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!
The HEA, I love happy endings.
I love reading about strong women in the times when they were completely thwarted by men and still managed to fight for what they believed in. HR, good HR gives me a great buzz, let me learn a bit more about history and sigh over gorgeous gallant heroes. They just don’t make them like that much anymore…
Happy Blogoversary, bitches dear!!! You were one of the first blogs I followed from the very beginning and it’s great to see how far you’ve come. *huge hugs*
My favourite thing about romance is how focused the hero/heroine are on their HEA. So often in life, we get distracted by the needs of other people and the blather of “giving back”. I love that in romance novels, none of that commie philoso-crap matters, and the heroes pursue their own happiness without compromise.
Then there’s all the hot hot smex. It’s inspirational and steamy!
Quelle coincidence! It’s MY anniversary as well! Happy Anniversary to us! My favorite part of reading a romance is the happy ending. Because who doesn’t love a lovely-satisfying-happy-sigh-inducing happy ending?
I’ve always loved strong women who kick ass and get their man! Happy 8th. May you have many more.
Happy Anniversary!
My favorite part is the happy ending.
Yay, happy anniversary! This site has been on my shortlist of daily to-visits for quite some time! What do I love about romance books? That’s easy….they’re WAY more sexy than other, um, things because the story plays out in my head, not on a screen 😉
Happy 8th birthday, SBTB! I think my favorite thing about reading romance is the anticipation – that building sense of excitement as the heroine and hero experience first touches, first kisses, first more-than-kisses, and falling in love.
Congratulations on your eighth year. So many things I like, but my favorite is probably the happy feeling I get when I really connect with the characters and just want to continue on the journey with them.
Happy anniversary! *throws confetti*
For me, it’s all about the escapism. I’m reading Gone Girl right now, and the gritty disintegration of the marriage in the book is wearing me down. That’s not an escape, that’s reality, and I have more than enough of that already, thank you very much. I think I need to put this book down and go for some pure escapism to make me feel better. Quick, someone get me a HEA!
My favourite thing about romance novels is seeing the two mains characters fall in love.
I like knowing from the very beginning that there will be a happy ending.
Happy Anniversary!! I enjoy reading romance books with interesting characters, deep plotting and great dialogue. It’s nice when i find a keeper of a book, such as Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas or About That Night by Julie James.
Happy Anniversary, SBs! My favorite thing about reading romance is how the books have kicked things up several notches in the bedroom after over 11 years of marriage and 2 kids.
I don’t know that I can pin it down to one thing, but I can try for three. 1) I love that I have learned a ton of historical facts that I can actually use in my graduate-level literature courses 2) I love seeing two people who deserve each other come together for a perfect happy ending and 3) Love the sex. Not gonna lie.
Yee hah! Thanks for the giveaway.
I love getting caught up in the story (I tend to feel whatever emotion the characters in the book are feeling. Which must drive my husband nuts!). And then I love the happy ending.
I love a happy ending but, I also like the escape that I find by reading historical romances. Happy Anniversary to the best site ever!
Laughing. That’s what I love, the absurdities, the witty dialogue, the impossoble situations.
Thry make m laugh, so I keep reading.
Happy Anniversary! I found this site in late 2005/early 2006 and my reading life hasn’t been the same (nor my wallet—ha!) My favorite thing about reading romance is knowing there will be a HEA, or something that at least promises a good chance of HEA. It could be a serious book, a funny/pun-ny one, a historical, or a contemporary book. It could be in this world or in an alternate universe. It could have steampunk elements, fantastical science fiction, or paranormal creatures. But in the end, it’s knowing that love will find a way, though it’s not always the easy way.
When my book couples fall in love, I get to fall in love, too! Who doesn’t want to fall in love a few times a week? Seriously, it’s the best.
Happy 8th!!
I love romance because I escape through them – stress, demands, and tension. And I love that I escape the negative to get to enjoy the belief in real love and that there IS a happy ending!
I never win contests, and that’s TOTALLY okay, because when I fail to win this one, I’ll STILL be in love with this post. Why? Two reasons; one, Smart Bitches is 8 years in, and still going; two, BITCHES LOVE FICHU! I laughed so hardcore at that meme that my face just broke. Like whoa.
My favorite aspect about romance is seeing two people fall in love. While an HEA is contractually mandatory for me to love the book, I’m more excited about the journey to that HEA. Also, awkward sex scenes; awkwardly written sex scenes pwn me so good.
Happy Anniversary! I love sharing my favorite novels with my friends.
Happy Anniversary! Don’t get me wrong, I can pull out all sorts of Things I Learned From Reading Romance, but I keep reading for the emotional kick; the happy at the end and whatever laughter or tears there were on the way.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary! What I love about reading romance is the escape to another world and the HEA!
My favorite thing about reading romances is discovering the many ways an author can take a “cookie cutter” story and shake up the ingredients
Happy Anniversary! And Thank you for being here! My favorite thing about romances is when there’s great characters and snappy dialogue and the perfect mix of humour and angst.
Happy Birthday and THANK YOU!
I love the humor, the HEA and the journey.
SusanL
Happy anniversary.
I love the patterns, the formula, really.
I guess what I like most is the emphasis on characters. You have to have a hero and heroine to root for (notice I didn’t say “like” necessarily; sometimes you have to wait for one or the other of them to worthy of their happy ending) or you just won’t be invested in the love story. I like it best when the characters both have to grow over the course of the novel; that way, when they get to the ending, you know things might not be perfect, but you trust that any troubles coming their way they will get through together.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Happy Anniversary! I love how just reading the first page instantaneously puts all real-life problems on the back burner—plus involuntary squee-ing.
Happy Anniversary! I love the first indications of romantic interest in the H/H…happy sigh! Thanks for creating a place to share everything romance story-related. It’s my happy place!!!
Happy anniversary SBTB!!
I’m all about the HEA.
I just love to escape reality.
I’m glad to learn the traditional gifts: this summer will be my eighth wedding anniversary! My favorite parts of reading romances are the knowing that things will work out and the immersion in a world where women’s goals and happiness are intrinsically, unapologetically important.
I love reading romance novels because they provide me with mental and emotional refuge from the demands of my everyday life. I can be having a hellish day, but when I take a break with a comforting book where I know the HEA will almost always come, it really improves my frame of mind. Happy birthday, Smart Bitches Trashy Books!
Romances are emotional candy for me—I like the ones where the happy emotions come after anguish and heartache.
Fichu to you too!…I love stumbling and fumbling to the HEA. And people I wish I knew and and places I may never get to go…oh, I guess I love it all. 🙂
Love this! Happy anniversary! Favourite thing about romance novels…hmmmmm, learning that the best things in life come from compromising (not on the Big Things, but on the little things).