Ramón and Julieta is a romance novel about Ramón, a billionaire, and Julieta, a chef. It’s also a novel about identity, culture, ethics, gentrification, music, family (toxic and healthy), and food. I wasn’t sure how this couple could possibly find a happy ending, but I sure wanted them to. However, given the weight and nuance of the topics addressed, especially gentrification, I wasn’t completely satisfied with how the story resolved. Ramón is the son of … Continue reading Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson →
Hey all! It’s Whatcha Reading time. We want to hear all about what you’ve been digging into lately. It’s a shorter one given recent events. Claudia: I just started The Rebel and the Rake by Emily Sullivan, a new author for me. So far so good – Victorian spies. Shana: I’m reading The Perfect Fake Date by Naima Simone. I’ve DNFed a string of disappointing category romances lately, so it’s a relief to read a … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? February 2022, Part One →
It’s time for another episode of The Bachelor. More importantly, today is Pudding’s 16th birthday! She celebrated with leftover steak, which she appreciated, and a forehead kiss, which she did not. She also got to watch bird feeder videos on the tablet while laying in the sun. Back to The Bachelor. I guess. The first one-on-one date is with Serene and they’re at an ocean-side boardwalk. They go on a bunch of rides and play carnival … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelor–S26 E5: The Shanae Show →
Trashed by Mia Hopkins is $2.99! This is part of Hopkins’ Eastside Brewery series. Though I haven’t read any of Hopkins’ titles, I will say they get routinely recommended at my romance book club and I know Aarya has good things to say about them. But FYI, I believe this book is told through the hero’s POV
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On Tuesday, 8 February, we learned that our friend and fellow Smart Bitch Catherine Heloise, lover of Eurovision and gleeful reader and reviewer of romance, died suddenly of a heart attack. We here at SBTB HQ are just heartbroken, and sending so much love and comfort from all over the world to her family and friends in and around Australia. It’s hard to summarize or put into words how much of a light Catherine was. … Continue reading In Loving Memory of Catherine Heloise →
It’s part II of our recap of The Invisible Goddess by AC Dawn, a retelling of the myth of Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. Have you read it? Did you like it? I have some things to tell you! A NEW PODCAST! I’m co-hosting LoveStruck Daily with Alisha Rai! LoveStruck Daily is a new podcast from iHeartRadio produced by Frolic Media that will deliver a true love story and those HEA feels every … Continue reading 497. The Invisible Goddess, Part II, with Melody from Heaving Bosoms! →
RECOMMENDED: Well Met by Jen DeLuca is $1.99! This is a contemporary romance set at a Ren Faire! Carrie gave this one a B:
It’s playful and fun with an undercurrent of powerful, mutual empathy and mutual emotional care.
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SBTB HQ recently came across this book on Twitter and we launched into a discussion about wanting more cozy fantasy titles in our life. Here’s is the tweet that started it all: So I wrote a novel. A cozy fantasy novel, about an orc barbarian-ess who retires to open a coffee shop. And I just got my final cover art, and I love it so, so much. Thank you @EmberWickArt! pic.twitter.com/kaqPRkC3Mt — Travis Baldree (@TravisBaldree) … Continue reading The Rec League: Cozy Fantasy →
Welcome back, y’all! Yesterday, I spent five hours getting my tattoo colored and shaded. My skin feels so raw but I think it was definitely worth it. I can’t say enough good things about my artist and how relaxing the session was, all things considered. I also ordered a pizza on the way home because I was very hungry (I did snack a little during the session) and didn’t want to bother with cooking. Valentine’s … Continue reading Links: Mashups, Podcasts, & More →
RECOMMENDED: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell is $2.99! Ellen read this one and gave it an A-:
If you enjoy sci-fi, arranged marriage/marriage of convenience stories, courtly intrigues, and/or slow-burn romance, I think Winter’s Orbit is a great choice.
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