libraford:
libraford:
libraford:
libraford:
Googled something about quick hydration and it suggested big jug of water, couple tbsp pickle juice, dash of lime juice.
Its surprisingly tasty????
Pleased to report that after a day of this i am not longer craving caper brine and my mouth is not dry as usual. There’s some good suggestions in the notes too that I want to try.
-ancient roman posca: water, red or white wine vinegar, honey, salt, herbs (coriander, mint, thyme)
-switchel: water, ginger, vinegar, sweetener, lemon, salt
-ayran: yogurt, water, salt, mint
-Agua pepino: water, cucumbers, lime, sugar, optional mint.
I have been reminded of:
-shrub: vinegar, sida water, elderberry (or other berry), sugar.
I have now been informed of
-sekanjabin: honey, vinegar, mint, water.
“Wow, I wonder why this post was popular this week.”
-sees the reports of the heatwave in Europe-
“… ah.”

https://thebibliosphere.tumblr.com/post/821513694973460480

notbecauseofvictory_feed

https://notbecauseofvictories.tumblr.com/post/821505875991740416

shithowdy:

“Neighborhood Watch”

as a birdwatcher, i registered a certain familiarity with how the entire neighborhood converged with their horns and whistles to drive away the threat. this is definitely a rough piece, but i had to get it out of me.

https://notbecauseofvictories.tumblr.com/post/821505875991740416

notbecauseofvictory_feed

https://notbecauseofvictories.tumblr.com/post/821503905709129729

We’re finally in the part of the summer where I have to water my outdoor plants every day—however, today when I went out with the watering can, I saw a black swallowtail flitting around. Not unusual, especially because my cucumber plants are flowering; I get honeybees too, and the occasional very confused squirrel.

However, this swallowtail kept fluttering around the parsley, which is confusing? Parsley doesn’t have any flowers at all…

Then I remembered: parsley worms. Aka, the caterpillar form of the swallowtail, which absolutely love parsley. They can mow down an entire patch if you’re not careful, and I’ve spent multiple years battling with them in ways both dignified (mild pesticide) and undignified (grab caterpillars and literally throw them into the neighbor’s yard).

However, in the moment all I could think to do was stand in my alley and watch a butterfly lay eggs. It was wild to watch, and I need everyone to appreciate my sudden stumble into a nature documentary.

https://notbecauseofvictories.tumblr.com/post/821503905709129729

osprey_archer

When last we left Captain Hornblower, he had just attacked four French ships all by his lonesome, and been forced to strike his colors. Flying Colours begins soon after this battle, with Hornblower in French captivity. The French have taken a dim view of some of his escapades in A Ship of the Line, deciding that his perfectly legitimate ruse de guerre is in fact an act of piracy, for which Captain Hornblower and his first lieutenant Bush must be sent to Paris to be shot by firing squad!

This is especially unfortunate because Bush got his foot shot off in the last engagement, and the wound is barely half-healed. But no matter. The sneering French grandee packs Hornblower, Bush, and Hornblower’s coxswain Brown into a carriage to transport them to Paris. If Bush dies along the way, why, it will save the firing squad some trouble, that’s all.

I’m not entirely sure why the French have decided they need to try Bush as well as Hornblower, but I also don’t care because it’s clearly occurring for a very important purpose: C. S. Forester needs Bush along on this road trip from hell in order to make this the slashiest Hornblower novel since Lieutenant Hornblower.

Item: after they are shoved into the carriage, Hornblower takes Bush’s hand to comfort him, as the journey will no doubt be tortuous to his wound, and Bush grasps Hornblower’s hand and starts caressing it.

Item: when they stop at the hotel, there is only one bed. (Hornblower gets the bed, Bush sleeps on his stretcher, and Brown sleeps on a pallet on the floor. No matter. Let me have this.)

Item: unable to get a doctor on the second morning, Hornblower has to tend to Bush’s wounds himself. This is too gross to be romantic but it is extremely intimate.

Item: later on, while they are escaping France, they all have to huddle for warmth one night and Hornblower feels a “ridiculous pleasure” (direct quote) when he wakes up under Bush’s arm. HORNBLOWER PLEASE.

In the midst of all this, Hornblower and company end up spending a few months hiding in the house of a sympathetic French nobleman, and Hornblower seduces his widowed daughter-in-law Marie, as one does. I felt some concern that she was going to die tragically, as there’s a Marie(tte) in the Hornblower movies who shared a few characteristics with this character (French; in love with Hornblower; raised from peasant past by Revolution) who meets a sticky end. (I did a short rewrite, which I link here because it is a work of comic genius which makes me laugh every time I read it. Adieu, 'Ornblowaire!)

Now, book!Marie might still show up in the final three Hornblower books to die dramatically, but she made it through this one alive, at least. And she completely slayed Hornblower with this comment: “I don't think you will ever love anybody, or know what it is to do so.” I don’t think this is actually accurate (Lady Barbara! Bush???) but it does seem like the kind of thing that would lodge in Hornblower’s relentlessly, inaccurately self-analytical head and torment him forever, so good job serving up some ice cold vengeance, Marie.

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/contemporary-romance-and-fantasy/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174648

Not in Love

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood is $2.99! This is the first book in a series of the same name. Book two is Problematic Summer Romance, and I kind of hate how the cover designs are so different tonally.

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through—and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business—one that plays for keeps.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Thank You for Listening

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan is $2.99! Sarah mentioned this on Hide Your Wallet and was interested in the meta-ness of it. She also had Whelan on the podcast!

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Jasmine Throne

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri is $1.99! Many of us were big fans of her debut fantasy romance Empire of Sand. This is the first book in her second trilogy, which has been concluded. Are you a fan?

Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess’s traitor brother.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Re-Do List

The Re-Do List by Denise Williams is $1.99! This is a standalone contemporary romance and it released in January of this year. Have you read this one?

What would you do with a second chance at your first time? Following a bad breakup, Willow Lewis tackles a re-do list with the help of her brother’s best friend in this sweet and sexy new romance from USA Today bestselling author Denise Williams.

Willow experienced all her big firsts with her high school sweetheart. Now, reeling from their very public breakup, she wants to get a re-do on those important moments. While dog-sitting for her brother during his deployment, she has a chance to start over and spending time with his best friend gives her the confidence to start checking items off her “Re-Do list.”

Deacon promised his best friend two things when Cruz left for a that he’d look out for Willow, and that he’d keep his hands off Cruz’s baby sister. “Operation Re-Do” is innocent enough at Deacon likes Willow and he’s willing to help her out any way he can. But when the list of firsts turns from a first dance to first kisses and more, Deacon can’t deny the connection he feels to Willow.

As Deacon’s and Willow’s firsts turn to seconds, thirds, and fourths, this pair can’t get enough of each other—and they support each other through new challenges. But they are both aware there’s an end date to Willow’s time in town… and even if she were to stay, Deacon doesn’t know how to choose between his loyalty to his closest friend and the woman he’s fallen in love with. With no more romantic moments on her list for them to re-do, can these two still find a way to stay together?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/contemporary-romance-and-fantasy/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174648

sartorias

The reissue of INDA is today.

I can't express what a relief it is to have the tyops and other messes cleaned up. No doubt one or two escaped, but that can be fixed, now that my rights are back in my hands. Almost twenty years to the day since it first came out; at that time having gay characters as just part of life was pretty rare, especially in main characters, plus an autistic hero. Now I am glad to say there are plenty more out there, yay!

Available from: Kindle | Kobo | B&N | Apple |. Print at Amazon (soon also at IngramSpark, AND AT BOOKVAULT, which is a UK outfit)

Also, finally, after close on fifteen years, I have Wren Journeymage in print.

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/habo-trapped-in-a-wine-cellar-forced-to-marry/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174646

This HaBO is from Cynthia, who is looking for this historical romance:

I’m looking for a book I read as a teenager. Traditional Regency romance read around 2008–2011, but likely older.

Heroine attends a party/house party and gets trapped overnight in a wine cellar with the hero (who has a long possibly European name). During the night, a murder occurs. Because they were trapped together overnight, they’re forced to marry.

Heroine had been engaged or nearly engaged to another man who is eventually revealed to be a serial killer. There’s also a creepy, sweaty man.

Final climax involves heroine in a brothel with the killer before her husband rescues her.

I vaguely remember the title being something like “Engaged to a Rogue.”

Can we HaBO?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/habo-trapped-in-a-wine-cellar-forced-to-marry/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174646

smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/hide-your-wallet-july-7th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174636

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!

It’s officially July. Did you know? I feel like this month as a lot of interesting releases.

What are you excited for this week? Let us know in the comments!

An Infinite Love Story

Author: Chanel Cleeton
Released: July 7, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: American, Literary Fiction

When an astronaut is lost in space, his wife relives their epic love as she attempts to unravel what truly happened to him, in this sweeping love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes.

When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.

As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her.

Elyse: I’m really interested in reading historical fiction that isn’t about the Tudors or WWII.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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

Fabulous Bodies

Author: Chuck Tingle
Released: July 7, 2026 by Tor Nightfire
Genre: Horror, LGBTQIA

From Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Bury Your Gays, comes Fabulous Bodies, a supernatural joyride where Drive meets Beetlejuice.

Fashion influencer by day and grave-robber by night, Poppy Stringer is on call when Eddie Michaels—a flamboyant, piano-slamming rockstar and queer icon—unexpectedly dies. All Poppy has to do is retrieve Eddie’s body from the medical examiner’s office, but what starts as a routine delivery quickly goes off course when Eddie wakes up.

Poppy must fight for her life in a blood-soaked night of carnage and fabulous entertainment all across Palm Springs.

New Tingle alert!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

Just for the Season

Author: Rachel Griffiths
Released: July 7, 2026 by Gallery Books
Genre: Historical: European, Romance

For fans of Lisa Kleypas and Sarah MacLean, Rachel Griffiths’s latest historical romance is a sexy, laugh-out-loud romp that’s The Bachelorette set in Regency England with shades of Bridgerton.

Lady Charlotte Louisa Aveton knows all of London’s rules, and better yet, knows how to break them. But when she takes it too far and stumbles into a serious scandal, she knows only one thing will save her—marriage, as soon as possible.

With only one summer to pick a husband, Charlotte invites all of England’s most eligible bachelors to an extravagant summer retreat at a country manor house. There’s a brooding artist, a wickedly handsome Russian prince, and one of the richest men in all of Europe…so why do her eyes keep sliding over to the Duke of Warrick, the only man who’s ever come close to breaking her heart?

Does Charlotte’s summer of suitors have any room for second chances?

Lara: I had such a good time with this one.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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

The MASH Up

Author: Laura Marie Meyers
Released: July 7, 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

It’s all fun and games until someone falls in love.

MANSION • APARTMENT • SHACK • HOUSE

Ruby Wynne is a staunch rule-follower who lives by the numbers. So when a surprising breakup – on her thirty-fifth birthday – ruins all her well-laid plans, Ruby makes an unexpected wish . . . Only to wake up inside a M.A.S.H. game from seventh grade.

Settled in a Technicolor mansion, driving a tie-dye Jeep, and running a roller-disco restaurant, Ruby is living out her childhood dreams come true—with one exception. According to the game, Ruby’s “other half” is supposed to be Penn Hayes, her brother’s annoying, and annoyingly handsome, best friend. But there’s zero romance between them. Just like in real life, all they share is sarcasm. With no rules to follow and desperate to return to reality, Ruby makes her best guess at an escape plan: win Penn’s heart so the game comes completely true and she can go home.

It’s unthinkable. On Ruby’s list of dos and don’ts, Penn Hayes is a lifelong don’t. But as Ruby navigates the magical world she dreamed up at thirteen, she wonders if, by finally throwing out her rules, she might just find her way home to the life and love she deserves.

Amanda: As someone who played a lot of MASH, I’m very curious about this setup.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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

Most Ardently Yours

Author: Freya Sampson
Released: July 7, 2026 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

From USA Today Bestselling author Freya Sampson comes a swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud romance inspired by Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice that begs the what if your book boyfriend jumped from the pages of their story and into your life?

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of many romance novels, must be in want of a book boyfriend.”

Zoe Knight, a struggling romance writer, has sworn off men for good. At least…the ones in real life. Once a believer in a happily ever after, she now curbs her loneliness with the help of the best book boyfriends in literature – and there is no better man than Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy. So when she stumbles into a classic London bookshop and argues with the annoyingly attractive store owner, Nick, who refuses to sell romance novels, she decides to liberate him of a dusty copy of Pride & Prejudice abandoned on a top shelf.

But this is no ordinary book.

After reading from the pages, Zoe finds herself in a remarkable situation: she has accidentally summoned the Mr. Darcy to the real world. Now, she’s face-to-face with the man she’s loved forever, and he’s everything she dreamed he would be. Handsome? Check. Brooding? Check. Talks like he swallowed a thesaurus? Check and check. But even in all his regency perfection, can he ever be as good as in the novel? And if he’s here, in her London apartment trying to figure out how to work a shower , what will happen to the literary world he came from? With Nick—the last man she could ever be prevailed upon to work with—urging her to send the fictional Darcy back to his own story, Zoe will have to decide what she really wants from a happy ending, before it’s too late.

I feel like we’ve been seeing a lot of “book characters come to life” romances!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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

Rich Girl Summer

Author: Lily Chu
Released: July 7, 2026 by Cosmo Reads
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

Fake heiress. Real secrets. One sizzling summer she’ll never forget.

Event planner Valerie Peng never planned on spending her summer sipping champagne at a lakefront estate, dodging suspicious socialites, or pretending to be anyone’s long-lost daughter. But when a very public, deeply mortifying mishap lands her in hot water—and her career in a hot mess—her uber-wealthy older client makes her an offer she can’t refuse: come to his glamorous summer home and pose as the long-lost daughter he believes his conniving family has hidden from him. In exchange? Time away from her actual life…and the chance to help uncover a long-buried secret.

But Cinderella needs some magic for this big of a makeover. Enter Nico Hever: her client’s maddeningly perfect right-hand man. He’s organized, meticulous, impossible to read, and infuriatingly handsome. But even though he claims this scheme is a capital-M Mistake, Nico’s the only person she can trust to have her back. As they navigate a world of eccentric matriarchs, class divides, and private family feuds, their chemistry is as undeniable as it is ill-timed.

Caught between pretending to belong and unexpectedly finding where she truly fits in, Valerie’s summer is about to get far more complicated than she ever planned.

Sarah: A fake identity and celebrity-adjacent contemporary? Ok, yes!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Find buy links for this book here..

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/hide-your-wallet-july-7th-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174636

thebibliosphere_feed

https://thebibliosphere.tumblr.com/post/821463908288200704

sawkinator:

natalieironside:
Mitch McConnell has been sent to a nice farm out in the country where there’s lots of open space to run around and lots of other senators for him to play with
can we send him to the glue factory instead

https://thebibliosphere.tumblr.com/post/821463908288200704

renay posting in

ladybusiness

We're halfway through 2026! ( Read more... )

fanweeklymod posting in

fandomweekly

Here are the entries for this challenge:

( List of entries )

Please Note: Because we only have 3 entries this week, there is only a First Place and Runner Up to vote for!

In order to vote, please reply to this post using the form provided. All comments are screened, and entries are listed in the order they were submitted. For your vote to qualify, you must fill out your entire voting card (both spots) in order to be counted. Winner votes are worth 2 points, Runner Up votes are worth 1 point. Meeting the bonus goal on an entry gets an extra point for that submission.

When voting, please copy/paste the ENTRY NUMBER and the FIC TITLE from the list above into the spot you're voting for (this prevents accidentally mis-numbering a vote and casting it for the wrong entry). It should look like this:

First Place: 61. Fic Title Here
Runner Up: 88. Another Fic Title

Please note that you cannot vote for your own entry, and that votes cannot be made anonymously. You do not have to be a member of the community in order to vote, nor have submitted an entry for this week; everyone is welcome to participate in the voting. IP addresses are logged to prevent duplicate voting.

Voting closes Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00PM EST.

nyghtmehr posting in

fandom_icons

Aware! Meisaku-kun [2]
Dan & Phil—Tomodachi Life [4]
Sanrio [6]
Teen Girl Squad [3]

Here @

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nyghtmehr posting in

icons

Aware! Meisaku-kun [2]
Dan & Phil—Tomodachi Life [4]
Sanrio [6]
Teen Girl Squad [3]

Here @

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xkcd_feed

https://xkcd.com/3268/

The arbiter gave my knight a red card for capturing with cleats up :(

https://xkcd.com/3268/

smartbitches_feed

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/the-transcript-for-episode-725-has-arrived/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174631

The transcript for Podcast 725. Romantic Hero with Kirsty Greenwood has been posted!

This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.

❤ Click here to subscribe to The Podcast →

A | BN | K | AB

Here’s the transcript for Episode 725 with author Kirsty Greenwood, whose new book, Romantic Hero, is out everywhere and available where books are sold or borrowed.

You can also watch the episode on YouTube!

Watch on YouTube

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/the-transcript-for-episode-725-has-arrived/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174631

dolorosa_12

This is definitely a post in brief — my mum's visit has taken up most of my time, and the rolling heatwaves have taken the remainder of my energy.

Over two days last week, my mum and I walked another two stretches of the Thames Path — Wallingford to Abingdon, and then Abingdon to Oxford. Altogether, once you add in the walking we did within Oxford, and then in London on our return journey, it amounts to nearly 40km in two days. My mum is 77 years old, and I can only hope that I have even half her energy and stamina at that age!

Here's a photoset from the walk, and here's another from the several hours we spent relaxing in the Oxford Botanic Garden (which as a His Dark Materials fan I have of course visited several times previously, with various configurations of Philip Pullman fansite friends in tow, although not since 2010). Everything was sunny, bucolic, and interwoven with the green Thames, unfurling like a ribbon across the landscape.

We got a new train station, and its existence makes my commute — and therefore my life — a whole lot more pleasant. The Guardian wrote a sort of travel puff piece about it, complete with tourist guide to less well trodden parts of Cambridge.

It's been just over ten years since I became a UK citizen, and I wrote about the complicated feelings that citizenship sparked, right from the moment I received it, on the occasion of receiving my new UK passport a few days ago.

That's all of note for now.

notbecauseofvictory_feed

https://notbecauseofvictories.tumblr.com/post/821415268609867776

beggars-opera:

I’d like to introduce everyone to my new theme song

https://notbecauseofvictories.tumblr.com/post/821415268609867776

osprey_archer

In between my birthday and the Fourth of July, the last four days have been busy! But as part of my birthday celebrations, I enjoyed a couple of birthday-themed picture books.

Carl’s Birthday, written and illustrated by Alexandra Day, which unfortunately stressed me out, because it follows a storyline that always stresses me out: someone is planning a party, and it looks like it’s going to be spoiled. In this case, Carl the rottweiler and his toddler friend Madeleine have been sent next door to take a nap while their mom sets up a surprise party for Carl… but Carl and Madeleine sneak back home to check out the presents, spread around a few toys, and take a bite out of the cake! Carl cunningly hides the defaced bit of cake with a large flower, and the party goes forward without a hitch, although I feel that surely even with the flower SOMEONE would have noticed that there was a chunk of cake missing.

Beautiful illustrations, though. I’ll definitely check out Carl’s Christmas for Christmas. And it looks like there’s a Carl’s Halloween, too…

Becky’s Birthday, written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor. Becky has just turned ten, and she has the MOST delightful birthday, culminating in a picnic with her birthday cake floating down the creek in a flotilla of candles. Attempting to float a cake down a stream is 100% something that would stress me out in real life, but I felt confident that Tasha Tudor wouldn’t let us down, and indeed, the enchanting scene ends with the children all enjoying delicious cake.

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Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/fantasy-contemporary-romance-more-11/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=174600

The Mistress Experience

The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham is $2.99! This is book three in the Society of Sirens series and we featured this on Cover Awe. Not sure if Peckham plans on writing more historicals. Her current releases have been contemporaries under the pen name Katelyn Doyle.

The scandalous women of the USA Today bestselling author Scarlett Peckham’s Society of Sirens are back with the final stage in their fight for female rights—and this time the battle is to be waged in bed…

She’s the most infamous harlot in London…and she’s up for auction.

Thaïs Magadalene is a legend. The nation’s most notorious courtesan, she sells herself once a week, for one night only, and never to the same patron twice. Until now. To raise money for the cause of women’s rights, she has auctioned herself off for one month as mistress to the highest bidder.

But the winner is not who he seems.

Lord Alastair Eden is an earl, a radical politician, and a perfectionist in all things—except one. His confidence belies an unexpected he doesn’t know how to please a woman in bed. He’s determined to change that before he marries. And who could be better than the most skilled lover in the country to teach him?

And love is never for sale.

Thaïs dreams of finding a man who will love her unconditionally, never mind her past and reputation. Eden dreams of finding a perfectly bred young lady to be his wife and helpmeet. But when a steamy month in the countryside breeds a connection both in and out of the bedchamber, the two of them must decide how much can be sacrificed for love—one’s dreams, or one’s reputation.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Immortal Longings

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong is $1.99! I mentioned this one in a previous Hide Your Wallet because I’ve enjoyed Gong’s new adult fantasy retellings. This was her adult debut and is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.

#1 New York Times bestselling YA author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

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On Rotation

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi is $2.99! I mentioned this one in a previous Get Rec’d. I’d say this is more women’s fiction or novel with romantic elements, as it has much more of a focus on the main character figuring out a potential new path in life. Many of you also chimed in with your recommendations for this one last time it was on sale.

Ghanaian-American Angela Appiah has checked off all the boxes for the “Perfect Immigrant Daughter.”

Enroll in an elite medical school. Snag a suitable lawyer/doctor/engineer boyfriendSurround self with a gaggle of successful and/or loyal friends. But then it quickly all falls apart: her boyfriend dumps her, she bombs the most important exam of her medical career, and her best friend pulls away. And her parents, whose approval seems to hinge on how closely she follows the path they chose, are a lot less proud of their daughter. It’s a quarter life crisis of epic proportions.

Angie, who has always faced her problems by working “twice as hard to get half as far,” is at a loss. Suddenly, she begins to question everything: her career choice, her friendships, even why she’s attracted to men who don’t love her as much as she loves them.

And just when things couldn’t get more complicated, enter Ricky Gutierrez– brilliant, thoughtful, sexy, and most importantly, seems to see Angie for who she is instead of what she can represent.

Unfortunately, he’s also got “wasteman” practically tattooed across his forehead, and Angie’s done chasing mirages of men. Or so she thinks. For someone who’s always been in control, Angie realizes that there’s one thing she can’t plan on: matters of her heart.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Next Best Fling

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez is $1.99! This is book one in the Librarians in Love series. The main characters enter into a no-strings-attached relationship to get over their crushes on other people.

Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years—and when he gets engaged, she knows it’s long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she’s in love with. When she discovers Theo’s plans to confess his feelings for his brother’s fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him—despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.

Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed. Soon, they find themselves exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela’s bed. There are no boundaries for the rebound relationship they form—just a host of complicated feelings, messy familial dynamics, and uncovered secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they can even admit to themselves that their rebound is working. Maybe a little too well.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/07/fantasy-contemporary-romance-more-11/

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https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/just-for-the-season-by-rachel-griffiths/

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Just for the Season

by Rachel Griffiths
July 7, 2026 · Gallery Books
Historical: European

The blurb promised me a Regency Bachelorette (like the TV show). What I found was a bit different, but nonetheless a great time.

It has been decreed by the powers that be (yes, I’m being vague on purpose) that Charlotte should marry by the end of the summer. She has her own reasons for marrying and can’t see her way out of this ‘decree’ anyway, so her gran invites a series of eligible suitors to their family estate in Kent for a house party.

The suitors’ stays are consecutive rather than concurrent so we only deal with one suitor at a time. There are, however, some guests that are there for the full duration: the neighbouring family who Charlotte and her gran are very close to and Wolfgang, a duke who has been tasked with ‘keeping an eye’ while Charlotte’s brother is out of the country.

So far this isn’t sounding that interesting, I know. But I promise it is! What makes Just for the Season feel so fresh and original are the women’s personalities.

Charlotte loves courting scandal. She’s unapologetically herself and doesn’t have much time for the dictates of proper society. So far that’s also sounding pretty standard for a recently written Regency, but this book takes it a step further. Charlotte isn’t fighting her corner alone. She has her grandmother’s backing. Feminist principles are discussed openly and not merely as thoughts but as facts that describe the lives around them. It’s truly a case of burning down the patriarchy.

One of my favourite feminist (and also pragmatic) moments was when Charlotte’s gran advocated for always accepting jewels when they are given to you and also never to return them to the giver. The reason? Jewels can be the personal property of women and can serve as her financial reserve in case she needs to escape a bad situation.

Even Wolfgang gets involved. When reflecting on what he wants for his life, he thinks the following: “Especially because, God help him, he wanted her free even more than he wanted her his.”

If you need your historical romances to hew closely to recorded history, then this might not be the book for you. This is ‘historical as fantasy’ at its finest. The characters say the kind of things that I wish I’d said in moments of confrontation or conflict – especially Charlotte.

In fact, I cheered for her throughout as she faced down all who would doubt or challenge her. By the time I reached the epilogue I felt the same as I did after I finished watching Legally Blonde for the first time – utterly incandescent with joy.

Wolfgang is, of course, the love interest. He lost his brother to a long illness and that devastated him. He also had a misunderstanding with Charlotte around the same time that hurt deeply, and he’d just left the army after surviving the war. A trifecta of terrible things in a short period of time. This has left a mark on him and he’s become stiff and grumpy. During the house party, we see a different side to him – more and more he becomes more like the person he was prior to these bad things happening and that’s largely down to his love for Charlotte.

Charlotte might be a delight already but she does have some emotional growth to tackle for that HEA to happen and it centres around being the product of an unhappy marriage.

Part of the dedication of the book really caught my attention: “For anyone who ever experienced the horror/hilarity of dating in New York City. Charlotte is our revenge”. My mind would return to it intermittently while reading. Some of these stories had to be based on real life experiences.

Is there anything I didn’t like about Just for the Season? Yes, one thing. Sometimes scenes would end rather abruptly and there’d be a gap in the action between its end and the start of the next scene. This can sometimes be quite jarring and pushed me out of the story as I tried to imagine how that scene ended after a shocking event at the end of the scene.

For example, Wolfgang and Charlotte are making out in (redacted location) when the scene ends. The next scene starts with Charlotte putting her clothes back on. Was it a closed door romance? Judging by the other intimate scenes, no. So why did they stop kissing? What was it that prompted them to separate their mouths? Why was she wearing no clothing and what happened?

Ed. note: Justice for Lara!

Despite that, I had a wonderful time with this book and I happily recommend it to anyone in need of a cheering read. Especially if in moments of conflict or tension in your own life, like me, you clam up and only think of what to say once the moment has passed!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/just-for-the-season-by-rachel-griffiths/

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March 2019

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Reading

Not in Love

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Thank You for Listening

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The Jasmine Throne

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The Re-Do List

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An Infinite Love Story

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Fabulous Bodies

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Just for the Season

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The MASH Up

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Most Ardently Yours

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Rich Girl Summer

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The transcript for Podcast 725. Romantic Hero with Kirsty Greenwood has been posted!

The Mistress Experience

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Immortal Longings

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On Rotation

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The Next Best Fling

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Just for the Season

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