Featured

May 1 General Strike: The Very Best Reason to Stay Home and Read

Women have always been crucial to the success of strikes in America and worldwide.

Book Review

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade

Second Chance Romance

This guest review is from Danielle Fritz! Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project. … Continue reading Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade

Sunday Sale Digest!

Smart Bitches in a blue typewriter font, and After Dark lit up like hot pink neon

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you’d like to join, we’d love to have you! Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun! If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section … Continue reading Sunday Sale Digest!

Lightning Review

Hollywood Hookup by Christy Swift

The Hollywood Hookup

I listened to Hollywood Hookup on a recent plane ride, and while the tone of the narrative wasn’t really for me, I can say that the structure of the book lends itself really well to audio. Josie Days is a makeup artist on a hit musical sci-fi show starring five hot guys who are sequel fodder. They’re doing a charity celebrity date contest with said five guys and for hand-wavy reasons Josie gets roped in … Continue reading Hollywood Hookup by Christy Swift

Kickass Women in History: Emma Tenayuca

Emma Tenayuca was a labor organizer in Texas who is best known for leading a strike of pecan shellers in 1938. Workers called her “La Pasionaria“ which means “Passionflower.” From a young age, she survived violence and imprisonment in her quest to help workers get better working conditions and higher wages. Tenayuca was born on December 21, 1916, and I know all of you December birthday people will identify with her plight – born too … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Emma Tenayuca

Podcast

716. Here for All the Reasons: Bachelor Critique With Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais

Programming note: this week’s episode is dropping on 30 April 2026. Smart Bitches Trashy Books, LLC, is withdrawing our labor on May 1, 2026, alongside other companies, school districts, and activists as part of the May Day Nationwide Day of Collective Action. For more information, visit MayDayStrong.org. Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais are the editors of a new and excellent anthology called Here for All The Reasons: Why We Watch the Bachelor. The … Continue reading 716. Here for All the Reasons: Bachelor Critique With Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais

Books On Sale

Mostly Contemporaries on Sale

Books on Sale: Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton & More

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton is $1.99! There’s so much catnip in this description that I may pick it up for myself. It’s book one in the Synneful Spinsters, which judging by the title, could be a spin-off from Britton’s Isle of Synne series.

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Hide Your Wallet

May 2026 Queer Romances

We’re nearing Pride Month, and you know what the means–the queer books will soon be visible, and this month is prepping us very well in a variety of genres.

Book Review

The Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish

The Duke’s Got Mail

Yet again, I have picked up a book because of its cover. I feel zero shame for this shallowness on my part. Okay, sometimes it backfires on me, but this time it worked out, kind of. Although I’ve landed on a C- here, depending on your answers to the questions I pose in this review, you might land in DNF territory, or as high as a B. Very much a case of ‘your mileage may … Continue reading The Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish

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