Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles. It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great … Continue reading How to Fake It in Society →
Happy Saturday! We’re halfway through March already. Here’s what we’re reading: Lara: I’m reading The Name Game by Beth O’Leary. It’s a mixture of diary entries, emails and flashbacks. It’s still early days, but it’s giving me the kind of feeling that Bridget Jones’ Diary did a million years ago. Will report back! Sarah: I’m reading Royal Gambit by Daniel O’Malley because Adam recommended it to me after he finished it. I’ve recommended dozens of … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? March 2026, Part One →
Welcome back! I’m so glad you all enjoyed the last edition, that was full of recommendations from KJ Charles. I wonder if we could do special editions like that from time to time, where we ask an author to recommend four books. What do you all think? As always, share with us some recommendations!
Welcome back! It’s the last day of February and here’s how we’re wrapping up the month: Sarah: Alpha, Omega, and Update: Blind Date with a Werewolf is an anthology that came out last year and focuses on Asil, a side character. I read that after Cry Wolf because series order is a meaningless construct that doesn’t apply to me. Ha ha! Now I’m reading book two, Hunting Ground. Lara: I had a bit of a … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? February 2026, Part Two →
Hello, everyone! I was recently blessed to get an hour of KJ Charles time for an interview. Throughout our discussion, she dropped several book recommendations, especially titles that she’s loving right now. I am now imparting those onto you! Get any good book recommendations lately? Let us know in the comments!
Welcome back! Hey, remember when I had the flu earlier this year? Well I have it again! Yipee! This sucks! I also got to talk with KJ Charles today for a separate project and it was so much fun, despite me sounding like a chain smoking frog. I’m going to start dousing my body in hand sanitizer. On the plus side, I’ve eaten a lot of soup and I love soup. … After thirty years, All About … Continue reading Links: All About Romance, Queer Desire, & More →
Shout out to the commenters in our latest Whatcha Reading post! There were some great comments about “In Case of Emergency…Break Glass” books and a request for a post. We’re always happy to run requests like these! We ran a similar post in 2020, so we did our best not to duplicate suggestions. Sarah: In 2020, I mentioned the Call of Crows series, and that I always keep them with me should I need … Continue reading The Rec League: In Case of Emergency… →
With fewer and fewer historical romances being traditionally published, I’m finding it harder to find arcs of books that scratch that itch for me and I’ve pretty much exhausted my small town library’s supply of historical romance. Where I was going wrong was letting myself be intimidated by the self-pubbed and indie-pubbed world. It seemed vast to me and I had no idea where to start. Who could I trust to deliver the kinds of … Continue reading Going Hunting: Self-Published and Indie-Pubbed Historical Romance →
The lush Gothic drama of Crimson Peak meets the murderous intrigue of Knives Out with an LGBTQIA+ love story to die for from award-winning author KJ Charles. WHO WILL SURVIVE LACKADAY HOUSE? When Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative’s remote Gothic manor, he is horrified to find all the people he least wants to see in the world: his estranged brother, his sneering cousin, and his bitter ex-lover Gideon Grey. Things couldn’t possibly … Continue reading All of Us Murderers →
This post is sponsored by Rakuten Kobo, and contains affiliate links which bring a portion of your purchase to us at no extra charge to you. If you use them, thanks, and if not, no worries. Thanks, y’all! … This news was announced in early September, but this week, the Kobo Clara Colour is now available in white by customer demand – I admit I’m fascinated by the new colour eInk screens. Kobo makes two … Continue reading Kobo Plus and Colour Devices – Oh, The Temptation →
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 Defining the Evolved Form of Historical Romance →
