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Posted by Amanda

Breakout Year

Breakout Year by KD Casey is $2.49! This is a Kindle Daily Deal. It’s available elsewhere, but I’m not seeing it at the sale price. This is a m/m sports romance with fake dating.

A newly traded, newly out third baseman on the cusp of his first major contract hires a fake boyfriend—not expecting him to be the former player who ghosted him years before. But as their star ascends in public, their feelings burn hot in private…threatening to expose what’s for the cameras—and what’s for real.

Eitan Rivkin is used to being first. First generation born to Russian immigrant parents, first overall pick in the draft, now the first ballplayer to come out… before his first big contract. It’s lonely being the first, and it’s especially lonely in the inescapable eye of New York sports media.

So when he wants to practice dating openly for the first time, he hires a boyfriend—only for the cameras of course. But he never expected that boyfriend to be Akiva Goldfarb, a once-promising player who disappeared after he and Eitan played together way back when.

Akiva is used to being first too. The first—and only—Orthodox Jewish player drafted to play professional ball. The first to quit when things got rough. The first named in the acknowledgements of the books he freelance edits, because, hey, the rent’s due on the first of the month. Being hired as someone’s (fake) boyfriend is just another gig, right? Even if Akiva left baseball—and baseball players—behind for a reason.

What starts out as a brief arrangement gradually transforms into something more. But being the first openly gay active player in professional baseball comes with a heavy personal cost, one Eitan is less and less certain he’s willing to pay. And when an on-field incident threatens to disrupt Eitan’s free agency plans, they’ll have to figure out if the truth is better than fiction.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Next to You

Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young is $1.99! This is a contemporary friends to lovers romance where the main characters are turning a bus into a cozy, movable tiny home.

Two friends battle feelings for each other as they work together to renovate a school bus into a home in this charming romance novel from the viral TikTok author of Next of Kin and Out on a Limb.

“Warm, sexy, and vulnerable . . . Hannah Bonam-Young needs to be on your romance radar.”—Hannah Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker

Lane is in the middle of an identity crisis. Her friends are all partnered up, her career is heading nowhere, and simply put, she’s not happy. So, after a night out celebrating her birthday, she makes one hell of an impulsive a giant yellow forty-eight-passenger school bus that she intends to make her home.

With little-to-no renovation experience but a large sum of inheritance money, Lane enlists the help of her friend Matt—a mechanic by trade, handyman by practice, and hottie by nature.

While their mutual attraction is undeniable, Matt and Lane have silently agreed that a friendship is the only thing that can ever exist between them. Matt’s a total family guy with “settle down with me” tattooed across his forehead, whereas Lane is entirely commitment averse. It could never work . . . right?

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Dirty Magic

Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells is $1.99! This is book one in the Propero’s War urban fantasy series. Some readers warn that they couldn’t put this book down, while others felt the action was bogged down by world building.

The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn’t expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch.

The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she’s convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she’s been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier—on the same day she swore she’d never use dirty magic again.

Kate Prospero’s about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should be never say never.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh is $1.99! I’ve been a fan of Brosh’s work for a long time and  gave this a B grade:

Everything is told with Brosh’s trademark self-deprecation and accentuated by her oftentimes hilarious art style. I love how mischievous and expressive cartoon Allie is. I can’t help but laugh at “the simple dog” and how the animal looks positively boneless and made of jello in every frame. It’s a book with personality in every aspect of its pages and I enjoyed taking my time with it.

This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative–like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it–but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

Pictures
Words
Stories about things that happened to me
Stories about things that happened to other people because of me
Eight billion dollars*
Stories about dogs
The secret to eternal happiness*

*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

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March 6th, 2026next

March 6th, 2026: Last night I had chicken wings for dinner! Just wings - not even a vegetable! Not even a carrot stick or piece of celery, AND I'M STILL HERE (and a little hungry, it wasn't very many wings and I should eat better, but it was a sometimes treat.)

– Ryan

March 2026 Queer Romances

Mar. 6th, 2026 09:00 am
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Posted by Dahlia Adler

For whatever reason, March is one of the most packed months this year with regard to queer releases, and it’s got some of the best queer romances I’ve read in a while! Treat yourself to the kickoff of spring with one (or five!) of these delightful books!

Anderson in Bloom

Anderson in Bloom by Jennifer Dugan

Author: Jennifer Dugan
Released: March 3, 2026 by Avon
Genre: , ,

From the author of Love at First Set, a hilariously sexy enemies-to-lovers, second-chance rom-com about a reclusive former child star turned florist whose quiet life is turned upside down when her annoyingly hot ex (and former costar) shows up in town, with plans to write a tell-all memoir.

Former child star Anderson “Andy” Ducharme is hiding—has been for a long time, if she’s honest with herself, which she isn’t.

When she suddenly cut off all ties and left LA six years earlier to work in a flower shop in coastal New England, she wasn’t just running away from toxic relationships, embezzling agents, and all the rest of her Hollywood life; she was running to something… sort of, if you squinted, and if you accepted that what she was running toward was little more than a vacation daydream she had made up with her (in)famous ex, and former costar, Nicole “Nikki” Price.

Then Nikki announces her plan to write a tell-all book about growing up in Hollywood and their tumultuous time on the Nik and Andy show, and Andy’s feelings of hurt and betrayal come rushing back. Emboldened by anger (and maybe one too many drinks), Andy does something very stupid: she texts her ex for the first time in years. No one’s more shocked than Andy when Nikki actually shows up to her small florist shop, looking for answers.

Andy is fully prepared to send Nikki away, but it seems Nikki has some unfinished business as well. Now that she finally knows where Andy’s been hiding, she’s not letting her go so easy. And with each passing encounter, Andy can’t deny the simmering physical attraction that threatens to boil over every time they get close.

But can the two of them really reunite without wrecking Andy’s carefully rebuilt life? Or is she setting herself up for a fresh heartbreak?

I am a die-hard Dugan fan, both YA and Adult, so hear me when I say this second-chance romance is her best one yet. Like, I took out a bookmark and didn’t even use it. The celebrity backstory element combines a fun, juicy gossip feel with one of my favorite things in a romance, which is “Let’s reconcile how you saw this thing going down vs. how I saw this thing going down,” and the way it works through toxicity in a romance is a lovely thing to behold.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Star Shipped

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian

Author: Cat Sebastian
Released: March 3, 2026 by Avon
Genre: , ,

Cat Sebastian’s long-awaited foray into contemporary romance! A witty, emotional, and deliciously slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between two costars on a popular sci-fi television series.

Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show, can’t stand one another. Charlie is impetuous, outgoing, and basically feral, and Simon thinks he should have stayed in reality television where he belongs. They’ve spent the better part of a decade quarreling over the spotlight and pretty much everything else, and everybody in the industry knows it. Now that Simon’s contract is finally done, he can move to New York, start fresh with work he actually likes, and get away from Charlie.

Simon’s only problem is that people might assume he’s been pushed off the show due to being impossible to work with. And he is kind of difficult to work with. He doesn’t get along with people—unlike Charlie, who somehow tricked everyone on the show into adoring him despite some outrageously bad on-set behavior during the show’s first season. Simon would rather never have to see Charlie again, but reluctantly agrees to stage a very public friendship during the short time before he moves. When Charlie has to leave town to deal with a family emergency, this means Simon comes along. Their road trip brings Simon to places he would never have willingly chosen to visit—and he finds he’s actually not having a terrible time.

The more he gets to know Charlie, the more Simon suspects he’s underestimated his former coworker. Simon also realizes that after seven years, Charlie might know him better than anyone ever has. Even stranger, Charlie seems to be starting to actually like him, despite knowing him so well. Still, Simon is about to move three thousand miles away, so whatever’s starting between him and Charlie can’t really amount to anything… right?

I don’t really think anyone has any doubts as to whether Cat Sebastian, mistress of historical m/m romance, can pull off her first contemporary, but if you did, lemme go ahead and put ’em to bed. All the fun, wit, and chemistry of her historicals is perfectly present, and this one’s got mental health and neurodivergence at the forefront of its Hollywood story too. It reminded me a bit of a grown-up version of one of my all-time favorite m/m YA Romances, How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by JC Lillis, and if that means anything to you, you’re gonna wanna nab this one ASAP.

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Thirty Love

Thirty Love by Tom Vellner

Author: Tom Vellner
Released: March 10, 2026 by Alcove Press
Genre: , ,

Things heat up on and off the court for two tennis rivals in this steamy debut gay sports rom-com, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Casey McQuiston.

American tennis star Leo Chambers is determined to win the US Open by thirty, the age when many players feel retirement looming. He’s just a year away from that dreaded birthday, but he can’t find his focus—considering he hasn’t told anyone he’s gay, he’s clashing with his strict coach (who also happens to be his dad), and he still can’t figure out how to beat his longtime nemesis on tour, Gabe Montoya, who, well, hits different. Gabe is playing better than ever, and Leo can’t seem to escape him—and maybe he doesn’t want to escape him.

Leo’s other obstacle is Sascha Volkov, a Russian legend who has such a powerful influence on the tennis world, he would destroy Leo’s career if he found out that he’s gay.

No distractions, Leo reminds himself. But when Gabe makes a shocking announcement, Leo is thrown off his game—in more ways than one. Ready? Play.

Thirty Love is a must-read for fans of queer sports romances.

Tennis is having a spectacular moment in queer romance right now for whatever reason (you’ll see at least two more featured in this very column in the next few months, and last year saw one of traditional publishing’s biggest deals ever for a debut Sapphic romance in Katie Chandler’s Backhanded Compliments), but in a sub-subgenre dominated by f/f pairings, I’m particularly excited to see what Vellner’s debut brings to the court.

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A Lady for All Seasons

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander

Author: TJ Alexander
Released: March 10, 2026 by Vintage
Genre: , ,

From the acclaimed author of Chef’s Kiss and A Gentleman’s Gentleman comes a riotous Regency romp, featuring a charming and unforgettable genderfluid lead.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman who has lost her fortune must be in need (not want) of a husband. Beautiful, cunning Verbena Montrose must marry to save herself and her odious family from abject poverty. Fortunately, what she lacks in a dowry, she makes up for in the currency of gossip.

When she hears an alarming rumor about her very dear, very queer friend Étienne that could ruin him, she comes to his aid with a proposal—for a marriage of convenience, that is. But when Verbena discovers that a mysterious and celebrated poet by the name of Flora Witcombe has been publishing verses that hint she is onto their scheme, Verbena has no choice but to pretend to be a poet herself to confront her in a local salon. And—unexpectedly—be charmed by her.

Flora, in turn, is terrified by and smitten with Verbena in equal measure. But she holds a secret of her he is also William Forsyth, a struggling novelist and fifth son of a minor noble family. And if circumstances don’t allow Flora to woo Verbena, perhaps William can. Faced with two suitors and a fiancé, Verbena, who has always had to be clever to survive in society, starts to realize she may need to think outside of society’s constraints to find true happiness.

Are you tired of hearing me gush about TJ Alexander yet? Don’t care! I’m obsessed with the delight they’re bringing to trans historical romance these days, and both the spirit and wit of their characters and the fact that there’s always a sweet found family aspect to it. This one’s got queer discovery, genderfluidity, yearning, and a plot fit for Shakespeare that’ll have you kicking your feet in the best kind of frustrated glee.

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Shake Out the Ghosts

Shake Out the Ghosts by Al Hess

Author: Al Hess
Released: March 17, 2026 by Angry Robot
Genre: , ,

Left with PTSD and facial scars after an attack 9 months ago, eccentric portrait artist Micah finds the sanctuary of his home disrupted by signs of a haunting. Between 80’s synth pop and motivational messages scrawled on his bathroom mirror, Micah is more charmed than frightened by Cosmo, the deceased previous resident of his apartment. But when Cosmo’s ghost suddenly disappears, Micah’s determined to lure him back.

Dramatic, unconventional and very much alive, sculpture artist Cosmo mourns his old self. His boyfriend’s a serial cheater, he’s continually passed over for a promotion at work, and he’s lost his best friend. To make matters worse, his apartment’s being haunted by a bespectacled man with an eye socket of scars. Seeking a new start, Cosmo moves out.

In a chance meeting, Cosmo and Micah’s paths cross again, and tentative sparks fly. But the phantoms of their pasts still linger. To find a future where they can be happy together, they must confront their trauma once and for all.

Hess has made his name is weird (complimentary) queer and trans speculative fiction of the Dystopian/Sci-Fi type, so it’s very cool to see him swing into Romance while balancing similarly unique and unconventional plot with very real human trauma and growth. Very curious to see what Hess will do next!

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Friday Videos are Uber L33t

Mar. 6th, 2026 07:00 am
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Posted by SB Sarah

An image of a VHS cassette with a label that reads FRIDAY VIDEOS Smart Bitches Ep. 21 against a pink crosshatch backgroundEvery now and again, I remember this video.

Well, sort of. Specifically I remember to sing and dance to it across the kitchen at inopportune moments.

I also love silly videos featuring game characters and screen recordings. It’s one of my favorite subgenres, even if I have NO idea which game it is (I know which game this is).

Do you have any fave video game clips or parodies? Please do share in the comments – these threads are freaking delightful because we all have similar senses of humor. Which makes sense.

Happy Friday! PWN Your Weekend!

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Posted by SB Sarah

Thank you for joining me for a “from the vault” episode! This is episode 147, originally aired June 26, 2015, so almost 11 years ago.

Drs. Jen Lois and Joanna Gregson did a multi-year study on the community of romance authors and I have never stopped thinking about it. In this conversation, we’re talking about that study, what they learned about romance as a community, especially about gender dynamics.

Listen to the podcast →
Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

You can find their published work based on this study in the following articles – these link to the abstract because I don’t have a membership to this academic database.

The music in the original episode was provided by Sassy Outwater. This is the Peatbog Faeries album Blackhouse. This track is called “The Dragons Apprentice.” Dragons!

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

More ways to sponsor:

Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)

What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.

Thanks for listening!

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

Cowboys, Dark Romance, & More

Mar. 5th, 2026 04:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

Dom-Com

Dom-Com by Adriana Anders is $2.99! It’s a Kindle Daily Deal, so today only! Lara gave this one a B grade:

While I was frustrated by the third act and by the plot line that didn’t make sense, I was delighted by everything else. I really enjoyed reading Dom-Com and am very happy to recommend it to the Bitchery!

An experienced Dom and a baby sub must keep their kink-lives a secret after discovering they’ve just become office mates and professional rivals in this super-steamy contemporary romcom, perfect for fans of Lana Ferguson and Tessa Bailey.

An irresistible collision of dominance, deadlines, and an extremely inconvenient desire.

All Rae Jensen has to do is walk through the door. Inside the club is everything she’s wanted but was afraid to ask a ridiculously hot, brooding Dom with a sharp jawline, sexy forearms, and a low voice that sends goosebumps along her skin when he says “People here call me the General.” For one night, she can forget the stress and her endless responsibilities . . . and just be a saucy little sub, no questions asked.

It’s been a while since Grant Bowman met someone like Rae. Although he’s an experienced Dom, he doesn’t do newbies, especially ones who are such a sweet distraction. But one night couldn’t possibly hurt—until the General discovers they’ll be working together IRL at his new consulting job. Now what started as control is turning into the kind of chaos that destroys careers. But there’s no safe word for falling in love…

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

I Hope This Finds You Well

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue is $1.99! This was mentioned on Hide Your Wallet, and both Sarah and I were excited for it.

As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.

When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.

But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.

Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

At Whit’s End

At Whit’s End by Bailey Hannah is $1.99! This is book four in the Wells Ranch series. It features a single mom and a friends to lovers romance in a small town.

A single mom struggling to raise her rebellious son finds unexpected support in a kind-hearted cowboy in this spicy romance from the author of Seeing Red and Change of Hart.

She’s afraid she’s not enough. He’ll make damn sure she knows she is.

Single mom Whitney Hart is, quite simply, overwhelmed. She’s struggling to raise her ten-year-old son, Jonas. Her ex-boyfriend only seems to come around and help take care of his son when he’s single and hoping to get back together. With Jonas acting out more than ever, Whit realizes she needs help keeping an eye on him over summer vacation.

Enter Colt, a fun-loving cowboy who is tasked with giving Jonas work to do around Wells Ranch to keep him busy. In Colt, Jonas finds a mentor and male role model for the first time in his life. And in Jonas, Colt discovers a friendship that brings a new kind of joy into his life.

Colt and Whit slowly develop a friendship of their own through a shared concern for Jonas, and over the course of the summer, it begins to spark into something more. The attraction and chemistry between them are hard to ignore, but Whit’s insecurities and hesitancy to trust men cause her to pull away.

As miscommunications give way to understanding, the two will discover that sometimes you have to first be broken before you can become whole, and that there’s no one way to create a family.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Love Me Stalk Me

Love Me Stalk Me by Laura Bishop is $2.99! This is a dark cotemporary romance. The premise made me buy this one while I was shopping at Lovestruck Bookstore a couple months ago. Haven’t gotten around to it yet!

For fans of Lights Out and You comes a dark rom-com debut about a woman who confides her fantasies to an AI boyfriend app—unaware she’s really talking to her hot, tattooed coworker who hacked her phone.

When overworked department store manager Izzy Russo downloads an AI boyfriend app to fill the emotional void left by her inattentive real one, she thinks she’s just venting to a harmless chatbot named “Caleb.” In reality, she’s been pouring her deepest, dirtiest fantasies into the ears of Callahan Knight—her store’s brooding new head of security.

Because Cal? He’s been listening. The moment he saw Izzy, he knew she was his. Did he hack her phone? Absolutely. But who could blame him? A woman like Izzy deserves to be cherished by someone who truly knows her worth—and he’ll do anything to be that man.

So when Izzy finally sees her boyfriend for who he really is, and the danger she’s unknowingly been caught up in, Cal is ready to protect her, no matter the cost. Even if it means revealing the truth.

She might not have meant to build the perfect man. But he’s here now. And he’s never letting her go.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Good Girl

Good Girl by Piper Lawson is FREE! This is a forced proximity, rockstar romance. It’s also the first book in the Wicked series.

Haley’s job is to keep rockstar Jax Jamieson out of trouble…

Not to fall for him.

I was hired to work for a legend. Instead, I’m being seduced by a man.

When I took an internship on rock god Jax Jamieson’s tour, I never thought he’d look twice at me. He’s older, cocky, jaded and nothing like the college guys I’m used to.

He’s gorgeous, rich, talented, and the biggest rockstar in the world.

Too bad I rubbed him the wrong way on day one.

Now he takes divine pleasure in making my life hell. During soundcheck. On the road. At the hotel after shows.

I need this job for reasons he can never know. That’s why I have to be cool under that smoldering gaze and arrogant grin.

The bigger problem is when the cynicism slips away, exposing the cracks beneath. When he lets his guard down to tell me things he hasn’t told a soul.

Because a million women might scream his name…

But he whispers mine.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Fan Service (2026)

Mar. 5th, 2026 05:54 pm
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
[personal profile] reviews_and_ramblings
 Fan Service is an "all style, no substance" fatigue that’s been a recurring theme in the 2026 BL web-drama scene. It definitely feels like a missed opportunity given its pedigree—especially with Kim Chang-min and Kim Chan-gyu (both fan favorites from His Man) leading the cast. The series starts with a genuinely interesting premise: the dark side of celebrity worship. By having the top star, Geon-woo, mistake an innocent student, Jae-yeon, for a stalker, the show sets up a unique power dynamic. Visually, Fangle Studio didn’t miss. The use of high-contrast lighting and tight close-ups effectively conveys Geon-woo’s claustrophobia and paranoia. The "paparazzi-style" camera angles in the early episodes were a clever touch. Seeing Chang-min and Chan-gyu act together is peak meta-fanservice in itself. Their comfort level on screen is palpable, which helps sell the initial "forced proximity" trope. Where the drama loses its spark is in the transition from concept to connection. The show starts as a sharp, almost satirical look at idol culture but quickly devolves into a standard, slightly lethargic romance. The biting humor and "lethal" one-liners from the first three episodes (like the infamous "cat's nutsack" comment) almost entirely vanish in the second half. Once the misunderstanding is resolved, the stakes drop significantly. The conflict involving Geon-woo’s brother and the actual stalker arc felt rushed and clunky, serving more as plot devices than organic narrative shifts. At only 6 episodes (roughly 8–10 minutes each), there simply wasn't enough room to breathe. The "enemies-to-lovers" progression felt less like a slow burn and more like a light switch, leaving the emotional payoff feeling unearned. Fan Service is the equivalent of a high-end fashion magazine: beautiful to look at, but you finish it in ten minutes and forget the details. It’s worth a watch for the visuals and the leads' chemistry, but don't expect it to redefine the genre. The 5-year time skip in the finale is probably the biggest contributor to that "bland" feeling—it bypassed all the actual relationship growth we wanted to see! HEA. You can watch on Gagaoolala. Heat Level: 2/6.



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
[personal profile] tcampbell1000 posting in [community profile] scans_daily


Warning for lots of Nazi and Hitler imagery.

In a meta sense, the real threat to a figure like General Glory isn’t Nazis; it’s disillusionment, the vision of America with bloodied hands that can never be made clean. The General will face both threats in these pages, and he’s much more able to address one than the other. And this was produced during the early Nineties, with reference to the early Forties, which were both relatively good times for American patriotism. [Glances at headlines, shakes head, sighs]

The Vietnam and Trump eras have been hard enough on Captain America; I’d rather not imagine the General trying to cope with them. )
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Posted by Lara

A

Subtle Blood

by KJ Charles
June 23, 2021 · KJC Books
Historical: EuropeanHistorical: OtherMystery/ThrillerRomance

CW: Self-harm (historical), violence, death of secondary characters.

AJ reviewed the first book in the series, Slippery Creatures and enjoyed it and so did I. There is a simple reason for this being a review of the next two books together rather than one: when I finished The Sugared Game I was in agony, desperate for the rest of Will and Kim’s story in Subtle Blood.

This is the second time I’ve read this trilogy. It took me ages to read it for the first time for such an inane reason: I didn’t like the titles of the books. I’ve chosen not to read books for all kinds of ridiculous reasons. I find there are so many books that narrowing down options often comes down to nonsense reasoning out of desperation to make for a manageable TBR. Anyway, in this instance, I was a fool not to devour these books sooner. They truly are excellent.

Slippery Creatures
A | BN | K | AB
You can read AJ’s review to get a feel for Slippery Creatures and the general setup, but as this is a lightning review, the blurbs will be included at the end. There will however be spoilers for Slippery Creatures in this review, so be warned.

Will inherited a bookstore from a long lost uncle who fell ill just as they were getting to know each other. Will doesn’t have any experience at all as a bookseller. He has years of experience as a soldier in WW1 though. This is something that (what he calls) the wolf inside him relishes. He’s good at violence. So it is no surprise really that he is continually swept up in Kim’s plots. Will would be bored stiff just selling books.

Kim, AKA Lord Arthur Secretan, is a spy of sorts and is dragged back into the action often, usually in the pursuit of an underground criminal gang with anarchic goals. This group are the antagonists for the duration of the trilogy and disbanding them takes a monumental effort from our lovely duo.

The Sugared Game
A | K | AB
There are some delicious twists and turns across the trilogy and I can’t really go into much detail without liberally using spoiler tags or totally ruining the surprise for those new to the series. So I’m just going to sum up the spying/thriller action as INTENSE. It’s so tightly plotted and I didn’t stumble into a single plot hole. It’s a brilliant, brilliant thriller.

But the part that really gave my heart a workout was the romance. SWOON. Will is this strong man with a wolf inside him and a heart that is so scared to hope for more when for the duration of the war he could only cope with the present moment. He’s sharp and violent and so desperately in love with Kim it kind of sends him off his rocker. Kim, suave and witty, has more experience with men, but is utterly floored by Will and his wolf. The two make such a perfect pair.

The romance and spy work are perfectly balanced throughout. There’s enough spy drama to keep my head engaged, interested and desperate to know more and there’s enough romantic tension to keep my heart committed to Will and Kim. While the mystery subplot is mostly resolved in each book, the romantic arc takes all three to reach resolution.

It was the romantic plot that had me desperate for the next one in the series. Kim and Will had the potential for an epic HEA that’s unique to them and the promise of that HEA had me ploughing through this series at a rapid clip. This story gave me a welcome reprieve from the world around me. I was immersed, body and soul. I cannot recommend this series enough!

Absolute Martian Manhunter #8

Mar. 4th, 2026 02:04 pm
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I have indirectly heard that Grant Morrison said they like Absolute Martian Manhunter and to me that makes us married. -- Deniz Camp

Read more... )
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Which is, as I sort of expected, a little short on ring slinging, since I figures they'll be saving that for the full trailer, or even the actual premiere.

Also, a lot swearier than I expected )
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Posted by Amanda

Snake-Eater

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher is $2.49! How serendipitous! This was recently featured on a Get Rec’d post of recommendations that came from a convo I had with KJ Charles.

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award–winning author T. Kingfisher comes an enthralling contemporary fantasy seeped in horror about a woman trying to escape her past by moving to the remote US desert—only to find herself beholden to the wrath of a vengeful god.

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt’s house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there’s a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena’s ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena’s house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn’t ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can’t begin to imagine. And when Selena’s search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It’s the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater,” who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Say You’ll Remember Me

Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez is $2.99! Jimenez’s romances really amp up the drama, so fair warning for that. I’ve also heard that there’s a lot of social media slang and pop culture references, if that happens to be a no go for you.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a playful yet deeply emotional romance where one date is all it takes for two people to know they’re perfect for each other . . . until one of them moves 2,000 miles away the next day.

There’s no such thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediate yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong . . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake.

But after one incredible and seemingly endless date, Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be. Only no amount of distance or time is enough to forget what’s between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams is $1.99 ! This is a small town romance with a heroine wanting to rehab her “boring” image. I am personally not a big fan of small town romances, but I may be in the minority.

Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match-someone who nicely compliments her happy, quiet life running her flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. Unfortunately, she worries her goal might be too far out of reach when she overhears her date saying she is “sounbelievably boring.” Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice…and Annie has the perfect person in mind to become her tutor: Will Griffin.

Will–the flirtatious, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard–is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement grows for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker. He has one personal objective during his time in town: stay away from Annie Walker. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will soon finds himself not only breaking his rule, but tasked with far more than simply providing security.

Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie, but he can’t bring himself to say no to her request, so he officially agrees to teach her how to be the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky, and find the love of her life-even if he doesn’t believe in love himself. Between faking a relationship so the meddling town doesn’t catch on to what’s really happening on their practice dates, and tutoring lessons that convince Annie to add passion to her list of must-haves in a mate, it doesn’t take long for the lines of their friendship to blur…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Husbands

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio is $1.99! I’ve seen this one mentioned in the comments a couple times. I think this skews more toward contemporary fiction. If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear more about the romantic elements.

An exuberant debut, The Husbands delights in how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.

As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

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Posted by Amanda

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

This time, we’re doing Wednesday Links in the morning! If you’re in the Northeast, you’ve probably experience some semblance of false spring and had to reckon with that grief. One day, it’s in the 50s and then it snows.

It’s also Girl Scout cookie season. Did any of you acquire your stashes yet? I’m really enjoying the new cookie flavor, which is a chocolate sandwich cookie with an almond marshmallow cream.

The Lit for Queer Liberation auction is set to launch March 8th and run through the 14th. Lots of amazing authors have signed up to participate in the virtual auction. You can get a peek at what’s up for auction now.

This link was sent in by EC Spurlock. Web browser Opera is celebrating its 30th anniversary with some mid-90s web nostalgia.

A TV series based on Navessa Allen’s Into Darkness series is in development. I’ve read the first book and enjoyed it. Very curious to see if it’ll actually get made and how they’ll handle the darker content.

In more anniversary news, Stardew Valley turned 10! Honestly, the game feels like I’ve been playing it for much longer.

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!

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Posted by SB Sarah

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

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

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

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

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