PamG is a long time fan of Smart Bitches Trashy Books. A former library worker at her alma mater (hs), she is now retired and devoting her time to reading and occasionally commenting on same. She also enjoys memorizing songs and poetry, spontaneously bursting into song, playing with the Merlin app on her phone, and writing the occasional poem. … I can’t even count the number of times I’ve begun a sentence with “I don’t … Continue reading When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa→
What a fever dream of a book, I tell ya hwat. To shelve it into a category, this is a dark fairytale (Beauty and the Beast) romance with dystopian elements. Set in a sort of futuristic Silicon Valley, four families run the world’s most prominent social media conglomerates. Those conglomerates are run on different gemstones, with each family having an affinity for specific stones (garnets, diamonds, etc.). Their company’s power (I think? I’m honestly still … Continue reading One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti→
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 Divorce Colony by April White→
Love is a War Song is a fun sunshine/grumpy/fish out of water romance with a New Adult feel. While the romance is fun, the cultural representation is what sets this novel apart from others. Here’s the publisher’s plot description: Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native … Continue reading Love is a War Song by Danica Nava→
Back in the early aughts I had a minor obsession with the Tudors. The Other Boleyn Girl was in theatres, The Tudors was on Showtime, and Phillippa Gregory and Alison Weir were having literary moments. Six Wild Crowns pulled me right back into my fascination with that moment in time (in fact, I’m rewatching The Tudors). This is a high magic fantasy based loosely on Henry VIII and his six wives, but with a feminist … Continue reading Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race→
This is an average length book at 368 pages. But it flew past in the blink of an eye. If I were to make a reading recommendation, I would say block off half a day and forbid anyone from interrupting you, then dive into this book and just revel in it. This is a fake relationship book that has that most rare of things: the reason for the fake relationship actually makes sense. I did … Continue reading Maid for Each Other by Lynn Painter→
I’ll Have What He’s Having is a sweet m/m romance that is cosy and chill but marred by an excess of mopiness towards the end. The worst thing I can say about this book is that it made me super hungry and that the minute I finished it I forgot all about it. It was pleasant and solidly written (barring too much repetition) but not especially memorable. Farzan is a great cook, a skill he … Continue reading I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram→
I don’t enjoy reading women’s fiction and this book is women’s fiction, so please keep that in mind when you read this review. I shall do my best to correct for my preferences, but it’s best to be upfront about these things. So why on earth did I pick it up? Well, it was the premise you see. It totally sucked me in. I was so curious how this set up would unfold because this … Continue reading Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess→
If you’re curious about this book, please check triggers. The author has a more comprehensive list on her website. Hooked is a dark, contemporary mafia romance with lots of winks and nods to Peter Pan. It’s the first book in the Never After series, which is a reimagining of known fairytales and House of Mouse movies, but with villains as the love interests. This is your common revenge story of a man wanting revenge against … Continue reading Hooked by Emily McIntire→
This guest review comes from Lucynka! Lucynka is a long-time lurker, who has occasionally commented under a couple different names in the past. Over the last few years, she’s become really interested in the history of the romance genre, particularly those forgotten or oft-overlooked parts. You can find her on Bluesky @lucynka.bsky.social, or else over on her WordPress, where she blogs about “obscure bullshit,” including a lot of romance pulp magazines from the 1920s-’40s. … … Continue reading Guest Review: The Lilac Ghost by Irene Saylor→
I almost never read celebrity romances. Second-chance romances really turn me off, mostly. Enemies-to-lovers is tough to make convincing. I am so glad that I didn’t judge this book based on my past experience of these tropes because this story was ELECTRIC, particularly the chemistry between the two protagonists! I had a phenomenal time reading it. Cynthie Taylor is 20 years old and has been cast in a small British Regency movie. This is her … Continue reading Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood→
