Meg Cabot, Queer Romance, & More
Sep. 12th, 2025 03:30 pm![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
smartbitches_feedManic Pixie Dream Earl
Manic Pixie Dream Earl by Jenny Holiday is $1.99! I’m hoping this one isn’t an expiring deal. Fingers crossed! It came out this spring and I know many of you were excited for it.
Ted Lasso meets Bridgerton for a 19th century spin on The Hangover in USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday’s laugh-out-loud bromantic comedy featuring three Regency-era Earls on their annual trip—ride-or-die buddies offering one another unconditional support in everything from Lady problems to family woes—especially when this trip is crashed by one earl’s pen pal. The complicated fallout from his alter ego being exposed may just be the most challenging problem the boys have to solve yet!
From the author of CANADIAN BOYFRIEND, the perfect romp for fans of Evie Dunmore, India Holton, Virginia Heath, Manda Collins, and Suzanne Allain!
An annual earls’ trip should provide an escape from a gentleman’s cares, but in this refreshingly modern Regency-era series, three handsome BFFs find that wherever they go, romantic complications follow . . .
When not writing, poet Edward Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, spends his time fending off the young ladies of the ton—and some of its young men—and avoiding his cruel father. As heir to the earldom, Edward knows he must marry someday. Alas, he is already hopelessly in love with someone. Hopeless because not only is Miss Julianna Evans not a member of the aristocracy, she is employed. She is a magazine editor—the only one to publish his work. Also, in all their years of increasingly personal correspondence, they’ve never met.
Also, she thinks he’s a woman. Named Euphemia.
Julianna is baffled. How can her soul mate not want to meet? Could it be that Euphemia is not the simple country girl she claims to be? Perhaps she’s wealthy. After all, she’s never cashed any of the bank drafts Julianna has sent. Perhaps Euphemia simply doesn’t want rank to come between them. Well, no more. Having extracted the details of a trip Euphemia is planning, Julianna squanders her meager savings and surprises her at the scene.
He is very, very surprised. As is she.
Now the two will have to decide what is true, what is not, and whether the truest thing of all—love—just might be worth an earldom . . .
The House at Watch Hill
The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This is a Gothic romance and the first in a trilogy. Elyse mentioned this in a previous Whatcha Reading.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets…
Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.
Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.
Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…
What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.
And They Were Roommates
And They Were Roommates by Page Powars is $1.99! This is a YA (perhaps bordering on NA?) where the main characters are roommates at a boys academy. The title made me laugh, though I feel like the statement is often levied at women who were “best friends” and roommates. Maybe I’m wrong!
You can’t resist this hilarious, unputdownable second-chance-romance about the most unlikely, gay roommate mishap.
Romance is the last thing on Charlie’s mind.
On his first day at Valentine Academy for Boys, Charlie’s carefully crafted plan to hide his identity as the school’s only trans student is set in motion. Only to be immediately destroyed. Charlie has been assigned the worst roommate in the world (possibly the universe): Jasper Grimes, the boy who broke Charlie’s heart the year before he transitioned.
Except, Jasper doesn’t recognize Charlie.
Who knows how long until Jasper realizes the truth? Charlie has one shot at freedom and a dorm room all to himself, but only if he helps Jasper write love letters on behalf of their fellow students first. No problem. Charlie can help Jasper with some silly letters.
Long nights spent discussing deep romantic feelings with Jasper? Surely, no unintended consequences will arise…
Enchanted to Meet You
Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This is book one in The Witches of West Harbor small town paranormal romance series. Have you read this one?
It’s Magic When You Meet Your Match
In her teenage years, lovelorn Jessica Gold cast a spell that went disastrously wrong, and brought her all the wrong kind of attention—as well as a lifetime ban from the World Council of Witches.
So no one is more surprised than Jess when, fifteen years later, tall, handsome WCW member Derrick Winters shows up in her quaint little village of West Harbor and claims that Jess is the Chosen One.
She’s the Chosen One
Not chosen by West Harbor’s snobby elite to style them for the town’s tricentennial ball—though Jess owns the chicest clothing boutique in town. And not chosen finally to be on the WCW, either—not that Jess would have said yes, anyway, since she’s done with any organization that tries to dictate what makes a “true” witch.
No, Jess has been chosen to help save West Harbor itself . . .
As Summer Ends, Her Power Grows
But just when Jess is beginning to think that she and Derrick might have a certain magic of their own—and not of the supernatural variety—Jess learns he may not be who she thought he was.
And suddenly Jess finds herself having to make another kind of choice: trust Derrick and work with him to combat the sinister force battling to bring down West Harbor, or use her gift as she always has: to keep herself, and her heart, safe.
Can she work her magic in time?
Teaching Tools
Sep. 12th, 2025 01:00 pmcakewrecks_feed An Educational Overview from Cake Wrecks
aka
Grammar time! (Can't wreck this! Whoah-OH!)
Students, today we're going to look at how your lessons apply in the real world. Pay attention, because the pop quiz starts...now.
It's quite common for people to confuse "you're" and "your." Here's a simple way to remember which is witch:
This is wrong:
...because it raises the question, "Your old WHAT?"
This is correct:
Although it should be noted that owning an old Kurt in this day and age will never be "right."
Here's another proper usage you high schoolers may find more relevant:
Next, this rhyme can really come in handy for your spelling skills:
"I before E except after C..."
"but not in the words 'Tigers'...
"'their'...
"Or 'anniversary!'"
Quotation marks are vital for indicating when you're quoting someone verbatim or just being really, really sarcastic:
*Asterisks often denote footnotes, albeit sometimes invisible ones. Invisible footnotes are the work of the Knights Templar, and should be reported to Dan Brown "immediately."
A homonym (n) is each of two different words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, spellings, or both.
For example, "here" is where we are now:
While "hear" is what we do with our ears:
Next time we'll also discuss properly distinguishing your cursive "w"s from your "m"s.
Luckily, putting the proper endings on number contractions like first, second and third is as easy as 1th, 2th, 3th!
Well, I'm sure this lesson has been super helpful, students, so for your homework I want you all to show your teacher what you've just learned with an informative drawing. Bonus points if you use sprinkles. Or bring cake to class. Or write a sonnet entitled, "Why Jen from Cake Wrecks Deserves an Honorary PhD and also a Working Proton Pack, If Possible."
Now, chop chop!
Oh, and next week: biology!
Thanks to Ruth, Shane S., Gal N., Beth N., Brandi H., Amy S., Carla D., Margaret J., Maria R., Sarah R., Christina M., Nicole S., Michele T., & Jess for believing the children are our future. And for teaching them "well" and letting them lead the weigh.
*****
P.S. Teachers, if your classrooms need any more fun artwork I've got just the set for you:
Sweetzer & Orange Set of 13 Posters for Middle and High School Classroom
I especially like how they're all spelled correctly. :D (I think my favorite is "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." So many good ones, though.)
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
684. Thief of Night with Holly Black
Sep. 12th, 2025 06:00 amsmartbitches_feedWe start right off by talking about creepy places – like, what kind of magic comes out of Jersey?
Then we talk about world building, starting with atmosphere instead of plot, and the intricacies of shadow magic in her duology. Plus, we squee about books we’ve loved, magic powers we wish we had, and Kelly Clarkson.
Truly, if you’re writing romance, this episode contains many pieces of advice and perspective – it’s a banger.
Remember: you can’t hide from your own secrets.
Listen to the podcast →Read the transcript →
Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:
You can find Holly Black at her website, BlackHolly.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, and on Instagram.
We also mentioned:
- Drowned Towns
- Lost towns of the Quabbin reservoir
- Holly Black in People Magazine
- Holly Black on The Kelly Clarkson Show
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.
Thanks to our sponsors:
More ways to sponsor:
Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)
What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.
Thanks for listening!
Podcast Sponsor
Support for this episode comes from The Spite Date by Pippa Grant – a hilarious romcom featuring a golden retriever celebrity who needs to get out of his own way, a woman trying to live her best life even if she’s not sure exactly how to do that, and a series of plans gone very, very wrong.
Here’s the Cover Copy:
I might be the only person not obsessed with Simon Luckwood, Hollywood’s hottest leading man and the newest part-time resident of my little hometown.
I don’t trust the way he’s always smiling. No one smiles that much.
And I’m clearly missing something, because I don’t get why the character Simon played on his weird hit TV show is so popular.
But revenge is a dish best served cold, just like the dishes on the menu at the restaurant my ex stole from me. So, when Simon feels guilty enough about his twin teenage boys accidentally getting me arrested that he wants to take me out on an apology date?
I see a perfect opportunity to get mine.
One night, one date, one very loud public scene at my ex’s grand opening, and then I can wash my hands of men forever.
That’s exactly how it has to go. Because my life can’t handle one more plot twist…
Reviews from readers are very positive!
MaddMoxie says, “This book was a total win for me – the kind you inhale in one night and then stumble through the next day running purely on caffeine and zero regrets. I cackled so hard i woke my husband at least a dozen times, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
And GetLitwithAshleyZ says, “This book was AMAZING!!! It’s the kind of book you binge and then have a book hangover the next day. Totally worth it!”
Your good book hangover comes in different format options, too: The ebook will be in Kindle Unlimited, while the paperback has sprayed edges, illustrated endpapers and custom chapter headings. Plus, the audiobook features duet narration by Will Watt and Callie Dalton.
The Spite Date by Pippa Grant is out now, and you can find your copy where you like to buy books. Visit PippaGrant.com for more information.
Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Horror, Contemporary Romances, & More
Sep. 11th, 2025 03:30 pmsmartbitches_feedUnder Loch and Key
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson is $1.99! This came out last December. I remember reading this one and found it had a little too much going on for me.
A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.
Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.
Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.
When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.
A Lady’s Guide to Scandal
A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin is $1.99! I think this deal is only available at Amazon, but that may expire soon. Have you read this one?
When shy Miss Eliza Balfour married the austere Earl of Somerset, twenty years her senior, it was the match of the season–no matter that he was not the husband Eliza would have chosen.
But ten years later, Eliza is widowed. And at eight and twenty years, she is suddenly left titled, rich, and, for the first time in her life, utterly in control of her own future. Instead of living out her mourning quietly, Eliza heads to Bath with her cousin Margaret. After years of living according to everyone else’s rules, Eliza has resolved, at last, to do as she wants.
But when the ripples of the dowager Lady Somerset’s behavior reach the new Lord Somerset—whom Eliza knew, once, as a younger woman—Eliza is forced to confront the fact that freedom does not come without consequences, though it also brings unexpected opportunities . . .
32 Days in May
32 Days in May by Betty Corrello is $1.99! Elyse recommended this one on a Rec League for Grumpy/Sunshine Romances with Grumpy Heroines. She also mentioned that the heroine has a chronic illness.
Return to the Jersey Shore with a new romance by Summertime Punchline author Betty Corrello in which a young woman recently diagnosed with lupus attempts a no-strings fling with a former television star, perfect for readers of Elissa Sussman or Tia Williams.
Nadia Fabiola wants to lose herself in Evergreen—the Jersey Shore town where she grew up vacationing with her family—and never look back at her glamorous, gainfully employed former self. After a shocking lupus diagnosis turned her life upside down, she’s desperate for a sense of control over her body, her life, and her mental health. Nadia plans on keeping her life small and boring, while continuing to ignore her sister’s relentless questioning.
Nadia’s sister isn’t the only person worried about her. When her rheumatologist not-so-subtly sets her up with his infamous former-actor cousin, Marco Antoniou, Nadia is skeptical. But Marco is gorgeous—despite carrying his own baggage from a very public burnout. After a messy (but fun) first date, they decide that a May-long fling could be just what the doctor no commitment, no strings, just one month of escape.
Their undeniable chemistry starts to feel a lot like something more and while Marco pulls Nadia deeper into his life, she is dead set on keeping her diagnosis from him. But there are only so many days in May, and only so much pretending she can do. As the stress of their whirlwind romance takes its toll on Nadia’s health, she’s forced to decide if a chance at love is worth the risk of trusting someone new.
Travel from the Jersey Shore to Rome and back in this delightfully funny, beautifully honest exploration of love, intimacy, and vulnerability while living with a chronic illness.
The Starving Saints
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling is $1.99! I mentioned this horror novel on a previous Hide Your Wallet post. If you’re looking to stock up on spooky reads, maybe grab this one.
From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing, intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror.
Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months. Food is running low and there has been no sign of rescue. But just as the survivors consider deliberately thinning their number, the castle stores are replenished. The sick are healed. And the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints have arrived, despite the barricaded gates, offering succor in return for adoration.
Soon, the entire castle is under the sway of their saviors, partaking in intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. The war hero Ser Voyne gives her allegiance to the Constant Lady. Phosyne, a disorganized, paranoid nun-turned-sorceress, races to unravel the mystery of these new visitors and exonerate her experiments as their source. And in the bowels of the castle, a serving girl, Treila, is torn between her thirst for a secret vengeance against Voyne and the desperate need to escape from the horrors that are unfolding within Aymar’s walls.
As the castle descends into bacchanalian madness—forgetting the massed army beyond its walls in favor of hedonistic ecstasy—these three women are the only ones to still see their situation for what it is. But they are not immune from the temptations of the castle’s new masters… or each other; and their shifting alliances and entangled pasts bring violence to the surface. To save the castle, and themselves, will take a reimagining of who they are, and a reorganization of the very world itself.
The Best Return For Your Money
Sep. 11th, 2025 01:00 pmcakewrecks_feedSpacing: The FINAL frontier.
These are the travesties of the bakers-who-don't-plan-ahead-well.
Plus the ones who like to center-justify their text so each line only has four letters each, because, yeah, THAT makes sense.
(Great. Now I really want there to be a band named the Cong Rats.)
Or how about just three letters each?
Que?
I know how those long words can sneak up on you, bakers, but the important thing is to make sure everything is legible and spelled correctly:
Oooh, so close.
Less close.
You're kidding, right?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE??
Ahem.
Then there are the bakers who get their spacing right, but throw in a dash anyway:
Dash it all!
And, uh, this person:
Oooh, if only there'd been more space for the baker to work with!
And finally, there are the bakers who are just batpoop insane:
Forget the writing - I want to know what that drippy brown spot is.
Or...do I?
o.0
Thanks to Krissy K.,
Christine D.,
Justine J.,
Chris & Jessica,
Deborah B., Carl J., Marina C., Angela W., Bronwyn G., & Angie W. for really exploring the
bakery space.
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible by Ros Ballaster
Sep. 11th, 2025 08:00 amsmartbitches_feed
B-
Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible
by Ros Ballastar
September 11, 2025 · Macmillan Collector's Library
Nonfiction
Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible is a great gift book for a very specific reader. They must be sufficiently interested in Jane Austen’s work to want a book which combines excerpts from Austen with Regency era fashion plates from La Belle Assemblee, a periodical that published its first issue in 1806. But they also have just the right level of interest – too much, and this book will leave them feeling cheated of more information.
This book has an interesting introduction which explains the history of the magazine La Belle Assemblee. It goes on to pair excerpts from Austen’s books with fashion plates from the magazine.
My issue with this book is the lack of detail – but then, I’m a reader who wants a lot of details. I wanted to read about fabrics, and undergarments, and stockings, and how clothing was adjusted for pregnancy, and what working classes wore, and whether or not women really did get their ballgowns wet as a means to increase their transparency. This is not that book.
However, it is a lovely book for someone who just wants a surface-level look at what women were wearing during the Regency period, and the fashion plates are truly beautiful. I also liked the glossary. This book would make a nice gift for anyone who isn’t really deep into history or costuming, and even then, they might like the plates.
At Least One Underlying Condition [Covid, US, Patreon]
Sep. 11th, 2025 03:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
siderea0.
Hey, Americans! Look sharp, the Trump Administration is trying to play a head game on you about Covid vaccines, and it's apparently working, because I see nobody talking about this in the news or on social media.
There's a lot of complexity and chaos right now about what is available to whom and how to get it. Things are changing fast, especially on the state level. I hope to discuss it in another post, but there's one thing in particular I want to clarify for you.
As you've probably heard, week and a half ago, the FDA changed the authorization for the Covid vaccines, in a way which curtails access. The thing that people are hearing is that for people under 65 years old the Covid vaccines are not authorized with some exceptions.
That's technically correct, but badly misleading. A lot of people hear "not authorized" and stop really listening to the rest of the sentence. They hear "with some exceptions" and assume they're not likely to be one such, and won't qualify to get it, and tune right out.
To be cynical for a moment, you're meant to assume that.
But it turns out you're one of the exceptions. Probably. How can I know that?
The actual language from the FDA authorization just issued ( Read more [2,750 words] )
This post brought to you by the 218 readers who funded my writing it – thank you all so much! You can see who they are at my Patreon page. If you're not one of them, and would be willing to chip in so I can write more things like this, please do so there.
Please leave comments on the Comment Catcher comment, instead of the main body of the post – unless you are commenting to get a copy of the post sent to you in email through the notification system, then go ahead and comment on it directly. Thanks!
Weird Interaction with Local Politician
Sep. 10th, 2025 09:22 pmbenign_cremator posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
davis_squareSo, when I looked into things, none of that was true. I was not declared inactive, G___ did not have their address changed to an old one within the previous month, and candidates can not update election commission records with a phone app**. All of it was a lie.
** There is a phone app that shows them the names, addresses, etc, but it only displays information, it does not have the ability to alter any of it.
Interesting app for Android [tech]
Sep. 10th, 2025 05:14 pmsidereaI just discovered the Android app "Periodically". It's described as an "event logger". It's for keeping track of when a recurring thing has happened, and figuring out what the average time is between occurrences. You just keep it updated each time the event happens, and it will do the math for you to figure out the frequency, and even give you a notification when it predicts the event is likely to happen again. If you're tracking more than one thing, it will try to suss out correlations for you.
I mention because twenty five years ago or so, I needed exactly this functionality and could not find any application that would do what I needed, so I wrote a thing for myself, and since then a lot of people I've mentioned it to have wondered where they can get one like it. Mine was Mac/Palm Pilot, so not of much use to most people, especially these days.
Lo, somebody seems to have realized the need for this functionality, and brought it to the market. So I thought I'd mention.
Now, in this day and age, a lot of people, especially in the US, are concerned with security. Especially if they're tracking something to do with their health. This app is not specific to health, so nothing about it immediately reveals that it is storing health information on casual inspection; you could use some sort of other term for whatever health condition it is you are actually tracking. So, for instance, If you were tracking how often your migraines happened, you could call that "new box of cereal".
This app defaults to local-only data storage on your Android device, and the developer claims that it only collects "app activity" for analytics, and shares nothing with third parties. It outputs CSV and has an option to back up to Google Drive.
I haven't tried it myself, but it has a rating of 4.6 stars out of five on the Play Store.
Reviewers on the Play Store note that tracker apps that are specific to the kind of event – such as health- specific loggers – often have needless complexity, and often some weird ideas about graphic design. They praise this app for its clean, elegant look and simple, effective functionality.
In addition to its obvious applicability to episodic health conditions, it strikes me as potentially extremely useful in one of the trickier parts of prepping: figuring out one's burn rate of resources. I think I might trial it to help me figure out how often I should expect to have to buy a fresh bale of toilet paper and how long the big bottle of ibuprofen will last me.
Links: Crochet Patterns, Soap Operas, & More
Sep. 10th, 2025 06:00 pmsmartbitches_feed
Hello and happy Wednesday!
What a week! I’ll be bopping around Disney next week to attend a giant pin trading event and partake in the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. I’m so stoked. I feel like my last vacation was to South Korea over a year ago.
Doesn’t it feel great to have a big thing to look forward to? (Even if it means the time crawls by.)
Any exciting plans on the horizon for you all?
…
Sarah: I’m going to be in conversation this week with Sara Raasch to celebrate the launch of The Entanglement of Rival Wizards! Friday, September 12 at Friends and Lovers in Alexandria, VA – the event might be sold out, but if you have a ticket, please come say hi to me. I’d be delighted to meet you.
…
From Jen: A friend of mine just introduced a project she’s been working on for the past few months: Spinsters Row. “Spinsters Row is a virtual town square that blends e-commerce, original content, community, and narrative world-building.”
The site as a whole is GORGEOUS and worth exploring. (As a reader of and even a one-time contributor to Cover Awe, I say this with my whole chest). BUT, there is a Spinster Archetype quiz that is well-written and so much fun. Definitely a fun link and one that would appeal to the SBTB readers!
Amanda: I can confirm that the site is very fun to explore!
…
These links were sent in by Ellen, who saw an IG reel about those serial soap operas on social media.
There’s also a corresponding article on the Washington Post.
I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of Chinese serial dramas, so this link came at a good time.
…
Looking for a new fall crochet project? The algorithm served me this video for 30+ projects!
…
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!
![Welcome to the Linguistics Department - It has been [2] [DAYS] since someone noticed that the Biology Department sign has a one-day-long singular/plural disagreement after it resets.](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/biology_department.png "Welcome to the Linguistics Department - It has been [2] [DAYS] since someone noticed that the Biology Department sign has a one-day-long singular/plural disagreement after it resets.")
Getting EXACTLY What You Ask For
Sep. 10th, 2025 01:00 pmcakewrecks_feedEver wonder how a wreck gets ordered?
"I'd like a dragon cake, and could you have it breathing flame onto the cake board?"
"...And her name is Jayce. Like Joyce, but with an 'a,' not an 'o.'"
(For the longest time I couldn't figure out what "a-noPanO" meant. Finally I gave up and looked up the original e-mail.)
"Oh, you're writing this down? Great. Just write, 'Good luck, Kim.' And in big letters, could you add 'Have fun!' on the form, too? Thanks!"
"I'd like it to say, 'Thank you, Lord.' Just put 'Thank you' on one side of the cross, and 'Lord' on the other."
(I don't think the wreckerator understands the true gravity of this situation.)
"I'd like it to have 'Happy Birthday, Dad,' and under that a king of hearts playing card."
It turns out that in this bakery, a picture is only worth five words.
Thanks to Abigail, Jim K., Nikolaos J., Misty K., & Kelly C., who was secretly hoping for an "Under Neat That" on the last cake. Weren't you, Kelly? It's ok, you can admit it; I was, too.
******
P.S. Here's a (hilarious) reminder that English is almost as confusing as these cakes:
P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever
******
And from my other blog, Epbot:
F/F Romances, Paranormal, & More
Sep. 10th, 2025 03:30 pmsmartbitches_feedLove in Focus
Love in Focus by Lyla Lee is $2.99! This came out in May and was mentioned on Dahlia’s monthly queer romance roundup. I also believe this is Lee’s adult romance debut.
When her seven-year long relationship suddenly falls apart, relationship advice columnist Gemma Cho is convinced that real love doesn’t exist. As a bisexual woman who’s had zero luck with both men and women, she’s ready to give up on her own romantic prospects when she gets paired up with Celeste Min, a world-renowned photographer, on a highly visual, potentially career-saving piece on modern love.
Celeste is extremely talented, sexy, and gay, and would be the perfect collaborator and rebound for Gemma if it weren’t for one major fact: she’s Gemma’s ex, the one that broke her heart in college and moved to a whole another country before Gemma could even make sense of what went wrong between them. Despite working on a project together about what constitutes love and romance in the modern age, when it comes to their own affairs, both Gemma and Celeste are tripping over each other’s feet…and into each other’s arms.
Heightened by their shared love for love and the unmistakable sparks that still fly between them, Gemma and Celeste struggle to keep their relationship strictly professional. For the sake of her career, Gemma needs this piece to do well. And for the sake of what’s left of her beaten up hopeless romantic heart, she wants to fall head over heels for Celeste again. But can she trust Celeste to feel the same this time around?
LOVE IN FOCUS is a second chance sapphic rom com that will appeal to fans of THE BOLD TYPE and DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE.
Big Name Fan
Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is $3.99! This also had a mention in Dahlia’s monthly queer roundup posts. The main characters used to play detectives on a TV show and come back together to do a reunion special.
Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer aren’t detectives, but they play them on TV. Well, played, past tense. The iconic cult hit that was Craven’s Daughter ended five years ago, and their friendship died along with it. Fans were disappointed that the pair’s legendary chemistry went unfulfilled—and other fans were crushed that the actual spark between actresses Bex and Sam didn’t pay off, either. The network never intended for two women to get romantic, in life or onscreen, despite the fans. But the bigger tragedy was the loss of their dear friend, makeup artist Jen Arnot, whose accidental death cast a pall over the series’ last episodes.
Now the network has decided on a reunion special, and Bex and Sam are thrust together once more as hosts of a rewatch podcast that will feature favorite episodes. Their first guest—a megawatt star who played a murder victim early on—drops a bombshell. Among the millions of pixels of fanfic written about the show online, one truly prolific author, known in the fiction world as the show’s Big Name Fan, was an insider, almost certainly someone from the cast or crew.
As the podcast moves along—and the spark between Bex and Sam threatens to burn down the studio—the pair realize they’re faced with two actual Who is their Big Name Fan? And was Jen’s death an accident, or did someone want her dead? Sifting through clues as they question cast and crew, the duo will need to separate fact from fiction as they make their personal partnership into an unmistakable canon . . .
When Sparks Fly
When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This is a friends to lovers romance with two BFFs who are roommates. I thought this one was just okay, though felt the main characters annoyed me more than usual. Have you read this one?
Impractical Magic
Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire is 99c! This is a small town, grumpy/sunshine romance that might work to ease you into the fall season. Or help you go full steam ahead. We listen and we don’t judge.
The perfect autumn read where Gilmore Girls meets Charmed in a cosy second-chance romance with a sprinkle of magic. Perfect for readers of Pumpkin Spice Café, Erin Sterling and Lana Harper.
In Oak Haven, this witch is about to brew up more trouble than she bargained for…
When Scarlett Melrose receives a call from her estranged sisters, she immediately knows something is wrong. Their mother’s inn has been cursed, and they need her help to save it.
As the conflicted middle-child, returning home is giving Scarlett the heebie jeebies. And to make matters worse, she’s just come face-to-face with charming old flame and handyman, Nate.
When her spell to break the curse goes horribly wrong, all Scarlett wants to do is flee back to the peace and quiet of her San Francisco flat. But she can’t keep running away forever, and she’ll need all the help she can to solve this magical mess.
With time slipping away, Scarlett must learn that sometimes the greatest spells really do come with the greatest responsibility – especially when love is involved…
A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell
Sep. 10th, 2025 06:00 amsmartbitches_feed
This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at _@thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next good freelance job.
…
Joanna Lowell has thoroughly won me over with her fun, warmhearted historicals; A Rare Find continues her adventuresome, spirited tradition, sending her two protagonists through a long journey to find a missing artifact – and perhaps true love, even though they can’t stand one another — at least at first.
Elfreda “Elf” Marsden is an archeologist with an influential father who chooses to mainly ignore her but uses her archeological breakthroughs to advance his reputation. Her dream of unearthing new facts about the Northmen who once roamed Derbyshire seems to be coming true. She plans to prove that the Great Heathen Army camped on her family’s tumbled down estate, and is thrilled to finally discover an amulet that ought to date back to that time period right there in her ancestral mud. Finally, she’ll be able to lead her own dig and prove that her notions about ancient civilizations aren’t foolish and form an identity of her own apart from her dad. She’ll be a Fellow of the Albion Society just like him.
And then her childhood enemy Georgie tries to drown her in the bog she’d been digging about in.
Georgina “Georgie” Redmayne wasn’t actually trying to drown Elf – they thought she was another friend of hers, and merely hoped to dunk Elf under water. But this misunderstanding is cardinal of the rivalry the two of them have had since childhood, when they were neighbors. Georgie had since moved away, but they’ve left London to escape a monumental scandal involving a broken engagement, a reticule crash and a duel. If only the ton knew that they also performed as a man onstage in various theatrical roles to boot. They are bored stiff by country living and would do anything to hie away somewhere lively and modern.
When Georgie dunks Elf, Elfreda loses her grip on the amulet and it tumbles into the bog. Now she needs further evidence of her theory. She realizes that finding a clutch of Viking gold might be her key to proving herself. She offers Georgie a deal: help her search up some gold and she’ll give them the funds they need to get out of Derbyshire. But nothing is as simple as they think it will be, and lust, esteem and attraction soon intervene. Can Georgie settle down? Does Elf want more than to finally make it in the archeology world?
What a delightful romp. This is a little lighter in spirit than A Shore Thing ( A | BN | K | AB ), but carries a sense of effervescent humor to it that’s shared throughout all of Lowell’s work. I loved the slow burn build for the romance between these two, and I loved the peek into Regency-era archeological and theatrical mores.
Georgie is so roguish and zesty: teasing, sensual, but also filled with purpose and self-confidence. They have lived a life far outside of the strictures of the world they and Elf grew up in, but their home is with the serious, determined Elfreda all the same.
Elf has been so wrapped up in her work that she’s barely gotten to live a life for herself. Georgie lifts that lid for her, introduces her to pleasure, shows her the unconditional love others have for her, and makes her reach beyond trying to please her father and living to gain his approval. It’s a coming of age tale for Elf, and one that sees her form a world beyond anything she imagined. Through Elf, the world of archeology in the Regency era is explored, something I greatly enjoyed as I had no prior knowledge as to how that research was conducted back in the day.
The romance is so utterly breathtaking – classic enemies to lovers tropage, but also the deep affinity and support these two find in one another over time is simply delightful. It’s filled with passion and spice, and the sexual combustibility between them is undeniable. When they finally actually kiss — and do more than kiss — I was genuinely moved. They grow together in such a completely wonderful, special way.
All of the supporting characters are great, even Elf’s sometimes nightmarish father. Her sister is a delight, and so are the great garden of friends the two of them share. Even the Marsden family estate – with its collapsing ceilings and its moldering character – adds a fresh spirit to the book.
Joanna Lowell’s novels are like little summer vacations for me, so I’m proud to state I was transported away by this one. A Rare Find gets the highest marks for its solid history, beautiful romance, fun plot and great peek into the professional worlds of its characters. As the summer comes to a conclusion, it’s a great novel to kiss those hazy, lazy days goodbye.
NOTE: in a period-appropriate fashion, Georgie goes by they/them pronouns in close company but she/her pronouns in public; I’ve used they/them pronouns in this review to describe them because, as Lowell observed, they would use them were they living in the modern world, and it’s clearly the character’s preferred pronouns. As underlined by the author note, the book includes misgendering and misogyny from other characters.
Podcast 683, Your Transcript has Arrived
Sep. 9th, 2025 09:06 pmsmartbitches_feed
The transcript for Podcast 683. RT Rewind: August 1996 Reviews has been posted!
This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.
HaBO: She Reads Erotica on Cam
Sep. 9th, 2025 02:00 pmsmartbitches_feedThis HaBO is from Sarah from our podcast patreon discord:
I’m looking for an erotica novella I read circa 2020/2021. It was probably a Kindle Unlimited title, although I can’t find it on my KU history. Age gap I think.
The heroine was a cam girl who rented a room in hero’s home. She dressed in lingerie and read erotica on cam. The hero was supportive of her desire to do this kind of work, but she had parental-type family who were very opposed.
Author is not Jessa Kane.
Let’s HaBO!
Birch, Please.
Sep. 9th, 2025 01:00 pmcakewrecks_feed
Me: AAAUUGH! BWAHAHAAA!
John: What? [seeing cake] What IS that?
Me: [laughing]
John: Is it a cow? Buried face down?
Me: [still laughing]
John: Wait, no, I think it's a tree. A birch tree.
Me: [shrill cackling punctuated by honking, bugle-like snorts]
John: Is there a two-liter in that thing? Seriously, look; I think there's a soda bottle in there! Jen?
Me: [wiping eyes] Oh, so you're saying it's all bark and no bite?
John: Ug, that's terrible. We need some good puns.
Me: Hey, if you don't like my puns, you can make like a tree, and GET OUT OF HERE.
John: That's it. No more Back to the Future marathons for you.
Me: Awww. You are my density, baby.
Thanks to Amanda C. for proving there's nothing shady at all about a tree stump with two limbs.