Twilight and SBTB were born in the same year, so now we're both 20! Let's make some recs about it.
Under the Mistletoe with You by Lizzie Huxley-Jones is 99c! This is a M/M small town romance between a baker and an actor who get snowed in. Huxley-Jones also has a F/F holiday romance but unfortunately that one is not on sale.
Josephine recommended this during their interview for our end of year podcast episodes, and I immediately borrowed it, and I later mentioned it in my New York Times round up of 2024 holiday books. The cover copy gives an excellent summary, better than I could do: All Cora wants for Yule is a few more shells for her collection, a cozy book by the fire, and t̶o̶ b̶e̶ s̶p̶o̶i̶l̶e̶d̶ b̶y̶ a̶ m̶i̶n̶o̶t̶a̶u̶r̶ to avoid the … Continue reading A Minotaur Tale: In Prose, Being a Monster Romance for Yuletide
A friendly reminder that gift subscriptions to Smart Bitches After Dark are available! Not sure what to get your romance-reading friend? Looking to surprise a fellow SBTB reader? Want to ask for a membership for your lovely self? No problem! Membership gifting is available! Either option, monthly or yearly, can be gifted! Just look for this checkbox when you sign up! When you purchase a membership as a gift, you’ll be able to send your recipient … Continue reading Gift Subscriptions to After Dark Make an Excellent Gift!
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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!
This week, the New York Times published a holiday romance round up I wrote, and I am SO proud of it, y’all. Extreme chuff. Maximum delight. All the things. And the title is cute! Holiday Romance Novels to Make Your December Merry and Bright! (Gift link.) I wanted to focus on 2024 holiday romances – there are, well, quite a few – and include as many cultures, holidays, observances, and perspectives as possible. I’m honestly … Continue reading A NYT Holiday Romance Roundup
Hey, everyone! Here’s how we’re kicking off our reading this December: Amanda: I’ve started The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, which I picked for our inaugural workplace book club meeting. Sarah: I have a veritable buffet of books that I am reading. Like a sampler. In historical, I’m reading Tall, Dark and December by Tracy Sumner. In contemporary short I’m going to start Riding Nick by Suleikha Snyder. And in fantasy, aim reading The Alpha … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? December 2024, Part One
RECOMMENDED: A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows is $2.99! Carrie read this and gave it a B+ (check her review for triggers):
If Game of Thrones was about two brilliant cinnamon roll heroes in a world where a few people are vile and a few people are ruthless, but most people are either flat-out awesome or at the very least pretty OK, it would sort of resemble this book.
Christmas with the Queen is a cozy historical romance that would be perfect for fans of The Crown or anglophiles in general. The royal family are a backdrop to this romance, but it’s not about them directly. It’s also a blend of historical fiction and romance that I think will work for non-romance readers. The book alternates between VE Day in 1945, and the “present” day in the 1950’s. The book opens in 1952 with … Continue reading Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
