Books by T. Kingfisher, TJ Klune, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/09/books-by-t-kingfisher-tj-klune-more/

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A Week to Be Wicked

RECOMMENDED: A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare is 99c! This is the second book in the Spindle Cove series and I absolutely love it. It might be my favorite Dare, but I think I need to read this one and When a Scot Ties the Knot back to back to make a full assessment. Carrie gave this book an A-:

If you are also a person who perks up at the sound of the word “Tessellation” or who longs to travel through Britain with a viscount and a dinosaur foot, then check this book out right away.

When a devilish lord and a bluestocking set off on the road to ruin…Time is not on their side.

Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove’s confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be…anywhere but Spindle Cove.

These unlikely partners have one week to:

• fake an elopement
• convince family and friends they’re in “love”
• outrun armed robbers
• survive their worst nightmares
• travel four hundred miles without killing each other

All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night.

What they don’t have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls.

Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe . . . just maybe . . . love.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata is a $1.99! Readers loved the slow burn between the hero and heroine, but others found it a little too slow. Do you have a favorite Zapata book?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mariana Zapata’s most beloved book, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me—now with new exclusive content!

Vanessa Mazur refuses to feel bad for quitting—she knows she’s doing the right thing. The thankless job of personal assistant to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans for her life, and none of them include washing extra-large underwear one more day for a man who could never find it in him to tell her good morning, congratulate her on a job well done, or wish her a happy birthday—even when she was spending it working for him.

The legendary “Wall of Winnipeg” may be adored by thousands, but after two years Van has had enough.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door begging her to come back, she’s beyond shocked. Mr. Walled-Off Emotions is actually letting his guard down for once. And she’s even more dumbstruck when he explains that her job description is about to become even more outrageous: something that takes the “personal” in personal assistant to a whole new level.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Nettle & Bone

RECOMMENDED: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is $2.99! Carrie gave this one an A-, and I’d definitely agree with that grade:

It is a fairytale that is, mostly, about grown-ups, many of whom have Seen Some Shit. It isn’t always pretty, but it’s always emotionally gripping, new, and wonderful.

With her signature mix of the grim and the delightful, award-winning author T. Kingfisher takes the old bones of fantasy and fairytale and makes them into something entirely new in this enchanting adventure.

After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.

Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.

On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.

“Nettle & Bone is the kind of book that immediately feels like an old friend. Fairytale mythic resonance meets homey pragmatism in this utterly delightful story. It’s creepy, funny, heartfelt, and full of fantastic characters I absolutely loved!” —Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune is $2.99! This is book two in the Cerulean Chronicles. I’m not sure if this is meant to be a duology, or if there will eventually be more books in the series.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Featuring gorgeous orange sprayed edges!

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/09/books-by-t-kingfisher-tj-klune-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=151043

Cover Awe: Tarot and Intimacy

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/09/cover-awe-tarot-and-intimacy/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=151021

Welcome back to Cover Awe!

The Divining Sky by Jill Tew. The silhouette of two people in dark purple, a man and a woman. The man has a high collar and spiky hair. The woman has big curly hair in an afro style. In the bottom of their figures is an orange city scape and a fuchsia woody mountain with two figures on top.

The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew

Cover art by Jorge Luis Miraldo

From Squee Me: I don’t know if you feature books that aren’t out yet in Cover Awe, but I spotted this gorgeous cover on NetGalley and am submitting for your Cover Awe consideration!

Sarah: That is really stunning. I love the use of color and silhouettes. And the contrast! Urban sky alongside mountains, trees and giant ass birds – gorgeous.

Lara: I’m a total sucker for landscapes superimposed on people’s silhouettes.

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

Cover art by Liza Rusalskaya

Amanda: I like how the couple is interacting, instead of having the two illustrated figures on a nondescript background standing feet apart from one another.

Sarah: Wait, they’re touching? They’re not hanging off a letter or floating into nothingness in a corner? Is that…allowed?!

The Lovers by Rebekah Faubion

Cover art by Sarah Maxwell

Amanda: I love the tarot card design!

Sarah: I LOVE the tarot reference and the backdrop, the color palate – this is exquisite. And so smart given how popular astrology and tarot are at the moment culturally.

Wish You Weren’t Here by Erin Baldwin

Cover at by Bex Glendining

Amanda: Their outfits and luggage communicate so much.

Sarah: You’re so right. This cover is telling me so many things without using any words, but also not only relying on body language. I know the setting, elements of the conflict and the characters? Seriously. This is superb.

AND AGAIN they aren’t floating off into space glaring at each other while dodging a random cup of coffee and a bird.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/09/cover-awe-tarot-and-intimacy/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=151021

Code deploy happening shortly

Per the dw_news post regarding the MS/TN blocks, we are doing a small code push shortly in order to get the code live. As per usual, please let us know if you see anything wonky.

There is some code cleanup we've been doing that is going out with this push but I don't think there is any new/reworked functionality, so it should be pretty invisible if all goes well.

Entry tags:

A month of Kidd Pirates [One Piece] Sketches - August

Fandom: One Piece
Author/Artist: Mekachu04
Title: July Punk Aibou Sketches
Pairing: Eustass Kidd & Killer
Rating: teen? it varies from gen/all audience to teen
Word Count: art
Highlight for Warnings: *some implied death/violence but nothing graphic. all are unfinished sketches so clothes might not all be there. *
Disclaimer: Kidd, Killer, the Kidd Pirates and other characters belong to the world of One Piece by Eiichiro Oda. I'm just playing in the sandbox
AN: I'm trying to draw something everyday. So most of these are drawn at about 3-5am in about an hour or two at work during the down time.

started a 50 sentence challenge toward the end of the month with a sketch for each sentance

( thumbnails linking to each day under cut )

Mississippi site block, plus a small restriction on Tennessee new accounts

A reminder to everyone that starting tomorrow, we are being forced to block access to any IP address that geolocates to the state of Mississippi for legal reasons while we and Netchoice continue fighting the law in court. People whose IP addresses geolocate to Mississippi will only be able to access a page that explains the issue and lets them know that we'll be back to offer them service as soon as the legal risk to us is less existential.

The block page will include the apology but I'll repeat it here: we don't do geolocation ourselves, so we're limited to the geolocation ability of our network provider. Our anti-spam geolocation blocks have shown us that their geolocation database has a number of mistakes in it. If one of your friends who doesn't live in Mississippi gets the block message, there is nothing we can do on our end to adjust the block, because we don't control it. The only way to fix a mistaken block is to change your IP address to one that doesn't register as being in Mississippi, either by disconnecting your internet connection and reconnecting it (if you don't have a static IP address) or using a VPN.

In related news, the judge in our challenge to Tennessee's social media age verification, parental consent, and parental surveillance law (which we are also part of the fight against!) ruled last month that we had not met the threshold for a temporary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the law while the court case proceeds.

The Tennesee law is less onerous than the Mississippi law and the fines for violating it are slightly less ruinous (slightly), but it's still a risk to us. While the fight goes on, we've decided to prevent any new account signups from anyone under 18 in Tennessee to protect ourselves against risk. We do not need to block access from the whole state: this only applies to new account creation.

Because we don't do any geolocation on our users and our network provider's geolocation services only apply to blocking access to the site entirely, the way we're implementing this is a new mandatory question on the account creation form asking if you live in Tennessee. If you do, you'll be unable to register an account if you're under 18, not just the under 13 restriction mandated by COPPA. Like the restrictions on the state of Mississippi, we absolutely hate having to do this, we're sorry, and we hope we'll be able to undo it as soon as possible.

Finally, I'd like to thank every one of you who's commented with a message of support for this fight or who's bought paid time to help keep us running. The fact we're entirely user-supported and you all genuinely understand why this fight is so important for everyone is a huge part of why we can continue to do this work. I've also sent a lot of your comments to the lawyers who are fighting the actual battles in court, and they find your wholehearted support just as encouraging and motivating as I do. Thank you all once again for being the best users any social media site could ever hope for. You make me proud and even more determined to yell at state attorneys general on your behalf.

Sunday Sale Digest!

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sunday-sale-digest-46/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150948

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 with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sunday-sale-digest-46/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150948

Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 97

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-97/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150995

Hello, everyone!

This edition has a couple, somewhat topical non-fiction titles. That’s kind of where my brain is out right now. There’s also some translated magical realism and a crafting book.

Are there any books you’d like to recommend? Drop them in the comments!

The Chaos Machine

I wouldn’t say this is an uplifting read, but it sure is eye-opening. I think it’s especially pertinent right now.

From a New York Times investigative reporter, this “authoritative and devastating account of the impacts of social media” (New York Times Book Review) tracks the high-stakes inside story of how Big Tech’s breakneck race to drive engagement—and profits—at all costs fractured the world. The Chaos Machine is “an essential book for our times” (Ezra Klein).

We all have a vague sense that social media is bad for our minds, for our children, and for our democracies. But the truth is that its reach and impact run far deeper than we have understood. Building on years of international reporting, Max Fisher tells the gripping and galling inside story of how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social network preyed on psychological frailties to create the algorithms that drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions. As Fisher demonstrates, the companies’ founding tenets, combined with a blinkered focus on maximizing engagement, have led to a destabilized world for everyone.

Traversing the planet, Fisher tracks the ubiquity of hate speech and its spillover into violence, ills that first festered in far-off locales, to their dark culmination in America during the pandemic, the 2020 election, and the Capitol Insurrection. Through it all, the social-media giants refused to intervene in any meaningful way, claiming to champion free speech when in fact what they most prized were limitless profits. The result, as Fisher shows, is a cultural shift toward a world in which people are polarized not by beliefs based on facts, but by misinformation, outrage, and fear.

His narrative is about more than the villains, however. Fisher also weaves together the stories of the heroic outsiders and Silicon Valley defectors who raised the alarm and revealed what was happening behind the closed doors of Big Tech. Both panoramic and intimate, The Chaos Machine is the definitive account of the meteoric rise and troubled legacy of the tech titans, as well as a rousing and hopeful call to arrest the havoc wreaked on our minds and our world before it’s too late.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

How to Survive a Plague

This also has a documentary of the same name, which I believe came out before the book. One of my more politics-involved friends is reading it right now as a way of connecting more with science activism causes.

A definitive history of the successful battle to halt the AIDS epidemic, here is the incredible story of the grassroots activists whose work turned HIV from a mostly fatal infection to a manageable disease. Almost universally ignored, these men and women learned to become their own researchers, lobbyists, and drug smugglers, established their own newspapers and research journals, and went on to force reform in the nation’s disease-fighting agencies. From the creator of, and inspired by, the seminal documentary of the same name, How to Survive a Plague is an unparalleled insider’s account of a pivotal moment in the history of American civil rights.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon

Imagine if Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Teller of Small Fortunes had a cousin.

A suspenseful magical realism novel about a mysterious teenage “Go-Between” who arranges meetings between the living and the dead, from multimillion copy Japanese bestselling author Mizuki Tsujimura.

I bring together the living and the departed. I am the Go-Between.

When a young woman from Tokyo contacts the Go-Between to request a meeting with a deceased TV star who once helped her, she doesn’t expect a teenage boy to show up. Dressed in a designer duffel coat and carrying a tattered notebook, Ayumi Shibuya, our mysterious intermediary, offers an extraordinary he reunites the living with their dearly departed. Meeting his clients at a luxury hotel, Ayumi lays down the ground each reunion is a one-time arrangement that the dead can refuse; the service is entirely free, and the meeting must take place during a full moon.

As Ayumi arranges these reunions, we encounter a resentful eldest son who wants to ask his mother to unearth the deeds to a plot of land; a teenage girl who blames herself for her best friend’s death; and a weary businessman seeking answers about his fiancée’s disappearance days after he proposed. With each rendezvous, clues begin to surface, leading readers to unravel the mystery of the boy in the duffel coat, whose own story is eventually revealed.

A runaway, multimillion copy bestseller in Japan, Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is storytelling at its finest, from an international sensation whose work has been hailed as “strange and beautiful” (The Guardian). With an artful balance of heart and mystery, Mizuki Tsujimura creates an unforgettable page-turner in which the living and the dead are given one last chance for closure.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Unofficial Bridgerton Embroidery

Is it too early to start talking about gift books for the holidays?

Create elegant, Regency-inspired embroidery projects with Unofficial Bridgerton Embroidery, bringing the opulence of your favorite Netflix drama to your stitching.

Inspired by the hit Netflix series and Julia Quinn’s bestselling books, this collection of in-the-hoop embroidery projects lets you stitch your way into the lavish world of Bridgerton. With easy-to-follow instructions and stunning designs, you can create elegant keepsakes and accessories fit for royalty. Perfect for both beginners and experienced embroiderers, each project captures the beauty, charm, and drama of the Bridgerton universe.

Whether you’re looking to re-create the grandeur of Lady Danbury’s diadem or craft a project reminiscent of the Featherington sisters’ vibrant wardrobe, this book offers everything you need to bring the magic of Bridgerton into your stitching. Easy-to-follow step-by-step tutorials for basic embroidery stitches help embroidery debutants stitch projects fit for Queen Charlotte, while experienced stitchers of The Ton enjoy recreating iconic motifs!

20 unique in-the-hoop embroidery: Beautiful designs inspired by the Bridgerton series and popular motifs of the Regency era.

Step-by-step instructions for basic: From beginner-friendly to advanced projects, you’ll be able to make any design with the comprehensive stitch guides.

Go beyond the master in-the-hoop methods and create stunning pieces with ease.

High-quality photos and visual guides help you bring the opulence of Bridgerton into your home.

Unofficial Bridgerton Embroidery is your ticket to creating handcrafted pieces inspired by the beloved world of Bridgerton—perfect for gifts, home décor, and more!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-97/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150995

Kickass Women in History: Field Trip!

Posted by Carrie S

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/kickass-women-in-history-field-trip/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150679

This month we are going on a field trip! I visited the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. This National Historical Park includes a small but mighty visitor’s center that has fascinating and inclusive exhibits. I encourage history buffs to check out their website.

Better yet, if you are visiting San Francisco or Oakland, take a side trip to this location. It’s set along the San Francisco Bay Trail which, to my delight, is wheelchair accessible as well as lovely.

WWII marked a time when an unprecedented number of women entered the workforce, particularly in fields that had been previously open only to men. The government used propaganda not only to encourage women to work outside the home, but also to persuade the men in their lives to allow it. One of the outcomes of this public relations effort was the creation of “Rosie the Riveter.”

Here’s how it happened: In 1942, Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb wrote a song called “Rosie the Riveter.” It was recorded in 1943. Here’s a recording which also features photos from the Library of Congress:

Watch on YouTube

Also in 1942, artist J. Howard Miller created the “We Can Do It!” poster for Westinghouse. This poster was only in use for a couple of weeks, but gained new life as a feminist poster in the 1980s. Meanwhile, Norman Rockwell painted “Rosie the Riveter” for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. While Miller’s poster didn’t take off until decades later, Rockwell’s painting was a hit immediately. This painting, combined with the song, created a character of ‘Rosie the Riveter” that continues to shape the way we think about the capabilities and roles of women.

Painting of woman wearing blue coveralls and a red bandana, fist raised, in front of a yellow background, saying "WE CAN DO IT!" in white letter in a blue speech bubble

Cover of Saturday Evening Post whos Norman Rockwell's painting of a large women with a rivet gun in her lap. wearing coveralls and eating a sandwich

One thing that the Visitor’s Center makes clear is that many women of color felt that the Rosie story is a story exclusively about middle and upper class White women. After all, many women of color were already working outside the home not because of patriotic fervor but because of financial necessity. Women of color usually were hired only after White women, were given less prestigious and more dangerous work, were paid less, and were the first to be fired.

The Visitor’s Center has displays about the vital work that was done by people of color, as well as disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people. It also talks about the shameful incarceration of Japanese American citizens that the government carried out in California during the war.

Above all, the museum displays the tremendous social impact that WWII had on working communities as they travelled to shipyards such as the one in Richmond, and to other industrialized centers. People scrambled for housing. They petitioned for on-site daycare, workplace safety, and healthcare. The efforts of women of all backgrounds proved vitally influential for later civil rights, labor, and women’s rights movements.

visitor center display about LGBTQIA+ workers in three banners labeled COMING OUT WEST, Gathering spots in San Francisco, and Changing History. There are black and white photos printed on all three banners

I highly recommend a visit to the memorial if you get a chance. If you go on Friday, you can meet a real-life Rosie the Riveter who will answer questions about their experiences! You can also buy Sign My Name to Freedom, an autobiography written by Betty Reid Soskin, an African American woman who helped develop the center and who, as of 2013, was America’s oldest National Park Service Ranger (she has since retired).

If you can’t visit in person, do check out the website which tells the stories of many Kickass Women. If you have a favorite museum, visitor’s center, or other location that highlights Kickass Women, tell us in the comments!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/kickass-women-in-history-field-trip/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150679

Newsletter Image Loading Issues: We’re Working on It!

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/newsletter-image-loading-issues-were-working-on-it/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150965

Thank you to everyone who emailed me to let me know that the images in our SBTB Daily email newsletter weren’t loading this week!

Those were some very bare newsletters. YIKES.

I’m honestly baffled and we’re working on it.

This post is both to let y’all know, and also to test the newsletter images in tomorrow’s edition.

I have to add another image to this post so I’m typing more words – scintillating behind the scenes content here, huh?

So here are some things I’m really enjoying, and please feel free to rec yours in the comments:

Big Freedia has a gospel album and it’s INCREDIBLE. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you might remember hearing Big Freedia on Break My Soul by Beyonce, and Raising Hell by Kesha. Big Freedia’s gospel album, Pressing Onward, was released earlier this month and I heard an interview on The Sam Sanders Show from 8/8 while catching up on podcasts this week.
Speaking of The Sam Sanders Show, the 8/22 episode about friendship in pop culture with Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays of the podcast “Text Me Back” is a banger right from the top. I rewound (skipped backwards?) twice to re-listen to things they said.
A | BN | K | AB
I started The Thursday Murder Club adaptation on Netflix last night, and am watching it like a series even though it’s a movie. Better for my brain and bedtime, honestly. So far I’m extremely charmed by the nonstop “Hey! It’s Every British Actor Ever and Then Some!” casting, and the visible budget that was spent on this show. It is Well Funded in every respect, and I love what the set designers and production are doing with color to add nuance to the characters.
I’m working on a theory that weed-infused seltzers are 38% more burp-inducing than regular-degular seltzers. Research continues into this important matter.
Oh and a most jubilant Happy Great British Bake Off premiere week, y’all!

I’m going to be pinning this post to keep it at the top for RSS purposes so I can test what’s going on over the next few days. Thank you for your understanding and your help!

RSS is so annoying sometimes.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/newsletter-image-loading-issues-were-working-on-it/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150965

Historical Romance, a Mystery, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/historical-romance-a-mystery-more-4/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150940

The Lake House

The Lake House by Kate Morton is $1.99! This book has all sorts of elements: historical fiction, Gothic mystery, and a family saga. Elyse gave this book a B:

The Lake House had some issues–there is A LOT going on here, tons of threads to keep track of–but it totally sucked me in. Once the novel gets its momentum, it barrels at you like a freight train. Historical fiction and mystery fans might want to put this on hold at the local library, at least while it’s still in hardcover.

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone…yet more present than ever.

A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Dare to Be a Duchess

Dare to Be a Duchess by Sapna Bhog is 99c at Amazon and $3.99 elsewhere! This is book one in The Elusive Lords series. I must say that blue dress is gorgeous on her.

He’s a powerful duke. She’s his uncle’s ward. They have forever been at war, until one night, one masquerade, and one kiss…

Lara Ramsay is no stranger to scandal. As the orphaned daughter of a British colonel and his beloved Indian wife, whispers follow her everywhere. Not even the protection of the formidable Duke of Wolverton, a man she can’t stand, keeps the gossips at bay.

The audacious Lara has driven Tristan Wentworth, The Duke of Wolverton, to distraction since the day his uncle took her in—and he’s quite certain doing so is her favorite pastime. After catching her and his younger sister at a salacious masquerade, he’s had enough scandal and issues a marriage ultimatum: find a husband within six months, or one will be chosen for her.

Unfortunately, no one in the ton appeals to her. Except, perhaps, the duke himself. The battle of wills has only just begun, and when Lara kisses him, their fate is sealed.

Sometimes even the most proper duke needs to break the rules to win the heart of the woman he loves…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Gentleman’s Gambit

The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! Lara DNFed this one. The comments were mostly split in terms of agreeing with Lara versus having a book hangover after finishing this one.

Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing estate, academic writer’s block, a tense time for England’s women’s rights campaign–the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her father’s distractingly attractive young colleague.
Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford and her fight for women’s suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked inside her head–until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.

Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor Campbell’s circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. Winning Catriona’s favor could be the key to his success. Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing…

Forced into close proximity in Oxford’s hallowed halls, two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Force of Nature

Force of Nature by Jane Harper is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This may have been the only Harper mystery we haven’t featured on sale, so get this one if you’ve been waiting. It’s the second book in the Aaron Falk series, though it works fine as a self-contained story.

Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along a muddy track.

Only four come out on the other side.

The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and encourage teamwork and resilience. At least, that’s what the corporate retreat website advertises.

Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker, Alice Russell. Because Alice knew secrets, about the company she worked for and the people she worked with.

The four returning women tell Falk a tale of fear, violence and fractured trust during their days in the remote Australian bushland. And as Falk delves into the disappearance of Alice, he begins to suspect some dangers ran far deeper than anyone knew.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/historical-romance-a-mystery-more-4/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150940

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

Posted by Elyse

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/problematic-summer-romance-by-ali-hazelwood/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=150568

A-

Problematic Summer Romance

by Ali Hazelwood
May 27, 2025 · Berkley
Contemporary Romance

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 his two friends. When Maya is away at college she has a bad breakup and calls her brother only to connect to one of his friend/partners Conor Harkness. Conor is nearby and comes to Maya’s emotional aid and it starts a friendship between the two that will last for three years.

This friendship involves emotionally vulnerable phone conversations into the wee hours of the night and some form of digital communication every single day. Then when Maya confronts Conor with the fact that she’s falling for him, he cuts contact completely citing their age difference (again about fifteen years) and the power dynamic as being too problematic for them to have a romantic relationship or even continue their friendship.

When the book opens, Maya’s brother is getting married in Sicily and she and Connor will both be attending the wedding, putting them in close proximity for a week. Maya is still in love with Conor and determined to make him see that a relationship with her could work.

First of all, I really liked how the book handled the age gap and the brother’s best friend trope. A lot of books would have the conflict surrounding the brother being over-protective and their relationship being forbidden. That never made sense to me since it implies the brother can’t trust the best friend (in which case why are you friends?) It also infantilizes the sister.

The fact that everyone here is treated as an adult with agency was really refreshing.

There’s not a lot of external conflict, but there is angst. All of the angst belongs to Conor. He grew up with a shitty, wealthy father who treated relationships like transactions. Said father also had a second marriage to a woman younger than his own children.

Conor feels like he’ll be following his father’s footsteps by dating a younger woman, and since his father taught him that all relationships are about power and money, he considers the fact that he’s wealthy to mean that he’s also in a more powerful, and therefore predatory position. (FWIW Maya’s brother is also wealthy and she has access to his money so that’s a moot point).

The book is condensed to the week of the wedding, plus some flashbacks.

Spoilers for time and conflict resolution

I think a week is a short enough time span that Conor’s emotional journey makes sense. Had this book spanned years it would have felt like he couldn’t get over himself, but the shorter timespan made it work.

Connor’s emotional journey felt genuine–he’s got a lot of shitty family stuff to unpack. It wasn’t just a “I’m a bad guy and I’m bad for you.” He had real work to do.

It would have been nice for Maya to have a little more growth versus just waiting for Connor to pull his head out of his butt.

…but honestly I’m in a mental place where I don’t need a ton of conflict right now. There are also some wedding shenanigans to lighten up the book since Conor’s navel gazing can get kinda dark, so that helped level out the narrative.

Problematic Summer Romance takes some fun romance tropes but presents them without toxicity, treating its main characters like adults who can make their own decisions. I loved Connor’s journey and would have liked more from Maya, but overall it worked for me.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/problematic-summer-romance-by-ali-hazelwood/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=150568

682. Pivoting Between Historical and Contemporary Romance with Valerie Bowman

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/682-pivoting-between-historical-and-contemporary-romance-with-valerie-bowman/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=150890

A | BN | K | AB

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 similarities in writing contemporary and historical romance, and what question she gets the most from historical romance readers.

Listen to the podcast →

Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

You can find Valerie Bowman at her website, ValerieBowmanBooks.com.

And you can listen to her in Episode 586. Saying Yes to the Dress with Valerie Bowman.

…

Thank you to HelloFresh for sponsoring this week’s episode. Visit HelloFresh.com/SARAH10FM to get 10 free meals and a free item for life!

Music: Purple-planet.com

If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to our feed, or find us at iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher, and Spotify, too. We also have a cool page for the podcast on iTunes.

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What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.

Thanks for listening!

Podcast Sponsor

Support for this episode comes from Head Witch in Charge, the latest witchy romcom from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn, where two witches with a very tangled history are forced to team up on a road trip, one that might spell disaster for both of them.

“It’s the curse of every family’s heir to be the responsible one.”

My family being the most powerful family in all of Witchingdom doesn’t eliminate that fact, it only makes it worse—and that’s why I, Leona Amber Sherwood, never do the unexpected. Except for that one time I did.

Believe me, I have rued the day that I got married in a midnight ceremony under a full moon to Erik Svensen, the heir to my family’s deepest, bitterest enemies, and now, he won’t agree to a divorce unless we return an ancient spell book to his family’s secured facility.

But on our road trip to return the book, I learn more about Erik as we encounter trolls, nymphs, satyrs, and more. The longer we work together, the more I’m convinced that he might not be the evil trickster I assumed he was. Any more time together will leave me even more enchanted with my husband and that’s the last thing I want. And if I keep telling myself that, maybe I’ll start to believe it.

In the words of Lisa L on Netgalley, “Buckle up, witches – this book slays.”

And there are goodies and swag and coupons!

Several romance bookstores in the UK, Canada, and the US will have signed swag goodie bags for anyone who orders Head Witch in Charge while supplies last. Many offer online ordering, too! See the list and place your order at AveryFlynn.com.

Plus, Bookshop.org is offering a 15% discount to anyone who orders Head Witch in Charge and uses the code LOVEBOOKSELLERS.

Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/682-pivoting-between-historical-and-contemporary-romance-with-valerie-bowman/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=150890

Contemporary Romance, Highlanders, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/contemporary-romance-highlanders-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150859

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

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.

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Chief

RECOMMENDED: The Chief by Monica McCarty is $1.99! Elyse read this one and gave it an A-:

I’ve been devouring Monica McCarty’s Highland Guard series this summer like a madwoman. They are sexy and smart and wonderfully, wonderfully Old Skooly, but without all the rape and violet eyes.

AN ELITE FIGHTING FORCE UNLIKE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN . . .

Scouring the darkest corners of the Highlands and Western Isles, Robert the Bruce handpicks ten warriors to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule. They are the best of the best, chosen for their superior skills in each discipline of warfare. And to lead his secret Highland Guard, Bruce chooses the greatest warrior of all.

The ultimate Highland warlord and a swordsman without equal, Tor MacLeod has no intention of being drawn into Scotland’s war against the English. Dedicated to his clan, the fiercely independent chief answers to no one—especially not to his alluring new bride, bartered to him in a bid to secure his command of the deadliest fighting force the world has ever seen. The treacherous chit who made her way to Tor’s bed may have won his hand, but she will never claim his heart.

Although her husband’s reputation is as fierce as his manner, Christina Fraser believes that something softer hides beneath his brutal shell. But the only warmth she feels is in their bed, in glorious moments of white-hot desire that disappear with the dawn. When Christina’s reckless bid to win her husband’s love goes awry and thrusts them into danger on the eve of war, Tor will face his ultimate battle: to save his wife and to open his heart—before it’s too late.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

When in Rome

When in Rome by Sarah Adams is $1.99! This is a small town contemporary romance between a pop star and a baker. It’s also the first book in the Rome, Kentucky series.

Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more.

Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Spin the Dawn

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim is $1.99! This YA fantasy was featured on Cover Awe and was marketed as Mulan meets Project Runway. Which HELLO!

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/contemporary-romance-highlanders-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150859

The Vengeful Vampire by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Posted by Guest Reviewer

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the-vengeful-vampire-by-kathryn-ann-kingsley/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=150526

B+

The Vengeful Vampire

by Kathryn Ann Kingsley
December 18, 2022
Contemporary RomanceRomance

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.

…

CW/TW for this review and the book

Gore, mild infidelity, character death, murder

I was an OG Twilight girlie — I read the flood of YA vampire novels that followed the success of Stephenie Meyer’s first series and wondered if I’d accept a bloody bargain for immortality if a pale, cold, and deeply attractive guy happened to pop the question. After reading a handful of IAD titles centered around vamps over the last few years and watching Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu (which is more gore than romance), I found myself searching for another vampire read. Enter The Vengeful Vampire.

Kathryn Ann Kingsley’s second entry into the Creature Feature series is fun romp, despite all the death. If I had to describe it in one word I would say “camp.” There’s a lot of humor to be found among the mild gore. Readers familiar with Bram Stoker’s Dracula will be tickled to see how Kingsley pays homage to the original novel.

Beyond the names and circumstances of the characters, there are many Easter eggs that brought me a lot of delight. I went into this book a bit wary, after the first book in the series, The Forgotten Phantom, fell a bit flat for this lifetime Phan. But The Vengeful Vampire was fun and the translation into the 20th century felt more creative than its predecessor.

It’s 1995. Mina Murray and her friends are mercenary thieves. She, Arthur, Quincy, and Renny source and steal treasures discreetly for their wealthy customers. This particular heist quickly goes south when the tomb they’ve been hired to open reveals a decayed-yet-still-undead vampire who swiftly relieves Quincy of his head (RIP Quincy) then turns his gaze (can it be a gaze if your eyeballs have rotted away?) upon Mina. And then his teeth.

Instead of heavenly gates, the next thing Mina sees is an ornate Victorian bedchamber, decked out in reds, and a very hot vampire who is very keen on making out. Over their brief interlude, he relays their connection — a previous incarnation of Mina helped trap him in the tomb.

“You are the moon in my night sky.” His words were nearly a whisper, but she felt them rumble through her like thunder. “Run from me all you wish. I am where you belong. It seems time herself knew what you could not accept, my Mina. She has brought you back to me at last.”

She didn’t know how to reply. Nothing he said made any sense. All she knew was that she could stay like this forever if he let her, caught in those red eyes of his.

Hands that were as pale as stone cradled her head, lacing fingers into her pink and blue hair.

“Change your hair. Change your face. Do as you wish. I will always know you. Because you are mine.” Lowering his head to hers, he captured her lips in a kiss.

An abrupt gunshot breaks the spell. Enter Mr. Baltimore, the not-quite-human monster hunter employed by the mysterious Institute. He manages to subdue the vamp and rescue poor Mina, who has been abandoned by Renny and Arthur. Reuniting the crew, Mr. Baltimore only offers a few cryptic answers and warns them away from meddling further, promising that he and his agency will take care of the vamp. Before departing, he privately gives Mina his card, promising to return if the vampire resurfaces.

Obviously squicked out and deeply grieving the loss of her friend, Mina finds relative comfort with her ho-hum fiancé, real estate agent Jon Harker, and her best friend Lucy, Arthur’s fianceé. The whole friend group resides together in a massive Victorian inherited by Jon. Mina is content enough with Jon, who is straight-laced and mild mannered in comparison to her more gothic sensibilities. For his part, Jon is questioning where he fits in Mina’s adventuring lifestyle. While it’s clear they care for one another, there’s no passion between them. I was reminded of a relationship between high school sweethearts that’s gone on a little too long.

Over the following days her run-in with the vampire stays heavy on Mina’s mind. And this matter isn’t helped by the fact that every time she sleeps she is met by the vampire in her dreams. Despite her fear and revulsion, she cannot help but to be drawn quite literally into the vampire’s open arms. He’s ready to go full-steam ahead with their relationship, but Mina is understandably unwilling to converse with…

CW: Violence

…the creature who killed her friend and then drank her blood.

While there is an innate level of attraction that draws her to the vampire, there’s also the influence of his thrall.

He leaned his head as if to kiss her.

Pulling back, she put her hand to his lips. He felt as cold as the stone around her. “Wait.”

“For?”

She blinked. “Good question. I—” She squeaked as he leaned forward again. “Hold on!”

“I am.” He narrowed his red eyes slightly at her. “Be sensical if you are going to interrupt me.”

That sounded like an order. And it resonated through her as if he had just tried to write something to her very DNA. Cringing, she turned her head away again. “Stop that! Don’t do that!”

“Why? You will struggle if I do not. You will rail against me and harm yourself needlessly if I do not calm the waters of your mind.”

Four times in that sentence, she tried to interrupt him.

Four times, she wanted to stop what he was saying, but…couldn’t. Simply couldn’t.

Be sensical if you are going to interrupt me.

He hadn’t just said it—he had—

The patriarchal belief that he had to “protect” Mina from upset had the potential to be really icky. It’s an antiquated view of women and their emotions that was likely mainstream whenever the vampire was last roaming the Earth in the 1880s. But when Mina insists the mind control is neither helpful nor cute, he respects her wishes without question. Just like that. In fact, throughout the book as Mina sets up boundaries or expresses concerns, the vampire continues to be considerate of her desires. We stan a respectful king!

It’s only a matter of time before they have another occasion to meet in person, and this time he’s full-fleshed out (literally), seductive, and challenging Mina’s resolve. There’s a moment when the vampire imparts the full experience of being trapped in his coffin for over 130 years, conscious, starving, and alone. It could’ve been a cheap moment of “and just like that Mina understood him perfectly!” but instead it’s only a step towards building trust and understanding. Despite the immense amount of sexual chemistry between these two characters, this HEA is hard-won and overcomes a lot of challenges (yes, including the friend-murdering) and misaligned expectations due to the characters’ massive generational difference, but even with these admittedly large obstacles, I was quickly rooting for the couple.

There is a lot going on, and I think one of the strongest points of this book is that the narrative isn’t limited to only Mina’s POV. We have chapters and sections of chapters from the POV of Jon, the vampire, Renny. Having so many perspectives makes it easier to keep straight all of the strings throughout, and it’s also reminiscent of the epistolary structure of Dracula, which relies on letters, journal entries, etc, from numerous characters.

This book isn’t exactly a 1:1 retelling of Dracula, but there’s a lot of familiar elements. We meet the seductive brides, there’s Lucy’s run-in with vampires, Renny’s stint as a thrall, etc. Mr. Baltimore is a good stand-in for Dr. Van Helsing, though with significantly less time on page than the good doctor.

At some point, adaptations of the book, such as Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the 2014 Dracula Untold, have set Mina up to be the reincarnated wife of the vampire. Whereas in the novel, Dracula’s targeting of her character is strictly to seek retribution against the men in the novel. I happen to be a sucker for the reincarnation plotline, so the decision to center the romance around this was a big part of what drew me to the book.

Show Spoiler

The biggest deviation from the original is giving the vampire a happier ending with Mina. And as I said earlier, it’s hard won after a lot of death, misunderstanding, etc. For readers who hate a third act break-up, this book is blessedly without.

Thankfully, there’s no love triangle to be found here, unless you count all of the other men in the house lusting after Lucy? Which I do not.

There is a level of gore and violence that some readers might wish to avoid — heads are removed, people are staked, shot, and much like in the original, some significant characters die. Thankfully nothing too gratuitous, and we never linger on the grisly bits. However if you’re prone to avoiding media blood and violence, this might not be a read for you. I struggle to watch the Game of Thrones franchise, but found the level of blood fine for my sensibilities.

If you devoured books such as Vampire Kisses, Jessica’s Guide for Dating on the Darkside, The Historian, or any of the other vamp books of the mid-aughts, this paranormal homage to Bram Stoker’s biggest hit will definitely strike a chord.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the-vengeful-vampire-by-kathryn-ann-kingsley/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=150526

Links: Censorship, a Subway for Cats, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/links-censorship-a-subway-for-cats-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150864

Workspace with computer, journal, books, coffee, and glasses. 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 to bring and her response was a chocolate cake.

Are any of you planning to watch it this week? I think the casting is really good.

…

This link was sent in by Lorraine! Book Riot has a recap of some censorship news as it pertains to romance novels. (Starting off with the bummer links first!)

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These ereader sleeves are absolutely gorgeous. I haven’t purchased one yet, but I’m very tempted.

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According to a Reddit post, a few authors have reported that KU titles may being appearing in a library network near you!

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I love seeing the great lengths people go to for their pets. This person built a subway platform for their cats.

Watch on YouTube

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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/links-censorship-a-subway-for-cats-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150864

Highlights from Today’s Kindle Daily Deals

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/highlights-from-todays-kindle-daily-deals-8/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150854

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting

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?

A whip-smart debut that follows the adventures of an entirely unconventional heroine who throws herself into the London Season to find a wealthy husband. But the last thing she expects is to find love…

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. Left with her father’s massive debts, she has only twelve weeks to save her family from ruin.

Kitty has never been one to back down from a challenge, so she leaves home and heads toward the most dangerous battleground in all of England: the London season.

Kitty may be neither accomplished nor especially genteel—but she is utterly single-minded; imbued with cunning and ingenuity, she knows that risk is just part of the game.

The only thing she doesn’t anticipate is Lord Radcliffe. The worldly Radcliffe sees Kitty for the mercenary fortune-hunter that she really is and is determined to scotch her plans at all costs, until their parrying takes a completely different turn…

This is a frothy pleasure, full of brilliant repartee and enticing wit—one that readers will find an irresistible delight.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Fiancée Farce

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandra Bellefleur is $1.99! This is a fake relationship romance with two women who are tied to the book world. One has a bookshop and the other is from a publishing dynasty.

Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.

Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.

Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Writing Mr. Wrong

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong is $2.99! This is a standalone contemporary romance. The hero is a hockey player and the heroine’s former high school crush.

From a New York Times bestselling author, a second-chance rom-com about a debut author who unexpectedly goes viral when readers discover her hero was inspired by a beloved pro hockey player—and her high school crush.

Debut author Gemma Stanton knows romance readers love a bad boy—and she has the perfect prototype for her Mason Moretti. High school hockey god-turned-pro player, Mason was Gemma’s first crush, but she couldn’t forget the sting of his very public rejection. So, she casts him as a hot-headed Highlander in her spicy new historical romance. She never expected readers would find out on live TV when a morning show host invites Mason for a surprise on-air reunion…

As an aging hockey player with a rep for being ruthless on the ice—and roguish off of it—Mason has an image problem. So, when his meet-cute with Gemma goes viral, Mason proposes they build on the momentum with a few fake dates to boost her book sales…and his sagging profile. But when the fictional flirting gets a little too real, Mason realizes Gemma actually makes him want to become a better man—someone worthy of her trust and her love.

Will Gemma give him a second chance? Mason knows it’s a long shot, but taking shots is sorta his thing, and besides, who loves a redemption arc more than a romance author?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Booked for Murder

Booked for Murder by PJ Nelson is $2.99! This is a cozy, small town mystery with a bookish theme. We mentioned this one on a previous Hide Your Wallet.

In this atmospheric southern cozy debut, Madeline Brimley returns to the bookstore she inherited, discovering that small towns hold deadly secrets.

Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she’s left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn’t leave immediately.

But Madeline Brimley, not one to be intimidated, ignores the threats and soldiers on. Until there’s another fire and a murder in the store itself. Now with a cloud of suspicion falling over her, it’s up to Madeline to untangle the skein of secrets and find the killer before she herself is the next victim.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/highlights-from-todays-kindle-daily-deals-8/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150854

After Dark at the Movies: The Old Guard 2

Posted by Carrie S

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/after-dark-at-the-movies-the-old-guard-2/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150670

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!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/after-dark-at-the-movies-the-old-guard-2/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150670

Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle

Posted by Carrie S

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/lucky-day-by-chuck-tingle/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=150667

A

Lucky Day

by Chuck TIngle
August 12, 2025 · Tor Nightfire
GothicParanormalRomance

TW/CW

TW: I mean, where do I start? Emotional abuse by a parent. Bi-sexual shaming and erasure. Death of a cat (by natural causes). Body horror. Loss of a parent. Loss of a partner. Depression. Tons and tons of violence and gore. A centipede-type thing. Voids. Mass death. Betrayal. Philosophy.

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 statistician and mathematician who is celebrating the launch of her first book when she, her friends, her fiancee, and her mother are caught up in the madness of what will later be known as the Low-Probability Event (LPE). Millions of people die during this event, which leaves everyone Vera knows as either confirmed or presumed dead.

Four years later, Vera lives in almost total isolation, barely surviving in a deep depression. One day Agent Jonah Layne from the Low-Probability Event Commission (LPEC) shows up. This commission operates with virtually no oversight or limits, and Layne wants Vera to help him figure out what caused the LPE. Vera is skeptical, saying,

Bad luck isn’t an explanation, it’s an excuse. Either way, it all leads to the same result. There is no god, and there is no science. Nothing matters, including this conversation.

However, the book Vera was writing four years ago was an expose of a gambling empire, and Layne believes that this same corporation may be responsible for the LPE. So Vera drags herself into the shower and a clean-ish outfit and accompanies Layne to Las Vegas where The Great Britannica Hotel and Casino looms. Vera insists that she doesn’t care what the outcome of the investigation is…but as events unfold, she becomes increasingly invested.

This is probably a good place to tell you that this is a horrifying book that deals in multiple types of horror. There is gore – so much gore, you guys. There are horrible, violent, sudden, brutal deaths. There is body horror. There is a kind of Lovecraftian void horror thing happening. Some of these moments are, depending on your sense of humor, kinda funny. Some are just tremendously terrible. If you took Final Destination, and you alternated it with X-Files and Welcome to Nightvale, and you amped the numbers up to almost eight million people, you might come close to this book. Obviously not all eight million die on the page. But an awful lot do. So brace yourself. However, with all this carnage, there is not a single moment of sexual assault, and that’s mighty refreshing.

I think that my favorite thing about Lucky Day is that it is full of surprises. Sometimes those surprises are shocking and horrific – out of the blue moments of gruesome death. But a lot of these surprises come from various tropes being set up and then subverted in ways that feel natural.

I don’t want to say what they are because I don’t want to spoil anything, but while I was constantly surprised I was never skeptical. Jennifer Crusie once pointed out:

The choice between honoring character to show growth and mutilating character to serve plot spells the difference between the delighted reaction, “I can’t believe she did that!” and the betrayed protest, “I don’t believe she’d do that.”

Through all the twists and turns of this story, I often felt shocked, or surprised, or dismayed, or happy, but I never felt that sense of disbelief. Sometimes people aren’t who we think they are at first. Sometimes the relationships, or the events, or the stages in our lives don’t pan out in the way we’ve always predicted. I enjoyed seeing Vera find her way back to life in unexpected ways.

I also enjoyed the way the book tackles philosophical issues without explicitly naming them. Insofar as I understand the concepts (and I don’t claim to fully grasp any of them), Vera begins the book as a believer in order. As a statistician, she adheres to the concept that the universe has certain predictable and comprehensible rules. As a wobbly existentialist myself, I enjoyed Vera’s engagements with what I understood to be nihilism and absurdism until she reaches an existential peace and comes to terms with her grief and uncertainty.

A recurring theme of the book is the importance of bisexual representation and the damage done by bisexual erasure. It’s painful to see Vera’s sexuality denied to her face by the people she should trust the most. I appreciated that even at her lowest point, Vera never accepts the judgement of others.

This book is strongly structured and balances humor, different kinds of horror, sadness, and a way to find purpose and healing in the midst of chaos. I adored it, but I cannot stress how incredibly gory and violent this book is. If you have a strong enough stomach, and you like the spooky conspiracy vibes of The X-Files and Welcome to Nightvale, you will probably like this too.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/lucky-day-by-chuck-tingle/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=150667

N.K. Jemisin, Historical Romance, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/n-k-jemisin-historical-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150784

A Novel Love Story

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.

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally.

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…

Because it is.

This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.

Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.

Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.

Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The City We Became

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin is $2.99! I believe this deal is good for the week. Jemisin is a brilliant author and you should snap up any book when it’s on sale.

Five New Yorkers must come together in order to defend their city in the first book of a stunning new series by Hugo award-winning and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.

Every city has a soul. Some are as ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York City? She’s got five.

But every city also has a dark side. A roiling, ancient evil stirs beneath the earth, threatening to destroy the city and her five protectors unless they can come together and stop it once and for all.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Garden Spells

RECOMMENDED: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is $1.99! This author became an auto-buy for me after I read this book as a part of a Goodreads reading challenge. I would liken this book to women’s fiction with a magical realism slant. It’s heartwarming and beautiful. I even wrote a Keeper Shelf squee for it; that’s how much I love this book.

In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it.…

The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants—from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys—except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down—along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy—if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom—or with each other.

Enchanting and heartfelt, this captivating novel is sure to cast a spell with a style all its own…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Footman

The Footman by S.M. LaViolette is 99c at Amazon! LaViolette is the other pen name of author Minerva Spencer. I’ve heard good things about this one and have seen it pop into the SBTB comments from time to time.

Lady Elinor wants nothing to do with love. Her arranged marriage—and one glorious but ill-fated kiss with a handsome footman—cured her of any romantic notions she’d ever entertained. Now a widow, all Elinor plans to do is rebuild her life—without a man in it. She certainly has no intention of falling for the charming and entirely too tempting American who seems so determined to win her favor…

Stephen Worth is no longer the impoverished footman who lost everything because of the impulsive actions of a reckless young lady. Having reinvented himself long ago, his sole focus now is revenge. He’ll do whatever it takes to extract a pound of flesh from all who wronged him so long ago. And if that means ruining the lovely Elinor in the process? So be it.

But it’s not long before Elinor finds herself drawn to Stephen despite her best intentions—and before Stephen starts to wonder if maybe a life with Elinor is worth more than his revenge. Can Stephen and Elinor overcome their painful pasts and take a second chance on love? Or is the cost of trust simply more than they’re willing to pay?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/n-k-jemisin-historical-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150784

HaBO: He Finds Her at a Wife Sale

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/habo-he-finds-her-at-a-wife-sale/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150787

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 if he was titled or not) runs across a wife sale where the woman being sold is someone he knows and used to love (I think). She’s very shy and sweet and doesn’t expect much except that it will be better than her current marriage. I think she has some self worth/image issues. I want to say she’s given pearls or some sort of jewelry and told to behave in very specific way while the male lead teaches her how to serve him. Then there’s a dinner where a friend and fellow former spy (I think) of the new man comes to meet her and tells her that new man loves her.

There’s another book in the series about a former spy trying to get revenge on a woman who tricked him in his work a while ago. He accidentally abducts that woman’s twin(?) sister instead and tries to break her through seduction. The abducted woman was tricked by her “evil” sister to take her place. The “good” sister also has had a baby from an American soldier that’s dead now (maybe). The “evil” sister might be keeping the baby hostage but then ends up dropping it off at the house of the spy. At the end of the story, the “good” sister tried to take revenge on the spy by doing the same thing to him that he did to her, but it just turns into a love story ending where they find out she’s pregnant again with spy man’s baby.

I hope someone from the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books community can help me out!

We must HaBO!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/habo-he-finds-her-at-a-wife-sale/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150787