about to throw up.

Sarah: Caught a bad smell.

Two Tatzelwurms by Ysobella Black. The background is a reddish pink with white bursts of lens flare. The border of the cover is a clumping of pine needles. On the top half is a pair of clip art legs in Santa-style dress and socks: red with white trim. On the bottom half is a close up of a real man's torso.

From Maeve: This is a series of 12 shorts with different male torsos on each cover. There’s just so much on these covers to marvel at.

Sarah: She’s not lying – look at em all.

Those are…those are some torsos.

Amanda: The clipart legs are sending me. I also had to google “tatzelwurm” and now I have even more questions.

Sarah: Which year’s clip art book did those legs come from, do you think? 2002? 1996?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/10/cover-snark-whats-that-smell/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=178188

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Reading

The Art of Charming a Changeling

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The Mystic and the Missing Girl

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Now That We Don’t Talk

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Once Upon You and Me

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Evening the Score

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Mothsblood

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Snow This is Love

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Villain

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Chaos Reigning

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My Once and Future Duke

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The Age of Magical Overthinking

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Because of you: Smart Bitches is still here. No, really.

I love the book recommendations, but it is also just important for me to support a site that is probably one of my favorite things. Reviews are always interesting and insightful, the community comments are jerk free, I love this place.

Knowing I’m supporting the B*tchery and a safe place for books and love and romance of all kinds.

…

Honestly, I like knowing I am helping to keep the doors open and the lights on in what feels like the last safe space in the virtual world. I also love that the content is deeper and more thoughtful about the romance community.

The Love Hypothesis

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