It’s the seventh night of Hanukkah! We are almost done!
And yeah, by this point, the foil-lined cookie sheets upon which the family menorot rest is very splattered and I’m glad I took the time to prep it.
So, my Hanukkah wishes for you tonight: may your tasks be easy and your to-do list be light, and may you feel accomplishment for being a wonderful human being each and every day.
For our seventh night of Hanukkah, we’re giving away a Kate Spade Lucy wristlet in glittery green!
Isn’t that a truly lovely shade of green?
Here are the details:
- Material: leather
- Lining: green fabric with 3 interior card slots
- Dimensions: 7.91″ W x 4.6″ H
It’s perfect for the essentials, and it will look fabulous.
To enter, please comment and tell us what romance you recommended the most this year?
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and ready to cause quite a kerfuffle when people exclaim over your stylish self. May cause increased holiday mojo.
Comments will close 14 December 2023 at or near 11:59pm ET, and winner will be announced shortly afterward.
Good luck, Happy Hanukkah, and thank you for being part of Smart Bitches!
WINNER UPDATE: Congratulations to Diane!
Shucked by Kate Canterbary, but with a warning that it’s a bit long.
I do believe that my most recommended single book this year (as opposed to “read all the books by this certain author”) was A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles #1) by Foz Meadows. The world-building blew me away. (And yes, it’s a fantasy romance. I’ve been all about the fantasy romance—and romantic fantasy—lately.)
Content warnings from the author’s note: ASASE contains on-page depictions of rape, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. While the narrative arc is one of healing, readers should nonetheless be aware of this content in order to engage with it on their own terms.
Anything by KD Casey (UNWRITTEN RULES, FIRE SEASON, ONE TRUE OUTCOME, DIAMOND RING): beautifully written m/m romances with the all the details of the game of baseball exactly right.
Whenever anyone asks for a rec I offer them anything by Nalini Singh. She covers paranormal, contemporary, or now her mysteries. A little something for everyone.
I’ll be recommending the Stariel series by AJ Lancaster forever.
Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin, but I always had to include her first two books as well.
THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY was great and so was EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES.
THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center. I really liked the dynamics between the main couple.
LEGENDS AND LATTES. Everyone I know needs something calming and cozy this year.
I’m with @Lisa J on the Nalini Singh recommendation. Also pretty much anything by Michelle Diener, but especially the Class 5 series.
It’s a classic, but Act Like It by Lucy Parker is still one of my go-tos.
For romance classics, my go-to recommendation is What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long, also The Last Hellion by Loretta Chase
Romances that are more recent that I’ve loved and recommended to multiple people: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn, A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall, Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood and The Marquis Who Mustn’t by Courtney Milan
For readers who like more fantasy in their romance: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman
I’ve been recommending Courtney Milan in general
Not a romance, but FIRST TEST by Tamora Pierce.
I fell in love with Stella Riley’s Rockliffe series this year and have been enthusiastically recommending it to everyone (my mom loved it too)!
I second @Lisa J’s Nalini Singh recommendation and add pretty much anything by Michelle Diener, especially the Class 5 series (science fiction romance).
(Sorry if this is a duplicate – I think I didn’t submit it properly the first time)
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
I also recommend Nalini Singh. I recommend Nora Roberts for people looking for strong female relationships with their romance.
This year I recc’ed Katherine Center and Hogle’s JUST LIKE MAGIC.
Things We Hide From The Light by Lucy Score. The whole Knockedemout series was fantastic =-).
My most recommended book is We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian!
Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller! Loved loved loved it. Recced it to everyone.
Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly was the romance book I recommended most this year.
Legends and Lattes. Not hugely original but I’ve accepted my unoriginality at this point.
In romance, I think the ones I recommended the most were the Honey Badger books by Shelly Laurenston
It Happened One Fight
Still leaning into the Court of Thorns and Roses/Crescent City series recommendations. I feel like this was a weird year for me, I didn’t read a ton of romances that I loved – going to have to keep an eye on the comments here!
Legends and Lattes was probably the most recommended this year.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon.
Alexis Hall in general. Although I find him uneven, when he’s good, he’s great. Boyfriend Material and Pansies are among my faves.
I recommended Cathy Yardley’s Ponto Beach series a tiny bit more than some other favourites. Lots of good books to go around, though!
I always recommend Jude Deveraux’ KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR as a romance starter. Back in their hey-days I imagined Meg Ryan and Mel Gibson as the leads.
I recommended K J Charles the most, just all of them. With the disclaimer that they shouldn’t really have been shelved with cozy crime in my local library!
Sophie Irwin’s 2 books – A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting and A Lady’s Guide to Scandal.
I always recommend romances by Laura Florand. Mostly because I need more people to squee about them with!
Maybe most Rec’d is – the Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews , my only buddy read of the year and I put so many page tabs in my copy.
Thanks 🙂
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Two enemies-to-lovers relationships, cultural immersion, and a master class in writing first-person POV while keeping every character’s voice so distinct that you know immediately who is speaking at any given time without being told.
Red, White, and Royal Blue
Brynne Asher’s The Killers series. Good romantic suspense, just enough distance and suspension of disbelief to keep the reality possibility away