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! 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 2016
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!
Although I love HR, my all time favorite paranormal Romance is RAPHAEL by D.B. Reynolds. It is a cliffhanger, so the next book is imperative to read, JABRIL.
Happy Anniversary, SBTB! Best wishes for many more. My reading inclinations have broadened and I’ve had many work break laughs, thanks to you all.
My recommendation for a read is A Seal’s Oath, by Cora Seton, which this weekend was the perfect antidote to a rugged work week. Navy SEALs meet lady Austenites on a Montana ranch and someone has to get married, as they do in a Chance Creek novel. I probably would have never would have found the fun of Cora Seton’s books without the Bitches and I thank you.
An author who has not been mentioned here, that I recall, in the time I have been reading this blog is Anne Stuart. I am recommending Prince of Magic.
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary Ladies – Long may you prosper….
The book that is staying with me at the moment is Dirty Deeds, Book 3 in Megan Erickson’s Mechanics of Love Series. It is one of the most romantic stories I have read in a long time. At last Alex (the tough but tender mechanic) has her chance at love and healing, and her guy is a lovely, warm, funny, sexy Brit. It was down-to-earth, amazing, heart warming and sexy. I am going to re-read it again this week to savour the many sigh-worthy romantic moments. For me it was 5 Stars, maybe more. Going onto my all time Favourites List
I really liked In Search of Scandal by Susanne Lord. A different take on the old Regency era. And Listen to the Moon by Rose Lerner is fabulous–with a valet hero and a scullery maid heroine!
One of my top favorite romances last year was The Girl Next Door by Amy Jo Cousins.
Happy Anniversary! Great prizes. Love the sword!
You just can’t go wrong with anything by Monica McCarty and Jill Shalvis. I always laugh out loud at some point at least once when I read Shelves!
The romance I read that I’ve loved the most is Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. It’s such a beautiful story, and I think anyone would love it!
A romance I loved: The Bronze Horseman. Unusual and unforgettable.
A Rogue Not Taken, recent read, pretty good.
Happy anniversary! How exciting.
One of my absolute favourites is Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis. She writes beautifully realistic, flawed yet adorable heroes and heroines and I’d recommend her to anyone for a great read.
The most recent romance that I loved was Bells of Times Square by Amy Lane – a book that I heard about from SBTB. I may have cried. A lot. I was reading at the gym so I tried to pretend that it was sweat – yes, that’s it, my eyes were sweating at the gym 🙂
Wow 11 fabulous years…..Happy Anniversary!
The Rake and the Reformer (republished as The Rake) by Mary Jo Putney.
Thank you for providing a wonderful community for readers who love romance.
Intro to romance was Jayne Eyre and a lot of Victoria Holt.
Just going to go with my last read. Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins is a beautiful lush read.
Congratulations, you rock!
One of my recent discoveries is Keira Montclair. My favorite is her second book in her highlander series, Healing A Highlander’s Heart. I love those highlanders
Although it is cliche and predictable. I have to go with the classics. Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
They are the only books I come back to again and again.
Sue
Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me has been my go-to for comfort reading for years.
I just finished Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt, and quite liked it. The hero has a leg injury/pronounced limp and the heroine is blind. And it’s a protector/bodyguard and his protectee trope, which I love to pieces.
The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Wonderful characters, humor, and minimal angst (which is like a needle in a haystack in the NA genre, it seems sometimes). I highly, highly recommend.
Receiver of Many (and it’s soon to be released sequel Destroyer of Light) by Rachel Alexander.
Act Like It by Lucy Parker – It was my introduction to SBTB!
Happy anniversary! Wow 11 years on the interwebs, that’s super impressive. Congrats!
Romance I loved recently was the A Love to the Rescue series by Rachel Lacey – dogs and romance are my catnip. I also loved the Puffin Island series by Sarah Morgan, so much so I ordered the second too books from Book Depository so I didn’t have to wait for the US release.
Wolf and the dove. Johanna Lindsay. My copy is so worn I’ve had to replace it three times now
Nora Roberts, “The Last Honest Woman”. It was my first introduction to a continuing story in romance beyond a single book. It took me years to find the rest of the series (“Dance to the Piper”, “Skin Deep” & “Without a Trace”).
Ooh, sword!!!
My romance reads have been mediocre lately, but … How about Delicious by Sherry Thomas? I recently read another of hers I didn’t like as much, and it reminded me of how fabulous that one was.
I am in lust with Marie Force’s new Quantum erotic series. All three are excellent. Now onto book 4 with new romantic duo.
Congrats on the anniversary. I love recommending Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer to newbies to the genre. I love love love Jennifer Crusie. Bet Me is a fav but the others are wonderful too. Lately I’ve been in a historical frame with Lisa Kleypas, Eloisa James, Julia Quinn and the lovely Elizabeth Hoyt.
Squee! I just finished the Deal, which was awesome. Also stayed up way to late reading Off The Clock this month…yum
I just read and loved A Lily Among the Thorns by Rose Lerner, fantastic characters, great story and diversity that helped make the world feel real.
I have to go with Jenny Crusie’s Bet Me, too. Pretty much any of her books, actually.
I LOVE “The Water Nymph” by Michele Jaffe which is an historical romance set in Elizabethan England but super fun to read, funny and sexy as hell. I also love most anything by Maya Banks (Sweet series) and Sylvia Day.
11 years? Holy cow. You’re a preteen! Happy Anniversary. Time sure flies when you’re having fun. Thanks so much for making the years fly. I think. I highly recommend Tessa Dare’s Castle Ever After series. Loved them all.
My first romance was Bride of the MacHugh by Jan Cox Speas — if you ever run across it in a 2nd hand store, buy it! Even if you don’t like it, I’ll buy it from you. 😀
Happy Anniversary!!! Looking forward to many many more.
As with so many others, it’s really hard to pick just one author, let alone one book. But if someone put a gun to my head, I’d have to pick Jo Beverley; I just can’t think of a miss by her. I keep thinking of people to add, but I better just stop here: can’t spend all day at this.
Breakaway by Catherine Gayle. She’s a former hockey player, he’s her brother’s best friend/current pro-hockey player who becomes her sex surrogate. It’s fantastic.
Yes…Steel is goooood. Fav romance? Rock Hard by Nalini Singh….T-rex and Charlie forever!!!!
Happy Anniversary. Really enjoyed Julianna Keyes’ Time Served.
Happy Anniversary!
I love anything by Amanda Quick, especially her earlier ones wirh smart women and redeemable members of the Ton, like Deception or Dangerous
Just read Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich and it was a cute, entertaining romance