His Very Own Girl is a historical romance set in England during WWII. The protagonists are an American medic (Joe) and an English pilot (Lulu). Lulu flies for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATS), ferrying planes from one airstrip to another. I could not stop picturing Lulu as Peggy Carter, but with a pilot’s license, which means of course that I adored her. Joe is a less sympathetic hero in the sense that he is quite … Continue reading His Very Own Girl by Carrie Lofty →
Starlight by Carrie Lofty, is full of CarrieS bait. The hero is an astronomy teacher. The heroine is a union leader in a mill. The novel is set in Glasgow in 1880, and it manages to present the possibility of a mill being run fairly without glamorizing what was grueling work under even ideal conditions. The biggest problem with the story is that the protagonists are so much at odds that it’s hard to believe in … Continue reading Starlight by Carrie Lofty →
Song of Seduction is a fiercely turbulent and emotional story set in Austria in the early 1800s – in winter. It’s cold and passionate at the same time, with the greatest passion portrayed not by the characters but by the music they make. Mathilda Heidel is a hidden prodigy: she can play the violin by ear, mimicking perfectly and improvising instantly any piece she hears, despite a very little amount of instruction. But she’s buried … Continue reading Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty →
In order to get this review going, I have to get one thing out of the way: “Fuck me, he cleared it!” Ok, then. The buzz is a-building about Carrie Lofty’s What a Scoundrel Wants since the buzz-o-matic Ann Aguirre launched a viral contest to spread the word about Lofty’s debut with Kensington. I read this book a few weeks ago, and I have to say, Lofty set herself for a hell of a task: … Continue reading What a Scoundrel Wants by Carrie Lofty →
This Rec League comes from Allison. Thanks, Allison! I am wondering if you can recommend any romance books featuring unions, labour organizing, or similar? Thanks! Tara: Hoosier Daddy by Ann McMan and Salem West has that! Amanda: Isn’t there a Milan with one? Sarah: Rose Lerner has one. I’m pretty sure Sweet Disorder is the one I’m thinking of, though that’s election organizing The Duchess War for sure. And of course North and South Doesn’t … Continue reading The Rec League: Unions & Labor Organizing →
Welcome back to Wednesday Links! It’s definitely a week where I barely know what day it is. It’s supposed to get pretty hold in New England. I live in an old apartment and the heat isn’t the greatest, so my old cat Linus will be coming with me this weekend to my partner’s place. They have amazing heat and my partner is very excited for a kitty sleepover. It’s also February and we all know … Continue reading Links: Art, Spongebob, & More →
This Rec League request was sent in by Jessi: Hello! I know this might not be what other people are looking for right now, but I have been devouring post apocalyptic romances and I need more to feed the beast. So far, I’ve read everything by Kit Rocha, Claire Kent’s Last Light, Alyssa Cole’s Radio Silence trilogy and most recently Kat Bostick’s Moonshine. I don’t care what type of apocalypse it is, and I really … Continue reading The Rec League: Post-Apocalyptic Romances →
This guest post is from author Emma Barry. Emma Barry is a novelist, full-time mama, recovering academic, and former political staffer. When she’s not reading or writing, she loves her twins’ hugs, her husband’s cooking, her cat’s whiskers, her dog’s tail, and Earl Grey tea. She writes a series of romances about the space race with Genevieve Turner called Fly Me to the Moon. A boxed set of the first three books in the series will be 99 cents … Continue reading Romancing the Moon: A Guest Post from Emma Barry →
In this dazzling, original tale, Carrie Lofty imagines a new chapter in the well-loved Robin Hood fable. Meet Robin’s rakish nephew, Will Scarlet, a man whose talents with the sword and the ladies are legendary—until his desire for one woman changes everything. A Passionate Lover A swordsman for the Sheriff of Nottingham, Will Scarlet has finally emerged from his famous uncle’s shadow. But when he’s unwittingly drawn into a bloody battle between the Sheriff and … Continue reading What a Scoundrel Wants →
One last round up of the most popular pieces of Smart Bitches Trashy Books over the past ten years, and then it’s time for our actual 10th Anniversary in January 2015. Holy crapmonkeys. Ten years! Many thanks to Morgan Doremus from Miss Media for digging through the archives and coming up with all this fun stuff. In April, we looked at the most popular reviews for contemporary romance – which were many of those with … Continue reading 10 Years of Bitchery: December Retrospective →
Flawless by Carrie Lofty is on sale for $1.99. This is a historical romance set partially in South Africa in the diamond industry. The series focuses on four siblings who inherit their father's business (diamonds, obviously), and this romance is a second chance story with an illegitmate heroine daughter and her estranged husband. This book has a 3.9-star average, and readers who enjoyed it really liked the heroine and the historical details of the setting. … Continue reading Books on Sale: Historicals, Diamonds, Donuts and More →
