
In 2005, a series of romance novellas by Jilly Cooper were republished. In my teens and early twenties, I had devoured her Rutshire Chronicles, and so it was inevitable that these would cross my path, too. Today, I have four of the seven novellas. As part of my nostalgia kick, I decided to re-read the one I remembered most fondly: Prudence. Prudence (originally published in 1978) follows Prudence, a copywriter in London who has a … Continue reading Looking Back: Revisiting My Favourite Jilly Cooper Romance Novella →
Welcome back to Cover Awe! Cover design by Meg Sayre Amanda: So many great details like the blood on the collar and the phantom hand. Sarah: I love how the illustration looks sort of like a daguerreotype. I’m sure there are whole rooms on Pinterest that use this color palette. Sneezy: I love that the visuals of the briars bursting out of the painting feels like it’s sort of playing with the title. Cover design … Continue reading Cover Awe: Creepy and Trippy →

The latest bestseller list is brought to you by cozy blankets, movies in bed, and our affiliate sales data.
- The Finest Print by Erin Langston Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Continue reading →
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! →

Tamara Lempicka (also known as Tamara de Lempicka) is having a well-deserved moment. Born in Poland in 1894, she was a painter who was famous during her lifetime for her portraits, her distinctive artistic style, and her personality. Lempicka led a dramatic life. Born Tamara Rosa Herwitz, she had a wealthy Russian-Jewish father and Polish-Jewish mother. They were baptized by the Polish Reformed Church in 1891 and Lempicka was also baptized in 1897. She married … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Tamara Lempicka →

RECOMMENDED: The Finest Print by Erin Langston is $1.99! Fingers crossed this isn’t an expiring Kindle Daily Deal. Claudia picked this one as her favorite read of 2024:
Set in the London publishing world in the mid 19th century, this is an angsty read with working-class characters. There’s a lot about writing, publishing and literacy that were extra treats for me!
Continue reading →

It’s April, which means it’s time to shower yourself with books! No, I don’t care if that’s not the official saying, because we all deserve to enjoy these new queer romances!

We’re heading back in time to July 2000 to check out new releases in Romantic Times Magazine! Highlights include: Amanda’s memories of reading Daughter of the Forest, one of her all-time favorite books A surprising number of 2- and 1-star reviews A heroine obsessed with pirates! Question: Did you read ebooks before the Kindle was released? What device did you use, if any?

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 3 →

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley is $4.49 at Amazon and $5.99 elsewhere! This is a recent release and Sarah’s reading this one now. Here’s what she said:
It is so absorbing. Essentially it is partly a historical road trip with lots of intrigue and atmosphere and secrets, with a sweet romance. If you like Kearsley it’s a good day for you!
Continue reading →