Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/non-fiction-historical-romance-more-4/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147159

The Right Swipe

RECOMMENDED: The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai is $1.99! Maya read this one and gave is an A:

The Right Swipe is an amazing, well written story about two people of color falling in love as they come to terms with how the physical, psychological, and emotional traumas they experienced continue to affect them both. It was also, for me, a quiet little moment where I felt my existence was acknowledged.

Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom.

Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:

– Nude pics are by invitation only

– If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice

– Protect your heart

Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and disappears.

Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Duke Gets Desperate

The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy is $1.99! This is book one in a series. There are renovation elements and enemies to lovers. Have you read this one?

Diana Quincy returns with a steamy affair between an Arab-American woman who inherits a run-down castle in the English countryside and the duke who asserts the castle is his, in the first book in a brand-new Victorian historical romance series.

Anthony Cary, Duke of Strickland, inherits his spendthrift father’s title and can finally restore the family castle to its former glory. But at the reading of the will, Strick is stunned to learn that his father has secretly disentailed him, leaving the family manor–home to twelve generations of dukes–to Strick’s American stepmother. Everyone knows Strick detests the dowager duchess, and when she dies mysteriously, damning rumors start to surface.

When Raya Darwish unexpectedly inherits her glamorous late cousin’s castle in the English countryside, she clashes with the charismatic young duke who insists the castle is rightfully his. The estate is practically bankrupt, so she must find a way to work with the duke in order to save both of their futures.

The two cannot stand each other, but mutual disdain soon gives way to desire. When questions arise about how her cousin died, Raya cannot help wondering if Strick’s sudden unbridled passion for her is part of a scheme to get his castle back…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Duke Goes Down

The Duke Goes Down by Sophie Jordan is $1.99! This is book one in The Duke Hunt and it features class differences and some opposites attract.

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan begins the all new Duke Hunt series with the illegitimate son of a duke who meets his match in the daring daughter of a vicar.

The Bastard Rogue…

Peregrine Butler’s privileged blue-blooded world is rocked to the core when it is revealed he was born before his parents’ marriage and, therefore, is not the legal heir to the dukedom. Facing ruin, Perry must use his charm and good looks to win an heiress—all the while, ignoring his fascination with the one interfering and alluring chit who is intent on sabotaging his efforts.

The Lady Vicar…

Everyone knows Imogen Bates, the virtuous daughter of the senile vicar. She can write a sermon in a day and spot a rogue in a second, so she sees right through Perry’s seductive façade. But Imogen’s plan to protect the heiresses of her beloved Shropshire from the erstwhile Duke of Penning, the bane of her existence since childhood, soon turns into something altogether unacceptable for the proper lady… who suddenly finds herself longing to keep his heated glances and tempting kisses all to herself.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Quiet

RECOMMENDED: Quiet by Susan Cain is $1.99! Sarah loved this book and I picked it up on her recommendation. She gave it an A:

This is a bit outside the romance genre, to say the least, but this book was deeply fascinating for me. If you’re an introvert, and have sometimes wondered what was wrong with you that you feel or experience things so differently, I think your experience might be similar to my own, and the experience of the people who recommended this book to me.

The book that started the Quiet Revolution

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/non-fiction-historical-romance-more-4/

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Posted by Guest Reviewer

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/left-of-forever-by-tarah-dewitt/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=146774

Squee

Left of Forever

by Tarah DeWitt
May 20, 2025 · St. Martin's Griffin
Contemporary RomanceRomance

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.

…

CW/TW

discussion of infertility issues and ectopic pregnancy

I don’t ever remember giving a Squee grade before, but nothing else will adequately express my desire to evangelize this book. I want to praise it, but I NEED to share it. The voices in my head are whispering that no book is capable of making every reader happy, but my head just don’t care. It’s convinced that everyone should read this book.

I think the best books, the books that absolutely blow my mind, are the rare ones that startle me and show me things I’ve never seen before. Such books are grounded in the minutiae of real, ordinary life, but something in the writing is gloriously transformative.

Left of Forever is one of these.

Savor It is the first of DeWitt’s books set in Spunes, Oregon, a small town with a touch of quirkiness that is neither trite nor twee. Spunes is cold and gritty and gray with a down to earth quality that extends to its residents and deeply appeals to me. Savor It is centered on Sage Byrd and her relationship with big city chef Fisher. Left of Forever focuses on Wren and Ellis Byrd, who’ve been divorced for four years and still circle each other like two cats in a bathtub.

The story opens with Wren journaling about her ex and their relationship, with an eye towards achieving closure and moving on with her life. In fact, much of the story is told with journal entries, letters, phone calls, and texts. There is also more than one timeline, a dual first-person present-tense POV, and much contemplation of the MCs’ shared past. While I do enjoy epistolary elements, I am not a huge fan of present tense narration or multiple timelines. Both can seem gimmicky and confusing when badly handled. The timeline hopping may have been mildly confusing at first, but I’m delighted to say that the POV perfectly conveys both Wren’s and Ellis’s voices. Each is unique, and you always know whose head you’re in at any given moment.

Ellis and Wren’s bond goes back to their childhood friendship and evolved through the years. They had a child in their teens and both became fully committed parents. The one thing that has united Wren and Ellis in the years since their divorce has been parenting their son Sam to the best of their mutual abilities. Although the Byrd siblings and Wren’s mother remain close to both exes, Sam is the linchpin binding them, and Sam will soon be graduating from high school and leaving for college.

While Wren is contemplating closure, Ellis has found a tiny spark of hope. I won’t go into detail because that would be spoilery; the source of that hope is both a very original plot twist and somewhat problematic. It is evident within the first few chapters that whatever happened in their marriage, these two people love each other still. So when Sam elects to head off to UC Davis early in the summer, Ellis makes a case for both he and Wren accompanying their son and then spending a leisurely week travelling home to Spunes together. After some negotiation, Wren reluctantly agrees.

I was practically bouncing in my seat at this point, going full Kermit while screaming “Road trip!”

So that’s the set up. I want to talk about why I loved this book so much, but first I need to say a few words about tropes. It would be easy to describe Left of Forever as a second chance romance or give it one of those long friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers ad nauseum labels. It would be so like me to squee over my favorite road trip trope. However, I feel that when we use tropes as a shorthand to label a book or–heaven forfend–a shortcut to create a trendy story, we do ourselves a disservice. If someone had recommended this to me as a second chance story, I might have rejected it out of hand, since I’m not a fan of that trope. On the other hand, you could put two meatballs in a toy car and roll it down your sidewalk, and I’d eat that up with a Spune. Cuz Road Trip! Also, Meatballs.

I loved that this book focused so singularly on the central couple even when only one of them was on the page or they were in a group of people. I like my romance surrounded by supporting characters who are fully realized even when they are only on page for a paragraph or two. I love descriptions of work, hobbies, specialized knowledge, food, landscapes–anything that adds telling detail to the story without the dreaded info dump. Left of Forever gave me all of that effortlessly, but never once strayed from the central couple’s journey toward understanding and healing. Ellis and Wren put so much effort into their interactions and were never afraid to show their work. At one point, Ellis shares wisdom that he credits to his therapist;

“Because when it comes down to it, on a physical level, feeling happy doesn’t take priority over surviving,” I say. “We’re programmed to remember the bad so that we know what to stay away from and how to keep going. That’s why the shit that hurts stands out in our minds. That’s why holding on to the happy takes work.”’

Ellis is such a great character because he can look back on his pain and use it to fuel his current efforts to do better. He is always visibly working on himself. The reader feels every increment of his growth. Truly, there is nothing sexier than radical honesty.

I also loved the way this story brought me to laughter or tears and sometimes both simultaneously. And I gotta tell ya, I HATE to cry. I mean, catharsis is definitely not my friend. There’s a visit to a winery at about midbook that was hilarious, excruciating and magnificently cringe-worthy. I laughed till I cried, and they were not “happy” tears. More like sympathy anguish. It was funny. It was painful. And most of all, it inspired progress in Wren and Ellis’s relationship..

While Ellis was apparently born serious, Wren approaches life with a lighter touch. She has a uniquely humorous voice. At one point, she and Ellis are talking about that time in their teens when they began to notice each other’s newly developed physical attributes. Ellis tells Wren:

“I remember when you showed up with new assets.” He nods at my chest, and I see the planes of his cheekbones turn pink.

The sight of that flush fascinates me. Ellis has licked and sucked and nuzzled my assets more times than I could possibly count. He has greeted them like sentient beings and whispered goofy things into them, held them to his ears like they were whispering back, buried his face between them while I laughed. He’s napped on them. He’s bitten and left marks. The fact that he could still blush over something so known is a revelation to me.

I love this passage not just for the humor, but also for the tenderness and the tone of fresh discovery. I also have to say that the slow burn at the beginning of this romance is somewhat compromised by the protagonists’ long standing biblical knowledge of each other. These people are all about the yearning and the emotion, and when that spark finally ignites, whoa! and damn! Even a serial lurve scene skimmer like myself would regret missing that emotional intimacy.

Ellis and Wren endured the same traumatic issues that eventually led to their divorce, yet at the same time experienced those events separately. They each developed coping mechanisms that unknowingly and unfairly burdened their partner. Weighed down with an excess of guilt and a lack of communication, neither of them had the ability or the distance to cope with the growing misery that led to their divorce. Their journey towards reconciliation is neither smooth nor simple; rather it is layered, complex, and utterly absorbing.

Wren and Ellis are, before all else, grown-ass adults who are capable of learning from their experience, both intellectually and emotionally. Spending this time with them was an honor and a pleasure. The fact that their divorce never meant they didn’t love each other suggests that their time apart may have not only been necessary but made them stronger as well. I am so happy to have encountered this book. Left of Forever sparked all the joy, and I cannot wait to read future books set in Spunes, OR. (Not to be confused with Forks, WA)

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/left-of-forever-by-tarah-dewitt/

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Posted by Lara

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/writing-mr-wrong-by-kelley-armstrong/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=146891

B+

Writing Mr. Wrong

by Kelley Armstrong
June 24, 2025 · Forever
Contemporary RomanceRomance

Many moons ago, I read a few of Kelley Armstrong’s witchy books and loved them. When I saw her name pop up with a contemporary romance, I was intrigued. I’m so glad I picked this up. It’s fake dating done right, in my humble opinion.

Gemma is a debut romance author who was told that ‘bad boy’ protagonists sell. Think alpha-hole. So she decides to write what the market is buying and she has the perfect specimen to inspire her: a spectre from her childhood, Mason. Mason was the star ice hockey player at their high school and he knew it. He’s the perfect model for her hero.

However, when an old school acquaintance turned morning show host invites Gemma for an interview and then surprises her with an on-air reunion with Mason, Gemma is floored.

Mason is known for being an asshole on the ice in the NHL. After he failed to do something that he should have done on the ice, the public is upset with him. When Gemma and Mason shine in the TV interview (it’s actually so sweet), the adoring public want more. So why not give them more? Gemma and Mason decide to go on a ‘for show’ date.

Right from the word go, Mason gets it wrong on their date, but his depths begin to be revealed. The book is dual POV so we get his perspective and we see his intentions are really good but the outcome is a mess. This is definitely an asshole that can be redeemed.

Both characters are in their late 30s which I love. They’ve got some living under their belt. They’ve done the therapy and they’re ready to make better (if not perfect) decisions. I find this very soothing.

There is, however, still tension, most of which comes from Mason figuring out how to make his intentions translate into positive impacts rather than disastrous ones. For Gemma, the tension revolves around trusting again after a bitter divorce.

Gemma’s growth in particular really struck a chord with me. During her marriage, she lopped off bits of herself to try and make her husband happy. She wanted to be the perfect wife for him. But in the end it wasn’t enough. He left her. In her youth, Gemma was sassy and confident and so having someone from her childhood present in her life again allows her to resurrect that side of herself.

Their emotions are really mature and considered. Miscommunications are solved by clear conversations. Enthusiastic consent is the goal. That kind of thing. So there is emotional maturity with enough tension to keep it interesting (and human – no one is perfect, after all).

So if I enjoyed this book, why is it only a B+? It’s a bit intangible, really. I devoured it and I heartily recommend it to readers looking for a mature, considered treatment of the fake dating trope. I didn’t end up smiling goofily at my Kindle or staying up impossibly late finishing it. As a reviewer, sometimes I’m not able to pinpoint what exactly makes an A book an A – I just feel it in my blood and bones. The book works its magic on me and I make Good Book Noise. This book didn’t do that for me, but I have a feeling that it could do that for other readers. So please, pick this one up.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/writing-mr-wrong-by-kelley-armstrong/

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rocky41_7 posting in

books

I don't actually remember where I saw Catriona Ward's Sundial recommended, but it was somewhere and convincing enough to get it on my TBR. I finished the audiobook this week so it's time to reflect.

Sundial is a domestic psychological thriller which focuses on the relationship between the protagonist Rob and her eldest daughter Callie. Or at least, that's what the novel summary posits. A good 50% or more of the book is actually about Rob's youth and her relationship with her childhood family, primarily her twin sister, Jack. I didn't get that at first, which led to me being slightly frustrated by the length of the "flashback" sections until I realized that they were at least half the true focus of the story.

Ward excels in capturing the petty toxicity of a domestic environment gone sour. Especially deftly handled are the ways in which a partner can wound in such seemingly mundane ways. Many of the exchanges between Rob and her husband, Irving, come off as completely innocuous to an outsider, but to the two people in the relationship, who have the context for these seemingly nothing interactions, the full cruelty of them is on display. This adds completely believably to the tension between Rob and Callie, who has long favored her father, and who sees her mother's responses as hysterical overreactions, because she doesn't have the context that Rob does. Ward also very neatly portrays a truly vicious marriage, where both parties have given up pretending they want to be together, at least to each other, and where the entire relationship has become an unending game of oneupsmanship, trying to get one over on your spouse.

Adding to this suffocating atmosphere is Callie, a very strange 12-year-old who is starting to exhibit some very troubling behavior, particularly in her interactions with her 9-year-old sister, Annie. Rob has always struggled to connect with Callie—in contrast with Irving, who happily spoils her to force Rob to be the bad guy enforcing boundaries—but when Callie is thought to have attempted to poison Annie with Irving's diabetes medication, Rob decides it's time she and Callie have a real heart-to-heart.

So she takes Callie on a mother/daughter trip to Rob's childhood home, Sundial, an isolated family property out in the Mojave desert.

( Read more... )

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/links-adaptation-news-cover-songs-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147165

Workspace with computer, journal, books, coffee, and glasses. Welcome to Wednesday!

Tonight, I’ll be at Lovestruck Books to celebrate Katie Sturino’s debut, Sunny Side Up. Honestly, so nervous to be in conversation with her, as I see Katie as a real BFD. (Big fuckin’ deal.) If you happened to grab tickets, please come up and say hi after the event.

Also…how about these heatwaves?

…

The McNally Jackson Seaport location is hosting a fantastic panel on cowboy romances on July 16th. The panel includes Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom, Regina Black, and Bailey Hannah, moderated by Sanjana Basker.

…

We may have talked about this already, but there’s news on the Heated Rivalry adaptation. Sarah noted that it’s being directed by the co-writer and director of Letterkenny. She said, “He already directs Shorsey, which is about hockey, so the hockey stuff will be very good too.”

…

Even more adaptation news! The CW has picked up six Harlequins to adapt to film. I think it’s a good variety of contemporary settings.

…

Enjoy Rick Astley covering Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”

Watch on YouTube

…

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!

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/mostly-historical-romances-5/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147153

The Hellion’s Waltz

The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite is $1.99! This is part of the Feminine Pursuits series. Carrie read this one and gave it a B-:

I never thought I’d say this, but The Hellion’s Waltz is just too darn nice. This historical f/f romance is beautifully written and full of kind, courageous, intelligent characters. It is also boring. Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley is $1.99 at Amazon! If you’ve listed to literally any podcast episode I’ve been on with Sarah, you probably know I love cheese and I’m just tickled by the heroine’s dedication to dairy. This seems like a fluffy, small town romance that’s light on angst.

It’s not a crime to steal a heart…

Sophie Roseingrave hates nothing more than a swindler. After her family lost their piano shop to a con man in London, they’re trying to start fresh in a new town. Her father is convinced Carrisford is an upright and honest place, but Sophie is not so sure. She has grave suspicions about silk-weaver Madeline Crewe, whose stunning beauty doesn’t hide the fact that she’s up to something.

All Maddie Crewe needs is one big score, one grand heist to properly fund the weavers’ union forever. She has found her mark in Mr. Giles, a greedy draper, and the entire association of weavers and tailors and clothing merchants has agreed to help her. The very last thing she needs is a small but determined piano-teacher and composer sticking her nose in other people’s business. If Sophie won’t be put off, the only thing to do is to seduce her to the cause.

Will Sophie’s scruples force her to confess the plot before Maddie gets her money? Or will Maddie lose her nerve along with her heart?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

An Heiress at Heart

An Heiress at Heart by Jennifer Delamere is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This is book one in the Love’s Grace historical romance series. The heroine is posing as her late friend. It sounds like the hero is the late-friend’s brother-in-law, which definitely complicates things.

A youthful indiscretion has cost Lizzie Poole more than just her honor. After five years living in exile, she’s finally returning home, but she’s still living a secret life. Her best friend Ria’s dying wish was for Lizzie to assume her identity, return to London, and make amends that Ria herself would never live to make. Bearing a striking resemblance to her friend, and harboring more secrets than ever before, Lizzie embarks on a journey that tempts her reckless heart once again . . .

A committed clergyman, Geoffrey Somerville’s world is upended when he suddenly inherits the title of Lord Somerville. Now he’s invited to every ball and sought after by the matchmaking mothers of London society. Yet the only woman to capture his heart is the one he cannot have: his brother’s young widow, Ria. Duty demands he deny his feelings, but his heart longs for the mysterious beauty. With both their futures at stake, will Lizzie be able to keep up her façade? Or will she find the strength to share her secret and put her faith in true love?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Devil’s Charm

The Devil’s Charm by Megan Frampton is $1.99! This is book one in the Heirs & Spares series and features an opposites attract romance. It came out in February, so this one is relatively new!

In this delightfully enchanting first book in Megan Frampton’s new series, Heirs and Spares, opposites attract when a devilish lord and a rule-following young lady from rival families find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another.

One Night He Cannot Forget…

Lord Lucian Blackwood, second son of the Duke of Waxford, has assumed all the responsibilities of a spare, meaning it is his duty to seduce all the women, win vast sums at gaming, and appear gorgeously clothed for any occasion. He doesn’t expect his friend’s wedding to be any different—but then he meets, and kisses, her. Even more delicious is that she is the daughter of his rigid father’s longtime enemy…and now Lucian and Lady Diantha are tasked with working together on a project that will heal the rift.

One Night She Can’t Help but Remember…

Lady Diantha Courtenay always does the right thing. She wears the proper clothes, she speaks to the right people, she smiles exactly the right amount. When she attends her friend’s wedding, however, she sees a gentleman who makes her want to do all the wrong things. With him. The next morning, she is appalled, and sets herself back on course to being the most proper young lady, relieved she now has a family project to focus on. She thought she was safe from that other Diantha until she realizes she’ll be working with him.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Mad About You

Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane is $1.99! This is a contemporary romance about two strangers who become roommates and carry their own baggage around marriage and weddings. McFarlane’s books have been favorably mentioned on the site, but I see the common critique that they often contain more much serious topics than the covers/description imply.

International bestseller Mhairi McFarlane delivers a sharp, emotional new novel about a woman who calls off her engagement to “the perfect man” and moves in with a charming stranger who makes her question everything about her life, her past, and the secrets she’s kept for far too long…

Harriet Hatley is the most in-demand wedding photographer in town, but she doesn’t believe in romance, loathes the idea of marriage, and thinks chocolate fountains are an abomination. Which is why, when her long-time partner proposes, she panics. Suddenly Harriet is single… and living down the hall from her ex. She needs a new apartment, like, yesterday.

Enter Cal Clarke, a hopeless romantic who just experienced his own wedding-related disaster. Harriet and Cal are like chalk and cheese, but as they go from strangers to roommates to friends, it becomes clear they’re both running from something. When Harriet’s most heavily guarded secret comes to light, her world implodes. And Cal, with his witty humor and gentle advice, is a surprising source of calm at the center of the storm.

With her career, friendships, and reputation on the line, Harriet must finally face her past in order to take control of her future. Because if she’s willing to stop playing it safe and risk everything to share her truth, real love and happiness may be waiting on the other side…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/mostly-historical-romances-5/

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Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/stuff-we-like-stay-cool-cheese-bags/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147070

It’s time for another edition of Stuff We Like!

This month: your recommendations, your requests, and LOTS of options to stay cool.

Take a look:

Want to see? Just click that image above or click right here, and come shop with us!

And if you’d like to browse some more, we have a complete Stuff We Like archive, including past Gift Guides and other posts of our favorite items.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/stuff-we-like-stay-cool-cheese-bags/

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/super-villains-contemporary-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147091

The King’s Messenger

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley is $2.99! This is a recent release and I remember Sarah starting this one. Here’s what she said:

It is so absorbing. Essentially it is partly a historical road trip with lots of intrigue and atmosphere and secrets, with a sweet romance. If you like Kearsley it’s a good day for you!

“I’ve loved every one of Susanna’s books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly’s delicate touch with characters—sure recipe for historical fiction that sucks you in and won’t let go!”—DIANA GABALDON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander

New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley explores romance, court alliances, and the limits of one’s duty in this rich story of an ordinary man in service to a treacherous king, and the mission that brings him to love and his true calling.

In 1613, King James sends his messenger Andrew Logan to Scotland to arrest his late son’s close advisor Sir David Moray. Accompanied by his aloof neighbor Phoebe Westaway, Andrew slowly untangles the real point of his mission—to frame Sir David for Prince Henry’s death. But Andrew is unwilling to bring an innocent man into a treacherous betrayal.

Andrew’s feisty and lovely neighbor Phoebe Westaway has always been stand-offish to Andrew, having heard malicious gossip against him. But as they journey to Scotland and back, Phoebe has the opportunity to see Andrew for the honorable and loyal man that he is, and her change of heart may open new possibilities for them once their mission is complete.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Hench

RECOMMENDED: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots is $1.99! Sarah reviewed this one and gave it an A:

In reading and then re-reading this book, I’ve discovered so many more layers, hidden parallels, and very clever dissections of the fictional world of the characters and of the actual reality that this book resides within. Hench is delicious in its anger and ferocity, chilling in its deadpan snark and arctic clarity of analysis and assessment, and meticulous in its nuance. It’s a villainously wonderful good time.

A smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet.

Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?

As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured. And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one.

So, of course, then she gets laid off.

With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.

Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing. And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance.

It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.

A sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Honey and Spice

Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola is $1.99! This is a new adult romance with a fake relationship. Babalola also has a quasi-continuation coming out in September, where there’s a time jump and the main characters are older.

Introducing internationally bestselling author Bolu Babalola’s dazzling debut novel, full of passion, humor, and heart, that centers on a young Black British woman who has no interest in love and unexpectedly finds herself caught up in a fake relationship with the man she warned her girls about

Sweet like plantain, hot like pepper. They taste the best when together…

Sharp-tongued (and secretly soft-hearted) Kiki Banjo has just made a huge mistake. As an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show Brown Sugar, she’s made it her mission to make sure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall into the mess of “situationships”, players, and heartbreak. But when the Queen of the Unbothered kisses Malakai Korede, the guy she just publicly denounced as “The Wastemen of Whitewell,” in front of every Blackwellian on campus, she finds her show on the brink.

They’re soon embroiled in a fake relationship to try and salvage their reputations and save their futures. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before, and a player like Malakai won’t be the one to change that, no matter how charming he is or how electric their connection feels. But surprisingly entertaining study sessions and intimate, late-night talks at old-fashioned diners force Kiki to look beyond her own presumptions. Is she ready to open herself up to something deeper?

A gloriously funny and sparkling debut novel, Honey and Spice is full of delicious tension and romantic intrigue that will make you weak at the knees.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

A Dreadful Splendor

RECOMMENDED: A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers is $1.99! Lara gave this an A in a Lightning Review:

If you want an immersive reading experience that will absolutely result in a Bad Decisions Book Club event, then this book is for you. Please excuse me while I go read it again.

In this spectacularly imaginative and ghoulishly fun Gothic murder mystery brimming with romance, betrayals, and chills, a fake spiritualist is summoned to hold a séance for a bride who died on the eve before her wedding, but as nefarious secrets are revealed, the line between hoax and haunting blurs.

Be careful what you conjure…

In Victorian London, Genevieve Timmons poses as a spiritualist to swindle wealthy mourners–until one misstep lands her in a jail cell awaiting the noose. Then a stranger arrives to make her a peculiar offer. The Lord he serves, Mr. Pemberton, has been inconsolable since the tragic death of his beautiful bride-to-be. If Genevieve can perform a séance persuasive enough to bring the young Lord peace, she will win her freedom.

Soothing a grieving nobleman should be easy for someone of Genevieve’s skill, but when she arrives at the grand Somerset Park estate, Mr. Pemberton is not the heartbroken lover she expected. The surly–yet exceedingly handsome–gentleman is certain that his fiancée was murdered, even though there is no evidence. Only a confession can bring justice now, and Mr. Pemberton decides Genevieve will help him get it. With his knowledge of the household and her talent for illusion, they can stage a haunting so convincing it will coax the killer into the light. However, when frightful incidents befall the manor, Genevieve realizes her tricks aren’t required after all. She may be a fake, but Somerset’s ghost could be all too real…

A Dreadful Splendor is a wickedly whimsical brew of mystery, spooky thrills, and intoxicating romance that makes for an irresistibly fun and page-turning read.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/super-villains-contemporary-romance-more/

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/habo-heroine-keeps-walking-in-on-her-reunited-parents/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147052

This HaBO request is from Michael, who wants to find this romance:

I read this story a few years ago, although it may have been published a few years before I read it. It was a later book in a series. I think the series at least in part followed a group of sisters. One thing that happens in the background in an earlier book in the series is that the sister’s parents reconcile after an extended estrangement. In this book the heroine says (probably to the hero) that she is happy that her parents are back together except that she keeps walking in on her parents having sex in various rooms of the house. She says that she is considering walking around carrying a bell to give her parents some advance warning of her approach.

The book is a historical romance set in 19th century England. I don’t recall what part of that century. I remember checking a couple of Lorraine Heath’s books when I was looking for this one.

Can we HaBO?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/habo-heroine-keeps-walking-in-on-her-reunited-parents/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147052

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/hide-your-wallet-june-24th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147074

Happy Tuesday!

It’s the last release week in June and it’s a pretty strong end of the month. There are lots of contemporaries, historical romances and settings, and even a fantasy romance anthology.

Which releases are on your radar this week? Let us know in the comments!

A Magic Deep and Drowning

Author: Hester Fox
Released: June 24, 2025 by Graydon House
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Historical: European, Romance

Set in the waning days of the Dutch Golden Age, this enchanting, lush reimagining of The Little Mermaid is perfect for fans of Jesse Burton’s The Miniaturist and Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar.

The Dutch Republic, 1650. One fine spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren is faced with an ill a whale, beached and rotting in the noonday sun. But Clara doesn’t believe in magic and superstition, and this portent is quickly dismissed when a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother’s overbearing rule.

When her attempts at overseeing the household at the family’s estate lead to her chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea, she finds herself strangely drawn to him. As Clara grows closer to Maurits, she must choose between the steady, gentle life she has been raised for and the man who makes her blood sing.

But Maurits isn’t who he seems to be, and his secrets, once hidden beneath the waves, threaten to rise up and drown them both. And when an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power.

What can you expect in A MAGIC DEEP & DROWNING? Lush & Enchanting Gender-swap of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid Historical Fantasy Set in 17th Century Netherlands.

Elyse: This book is set in the Dutch Golden Age, a time period I’ve never read before.

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

An American in London

Author: Louise Bay
Released: June 24, 2025 by Montlake
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

For a people-pleasing New Yorker and a disagreeable (if seriously hot) Brit, it’s love at fourth sight in a funny and emotional romantic comedy by a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author.

Tuesday Reynolds’s dreamy life in Manhattan has gone belly-up. Ditched by her college sweetheart and with her Wall Street banking job at risk, she’s off to London to prove herself to a new CEO. Plans change when Tuesday meets Ben Kelley, a wealthy, scowly, and movie-star-handsome stranger. He’s just missing one thing to make his professional dreams come true.

What does Ben need? Oh, just a fake fiancée to impress a duke and duchess. What’s in it for Tuesday? Enough money to put a down payment on an apartment back in New York, a new wardrobe, and a weekend in the country at the stately home of the duke and duchess. The Bridgerton vibes are absolutely off the charts.

Everything between Ben and Tuesday is completely professional, until the rehearsals for their weekend romance start to feel…almost authentic.

It’s official. Tuesday’s life has been hijacked by a rom-com scriptwriter. But the best love stories aren’t the ones on the big screen. Maybe they’re the real ones that sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Elyse: I love a fake dating romance, and Bay is one of my favorite contemporary authors.

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Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

Eliza and the Duke

Author: Harper St. George
Released: June 24, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: American, Historical: European, Romance
Series: The Doves of New York #2

American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience…until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as ‘the Duke,’ Whitechapel’s prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister’s only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness…and hope he doesn’t lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan—an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both.

Amanda: Alert: The duke is a prize boxer! Also St. George is an autobuy for me.

Elyse: I’m loving this series.

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Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

Finders Keepers

Author: Sarah Adler
Released: June 24, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

Two estranged best friends find that a long-abandoned treasure hunt might be the key to a fresh start—for both their futures and their feelings, from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Adler.

Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she’s single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.

Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now—surely things will be different.

Except, Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.

Lara: I’m reading this book right now for review on the site and so far I am absolutely loving it! Will report back!

Read Lara’s review!

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Find buy links for this book here..

One Dark Kiss

Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Released: June 24, 2025 by Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Grimm Bargains #2

Rebecca Zanetti explores the forbidden and the taboo in this modern dark romance twist on Snow White—the second in a captivating new series set in a seductive world of money, power, billionaires, and the dangerous desires that drive them.

Mirror, Mirror . . . Innocence or Sin. The reflection holds a darker truth.

ALEXEI
I’ve spent the last seven years in the hell of a maximum-security prison, every moment consumed by the need for revenge—revenge against the bastards who framed me, and revenge against the family who stole everything I owned. Now that I’m finally free, nothing will stand in my way. Not even her—my hot as sin new lawyer. Maybe she’s another weapon sent by my enemies to break me, or maybe she’s the key to my freedom. Either way, once she’s mine, I’m never letting her go.

ROSALIE
When I took this case, I thought I had it under control. But Alexei is no typical convicted killer—he’s a dangerously seductive force of nature. Perhaps it’s the lingering power from his days as heir to a global social media empire. Innocent or not, he’s dangerous in the worst and best ways.

I secure Alexei’s release as we prepare for a new trial, but he wastes no time turning against his traitorous relatives and plotting his return to power. Amidst the chaos, our explosive chemistry ignites, putting us—and everyone I care about—in the crosshairs of ruthless enemies. If we can’t stop them, Alexei plans to burn the whole world down. And if anything, he’s a man of his word . . .

The second book in Zanetti’s dark fairytale retelling series

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

The Secret Romantic’s Book of Magic

Author: Marie O'Regan
Released: June 24, 2025 by Titan Books
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

Enemies become lovers, rivalry turns to romance, and convenient marriages create true love in these 12 addictive Romantasy tales.

Featuring Olivie Blake, Kelley Armstrong, Katherine Arden, Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Tasha Suri, Melissa Marr, and more.

Fall in love with these 12 gorgeous romantasy stories from bestselling and beloved authors.

Lost lovers return for a second chance – but what are their motives? Academic rivals compete for a prestigious position, but their sizzling chemistry might get in the way. A monster slayer posing as an unwitting sacrifice meets an intriguingly moral prince.

From relationships caught on disparate timelines to ghostly ballrooms and dragons that need rescuing from princesses, this anthology gives you an inventive new spin on all your favorite tropes and much more you’ve never seen before.

Featuring stories by:

Olivie Blake
Kelley Armstrong
Katherine Arden
Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Tasha Suri
Melissa Marr
Megan Bannen
A. G. Slatter
A. C. Wise
Kelly Andrew
Kamilah Cole
Eliza Chan

Amanda: A great lineup in this anthology.

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Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

Sunny Side Up

Author: Katie Sturino
Released: June 24, 2025 by Celadon Books
Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Romance

“A clever and stylish ride.”
—New York Times, The Summer’s Best Beach Reads

“Escape into a world of designer clothes and trendy NYC restaurants, where career dreams come true at the drop of a hat, preferably by the pool in a flattering swimsuit.”
—Oprah Daily, 26 Best Summer Reads of 2025

From body-acceptance advocate and MEGABABE founder Katie Sturino comes a heartwarming and hilarious debut.

Sunny Greene is thirty-five, recently divorced, facing the looming prospect of going solo to her little brother’s wedding, and currently trying to find anything plus-sized in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit department that doesn’t make her want to cry. It’s not going well. But isn’t rock bottom the perfect place to start a climb?

She decides it’s now or never. Sunny has her PR empire, her gorgeous Chelsea apartment, her two dogs, and her loyal best friends. Maybe it’s time to just love her body and accept herself for who she is. With a new commitment to confidence, her journey begins. Who says a plus-sized divorcee can’t put herself first, feel beautiful, and date up a storm?

Of course things are never straightforward in the dating world. Is fate knocking at her door with Dennis, the charming and down-to-earth mailman, or should she be with Ted, the business tycoon who seems ready to make her size-inclusive swimsuit brand a reality? And what should she do about her ex, who shows up unexpectedly, eager to reconnect?

With the same candor and confidence her followers love, Sturino brings us Sunny Greene, a Carrie Bradshaw for the next generation, and her journey through the trials and triumphs of dating, friendship, and finding yourself.

Katie Sturino, founder of Megababe, releases her debut novel. Amanda will be in conversation with her at Lovestruck tomorrow night!

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Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

When Javi Dumped Mari

Author: Mari Sosa
Released: June 24, 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

The USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with a fun and flirty rom-com about a pact between friends that goes awry when one of them suddenly decides to get married.

Two best friends. One wedding to stop. Countless shenanigans.

On the eve of their college graduation, best friends Javier Báez and Marisol Campos swore never to date someone the other doesn’t approve of. Now, almost a decade later, Javi has a problem. Mari, the woman he’s secretly pined for since sophomore year, is engaged—and Javi didn’t even get the chance to vet the Pedro Pascal knockoff she plans to marry.

A successful entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, Mari is no longer seeking Javi’s dating advice or waiting for him to declare his love for her. Instead, she’s made a different pact—with herself. And to succeed, Mari’s vowing to build a future with someone else.

With his life and theater career finally on track, Javi’s ready to confess his feelings. Except Mari’s changed the script and moved on without him. Javi has just six weeks to convince Mari this marriage is a flop. If that means he needs to ruffle some feathers to help her avert a disaster, well, he’s up for the challenge. After all, isn’t that what best friends are for?

A new contemporary romance by Mia Sosa!

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Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

Writing Mr. Wrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Released: June 24, 2025 by Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

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?

Lara: I was so charmed by the emotional depth, maturity and nuance in this book. Review incoming!

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Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/hide-your-wallet-june-24th-release-week/

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Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/homemaker-by-ruthie-knox-and-annie-mare/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=147041

B+

Homemaker

by Ruthie Knox
June 1, 2025 · Thomas & Mercer
Contemporary RomanceRomance

CW/TW

This book contains assault, attempted murder, sexual assault, controlling partners, domestic violence, coercion, public humiliation.

I inhaled this audiobook. I recommended it to a friend when I was about 15% in – risky, I know – and then I reinforced that recommendation a few times as I continued listening. I think she wanted me to calm down.

Homemaker is as much a mystery as it is about the cost of being in a marriage that functions like a shrinking cage, with the key held by an emotionally immature man. It’s a whodunit with big stakes (a woman from their community is missing, and her family and her friends are scared and devastated) and it’s Prairie’s ability to notice important details in the minutiae of the lives around her, lives that used to be much more similar to her own, that lead her into amateur sleuthing. Some folks call her nosy, but Prairie thinks of it as extremely attentive pattern recognition. Her narration is snarky and funny, but also poignant and sometimes bleak.

The clearest way to explain the tone of this book: at one point Prairie thinks about how there were “too many…eulogies for women’s potential.” On page 2, she muses, “She could have approval, or she could live free and do what she liked.” Prairie is a divorced, middle-aged mom of two girls, and has been shunned by the other moms who used to be her social circle for both exposing a locally beloved ob/gyn and for having the audacity of divorcing a “good one.” At one point Prairie explains that she knows why she’s been shunned, but it’s no less painful for her knowing the reason. She’s tenacious and determined, and will push past firm social boundaries to access information. This information helps make what’s happening around her make sense, though the method of acquiring it causes more fractures in her social connections. I liked Prairie, especially her perspective on the community she lives in and her critiques of that same community and its social rules, and I could see why she annoyed the people around her so much.

Homemaker is extremely, vibrantly feminist, though Prairie is not so much angry all the time (she is sometimes) as she is fed up and unafraid to point out all of the ways that women’s perceptions, labor, and accomplishments are devalued – unless that women’s work makes the man in her life look good to other people. Meanwhile, Prairie’s perception, labor, and ability to notice the right details and ask the right questions make her very, very good at sleuthing. And also the part where she’s kind of fearless about social boundaries: if they’re in the way, she doesn’t pay much attention to them.

Mild spoilers inside

Readers who struggle with a character being embarrassed or shamed may struggle a bit with this element of the story, but I found that Prairie’s relentless reinforcement of her own empathy and morality, even when she makes mistakes, lessened the feelings of secondhand embarrassment for me.

There is a light romance in addition to the mystery, and it’s very sweet and emotionally nuanced. Prairie has barely re-entered the dating world, and is as methodical and organized about dating as she is with everyone else. Generally, advanced emotional awareness and emotional regulation govern so much of what Prairie does, and it’s a pleasure to listen to her whether she’s casually interviewing someone or having a date that might not be a date (but maybe it is)?

Speaking of listening – this book is in first person, past tense. Second, the story is set in Green Bay, and the narrator does a very good job differentiating between many different women’s voices, some with more Wisconsin accents than others. OH! – and there’s some MLM drama, too, for those of you who love that, and you’ll definitely guess the company that inspired the MLM. The surrounding characters are fascinating with lives and interests of their own, too.

I really can’t say much more about this book without giving too much away, especially because the contrasts that develop between Prairie’s worldview and that of the women around her are deepened the more she discovers what might be happening. I figured out the ending and how the murder was done, but I was past 50% when the penny dropped, so to speak. Some of the more cringe-worthy moments made my stomach hurt, and Prairie’s unshakable belief in her version of what’s happening sometimes came across as arrogant, especially when I could see the social car crash about to happen. But again – Prairie can have approval, or she can have freedom to do what she likes. I have to respect that attitude. I think this is going to be a terrific series, and am extremely eager for the next one.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/homemaker-by-ruthie-knox-and-annie-mare/

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/last-day-for-these-deals/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=147002

Some of these discounts aren’t as deep as what we’d normally feature, but these are some relatively new releases. According to Amazon, these deals will expire at 11:59pm PDT. It also appears that the sales aren’t being matched across the board.

Earl Crush

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti is $4.99! Many of the Bitchery wase excited for this one when it pubbed in January. It also is in KU, if any of you are subscribers.

In Alexandra Vasti’s newest Regency rom-com, a reclusive earl’s life is turned upside down when a stranger shows up on his doorstep with an astonishing proposal—and an inconvenient connection to espionage.

For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets. And for almost as long, she’s corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch, whose political ambition is matched only by his charm. When Arthur’s latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of—a marriage of convenience. To, um, herself.

Unfortunately, the Earl of Strathrannoch has no idea who she is.

When a bewitching redheaded stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunned—but when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur’s name, he’s bloody furious. He’s content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a provocative, radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn’t.)

But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who’s become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe—even his heart.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Geographer’s Map to Romance

The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton is $4.99! This is book two in the Love’s Academic series and was released in April. Any thoughts on the series so far?

Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her—except her own personal disaster, that Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either—except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They’ve been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn’t stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of England, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there’s no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Immortal

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan is $2.99! This fantasy romance was released in January and was mentioned on Hide Your Wallet. Tan’s books always have beautiful covers.

A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

“What the gods did not give us, I would take.”

As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.

Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.

But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano is $4.99! This is book five in the Finlay Donovan mystery series. I remember enjoying book one! This installment released in March and I do believe these are best read in order.

From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave—the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.
Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there’s not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/last-day-for-these-deals/

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Posted by Lara

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/finders-keepers-by-sarah-adler/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=145845

A

Finders Keepers

by Sarah Adler
June 24, 2025 · Berkley
Mystery/Thriller

I picked this book up only because I loved Adler’s second book, Happy Medium. (I haven’t read her first yet) For this book, I didn’t feel particularly moved by the blurb. I wasn’t interested in anything to do with a treasure hunt and second chance romance is usually a turn off for me. Yet I still picked this book up and I am so very glad I did. This ended up being a Bad Decisions Book Club for me and an easy A.

Nina’s life fell to bits. Her promised permanent position at a college in Boston didn’t materialise and so she’s unemployed. She breaks up with her boyfriend because she realises that he doesn’t actually love her and she doesn’t have a place to stay because she was due to move in with her boyfriend and had given up the lease on her own place. So she ends up back home in a small town in Maryland living in her childhood bedroom. Nina is rudderless and so so lost.

But so is her childhood neighbour. Quentin had been living in Paris with his fiancee when his life imploded, so he’s back home as well, living on the other side of the duplex Nina’s parents live in. Nina and Quentin’s bedrooms share a wall and have windows very close together. Nina and Quentin haven’t spoken in 17 years until they are reunited by these circumstances. They had been the closest of friends, until things went wrong in their teens and Quentin moved away and cut contact with Nina.

Quentin and Nina start talking again tentatively, but there are so many hurt feelings to navigate. The conversations are fraught. Quentin suggests that they restart the treasure hunt they began as teens. Incidentally, it’s also the reason that their friendship ended. Drawn to each other, they nonetheless decide to go ahead with it, even if only for the monetary reward that Quentin says is still available.

The treasure hunt was set up by an eccentric seltzer magnate in the 1930s and no one had solved it in the intervening 100-odd years. As far as the treasure hunt goes, I enjoyed the clues and the process Quentin and Nina go through to try and solve it. There are hijinks and searches and library time. All very enjoyable to read about.

But if you guessed that the real gold lay in the emotional archeology they engage in, then you’d be right. Very slowly, they extend olive branches towards each other. It’s not all smooth reconnection, though. There are bumps in their road back to each other, but inexorably they move closer together, slowly like two magnets entrapped in the mud of the past, nonetheless drawn to each other. The emotions are so rich and full and real that it makes for a very fulfilling read.

There is a bleak moment in this book that a) really works and b) totally surprised me. I was sure this was going to be one of those books that just cruised towards a HEA, but things fall apart for our heroes in a surprising way.

I also really enjoyed reading about characters comfortably in their 30s. They’ve lived full lives and bring a lot to the table in terms of experience. Nina, in particular though, is lost. With her career on the rocks, she’s not at all sure what she should be doing next. She feels like a tremendous failure returning to her parents with her tail between her legs. She thought she was better than this small town, but the town surprises her with the ways in which it has changed.

The writing in this book is also really immersive and easy to get lost in. So often there would be sections that would make me gasp with delight because they were written so well. This is just one of them:

Just because we’ve made a deal to continue our search for Fountain’s treasure doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what happened. It just means I’m willing to bury it back down in the deep, dark underbrush of my heart where it dwelled quite contently before Quentin’s sudden reappearance so rudely flushed it out from its hiding place.

Why is this book an A for me? First, for the myriad reasons I mention above. But also because I stayed up LATE reading this thing. I kept fighting sleep to try and get just one more page read. For context, my baby is now only waking once at night (okay, sometimes twice) so there was definitely the potential for me to get some good rest, but no! While she slumbered peacefully, I read voraciously. I would also periodically slam the book down on the bed and exclaim to my partner that this was Such a Good Book. I did this a number of times. These are my indicators that a book is something special. I heartily recommend this book to the Bitchery – it’s excellent!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/finders-keepers-by-sarah-adler/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=reviews&p=145845

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-92/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146972

Welcome back, everyone!

There’s only one non-fiction title this time. That’s practically unheard of with Get Rec’d. There’s also a graphic novel, another romance author dabbling in mystery, and a historical romance with a bit of a twist. Can’t wait to hear what people think of that one in particular.

Do you have any recommendations you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments!

Detective Aunty

So many romance authors are writing romantic mysteries or going full tilt into the mystery genre. Jalaludding, whose romances we’ve enjoyed, has written a senior sleuth mystery.

When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit—the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last.

After her husband’s unexpected death eighteen months ago, Kausar Khan never thought she’d receive another phone call as heartbreaking—until her thirty-something daughter, Sana, phones to say that she’s been arrested for killing the unpopular landlord of her clothing boutique. Determined to help her child, Kausar heads to Toronto for the first time in nearly twenty years.

Returning to the Golden Crescent suburb where she raised her children and where her daughter still lives, Kausar finds that the thriving neighborhood she remembered has changed. The murder of Sana’s landlord is only the latest in a wave of local crimes which have gone unsolved.

And the facts of the case are Sana found the man dead in her shop at a suspiciously early hour, with a dagger from her windowfront display plunged in his chest. And Kausar—a woman with a keen sense of observation and deep wisdom honed by her years—senses there’s more to the story than her daughter is telling.

With the help of some old friends and her plucky teenage granddaughter, Kausar digs into the investigation to uncover the truth. Because who better to pry answers from unwilling suspects than a meddlesome aunty? But even Kausar can’t predict the secrets, lies, and betrayals she finds along the way…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Otter and the Officer

I discovered this book while looking at something related to historical romances and I just had to mention it to the Bitchery. It’s a Regency romance where the main couple are otter shifters.

When an otter shifter returns from war to find the love of his life betrothed to another, he becomes determined to win her back.

Georgiana believed she’d marry Henry since the day she understood what it meant. But when he goes away to war, she watched that dream slip away.

After two years away, Henry returns to find Georgiana engaged, and that winning her back might not be as easy as he first thought.

Can the two otter shifters find a way back to one another?

The Otter and the Officer is a paranormal Regency romance with otter shifters, betrayal, childhood sweethearts, and a secret baby. It is part of the Shifter Season series and includes a sweet m/f romance.

If you love shifters combined with courtship, formal balls, witty courtships, and all the trappings of a Regency setting, you should start The Shifter Season series today!

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Planeta

I saw this on an IG friend’s stories and added it to my TBR pile because 1) it sounds interesting and 2) I liked the art style and coloring. They’re also a commenter here on the site; sound off in the comments if you’d like! You know who you are!

Welcome to Planeta. For months, Valentina has been dreaming of a strange world and a beautiful girl. In her dreams, she’s Val3, and she and An3 live together on a lonely planet in a distant future, entirely unlike the picturesque village where Valentina resides in her waking life. One fateful day, Val’s world gets turned upside down when the girl from her dreams appears in front of her as Anne. While Valentina and Val3 grapple for control of their respective realities, the question of which is real threatens to derail the course of both their love stories. In either world, can anyone really be made for each other…?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog

The blurb by Mary Roach is pretty on the nose, given that this book certainly feels like some of Roach’s scientific deep dives. If you liked those or just love quirky science nonfiction, check this one out.

A brilliant new voice in science writing—”witty, whip-smart, truly one of our best” (Mary Roach)—shows why playfulness and curiosity are the key to science

Why would anyone research how elephants pee? Or study worms who tie themselves into a communal knot? Or quantify the squishability of a cockroach? It all sounds pointless, silly, or even disgusting.

Maybe it is. But in The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog, Carly Anne York shows how unappreciated, overlooked, and simply curiosity-driven science has led to breakthroughs big and small. Got wind power? You might have humpback whales to thank. Know anything about particle physics? Turns out there is a ferret close to the heart of it all. And if you want to keep salmon around, be thankful for that cannon! The research itself can seem bizarre. But it drives our economy. And what’s more, this stuff is simply cool.

York invites readers to appreciate the often unpredictable journey of scientific exploration, highlighting that the heart of science lies in the relentless pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Emphasizing the hard work of the people behind the discoveries, this is an accessible, story-driven book that shows how important and exciting it is to simply let curiosity run wild.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-92/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146972

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/sunday-sale-digest-36/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146937

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/2025/06/sunday-sale-digest-36/

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books

Kill the Villainess, Vol. 2 by Haegi

The story continues.

( Read more... )

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/book-beat-pickleball-a-bingo-rec-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146905

Book Beat aims to highlight other books that we may hear about through friends, social media, or other sources. We could see a gorgeous ad! Or find a new-to-us author on a list of underrated romances! Think of Book Beat as Teen Beat or Tiger Beat, but for books. And no staples to open to get the fold-out poster.

All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball

Author: Kate Spencer
Released: June 3, 2025 by Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

Pickleball rivalry? Sure. Falling for your fake boyfriend? Now that’s a surprise.

Bex Martin’s racquet club is her entire world. But the business she inherited from her mother has started to feel more like a sinking ship. That is, until Nikolaus Karras—a former tennis bad-boy with an ego as big as his serve—makes himself at home on her courts.

Niko has something to prove, and a high-stakes pickleball tournament is just what he needs to get back in the game after a career-ending injury. When he is finally able to set his ego aside to ask for Bex’s help, everyone assumes that they are a couple—on and off the court.

But she needs the prize money to save the club, and he needs a win to restore his reputation. So now they have a fake relationship as well as a doubles partner that they can’t seem to resist. Game on!

I’m honestly confounded by the pickleball craze, but this book would work for SBTB Summer Bingo if you’re looking for a sport that isn’t hockey, American football, or baseball.

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Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

Love on the Air

Author: Ash London
Released: April 1, 2025 by Allen & Unwin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

A vibrant enemies-to-lovers romance full of radio drama and unexpected love stories, from beloved radio presenter and podcaster Ash London.

‘The best read-in-the-bath love story.’ Kate Langbroek

‘Will blow you away … beautifully (and accurately) written.’ Fifi Box

Radio young gun Alex York is used to knowing – and getting – exactly what she wants.

But when she blows up her glamorous career and retreats to a tropical island, for the first time in her life she has no plan, no prospects and, increasingly, no money.

Lured back to the real world by the breakfast radio gig of a lifetime, she promises herself she’ll never let anyone throw her off course again – not her patronisingly old-school CEO, her network arch-nemesis or even her unexpectedly attractive new boss …

Laugh-out-loud funny and bursting with heart, Love on the Air is a deliciously escapist rom-com set in the dazzling world of commercial radio and celebrity musicians.

‘Funny and fresh and feisty and fierce and simply fabulous. I couldn’t put it down.’ Kate Langbroek

‘Ash has delivered not only an exceptional story of love but also an intriguing and addictive insight into all the intricate nuances of the media and radio scene … this first novel will blow you away. It’s beautifully (and accurately) written. Congratulations Ash – you’ve nailed it.’ Fifi Box

Another Bingo rec! If you need a “character working in audio” book for the SBTB Summer Romance Bingo, this would fit the bill.

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Magic in the Melanin

Author: The Melanin Library
Released: February 18, 2025 by Written in Melanin Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

In this anthology, everybody is Black.

Filled with epic battles, complicated families, soft kisses, and sharpened blades, Magic in the Melanin is an adult fantasy anthology that showcases Black authors who write magical stories of all kinds. Featuring full-page artwork to accompany your adventure through the pages, this anthology is what fantasy looks like when Blackness is centered and the imaginations of Black creators are unhindered. Dive into these stories and discover countless worlds where magic is truly in the melanin.

The proceeds from this anthology will go to supporting the Melanin Library, an online database of books written by Black authors. Share and support to ensure the library remains a free resource for everyone.

A whole fantasy anthology with Black characters written by Black authors. Saw this one on L. Penelope’s website.

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Want to order this one? We’ve got the links you need!.

Renegade Girls

Author: Nora Neus
Released: April 1, 2025 by Little, Brown Ink
Genre: Historical: American, Graphic Novel, LGBTQIA, Young Adult

“Direct but not too heavy, bright with color and gentle in tone, Neus’s graphic novel is an absolute dream of an afternoon read.” — The New York Times

A swoonworthy queer romance set against a riveting story of social change in the 1880s, this historical graphic novel reimagines the life of America’s first stunt girl—a young undercover reporter—and her whirlwind summer of romance and fighting injustice.

Seventeen-year-old Helena “Nell” Cusack came to New York this summer looking for a story—a real story. She dreams of one day writing hard-hitting articles for the New York Chronicle, but so far she’s only managed to land a job as a lowly society reporter. That is, until Alice Austen strolls into her life, an audacious street photographer who encourages Nell to shake up polite society…and maybe also take a chance on love.

When her best friend, Lucia, is injured while working in a garment factory, Nell is determined to crack the story wide open. Posing as a seamstress, she reports on the conditions from the inside, making a name for herself as the Chronicle’s first ever stunt girl. But as Nell’s reporting gains momentum, so do the objections of those who oppose her. Will Nell continue to seek justice—even if it hurts her in the end?

Based on real-life stunt girl Nell Nelson and photographer Alice Austen, this tenderly drawn narrative is about bringing buried stories to light and the bravery of first love.

Sarah posted this in the SBTB slack! It’s a queer YA historical fiction graphic novel. The graphic novel space for YA and middle grade readers has an abundance of options.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Find buy links for this book here..

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/book-beat-pickleball-a-bingo-rec-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146905

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/f-f-romance-sci-fi-and-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146886

Real Men Knit

RECOMMENDED: Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson is $1.99! Shana and Carrie jointly reviewed this one and gave it a B:

This is a character-focused book and is all about the romance between Jesse and Kerry, as well as the importance of family, friendship, and community. Also there’s a lot of knitting.

When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop.

Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans for what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store. Jesse wants to keep the store open. His brothers want to tie off loose ends and close shop….

Part-time shop employee Kerry Fuller has kept her crush on Jesse a secret. When she overhears his impassioned plea to his brothers to keep the knitting shop open, she volunteers to help. Unlike Jesse, Kerry knows the “knitty-gritty” of the business, and together they make plans to reinvent Strong Knits for a new generation.

But the more time they spend together, the stronger the chemistry builds between them. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe their relationship can last longer than she can knit one, purl two. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her forever and always. After all, real men knit.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

RECOMMENDED: Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters is $2.99! Both Tara and Shana reviewed this one and gave it an A:

Shana: I stayed up late reading Satisfaction Guaranteed because I just couldn’t put it down. This book reminded me why I love contemporary romances—experiencing the heady rush of falling in love through characters that feel so real, they could walk off the page and into one of my dinner parties. Reading this brought me such joy.

Opposites attract in this playful and laugh-out-loud rom-com from Lambda Award finalist Karelia Stetz-Waters.

Cade Elgin has a life and career in New York City, and she’s determined to get back to both as soon as possible after her aunt’s funeral in Portland. However, when she unexpectedly inherits her aunt’s sex toy store — and has to save it from foreclosure — Cade realizes she’s not going anywhere. But making Share the Love profitable won’t be as easy as Cade had hoped. Her new partner has an infuriating lack of business sense, and an infuriating ability to turn Cade on.

Selena Mathis knows that nothing is more important than saving Share the Love. Not her pride, not her inconvenient attraction toward her new business partner. Cade may be more buttoned-up than Selena usually goes for, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know how to turn the store around. But the more they work together, the harder it becomes for Selena to ignore her growing feelings for Cade. And she starts to wonder if there is something more important than saving Share the Love.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Fortune’s Pawn

Fortune’s Pawn by Rachel Bach is $2.99! Catch this one as part of today’s Kindle Daily Deals. This is a scifi novel by the pen name of Rachel Aaron. It has some strong romantic elements and, in the past, I’ve heard it described as Kate Daniels in space.

Devi Morris isn’t your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It’s a combination that’s going to get her killed one day – but not just yet.

That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn’t misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she’s found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn’t give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.

If Sigouney Weaver in Alien met Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica, you’d get Deviana Morris — a hot new mercenary earning her stripes to join an elite fighting force. Until one alien bite throws her whole future into jeopardy.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Dungeons and Drama

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce is $2.99! This is a YA romance with fake dating between two cute gaming nerds. I also think this cover is really joyful and adorable.

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she’s grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can’t waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan’s Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she would’ve thought…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/06/f-f-romance-sci-fi-and-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=146886

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Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/672-part-iii-of-a-soul-to-keep-with-heaving-bosoms/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=146686

A | BN

Every now and again, I get to do a crossover episode with the Heaving Bosoms podcast. We pick a truly bonkers sexy book, and recap it across two shows. In this case – it’s three shows.

Hi Heaving Bosoms listeners! I’m so happy you’re here!

This time, Melody asked if I had any suggestions for a title. YES I DID. A Soul to Keep: Duskwalker Brides: Book One by Opal Reyne ( A | BN ) was taking up a LOT of room in my brain and I needed to discuss it with someone. Thank goodness Melody emailed me.

So, first, THIS IS SO NSFW. Seriously.

Second, if you want the full recap, check out Heaving Bosoms part 1 and 2 this week, and join us for part three here.

Listen to the podcast →

Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

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!