Fantasy and Historical Romances

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/fantasy-and-historical-romances/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150199

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi is $1.99! I believe this was Chokshi’s full-length adult debut. It’s a Gothic fantasy and it’s had a cover redesign since it’s release. I think I prefer the the original.

A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

More or Less a Marchioness

More or Less a Marchioness by Anna Bradley is $2.99! This is the first book in the Somerset Sisters series. Readers warn that it does take a while for the hero and heroine to finally interact, but once they do, it’s a pretty lovely romance.

The Somerset sisters, three beautiful, headstrong debutantes in Regency London, are discovering that a bit of scandal is a delightful thing…

For the sake of propriety, and her younger sisters’ reputations, Iris Somerset has kept her rebellious streak locked away. But though she receives a proposal from Phineas Knight, Lord of Huntington, Iris can’t marry a man she knows isn’t truly enamored with her. In fact, Iris no longer wants to be chosen—she wants to choose. Under the clandestine tutelage of “wicked widow” Lady Annabel Tallant, she’ll learn how to steer her own marriage prospects—and discover her secret appetites.

What kind of debutante refuses a marquess? Finn is surprised, a little chastened—and thoroughly intrigued. This new, independent version of Iris is far more alluring than the polished socialite she used to be. Finn believed he needed a safe, quiet wife to curb his wilder impulses. But the more Iris surprises him, the more impossible it becomes to resist their deepest desires.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Road of Bones

The Road of Bones by Demi Winters is $1.99! This is book one in The Ashen series and mentions a road trip element. This is another fantasy romance that I believe was indie pubbed and then got picked up.

In this epic and immersive Viking-inspired romantic fantasy, a woman fleeing a ruthless assassin accidentally joins forces with agroup of thieves and must use all her cunning to escape with her life—and heart—intact.

Silla Nordvig is running for her life.

The Queen of Íseldur has sent warriors to bring Silla to Sunnavík, where death awaits her. When her father is killed, his last words set Silla on a perilous travel the treacherous Road of Bones—a thousand-mile stretch haunted by warbands, creatures of darkness, and a mysterious murderer—and go to Kopa, where a shield-house awaits her.

After barely surviving the first stretch of road, a desperate Silla sneaks into a supply wagon belonging to the notorious Bloodaxe Crew. To make it to Kopa, she must win over Axe Eyes, the brooding leader of the Crew, while avoiding the Wolf, his distractingly handsome right-hand man. All the while, the queen’s ruthless assassin hunts Silla obsessively.

Will Silla make it safely to Kopa? Or will she fall prey to the perils of the Road of Bones?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Seize the Fire

Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale is $1.99! This historical romance was originally published in the late eighties and seems to feature a forced proximity element. But be warned, there seems to be several helpings of crazysauce in this one.

Olympia St. Leger is a princess in desperate need of a knight in shining armor. Sheridan Drake, amused by Olympia’s innocence and magnificent beauty, but also intrigued by her considerable wealth, accepts the position of white knight.

Unaware that Sheridan is a notorious scoundrel, Olympia willingly allows herself to submit to his protection and his potent embrace. Theirs is a love born in deception. But as they weather storms on the high seas and flee from nefarious villains, the love sparked by lies begins to burn uncontrollably.

Taking shelter on a desert island paradise, the princess and the dark knight battle overwhelming odds to keep their adoration burning bright.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/fantasy-and-historical-romances/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150199

Stuff You Should be Watching: The Gilded Age

Posted by Elyse

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/stuff-you-should-be-watching-the-gilded-age/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150128

the gilded age season 1 poster with Christine Baranski in deep purple velvet and a BIG HAT standing back to back with a younger woman with brown hair and a teal shiny gown I would like to start by explaining that I am not saying The Gilded Age on HBO (Max? HBO Max? Do they even know anymore?) is a perfect show. It is flawed in many ways.

It is however perfectly silly biscuits and every episode finds me laughing with it and at it. Also kudos to every actress on this series who is wearing a serious corset and dresses that I can only imagine pinch in the armpits.

For me this is peak brain rest viewing. Even when the stakes are high, they aren’t really (more on that later), and there’s so much beautiful costuming and scenery to gobble up.

Season three also heavily featured romance novel tropes including: arranged marriage, slow burn, friends to lovers, and heroine with a secret past.

The series started with Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) arriving in New York as the poor relation of Mrs. van Rhijin (Christine Baranski). Mrs. van Rhijin dutifully takes lovely young Marian in and teaches her the ways of being an upper class socialite. They live with Mrs. van Rhijin’s spinster sister, Ada (Cynthia Nixon), and her banker son Oscar whose mustache makes him look perpetually damp.

Mrs. van Rhijin’s favorite things are being snarky and looking down on people so she’s not very happy when a new money family, The Russells, move in across the street. The Russells are disgustingly wealthy and have the audacity to spend their money among their betters (people who became disgustingly wealthy an appropriate amount of time ago). Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) is determined to see the family accepted among Mrs. Astor’s 400 (New York Society’s elite). Bertha Russell would stab someone in public to make this happen; she’s not fucking around here.

George, Berth and Larry Russell in a row of pews. George has a thick beard, Bertha is wearing blue and silver with a blue and silver plumed hat, and Larry is in a top buttoned suit

Like Julian Fellowes’ previous work, Downton Abbey, this is an upstairs/ downstairs drama that focuses on the lives of the wealthy and their servants. Unlike Downtown Abbey it strives to be more diverse.

One of the main characters is Peggy Scott (Denee Benton), a Black woman and a journalist, who works part time for Mrs. van Rhijin as a secretary. She has her own dramas and romances, experiences episodes of terrifying racism and less terrifying but no less depressing colorism.

Marian and Peggy stand next to each other. Marian is in a blue gown and hat trimmed in gold while Peggy is wearing a blue and orange patterned gown with a blue blouse and hat — Marian and Peggy

The Gilded Age also examines life as a queer and closeted person more thoroughly than Downton did, especially in season three…

Show Spoiler

when Mrs. van Rhijin begins to realize her son Oscar is gay.

Also like Julian Fellowes’ previous work, the conflict in this series exists on two levels–complete devastation and minor inconvenience. There is no in between. A normal episode has two plot lines made up of one family facing a crisis that will destroy them forever and also a maid selling gossip to a tabloid.

Both things are treated as equally concerning. In a way this is what makes the show so soothing to watch. If everything is a crisis, then nothing is a crisis really. I don’t need to worry so much about Mrs. van Rhijin’s diminished financial status since it’s treated as seriously as Mrs. Russell trying to steal her butler, so it can’t be that bad.

Also, the problems the characters face are often borderline ridiculous. At one point Ada finally meets the right man and gets married. Shortly after the wedding he suffers from some lower back pain that he assumes is a sprain.

Click for spoiler

His lower back pain is actually cancer and he dies almost immediately, as if he had in actuality been diagnosed correctly by Google.

Marian is supposed to be the character we root for the most, our Cinderella heroine, and she’s endlessly prim and annoying. She makes a point of working even though Mrs. van Rhijin forbids it. She doesn’t understand racism, which for someone living 20 years after the Civil War, is quite the trip.

Marian holds Larry's arm

We yearn for Marian and sweet Larry Russell (a Gilded Age Jonas Brother) from across the street to fall in love (Larian is the ship name) even though we know both Mrs. Russell and Mrs. van Rhijin will oppose the match and then…

Click for spoilers

She finds out Larry had a single drink in a “disorderly house” with his friends and dramatically breaks up with him from her moral high horse not explaining why and declares that all men “fail” her. The audacity, Larry!

It’s so over the top, I feel like the series knows it’s ridiculous and just decided to run with it.

There are also some great romance novel tropes here that I love. There’s an arranged marriage trope for two characters (I won’t name them to save the spoilers) that I’m enjoying immensely. Larry and Marian are friends to lovers as well as slow burn.

There are some interesting historical tidbits here too. There’s a plotline regarding the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and the fact that Emily Warren Roebling, not her husband, was the true chief engineer.

It’s also worth watching just for the costumes. The dresses here are either gorgeous or hideous, but they’re all historically appropriate. The Gilded Age was a time for weird ruffles and bows, man. I can watch this entire series on mute and just critique the fashions.

Bertha Russell wears an emerald gown designed with peacock feather motifs

Mrs. Russell’s peacock dress is my absolute favorite so far. By contrast her daughter’s aqua…thing makes me think she wronged her modiste somehow.

Gladys wears an aqua dress with neon pink shoulder ruffles

Shoulder ruffles…

There are also Extremely Large Hats.

Bertha wears a huge pink floral hat

The Gilded Age is a drama that’s easy to watch feels like low stakes no matter what the characters are facing. It’s also worth watching purely for the costumes alone. If you need some tropey brain rest tv, this is it.

Watch on YouTube

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/stuff-you-should-be-watching-the-gilded-age/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150128

Links: Data, Walks, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/links-data-walks-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150229

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

For me, February and August are some of the longest months…and I mean that psychologically. Time crawls at a snail’s pace and soon I will have to say goodbye to my blissful summer office schedule.

We also have a little over a month left in SBTB Bingo and as someone participating, wow. I sure did a tricky job with these squares. You all have my sympathies!

Sarah and I have an idea to do an “unhinged” bingo later in the year with squares like, “Hero’s name sounds like a law firm” and “Characters are clearly stand-ins for known celebrities.”

…

There’s a very cute nonprofit called Skype a Scientist, which gives families and educational groups the opportunity to talk to real science experts. They have a cute little shop to help raise funds, complete with advent calendars, posters, and more.

…

Call the Venn diagram of data nerds and romance readers! Happily Ever Analyst has fun infographics on things like tropes, cover colors, etc.

…

Can I Walk With You? is a series, where the host Thoraya, asks people in NYC if she can walk with them to wherever they’re going. It’s really sweet. There’s also a YouTube channel with longer clips.

…

This sound is everywhere on social media and I was happy to track it down to a YouTube channel where a guy makes songs out of dating app exchanges.

Watch on YouTube

…

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

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/links-data-walks-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150229

Lily Chu, Dystopian Romance, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/lily-chu-dystopian-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150193

The Flatshare

RECOMMEND: The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary is $2.99 and a KDD. We had a great guest review of this one and Lisa the Librarian gave it an A-:

It was romantic, sweet, hot, funny, and original – everything I’m looking for in a romance. I can definitely see myself rereading this in the not-too-distant future.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you’ve never met.

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Drop Dead

Drop Dead by Lily Chu is $2.24 at Amazon and $2.99 elsewhere! I’ve heard this one is really good on audio, but it seems like this one didn’t get as much love as Chu’s debut. Have you read this one?

One mysterious mansion. Two rival journalists. Three weeks to uncover the story—and love—of a lifetime.

Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death.” It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive.

Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal. Intrigued, Wes goes to the source to learn more—only to discover Nadine had the exact same idea…and the infuriating woman isn’t willing to respect dibs. Typical.

At first, Dot refuses to speak to either of the squabbling pair, but then they receive an unusual request—work together, and Dot will share everything. The offer seems too good to be true…and of course, it in a bitter twist of irony, Dot dies for real before she can finish recounting her story. Not all is lost, however. The estate’s executor allows Wes and Nadine access to Dot’s sprawling wonderland of a mansion for three weeks to find their answer. That’s three weeks of working together…three weeks of endless sweltering in tight spaces…three weeks of learning there could be something more between them than a desire to win at any cost.

And maybe, just maybe, under the rubble of all those could-have-beens they’ll uncover more than the secret of Dot Voline’s long-ago scandal—and Lady Dearth will finally embrace what she’s wanted from life all along.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

One Cursed Rose

One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti is $3.99! This is book one in the dystopian fairy tale Grimm Bargains series. I recently reviewed this and gave it a D, but no judgement if you want to try the crazysauce for yourself.

For fans of Scarlett St Clair and Sarah J Maas, New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti explores the forbidden and the taboo in this modern twist on Beauty and the Beast – the first in a seductive new dark romance series set in a world where information is power, and those who control the flow of information live like gods…

“Sexy and utterly engrossing!” —bestselling author J.T. Geissinger

They christened me Alana—and while the name means beauty, beneath that surface is a depth I allow very few to see. I’m sole heir to Aquarius Social, a media giant about to succumb to an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to marry me off to the son of a competing family. My reaction? Not a chance. Now I have just a week before the wedding to change my fate.

Who knew the unforeseen twist would be an assassination attempt on me and an unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the head of the rival social media empire driving Aquarius under? The richest, most ruthless of them all, the Beast protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go.

Thorn may think he can lock me in his enchanted castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Curves for Days

Curves for Days by Laura Moher is $1.99! This is book one in the Big Love from Galway series. This one may work for the Renovation Romance square for SBTB Summer Romance Bingo.

How is Rose Barnes supposed to build the home (and life) of her dreams when her big, burly contractor keeps scowling at her?

Rose Barnes has got curves for days—and to Angus Drummond, the big, bearded contractor working on her new house, she’s the perfect thorn in his side. Little does she know Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body.

Angus feels he has a debt to pay to the world and doesn’t deserve love until he pays it. Best to keep his mind on his work and his hands to himself. But the more Rose sees of Angus’s gruff, honorable thoughtfulness, and the more rusty laughter she surprises from him, the more she wants him too.

As their unlikely friendship becomes love, antagonism turns to partnership, and Rose’s house becomes a home. But Rose is keeping a secret that could blow up everything with Angus, and sure enough, it comes to light at the worst possible time…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/lily-chu-dystopian-romance-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150193

Tarot After Dark: Finding Peace

Posted by Carrie S

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/tarot-after-dark-finding-peace/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150075

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

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

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/tarot-after-dark-finding-peace/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150075

Guest Post: Magic and Comfort with Sangu Mandanna

Posted by Guest Reviewer

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/guest-post-magic-and-comfort-with-sangu-mandanna/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149933

This guest review is from Crystal Anne! Crystal Anne with An E comes to us from a sunny clime, but prefers to remain a pale indoor cat. She enjoys reading, cross-stitching something nerdy, going to see live music, and playing video games. She works as an autism consultant by day, got a degree in information science for fun, and currently serves on her local library advisory board.

…

The brain is a funny thing.

My reading over the last couple of months had become, well, quite dark. I should say that I don’t necessarily find anything wrong with reading dark books. Do you, and enjoy yourself. What I find with my own brain is that sometimes, especially after a streak of primarily reading darker books, I find my brain needs to shift gears and do a Fast and Furious style 180.

Hold on!

A scene from Fast and the Furiouwhere two timberland boots are pressing and releasing metal car pedals which cuts to a scene of a car making a whipping u turn

Naturally, as one does in this situation, I decided to search out some reading that would be funny and sweet and maybe magical.

Also, very pink.

Like, PINK pink.

A scene from the Barbie movie where Barbie in a pink gingham dress floats from the roof of her dream house onto the floor. Everything around her is pink

So, I yoinked out A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna ( A | BN | K | AB ). I had not read anything by this author previous to this, but the summary and cover seemed to promise exactly what I was after.

And, oh, it delivered.

That book was a warm hug, a cup of peppermint tea, and the stickiest cinnamon bun ever. When it finished, I immediately started her first book, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches ( A | BN | K | AB ), because my brain was not ready to leave the worlds that Mandanna had created.

So let us break down those worlds, shall we?

Caretaking

The characters in these books are utterly caring for one another. At every turn, someone is constantly thinking of the well-being of someone they love, and working actively to preserve that person’s safety and happiness.

Dry Humor

The humor runs toward being very arch and British (which, given that Mandanna herself is British, is not super-surprising). I enjoy dry British humor, and these books do this very well. There are also nice touches of absurdity here and there (the undead rooster being my favorite), and they balance the urgency of the stakes well.

Stakes

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

A | BN | K | AB

Ah, the stakes.

I listened to Mandanna’s appearance on the She Wore Black podcast, and I was very struck by her approach to stakes in her books. She said that cozy doesn’t mean devoid of stakes or urgency, it’s just that those stakes may not be for the world or society at large, but those stakes ARE important and critical for the characters. I liked that approach a great deal, as I think we all can understand the idea of balancing our care for the things going on in the world with the things that are important to us and our happiness and well-being.

Kindness and Acceptance

In addition to the emphasis on caring, there’s also a strong emphasis on kindness and acceptance. In The Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches, the main character, Mika, while kind and loving to those around her, finds it hard to believe that others could accept and love her as she is, and that lack of belief informs her tendency to keep others at arm’s length.

A | BN | K | AB

In A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, Luke, in his protectiveness of his younger sister Posy, who is autistic and has significant communication differences, is constantly braced for people to be judgmental of her and frankly, ready to run away to keep her safe and un-judged.

Which is why, when instead of being judged or ridiculed, Posy is accepted and almost instantly loved by the residents of Batty Hole (that’s the inn, and what a fantastic name), he is caught very off-guard.

It’s alluded to that Luke himself is neurodivergent and also very possibly on the spectrum, but he learned to squash those traits and spend his entire life “masking”, because otherwise, he was punished for those traits in some way. It is part of what makes him skeptical of the idea that people could love and accept Posy just as she is, because he has never experienced that in his own life. It is when Mika accepts the love and kindness of those around her that she finds ways to extend that acceptance outward and form a community, when before, the witches in the story had always made a point of isolating themselves.

A Sensory Feast

Let’s talk about the sensory aspects of these books. You can practically smell the cinnamon buns and the tea, and you can almost see the magic glittering through the air. The writing loves to focus on these details, and they are, for lack of a better term, yummy. Mika in particular is described as a gifted potions witch, and I like to think that this is what her potions looked like.

Watch on YouTube

It would be easy to take these aspects of a book, and make it too twee and sugary. These books avoid that by having some bite in that British humor. In addition, the characters in A Witch’s Guide have experienced trauma and bigotry, and that informs how they approach certain things, and they have had to reckon with and address their trauma. Sera, the heroine of A Witch’s Guide, has experienced the trauma of losing her magical abilities to save someone she loves, and it has made her grouchy and guarded, and is constantly having to do and redo the work of addressing her mental health and letting those around her carry some of the load.

I think that’s the most important thing about these books: no matter how messed up or grotesque we feel, there are people around us ready to show us how to be loved and cared for, and that we deserve love and care. Those people will likely err, but everyone will keep going, and everyone keeps doing that hard work, day after day, because the love and affection will continue.

It’s hard sometimes, especially right now, to feel okay about focusing on ourselves and our need for rest and recovery in a world that is constantly reminding us how on fire things are. It’s easy to feel powerless. We’re not, but we also cannot pour from an empty cup, and the characters in these books have to learn and re-learn that throughout these stories.

That, to me, is comfort.

A | BN | K | AB

What about you? Have you read these books? Were they as comforting for you?

I hope so. Comfort is a precious commodity at the moment.

If you’d like to write a guest post examining some of your favorites, get in touch with Sarah!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/guest-post-magic-and-comfort-with-sangu-mandanna/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149933

Updates to "No Fandom" Additional Tags, August 2025

https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/32291

Spotlight on Tag Wrangling

AO3 Tag Wranglers continue to test processes for wrangling canonical additional tags (tags that appear in the auto-complete) which don't belong to any particular fandom (also known as "No Fandom" tags). This post will provide an overview of some of these upcoming changes.

Previous Tag Wrangling updates can generally be found on the @ao3org Tumblr and, for No Fandom tags, AO3 News. While No Fandom tag updates are generally announced on AO3 News as well as the @ao3org Tumblr, this may not be true of all wrangling updates. Some updates may remain solely distributed via Tumblr, especially those that only affect one or two fandoms. The way we distribute updates is subject to change as we work through new processes.

In this round of updates, we continued a method which streamlines creation of new canonical tags, prioritizing more straightforward updates which would have less discussion compared to renaming current canonical tags or creating new canonical tags which touch on more complex topics. This method also reviews new tags on a regular basis, so check back on AO3 News for periodic "No Fandom" tag announcements.

None of these updates change the tags users have added to works. If a user-created tag is considered to have the same meaning as a new canonical, it will be made a synonym of one of these newly created canonical tags, and works with that user-created tag will appear when the canonical tag is selected.

In short, these changes only affect which tags appear in AO3's auto-complete and filters. You can and should continue to tag your works however you prefer.

New Canonicals

The following concepts have been made new canonical tags:

Biting Kink
Co-Parenting
Platonic Co-Parenting
Fangs
Fighting as Foreplay
Forced Proximity
Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Lovers to Enemies
Strangers to Friends
Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Incontinence
Kabeshiri | Stuck in a Wall
No Use of Y/N for Reader-Insert
Praise
Purring
Phone Sex Operators
Alternate Universe - Sex Cam Workers
Sex Cam Workers
Sexual Free Use
Soft

Other Updates

While all these new tags have already been made canonical, we are still working on implementing changes and connecting relevant tags, so it’ll be some time before these updates are complete. We thank you in advance for your patience!

While we won't be announcing every change we make to No Fandom canonical tags, you can expect similar updates in the future on the tags we believe will most affect users. If you're interested in the changes we'll be making, you can continue to check AO3 News or follow us on Bluesky @wranglers.archiveofourown.org or Tumblr @ao3org for future announcements.

You can also read previous updates on "No Fandom" tags as well as other wrangling updates, linked below:

Got Questions?

For more information about AO3's tag system, check out our Tags FAQ.

In addition to providing technical help, AO3 Support also handles requests related to how tags are sorted and connected. If you have questions about specific tags, which were first used over a month ago and are unrelated to any of the new canonical tags listed above, please contact Support instead of leaving a comment on this post.

Lastly, as mentioned above, we are still working on connecting relevant user-created tags to these new canonicals. If you have questions about specific tags which should be connected to these new canonicals, please refrain from contacting Support about them until at least two months from now.

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Mostly Historical Romances

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/mostly-historical-romances-6/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150125

The Duchess Takes a Husband

The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George is $1.99! This is a KDD and is book four in the Gilded Age Heiresses series. This last book in the series features Camille, whose wedding to a terrible man is what kicks off book one.

A scandalous arrangement between a London rogue and an American duchess leads to lavish stakes.

Despite her illustrious title, Camille, Duchess of Hereford, remains what she has always been—a pariah. Though her title means she’s technically accepted by London Society, the rebellious widow with her burgeoning interest in the suffrage movement and her American ways isn’t exactly high on every hostess’s guest list. But Camille starts to wonder if being an outcast is not without its perks when the tantalizing answer to her secret fear appears in the shape of Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club.

Jacob is used to making deals with his club members—he’s just not accustomed to them being beautiful women. Nor have the terms ever been so sweetly seductive as Camille’s shocking proposition. To finally buy his own club and gain the crucial backing of investors, Camille offers Jacob the respectability of a fake engagement with a duchess. In return, the tempting widow has one condition: she wants Jacob to show her if it’s possible for her to experience pleasure in bed.

The lure of such a bargain proves too delicious to resist, drawing the enterprising rogue and the wallflower duchess into a scandalous game and an even more dangerous gamble of the heart.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Guilty Pleasures

Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke is $1.99! This is book one in the Guilty series. I have a bit of a soft spot for this book. Not sure how well it holds up!

One of Daphne Wade’s guilty pleasures is to watch the Duke of Tremore as he works, shirtless, on the excavation site of his ducal estate. Anthony Courtland is by far the most exciting and handsome man she has ever known, and she dreams of one day being able to speak with him without getting tongue tied.

Anthony, meanwhile, only sees Daphne as a hard worker on his excavation team. He considers her a plain young lady and says so in a careless remark to a friend, unaware that Daphne is outside the library door, her heart shattering to pieces. So Daphne decides she will not be so silly any longer. She begins to be tutored in the social graces, forcing Anthony to see the beauty who has been right in front of his eyes.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Angel in a Devil’s Arms

RECOMMENDED: Angel in a Devil’s Arms by Julie Anne Long is 99c! There are also several of Long’s historicals on sale if you are missing any in your ebook library. Catherine reviewed this one and gave it an A:

Angel in a Devil’s Arms was just enormous fun to read. It’s sweet, it’s sexy, it’s fun, and it’s just a little bit subversive. Highly recommended.

From USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long comes the second book in an exciting new historical romance series, the first since her beloved Pennyroyal Green series.

He has devil’s blood in his veins. At least, that’s always been the legend. How else could the Duke of Brexford’s notorious bastard son return from the dead? The brutal decade since Lucien Durand, Lord Bolt, allegedly drowned in the Thames forged him into a man who always gets what—and who—he wants. And what he wants is vengeance for his stolen birthright…and one wild night in Angelique Breedlove’s bed.

Angelique recognizes heartbreak when the enigmatic Lord Bolt walks into The Grand Palace on the Thames, and not even his devastating charm can tempt her to risk her own ever again. One scorching kiss drives home the danger.

But in the space between them springs a trust that feels anything but safe. And the passion—explosive, consuming—drives Lucien to his knees. Now his whole life depends on proving his love to a woman who doesn’t believe in it…because his true birthright, he now knows, is guardian of Angelique Breedlove’s heart.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

Behooved

RECOMMENDED: Behooved by M. Stevenson is $1.99! Carrie reviewed this and gave it a B+:

Behooved is a charming fantasy romance that draws from Beauty and the Beast stories and shifter romances in a creative and sometimes very funny way. It also has a solid representation of life with a chronic illness. While this book wasn’t subtle about its messages, it was heartwarming, exciting, and sweet.

A charming slow-burn romantasy featuring a duty-bound noblewoman with a chronic illness, a prince who would rather be in a library than on a throne, and a magical ride through a world of cozy enchantment

Bianca knows her duty comes before her heart. So when the threat of war looms, she agrees to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir. But not all royal weddings are a fairytale, and Prince Aric, Bianca’s betrothed, is cold, aloof, and seems to hate her on sight.

To make matters worse, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt goes awry—leaving Aric magically transformed into a horse. Bianca does what any bride in this situation would she mounts her new husband and rides away to safety.

Sunset returns Aric to human form, but they soon discover the assassination attempt is part of a larger plot against the throne. Worse, Bianca has been framed for Aric’s murder, and she’s now saddled with a husband who is a horse by day and a frustratingly attractive man by night.

As an unexpected romance begins galloping away with their hearts, Bianca and Aric must rely on each other to unravel the curse and save the throne.

“Behooved is bewitchingly charming, a romantic fairy-tale adventure that will sweep you off your feet (or hooves)!”—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/mostly-historical-romances-6/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150125

HaBO: Alpha’s Pack Also Has Witches

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/habo-alphas-pack-also-has-witches/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150079

This HaBO comes from Kathy, who wants to find this paranormal romance:

It starts with the Alpha killing a man and taking the man’s daughter. The Alpha takes her to his pack and enslaves her at the tavern where she is forced to work. He ignores her for as long as possible. Her father was a horrible shifter, abusing women, and no one knows the daughter stayed with her dad to help the women escape. The Alpha hates her, but she is his mate.

She discovers she also has magical healing powers. The Alpha’s pack has witches who teach and train her.

Two other packs are vying for power and control. The leader of the “bad side” is the Alpha’s mother. It’s turned into a war, with packs taking sides. The Alpha’s brother comes to fight with him, and his lead warrior is a kickass woman. The heroine and the Alpha eventually travel to the “Mountain,” where they need to destroy some kind of dark magic to destroy the Alpha’s mom.

Can we HaBO this one?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/habo-alphas-pack-also-has-witches/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150079

Hide Your Wallet: August 12th Release Week

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/hide-your-wallet-august-12th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150065

Welcome back to Hide Your Wallet!

We have a good handful of books coming out this week: a new Chuck Tingle, plenty of mysteries, contemporary romances, and of course, more fantasy.

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

A Killer Getaway

Author: Sienna Sharpe
Released: August 12, 2025 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Romance

Falling in love can be murder…

No one in Lily Lennox’s life can understand why, for each of the past five summers, she has shut her successful business and chosen instead to be paid minimum wage lifeguarding at the exclusive Riovan Wellness Resort on a sun-soaked Caribbean island. Fortunately for her, they also aren’t aware of the mysterious deaths that have occurred on the island every time she’s there.

Lily always does her best not to attract attention. She is determined to make toxic people pay for the damage they do – and when your mission is murder, it’s best not to draw suspicious eyes. But this year a very attractive journalist, Daniel Black, is asking a few too many inconvenient questions. Is he there to hunt her down? And if so, how will she manage her growing attraction towards him – at the same time as getting away with murder?

Sarah: Perhaps this lifeguard is killing terrible people, and maybe that journalist should stop asking about it.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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

A Silence in Belgrave Square

Author: Jennifer Ashley
Released: August 12, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: European, Mystery/Thriller
Series: A Below Stairs Mystery #8

Valiant cook and amateur sleuth Kat Holloway must uncover the secrets of Victorian London’s most elite noblemen to save the man she loves, from the New York Times bestselling author of Speculations in Sin.

Kat Holloway knows that her beau and confidante Daniel McAdam has a talent for dangerous work as a Scotland Yard agent. At long last though, Daniel’s coldhearted boss has promised that after a final mission, his debt will be repaid, and he’ll finally be free. However, Daniel must risk his life one last time, masquerading as a secretary to an elderly viscount who could be the mastermind behind the recent plots against the Queen and her government.

Using her contacts throughout London, Kat discovers several of her friends and colleagues have been victims of vicious blackmail. They’ll do anything to protect their scandalous secrets, even conform to the blackmailer’s political agenda. If Kat and Daniel wish to save each other and the Crown, they must prove the blackmailer’s identity and evade those who will stop at nothing to eliminate them.

Sarah: New Kat Holloway!!

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

The Bone Raiders

Author: Jackson Ford
Released: August 12, 2025 by Orbit
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: The Rakada #1

The start of an edge-of-your-seat, action‑packed epic fantasy series from the irreverent Jackson Ford, where a wild band known as the Bone Raiders harness the power of gigantic, fire-breathing lizards to defend their homeland.

“Awesome. Masterfully executed. Frequently hilarious.” — Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE . . . BUT OUR GIANT FIRE-BREATHING LIZARDS DID.

You don’t f*ck with the Rakada. The people living in the grasslands of the Tapestry call them the Bone Raiders, from their charming habit of displaying the bones of those they kill on their armour. But being a raider is tough these days. There’s a new Great Khan in the Tapestry. He plans to use his sizeable military to get rid of the raider clans. And then there are the huge fire-breathing lizards that are straying into the grasslands a little too often these days.

Sayana is a raider scout. She knows that to protect their way of life, she needs do something drastic. Like convincing her clan to ride those huge lizards, instead of horses. Sayana doesn’t know how to do it without being eaten and/or cooked alive, but she’d better figure it out fast – or she and her clan, along with every other raider in the Tapestry, will be wiped out.

Amanda: This is giving me Kings of Wyld vibes and I’m not mad at it.

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Find buy links for this book here..

The Incredible Kindness of Paper

Author: Evelyn Skye
Released: August 12, 2025 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

In elementary school Chloe Hanako Quinn is assigned Oliver Jones as her pen pal. Before sending her letter she also whispers a note into it…and he hears her. It is the beginning of a friendship that blooms into something more—that is, until disaster strikes.

Now more than twenty years later Chloe is a high school guidance counselor in New York City, but life is not what she dreamed it would be as she faces a layoff, rising rent, a situationship, and loneliness. Desperate for encouragement, she gives herself a pep talk via uplifting messages written on yellow origami paper that she folds into roses. When one of the roses accidentally finds its way to a neighbor in need of cheering-up, Chloe, feeling a desire to spread kindness and optimism, begins purposely leaving them around town.

Across the city, Oliver has picked himself up from the rough circumstances that forced him to leave everything behind as a teenager—including Chloe. Now a successful financial analyst, Oliver’s past continues to haunt him. But when the city is suddenly inundated with yellow origami roses, a specific one finds its way into his hands and changes his life forever.

Sarah: A second chance story with a heroine named Chloe who gives herself pep talks through origami roses, which somehow also works on other people.

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Love at First Sighting

Author: Mallory Marlowe
Released: August 12, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, Romance

A chance at love might not be out of this world in this astronomically charming romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of Love and Other Conspiracies.

Los Angeles social media influencer El Martin seems to have a picture-perfect life. But what El wants more than anything is to find something real to make her heart race in a way it hasn’t in years. She doesn’t expect that feeling to come from capturing footage of an unidentified flying . . . thing, much less from the charming Man in Black who keeps following her around.

Agent Carter Brody is trying his best to keep the Private Intelligence Sector afloat by dragging their hopelessly out-of-date office into this century, even though what he really wants to do is follow in his father’s footsteps by identifying and hiding extraterrestrial sightings. He gets his chance after being assigned to El’s case and is stopped in his tracks not only by her ingenuity and confidence but also by an unnerving coincidence—her sighting looks eerily like what Carter himself saw right before a family tragedy.

The deeper El and Carter fall into the mystery, the harder it is for them to ignore their growing chemistry as their own alien feelings become dangerously terrestrial.

Mallory Marlowe returns with another quirky paranormal romance.

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Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Lucky Day

Author: Chuck TIngle
Released: August 12, 2025 by Tor Nightfire
Genre: Horror, LGBTQIA

“An existential masterwork that, like life, is equal parts atrocity and delights.”—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Masters of Death

Lucky Day is the latest from Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Camp Damascus and Bury Your Gays, where one woman must go up against horrifying odds to save the world.

Four years ago, an unthinkable disaster occurred. In what was later known as the Low-Probability Event, eight million people were killed in a single day, each of them dying in improbable, bizarre strangled by balloon ropes, torn apart by exploding manhole covers, attacked by a chimpanzee wielding a typewriter. A day of freak accidents that proved anything is possible, no matter the odds. Luck is real now, and it’s not always good.

Vera, a former statistics and probability professor, lost everything that day, and she still struggles to make sense of the unbelievable catastrophe. To her, the LPE proved that the God of Order is dead and nothing matters anymore.

When Special Agent Layne shows up on Vera’s doorstep, she learns he’s investigating a suspiciously—and statistically impossibly—lucky casino. He needs her help to prove the casino’s success is connected to the deaths of millions, and it’s Vera’s last chance to make sense of a world that doesn’t.

Because what’s happening in Vegas isn’t staying there, and she’s the only thing that stands between the world and another deadly improbability.

New Chuck Tingle alert!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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

The Re-Write

Author: Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
Released: August 12, 2025 by Penguin Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

In this lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers rom-com, two exes are faced with one deadline. Will they make it to the end?

Temi and Wale meet in London. They flirt, date, meet each other’s friends.

Then they break up. And Wale goes on a reality dating show.

Instead of giving in to heartbreak, Temi throws herself into her writing. She’s within touching distance of a book deal that would solve all her problems. But publishers keep passing on her novel and bills still have to be paid. So, when the opportunity to ghost-write a celebrity memoir arises, Temi accepts.

And, of course, the celebrity turns out to be Wale…

Will Temi and Wale repeat the patterns of their past? Or can they write a whole new story?

Exes reunite when the heroine is assigned with ghostwriting the hero’s memoir, after his villain edit on a reality dating show.

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

Warrior Princess Assassin

Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Released: August 12, 2025 by Avon
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Braided Fate #1

New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer makes her adult debut with this irresistible and steamy fantasy about three characters whose paths will collide in surprising ways – two royals pushed into a political engagement, and the assassin tasked with hunting them down.

WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his kingdom is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that the royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his land flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how the blaze began.

PRINCESS. With war looming on the horizon, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.

A tale of three complex characters torn between chasing, betraying, and falling in love with each other, Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.

Amanda: Really excited to see Kemmerer’s adult fantasy romance debut! With anything that hints at a love triangle, I always hope it turns into a Why Choose.

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Find buy links for this book here..

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/hide-your-wallet-august-12th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150065

Sonali Dev, Fantasy, & More

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sonali-dev-fantasy-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150022

The Ruin of a Rake

GUEST RECOMMENDED: The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian is $1.99! We had a guest review of this one from Heather Morris and they gave it an A-:

That quibble aside, there are so many things little things that I loved. Platonic male-female friendship. Sharpshooting and fake duels. Seduction-by-bookkeeping. A frankly excessive amount of kittens.

Rogue. Libertine. Rake. Lord Courtenay has been called many things and has never much cared. But after the publication of a salacious novel supposedly based on his exploits, he finds himself shunned from society. Unable to see his nephew, he is willing to do anything to improve his reputation, even if that means spending time with the most proper man in London.

Julian Medlock has spent years becoming the epitome of correct behavior. As far as he cares, if Courtenay finds himself in hot water, it’s his own fault for behaving so badly—and being so blasted irresistible. But when Julian’s sister asks him to rehabilitate Courtenay’s image, Julian is forced to spend time with the man he loathes—and lusts after—most.

As Courtenay begins to yearn for a love he fears he doesn’t deserve, Julian starts to understand how desire can drive a man to abandon all sense of propriety. But he has secrets he’s determined to keep, because if the truth came out, it would ruin everyone he loves. Together, they must decide what they’re willing to risk for love.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

There’s Something About Mira

There’s Something About Mira by Sonali Dev is $1.99 on Amazon! I believe this is Dev’s latest release and features main characters who are trying to track down the owner of a ring.

From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes the heartfelt story of a woman determined to reunite a lost ring with its owner, who ends up finding herself along the way.

Mira Salvi has the perfect life—a job she loves, a fiancé everyone adores, and the secure future she’s always imagined for herself. Really, she hasn’t a thing to complain about, not even when she has to go on her engagement trip to New York alone.

While playing tourist in the city, Mira chances upon a lost ring, and her social media post to locate its owner goes viral. With everyone trying to claim the ring, only one person seems to want to find its owner as badly as Mira journalist Krish Hale. Brooding and arrogant, he will do anything to get to write this story.

As Krish and Mira reluctantly join forces and jump into the adventure of tracing the ring back to where it belongs, Mira begins to wonder if she is in the right place in her own life. She had to have found this ring for a reason…right? Maybe, like the owner of the lost ring, her happy ending hasn’t been written yet either.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

A Duke in the Rough

A Duke in the Rough by Trisha Messmer is $2.49! This is book one in a historical romance series and features a new duke hiding his identity.

How can a newly minted duke escape title-seeking debutantes? Lie, of course!

Lady Honoria Bell never recovered from her broken heart. Fending off suitors her marquess father forces in her path, she’s put aside hopes of marriage. However, word of a house party hosted by the new, eligible Duke of Burwood brings a renewed gleam to her father’s eye. But regardless of the new duke’s appeal, Honoria knows he won’t fill the void Drake Merrick left.

If there’s one thing Drake Merrick knows, it’s that aristocratic women care more about a title than they do love. Losing the love of his life because he was a lowly groom proved it. So, when a twist of fate makes him the new Duke of Burwood, he’s determined to choose a bride who wants him—not his title.

Switching places with his man of business seems like the perfect plan to test the affections of eager debutantes. Until it backfires the moment Honoria arrives, and he realizes his heart will always be irrevocably hers.

But will his deception allow her to prove her love? Or will his lies destroy it?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Rook

RECOMMENDED: The Rook by Daniel O’Malley $2.99! Carrie loves the series, especially the sequel Stiletto. It’s urban fantasy set in London with a badass cast of characters. But some found the book to have a lot of info-dumping. Have you read The Rook?

“The body you are wearing used to be mine.” So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own.

In her quest to uncover which member of the Chequy betrayed her and why, Myfanwy encounters a person with four bodies, an aristocratic woman who can enter her dreams, a secret training facility where children are transformed into deadly fighters, and a conspiracy more vast than she ever could have imagined.

Filled with characters both fascinating and fantastical, THE ROOK is a richly inventive, suspenseful, and often wry thriller that marks an ambitious debut from a promising young writer.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sonali-dev-fantasy-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150022

Cover Snark: How Do Legs Work? (Diagrams Included)

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/cover-snark-how-do-legs-work-diagrams-included/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150026

Welcome back to Cover Snark!

Love the Duke by Amelia Grey. A historical cover. A man and woman are in a parlor. The man has blond hair and his navy coat is slight open to reveal his chest. He's behind a blonde woman in a blue dress, who appears to be squeezing her legs together.

Amanda: Does she have to pee?

Claudia: Yes! Also, his left pant leg is missing?

Sarah: Why is the perspective weird? Their legs look so short and their heads are so large?

Okay taking another look, I think the angle of her hip looks too low.

So it looks like her legs are short and her midsection is bizarro long, and her head is sized correctly, just looks out of whack with the leg.

Sarah: So frame one is where her hips likely are, and frame two is where it looks like her hips are because of her leg position.

Elyse: That’s like the walk you do when your period gushed and you’re trying to get to the potty without spillage.

Sarah: COME ON. YOU’RE NOT EVEN TRYING.

Tara: This is so bad it might actually be…perfect?

Sarah: It reminds me so much of 2010s web design when folks were going for an 80s aesthetic updated.

Tara: It also feels like one of those “which mood are you?” memes. Yesterday I was a bottom right, but today I’m a bottom left.

Sarah: Oh my gosh you are RIGHT.

A continuation from last Snark’s Hanover Square romance:

Pall Mall Peer by Annabelle Anders. A headless woman in a green dress sits on a brown horse. A blond man in a green waistcoat stands nearby, holding the woman's calf.

From Susie: Do all these heroes in this series have a Leg Thing? I mean, no shame, but that last one is giving me pause. Like even that horse is offended.

Sarah: She’s not really on that horse, is she?

Elyse: The horse is like “WTF. Why am I involved in this?”

She is floating in the air next to that horse.

Amanda: Pall Mall like in the cigarettes?

Fleet Street Scoundrel by Annabelle Anders. A room with a purple chaise and a lit fireplace. A headless woman in a purple dress stands in front of the chaise. A man in an open white linen shirt sits on the floor. He's wearing glasses and has his arm wrapped around the woman's knee.

Sarah: OH MY GOOD GOD HOLY HELL

Y’all are not going to believe this one.

LOOK at that fucking guy.

Elyse: How long is her upper leg? How is her knee attached? What in the orthopedic hell is happening here?

How. Just how.

Sarah: this is going to be a “trying to figure out how legs work’ cover snark

The outward curve of purple fabric near or at her hip is disorienting.

Elyse: Maybe she has backwards knees like the horse her sister is inexplicably floating next to it.

Bond Street Bachelor by Annabelle Anders. A man with dark hair and a light beard in black jacket, silver waistcoat, and white ascot, walks along a dimly lit street. A woman is in a teal dress is tossed over his shoulder. We just see her butt and legs.

Sarah: All these folks have leg fetishes. Or specifically behind-the-knee fetishes.

Elyse: Has this artist not actually seen a human leg before?

Sarah: The over-the-shoulder, fondling the back of her knee cover is giving me SO MUCH ICK.

Kiki: Is she even conscious?!

Amanda: Well, I admire the consistency.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/cover-snark-how-do-legs-work-diagrams-included/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=150026

Sunday Sale Digest!

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sunday-sale-digest-43/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149975

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sunday-sale-digest-43/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149975

SBTB Bestsellers: July 26 – August 8

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sbtb-bestsellers-july-26-august-8/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149995

The latest bestseller list is brought to you by popsicles, portable fans, and our affiliate sales data.

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood Amazon | B&N | Kobo
A Tempest of Desire by Lorraine Heath Amazon | B&N | Kobo
The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie Amazon | B&N | Kobo | GooglePlay
Not That Duke by Eloisa James Amazon | B&N | Kobo
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose Amazon | B&N | Kobo
The Griffin’s Mate by Zoe Chant Amazon
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare Amazon | B&N | Kobo | GooglePlay
Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay Amazon | B&N | Kobo
Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner Amazon | B&N | Kobo

I hope your weekend reading was super chill.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/sbtb-bestsellers-july-26-august-8/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149995

Crafty Zoom Recs!

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/crafty-zoom-recs/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149998

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/crafty-zoom-recs/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149998

Whatcha Reading? August 2025, Part One

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/whatcha-reading-august-2025-part-one/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149803

Ship or luxury white boat lay on sand beach, skyline background. After storm always return sun. Yacht on st.johns beach. Entertainment summer vacation yachting. Boat yacht landed on sand coast. Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re kicking off August:

Sarah: I’m reading Stone and Sky, ( A | BN | K | AB ) the new Peter Grant book in audio because Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s narration is top-tier for me. And I’m reading The Seven O’Clock Club, ( A | BN | K | AB ) which is set within a grief therapy group

Amanda: I’m reading The Assassin and the Libertine ( A ) on Kindle, which reimagines the French Revolution with vampires. I like it so far, but it feels like a very slow read despite being average length. I also picked up King of Pride by Ana Huang. ( A | BN ) Really enjoyed book one in the Kings of Sin series. The hero of Pride is a prominent secondary character in book one and I was very interested for his story.

Lara: I’ve fallen head long into Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ). I’m currently on book 7 and savoring every second.

So, whatcha reading? Let us know in the comments!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/whatcha-reading-august-2025-part-one/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149803

July 2025 Newsletter, Volume 202

https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/32286

Banner of a paper airplane emerging from an envelope with the words 'OTW Newsletter: Organization for Transformative Works'

I. UPCOMING BOARD ELECTION

The 2025 OTW Board Election will be held on August 15-18, a week from today.

Elections, Communications, and Translation worked together to announce candidate and voting information. Voting instructions have been emailed to all eligible OTW members, and translated versions of voting instructions are available on the Elections website. Candidate answers to Q&A questions can also be found on the Elections website, and a live Candidate chat was held on August 2 via Discord.

II. ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

Legal has been closely monitoring legal developments and proposals about internet age verification in the US, UK, and around the world and taking steps to ensure that the AO3 user experience will not change. They also responded to a number of user queries and dealt with a commercial company that has been using the AO3 trademark in a confusing way.

In early July, Accessibility, Design, & Technology resolved some issues and downtime related to creating bookmarks on AO3. They also deployed several releases of bug fixes and improvements, including a performance improvement for the page that administrators use to search for user accounts. Lastly, in conjunction with Systems having installed and set up new servers, they finalized some Elasticsearch upgrades. You can refer to the recent release notes for more details.

In June, Support received 3,348 tickets, while Policy & Abuse received 3,738 tickets. Their TOS Spotlight news post series has now concluded; if you missed it, we encourage you to look it over and contact Policy & Abuse if you have any further TOS questions.

Tag Wrangling continues to test processes for wrangling canonical tags in "No Fandom"—tags that aren't specific to any particular fandom—and announced some new canonical tags on July 14. More tags will continue to be canonized and announced on a regular basis.

In June, Tag Wrangling handled over 526,000 tags, or over 1,200 tags per volunteer! \o/

III. OPEN DOORS IMPORTS CONTINUE

Open Doors finished importing all fanfiction from the Harry Potter archive FictionAlley and is now processing fanart hosted on the site. You can find all imported works in the FictionAlley collection. Unclaimed works are currently restricted to logged-in AO3 users, but per Open Doors' agreement with the archivist, they will be unlocked 30 days after the import is fully completed.

All FictionAlley creators should have received one or more emails with links to claim, orphan, delete their works, or prevent the import of any additional works of theirs in the future. If you were a creator and did not receive this email, please contact Open Doors for assistance. You can also contact Open Doors if you would like to prevent future imports of your Harry Potter works specifically.

The import process for HarryPotterFanFiction.com and MuggleNet Fan Fiction are also underway. If your email address has changed since you were a member of either archive, or you would like Open Doors not to import your works, please contact Open Doors. Please refer to the import announcements for a full list of how Open Doors can assist you.

Elsewhere, Open Doors has continued their importing work on My Mongoose, an archive for The Sentinel.

IV. ELSEWHERE AT THE OTW

Communications' Con Outreach team wrapped up Capital City Comic Con in Lansing, Michigan, USA—thank you to everyone who tabled and who said hi to us! You can check out con attendees' fanwork recommendations in the convention's AO3 collection.

Fanlore's themed month for July, Fandom in Color, was a big success! They're now planning their next editing challenge, Stub September, which will be themed around animals with swords this year. Check out Fanlore's social media (Bluesky, Twitter/X, and Tumblr) for announcements about the challenge, which will run from September 8-21.

Transformative Works and Cultures is finalizing their upcoming general issue, volume 46, which will be published on September 15. Their upcoming Latin American Fandoms and Music Fandoms specific issues are still accepting submissions until January 1, 2026. Lastly, they collaborated with Communications on an OTW website page about the TWC committee, outlining the team behind the publication and spotlighting TWC's Fans of Color research prize.

V. GOVERNANCE

Board held the quarterly Board meeting on July 20 on Discord. There were 44 attendees, and minutes will be available soon on the OTW website.

Alongside preparing for the Board meeting, Board and the Board Assistants Team collaborated across the OTW and made progress on several goals, including the OTW Crisis Management Plan, OTW Procurement Policy, Cybersecurity Report, Paid Staff Transition, and researching nonprofit training resources.

Finance is wrapping up 2024 reconciliations and working with auditors for the 2024 audit.

VI. OUR VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers & Recruiting conducted recruitment for three committees this month: Communications, Fanlore, and Policy & Abuse. Volunteers & Recruiting also closed out all projects carried over from previous years and plan to start new projects this year in accordance with their 2025 roadmap goals.

From June 23 to July 22, Volunteers & Recruiting received 175 new requests, and completed 124, leaving them with 102 open requests. As of July 22, 2025, the OTW has 926 volunteers. \o/ Recent personnel movements are listed below.

New Communications News Post Moderation Volunteers: Deniz (News Post Moderation Volunteer)
New Open Doors Volunteers: Kriti S (FCPP Intern)
New Support Volunteers: moonlithic, SlantedKnitting, and 23 other Support Volunteers
New Translation Volunteers: 1 Translation Volunteer Manager and 1 Translation Task Assistant

Departing Communications Volunteers: 2 Fanhackers Volunteers
Departing Communications News Post Moderation Volunteers: 2 News Post Moderation Volunteers
Departing Policy & Abuse Volunteers: 1 Policy & Abuse Volunteer
Departing Support Volunteers: Jennifer D2 (Liaison to User Response Translation), Geraldine and 2 other Support Volunteers
Departing Tag Wrangling Volunteers: demilyver, Goodwin, Ratty, and 11 other Tag Wrangling Volunteers
Departing Volunteers & Recruiting Volunteers: Ducky (Volunteers & Recruiting Volunteer) and 1 Tool Implementation Lead

For more information about our committees and their regular activities, you can refer to the committee pages on our website.

https://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/32286

Historical Romance, a Duology, & More

Posted by Amanda

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

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149921

The Blacksmith Queen

RECOMMENDED: The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken is $3.99! (Or free with KU!) This was my one pick for hilarious reading in our Ready Set Go. I also gave this an A-. Seriously, it’s so much fun:

The Blacksmith Queen is a bloody, feminist romp that exudes girl power in all forms, and I’m envious of its fantasy girl squad.

When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken.

The Old King Is Dead

With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals.

Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Love at First Book

Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay is $1.99! I’m only seeing the sale at Amazon, but hopefully it’ll be price-matched. The heroine is a librarian, who gets the opportunity to help her favorite author with writer’s block.

When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.

When Siobhan’s health takes a bad turn, she’s more determined than ever to finish her novel, while Kieran tries every trick in the book to get his mother to rest. Thrown into the role of peacemaker, Emily begins to see that Kieran’s heart is in the right place. Torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her own growing feelings for the mercurial Irishman, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Groom List

The Groom List by Ella Quinn is $2.99! This one, as of right now, is also another Amazon-only discount. This is book three in The Worthington Brides historical romance series.

In a Season filled with surprises, the irrepressible Worthingtons welcome thrilling new love matches into their lively extended family . . .

Intelligent. Kind. Must like children. Passable looks. A man of means. Must make us laugh . . .
For Lady Alice Carpenter, these are some of the “musts” on the checklist for eligible bachelors compiled with her sisters as they husband-hunt among the ton. Yet when she encounters a striking nobleman on her morning ride in Hyde Park, Alice soon tallies another list of first impressions . . .

Shallow. Flirtatious. Without seriousness of purpose. Impossible to avoid . . .
Gifford, the Marquis of St. Albans, must wed in order to wrest his estate from his controlling father. How hard could it be to snag a suitable match? Waltzing with lovely Lady Alice at the Season’s whirl of balls and soirees however, defies Giff’s expectations: his dance moves are smooth but their small talk is excruciating—he offers up gossip sheet tidbits while she interrogates him on his charitable works—or lack thereof!

Charming. Amusing. Irresistible . . . A disastrous idea?
Alice is willing to entertain the possibility that there is more to the man than meets the eye—though what meets the eye is quite attractive. But when Giff’s true character is tested, she realizes it takes more than a list to reveal the heart of a worthy and honorable gentleman . . .

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

All the King’s Men Bundle

All the Kings Men bundle by Kennedy Ryan is $2.51 at Amazon and $2.99 elsewhere! This collects the first two book in the All the King’s Men series, which follows the same couple. There’s also a bonus epilogue.

From beloved, RITA-award-winning author Kennedy Ryan comes her gripping All the King’s Men duology.

The Kingmaker

In a world of haves and have-nots, Maxim Cade’s family and their oil empire have it all…and he wants nothing to do with it. At odds with his mogul father, he’s determined to build his own empire, even if it means traveling far from home, painted as the black sheep.

Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of Maxim’s rules. At a protest for the oil pipeline that threatens to mar her ancestral land forever, they meet in a flurry of stars and sparks, and that one moment changes everything. But Maxim’s family is the one stealing from hers, and his father is the man she hates most. He has to lie in order to have her once, and despite the truth, he’ll do anything to keep her.

Even though Lennix tries to hate Maxim, too, their hearts are pointed in the same direction. The inexorable pull between them, across miles and years, will not be denied.

And neither will Maxim.

The Rebel King

Though surrender is what Maxim Cade demanded of Lennix Hunter’s body and heart, she had other plans. They were fast-burning fascination and combustible chemistry, the son of an oil baron and the Apache daughter at war with his family, but she trusted him, and he turned out to be a thief who stole her love.

Still, if what they had was a lie, why had it felt so real?

Now, the man she swore to hate is about to have it all, and he wants Lennix at his side. But when the two of them are forced to face the unthinkable, their rocky foundation is tested, as is the invisible thread that seems to wind their fates together. As they navigate a treacherous political landscape in their quest for justice, Maxim and Lennix soon learn that power is a game, and they are merely the pawns and players. Facing insurmountable odds, will they win the world, or will they lose it all?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

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

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149921

Tomorrow! 2pm ET on August 9: A Crafty Zoom or a Zoomy Craft!

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/tomorrow-2pm-et-on-august-9-a-crafty-zoom-or-a-zoomy-craft/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149805

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/tomorrow-2pm-et-on-august-9-a-crafty-zoom-or-a-zoomy-craft/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149805

679. RT Rewind: July 2016 Reviews

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/679-rt-rewind-july-2016-reviews/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=149816

We’re back!

Amanda picked this month’s issue and so we are journeying back to July 2016!

We tackle vague reviews that tell us no things.

I try to coin a new portmanteau!

We come up with the most unhinged romance bingo squares ever – tell us if we should use them!

We have some plot summaries that are a RIDE, folks.

Hop into our newly refurbished time machine – we needed a bigger drinks fridge – and let’s look at the July 2016 new releases!

…

Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.

Do you want to do a crossword puzzle from the May 1995 issue of RT? The crossword puzzle is available for free on Patreon right now!
Would you like to read an issue of RT Magazine? The December 1997 issue is now available for your perusal.
Or would you like to try one of our bonus episodes? Join Amanda and me as we look back at our 2024 predictions about romance and publishing.

This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.

Listen to the podcast →

Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

We also mentioned this fabulous Google images result for Alice Clayton.

And here are the two covers we talk about – which do you like better?

Music: purple-planet.com

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

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.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/679-rt-rewind-july-2016-reviews/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=149816