Sixteen years ago, the site began.
Smart Bitches launched on 31 January 2005 with a review for Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn and for The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann. We’re still here, discussing romance and everything around it, sixteen years later.
In many states, the site is eligible for a driver’s license. (We won’t discuss how my older child, born the same year as the site, may also be eligible for the same. Shhhh. SHHHH.)
This year, as always: Thank you. Thank you for being part of Smart Bitches.
Our community is still growing, still talking about everything, and still hilarious, welcoming, and warm and wonderful. None of that would be possible without you.
So thank you for hanging out with us each day, for sending us so many great covers for snarking, for telling me bad jokes, for telling us about books you loved, and for being part of our community.
As usual, I took a peek at the traditional and modern anniversary gifts for the 16th year, and what did I find? Wax and silver holloware!
At first glance, I thought the page said “silver halloween,” to which I thought, GAME ON.
No, holloware is something else entirely. But wax?
Oh, YEAH. I knew just what I wanted to do.
We all need a little light in the darkness, right?
There’s nothing like cozy smells and twinkling lights on a dark evening, right?
So to celebrate sixteen years of Smart Bitches, I’m giving away…yup, sixteen candles. The reviewing crew and I put our heads together to find some lovely bookish candles and beautiful scents and colors.
Ready? It’s candle prettiness time! I’m giving one of each of the following candles away!
Want to win a candle? I hope so! I’ve got so many links over here ready to shop!
Just comment below and share one of your favorite Smart Bitches memories.
A book you discovered here?
A cover snark that made you snort laugh?
A HaBO you solved?
The high incidences of random silliness?
Tell us one of your favorite Smart Bitches moments and you’re entered to win.
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. If a specific candle is sold out when the giveaway ends, another from this set will be substituted. Must be over 18 and ready to spread light as far as possible. Reading while enjoying the warmth and light also recommended. Comments will close at noon ET on Saturday 6 February 2020 and winners will be announced shortly afterward.
Thank you for being part of Smart Bitches, and thank you for celebrating with us. Happy Anniversary!!
Update: Comments are closed and winners will be emailed shortly. Thank you all for your kind words, comments, and nostalgia!
I’m a faithful reader because of the thoughtful and smart (!) opinions on all things romance. Some I agree with and some you are coming from an entirely different place than I am, but I find SBTB to be educational and eye-opening and, after the local news, it’s the first and only-for-sure site I go to every morning.
May you still be reviewing and talking romance when your son makes you a grandmother!
Happy Anniversary! Discovered Loretta Chase – Lord of Scoundrels.
Just wanted to say love the site, I’ve been here since the early days when it was Sarah & Candy. No candles for me as I have allergies to anything scented but wanted to tip my hat to all the wonderful people who give us quality content on the regular!
Happy Anniversary!!!!
I snortlaughed (and shared the link) for way too many Cover Snarks to ever be able to pick just one. I also appreciated seeing a cover snark I recommended make the cut. It meant a lot.
For the book that I found through SB, it would have to be Spoiler Alert.
Thank you and here’s to more snarks, reviews and recommendations!
Happy anniversary!
In middle school, my best friend and I discovered we both loved romance novels (we didn’t know any other romance readers at that point). We spent HOURS cracking ourselves up reading Smart Bitches reviews and planning joint library trips to check out the books we discovered here. We also spent way too much time filling out those MadLibs, omg.
I came for the Ilona Andrews interview and stayed for the community of smart women who make me feel hope for the world on a weekly basis. Thanks for being a safe space in a world that has felt anything but safe for quite a while. Here’s to many more years of guaranteed HEA’s!
I think I’ve been reading SBTB for almost 16 years but my favorite discoveries from this site have been Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series and Murderbot, both of which got me through the pandemic. Here’s hoping for 16 more years.
Congratulations! And thank you for providing a welcoming place for me to stop by every day.
I think what first led me here was the detailed accounting of the Cassie Edwards plagiarism scandal. I was hearing lots of opinions but very few facts before reading SBTB’s compilation. Those kinds of investigative posts continue to be among the most compelling.
Of course, I also love HABO, Cover Snark, the daily sales, upcoming releases, Book Beat, etc. (Sadly, I had to put myself on a WAYR timeout because I was falling way too deeply down that rabbit hole every two weeks. LOL) There are also so many of the reviewers, both long-time and new, that I look forward to. (Shout out to Elyse for covering mysteries and Carrie S for an eclectic mix of so many genres.)
I’ll keep visiting the Pink Palace as long as the door is open.
Hmm, I definitely got into different series because of reviews. I remember a review for the first Bec McMaster in the series with vampires (I don’t remember the title, but it’s with Blade and Honoria) and it compared him to Spike and talked about how there was a lot of taking care of people in it. Also the first Maiden Lane, sold on the hero being compared to Lucius Malfoy. I’m also a fan of the sales, because I’ve tried a lot of books that I might not have otherwise.
one of my SBSB favorites is definitely the Wednesday links, which never fail to make me smile. I also really enjoyed the review from a number of years ago of one of the early books in the Psy Changling series and how strong heroines can be judged irrationally harshly.
It’s the terrible jokes at the end of the podcast. I love them so much! I look forward to them every episode.
I started reading the blog after Sarah was on npr talking about romance, and I decided to try it again. I read romance in the 70’s when I was in high school, though I don’t remember a single title, author, or plot, then didn’t read it again for…decades.
The first book I absolutely loved was Act Like It, which I still reread, and in Sarah’s review she said she got to the end and started the book again, which made perfect sense to me.
I have 3 sisters all living in different states, and in some of the podcasts when I started listening had all the original bitches talking and joking, and it felt kind of like my sisters and me.
No candles for me, thanks!
I was one of the people that poopoo’d on romance but secretly read it. (Not as often as now though) but I enjoyed coming here and seeing how diverse the romance genre really is. It really opened my eyes to different types of reads and yums (and stuff I didn’t think I would be into, it turns out I am)
Just thanks for being accessible, thought provoking and hilarious.
Of course, KDD is a daily check for me. But I have found so many gems – Ilona Andrews and I don’t even like paranormal usually! – and new authors and books. I can’t imagine my reading journey without you!
While none of my friends openly admit to reading rance, I do know they like chic lit and I’ve pointed them to the site and daily newsletter many times and hope the feminist lit recommendations have acted like a gateway drug for romance.
My favorite discovery from SBTB would have to be the general realm of science fiction and Tessa Dare.
Smart Bitches was a game changer for me on so many levels. I love the reviews and always get a cackle over the cover snarks – for some reason, the ones where we see things in the over-muscled torsos like Rorschach tests always get me the hardest!
But honestly, SBTB was the first time I saw articulated what I always felt about the genre but never knew how to articulate. That these stories did have worth and that I shouldn’t feel ashamed to enjoy them. That so many romance/fantasy/sci-fi authors are amazeballs talented and should be celebrated! That romance wasn’t just some silly woman thing that was second-string to “real fiction.” That a community of awesome women can do great things about something they’re passionate about! I can’t tell you how much this site has helped shape me as a reader and as someone who can now more overtly be proud to be a romance reader! So thank you! Thank you to this whole, fantastic, hilarious, sweet, beautiful community!
I don’t recall how I landed here. I think it came about because I ran across a KNITTING PATTERN that that sent me here when I clicked on the link to the source. It definitely happened becasue of knitting. I remain amazed and blessed to know y’all (mainly virturally, with one exception that I know of) and value your inputs every day – finding authors and products and ideas I wouldn’t otherwise encounter in my daily like. I look forward EVERY DAY to reading whatever get posted. I am eternally grateful. THANK YOU EVERY ONE!
Hey Bitches, New girl here. I was hooked when I read a collection of your best cover snacks. I needed that! Plus, I’ve always hated the side-eye Romance gets. Glad you’re pointing to the obvious. Any book is worth its weight in gold!
I love the HABO feature. As someone who has tried to track down an old skool craziness actual bodice ripper from the 80’s, I know about the futility of trying to enter search terms to find a book you hazily remember from decades ago. So 3 cheers for the HABO segment!!
Happy anniversary, and here’s to many more years!
I discovered this snarky wonderland a couple of years ago. Someone on tor.com mentioned SBTB, probably in reference to Lois McMaster Bujold (bless her for bridging the genre gap.) I came, I saw cover snark, I was hooked. I had been reading primarily SFF, so romance was a whole new wooorld, sing it with me now… so many wonderful authors discovered thanks to you lovely reviewers and commenters. Just a tiny sample: Jackie Lau, Alyssa Cole, Tessa Dare and Miranda Hart of TV fame. Wednesday links are a much needed bright spot in my work week. Also love the podcast. And Rec Leagues, and the reader community of smart, thoughtful, genuinely kind humans. Much love to you all.
I have discovered so much here – you keep my kindle full and my credit cards in use. I’m grateful you’re here. Too many happy reads to recount.
Happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary! I first discovered you after your classic review of the book with the virgin and the sheik (you know, the staple of 1980s Harlequins) and I’ve been a loyal reader ever since. Here’s to many more years.
This site is the reason I have a tattoo! I always thought tattoos had to be just pictures, but you featured an article about “literally tattoos”, and I became fascinated with the idea of WORDS on my skin. I finally chose something meaningful to me (“No Matter What”) and I love it.
I’ve been reading this site for years – maybe not 16, but probably close. It’s my favorite, which means when I do my morning check of all my sites, I save this one for last.
Best book discoveries- so many, but I would say Sarah Mayberry, Lucy Parker and Stacia Kane are my favorite. Thank you for being here, and here’s to many more years.
And I meant “literary”, not literally.
I discovered SBTB when I was (involuntarily) unemployed. That was 12 years ago, and I haven’t been able to quit you yet!
thanks for the laughs (OMG, cover snark), the book recommendations, solving my HaBO, and just being a cheering presence every day, day in and day out.
I appreciate you – happy birthday and I hope it keep the site going for many years to come.
I watched “Crash Landing On You” based on one of the guest reviews in your blog! I loved it and am now addicted to Korean drama! Thank you highlighting books, movies and series that I would never have found if you guys did not discuss them. Happy Anniversary!!!!
Happy Anniversary to you guys! I just can’t pick one thing as multiple items here left me either in bliss over finding a new author or in tears as I laughed for the first time that very bad and awful day in your Cover Snark posts. Some of the covers you snarked about just left me howling in laughter as I tried to figure out how some authors thought those covers were da’bomb. lol Thank you for all the wonderful recommendations, laughter and more!
As I recall, I picked up your book at the library, loved it, and then followed you home one day. (Think homeless kitten, not Peeping Tom.) I was thrilled when my Rec League was selected. I read the site everyday for Elyse’s recaps, the thoughtful reviews, and general hilarity.
Cover snark ALWAYS makes me laugh. It’s my perfect kind of humor and I always look forward to it.
About half the books on my e-reader are a direct result of this site, but my happiest memory has to be seeing your review of Act Like It, opening with the warning “The Squee Cannon is set to ALL CAPS MULTI-LAYERED AWESOMESAUCE.”
I responded, entirely rationally, by clicking the BUY NOW button, and getting sucked into the absolutely most fabulous contemporary romance possible.
Thanks, SB team!
Happy Anniversary! I love coming to this site. I know I can count on great content and book reviews. Cover snark and Elyse’s Bachelor recaps are some favs.
I started reading for the Cover Snark which never fails to make me laugh. I wasn’t really a romance reader but I have discovered quite a few books I wouldn’t otherwise have picked up and my “reading range” has opened up due to SBTB. I love it! Here’s to 16 more years.
Happy Birthday! I saw you and Beverly Jenkins speak at an LOC event and was completely starstruck – giggling from joy to see people discuss and acknowledge the power of romance and women’s fiction.
Thank you for all your work!
I found this site probably via LiveJournal during my senior year of college 07-08. I remember my first purchase based on a review was Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O’Reilly.
Congratulations on 16 years! Here’s to another 16!
The three hand cover is a favorite (and yes I own a copy now!) When I won one of your Holiday giveaways a few years back is another. While not solving an HaBO, y’all did feature a request from me! Congrats on 16 years!!
I LOVE you all’s wicked sense of humor! Cover snark is such a delight! Believe it or not, but it keeps me sane (I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks the heroine’s purple hair looks like a giant phallus growing on the top of her head).
My favorite SBTB series of articles was the analysis of the Romance Writer’s debacle. You helped me through all the drama, offered great insight into what caused this fiasco, and gave excellent advice for improvement. You all should have been nominated for a Pulitzer! (Clearly, I’m capable of some major suck up 😉
16!! Happy anniversary!!
I first heard of SBTB around 2008, right about the time I stopped reading romance novels to fall head first into mangas, and I didn’t keep in touch. I met you again on my second maternity leave in 2017, but decided to leave again after a while, because you made me buy too many books, I kept blowing my budget ^^; This time it feels like I’m in for the long haul~
I read and enjoy pretty much every post here (and comments!). Something I particularly enjoy is how you help me be more aware of my reading choices and reading content. I’m a priviledged person from a priviledged family living in a homogenous priviledged environment and I’m ashamed to say it, but the struggle and difficulties of anyone being/feeling different fell pretty much under my radar. There’s a name for the kind of people I’m trying not to be anymore – a Becky? Yeah, by including in your reviews toughts and critique about diversity, you’re helping me be less of a Becky. Thanks.
I seriously don’t have a single favorite memory other than discovering Smart Bitches. That discovery has led to hundreds of laughs with cover snark, fist pumps at knowing a HABO even though I’m not the first one, and the discovery of multiple authors and books.
Happy Birthday and Thanks for Everything! Here’s to many, many more years of the Bitchery!
Happy Anniversary!
I have discovered so many authors and books here, many of which go straight onto my library hold list. I appreciate that the reviews discuss the good and the bad. If there’s a book that’s linked/recommended elsewhere, I often come here and see what you’ve said about it.
Happy Anniversary!
I must confess, I do think back with pride on the one time I answered a HABO post, the popping up in my chair at realizing, “Oh I know this one! I am contributing!!!!!!” feeling is a warm glow.
But this site and your weekly can’t-miss podcast introduced me to Murderbot this year, and something about the tone of those books just resonated, “unbothered and competent” was so soothing, so thank you!
It so nice to have a place “Where Everybody Knows Naaaaammmmme!”
Shoot, can’t edit my post. HTML got me. I was trying to say,
It so nice to have a place “Where Everybody Knows Shelly Laurenston and Nalini Singh’s Naaaaammmmme!”