Problematic Summer Romance is a friends-to-lovers romance/brother’s best friend romance, but it utilizes those tropes without any masculine over-protectiveness, which I appreciated. It’s also a romance that’s light on external conflict, but heavy on emotional growth, which was perfect for me. Maya Killgore’s parents died when she was barely a teenager, leaving her to be raised by her overwhelmed brother (about fifteen years her senior). Said brother has an extremely lucrative biotech start up with … Continue reading Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood →
Valerie Bowman returns to talk about her new book, The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn, out September 9. Valerie has written over 30 historical novels but when asked by her agent if she’d be interested in pivoting to contemporary, Valerie jumped on the opportunity. Please join us as we puzzle through the reasons why historical romance isn’t as popular, and what led to the pivot that so many authors are making. Plus Valerie shares the differences and … Continue reading 682. Pivoting Between Historical and Contemporary Romance with Valerie Bowman →
RECOMMENDED: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is $1.99! We had a guest squee review of this one:
Chilling, packed with lore, and a slow burn, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is the type of book I’ve been looking for. Their adventure from faerie field research to two professors running like hell from a faerie nightmare kept me on the edge of my seat.
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This guest review is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project. … Continue reading The Vengeful Vampire by Kathryn Ann Kingsley →
Happy Wednesday! (Is it Wednesday?) I have a vacation coming up in three weeks, but before that, I have to get through so many deadlines and things. Woof. I can’t tell if working toward a vacay makes me more motivated or just makes all the deadlines more annoying. The Thursday Murder Club adaptation comes out this week. My friend and I are doing a buddy watch over the weekend. I asked her what she wanted me … Continue reading Links: Censorship, a Subway for Cats, & More →
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin is $1.99! This one was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet, though we don’t have a formal review. Did any of you read it? What did you think?
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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 After Dark at the Movies: The Old Guard 2 →
I liked Chuck Tingle’s book Camp Damacus, but I loved Lucky Day (I still haven’t read Bury Your Gays). I found Lucky Day to be much more assured and solidly constructed than his first book, and its X-Files/Welcome to Nightvale sensibility and musings on existential vs nihilistic philosophies really hit the spot for me. I even liked the fact that what seems like a potential romance turns out to be something else. Vera is a … Continue reading Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle →
A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston is $1.99! The heroine finds herself in a small town romance novel and I’m definitely tempted by the meta-ness of it all. However, Poston’s romances have always been middle of the road for me personally.
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This HaBO comes from Ashley, who wants to find this historical romance: I have scoured the internet and triple checked my reading history, but have not been able to find this book or the series it belongs to. This is my last ditch effort before I give up and write the book myself because it must not exist outside of my head. The book in question is a historical romance where the nobleman (can’t remember … Continue reading HaBO: He Finds Her at a Wife Sale →
Happy Tuesday! It’s the last release week in August. How are we feeling? Because I have to tell you, September is looking brutal for new releases. I personally had to whittle my preorders down to five books. This week, a highly anticipated release from a known bestseller, a historical romance, and shifters, make it onto our to-read lists. Which new releases made it onto your TBR piles? Let us know in the comments!
