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!
My favorite part of reading romance novels is seeing how the couple (regardless of sex) make room in their lives for the other person. Seeing how each person adapts, changes, and learns to let the other person into their lives is the most intimate part next to the sex.
I love the heart-pounding anxiety I feel when the hero and heroine have some crazy misunderstanding that thwarts their relationship progress, even though I know there’s always a happily ever after! Ditto for the anxiety induced when one of them falls ill or is grievously injured.
The emotions they stir in me.
Watching people fall in love
My favorite thing about reading romance(s) is that it takes me away from my troubles. It is my escape where I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay my bills or when I’m going to find a job or if we’ll lose the house…I can just stop thinking and enjoy someone else’s story and maybe get some vicarious thrills at the same time!
I like the “puzzle solving” that is required to get the lovers together.
There is always some wackiness that drives them apart. I like to see how the author
sets up the barriers and them knocks them down.
Happy Anniversary!! There is so much to love about romance novels, that it is hard to pick one thing. Of course I love that HEA, learning new things and when people ask “where on earth did you learn that?” I can happily say “in a trashy romance book”, I love to read the naughty bits out loud just to watch my DH turn bright red (but it secretly turns him on) but I would have to say that the reason I keep going back to romance novels is that I love to expereince all the emotions. I love to cry, laugh, and gasp with a book. I love the way my heart races when the couple is running for their lives. I love the way I feel outraged when the heroine has been wronged. I love that in 8hrs, a romance novel can take me through such a wide range of emotions and come out with a happy ending, making me feel cleansed. And trust me, it is much safer that I express my emotions at a book than at my siblings because that path leads to burning bridges!
I like the suspense of finding out if the lovers will be together in the end or not. And, I like reading the dance the characters do when they have feelings for each other and finally kiss or make love. And find out they belong together.
Happy Anniversary. I love the tension and seeing how love wins in the end.
Happy anniversary,ladies! As for romance,I enjoy the back and forth banter(especially on TV shows like Castle,my new favorite!) and that moment when he/she/they realize that true love is right before them.
Happy anniversary! Such a cool giveaway. Also, thanks for reminding me that I love the word FICHU. I should use it more in general conversation. 😀
My favourite thing about reading romance is the escapism. A good romance novel will completely suck me in, make me forget about stress, work, bills, my diet, course work, the lot. Reading romance novels is my absolute favourite way to relax and unwind.
Can’t be anything other than the Happily Ever After really 🙂
Happy Anniversary! My favorite thing about romances is knowing there will be an HEA. I also love witty banter, historical settings and all the pretty horses. 😉
I love the falling in love with the characters, feeling their pain & happiness & silly smiley happy when they get their HEA 🙂 and sometimes i learn from their mistakes.
Happy anniversary! Here’s to many more years of awesome recommendations and funny stuff in my inbox! I enjoy the HEA, it will always be my favorite part.
The escape to an emotionally just and satisfying land populate with magic hoohaws and might wangs.
Fichu! Gesundheit?
Happy anniversary — thanks for giving us great reading suggestions and laughs for the last eight years. My favorite part of reading romance is always the banter and getting to know the characters.
Romance takes me away from life’s daily aggravations and stress. It gives me a happy ending whenever I need it!
Love you bitches for having this site! Glad you are still here and kicking. I read romance to escape my life and be in an adventure for just a little while before putting in another load of laundry.
I have always loved the HEA (of course) but sometimes even a bittersweet ending is the perfect one. Just love to read, whatever the ending.
My most favorite thing about reading romance is the happy feels 😀 seeing the heroine and hero overcome all odds and form a beautiful, loving, lasting relationship.
It’s just nice to read something you know will end well, and discusses something so important and basic to everyone, regardless of class, genre, or time. <3
Congrats and Happy Anniversary! Finding SBTB turned my closet romance habit mainstream! I appreciate the work you do to make the genre mainstream for other readers, and society in general!
One of my favorite aspects of romance reading is that I get to learn in the most pleasant and fun way imaginable! (A steady diet of romance books has led to some very pain-fee top scores on the SAT and GRE vocab sections!)
My favourite part of reading romance is seeing the leads come into sync. Seeing them meld and grow together. Happy anniversary!!
I love all the kissing. I love a book with good kissing.
My favorite thing is the huge smile I get when the author perfectly combines humor and romance. Nothing better!
Dropping in to wish you a happy anniversary!
Happy Anniversary SBTB! I love so many things about reading romance, but I think my very favourite is the escape into a world where, even though the journey there may be very hard indeed, a HEA is guaranteed at the end – not something I can bet on in real life.
…
That sounded much less maudlin in my head!
Reading romance is uplifting because the main characters end up HAPPY. I remember coming home from work, frustrated by bogged down meetings and dancing around various power personalities, and just settle in with a nice story you know will end well.
I love the happy endings.
8 years!
What I like most about reading romance is that they are the escape that comes with HEA.
The HEA of course and the opportunity to be taken out of my every day life for a few hours!
Happy Anniversary! Such a great blog. I read romance books because I am guaranteed a happy ending. If it doesn’t end happily, it can’t be romance 🙂
My favorite part about reading romances is the good cry I always get from them as I see two characters who are hurting and unhappy find their way to happiness and each other.
Happy Anniversary!
I love reading about the first time the characters fall in love. It’s such a wonderful feeling and I like getting to “relive” it a little bit.
Happy Anniversary! My favorite part of reading romance is that I become so invested in the characters and in the storyline that I accidentally snort/scoff/laugh/ or yell “What?!” aloud while reading in public. It’s a had-to-be-there moment that only the book, me, and other romance readers share.
A crappy Haiku for a pretty fichu:
Rake, hellion, and fae
wolf and vampire in love
my girly bits melt
So that’s 8 spanks for Bitchin’ birthdays and 1 more to grow on, right?!
My favorite thing about romance is all the emotion that it brings: the warm fuzzies, the tension, the “oh sweet jamalama, that’s really what’s going down?”, and even the WTF moments that come from some of the oldies but goodies!
Happy Anniversary!
I think its knowing the couple’s going to be happy together, and in the good ones, they’ll be there for each other through the thick and thin. 🙂
The escapism for sure.
Happy Anniversary! I love to read romance because I get to visit places and meet people I never would in my normal day-to-day life. I’m also a sucker for a HEA.