It’s been 11 years since the first reviews from the hot pink palace of Bitchery went live, and every year, we like to celebrate with merriment, traditional and modern anniversary gifts, mayhem, and possibly also shenanigans.
Lucky for us, the traditional gift for the 11th anniversary is steel, and the modern gift is jewelry. I thought, hey, this is awesome! STEEL JEWELRY ahoy!
Then RedHeadedGirl said, “Wait. SWORDS.”
Swords?
And everyone else said, “YES. SWORDS.” So this year, we’re giving away jewelry and swords! Happy anniversary to everyone!
Here are the prizes:
Yup, it’s a sword! The Timber Wolf sword is perfect for this giveaway since we’ve got plenty of shifters in romance, plus men and women wielding swords, and who doesn’t need a deep blood groove in their sword, right? And if you’re thinking, “Well, that’s not jewelry…” SURE it is! It’s Jewelry for ALL OF YOUR SELF!
More steel! Â And more jewelry!
And of course, some steel jewelry for your pocket or purse:
Want to enter? Easy! Just leave a comment below and recommend a romance you loved. You’ll be entered to win one of the prizes. Comments will close around noon eastern, and I’ll select the winners at random on Friday, 5 February 2016. If the item pictured above is not available at time of announcement, a similar alternative will be provided.
Standard disclaimers apply: Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and full of steely determination to read. I’m not being compensated for this giveaway except for the opportunity to go sword shopping, which is compensation a-plenty! Crumb coats make the icing look very smooth, but icing is just as good straight from the bowl. Icing is also a legitimately delicious food group. Blanket forts may be constructed for purposes of reading; no prior warning is required.
Thank you for spending time with us. Smart Bitches wouldn’t be as much fun without you, so thank you for being part of our celebration!
ETA: 5 February 2016Â
Thank you so much for all the anniversary wishes! I am honored that you all come hang out with us each day, and I’m so happy to celebrate our anniversary with you. It’s winner announcement time!
The winner of the sword: L
The winner of the typewriter bracelet: Giddypony
The winner of the reading & tea bracelet: Cerulean
The winner of the reader pendant: Jill B
The winner of the flask: Alaina Keener
Thank you to everyone who entered, and thank you for celebrating with us!
One of the best paranormal romances I’ve read in a while has to be Trace of Magic by Diana Pharoah Francis. She’s written some other pretty cool books, including the series that begins with The Cipher! I’d recommend her books to anyone 🙂
Congratulations! I can believe it’s been 11 years already.
I always think of the book that brought me back to reading romance (though it is technically a mystery novel) – Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. If you can get your hands on the audio version narrated by Barbara Rosenblat even better.
Also Welcome To Temptation or Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. Those books are the ones I suggest to people interested in trying romances.
My first favourite was These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer which I read as a teen. Bit scared to go back and reread in case it doesn’t hold up.
After all these years it’s still “These old shades”. My mum introduced me to the works of Georgette Heyer and I still re read them to this day some 40 years later. She was a Pathologist and one of the earliest woman to qualify as such. She was very well read and had a library room in her house but she never dismissed romance as not being literature, she loved romance as much as any other books. Books are good if you enjoy them was her take and between us we eventually owned all of Heyer’s. If you look at it with any sort of consideration Avon was a cold blooded bastard, but given the fantasy choice I still would choose him over any other man except perhaps his son (ref “Devils Cub”)
Um, weren’t we just celebrating your tenth anniversary the other day? It’s been a year, really? o_O
Happy eleventh anniversary, Smart Bitches!
And I’ll give a shout-out Thea Harrison’s Dragon Bound as I spent yesterday rereading it and it’s as satisfying a read as it ever was. <3
Happy Anniversary! I still remember stumbling into this some years ago and how amazing it was (and is). I really enjoyed Four Nights With A Duke by Eloisa James.I need to go pick up her new book asap!
I love the fever series by Karen M Moning. The latest one is FEVERSONG ♡♡♡
Congratulations! There are so many favourites but I have to go back to the early days and say “These Old Shades” by Georgette Heyer.
Recommend one romance? You all are tough!
Let’s see, I’ll go with one I don’t think is on the list yet – A Summer to Remember by Mary Balough. Regency Era hero & heroine whose characterizations remain mostly in line with societal expectations of the time – unlike the recent trend for interesting but somewhat unlikely characters set in Regency England (don’t get me wrong – I enjoy those too!).
Anything by Courtney Milan, Laura Kinsale, and Meljean Brook.
But I’m putting in an official vote for The Edge series by Ilona Andrews. Sadly, there were only four books and a lot of untold stories left because they were too genre-agnostic too be popular with any one group. Amazing world-building, multi-dimensional characters, and some romance too.
So many to choose from…but it has to be A Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas. She’s the master at emotional angst. I read it every year!
This isn’t a new recommendation by any means but I just reread Agnes and the Hitman by Jenny Crusie and Bob Mayer for the millionth time and it makes me so happy every damn time.
Well my first that I still love was a Pamela Britton historical romance, but one that was listed here on sale more recently is a Lavinia Kent historical, “Mastering the Marquess”. I love her new series!
Happy anniversary
I’m sure it’s not the first one I read, but it’s the oldest one I can remember – Mistral’s Daughter by Judith Krantz.
Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie.
I’ve been reading random items in the Bujold canon in preparation for the new Vorkosigan novel coming out this week and just finished rereading A Civil Campaign. Buold dedicated it to “Jane, Charlotte, Georgette and Dorothy,” and that says a great deal about the quality and mood of this novel Any reader who likes romance complicated, witty, tender, and downright hilarious should find something to love in this genre-bending tale.
I just read Men Like This by Roxanne Smith and it was really good. The dialogue was great. The timelines were reasonable. The ages of the characters were reasonable. I liked everything about it and totally recommend it.
The first romance I read was Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer. I was 13 when I read this, and the book changed my life! I had always enjoyed reading, but this book opened an entire world to me! Waaay more interesting and enjoyable than middle school.
Happy Birthday! I have two recommendations.
First, THE gateway drug for romances for me and for everyone I’ve ever given it to, from middle-aged women to college-age men, Georgette Heyer’s These Old Shades. Written in 1926, These Old Shades is practically an urtext for the romance genre, with one of the best heroes, ever.
My second recommendation is my current, I’m-too-tired-so-I’ll-just-read-this-again favorite, Amy Lane’s Clear Water, a wonderful, modern m/m romance; it’s funny, explicit, sweet, unexpected, and both heroes are delightful.
Swords! Awesome! Right now I’m nose deep in the Argeneau “vampire” family series by Lynsay Sands (and appreciating their availability on Overdrive). Avoiding spoilers, but Lynsay’s alternate vampire backstory is really interesting (and Star Trek fans would believe absolutely possible!)
I am going to recommend Eve Kenin’s Driven. Which I believe is available again! Thanks for the great giveaway!
I just finished Tessa Dare’s Beauty and the Blacksmith, which was such a fun Spindle Cove novella!
Thanks for all that you do here!
One romance I’ve reread multiple times is Lord of Scoundrels! It never gets old, and I think I want to be Jessica when I grow up!
Congrats! What a ride!
As for favorite, I’m in a book slump and re-reading Suzanne Brockman’s SEAL 16 and Troubleshooter series. Be still my heart, Izzy! I’m on Into the Fire right now.
I loved Wolf Bride by Elizabeth Moss, Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park, and I cannot get enough of the Sinners on Tour series by Olivia Cunning!
Happy anniversary!
My go-to is always HOT HEAD by Damon Suede–funny, touching, suspenseful (those fire scenes!), and head-explodingly sexy!
Congrats on 11 years, Bitches!
While I love all books by Nalini Singh, I have to say that I have read and re-read ‘Slave to Sensation’ a gazillion times.
I looooove Radiance by Grace Draven. Can’t wait for the sequel to come out this spring!
I just read Act Like It and loved it.
My most recent rec is The Lie and the Lady by Kate Noble (sequel to The Game and the Governess). Happy 11th!
Happy Birthday! I have been following SB for seven years. I live for when the DABWAHA comes around each March! Thanks for a great romance blog.
The Devil in Winter… I read it over and over.
Just one romance I loved? I’ll go with A Kiss For Midwinter by Courtney Milan. I normally don’t enjoy novellas, but this was a great story in a smaller package. I especially loved that the story addressed birth control in a historical setting, and celebrated a woman’s ownership of her sexuality. No slut-shaming here!
I think my favorite is Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. (Pick me! Pick me! 🙂 )
I agree with SO MANY recommendations…but I gotta say that Loretta Chase is the BEST. From high school to middle age, I’ve never been disappointed. My fave is The Last Hellion.
I have enjoyed being a Smart Bitch since almost the beginning. I believe that my favorite romance is Venetia by Georgette Heyer. I want to attend an orgy hosted by Lord Damerel or at least have him stew rose petals for me…
My favorite recommendation is Tiger’s Woman by Celeste DeBlasis
And I must have my daily “Bitch Fix” so I thank you for your 11 years!!
I love all of Tessa Dare’s books and A Week to be Wicked is one of my favorites.
Happy anniversary! I found this site right after my twins were born over seven years ago and it has continued to be a bright spot in my day. Thank you Smart Bitches for all you do.
My first romance novel as an adult is the closest to my heart: Daughter of Egypt by Constance O’Banyon. A friend and I co-read it and it got her hooked on the genre!
Ack, “Lord of the Nile”, not “Daughter of Egypt”! Got the series order mixed up.