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!
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!
I love the build up in the romance, and when you can just tell that the main characters truly care for one another. Plus the escape of it all. Thanks!
jessicamariesutton(at)msn(dot)com
My favorite thing about reading romance novels is that feeling you get in your stomach when you know the hero/heroine are about to really screw themselves up (Brutal misunderstanding? Check! Standard extreme emotional baggage? Check! Beyond poor communications skills? Check!), but you know in the end you’ll get the HEA – and the more epic the screwing (no pun intended – well okay, maybe a little), the better the HEA! Long live romance!!
And happy anniversary SBTB – this site has made me prouder than ever to be an unashamed reader of the romance. I especially love the reviews – specifically, the books that receive an “F”. I read them aloud to my husband, and we laugh like loons! Hip Hip Hooray for Smart Bitches!!
Happy endings. And the occasional fichu.
I just love the structure of a romance novel with a guaranteed HEA. I love the conflict, the anticipation of its overcoming, the actual overcoming, the happy sigh 😉
As someone who has been in a happy, committed relationship for almost ten years (since I was 17!), romance gives me an outlet. I love my husband but it’s kind of sad knowing that I will never share a first kiss again or have that new-love heart flutter (unless I get divorced or cheat which will hopefully never happen!). Romance lets me feel those feelings in a safe way.
There will ALWAYS be a happy conclusion 🙂
Happy Anniversary! You’ve given me so many awesome books to check out and so many classics from HaBO. Thanks for everything you do! As for romance, I do it for the warm fuzzies it gives me 🙂
I love romance books because they make me fall in love with my own husband all over again! When the Hero sucks – I’m grateful for how much better my own husband is… and when the Hero is amazing – I’m grateful for how similar my husband is.
Happy Anniversary! First off, thank you so much for developing such an awesome-sauce place where romance readers can gather.
My favorite part is the emotional roller coaster of reading a good romance. From the bubbly, frothy moments to the heart wrenching, sometimes eye-gouging 🙂 scenes, it’s an escapade without the real danger (well except for the eye gouging part) that has a guaranteed HEA.
The affirmation of love.
It’s that moment when a book ends, leaving you feeling that everything happened exactly the way it should have.
Happy Fichu-versary.
I love getting the HEA, and getting to that point is sweet! My life pretty much sucks right now, so as long as the books get their happy ending I can dream that I can too! Plus the sex can be good!
When I read a good romance I may tear up a bit, but mostly they make me smile and sigh, and then end with a happy feeling and missing the characters.
Happiest of anniversaries, SB! You’ve brought much enjoyment to my life, including the random fichu – here’s to many more years of trashy books!
Whether genre romance or literary love story, its all about a basic human need to connect with, to touch and care for, another human. At the pen of a skilled author, a romance novel is the positive affirmation that love will prevail despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Congraulations upon the occasion of your 8th anniversary. Love, love, love your blog and books. I’ve recommended Smart Bitches to romance loving library patrons in search of new authors/new reads.
I like romance novels because there’s a certain amount of security in reading a novel that you know will end happily, but I love watching the varying journeys couples take to get there.
Happy anniversary! It was the reviews on this site that introduced me to Courtney Milan and Loretta Chase, who are now two of my absolute favorite authors. Thank you SO MUCH!!
Happy Anniversary!
My favorite part of romance is the journey the characters take on the way to HEA. When the hero and heroine really have to earn their HEA is the absolute best.
Happy Number 8, ladies! I love to read romance in all of its forms. Why? Ninety-nine percent of the time there’s a HEA. Another plus, it makes my DH roll his eyes.
Happy Anniversary! I’ve been reading romance novels since I was in high school, and my smart, feminist, hipster inner child was screaming for me never to admit it. Over the years, I’ve learned a few things: not all romantic novels are cut from the same cloth, there are wonderful, well written gems out there, you can actually learn something from historicals (if the author does her research), and mullets/man boobies can be fun! 😉
So glad I found a community of like minded ladies (and gents, if there are any here)! Here’s to reading, romance, and many, many more years of SBTB!
The best part is knowing however angsty things get, there will be a HEA.
My favourite thing about reading romance are the ridiculous plot devices. Even done badly, they make me smile.
My favorite thing is all of the delightful words I come across. Like fichu, obvs.
On of my MANY favorite things about reading romance is the funny banter between the characters. When they get to know each other well enough to tease each other. How many of you recognize, “Laters”, or “Google is your friend”?
Humor, the happy feeling at the end of the book, the escapism.
I love everything about reading romance novels, but my absolute favorite thing is the “butterflies” that I get (in my stomach, and oddly, my hands) when I read a particularly romantic passage.
Happy anniversary! What I love most about a well-written romance is that, unlike in real life, a happy ending is guaranteed. Of course, steamy, schmexy interludes are pretty enjoyable, too (i.e., both in the books and in real life). :o)
Happy B[itch]Day! 😀
I like so many things about romance novels… but I guess the most important ones are: it’s amazing escapism (as a nurse I deal with death everyday and afterwards I just need something very light, fun and filled with happy endings to unload stress) and it fulfills all my secret yearnings for cheesy romance (in real life each one the amazing guys I dated didn’t have a romantic bone in their bodies).
Definitely the HEA. Happy blogoversary!
I love the growing chemistry between two characters. That heady potential!
So many things to be grateful for in romance books—the good book noise, the HEA, the education/history learned, not to mention what I’ve learned about myself—how I’m willing to be treated, how to treat others, healthy dynamics, vs. disfunctional—you name it.
(I’ve been considering taking up knitting lately, and every time I see the word FICHU, I think that if someone needed a warm one, they could knit one form a lovely Peruvian Alpaca wool, and have a Machu Pichu Fichu! LOL Ahem. Sorry. Hopped up on pain meds and antihistamines. Don’t mind me… )
I love to escape into the romance, the story, the characters, the HEA. I enjoy using my mind and imagining being there with the descriptions of the balls, the clothes, the ahhh! Just so relaxing
I love to escape into the romance, the story, the characters, the HEA. I enjoy using my mind and imagining being there with the descriptions of the balls, the clothes, the ahhh! It’s just so relaxing 🙂
Sorry forgot to log in 🙁
Getting to just read and enjoy a story without having to analyze it. It’s brain candy!
Happy anniversary ladies. I love a good HEA!!