Review: TooHot

Oct. 3rd, 2025 02:55 pm
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Having just finished the leftovers, a few conclusions about TooHot, a new restaurant in Harvard Square:

  • Far as I can tell, it is seriously authentic Szechuan, not something one often comes across in these parts.
  • As a consequence, the name of the restaurant is accurate. The waiter asked whether I wanted it "mild", and I said no, I like spicy, so "medium" maybe? As I suspected, "medium" is somewhere near the top of my spice tolerance: this place really likes its peppers.
  • It's already impressively popular (after being open just a few months), especially with people who are actually Chinese (based on glancing at the crowd) -- at 6pm on a Tuesday, they had to think about whether they could seat three people without reservations.
  • The specialties of the house are also pretty authentic.
  • Authentic Szechuan apparently involves a lot of frog.
  • Frog mostly tastes like chicken, except with a lot more bones.
  • So many bones.
  • Too many bones.

So overall: excellent restaurant, especially if you like spicy food. But I think the frog dishes may be more effort than I'm willing to put in.

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Oct. 3rd, 2025 03:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

RECOMMENDED: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty is $1.99! Carrie squeed about this one:

I adored every part of this story – the stakes, the world-building, the language, the characters, and the action. I can’t wait to read more of it.

“A thrilling, transportative adventure that is everything promised–Chakraborty’s storytelling is fantasy at its best.” — R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War

An exhilarating, propulsive adventure, stitched from the threads of real history, Amina’s adventures are the reason to read fantasy.” — Ava Reid, internationally bestselling author of Juniper & Thorn

Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

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Romantic Comedy

RECOMMENDED: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld is $1.99! Elyse gave this one an A:

Celebrity romance is one of my favorite tropes, and for me this book stands out. Romantic Comedy features a hero who is not purely defined by celebrity status, gives readers a deep dive into a world I found fascinating, contains an epistolary courtship, and at times is laugh-out-loud funny.

A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamily handsome pop star flips the script on all her assumptions. Romantic Comedy is a hilarious, observant and deeply tender novel from New York Times–bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld.

Sally Milz is a sketch writer for “The Night Owls,” the late-night live comedy show that airs each Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.

But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actor who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the “Danny Horst Rule,” poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.

Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder whether there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy; it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her…right?

With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.

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When No One Is Watching

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole is $1.99! We were all pretty excited about this one. What did you think about Cole’s thriller debut?

Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning …

Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.

When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?

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Throne of the Fallen

RECOMMENDED: Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco is $3.99! I enjoyed this one and it reminded me a lot of sexy, early 2000s paranormal romances (which may or may not be your thing). I gave it a B+:

Throne of the Fallen is a “yes, and…” sort of book that you just have to lean into, which I happily did. It’s extremely cliched and tropey, and I’d eat this nonsense for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The adult debut of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco, Throne of the Fallen is a seductive new standalone novel set within her fan-favorite Kingdom of the Wicked world, perfect for readers of fantasy, romance, and mystery alike.

Sinner. Villain. Ruthless.

These are wicked names the Prince of Envy welcomes. They remind him what he isn’t: a saint. And when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows he’ll be called much worse before it ends. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way. With a powerful artifact and his own future at stake, Envy is determined to win, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin—and passion—like no other…

Talented. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows notorious rake—and satire sheet legend—Lord Phillip Vexley to blackmail her. And now it seems Vexley isn’t the only scoundrel interested in securing her unique talents as a painter. To avoid Vexley’s clutches and a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Waverly Green’s newest arrival, enigmatic Lord Ashford ‘Syn’ Synton, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Shifting Isles—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm, and encounters with exiled Fae—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.

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It’s Elementary

It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant is $1.99! Sarah picked this for a previous Hide Your Wallet. This is book one in the Mavis Miller mystery series.

A fast-paced, completely delightful new mystery about what happens when parents get a little too involved in their kids’ schools, from NAACP Image Award nominee Elise Bryant.

Mavis Miller is not a PTA mom. She has enough on her plate with her feisty seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, an exhausting job at a nonprofit, and the complexities of a multigenerational household. So no one is more surprised than Mavis when she caves to Trisha Holbrook, the long-reigning, slightly terrifying PTA president, and finds herself in charge of the school’s brand-new DEI committee.

As one of the few Black parents at this California elementary school, Mavis tries to convince herself this is an opportunity for real change. But things go off the rails at the very first meeting, when the new principal’s plans leave Trisha absolutely furious. Later that night, when Mavis spies Trisha in yellow rubber gloves and booties, lugging cleaning supplies and giant black trash bags to her waiting minivan, it’s only natural that her mind jumps to somewhere it surely wouldn’t in the light of day.

Except Principal Smith fails to show up for work the next morning, and has been MIA since the meeting. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Mavis, along with the school psychologist with the great forearms (look, it’s worth noting), launches an investigation that will challenge her views on parenting, friendship, and elementary school politics.

Brilliantly written, It’s Elementary is a quick-witted, escapist romp that perfectly captures just how far parents will go to give their kids the very best, all wrapped in a mystery that will leave you guessing to the very end.

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Blood on the Tide

RECOMMENDED: Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert is $1.99! This is book two in the Crimson Sails series and Lara gave it a B+:

When I review books, I stop intermittently to jot down notes. With Katee Robert books, I get so immersed so quickly that I forget to take notes. The story sucks me in comprehensively and this book is no exception to that rule. If you’re interested in this series, definitely start with book one as the two are closely linked. I can heartily recommend both.

As a bloodline vampire, Lizzie has never had a problem taking what she wants, and right now what she wants are the family heirlooms that were stolen from her, a ship, and a portal home. Unfortunately, even that short list is impossible to accomplish on her own—and her allies have bigger things to worry about. When they rescue a selkie, it’s the perfect solution to her problem. Lizzie needs a guide through Threshold and the selkie needs her skin back.

Maeve didn’t choose to give up her skin—it was stolen from her. Now she’s in an uneasy partnership with a dangerous woman who seems more apt to kill than to share a kind word. It’s terrifying…and a bit alluring. Even though she knows it will end in heartbreak, Maeve can’t help being drawn to Lizzie.

Unfortunately, the danger to Maeve’s heart is the least of her worries. The ship they’re seeking belongs to the Cwn Annwn, and they don’t take kindly to people who cross them. They’re coming hunting, and not even Lizzie’s viciousness or Maeve’s knowledge will be enough to save them…

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Life’s Too Short

Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez is $2.99! This is the third book in The Friend Zone series, which can all be read as standalones. All of Jimenez’s books pack an emotional punch, so be ye warned.

A brilliant and touching romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone and The Happy Ever After Playlist.

Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment.

But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element.

The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all. . .

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The Partner Plot

The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest is $1.99! This is book two in the Greene Sisters series and was released in February. This features a marriage of convenience between former high school sweethearts.

Two former high school sweethearts get a second chance in this marriage of convenience romance by Kristina Forest, author of The Neighbor Favor.

To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…

Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.

Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?

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Love You a Latke

RECOMMENDED: Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot is $1.99! We ran a guest review of this one by Lisa, and it earned a B+:

A pleasant, low-key charmball of a novel, Love you a Latke is a quick, smooth, easy read that brings all of the holiday joy and wintery feelings without a whole lot of angst. Be warned that it IS very tropey, however, so if you find a big parade of characters doing just what tropes say they ought to, avoid this one. But this is a smooth ride without too many bumps, making it a fine holiday weekend read.

 

Love comes home for the challah-days in this sparkling romance.

Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby’s been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.

Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There’s one Seth.

As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.

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The Space Between Worlds

PODCAST RECOMMENDED: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson is $1.99! Courtney Milan recommended this one on a podcast episode with us, and I’m sure a lot of us trust what Courtney has to say.

An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens her new home and her fragile place in it, in a stunning sci-fi debut that’s both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.

On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.

But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.

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A Cruel Thirst

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya is $1.99! I mentioned this one on Hide Your Wallet and fully admit I bought it for that gorgeous cover. Have any of you read this one?

A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment–to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.

Carolina Fuentes wants to join her family in hunting the bloodthirsty vampiros that plague her pueblo. Her father, however, wishes to marry her off to a husband of his choosing, someone who’ll take her away from danger.

Determined to prove she’d make a better slayer than wife, Carolina vows to take down a monster herself. But when she runs into un vampiro that is somehow extremely attractive and kind, her plan crumbles.

Lalo Villalobos was content leading a perfectly dull life until un vampiro turned him. Now forced to flee his city, he heads to the pueblo where he believes the first vampiro was made. Surely its residents must know how to reverse this dreadful curse. Instead of finding salvation, Lalo collides with a beautiful young woman who’d gladly drive a dagger through his heart.

Fortunately, Lalo and Carolina share a common enemy. They can wipe out this evil. Together. If his fangs and her fists can stay focused, they might just triumph and discover what it feels like to take a bite out of love.

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Jewel Me Twice

Jewel Me Twice by Charish Reid is $1.99! This is a heist-themed romance and it came our summer of 2024. It also features a second chance romance.

Love can catch you red-handed.

He was her partner—both in crime and between the sheets. It’s been five years since professional thief Celeste St. Pierre laid eyes on Magnus Larsson. These days, she runs a Manhattan antique store, but her talent for stealing beautiful, shiny things hasn’t faded. And as a chance reunion over a locked safe proves, neither has the heat between her and the gorgeous, ice-cool Magnus.

For Magnus, only one thing beats the thrill of getting away with robbery—and that’s the woman he’s tried hard to forget. Their last job together ended in disaster. But if they’re going to honor their mentor’s last wishes to pull off the theft of the century, they’ll have to temporarily put their grudges behind them.

Crisscrossing Europe on a real-life treasure hunt, Celeste and Magnus quickly rediscover how well they work together. The higher the stakes, the hotter the sexual tension. But one slipup and it won’t be only jewels on the line, but a future that, just maybe, has been the ultimate prize all along…

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The Arctic Fury

RECOMMENDED: The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister is $1.99! Carrie gave this historical mystery a B+.

I loved this book. It kept me in suspense and when it was over I wanted to read it again. It sent me down many Google rabbit holes, which is my favorite kind of book. I recommend this for people who aren’t averse to ambiguity, who like stories of adventure and exploration as well as intersectional examinations of women’s lives, and to people who like mystery/thrillers.

A dozen women join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition—and a sensational murder trial unfolds when some of them don’t come back.

Eccentric Lady Jane Franklin makes an outlandish offer to adventurer Virginia Reeve: take a dozen women, trek into the Arctic, and find her husband’s lost expedition. Four parties have failed to find him, and Lady Franklin wants a radical new approach: put the women in charge.

A year later, Virginia stands trial for murder. Survivors of the expedition willing to publicly support her sit in the front row. There are only five. What happened out there on the ice?

Set against the unforgiving backgdrop of one of the world’s most inhospitable locations, USA Today bestsellng author Greer Macallister uses the true story of Lady Jane Franklin’s tireless attempts to find her husband’s lost expedition as a jumping-off point to spin a tale of bravely, intrigue, perseverance and hope.

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The Charm Offensive

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun is $1.99! I mentioned this on a previous Get Rec’d! It’s a m/m romance set in a reality dating show. One main character is a producer and the other is the Bachelor-esque contestant.

In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.

Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.

Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.

As Dev fights to get Charlie to open up to the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.

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Murder in Highbury

Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly is $3.99! This historical mystery series came out last fall. Sarah mentioned it on Hide Your Wallet!

First in a captivating new series, Jane Austen’s Emma Knightley entertains a different role in Highbury—going from clever matchmaker to Regency England’s shrewdest sleuth.

“Clever and charming, Vanessa Kelly brings Austen’s world in Highbury village to life with beloved characters, twisty hijinks, and a mystery that will keep you guessing.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Hidden Books

Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

“Brimming with all the wit and charm one can expect from a visit to Jane Austen’s world . . . the sequel we formerly could merely long for and imagine.” —Christina Dodd, New York Times bestselling author

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The Kiss Countdown

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton is $1.99! We mentioned this in Hide Your Wallet last spring. It’s a romance between an astronaut and an event planner. Did any of you pick this up?

With three months until liftoff, a struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after.

Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to be evicted. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at her favorite coffee shop. Panicked, Amerie pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along – for a price.

Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner in front of his loving but overly-invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny towards her struggling business.

What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he’s exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.

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The Resurrectionist

The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap is $3.99! Carrie read this one and gave it a B-:

This book was gripping from beginning to end. The sense of place and atmosphere were fantastic. I was certainly entertained. However, the story raises some huge questions, both personal ones for the characters and more overarching philosophical and ethical ones, and then never really unpacks them. It was a light book with a heavier story trapped inside it that never quite made it out.

In the tradition of The Alienist and A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland – when real-life serial killers Burke and Hare terrorized the streets of Edinburgh – as a young medical student is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching.

Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in a harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the grisly origins of modern medicine for readers of Lydia Kang, ML Rio, Sarah Perry, and C.E. McGill.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naïve but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the city’s university offers everything James desires—except the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that, he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation, he strikes a deal with Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a dashing young dissectionist with an artist’s eye for anatomy and a reckless passion for knowledge. Nye promises to help him gain the surgical experience he craves—but it doesn’t take long for James to realize he’s made a devil’s bargain . . .

Nye is a body snatcher. And James has unwittingly become his accomplice. Intoxicated by Nye and his noble mission, James rapidly descends into the underground ranks of the Resurrectionists—the body snatchers infamous for stealing fresh corpses from churchyards to be used as anatomical specimens. Before he knows it, James is caught up in a life-or-death scheme as rival gangs of snatchers compete in a morbid race for power and prestige.

James and Nye soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a shady pair of unscrupulous opportunists known as Burke and Hare, who are dead set on cornering the market, no matter the cost. These unsavory characters will do anything to beat the competition for bodies. Even if it’s cold-blooded murder . . .

Exquisitely macabre and delightfully entertaining, The Resurrectionist combines fact and fiction in a rollicking tale of the risks and rewards of scientific pursuit, the passions of its boldest pioneers, and the anatomy of human desire.

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The Jewel of the Isle

The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea is $1.99! This was recommended in a Rec League on books with The Mummy vibes. Action adventure romances had a string of new releases, but none really grabbed me. How about you?

Two very indoor people rough it on a remote island after getting swept up in an archaeologist’s hunt for a famed jewel in this dazzling new adventure rom-com by Kerry Rea, author of Lucy on the Wild Side.

If Emily Edwards knows one thing, it’s that you don’t go to a remote island by yourself. Ever the type A personality, Emily doesn’t want to hike around an unfamiliar island, but she’s determined to fulfill her late father’s national park bucket list, starting with Isle Royale National Park—home to wolves, bears, and hundred-year-old shipwrecks. She has no choice but to hire a tour guide, and there is only one that isn’t booked solid.

Ryder Fleet, co-owner of Fleet Outdoor Adventures, wouldn’t call himself a wilderness expert, and he definitely doesn’t know how to find true north. But when his dormant adventure guide business suddenly finds life again after a random inquiry, Ryder somehow finds himself on a ferry to Isle Royale with a very beautiful, no-nonsense woman. What this woman doesn’t know is that his brother Caleb, who died two years ago, was the outdoorsman of their business, while Ryder just did the marketing. But how hard could it be to hike up a few mountains?

Pretty difficult, actually, when murder is involved. Emily’s perfectly planned trek turns disastrous when she and Ryder witness a brutal crime and are suddenly forced to evade a group of archaeologists on the hunt for a jewel. As they spend nights together too close for comfort, they realize their shoddily built fire isn’t the only thing that’s kindling, and that they must trust each other if they want to escape the island with their lives—and hearts—intact.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs is $1.99! This was mentioned on Hide Your Wallet and I think Lara said previously she was reading it.

In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection–a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements–books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

In the great tradition of Ninth House, The Magicians, and Practical Magic, this is a suspenseful and richly atmospheric novel that draws readers into a vast world filled with mystery and magic, romance, and intrigue–and marks the debut of an extraordinary new voice in speculative fiction.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Malice

Malice by Heather Walter is $1.99! This was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet and is a spin on Sleeping Beauty. This is definitely on the darker side and has a romance between Princess Aurora and the evil sorceress.

A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.

Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.

You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.

Utter nonsense.

Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.

Until I met her.

Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.

But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.

Nonsense again.

Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I—

I am the villain.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Scorched Grace

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy is $2.99! This is book one in the Sister Holiday mysteries series and I believe book two is also on sale.

Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test in this debut crime novel.

When Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding community are thrust into chaos. Unsatisfied with the officials’ response, sardonic and headstrong Sister Holiday becomes determined to unveil the mysterious attacker herself and return her home and sanctuary to its former peace. Her investigation leads down a twisty path of suspicion and secrets in the sticky, oppressive New Orleans heat, turning her against colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters along the way.

Sister Holiday is more faithful than most, but she’s no saint. To piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must first reckon with the sins of her checkered past-and neither task will be easy.

An exciting start to Margot Douaihy’s bold series for Gillian Flynn Books that breathes new life into the hard-boiled genre, Scorched Grace is a fast-paced and punchy whodunnit that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Twice Makes Nice

Oct. 3rd, 2025 01:00 pm
[syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

Remember, bakers, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Perhaps I should rephrase that.

 

Um...

Oh! How about this:

If at first you don't succeed, do something different the second time.

Going in circles, we are.

 

See, generally you're going to want to erase your first attempt, and then try to improve things the second time.

Hey, way to put the "DUN DUN DUNNN" in redundant!

 

Don't worry, though; with a little practice and repetition, you too can tell people to go pee themselves.

Er...yeah!

Go, go, go!

Thanks to Cat W., Laurie M., Christina A., & Terry L.

Thanks to Cat W., Laurie M., Christina A., & Terry L.

*****

P.S. In case this post wasn't painful enough:

Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes

There are a lot of "dad joke" books out there, but this one has awesome ratings AND the word "spiffing" on the cover, so it's a clear winner.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by SB Sarah

Smart Podcast Trashy Books Romantic Times RewindGrab your carry on, your snacks, and a blanket, because we’re hopping in the time machine again to go back to the May 2016 issue of Romantic Times to look at the new releases and reviews!

This issue caused some big questions.

  • Coke or Pepsi?
  • Backstreet Boys or NSYNC?
  • Did you worry about spontaneous combustion?
  • Should I read the Midnight, Texas trilogy by Charlaine Harris?
  • How many erotic romance titles in this issue contain the word “dirty?”

We have lots to talk about so let’s get started!

Listen to the podcast →
Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

RT Book Reviews May 2016 - 1001 Dark Nights is on the cover with the head line Bestsellers get hot and heavy with 1001 Dark NightsWe also mentioned:

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.

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!

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

Queen Demon Playlist

Oct. 2nd, 2025 08:42 pm
marthawells: (Witch King)
[personal profile] marthawells
I did a playlist for Witch King (https://marthawells.dreamwidth.org/627157.html) when it first came out in 2023, and now here's one for Queen Demon:



Seven Devils - Florence + Machine

Burning - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Bando - ANNA with MadMan and Gemitaiz

Bringing Murder to the Land - Anton Newcombe and Dot Allison

Bulletproof vs. Release Me - The Outfit

I Owe You Nothing - Seinabo Sey

W.I.T.C.H. - Devon Cole

Egun (theme from Manhunt) - Danielle Ponder

Warm - SG Lewis

Disease - Lady Gaga

Which Witch (Demo) - Florence + Machine

you should see me in a crown - Billie Eilish

Bakunawa - Rudy Ibarra, with June Millington, Han Han, and Ouida.

Historical Romances, Witches, & More

Oct. 2nd, 2025 03:30 pm
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

Do You Want to Start a Scandal

RECOMMENDED: Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare is 99c! This is part of the Castles Ever After series, but can be read on its own. Elyse loved this book:

I loved Do You Want to Start a Scandal. It’s funny, it’s sexy and it’s got some Clue-like shenanigans going on. If you have better self control than I do, I recommend savoring this book rather than powering through in one sitting (good luck).

On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library. Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan? Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall? Perhaps the butler did it.

All Charlotte Highwood knows is this: it wasn’t her. But rumors to the contrary are buzzing. Unless she can discover the lovers’ true identity, she’ll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville—the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she’s ever had the misfortune to embrace. When it comes to emotion, the man hasn’t got a clue.

But as they set about finding the mystery lovers, Piers reveals a few secrets of his own. The oh-so-proper marquess can pick locks, land punches, tease with sly wit . . . and melt a woman’s knees with a single kiss. The only thing he guards more fiercely than Charlotte’s safety is the truth about his dark past.

Their passion is intense. The danger is real. Soon Charlotte’s feeling torn. Will she risk all to prove her innocence? Or surrender it to a man who’s sworn to never love?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Duke and Lady Scandal

The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle is $1.99! This is book one in a new historical romance series, and it came out this spring. This is a Victorian era setting and sounds like a lot of fun!

In the swoon-worthy opener of her Princes of London series, Christy Carlyle takes readers on a breathless chase through Victorian London as a wild bluestocking from a family of treasure hunters and a handsome, serious gentleman from the Scotland Yard butt heads while attempting to thwart a plot to steal the Crown Jewels, inspired by National Treasure.

Alexandra Prince is clever, outspoken, and, yes, perhaps a bit impulsive. Yet she’s always been overshadowed by her siblings. While they are off on adventurous expeditions, she’s the one left to keep the family’s antique shop going while she works on a book about lady pirates—and longs for an adventure of her own. When she overhears a group of suspicious customers whispering about a plan to steal the Crown Jewels, she knows it’s her opportunity to shine. But she needs a little help.

Detective Inspector Benedict Drake takes his duties at Scotland Yard seriously. In fact, he takes almost everything seriously. Except for the breathless beauty who crashes into his office to tell him about a ludicrous scheme to steal the Crown Jewels. Despite his turning her away, she keeps popping up wherever he goes, and he’s not sure whether she’s determined to cause a scandal or is trying to drive him to distraction. Just when he thinks he’s rid of her, an event compels him to believe her account, and he begrudgingly enlists her aid to thwart the theft of the century.

But while thieves seek the Crown Jewels, the troublesome bluestocking he can’t seem to keep away from might just steal his heart…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Do Me a Favor

Do Me a Favor by Cathy Yardley is $2.49 at Amazon! This is a standalone romance with an older couple. The heroine is a widowed cookbook writer and the hero is a divorced handyman.

Willa Lieu-Endicott moved from California to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Since her husband’s death, she’s been struggling to get back her old career as a cookbook ghostwriter. Unfortunately, her latest project—ghostwriting for a viral cooking sensation known more for his washboard abs than his meals—has her stuck.

Until she meets her new neighbor.

Hudson Daws, the handyman next door, lives on a farm with his parents and two adult children. He’s the opposite of everything she’s ever known. His happily chaotic life includes biker barbecues, an escape artist dog, and adorably menacing goats. He’s also got a sinfully sexy smile and a rumbling bass voice that makes her shiver. He inspires her.

From their first meeting, the two fall into an escalating cycle of favors, paybacks…and attraction, even though Willa’s trying to keep her distance.

They both have their own pasts to deal with. Now, they just have to figure out if they have a future.

A delectable rom-com about a widowed cookbook writer and a divorced handyman who find that it’s never too late for a fresh start.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch

RECOMMENDED: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melina Taub is $2.99! Carrie gave this a B+:

This was simply delightful. I’ve always wished for Lydia Bennet and Mary Crawford to run away together and be pirate queens. This is not that book – but it’s the next best thing.

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY PICK FOR 2023

A “witty, magical, romantic and altogether brilliant” (Lev Grossman) reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, told from the perspective of the troublesome and—according to her—much-maligned youngest Bennet sister, Lydia.

In this exuberant retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves, Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat; Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would one expect from a demon? And if Mr. Darcy is uptight about etiquette, that’s nothing compared to his feelings about magic. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that for a witch, promises have power . . .

Full of enchantment, intrigue, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice—while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Dora Dilemma

Oct. 2nd, 2025 01:00 pm
[syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

"Hi, I'd like to order this Dora cake, please."

"No problem!"

[a few minutes later]

"Here you go: one Dora cake!"

"Um, that's not really the same... and where are the toys?"

"What toys?"

"The toys that come with the Dora cake!"

"Oh, THOSE toys. Haha! I thought you were making a pun. I don't have those toys."

"Well, which toys do you have?"

"Er...Let's see...I have the ones for this cake:"

"Ok, that's fine. Just make me one of those, then."

"Okey dokey!"

 

[later]

"Here you go! As you can see, I included the toys!"

"But, that looks nothing like the picture! Look, I don't mean to complain, but all these delays are really putting me behind schedule, and the party is in an hour, and I have so much to do, and I just can't seem to get ahead!" [sob]

 

"Say no more, my good man! I will take care of everything.

***

"Here we go! See? I told you I'd take care of it!"

"Why? What's in the box?"

****

[sniffle] "Fine. I'll take it."

 

Thanks to Vickie F., Ashley H., & Bryon B. for helping us finally get a head.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

The Rec League: Short Kings

Oct. 2nd, 2025 08:00 am
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

The Rec League - heart shaped chocolate resting on the edge of a very old bookThis Rec League comes from S. Thanks!

Hello! I’ve recently read a bunch of heterosexual historical romances featuring distressingly tall heroines who inevitably end up with heroes happily taller than them. Yawn. Do you have any recommendations for books with short kings instead? I’m open to contemporaries and fantasy as well.

Amanda: Tangentially, we had a tall heroines rec league back in 2017.

Lara: Judging by the cover image (if I’m remembering right) the hero is shorter: The Weaver Takes a Wife. ( A | BN | K | AB )

Claudia: There are a couple of Mary Balogh books that feature short or average height heroes. I think the first one in her Westcott series and the other is an older book, Heartless, ( A | BN | K | AB ) that has some questionable stuff.

Are there books you would recommend? Let us know in the comments!

[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

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

This week has given me the first hint of fall. I love a crispy morning. We’re also in the middle of getting a new porch since the old one had only a couple years left anyway. I can’t wait to enjoy a coffee on the new one, wrapped in a big ol’ blanket.

Aside from that, I’ve been fully on the Hades II train. Anyone else with me?

Libro.fm is hosting a “read-in” with 450 libraries and independent bookstores. It kicks off on Sunday!

Speaking of banned books, Geoffrey posted about this  queer mystery game that deals with book banning. It’s due out next year if you wanted to wishlist now.

This link was sent in by Mimi, in case you wanted a t-shirt that shows off your love of reading smut. Also, the shop has some really cute sock designs.

The trailer for the movie adaptation of Emily Henry’s The People We Meet on Vacation just dropped! Will you be watching?

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!

Mythology, Fantasy Romance, & More

Oct. 1st, 2025 03:30 pm
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

Dream Girl Drama

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey is $1.99! This is book three in the Big Shots series, which are sports romances. I believe Elyse has enjoyed these!

A steamy chance encounter between a professional hockey player and the manic pixie dream girl he just can’t seem to forget takes a turn when the pair realize that their parents are engaged—in an all-new rom-com by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier’s car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.

Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can’t wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to meet his dad’s new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe’s mother. Oh, and they’re engaged.

Sig’s dream girl is his future stepsister.

Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston—but not inside his bedroom. They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they were meant for so much more…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Wraith King

The Wraith King by Juliette Cross is 99c at Amazon! I mentioned this on Get Rec’d because I was certainly suckered in by a Goodreads ad. I’ve also had good experiences with Cross’s books in the past.

A brutal, bloody war against the ruthless Wraith King has cost the light fae more than innocent lives. Una Hartstone, Princess of Issos, learns the price the Wraith King demands to end the war once and for all. Her. In exchange for the safety of her people, she agrees to give her life—and her body—to her greatest enemy.

Gollaya Verbane is determined to fulfill his destiny and his god’s prophecy. When his seer points to the Princess of Issos as the key to the rise of the dark fae, he demands her submission. But when she finally yields, he realizes Una is much more to him than a priceless weapon.

A mystery that has haunted Una for years awakens when she is abducted and dragged back to Näkt Mir. The palace hides many dark secrets…and at least one traitor. A traitor determined to take King Goll’s throne—and all he possesses. What he doesn’t know is that Una’s magick is more powerful than he can imagine, and that Goll will burn the whole world to save her.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Sapphire Flames

RECOMMENDED: Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews is $1.99! Many of us romance readers can’t recommend this series or this author enough. You can pick this one up without read the story arc of the previous three, but why would you want to deprive yourself of Ilona Andrews goodness.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Neon Gods

Neon Gods by Katee Robert is $1.99! This is the first book in the Dark Olympus series. Many of the books in this series are on sale right now, so see if you’re missing one in the collection.

He was supposed to be a myth.
But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell…
…he was, quite simply, mine.

Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that’s ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade.

With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth…a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed.

Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…

A modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

A Warm Welcome

Oct. 1st, 2025 01:00 pm
[syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

There are so many ways you can welcome someone home.

You could do it "sincerely:"

You could do it musically:

You could add an extremely specific qualifier:

You could also rant about the bakery's poor spelling skills...

(Isn't it ironic? Don'cha think?)

...times "sevan":

Or - my personal favorite - you could leave a note on the counter for the travelers to find around 11pm after spending 9+ hours driving through tornado warnings and stopped holiday traffic and harrowing accident-filled highways on the way home from Dragon*Con. That way, they can stagger through the door, drop their many bags, and gaze with wonder and appreciation at your thoughtful missive:

So sleep tight, y'hear?

Thanks to Loretta, Tess S., Val D., Gini M., Lisa P., Courtney S., and to John's mother, Mum, without whom this post would not have been possible, since I might have been sleeping tonight instead of writing it. Must. Stay. Awake. [twitch] WHAT WAS THAT? DID YOU HEAR THAT? DID SOMETHING JUST BUZZ?!

[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

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.

Thrown

Thrown by Merry Farmer

Author: Merry Farmer
Released: August 16, 2024
Genre: , ,
Series: The Art of Love #1

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.

This was for a reader who primarily loves m/m and this one was packed with tropes they had listed on their survey like enemies to lovers and a road trip (with only one bed!).

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Even If the Sky is Falling

Even If the Sky is Falling by Taj McCoy

Author: Taj McCoy
Released: May 30, 2023 by Canary Street Press
Genre: , ,

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.

I picked this one for a somewhat tricky request of “it’s the end of the world and we’re going on a road trip.” This one doesn’t so much have a road trip, but it’s a lovely romance anthology that takes place right before a meteor shower is rumored to destroy the planet.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Red Card

Red Card by Marein Moore

Author: Marein Moore
Released: August 12, 2025 by Forever
Genre: , ,
Series: Prescott University #1

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.

This reader wanted a new sports romance and is fond of contemporary romances with friends to lovers elements. I also suggested this because it deviated from the typical popular sports like football and hockey. 

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Tell Me About It?

Oct. 1st, 2025 07:00 am
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by SB Sarah

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Love Bites by Cynthia St. Aubin

Oct. 1st, 2025 06:00 am
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Posted by Lara

B+

Love Bites

by Cynthia St. Aubin
December 17, 2024 · Tor Books
ParanormalRomance

The following review is for two books which are being released somewhat together. Love Bites was originally released in 2020 but was picked up by Tor and is being re-released on September 9. The sequel, Love Sucks, is also available digitally and will be re-released by Tor on October 7. 

After many happy weeks in the land of a favourite author, I stuck my head above the parapet and looked for something new to read. Truthfully, I picked this book up because I thought there’d be vampires and I adore vampire books. What I got was something quite different.

Hanna is recently divorced and unemployed in a small town in Colorado. She has an unhelpful degree (in the eyes of neoliberal capitalists – an MA in Art History) and her finances are seriously depleted. She applies to be an assistant for Mark, a gallery owner in their town. Her resume is mostly fiction, but she gets the job anyway.

Mark’s office is a shambolic mess of papers and Hanna sees this as a challenge that she can manage. She starts to clean and organise and tidy and in so doing, tries to understand this incredibly attractive boss of hers.

There is a complication though: murders. Women that were connected to Mark are showing up dead.

Enter love interest number two: Detective Morrison. He’s sure that Mark is the culprit but can’t seem to prove it. Morrison is awfully keen on getting into Hanna’s pants and the feeling is mutual.

Chemistry with two people? Oh where could it lead? Sadly, not to a ‘why choose?’ situation.

There is a colourful cast of supporting characters in the form of resident artists based at Mark’s gallery. They’re endearing, interesting and funny in their way and definitely add to the story. There is some lovely suspense as we get to grips with whether Mark is a serial killer or not and the solution once revealed is so surprising and convoluted as to be ridiculous (more on that in the next review).

The real star of the show is Hanna. She’s funny and smart and very human. I really enjoyed getting to know her in this book. Her reactions to the emergence of paranormal entities in her life feels real. If I were suddenly to be faced with the existence of (REDACTED), I too would piss my britches and head for the hills. Plus Hanna is Funny, with a capital F.

“Hauling myself into a standing position, I fluffed the wavy tangle of my auburn hair and pulled my sweater a little lower, as much to reveal an extra half inch of cleavage as to cover the slacks I’d had to secure with a hair tie, a safety pin and the will of Jesus”.

There are passages and moments of description that were visceral in their impact on me. One of my favourites, in which Mark is describing her role in his life:

“You’re here to organize me, to cure me of my wicked ways.”

Something about the way he said “wicked” made me feel like I’d swallowed a lit road flare.

The writing was compelling enough that I immediately dove into Love Sucks, the second book in the series. If you’d like to escape reality for a few hours and spend some quality time with a snarky cat lady getting her mind blown, then I recommend this book.


NB: The following is a review for book two, and since much of it is a spoiler for book one, it’s behind spoiler tags. 

Love Sucks by Cynthia St. Aubin
Grade: B-

Love Sucks
A | BN | K | AB
  Before you commit to this series, know that Love Bites and the second in the series, Love Sucks are quite different books.

Love Bites is quite suspenseful with only a touch of the paranormal to it.

Love Sucks goes all the way to Station Bonkerstown and I was a happy passenger (mostly).

Love Sucks is, frankly, ridiculous. Yet I found myself being utterly charmed by it, powerless to resist its snarky, paranormal humour and great writing. There are certainly flaws that require one to look the other way, but they weren’t enough to stop me from enjoying the book.

As Love Bites ends on a cliffhanger (which is exactly what prompted me to read Love Sucks), you’ll be grateful that all the books in this series are currently available.

Read no further if you haven’t read Love Bites because there are one million spoilers from this point onwards.

I’m serious, all the spoilers for book one.

Okay, you’ve been warned.

Spoilers ahoy!

Mark has just revealed to Hanna that she is a werewolf heir. We’re slowly told what that means in this book, but from the jump we are immersed in werewolves in this story. They’re everywhere and it turns out someone is killing them. (More death, I know). They’re killing a very particular group of werewolves though: famous artists.

Welcome to Bonkerstown, Population: Me and some werewolves.

Vincent van Gogh and Toulouse Lautrec feature heavily in this story as werewolves who are being targeted for murder. Hanna has sussed out enough to know that Mark is some kind of alpha in this arrangement and so these artists in peril turn to him for help.

But Mark has loads of problems. Like the fact that Hanna is about to ovulate which means that every single male werewolf in the vicinity is trying to go to poundtown with her. Including Mark, but he’s being noble and resisting so he runs away. I can’t actually go further in my description of the plot without a) ruining the book and b) showing all the ridiculousness.

Detective Morrison is still around too.

With Hanna, we get more of the same snark and smarts. She’s great fun as a main character. In fact, that’s how I would sum up the entire book: great fun. This is not a good book. It’s a fun book. And I’m here for it.

Now for the parts I’m not here for. I would prefer that no real people be present in the book. Hanna fawns over Vincent and it made me cringe a bit. That might be a me thing.

Something that isn’t a me thing is the fatphobia. Stereotypes of a lazy-fat-dumb cop are deployed and while ACAB, I’m not a fan of this outdated and cruel trope. His weight is a shorthand for his laziness and stupidity. Hated that.

Also, Hanna uses Euros in London. That threw me right out of the story. That’s basic general knowledge.

If you can overlook these flaws, then you can have a good time with this book. I’ll certainly be reading the next book in the series, if only for Hanna and Mark’s PHENOMENAL chemistry and Hanna’s humour.

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0.

The Essequibo River is the queen of rivers all!
    Buddy-ta-na-na, we are somebody, oh!
The Essequibo River is the queen of rivers all!
    Buddy-ta-na-na, we are somebody, oh!

    Somebody, oh, Johnny! Somebody, oh!
    Buddy-ta-na-na, we are somebody, oh!

– Sea shanty, presumed Guyanese

Let us appreciate that the only reason – the only reason – I know about what I am about to share with you is because of that whole music history thing of mine. It's not even my history. My main beat is 16th century dance music (± half a century). But dance music is working music, and as such I consider all the forms of work music to be its counsin, and so I have, of an occasion, wandered into the New England Folk Festival's sea-shanty sing. Many people go through life understanding the world around them through the perspective of a philosophical stance, a religious conviction, a grand explanatory theory, fitting the things they encounter into these frameworks; I do not know if I should be embarrased or not, but for me, so often it's just song cues.

So when I saw the word "Essequibo" go by in the web-equivalent of page six of the international news, I was all like, "Oh! I know that word!" recognizing a song cue when I see one. "It's a river. I wonder where it is?"

And I clicked the link.

That was twenty-one months ago.

Ever since, I have been on a different and ever-increasingly diverging timeline from the one just about everyone else is on.

In December of 2023, Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, tried to kick off World War Three.

He hasn't stopped trying. He's had to take breaks to steal elections and deal with some climate catastrophe and things like that. But mostly ever since – arguably since September of 2023 – Maduro has been escalating.

You wouldn't know it from recent media coverage of what the US is doing off the coast of Venezuela. At no point has any news coverage of the US military deployment to that part of the world mentioned anything about the explosive geopolitical context there. A geopolitical context, that when it has been reported on is referred to in term like "a pressure cooker" and "spiraling".

The US government itself has said nothing that alludes to it in any way. The US government has its story and it's sticking to it: this is about drugs.

As you may be aware, the US government is claiming to have sunk three Venezuelan boats using the US military. The first of these sinkings was on September 1st.

To hear the media tell it, the US just up and decided to start summarily executing people on boats in the Caribbean that it feels were drug-runners on Sep 1st.

No mention is made of what happened on Aug 31st.

On August 31, the day before the first US military attack on a Venezuelan vessel, at around 14:00 local time, somebody opened fire on election officials delivering ballot and ballot boxes in the country Venezuela is threatening to invade.

And they did it from the Venezuelan side of the river that is the border between the two countries.

That country is an American ally. And extremely close American ally. An ally that is of enormous importance to the US.

And which is a thirtieth the size of Venezuela by population, and which has an army less than one twentieth as large.

You would be forgiven for not knowing that Venezuela has been threatening to and apparently also materially preparing to invade another country, because while it's a fact that gets reported in the news, it is never reported in the same news as American actions involving or mentioning Venezuela.

Venezuela, which is a close ally of Russia.

You may have heard about how twenty-one months ago, in December of 2023, there was an election in Venezuela which Maduro claimed was a landslide win for him. There was a lot of coverage in English-speaking news about that election and how it was an obvious fraud, and the candidate who won the opposition party's primary wasn't on the ballot, and so on and so forth.

You probably didn't hear that in that very same election, there was a referendum. If you did hear it reported, you might have encountered it being dismissed in the media as a kind of political stunt of Maduro's, to get people to show up to the polls or to energize his base. It couldn't possibly be (the reasoning went) that he meant it. Surely it was just political theater.

The referendum questions put, on Dec 3, 2023, to the voters of Venezuela were about whether or not they supported establishing a new Venezuelan state.

Inside the borders of the country of Guyana.

2023 Dec 4: The Guardian: "Venezuela referendum result: voters back bid to claim sovereignty over large swath of Guyana".

Why?

Eleven billion gallons of light, sweet crude: the highest quality of oil that commands the highest price.

(I can hear all of Gen X breathe, "Oh of course.")

It is under the floor of the Caribbean in an area known as the Stabroek Block.

The Stabroek Block is off the coast of an area known as the Essequibo.

It takes its name from the Essequibo River, which borders it on one side, and it constitutes approximately two-thirds of the land area of the country of Guyana.

Whoever owns the Essequibo owns the Stabroek Block and whoever owns the Stabroek owns those 11B gallons of easily-accessed, high-value oil.


Image from BBC, originally in "Essequibo: Venezuela moves to claim Guyana-controlled region", 2023 Dec 6


As far as almost everyone outside of Venezuela has been concerned, for the last hundred years Guyana has owned the Essequibo.

Venezuela disagrees. Read more [5,760 words] )

This post brought to you by the 219 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!
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Posted by SB Sarah

GUESS WHAT Y’ALL!

Not only are we here at the hot pink palace celebrating our 20th anniversary (and yes, you can still get a sticker!) but guess who else is?

The original twilight cover with two very pale arms holding an apple against a black background

Yup, the original Twilight!

It is not an exaggeration to say that this book changed the trajectory of publishing. Seriously, think of all the trends and subgenres that grew out of Twilight. Off the top of my head, Twilight influenced so many aspects of the industry, such as:

I could keep going, but you probably see as many points of influence as I do.

Anyway, why am I bringing this up today?

A copy of twilight against a shiny black base with red chess pieces and a welcome to forks sign against a creepy blue and pink forest background

I’m in the New York Times today, talking about the 20th anniversary, and recommending books that have come out in the two (2?!?!) decades since that should make anyone with Twi-stalgia very happy. (FYI: it’s a gift link. I hope you’ll take a peek because traffic means more coverage for books we love from folks like me.)

Here are the books I recommended. (I could have gone on and on but would you believe they gave me a word count?! The Audacity!)

 

Bride
A | BN | K
Fourth Wing
A | BN | K
A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience
A | BN | K | AB


Vampires of El Norte
A | BN | K
Wicked Fox
A | BN | K
Such Sharp Teeth
A | BN | K | AB


The Beautiful
A | BN | K | AB
Fan Service
A | BN | K | AB
 
In Nightfall
A | BN | K | AB
Lore and Lust
A | BN | AB


Which would you pick? Do you have fond memories of Twilight?

Listen! Do You Smell That?

Sep. 30th, 2025 01:00 pm
[syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

Yesterday I read an article about "swallowable perfume," a new form of perfume that comes in capsules. That you swallow. Ergo, "swallowable perfume."

Look, I couldn't make this stuff up, guys.

Anyway, it got me to thinking: how long before this is incorporated into food? You know, like cake? And what would an ingestible perfume cake look like, anyway? Would decorators try to reflect the scent in the cake's design?

These are all important questions, which I think deserve answers. You know, for science. And laughs. But mostly science.

So, as a public service, here are a few suggestions for some classic perfume scents:

Obsession

This would have to be a

revamped

formula, of course, with top notes of blood, wet dog, and a little patchouli.

Poison

Lucky for me, I've developed an immunity to iocane powder.

I'm sure you've heard of Chanel #5, but here's one for its lesser-known predecessor, Chanel #2:

Q: Why did Tigger have his head in the river?

A: He was looking for Pooh! Because Poo smells grrrrreat!

White Shoulders

I bet you never realized how weird that perfume name was until right now.

Contradiction

Something here doesn't add up.

Miracle

Even the balloons are defying the laws of gravity!

Lucky You

Say, here's a tip:

***

***

Ah. Never mind; false alarm.

Thanks to Sarah P., Crazy Z., Michelle S., Caren, Celeste G., Amy C., & Colleen W. Smell you later, guys!

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