I dithered for a week before starting this book. I had it in my possession, but couldn’t get past the first page. I’m not sure if this is unique to me, but when I’m really looking forward to something, it’s very difficult for me to start it. Then, one morning I bit the bullet and pushed through to page two. From there, I tore through the book, snatching reading time wherever I could until I … Continue reading Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry →

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- The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning Amazon | B&N | Kobo
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by Amanda · Apr 20, 2025 at 4:00 am · Comments Off on Sunday Sale Digest!
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! →

Recently I was passing through Louisville, KY so I decided to stop at A Novel Romance, an independent romance bookstore. Immediately when I walked in I was greeted by the resident cat, Bella, who supplied many head bonks and sniffed my shoes (which smelled like my cat). Taylor Swift was playing on the speakers. Tables of romance novels were before me. This might be where I go when I die, I’m not sure. Overall, A … Continue reading A Novel Romance →

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 Only Yarn in the Building MKAL Clue 4 →

RECOMMENDED: The Stand-In by Lily Chu is $1.99! This is a debut contemporary romance. Elyse gave this one an A:
So we have a celebrity romance, women being friends and helping each other with their mental health, and reflections on identity and community. That’s a lot to pack into a book, but it all works and delivered by Philippa Soo’s incredibly soothing voice, it was totally my jam.
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The ads and features from the July 2000 issue of Romantic Times are a treasure trove of wtfery! It’s PEAK stepback era. Readers have been introduced to Half.com for selling their old books, and they are very excited about it – to say nothing of People.com and EW.com. We get a peek into the Romantic Times and Lady Barrow BookLover Tours – the prices made me very envious. We also spend some time talking about … Continue reading 663. RT Rewind: July 2000 Ads & Features →
In this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the glorious ads and features for the July 2000 issue of RT Magazine. Thank you to Mari for this issue! You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind. If you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you can click play and listen and read and absorb all the visual … Continue reading Romantic Times Rewind: July 2000 Ads & Features →

Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha is $1.99! This is book one in Bound to Fire and Steel fantasy romance series. Book two is also on sale. Have you read either book? What did you think?
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Historical romance author Madeline Hunter passed away earlier this week from cancer. Her publisher, Kensington, made an official announcement on their Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kensington Books (@kensingtonbooks) Readers and authors are sharing their favorite Hunter historicals across social media. Our condolences go to her family and her friends, everyone else who had the fortune to know Hunter, and to those who have been affected by her … Continue reading In Memory of Madeline Hunter →
Swordheart was originally published in 2018. Luckily for me, Tor is republishing it with a gorgeous cover and pretty green edges, so I have an excuse to review it. I was charmed by the characters and the dialogue, but less so by the fact that the book Would. Not. End. for the longest time. The book opens with Halla, our heroine, a 36-year-old, slightly stout widow, being locked in a room by her relatives, who … Continue reading Swordheart by T. Kingfisher →