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!
Happy anniversary! The fact that you’re giving away a sword and a flask reminds of of why everyone here is My People. 🙂
My most recent favorite romance binge was on Kit Rocha’s Beyond series. If there’s anyone who likes sci-fi flavored erotic romance who hasn’t read them yet, go now! You won’t regret it!
Congratulations on eleven years of smart talk and more. I stop by every day to get my brain in gear.
There are so many books that come to mind, but I’m going with Meredith Duran’s The Duke of Shadows. Reading that particular book set me on a path to marvelous connections and lasting friendships.
A romance I loved? Only one?
Dammit.
Oh, fine. I’ll pick one. Just one…uh…Indigo by Beverly Jenkins. I’m reading Forbidden right now, but Indigo was my first by her, and I honestly feel like that book should be taught in schools it was so good.
I have been recommending “A Bollywood Affair” like I’m getting paid to do so since reading it. Absolutely wonderful book.
Happy Anniversary! There are so many romances I could recommend. One of my favourites of all time is The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan, an author I’m pretty sure I discovered thanks to this site.
Although it’s seems more like a short story, it’s a fun story – – A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh.
I’ve been recommending When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare all over the place. The premise is silly, but the book commits makes it work without being twee. Love it!
Happy Anniversary Smart Bitches! I’m really impressed with this giveaway. We usually hide our drinking from our older more conservative relatives and I found myself needing a flask during the holidays….I had to share a bottle of Dr.Pepper that was half full of bourbon with my cousin. Strangely, no one noticed.
I would recommend the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy. I just finished The Score and literally snorted several times because I laughed so hard. The other two are well written and hilarious too.
Happy Anniversary!! Thank you for 11 years of reading fun.
My recs are for some old time fun. Any of Julie Garwood’s historicals. My particular favorites – Saving Grace, The Secret, Ransom, Prince Charming, Honour’s Splendor, or any of the others.
Thanks so much for brightening many days and lightening my wallet. I’ve recently enjoyed “Turning it on” by Elizabeth Harmon — surprising because it’s setting is a reality TV program and our hero is a male stripper.
Why must I choose one book?? The Kraken King is one of my favorites!!
My favorite romance is Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Gotta love a woman who kicks but while falling in love.
I have been enjoying all of Grace Draven’s fantasy romances, but the one I enjoyed most was Entreat Me, which let me indulge in my Beauty and the Beast catnip.
A very happy anniversary to one of my favorite blogs!! I think of my favorite romance novels has to be A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. I’ve read it over and over. I love the time travel, fish out of water aspect that both protagonists go through.
Happy Anniversary! It’s hard to pick just one book…I’ll recommend Penalty Play by Lynda Aicher. It was one of my favorite reads of 2015!
My absolute favorite romance is Blue Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas!!
Hey, Happy 11th! Thank you for always being my go-to for sale stuff and full of great recs for various types of romance. I think a great deal of you all.
Ummm. I’ve loved the Melissa McShane Tremontaine novels — actually, ANYTHING of hers most recently – started with THE SMOKE-SCENTED GIRL and went on from there!
Happy Anniversary! It’s hard to choose one, but I’ll go back around 32 years and list Mary Stewart’s The Ivy Tree – probably my first romance and the beginning of my reading relationship with my Grandmother that was all too short. She recommended the best books to me!
The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer – still my one of my go to comfort reads.
If I’m forced to choose just one…… Georgette Heyer THE GRAND SOPHY. Happy anniversary bitches, you always entertain!
Happy Anniversary! Two of my favorite romances last year was Time Served by Julianna Keyes and Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino.
Can’t go wrong with Tessa Dare!
Like others, I’m hesitating to choose just one favorite. I’d go with Tessa Dare’s “Romancing the Duke” because so much of it felt like it was written for fangirl me.
“When you Dare” by Lori Foster is one I go back to a lot – Dare and Molly are both strong independent people who respect each other, which adds a lot of awesomeness to their relationship.
Tessa Dare is a new favorite, I love her stuff!
Happy anniversary!!
I’m too late. DRAT. I’m a wannabe bitch from way back….and recently loved Loretta Chase’s latest Dukes Prefer Blondes.
Happy Anniversary! and may you have many more…
Almost anything by Mary Balogh keeps me glued to the pages. But my favourite one of hers is Simply Love. How did she manage to develop such odd interesting unlikely characters who rather reluctantly fell in love and eventually soared to their happy-ever-after… Amazing.
Cheers.
So many favorites but if I had to choose just one Whitnet My Love
Undeniably Yours by Stacey Shannon
Happy Anniversary!
For a recommendation I would have to say As Twilight Falls by Amanda Ashley. I’m a nut for paranormal romance so I was happy to discover an author I did not know about and this book was one that has left a lasting impression on me as a very good one. I’ve been gobbling up her books since then!
One of my favorite romances is Ransom by Julie Garwood. 🙂
The first romance I read was snuck from my grandmother’s shelves, I think. I hid it in a bathroom drawer and I’m pretty sure my mom found it. In college a friend got me into Kresley Cole and Jennifer Crusie and that was it for me.
The Crusie that got me hooked even though I’d read other Crusies: Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie.
OmyGoddess, I need that sword. I swear, if I win that sword, I will want for nothing else physical for this whole year. I’ll get meself therapeutic help for my clutter so that I can display it in pride of place devoid of extraneous bumph.
Happy anniversary. Congrats on 11 years, what a great accomplishment. Since romantic suspense is my catnip I would recommend the Fatal series by Marie Force. Ok so that is not one book unless you just discovered them and binge read them! Just a technicality in my world.
Georgette Heyer was my introduction to romance. The Talisman Ring is a delight from start to finish.
The sword would be awesome. Getting it through British Customs and Excise would be An Adventure.
Huzzah for 11 years, SB!
OK, one of my favourite romances is The Wrong Man by Lane Hayes. It’s a contemporary M/M romance about second chances. Not only it’s fun and hot in equal measures, there’s a lot of emotion. Oh, plus a lovable dog. 🙂
WoW! How the time flies. Happy Anniversary!! And once again, you ask me to name my favorite child. So cruel. Hmmmm… Demon Angel by Meljean Brook. The first book in an epic series that rocked it form beginning to end and proved that not all authors alter their plans at the whims of their fans or their sales numbers.
Also, I really need that sword (not that I’d pass on any of those wonderful gifts) because the BFF talked me into this http://www.noveladventuresvacations.com/#!a-gathering-on-the-ridge/c18es, an Outlander themed trip and I so want to wear that sword to the Highland Games.
Congratulations!! Time flies when you’re having fun!!
One of my all time favorite reads is Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas.
My very first romance read was “Outlander,” the audiobook, read by Davina Porter, and it absolutely changed my (lame, snotty, uninformed) opinion of the romance genre. HR is my favorite and there are so many wonderful books. I’m thinking right now of Edith Layton’s “The Duke’s Wager,” “To Have and to Hold” by Patricia Gaffney, “Lord of Scoundrels” by Loretta Chase, “A Kingdom of Dreams” by Judith McNaught, “Simple Jess” by Pamela Morsi.” Anything by Stella Riley, Judith Merkle Riley and Diana Norman.
I am so happy to be part of this community. Thank you, Bitches!
Wow, just one recommendation is super-tricky….I think that I am going to go with “The Spymaster’s Lady” for historical and “Bet Me” for contemporary…
….and then I am going to stop before this turns into a megalist.
I want to win this shit in honor of the upcoming /Because of Miss Bridgerton/. And because swords are great decor/conversation starters.