Friends of the Machine

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SB Sarah

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https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/podcast-689-how-about-a-transcript/

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https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/links-hope-agatha-christie-more/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162084

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

How is October over already? I’ve been in deep in cozy activities. I made soup. I’ve been bundled up in blankets, playing PowerWash Simulator 2. Lots of reading in bed; I’m back on my webcomics grind.

How are the changing seasons treating you?

…

I recently re-discovered my love of Book Outlet. I used it a ton in grad school and then sort of forgot about it. But with purse strings getting a bit tighter, I’ve started poking around again. They usually have some steep deals on hardcovers. The only downside is you’re sort of at the whim of whatever they have in stock. I think my referral link should get you $5 off.

…

Lots of capes at this year’s formal wear section of the Mister Global pageant. I think Thailand or Peru is tied for my favorite, though I’d love to talk about Vietnam’s entry.

…

Four of Agatha Christie’s mysteries are being adapted into Mr. Men and Little Miss children’s books!

…

This link was posted in the SBTB podcast patreon discord by jfhobbit. It’s pretty topical right now.

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/2025/10/links-hope-agatha-christie-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162084

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A classic tale of vengeance from the good folks at EC.

( When your butler tells you he's quitting because you've been acting 'like an adolescent,' replying with 'Aw c'mon, hang around' doesn't help your case )

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/mostly-kdds-4/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162081

The Worst Guy

RECOMMENDED: The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary is 99c! This is the only non-KDD on the list. It also made our Best Reviews of 2022 list. Elyse gave it an A:

The Worst Guy was the first book I read in 2022, and I hope it’s setting the tone for the rest of the year because I loved it. It’s an enemies-to-lovers story with tons of competence porn. It’s also The Grumpy One/…the Introverted One, I guess? There’s no sunshine here, and I honestly appreciate a heroine who doesn’t have to be the sunshiney one.

Eight weeks of forced proximity is a long time to hate someone you’re trying not to love.

Sebastian Stremmel doesn’t need another headache. He has enough of his own without Sara Shapiro, the noisy new reconstructive surgeon, stomping all around his surgical wing with her chippy, chirpy cheerfulness.

But Sebastian doesn’t usually get what he wants.

No one gets under his skin like Sara – so much so a heated “debate” and an exam room left in shambles later, they land themselves in eight weeks of hospital-mandated conflict resolution counseling. Now they’re forced to fight fair…which quickly leads them to playing dirty when no one’s looking.

They know it’s a mistake.

They promise themselves it will never happen again.

They swear they got it out of their systems.

They didn’t.

Author’s Note: Grumpy/recovering people-pleaser sunshine. Introverts attract. Enemies-to-lovers in the workplace. Banter, bicker, and button-pushing foreplay. Don’t tell the friend group, get jealous when the friend group tries to fix her up.

Heat: rip her clothes off before you get the front door open.

Angst: big laughs, big feels, no ugly crying.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Morbidly Yours

Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks is $1.99 and a KDD! I remember being curious about this one after Kareni mentioned it in on a recent Whatcha Reading. Have any of you also read this one?

TikTok sensation Morbidly Yours, an opposites-attract romantic dramedy about a shy, demisexual Irish mortician who must marry by his 35th birthday to keep his beloved family business, and the Texan widow escaping her past who moves in next door.

Falling for the wrong person? Bury your feelings.

Callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner. But he can only inherit the family undertaking business under one condition: He must marry before his 35th birthday. So it’s out of the mortuary and into the dating scene. Lark Thompson came to Galway, Ireland to embrace life, not be reminded of losing her husband by moving in next to a funeral home.

Then the vivacious Texan animator learns of painfully shy Callum’s dilemma and makes it her mission to help him find The One. Although sworn off love herself, she’s certain Callum will find his match. But as the dating project progresses and their friendship grows, their attraction is undeniable. Spending time with serious, sarcastic Callum starts to crack the ice around Lark’s heart, and the more color Lark brings to Callum’s monochrome existence, the less he can imagine life without her.

If they think they can ignore their connection, they’re dead wrong.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Beautiful Things

Beautiful Things by Emily Rath is $2.99 and a KDD! Right now, it looks like this price is only at Amazon. This is a Why Choose historical romance and I’d love to see more of those (feel free to drop them in the comments or maybe I’ll do a Rec League).

Crashing a country house party in Regency England, an intrepid young woman is drawn into the orbit of three delicious gentlemen in this slow burn, very sexy, definitely-not-your-mother’s historical romance from internationally bestselling author Emily Rath.

At twenty-two, Rosalie Harrow is unmarried and near destitute. She has two choices: snag a wealthy gentleman, or take work as a governess. Neither option appeals to headstrong Rosalie, who sees both futures as a kind of cage.

When Rosalie receives an invitation to Alcott Hall, she believes she’s there to meet the Dowager Duchess of Norland, the mysterious childhood friend of her late mother. Instead, Rosalie is thrust in the middle of a house party of eligible high society ladies all desperate to win the hand of the new, conveniently single duke. Hilarity ensues as Rosalie dodges the attentions of the officious duke, and weathers the censure of the other guests, all while trying to unravel the mystery of her invitation.

And then there’s the gentlemen…

The more Rosalie tries to avoid the high society husband hunt, the more she finds herself charmed by three very different men. There’s Lord James, the duke’s younger brother, who is the secret duke in all but name. Lieutenant Renley, recently returned from the West Indies, and begrudgingly looking for a wife of his own. And the tempestuous Mr. Burke, who irks Rosalie to no end.

The clock ticks down the days to the Michaelmas ball, when the duke is set to announce his bride. Marriage is a trap and Rosalie will not be easily snared…but that doesn’t mean she can’t enjoy the chase while it lasts.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Writing Mr. Wrong

RECOMMENDED: Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong is $1.99 and a KDD! This is a standalone contemporary romance. Lara gave this a B+:

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

From a New York Times bestselling author, a second-chance rom-com about a debut author who unexpectedly goes viral when readers discover her hero was inspired by a beloved pro hockey player—and her high school crush.

Debut author Gemma Stanton knows romance readers love a bad boy—and she has the perfect prototype for her Mason Moretti. High school hockey god-turned-pro player, Mason was Gemma’s first crush, but she couldn’t forget the sting of his very public rejection. So, she casts him as a hot-headed Highlander in her spicy new historical romance. She never expected readers would find out on live TV when a morning show host invites Mason for a surprise on-air reunion…

As an aging hockey player with a rep for being ruthless on the ice—and roguish off of it—Mason has an image problem. So, when his meet-cute with Gemma goes viral, Mason proposes they build on the momentum with a few fake dates to boost her book sales…and his sagging profile. But when the fictional flirting gets a little too real, Mason realizes Gemma actually makes him want to become a better man—someone worthy of her trust and her love.

Will Gemma give him a second chance? Mason knows it’s a long shot, but taking shots is sorta his thing, and besides, who loves a redemption arc more than a romance author?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/mostly-kdds-4/

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162081

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are we to assume t-rex walked all the way to everest without buying anything? no, but we ARE to assume he forgot about his walk idea and instead got rightfully re-obsessed, as we all should be, with the Eliminator. that guy pushes you off the top and you're like, oh no, whoaaaah, oh nooooooo

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October 29th, 2025

October 29th, 2025: All I know about the Everest Eliminator is that he's REAL.

– Ryan

http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=4396

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/guest-post-wild-dark-shore-when-a-book-breaks-your-heart/

Posted by Guest Reviewer

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=152400

This post is from Devora Gray. Devora writes erotic thrillers and spicy paranormal romance. When not reaching for the tissue box, she’s baking near a Las Vegas pool or hiking with her Wheaten terrier, Pumba.

Please note that this post contains mild spoilers for older books.

Some endings heal you. Some endings haunt you. And some just piss you off.

My heart feels waterlogged. A vat of upheaval—sticky and black as tar—sits heavy in my chest. If I could have a good cry in the shower, I’d be fine, but I’m not ready to let go. This isn’t just anger. It’s betrayal.

I’ve just finished reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, and here’s the spoiler:

Seriously, major spoiler here

one of the main characters dies at the end.

The novel wasn’t my pick; it was my book club’s. Every month we choose from a leading literary chart to study what makes a bestseller. So far, we’ve covered The God of the Woods, The Favorites, and Death of the Author. Each deserved its spot on the New York Times list—strong characters, fascinating premises, sharp twists. Each, in its own way, asked the question: what is true love?

A | BN | K | AB

Having cut my teeth on romance at twelve, I know no genre delivers emotional punches like those with romantic arcs.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy—with a romance.

Wuthering Heights is a gothic horror—with a romance.

The Fault in Our Stars is YA fiction—with a romance.

Wild Dark Shore is literary fiction—with a romance. A woman washes up on a remote island off the Australian coast, half-drowned. She should be dead. A family of four—father and three kids—rescue her, and suddenly the story brims with questions: Why is she here? What are they hiding? Should I even care how this ends?

I do, thanks to the combustible chemistry between the woman and the father. Add in multiple POVs and time jumps, which McConaghy threads together with arachnean grace, and you’ve got five voices exploring five versions of love. The potential payoff feels enormous.

But here’s the catch with romance outside the genre proper: there are no guarantees.

Traditional romance offers a bulletproof contract: the happily-ever-after.

A | BN | K | AB

It’s a promise: Hey, life is short and hard. You deserve to believe that true love exists—and you deserve to have it, if only in these pages. Who doesn’t want that?

Apparently, a decent chunk of readers.

In my book club, a handful of us shared outrage. The rest weren’t bothered by a knife-twist ending—they welcomed the sledgehammer to the chest. Which makes me wonder: is devastation sometimes the point? And if so, when does it feel cathartic, and when does it just infuriate?

To answer, I think back on my timeline of literary heartbreak. At thirteen, I read Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor, where a modern woman falls for a 16th-century knight. I adored Nicholas Stafford.

Show Spoiler

And then—the gut punch. The heroine returns to her own time. He stays in the past. No one dies, but the lovers are ripped apart. I never picked up Deveraux again, even though most of her books end with a proper HEA.

Other stories still hurt, but the pain felt earned.

The Princess Bride: the book skips the movie’s tidy conclusion, yet the love still glows.

The Time Traveler’s Wife: death was inevitable, but layered with tenderness.

The Notebook: two lovers holding on until the last breath—worth it.

These endings devastate, yes, but they honor the love they built.

Back to Wild Dark Shore. I can’t quite name what bugs me. My husband, trying to help, suggests I imagine my own ending. Sweet man—never once asking why I’m gutted by fiction, but re-writing an author’s story is out of the question. I hear myself defending McConaghy. She wrote the right ending for her story. The breadcrumbs were all there. Given the characters’ motivations, the ending made sense.

So maybe my frustration lies not with the death itself, but with what comes after.

In Romeo and Juliet, the families stop feuding.

In The Princess Bride, Buttercup and Westley escape, Humperdinck defeated—even if the future is uncertain. I don’t need a Disney ending. I just need balance restored.

In Wild Dark Shore, not so much.

Show Spoiler

The surviving characters—mostly children—are not going to be okay. Love’s memory won’t carry them through years of struggle. And that’s what breaks my heart. Don’t the characters deserve a reprieve? Don’t I?

Because I loved every sentence. I wanted to recommend the book to fellow prose-lovers. The deeper I sank into McConaghy’s world, the more intimate our bond felt. I trusted her to deliver me to some shore of peace, believing the final page would offer closure. Why? Because true love is supposed to conquer all.

Maybe to McConaghy, it did. But in my tantrum, I’m only thinking about myself and lived trauma. I have loved and lost, as have all of the people I call friends. We understand heartbreak as a drowning, the kind that strips us bare, makes us prod at our own innards in awe and horror: That’s a human? All that meaning inside this fragile sack of meat?

Such loss makes us compassionate to suffering, but it’s not an emotion we seek out willingly.

It’s also why, when the world gets too real, I read romance. Love—in all its forms—is the tie that binds. It delivers me into impossible scenarios and into the arms of solace. The beauty of HEA is the belief that true love not only exists, it lasts. I can close the book and return to carving out my own definitions, bolstered by the illusion that I might die hand-in-hand with our soulmate. That illusion matters. It’s a stranger giving shape to our rawest emotions.

But each of us has our own definition of what catharsis requires. That’s the thing about a book that breaks your heart: the reading is over, but the experience isn’t.

Sometimes I feel like Veruca Salt: “But Daddy! I want a happy ending NOW!” I replay scenes, argue with characters who will never answer. And I realize the real ache isn’t about the author or the novel. It’s about the promises I’ve whispered to my child and my hubby—I will love you until the end. At the best of times, this promise is easy to deliver. At the worst, it’s impossible to decipher.

I’m not done with McConaghy. Her prose is too good, her characters too alive. But it will be a long time before I can risk Wild Dark Shore again.

What’s the last book that broke your heart? And have you forgiven it?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/guest-post-wild-dark-shore-when-a-book-breaks-your-heart/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=152400

reviews_and_ramblings

As a long-time, albeit lukewarm, follower of the Takumi-kun saga, I've been through a lot. I watched the five original live-action films. I even saw the one confusingly titled Takumi-kun 6, which, despite its number, turned out to be a whole new adaptation of the same story, not a sequel to the originals. So, when a brand-new series, simply titled Takumi-kun, dropped, I immediately filed it in the "New Adaptation, Same Story" cabinet. Imagine my surprise (and the two episodes it took me to figure it out) when I realized this wasn't a reboot! It was a direct continuation of the previous Takumi-kun film, but with an almost entirely new cast... except for the actor playing Gii. Confusing? Absolutely. Now, let's be clear: I wasn't head-o/ver-heels for the original films /(1-5), and the Takumi-kun 6 standalone didn't exactly convert me. But this new series? It honestly seems to have killed any possible sliver of hope I had for the franchise. I'll give them this: The actors are visually appealing. They're nice to look at. Unfortunately, the persistent, overwhelming feeling of living in a parallel reality where everyone is male and women simply don't exist is back in full force. And then there's Gii. My core issue with the character remains: Gii is an absolute imbecile, bordering on the extremely selfish, who genuinely seems to consider himself a gift from the heavens to Takumi. He has zero awareness that his dramatic, self-important behavior might actually be detrimental to the other boy, who, let's remember, is trying to overcome a pretty serious trauma. Thankfully, in this new series, we skipped the most ridiculous parts of Gii's evolution: the part where he goes from being so obsessed with Takumi that he can't bear a minute apart, to the extreme idiot who decides—of course without discussing it with Takumi first—that it's best for them to keep their distance so Takumi won't be subject to reprisals from Gii's enemies. (Seriously, what?) All in all, this latest installment did not excite me. Like the previous films, there was the potential for an engaging, interesting story about young love and overcoming personal hurdles. But this adaptation felt like a clumsy cut-and-paste job, with scenes jumbled together seemingly at random. The ending, in particular, was a rushed, ill-conceived attempt to tie up all the loose threads in a messy, illogical way. HEA. You can watch on GagaOOLala. Heat Level: 4/6.

Heat Level:

1/6: glances, caress, hugs, no kisses

2/6: kisses, closed mouth or camera angles

3/6: full kisses, clothes on

4/6: full kisses, some clothes off, hands above the waist, pants stay on

5/6: most clothes off, they have sex, but it’s masked, no sexy sounds

6/6: full nudity mostly hidden by camera angles, they have sex, sexy sounds

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( Scans under the cut... )

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/r-f-kuang-witches-more/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162019

Totally and Completely Fine

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman is $1.99! This released over the summer. Sussman’s books have been recommended in the comments. Do you have a favorite?

From the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask comes an inspiring romance novel about honoring the past, living in the present, and loving for the future.

In her small Montana hometown, Lauren Parker has assumed a few different roles: teenage hellraiser; sister of superstar Gabe Parker; and most recently, tragically widowed single mother. She’s never cared much about labels or what people thought about her, but dealing with her grief has slowly revealed that she’s become adrift in her own life.

Then she meets the devilishly handsome actor Ben Walsh on the set of her brother’s new movie. They have instant chemistry, and Lauren realizes that it has been far too long since someone has really and truly seen her. Her rebellious spirit spurs her to dive headfirst into her desire, but when a sexy encounter becomes something more, Lauren finds herself balancing old roles and new possibilities.

There’s still plenty to contend with: small-town rumors, the complications of Ben’s fame, and her daughter’s unpredictable moods. An unexpected fling seemed simple at the time—so when did everything with Ben get so complicated? And is there enough room in her life for the woman Lauren wants to be? Alternating between Lauren’s past with Spencer and her present with Ben, Totally and Completely Fine illuminates what it means to find a life-changing love and be true to oneself in the process.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Babel

Babel by R.F. Kuang is $1.99! This one was both highly anticipated and ended up being a major seller. Did any of you pick this one?

A novel that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world’s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

You can find ordering info for this book here.

A Proposal to Die For

A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper is $1.99! This is a romantic mystery. I remember Sarah mentioning this, possibly in Hide Your Wallet. This released in April.

A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a marriage proposal planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two).

Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rent costs rising at her office building, Jess jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard…the Fourth.

Roped into joining Diana’s ”pre-bridal” retreat at the exclusive Golden Ash resort, Jess hopes to fade into the background, get some work done, and maybe find some time to unwind. Their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the mountain spa’s lack of cell phone reception, the couple next door argues constantly, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she’s warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie?

As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she spends more and more time with the resort owners, finding herself much more in tune with the laid-back Osbourne family than her social climbing “boss.” Between a meditation garden-related drowning and Jess’s discovery of a body in a sauna, it’s clear that deadly secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it’s up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains—before all her plans are cancelled…permanently.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Gray Hendrix is $1.99! This is also a Kindle Daily Deal. This came out in January. Hendrix has some really interesting plots, but I know there’s been critique about the representation of women.

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/r-f-kuang-witches-more/

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162019

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(From Ambush Bug #4.)

Before we wind things up, here are a couple of Reagan portrayals by request, both involving Reagan trying to foster good relations with artificial life-forms.

( 'So, uh, can you put me in touch with C-3PO? We need to get this Star Wars thing going soon.' )

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/habo-rancher-brit-reunite-in-a-big-city/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162007

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

Thanks in advance for helping find this book, I am at a loss:

The book would be new, within the past few years. I had thought it was by Elliott Rose, but it might have just had a similar cover to her Crimson Ridge series.

The heroine is British, grew up in foster care, comes to the U.S. on holiday with an American male friend to his family ranch. In a bid to make his ex jealous, the friend tells everyone that the heroine is his girlfriend. She agrees to play along but is annoyed.

The hero is the friend’s father. He owns the ranch. He has intense chemistry with the heroine, but he thinks she’s his son’s girlfriend. They sleep together before she leaves, but the hero is awful in their last interaction and both are upset about it for years.

They have a chance meeting again years later in a city (I think New York). She is a physical therapist and raising her friend’s daughter (friend and husband had died). They date long distance and she eventually moved to the ranch.

Thanks again, fingers are crossed!

I hope we can HaBO!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/habo-rancher-brit-reunite-in-a-big-city/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162007

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https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/hide-your-wallet-october-28th-release-week/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162004

Happy Tuesday!

It’s the last release week in October! November and December tend to be pretty light for releases, so we may combine some release weeks.

Which books are on your TBR pile this week? Let us know in the comments!

Calling All Blessings

Author: Beverly Jenkins
Released: October 28, 2025 by Avon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Inspirational, Women's Fiction, Romance
Series: Blessings #12

NAACP nominee and USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins celebrates her beloved Blessings series with a heartwarming novel set in Henry Adams, Kansas.

“If you haven’t yet gotten your hands on [this] author’s work, you should do so immediately.”—Shondaland

Tamar July, town matriarch of Henry Adams, KS, is being haunted by dreams of her humiliating wedding day, sixty years ago, when she discovered her intended, Joel Newton, was already married. The truth left her furious, heartbroken, and carrying a child, her son Malachi “Mal” July. Why are these dreams coming to her now? And is the great horned owl perched on her backyard shed somehow connected? When Joel’s legitimate son comes to Henry Adams wanting to meet his half-brother, Mal, Tamar must deal with her past, her anger, and explore what it means to truly forgive.

Tamar isn’t the only one being tested. Teenager Devon July wants to be anyone but himself. When he first arrived in Henry Adams, as an eight-year-old foster child, he wanted to be a preacher. Then, to be like his adopted brother, Amari. Now, he’s decided to be a variant of James Brown—wig included—rather than who he really is, a boy who lost his beloved grandmother and is the son of a mentally challenged woman. Will Tamar be able to guide his spirit quest and place him on the road to finally being at peace within himself?

As the big August 1st celebration nears, town owner Bernadine Brown has a lot on her plate, chief among them, what to do with former mayor Riley Curry’s monstrous tribute to his hog Cletus. There are no secrets in Henry Adams, but there’s never a dull moment either.

Sarah: I love this series, I’ve recommended it to people, and KJ Charles did a whole podcast with me about how this series got her through the pandemic. This is the final book, and it’s a bittersweet blessing to see this lovely series come to an end. Congrats and bravo, Ms. Bev!

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

Claiming the Princess

Author: Charis Michaels
Released: October 28, 2025 by Avon
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Hidden Royals #3

USA Today bestselling author Charis Michaels concludes her delicious Hidden Royals series in this enchanting romance between a young woman, unaware of her royal birth, and the rugged sea captain who comes to claim her as his future wife.

Princess Danielle Allard d’Orleans grew up believing that she was a simple village girl raised in Kent by surrogate parents. That simple life vanishes when she discovers she’s actually a princess in hiding— especially as the first order of royal business is to marry a war hero she’s never met.

Captain Luke Bannock wasn’t trying to become a hero—and even less so, a husband. But he shows selfless courage in a fierce Naval battle and the Crown offers him a reward for valor. His chosen prize? The hand in marriage of an obscure princess, living in exile. The reason? Revenge against his sworn enemy.

What begins as an arranged marriage between a village girl and a cynical captain evolves into dance of passion and self-discovery. As Luke helps Dani reckon with her secret royal blood, his thirst for revenge is replaced by desire for his new wife. The shock and hurt burn away, and an all-consuming love sails this fated couple into their happily ever after.

Lara: I enjoyed my time with this book and I’m definitely going to be exploring this author’s back catalogue. Full review is up!

Find buy links for this book here..

The Everlasting

Author: Alix Harrow
Released: October 28, 2025 by Tor Books
Genre: Historical: European, Time Travel, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters—but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Amanda: I see Alix Harrow and I’m buying.

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

Julia Song is Undateable

Author: Susan Lee
Released: October 28, 2025 by Canary Street Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

CEO seeks dating coach

Critically acclaimed and reader-favorite author Susan Lee’s hilarious adult debut is a shimmering and joyful look at the magnificent—and sometimes suffocating—weight of family, the ways we limit ourselves, and the irresistible power of love.

Julia Song, CEO of Starlight Cosmetics, is at the height of her career. Then why does she feel like such a failure? Maybe because she’s thirty and single, with a terrible track record at dating. And in the eyes of her Korean family, that is just unacceptable. It never really bothered her—that is until her beloved grandmother drops the bomb that she is sick and her dying wish is for Julia to get married. Impossible. So in a moment of weakness, Julia asks her family for help. Set her up on three dates to help her find The One. But it will never work—Julia is undateable. If only there was a coach for that…

Tae Kim knows about the weight of familial expectation. He’s currently unemployed, living in his parents’ basement to care for his ill father. Sure, he’s become somewhat of a fix-it man for the Korean community around town, but that’s not a real job. And the pressure to get his life together is getting to be too much. So when the Julia Song—his childhood crush—asks for his help, it may be just the distraction he needs. He’ll do whatever it takes, even coach her for these three dates. Problem is, the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the more Tae wonders if anyone is good enough for Julia…including him.

Susan Lee’s latest has a CEO heroine and dating lessons from a childhood friend.

Find buy links for this book here..

Never Over

Author: Clare Gilmore
Released: October 28, 2025 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

A swoony second-chance romance where facing the one who broke your heart could be the thing that makes your dream come true.

Twenty-five-year-old Paige Lancaster is one contract away from earning a living doing her favorite thing in the world: writing songs. But when a music industry professional suggests she might be holding back with her lyrics to lessen the heartbreak of an old flame, Paige doubts if her music is ready to be heard.

In a rare, impulsive move, Paige contacts Liam Bishop after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor: date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, songworthy emotions felt like. And since Liam is the one who first set Paige on this career path, he hesitantly agrees.

Across three months of Liam’s summer work travel, the exes are forced to share hotel beds, rehash the past, and date in the present, all while navigating the building attraction between them they both swore was the one line of their agreement they wouldn’t cross.

But when it becomes near impossible not to act on their rippling chemistry, and as ever intensifying feelings blur the lines of what’s actually real and what’s driven by the music, Paige and Liam will both have to decide what’s more important: art for the sake of it, or love over everything.

Amanda: This is in my Book of the Year top spot.

Find buy links for this book here..

Our Vicious Oaths

Author: N.E. Davenport
Released: October 28, 2025 by Harper Voyager
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

Enter a new world of romantic fantasy from award-winning author N.E. Davenport—a journey of powerful magic, enemies-to-lovers, and political intrigue—as a warrior-princess and a vengeful king from rival fae courts form a fierce alliance to take down a merciless despot.

Princess of the Aether Dominion, Kadeesha wants nothing to do with fae politics. She is a warrior, first and foremost, and believes her greatest strength is leading her squadron of elite winged serpent flyers to protect her homeland. But bound since infancy to be betrothed to the Hyperion High King, ruler of all Dominions, she has no choice but to do what men have chosen for her.

Repulsed by the idea, she decides to spend one last night of freedom—in the arms of a dangerous stranger who takes her to sexual heights she’s never experienced before…but who is only using Kadeesha to set a trap for the High King.

For the High King and the kings of his six Dominions were responsible for the decimation of the Apollyon Court, and its new king, Malachi, wants his pounds of flesh.

On Kadeesha’s wedding day, Malachi and his special forces attack. Her father is killed, and Malachi wounds the High King, ultimately taking Kadeesha as hostage back to his land.

But she is no true hostage. The two form a she will help lure the High King so Malachi can kill him once and for all, and he in turn will not harm Kadeesha or the Aether people. And as much as Kadeesha hates politics, she is now the Queen of her folk. Fae bonds are unbreakable…and so, perhaps, is the attraction Kadeesha and Malachi feel for each other. For even as they must publicly display their connection to provoke the High King’s jealousy, they struggle to resist the powerful allure between them in order to achieve their ultimate goals.

A new, diverse fantasy romance from the author of the very good The Blood Trials.

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

Some Kind of Famous

Author: Ava Wilder
Released: October 28, 2025 by Dell
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance

In this steamy and emotional small-town romance, a disgraced ex-musician and a local handyman try to resist their growing attraction for each other—until a house renovation forces them together—from the author of How to Fake It in Hollywood and Will They or Won’t They

“Real, raw, and deeply romantic.”—Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Dream On, Ramona Riley

It’s been a decade since Merritt Valentine’s height as a celebrated singer-songwriter . . . and her subsequent career-ending mental breakdown. In the following years, she’s abandoned the glitz of Los Angeles to move in with her sister, Olivia, in the sleepy Colorado ski town of Crested Peak, hoping to heal her lingering emotional wounds somewhere out of the spotlight.

Life in Crested Peak would be uncomplicated if not for Merritt’s inconvenient crush on the local contractor and handyman, Nikolaos Petrakis. Niko is disarmingly handsome and too kind-hearted to ever be right for the complex and prickly Merritt. Though tempting, a fling with Niko would only invite the kind of drama Merritt has vowed to leave behind.

After his last heartbreak, Niko is done dating his fellow townies. Still, he can’t shake his fascination with the brilliant Merritt, even as he heeds their mutual friends’ warnings to steer clear of her chaos. But when Merritt needs help fixing up a house of her own, Niko is glad to be the only man for the job.

As the two spend more time together, their mutual attraction sparking a deeper connection than either one expects, they’re forced to confront the idea that they may have underestimated each other—and themselves.

A renovation romances with a blue collar hero and singer-songwriter heroine.

Find buy links for this book here..

Witches of Dubious Origin

Author: Jenn McKinlay
Released: October 28, 2025 by Ace
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

When a librarian discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches, she’ll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family’s magic, in this enchanting cozy fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.

Zoe Ziakas enjoys a quiet life, working as a librarian in her quaint New England town. When a mysterious black book with an unbreakable latch is delivered to the library, Zoe has a strange feeling the tome is somehow calling to her. She decides to consult the Museum of Literature, home to volumes of indecipherable secrets, some possessing magic that must be guarded. The collection is known as the of Books of Dubious Origin.

Here, Zoe discovers that she is the last descendant of a family of witches and this little black book is their grimoire. Zoe knows she must decode the family’s spell book and solve the mystery of what happened to her mother and her grandmother. However, the book’s potential power draws all things magical to it, and Zoe finds herself under the constant watch of a pesky raven, while being chased by undead Vikings, ghost pirates, and assorted ghouls.

With assistance from the eccentric staff of the Books of Dubious Origin—including their annoyingly smart and handsome containment specialist, Jasper Griffin—Zoe must confront her past and the legacy of her family. But as their adventure unfolds, she’ll have to decide if she’s ready to embrace her destiny.

Librarian witch alert!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/hide-your-wallet-october-28th-release-week/

Find buy links for this book here..

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=162004

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In the comments to these weekly posts (and only these posts), it's your chance to go as off topic as you like.

Talk about non-comics stuff, thread derail, and just generally chat among yourselves.

The intent of these posts is to chat and have some fun and, sure, vent a little as required. Reasoned debate is fine, as always, but if you have to ask if something is going over the line, think carefully before posting please.

Normal board rules about conduct and behaviour still apply, of course.

It's been suggested that, if discussing spoilers for recent media events, it might be advisable to consider using the rot13 method to prevent other members seeing spoilers in passing.

The world situation is the world situation. If you're following the news, you know it as much as I do, if you're not, then there are better sources than scans_daily. But please, no doomscrolling, for your own sake.

For anyone in the path of Storm Melissa, please stay safe!

In the US the wannabe King in the White House clearly thinks Louis XVI should be his role model, with his own Versailles (sans the actual magnificence), breaking off trade negotations with, and slapping tariffs on, Canada, for airing an ad he didn't like and

In Britain our actual King unveiled a memorial to LGBT+ soldiers of the past and present, finally acknowledging their contribution to history, 25 years after the formal ban on them serving came to an end.

MCM in London not only showcased the upcoming Marvel Legends Target Exclusive Diamond Form Emma Frost, but from her packaging, confirmed that we are (pause whilst Icon_UK hyperventilates) getting a Marvel Legends Cypher! It seems likely it'll be like the female New Mutant figure from a few years back where we got one body and swappable heads for Mirage, Karma and Wolfsbane, so we get one male body figure and heads for Doug and Sam. Which New Mutants costume it'll be is unknown, classic )Like the recent X-Men 97 Sunspot) or 2009 run (like the Dani/Rahne/Xu'an figure), or how they will address the fact that Sam should be a head taller than Doug. But still.... MARVEL LEGENDS CYPHER!!!

A Happy Hallowe'en to those who celebrate it!

In that light, it seems apt to report this week that the resting place of Elsa lanchester, the Bride of Frankenstein herself has been located and a plaque will be erected, after years of people assuming she'd had her ashes scattered instead of interred.

I just found a delightful horror based podcast, Monstrous Agonies, which are ten minute segments from the advice section for a late night radio station in the UK, offering advice on any number of social and personal issues within the Creature Community.

Anyone got interesting plans for Hallowe'en?

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What do you get when you combine classic EC horror with classic EC's social justice tales (as seen mainly in Shock SuspenStories and their SF titles), and add a contemporary twist? You get the revived EC's Catacomb of Terror. For example, here's the story of a malevolent architect who takes the concept of urban renewal to monstrous extremes.

Warning for gore.

( 'Pain is a tool [...] We must utilize it. Celebrate it.' )

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/paranormal-romance-fantasy-more-2/

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=161981

The Bewitching

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is $1.99! Thank you everyone who let us know about this sale. Hopefully it lasts! This came out over the summer, and Moreno-Garcia always does a good job creating a sense of place.

Three women in three different eras encounter danger and witchcraft in this eerie multigenerational horror saga from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.

In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch.

Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Demon with Benefits

Demon with Benefits by Aurora Ascher is $1.99! This paranormal romance is book three in the Hell Bent series. We’ve featured book one on sale before, and I’ve heard good things.

A hot-headed witch and a lovable bad-boy demon add up to a scorching enemies-to-lovers tale, in the latest spicy paranormal romance from instant New York Times bestselling author Aurora Ascher.

They can run from their demons . . .

The jokester of the demon brothers, Meph wears his grin like armor and uses humor as a mask. But lately, his composure has been slipping, especially around her. Iris. The blue-haired witch with a vicious temperament. Something about her soothes the darkness within him . . . but he’s not looking for a savior. There’s no such thing for someone like him.

But they can’t hide forever . . .

Bitter and haunted by her traumatic past, Iris Donovan isn’t keen on welcoming demons into her life—even if they’re her sister’s friends. Especially not teasing, tattooed, Meph, with his red eyes and devilish smile. After a toxic relationship, she’s sworn off commitment, and she’s not looking for another Mr. Damaged. Yet she can’t stop craving what she shouldn’t want.

To conquer this monster . . . they must tame it together.

With the return of a deadly enemy, the pain they’ve been suppressing is exposed, and Meph and Iris can no longer deny their feelings. Before Meph is swallowed by his darkness, Iris must overcome her fears and embrace that terrible part of him . . .

Or lose him forever.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Mountain in the Sea

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler is $3.99! I mentioned this one in a previous Hide Your Wallet and it’s reminding me a lot of the movie Arrival. Last time this was on sale, many of you either were super curious or had good things to say!

Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future.

Rumors begin to spread of a species of hyperintelligent, dangerous octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them.

The transnational tech corporation DIANIMA has sealed the remote Con Dao Archipelago, where the octopuses were discovered, off from the world. Dr. Nguyen joins DIANIMA’s team on the islands: a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android.

The octopuses hold the key to unprecedented breakthroughs in extrahuman intelligence. The stakes are high: there are vast fortunes to be made by whoever can take advantage of the octopuses’ advancements, and as Dr. Nguyen struggles to communicate with the newly discovered species, forces larger than DIANIMA close in to seize the octopuses for themselves.

But no one has yet asked the octopuses what they think. And what they might do about it.

A near-future thriller about the nature of consciousness, Ray Nayler’s The Mountain in the Sea is a dazzling literary debut and a mind-blowing dive into the treasure and wreckage of humankind’s legacy.

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Dreadful

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis is $3.99! The description of this one sounds really interesting. I also know the comparisons to T. Kingfisher and Travis Baldree may make some of you perk up.

The New York Times-bestselling sharp-witted, debut high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival – all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.

It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is… you.

Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.

But as he realizes that nothing – from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess – is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all – who does he want to be?

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/10/paranormal-romance-fantasy-more-2/

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=161981

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