We made it! It’s the eighth night of Hanukkah, the night when you can toast marshmallows over the menorahs, and the cat knows to stay the hell off the counter when the candles are lit.
It’s also time for one last giveaway!
Ready to see tonight’s prize?
Here we go!
The eighth Smart Bitches Hanukkah Party giveaway is: a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice.
WOO HOO!
You can buy a looooooot of books with that, right? We’re here to enable all the book shopping we can!
Ready to enter to win?
Just leave a comment below and tell us about a book you discovered here that you loved – any book! Hearing that recommendations worked is the best feeling and we’d love to know which books have been your favorite discoveries!
Standard disclaimers apply:Â I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Must be 18 years of age and ready to read and relax. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Sun damage may occur if you don’t use sunscreen. Use sunscreen. Use only in a well-lit area so you can see all the words. Keep away from fire or flames unless it’s a menorah or two. Comments will close at or near 8am ET on Monday 14 December 2015 and winners will be announced shortly afterward.
Good luck, Happy Hanukkah, and thank you for being part of Smart Bitches!
ETA: We have a winner! Congratulations to Lynette!Â
Thank you to everyone who entered and celebrated with us. The community at SBTB is a truly marvelous group of humans, and I’m so pleased that you are part of it. Thank you and happy holidays to you!
I discovered Lord of Scoundrels and many, many others. I’d always been a romance reader, but my habit really blossomed due to the recommendations I found here.
Sarina Bowen’s “Ivy Years” series
Lucy Parker’s Act Like It.
I discovered Pamela Hartshorne though reviewing her book Time’s Echo for the RITA Reader Challenge a couple of years back. I absolutely love her writing.
Also discovered Miranda Neville through SBTB; haven’t had the chance to read her yet, but I love how her books sound in review!
Carrie’s review turned me on to The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford: Way cool!! Of course, I find lots of romances, too, but my memory does not help me sort out which particular ones those would be. You all may have gotten me to read (along with the rest of the world) Courtney Milan.
Here are some of the books I’ve discovered through SBTB and enjoyed:
Sarah Mayberry – Her Favourite Temptation and Her Favourite Rival
D.E. Stevenson – Miss Buncle’s Book
Mara Rodale – What a Wallflower Wants
Sarah Morgan – Ripped
Erin McCarthy – Hot Finish
The Playboy Sheikh’s Virgin Stable Girl. That review had me laughing so hard I ran out and bought it immediately.
Also, Think of England by K.J. Charles. I’d pretty much given up on historicals until then.
I’ve discovered so many favorite authors here, starting with Loretta Chase, because of your review of LORD PERFECT. (My favorite book of hers is MISS WONDERFUL, but I only discovered it because of your LORD PERFECT review – I hope that counts!)
It’s hard to pick one book so I’ll mention something silly. Cora Seton’s The Nevy SEAL’s E-mail Order Bride, which I read because of Redheadedgirl’s review and smiled all the way through. It might not have been a book to change my world but at the moment it was just what I needed.
I can also thank you for finding Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase and Courney Milan, for which I’ll be always thankful.
I’ve discovered many a book from the bitchery but the one that stands out is Sherry Thomas’ “His at Night” Love it so much 🙂
There really are so many, but the first that jumped to mind was The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan.
All I Have by Nicole Helm!
Happy Hanukkah! Courtney Milan’s The Duchess War. LOVED it and became an instant fangirl. Thanks to Carrie and that A+ review!
I binged the Sarah Morgan books that were seton Vermont (I think) and they were just lovely
I think I first ran across Laura Florand’s work here, and oh my. My life would be so much sadder without her books!
The Pennyroyal Green series. Found out about it just as the last book was released, so I had a very intense couple of weeks of bingereading.
I think I’ve discovered pretty much every recent historical I’ve loved through here! Courtney Milan definitely, Tessa Dare, etc etc
Courtney Milan’s historicals, which are awesome!
The book that sticks out most in my mind is The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne. I’m still in awe of the writing in that book, and it’s a (probably impossible) standard to which I aspire.
I have a hard time keeping track of what books I discovered from which blog, but I’m pretty sure that the general raving about the Wallflower books (Lisa Kleypas) around here led me to them – I especially loved Devil in Winter.
Two authors that I just love are C. S. Harris and Ann Bishop. Both have very different series that I just love.
The newest one was Act Like It. I’m definitely going to keep an eye open for any new releases from Lucy Parker. Makes me wish she had a back list.
Another was Jellicoe Road. I was listening to old podcast episodes when it was mentioned. It was great. Read both of these this year.
My whole Goodreads TBR pile is made up of the A reviews and comments I’ve sifted through over the past several months. I’d gotten away from reading romance (truthfully, any kind of reading in general that wasn’t assigned readings of academic journals), and I didn’t know where to begin. So far, I’ve enjoyed reading the Wallflowers series by Lisa Kleypas (I just finished Devil in Winter) and Tessa Dare’s Castles Ever Affer series. God, I love a good series. Maybe I’ll start Spindle Cove next, or Courtney Milan’s series.
I also quite enjoyed Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy – I listened to that one over the summer!
Thanks for the reviews and podcasts! It’s been a great year for me, at least where books are concerned Cheers!
Y’all led me to Lois McMaster Bujold and Laura Kinsale. The sheer joy of discovering a new to me author with an extensive backlist cannot be adequately described.
I found Lord of Scoundrels on a post about what books you’d put in a romance reader conversion basket, and after I read that and Bet Me, I knew romance was a genre for me. 🙂
I discovered Nalini Singh through your site. Horrible on the bank account, but I had to read all the books!
Coutney Milan is another. I am not sure I would have read the sinister series if not for your site.
Oh, can’t believe I almost left her out, but Susanna Kearsley! When you guys had “The Winter Sea” as a book club pick, I borrowed it from my friend’s used bookstore. I read the whole thing in a day, and since have had the honor of meeting Susanna last April. She was gracious and kind enough to sign TWS, her new book A Desperate Fortune, and that month’s issue of RT Book Reviews (which featured ADF on the cover).
Seconding (more like twenty-seconding) all those who are grateful to this site for introducing me to Courtney Milan. I just adore her whole canon, but if I had to pick one in particular, I’m so happy that this site led me to The Countess Conspiracy, which introduced me to some of my very favorite kinds of catnip’
Very tough to pick only one (or a few)!
I LOVE Amy Lane’s Clear Water,
Heidi Cullinan’s Love Lessons series and
Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green Series.
Thanks so much for the recs, the podcast and DABWAHA! You all are awesome!
I’ve discovered so many great authors through your reviews and posts. Tessa Dare is one of my favorites. Before I buy any romance novel I always check for a review or even a brief mention of how the author was received here. Great service.Thank you.
I discovered Tessa Dare here!
When I started reading romance again’ after about 25 years of not reading them, most of my recommendations came from here. I had a lot to catch up on, and what really sticks out in my mind is reading The Bride by Julie Garwood. Thanks fir that recommendation, and many more!
Tessa Dare books…..and too many others to name 🙂
Act Like It is the latest book I’ve discovered because of this site 🙂
I discovered one of my favorite authors, Joanna Bourne, thanks to the awesome folks here at SBTB.
Nearly all the books I’ve bought have been due to recommendations here, but one I never would have tried was Edie Harris’s Blamed.
I discovered Shelly Laurenston/G.A. Aiken here. Thanks for the giveaways!
I discovered everything by Courtney Milan and it was life changing! Thanks for all the work you do.
I discovered so many books and authors! Laura Kinsale vĂa The Shadow and the Star, Lisa Kleypas and The Wallflowers series, Loretta Chase, Tessa Dare , Courtney Milan, Edith Layton, Sherry Thomas.
Seduced by Virginia Henley. Crazysauce galore, the review byRHG was priceless. Let me see..speaking of crazysauce Amanda’s rec led me to Kresley Cole and The Professional.
Ripped by Sara Morgan. Jackie Ashenden (Elyse, my wallet is looking at you).
I wish Candy could come back if only occasionally. Memory Lane and nostalgia go hand in hand. Her review of Decadent was unforgettable.
Zipping up now. Happy Hanukkah! This giveaway is awesome!
I forgot to mention Elizabeth Hoyte . And The Windflower by The Curtises, aka Laura London.