General Bitching…

Cover Awe: Watercolor, Flowers, & More

A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Afia. A gold portrait hangs in the middle with the red windmill of Moulin Rogue inside of it. Sitting on the edge of the gold frame is a Black woman in a silvery white dress with gold detailing down the middle. She's holding a a white feather fan and has a gold hairpin in her hair.

Welcome back to Cover Awe! The Gentleman Spy by Georgina North Cover design by Jennifer Therieau From Kareni: For a future Cover Awe post. Claudia: Oh yes, I really like this. Incongruously it reminds me of a watercolor tattoo. Sarah: Claudia, I had the exact same thought. And the way that the watercolory splotches are partially revealing blocks of written text adds to the intrigue of the image, which I’m presuming matches the book. A … Continue reading Cover Awe: Watercolor, Flowers, & More

Books On Sale

Historical Romances, Witches, & More

Books on Sale: Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare & More

RECOMMENDED: Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare is 99c! This is part of the Castles Ever After series, but can be read on its own. Elyse loved this book:

I loved Do You Want to Start a Scandal. It’s funny, it’s sexy and it’s got some Clue-like shenanigans going on. If you have better self control than I do, I recommend savoring this book rather than powering through in one sitting (good luck).

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The Rec League: Short Kings

The Rec League - heart shaped chocolate resting on the edge of a very old book

This Rec League comes from S. Thanks! Hello! I’ve recently read a bunch of heterosexual historical romances featuring distressingly tall heroines who inevitably end up with heroes happily taller than them. Yawn. Do you have any recommendations for books with short kings instead? I’m open to contemporaries and fantasy as well. Amanda: Tangentially, we had a tall heroines rec league back in 2017. Lara: Judging by the cover image (if I’m remembering right) the hero … Continue reading The Rec League: Short Kings

Book Review

Love Bites by Cynthia St. Aubin

Love Bites

The following review is for two books which are being released somewhat together. Love Bites was originally released in 2020 but was picked up by Tor and is being re-released on September 9. The sequel, Love Sucks, is also available digitally and will be re-released by Tor on October 7.  … After many happy weeks in the land of a favourite author, I stuck my head above the parapet and looked for something new to … Continue reading Love Bites by Cynthia St. Aubin

Twilight is 20, and I’m Recommending Books in The New York Times

A copy of twilight against a shiny black base with red chess pieces and a welcome to forks sign against a creepy blue and pink forest background

GUESS WHAT Y’ALL! Not only are we here at the hot pink palace celebrating our 20th anniversary (and yes, you can still get a sticker!) but guess who else is? Yup, the original Twilight! It is not an exaggeration to say that this book changed the trajectory of publishing. Seriously, think of all the trends and subgenres that grew out of Twilight. Off the top of my head, Twilight influenced so many aspects of the industry, such as: YA … Continue reading Twilight is 20, and I’m Recommending Books in The New York Times

Books On Sale

F/F Romance, Historical Romance, & More

Books on Sale: Love and Other Disasters by Anita Kelly & More

RECOMMENDED: Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly is $2.99! This is book one in the Nashville Love series. Tara and Carrie did a joint review and gave it a B+:

Tara: Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Dahlia and London were such wonderful characters, and I’m a big fan of cooking shows, so I know I’ll be reading Love and Other Disasters again. I’ll just be sure to stock snacks next time, because reading about so much amazing food made me hungry.

Carrie: I was delighted with this book overall. The supporting characters were fun (or loathsome, as the plot demanded). The character development was realistic and powerful. The romance was sexy and I can totally picture Dahlia and London as an old couple on a porch somewhere — I was invested in them for the long haul. This will be one of my comfort re-reads for sure!

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A Quest: What Classic Romances Should I Find?

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

This After Dark post is open to everyone so folks can see what ridiculous tasks I am assigning myself. Any reviews and book shrieking will be part of the upcoming year in After Dark. … I am traveling to Denton, Texas,  for the Art and Jazz Fest. Are there romance-specific quests I might undertake in Denton? Oh, hell yeah. First, Denton is the home of The Plot Twist, a romance bookshop and bar. Will I be visiting? … Continue reading A Quest: What Classic Romances Should I Find?

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