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It’s After Dark Season, Y’all!

Like spooky season but better because mantitty.

Help A Bitch Out

HaBO: She’s the Last Surviving Human

This HaBO is from Azaleah, who wants to find this sci-fi romance: I don’t remember any of their names but here are some plot points that I’ve kind of condensed. The Heroine’s Abduction: She is finally on a long-awaited beach vacation, feels a sharp stinging sensation in her neck, and completely blackouts. The Inciting Incident: She wakes up on an alien ship and is told a cosmic council destroyed Earth. She is the last surviving … Continue reading HaBO: She’s the Last Surviving Human →

Books On Sale

Scots, Historical Fiction, & More

Books on Sale: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow & More

RECOMMENDED: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow is $1.99! Carrie reviewed this one and gave it a B+:

Overall I loved reading this book. I literally gasped and clapped my hands over my mouth periodically, like a silent movie star. It’s so gripping, so beautifully written, and such a powerful homage to women’s voices and the need to unify against a common enemy.

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Book Review

The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau

The Heiress of Northanger Abbey

This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviewed at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at _@‌thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next … Continue reading The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau →

Cover Snark: Nose to Nip

Fill in My Blanks by Jessica S. Taylor. A comic-style illustrated cover. A woman in a blue tank is lying back against a motorcycle. A shirtless man is bending over her, his nose right up against her boob.

Welcome back to Cover Snark! Elyse: Is the house full of hangry ghosts? Sarah: I’d read a series set at Hangry Hill. Sometimes I live there, too. Amanda: I’m a permanent resident of Hanger Hill. Sneezy: I think I understand what the intent is with the colours and the compositions, but something about the font and colour of the author’s name is really distracting. And the silhouettes of the bushes on either side clogs up … Continue reading Cover Snark: Nose to Nip →

Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 122

Welcome back, everyone! Big shocker – it’s an all fiction edition! Three out of the four titles also feature queer romances. The final rec is a horror novella that is designed to really mess you up. What recommendations do you want to pass along? Drop them in the comments!

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! →

The Problem with AI, and Isabella’s Rake

The 1997 cover of Isabella's Rake: A man in a cutaway coat, cravat and light trousers is dancing with a woman in a peach colored Regency style empire waist gown. She has white flowers in her hair and is smiling up at the man, who is also smiling at her

Recently, guest reviewer Lisa submitted a review for Isabella’s Rake, a 1997 Signet Regency by June Calvin that has been rereleased from Histria Press. Lisa didn’t see the cover, nor did I, until I looked it up after editing and formatting the review for publication. The new cover is most likely generated by AI. We refuse to host or promote generative AI content at SBTB. We all hate Gen AI. Hate it a lot. Speaking personally, … Continue reading The Problem with AI, and Isabella’s Rake →

Books On Sale

Fantasy Romance, Tennis, & More

Books on Sale: A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant & More

RECOMMENDED: A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant is $1.99! This book is often recommended in terms a sex-positive heroine. However, other readers found the heroine’s view of sex to be rather unromantic. I feel like this is one of the more divisive romances; people either seem to love it or hate it.

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Podcast

733. RT Rewind: July 1992 Ads & Features – The 100th Issue Special!

We are back in the early 90s, when the mullets were epic and the covers were sumptuous. Come on back to July 1992 with us as we explore the ads & features of the 100th issue of Romantic Times Magazine! This issue contains some FASCINATING retrospective looks at romance, cover art, and more, and I think it is one of the primary sources cited for some of the more common stories I’ve heard about romance. … Continue reading 733. RT Rewind: July 1992 Ads & Features – The 100th Issue Special! →

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