Cinder House is such a clever, inventive, re-imaging of Cinderella! This novella stuffs in a lot at the last minute, but other than that, it’s perfect. Here is how the book begins. It’s not a spoiler – I’m literally quoting the first words of the book. Ella’s father died of the poison in their tea. Ella drank less and so might have lived, and not turned ghost at all, if the house hadn’t shrieked for … Continue reading Cinder House by Freya Marske →
The transcript for episode 698 is now available, too!
Continue reading →
Welcome back and happy new year! My 2026 has started with a Backstreet Boys concert and getting the flu, so you win some, you lose some. The flu has also made it increasingly harder to get back into work mode. How is your year kicking off? … AI has been a big topic on the site lately (and honestly everywhere else). Enjoy this rabbit hole of a viral reddit post from a delivery app whistleblower. … Continue reading Links: Board Games, Daryl Hall, & More →
10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall is $1.99 and a KDD! This is book one in the Material World series. Given the similar cover designs, I believe it’s tangentially related to Boyfriend Material and Husband Material. Let us know in the comments!
Continue reading →
This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at _@thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next … Continue reading Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe →
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 Join the Smart Bitches Valentine’s Day Card Exchange! →
Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George is $1.99! This is book two in The Doves of New York series and came out last summer.
Continue reading →
Well. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m not just talking Shane on Ilya’s dick. Just over a month ago, Heated Rivalry slammed into our collective ids like a Texas-sized asteroid. To call it a hit might be an understatement. It’s a phenomenon. Before episode 3 aired, The Onion wrote a satirical explainer for it, which is possibly the clearest sign that you’ve arrived. I have never seen a show of any kind, much less … Continue reading Heated Rivalry Season 1, Episode 6 Recap: Come On, We’ve Got Bad Things to Do →
This HaBO request is from Donna, who wants to find this romance: I need a refresh about a romance novel. Note: I have no time frame of publication. The couple have a passionate and tumultuous relationship. They have their first child, a boy, who can’t sleep and only cries. They don’t know why. Someone asks what are they doing differently. They swore to never fight in front of the kid. What?! He’s heard you arguing … Continue reading HaBO: Newborn Prefers the Sound of Parents Arguing →
Happy New Year! It’s a short and sweet release week for books on our radar, though things do beef up as we progress through the month. What books coming out this week are on your TBR pile? Let us know in the comments!
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 News Bites, January 5, 2026 →
