I have a few tests for cookbooks I want to try. First, I borrow them digitally and read through, bookmarking recipes I might want to try. Once I reach four or five bookmarks, I put the book on hold at the library so I can borrow and use post-it notes on a physical copy. This book passed both of those tests in record time. In fact, I started reading it digitally while on vacation, and … Continue reading I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To) by Ali Slagle →
RECOMMENDED: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow is $2.99! I read this one and gave it a B+:
If you’re in the mood for a lovely, tender fantasy novel about belonging and one that feels more like a long, relaxing bath than a hot, intense shower will all of the fancy pressure and pulsating settings you can imagine, you’ll love this one. It’s a soothing pick for when you hope to take comfort in a book
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This HaBO is from Bebe, who is hoping to find this romance. Bebe mentions this was a free book, but prices change all the time, so good luck, everyone! It was a free online ebook. The hero was a quiet jock and loved candy. The heroine was also quiet/shy and the illegitimate child of a photographer with six other kids. They met in college in Australia and it was the sequel to a previous novel … Continue reading HaBO: Shy Jock Loves Candy →
How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) is a surprisingly intense book about a young woman’s efforts not only to survive dating a superhero, but also her efforts to overcome the trauma that she experienced as collateral damage in a fight between a different superhero and a supervillain. Even though the story revolves around Astrid’s love for her superhero boyfriend, Max, it’s not a romance so much as it’s an exploration of trauma, … Continue reading How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez →
RECOMMENDED: Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade is $2.99! Shana reviewed this one in October and gave it a B+:
Spoiler Alert is tropey wish fulfillment, but at its heart, it is a quiet contemporary with a #couplegoals relationship where both characters offer comfort, create beautiful art, and help each other overcome insecurities. Spoiler Alert is also a love letter to fandoms, that will make you want to chase your romance novel with a shot of fanfiction.
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This Monday’s Cover Snark is all thanks to you! We love it when you send us some crazysauce covers. From Susan: For Cover Snark. Because if I have to keep looking at the bad hair and unpleasant facial expressions, so do you. Sarah: Did we snark this already? If so, did we figure out definitively what on earth happened to his hair? Amanda: We have definitely seen this couple. But maybe not on this cover? … Continue reading Cover Snark: Reader Submissions →
Hey all! It’s been a hot minute! I’m current at a black tie wedding in Rhode Island. Now, I don’t love attending weddings, but I do love free food and an open bar. For those of you who don’t know, I have a lot of book-related jobs outside of Smart Bitches and not all of them are romance-specific. I love connecting books to readers and I feel like I do a pretty dang good job. … Continue reading Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 25 →
Pearl Hart was not only a fascinating individual, but she was also a member of a scrappy family of stubborn survivors, each of whom had their own interesting stories to tell. Pearl Hart led a difficult but adventurous life and gained renown for dressing up as a man and robbing a stagecoach in Arizona in 1899. Bear with me, readers, because the lives of Pearl and her siblings, especially her sister Kate, are hard to … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Pearl Hart →
It’s September! Back to school! The beginning of fall! Lots of great new book releases! Carrie: I’m reading The Change by Kirsten Miller about a group of women in their late forties who develop super powers and set out to solve a series of murders. It’s flawed but also, as those young people say these days, LIT! Shana: I’m listening to The Love Con by Seressia Glass on audiobook. I’m so invested in the story … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? September 2022, Part One →
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams is $1.99! This is a contemporary romance and the first in a series. Aarya gave this one a C+ and would recommend it with reservations:
The writing is polished, the grovel is so satisfying (I love desperate heroes at their wits’ end), and Thea has my permission to rule the world for eternity. Adams’s voice is magnetic; my eyes were glued on the page because the dialogue flowed seamlessly. Time stood still, and I was shocked to discover that four hours had whirled past after setting it down.
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