Happy 8th Anniversary Smart Bitches: A Giveaway!

The Ladies - four eyeglass-wearing women on brightly colored backgrounds, the logo of the site.On January 31, 2005, Smart Bitches went live with two reviews, and the website was born. Eight years later, we're still here, and more readers find the community here to discuss romance, laugh at the silly parts, celebrate the awesome-y parts, and discover that there are a LOT of fellow romance readers out there in the wonder wily inter webs.

Thank you for being a part of Smart Bitches. Happy eighth anniversary to all of us!

The traditional gifts for an 8th anniversary are bronze, pottery, linens, and lace. I don't think I can do bronze or pottery (that would be a book titled His Lordship's Shipping Nightmare) but linen and lace? That I can do. Time to do fun and silly things!

I went a-looking for linen and lace things and thought…oh, ho ho! FICHU!

A creative commons image of a woman in a fichu, captioned,

 

Oatmeal colored linen and lace scarfOatmeal linen and lace scarf

 

I have four to give away – two of each style. They're on their way to me from Turkey, but I'm giving them away right now. Because the 8th Smart Bitch Anniversary gift is FICHU!

Each fichu comes with a $25 gift card to the bookstore of the winner's choice – linen, lace and books!  What could be better? You'll be warm, stylish, and entertained.

To enter, leave a comment below and tell us your favorite thing about reading romance – your very favorite. Is it the happy sigh? The potential for Good Book Noise™? The many things you learn? The lovely people you meet (and really, romance readers are among the best people, no question) online and off? Share!

I'll select four winners at random at noon eastern on Monday February 4th, 2013.

Standard disclaimers apply: I'm not being compensated for this giveaway, except for the opportunity to make bad jokes about fichus. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents to the extent permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and sporting excellent décolletage to win. Whereas, upon participation in the contest as aforesaid, said participant shall nonetheless deliver hereunto all such paraphernalia as reasonably necessary and appropriate.  Notwithstanding anything hereinafter to the contrary, the contest shall nonetheless be conducted as heretofore described thereupon. Or something.

Most of all: thank you for being here, and making our community worth celebrating every day, and every year. Happy Fichu Anniversary to us!

Categorized:

Fun And Games

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  1. Shanan says:

    My favorite thing about these books is the HEA. Easy.  Happy FICHU!

  2. I like the escape into people’s lives that always work our in the end…

  3. Meg_E says:

    I love knowing that everything will work out.

  4. Abby Normal says:

    Characters, hands down.

  5. Phaenarete says:

    Just wanted to say thanks and congratulations for all your fabulousness, SB Sarah!

  6. I love the journey to the Happily Ever After that the hero and heroine have to go through.

  7. kristibug says:

    The happy sigh, along with the peace and quiet in my head with interesting people 🙂 Congrats on your anniversary!

  8. KarenF says:

    I love it when two characters get to know each other enough to want to work through the obstacles to their HEA.  And then they do.

  9. mctclover says:

    Happy blogiversary!

    Favorite thing about reading romance? It makes me feel happy.

  10. Amy K says:

    My favorite part is the warm tingly feelings I get during those beginning moments of attraction. When an author reels you in with the first time they touch or kiss.
    Sigh.
    Happy 8th year of being awesome!

  11. Rij says:

    Going on a journey (=plot) with interesting people (=the characters) and being certain that it won’t end up in a disaster (=HEA).

    Happy Anniversary!

  12. Justine says:

    Happy birthday!

    Among the genres, romance has my favorite banter! Sure, there’s fun dialogue in mystery and scifi, but witticisms in romance just take the cake.

    (Cake? Cake! Om nom nom . . .)

  13. Lori says:

    Happy Blogiversary! Wow, 8 years. I think I’ve been around for most of that, although it doesn’t seem that long. Time really flies when you’re bitching about romance novels.

    The thing I love most about romances is the HEA. People complain that romances are predictable, but I like knowing that there’s one place where things are sure to turn out OK. Some days (today, for example) that’s more important than others, but it’s always appreciated.

  14. Katherine O'Grady says:

    I remember wracking my brains for a good idea for hubs for our 8th wedding anniversary. Why on earth didn’t I think of a fichu? *facepalm*

    Seriously – what a perfect Smart Bitches anniversary gift.

    My favourite thing about reading romance is the self-discovery. I have read about things that shocked me, made me curious, made me furious – and made me think. I have broadened my horizons (interpret that as you will) and learned so much about myself and others around me.

    Thank you Smart Bitches and Sarah, for having me along for the past five years. I’m grateful.

  15. TessBrianna says:

    Happy Anniversary, Smart Bitches! My favorite thing about reading romance is that moment of happiness where you know everything is going to be ok, it’s the perfect moment of escape for me.

  16. singularelv says:

    Reading romance feels like a hug. I like being in the world where two people make each other so happy.

    Also, I can’t believe you are giving away FICHU. That is amazing.

  17. pluk says:

    I love the sex, love, and escapism.  Hurray for HEA!
    Happy Anniversary! 🙂

  18. StarOpal says:

    Happy 8th guys, love this site!

    Or when you go back to read that one favorite scene in a keeper… and then you remember another scene you loved… and another, and then you just decide to go back to the beginning and read the whole thing and you finish thinking, ‘Man that’s still so good.’
    And of course, the HEA.

  19. Judy says:

    I love books with a good HEA and the happy, tingly feeling you get after finishing them. Sigh.

  20. Katrina T. says:

    It’s the happy sigh. It’s the feeling of falling in love with the hero and getting that HEA.

    Happy Anniversary!

  21. babyjenks says:

    happy anniversary! i think my favorite things about romance is getting lost in the story. oh, and the sex. 🙂

  22. Jojo B. says:

    Happy Anniversary!
    I love the satisfaction of finishing a book after a well-earned HEA.

  23. Icenetla says:

    I haven’t really analysed what is my favourite aspect of reading romance, but I do know I seek them out more when I’m depressed, so I think I’d have to say it’s the happy ending, and more than that: the knowledge that there will be a happy ending.

  24. Happy anniversary! I’m so glad to have found the Smart Bitches community. Before I stumbled across SBTB on a book cover snark blog a few years ago, I had never read a romance novel, and I was pretty snobby about it. Luckily for me, SBSarah showed me the error of my ways, and I’ve been happily reading romance ever since.

    My favorite thing about reading romance is the opportunity to disappear for a few hours into a world that is less stressful and uncertain than my own. It’s more than escapism; it’s practically therapy. So thank you, Sarah and all the SBTB community, for the mental health boost.

  25. Not entering the competition, only commenting to offer congratulations on your anniversary. This blog is a treasure of humour, wisdom, irritation and amazement. Long may it continue!

  26. Sarah says:

    I love that whatever the characters are put through, I know there’s going to be a happy ending. If only life worked like that!

  27. M. C. says:

    I’ve not really thought about what my favorite thing about reading romance novels is. Is that something people spend time thinking about? I guess it’s the HEA. That good book high you get when you finish a really great romance, being happy for the characters and glad everything worked out the way it should.

    Happy anniversary! And thanks for being a fantastic resource, I’ve discovered so many great books through this site.

  28. Snakeling says:

    I like that romance is predictable, in the best of ways. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking, you can spot the hero and heroine a mile away, and you know they’re going to end up together. Everything in between is just incidental.

  29. Elizabeth Bagwell says:

    Congratulations! Very glad this blog exists; I enjoy it a lot.

    My favourite thing about reading romance has changed a lot since I started at age about 12. At the moment, I’m enjoying the safety of knowing a book will end with an HEA – and how smart & funny the journey there can be. It’s like taking a familiar trip with different scenery each time.

  30. Anony Miss says:

    Mazal tov!! Many happy returns!

    And like everyone else seems to be saying, I love the happy ending. Even if you want to whop them upside the head along the way, I love that at the end they Communicate and then They Are Happy. Need more of the happiness, you know?

  31. Carrie C says:

    On good days or bad ones, being wrapped up in a love story, diving into the characters and the romance and having things work out in the end no matter what-it’s my magic recipe for happiness.

    Plus, I get to see you guys rip the bad ones to shreds on this site, so I win no matter what!

  32. DivineKittyCat says:

    I love the escape into someone else’s world.

    Happy anniversary!

  33. ms bookjunkie says:

    Happy Anniversary!

    I like reading because it takes me away from everyday tedium. I like reading romance because the warm fuzzy glow of the HEA carries on into my own life a bit and is totally a mood enhancer. *happy sigh*

  34. GHN says:

    Two things: I love having fun when I read. And I love the happy endings.

  35. Tina says:

    Happy Anniversary!  I came here for an explanation of the Cassie Edwards debacle and I’ve been hooked ever since.

    I love the HEA and a really good/hot sex scene, but the emotional journey to get there is my favorite thing.

  36. Amanda says:

    Yay! Happy anniversary!!! I’m team happily ever (and also dropping in on people’s lives)

  37. Reneesance says:

    I love watching two really well developed characters interact!  Thanks for the Fichu laughs!

  38. a traveller says:

    Happy blogiversary!

    My favorite thing – being able to escape into another world, which may not always make sense, but always ends happily.

  39. Lindsey says:

    It’s the way a really good romance book can completely take you out of your own head, making you want to know these characters and get invested, pulling you along on that journey where they learn about themselves and the other people in their lives. I love the way some of my favourite writers can put a silly-happy grin on my face.

    Happy Birthday!  Thank you so much for bringing us all the wonderfulness that is SMTB!

  40. Lisa J says:

    Here’s to many more years!!!  Happy anniversary.

    I love the chance of going somewhere new and falling in love from my couch, desk, car, etc.  Plus you can’t beat the HEA.

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